This week a suggestion from Authentic Kaizen, who suggests having a neon styled platform game, with bubble bobble style components. The game has taken a few turns during the week, changing from spike induced terror, a game with a frog like creature, and a whole lot more besides! It now appears to be settling down quite nicely into some kind of obscure chaos. Hurray for chaos!! Coming Tuesday : NeonPlat!

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Socoder Newsletter -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-      "Bonus Round"           #031 - 27th November 2009                      <form method="get" action="https://groups.google.com/group/socoder-newsletter/boxsubscribe" target=_blank style="background-color: #ffc; width: 320px; padding: 2px 4px">...

I get to this point once every few months, and .. well.. here we are again! A few things are getting me here, this time around. Let's list the reasons, then think of some solutions..

*phew* Just about!!! <img src="https://AGameAWeek.com/complete/Munky_Blocks_DS_20091124A_thumb.png"> Munky Blocks DS, a complete remake of the original that can even make use of the level files from the PC edition, but also adds in a little mix of "Munky's Block" levels, too. In the end, it's turned out as a lovely little game, but BOY was that a rushed ending! Missing a day didn't help things, and the entire editor (top to bottom) had to be coded yesterday!! Surprised I even man...

This week, I've decided to try something a wee bit different. If you're a fan of previous AGameAWeek games, you'll notice that I'm more than a little crap at designing levels. It's a slight issue, but one that I've never bothered to care about. Usually, any games that NEED levels will include a built in level editor. And folk who like the games will spend minutes trying to make one, and that'll be half the fun. The trouble with this theory, of course, is that half the ti...

Last week was Bonfire Night in the UK, and as such RetroRemakes.com had a little challenge. (They've started to do a monthly challenge..) Create a game/story/etc with Fireworks in it. Here's my game. <a href="https://AGameAWeek.com/complete/Firework_Chaos_20091117A.png"><img src="https://AGameAWeek.com/complete/Firework_Chaos_20091117A_thumb.png"></a>

<a href="https://AGameAWeek.com/JNKx15.zip">Download JNKx15 Right Here</a> A nice neat 36Mb download, with 15 lovely little games included. Download, Unzip, Play away!

In a world where Ninjas roam, there are many things to be aware of. Ducks are deadly, be sure to have your sword!! (URL "https://AGameAWeek.com/complete/Ninja__Duck__20091110B.png"><img src="https://AGameAWeek.com/complete/Ninja__Duck__20091110B_thumb.png"> Z to swish, Left and right to run, Up to jump and Down to duck/slide. You can (URL "https://AGameAWeek.com/complete/Ninja__Duck__20091110.zip">Download Ninja, Duck! here), and get a super h...

So, after having attempted to create a racing game and a word game, I've finally settled on a game that appears to be coming together nicely. Ninja Duck (temporary name, but they usually tend to stick) is about a Ninja who has a sword, and an oncoming swarm of ducks, frogs and birds. Simple stuff, on a nice small arena. <a href="https://socoder.net/uploads/1/arghfrog.png"><img src="https://socoder.net/uploads/1/arghfrog_thumb.png"></a> Not really too much gameplay, but just enoug...

Sometimes you can start a game and it grows and grows and is wonderful. Other times, you get about 10% through, and realise it's just not working out. Game Idea 1 This week started with a word game. A decent enough idea, place the tiles in a scrabble-esque crossword style, and make words. Each tile would have two points, Point A, the letter, and Point B, the link. The link is either to the left or below the letter. Tiles could only link to each other, so rather than having a grid...

Blimey, Blockman got big! 5Mb!! FIVE!! That's not like me! But with over 350 great big (for me!) 64x64 pixel sprites, the game was bound to get a little bit bigger than usual. Oh, and a bitmap font, too! I've really gone all out, this week! <a href="https://AGameAWeek.com/complete/Blockman_Gets_More_20091103B.png"><img src="https://AGameAWeek.com/complete/Blockman_Gets_More_20091103B_thumb.png"></a> To be fair, it's taken about 2 weeks to get this all done, but I ...

