#101691 - cosmic4z - Thu Sep 07, 2006 2:37 pm
Hi Guys!
Thought you might like to check out my little game Qwak! Fun, cute and ultra (dangerously) playable platformer and now for the GBA.
Get your FREE demo here: www.qwak.co.uk
Cheers ;-)
#101840 - pepsiman - Fri Sep 08, 2006 10:10 am
| cosmic4z wrote: |
Thought you might like to check out my little game Qwak! Fun, cute and ultra (dangerously) playable platformer and now for the GBA.
Get your FREE demo here: www.qwak.co.uk |
I loved this game on the Amiga.
Are you one of the original developers?
Or have you bought the rights from the original developers?
#101857 - cosmic4z - Fri Sep 08, 2006 1:17 pm
Hey pepsiman,
Yes, I am the original developer of the game, both the BBC version and the Amiga version (and the currently in development PC version).
Have you played the demo? I'd love to get some feedback, is it too easy, too hard? Anything I should change?
Cheers.
#101878 - headspin - Fri Sep 08, 2006 4:29 pm
#102127 - shen3 - Mon Sep 11, 2006 2:01 am
I gave the demo version a try over the weekend.
I thought it was pretty good, but the last 2 levels were a lot harder then the first ones. I guess this does make the demo last longer, but might make people think that the rest of the levels on the pay version might be too difficult.
[SPOILER]
In particular the bosses in the last level seemed to take a lot to kill, and I was only able to beat them by hiding under the gems in the middle of the screen.
[SPOILER]
Also, I don't know how many different graphical themes you have in the full game, but if possible you might want to think about using a different theme for each level in the demo, to better showcase the graphics.
Overall it was a very professional and well put together demo + game.
I particularly liked the levels with the prizes raining down.
Shen
#102436 - Pikanya - Thu Sep 14, 2006 1:23 am
Hmm, no complaints at all on the graphical level, it's quite cute as you describe it! Still, even though I've not played the original game, gameplay-wise it might be too close and therefore outdated. For instance, the standard right now is to jump with A and to attack with B, which is reversed in this game, confusing at least me. Holding the jump button makes the character keep jumping, which could be a conscious design decision, but I see no point in this, as there is no need to keep bouncing up and down, and is counter-intuitive.
The character also needs some weight, some physics--check Mario Bros. or Bubble Bobble, both of which have different kinds of physics in the movement of the character, but both make it feel more like the character is 'alive' than it just being a sprite that is moving on the screen. Inertia should keep the character from turning 180 degrees and keep walking just as fast in the opposite direction, though this is not so important if the character is not moving too fast--it is still critical when it happens in mid-air.
I assume you will add animations for jumping and throwing eggs, too?
The warp from the bottom to the top of the screen is too sudden and dizzying, there should be some space of time in between or some sort of transition.
Okay, well, I don't know how much my opinions are worth, since I've not played the original game, but there you go, from the point of view of an 'outsider.'
#102756 - cosmic4z - Sat Sep 16, 2006 6:38 pm
Thanks for your comments and suggestions Shen3 and Pikanya.
Shen; there are 8 graphical themes in the game, which matches the Amiga original.
Pikanya; I intended to keep the game as close to the original as possible, to address some of the issues you mention ...
A and B buttons reversed:
Yes, you're about the 3rd or 4th person who's mentioned this. The configuration as it is now, 'works' for me, but I'm prob going to change this around, and perhaps offer a config option, in the options menu.
Holding the jump button makes the character keep jumping:
Yes, this is an intentional design decision. Qwak has very fast 'out of the frying pan and into the fire' game-play, and it's often the case that you need to jump, and then jump again, the very instant your feet touch the floor (i.e. with no delay for you to press the jump button again).
Character needs some weight:
It does actually have inertia on the X-Axis (as well as on the Y). It will probably take 6 or 8 frames to move from full speed going left, to full speed going right, it's even slower when you're in the air, and again, even slower when you're on ice (later levels). If you play the demo and get to the snow level, you'll see this for yourself.
Animations for jumping and egg throwing:
No, I hadn't intended to add such things.
Warp from top to bottom:
Sure, it's just unfortunate that the GBA only has a 160 pixel high screen, and the maps (taken from the Amiga original) are 200 pixels high. You're going to get less than perfect situations when you're converting a game from one platform to another, if the game had been develeped for the GBA from the word go, it would be much different. I need some dynamic that allows the action to keep going, with no delays, what's in there now, is the best I could think of, if you have any other suggestions, I'd be happy to hear them.
You're opinions are totally valid, and reflect your experience with the game, thanks for sharing them.
:)
#103384 - pepsiman - Thu Sep 21, 2006 2:18 pm
| cosmic4z wrote: |
| Sure, it's just unfortunate that the GBA only has a 160 pixel high screen, and the maps (taken from the Amiga original) are 200 pixels high. |
Any chance of a DS version? 192 pixels is closer to 200.
#112521 - cosmic4z - Sun Dec 17, 2006 1:06 pm
Game is OUT NOW ... if you'd like to order a copy ... head over to www.qwak.co.uk
Cheers,
J
#116321 - cosmic4z - Wed Jan 24, 2007 12:34 pm
Still got loads of these left .............