FEZ 2 ANNOUNCED!!
Phil Fish today dropped a bomb at the Horizon showcase. Here it is!! I’m excited!!
Guacamelee es magnífico!
Review
It looks as if the Indie game movement is saving us again from what could be an anemic spring/summer release schedule. Drinkbox Studios comes to the rescue with its wonderfully done Luchador-themed brawler, Guacamelee. The game exhibits lots of flair while being extremely accessible — it provides MetroidVania veterans a challenge, while giving newbies an opportunity to embrace the genre.
The main character of the story is a lowly farmer named Juan, who finds himself confronted by a demon in skeleton form. This mysterious creature grabs your would-be love interest, kills you, then skitters away to complete his plan of world-ending domination. While in the afterlife, you are met by a female luchador who bestows upon you a magical mask that both brings you back to life and imbues you with the strength and speed of ten Koko B. Ware‘s.
You can tell by the cadence and snark-laden story that the folks at Drinkbox have really hit their stride when spinning a comedic yarn. The jokes are funny, the memes timely, and gaming callbacks just numerous enough to not be overdone. You can tell that they love games and love having a good time; that they appreciate traditions without taking themselves too seriously. This light and airy feel is evident within the art style as well. Guacamelee taps into Mexican folk art themes and Day of the Dead lore, jumping easily between the worlds of the living and the dead. A cartoonish Mexican town is your playground, laced with beautiful earthy tones with huge splashes of neon pastels around every corner. I played the game mostly on my Vita, but when I transitioned to the PS3 via my cross-save (more on this later) the colors jumped off the screen. Along with the gorgeous graphics comes a fun soundtrack that blares mariachi and electronic music that really fits the aesthetic and ties the package together nicely. The game feels like a lighthearted homage to old-school Mexico, with a layer of modern self-effacing humor on top.
Guacamelee’s combat is mostly of the combo/brawler style. Later in the game you meet a recurring character that gives you more wrestling moves to add to your arsenal. The interactions with him are some of the best in the game and provide a small shout out to Metroid along the way. The controls are easy to pick up and provide all the tools you’ll need to dispatch of the enemies once they get bigger and stronger.
The game wraps in about six hours but felt just right. It will take you longer depending on how completion-ist you are or how long it may take to get through some of the trickier platforming levels. Boss encounters are really well done and challenging. Interactions with the town’s people provide fun and silly side quests that don’t feel tedious, and if you wish you can even play with two people on the PS3
For a $15 price tag ($12 if you are a Playstation Plus member) you get a wonderful experience chock full of dopeness. I honestly think if you’ve been looking for a game that is great for pick-up-and-play purposes, you can’t really beat this one.
Kudos to Sony
Besides the awesome game and reasonable price tag, there are a couple of other things of note with this package. Some months ago Sony started rolling out some games under their “Cross-Buy” banner. So if you owned a PS3 and a Vita you could basically get the game on both systems at one price. Guacamelee is one of those games. Usually with a feature like this, the cross-save feature is implemented sloppily or in a convoluted way within the game. But Drinkbox does this simply and eloquently. Navigate through a couple of screens, upload your save, head to your home console, download and you are playing where you left off.
If this is a glimpse of what Sony was taking about with the connectivity between the PS4 and Vita, then I’m sold. It works extremely well and made me love the game as a commuter. One other added bonus is “Cross-Control”: you can also use the Vita as a second controller via Remote Play! The Vita’s screen becomes the games mini-map while you control the game you see on the television.
I love stuff like this and thought it was an awesome addition to the game. If you’d like some instructions on how to get this up and running check out the blog post on the Guacamelee site
The Champ is Here
After finishing the game I totally understand why there were long lines and lots of smiles to be seen coming from the Guacamelee station at IndieCadeEast this year. I wondered what all the commotion was about and now I get it. Beautiful games that provide nothing but fun should give people that kind of reaction. If you are tired of trudging through another shooter or sequel, you need to play and share Guacamelee with everyone you can.
This Golden Arrow hits its Mark – Review and Developer Interview
The mobile gaming space that was once dominated by Gameboys and Atari Lynxes (Ha!) has now been supplanted by iPhone and Android devices. Graphic advancements, miniaturization of arcade classics and new twists on genres have made the mobile platform a force to be reckoned with. One of the most popular genres in “phone gaming” has been the “Endless Runner” one. Games like Canabalt, Temple Run, and Jetpack Joyride have been downloaded millions of times and have been on the top of numerous mobile “best-of” lists.
Their main objective is to jump or run through a space while collecting objects and avoiding falling or hitting obstacles. They are the best kinds of games for quick gaming sessions and scoreboard junkies because they scratch the “I don’t have lots of time to game” itch. I can’t tell you how many countless hours I’ve eaten up trying to beat friends and family in my chase to be number one. For all that said, the runner grind of the collection can also be a bit boring at times. I’ve stopped playing just as many of these games because they don’t add anything to the experience besides the usual run, jump, rinse, and repeat.
Luckily while at IndieCade East this year I came across a game that wanted to do something different with the runner genre. During the game slam, a young woman named Jenna walked up to the podium and gave a quick presentation about her game called “The Golden Arrow,” a game in which a bad-ass, monster-killing princess is the protagonist. My ears perked up and on screen was a retro, 8-bit-styled runner game that added a narrative to the timeless runner formula. I knew that I wanted to find out more about the game, and she said it would be hitting the iTunes store in the upcoming weeks.