Blimey, that got complex! <a href="https://socoder.net/uploads/1/blockmansGreatBigMenu.png"><img src="https://socoder.net/uploads/1/blockmansGreatBigMenu_thumb.png"></a> Starting with "World 1-1, 2-1, 3-1, 4-1, 5-1" I built a set of sideways Arcade menu start points. Then I added the old "J/K" gameplay options in the style of World 10-1 and World 25-1.. Although from 6-1 and after, the theme isn't predetermined, and it's just picking random themes each time! Each world conta...

Or rather, he needs one, but doesn't quite have one. That's on tomorrow morning/tonight's list of things to do. Otherwise we've got sounds, graphics, music, levels, level progression, bonus level sets and more. Everything's nice and happy! Blockman is happy, too! <a href="https://socoder.net/uploads/1/Firestarter.png"><img src="https://socoder.net/uploads/1/Firestarter_thumb.png"></a> (Finally added scores to the bottom of the screen!!) One thing I'm sl...

Like I suggested yesterday, those one-way arrows could lead to some serious deadends, so rather than allowing the game to plonk them down willy-nilly, I've brought back Path Mode's AI. Path Mode will work the way it used to, a trail of dots leading to an eventual deadend.. But we'll also be using it to find paths for the arrows. Find a path, pick 4 or 5 points at random, add the arrows. Nice and simple. Of course, if you leave all the arrows in, it does get a little bit...

Sometimes you have really productive days. Occasionally, though, those really productive days seem to drag on and on, and not actually produce much at all! Here's what I've done today. 1. We're up to 5 skins, since I added a plain rock+lava one. Plenty of graphical variety, but only as much as it's still a bunch of squares making up a maze! 2. Added the nice filter down level drop effect back into the game. It's a nice enough effect. No need to jazz it up, nor remove it. It ...

<a href="https://socoder.net/uploads/1/KingPelLittsTomb.png"><img src="https://socoder.net/uploads/1/KingPelLittsTomb_thumb.png"></a> Poor Blockman, all alone in a gigantic maze. If only there were a way to zoom into the action..

A nice and simple game, this week, inspired by this week's Wednesday Workshop (#224) Board Game challenge. Rather than having plain Questions and Answers, I've taken all the results from Socoder's daily polls, and rounded them up into the game. Can you select the option that the most people at Socoder did?! <a href="https://AGameAWeek.com/complete/Guesstimates_20091027A.png"><img src="https://AGameAWeek.com/complete/Guesstimates_20091027A_thumb.png"></a> Pick the best to ...

Blockman Gets More is coming along nicely, with one slight issue to be aware of. I've got the bloomin' Swine Flu, so don't expect a miracle super game by Tuesday. Dangit.. I should have a game done by Tuesday, but it won't be Blockman Gets More, that's currently waiting until such a time that I can actually think straight, and not struggle to type! Flu sucks, especially once it's got into your head. Bah! This week's game will be probably be the poll-based board game tha...

This week, due to popular demand, Blockman's Getting More. As you may have read, I attempted a new art style (fweeDee!!) last week, which really didn't work out at all. So, this week I'm aiming for the Pseudo popped-out-a-bit art style, and all seems happy in the world of Blockman. <img src="https://socoder.net/uploads/1/blockmangetsmoreb.png">

Prepare for disappointment! This week's been a bit of a disaster, really. I started with Arcade Slots, and actually managed to get quite far into it, but eventually realised there wasn't anything new to add to the mix. So that got scrapped. After that came a brand new Blockman graphic style, which was far too angled, and resulted in the maze being completely obscured. No good! So, after those two, you'd think I'd suddenly come up gold. Third time lucky, right? Nope. <a hr...

If you're currently coping with a bad bout of depression, it's probably not a great idea to download this week's AGameAWeek game, because.. quite frankly.. it sucks! As I type this, the game currently consists of a badly drawn dog, a badly drawn bit of grass, and a few badly drawn birds. I've hit a dead end as far as this game goes. I also hit a dead end with Arcade Slots, and I even hit a major blockage with Blockman Gets More. All in all, this week has sucked! I've got practically nothing imagina...