I got my hands on the game and let me say, it really is a great game. Monster & Glitch, the one woman indie development studio headed by Jenna Hoffstein, makes a game that combines a fun, accessible playing foundation, delightful and propelling soundtrack with a charming narrative that both makes the game stand out and pushes the player forward.
The mechanics are straightforward: varying presses of the screen will determine height and duration of your jump over and across multiple platforms. Various objects will be put in your way to stop your journey, but through some quick responses and some help from smart game design you can extend your runs and get closer to your monster-killing goals.
Your score increases the longer you run but the twist is in how the story unfolds. After you run a certain distance you will receive a scroll that gives you another part of the narrative. In most runner games your progress resets after you die, but in Golden Arrow your runs are cumulative from one scroll to the next. So you will only have to travel the distance remaining after your last death. Being able to “pick up” from where you left off makes the game such a delight to play and keeps you engaged in the process. It totally removes the potential frustration that can happen in a game like this.
You can gain running speed by jumping into stars on the playfield. More important are the randomly placed rocks that you see in the world. I found that running into them slowed you down and gave you a little more control over jumping, especially if you need to make multiple jumps on a platform. Once I learned to slow down it exponentially lengthened my runs and thus my high scores. I was tops on the leaderboards for about ten minutes, until being dethroned. (Brianna, Jest, and Marmarh I’m coming for you!!)
Golden Arrow’s music also is a highlight. Wonderful vocals fill the start and story screens while pulsating chiptunes push you along your trek. Wait until you get to the 6,000 meter mark and you’ll see what I’m talking about.
The story of the princess who finds her prince has been commonplace in many an enchanted tale, but there are a couple of poignant story bits there for discovery. I won’t spoil them but will say that some of them surprisingly touched me on a personal level. Once you finish the tale, you will appreciate the care with which Jenna weaves her story together.
Golden Arrow is great because it doesn’t try to re-invent the wheel, and in many respects it didn’t need to. What I believe sets this game apart from many of the games on the market is that it didn’t try to hook me with micro-transactions or time gates. It got me hooked by giving me addictive gameplay wrapped in a fun and engaging story. I suggest everyone pick up this game on the iTunes store for the low, low price of $.99.
Also I had the chance to sit down and chat with Jenna Hoffstein and talk about the game and how it was to develop The Golden Arrow. Check out our exclusive interview here:
The Sound Shapers-D_Mise
Speed runs have been a part of gaming for as long as I can remember. Playing through a speedrun to challenge yourself to get the best time tests both your motor skills and patience. This week’s Sound Shaper has figured a way to make his levels some of the most played and enjoyed ones in the community by applying a deft touch when creating his soundscapes. Many of his levels have the flow and feel of some of our favorite platformers but with, in my opinion, better music.
This week’s shaper is D_Mise.
“When We Were Stars” – With over 1000+ plays this level is an easy level to complete. I really liked the way the super chill music comes together in the level. Some well-placed catapults, tractor beams, and a diverse art style make up most of this level. I can see why it would be so popular because it lends to speed runs and is pretty straightforward. It’s a great palette cleansing level.
“Prepare to Launch” – D_Mise created a very cool aesthetic, in this level with all of its intricate ornate details. I don’t know why I love the “Space Invader” catapults so much but they are really awesome in this particular level. I would say though the star in this space-themed level is the music. With each note it opens up into this really dope almost R&B track. I loved the music in this one and appreciate the level of detail D_Mise put into it. I can tell that he really cherishes the experiences he wants his players to have in his levels. I appreciate that greatly.
“Hurricane Refugee” – Again, attention to detail is the key in this level, not only in the platforming but the care D takes with the music and art – it’s beautiful to behold. The level sounds like something from the climatic end scenes of a Tron movie. Little flourishes here and there that mash up multiple types of games and a heroic soundtrack make this a delight to play. I like the fact that D_Mise makes pretty short concise levels. The fact that they are so full of character is a testament to him and his creativity.
After playing through some of his levels I asked D_Mise to hangout and speak with us.
TSP: Give a little background on yourself and why you decided to play Sound Shapes.
D_Mise: I’m a 25 year old college student from New York City, and I grew up in the 8-bit era, full of bloops and bleeps. I create a lot of abstract art in my spare time, usually while listening to music, so Sound Shapes is a natural fit for me. I’ve never tried my hand at making music (unless you count the 3-ish years of trumpet/drum lessons when I was younger), and music has been my main focus in this game.
I bought Sound Shapes with the intent of playing it on a flight over the summer. I tried it the night before, and by the time I hit the airport, I was up to Beat School and Death Mode challenges. The flight took 3 hours, but it seemed like 15 minutes!
TSP: How do you plan out your levels? (Music first or art?)
D_Mise: Like most have said, music first. When I make a level, I tend to wrap it onto itself, joining two separate music sequences that fit together. I often start a new level and create audio, save it, and forget about it until week later (I have published 6 actual levels, and I have audio for 6 others). When I finally get around to starting, I try to imagine what the music reminds me of, and jump off from there. I sometimes sketch out design possibilities during my classes, since it’s usually on my mind all day.
Because audio is the primary focus of my levels, I tend to make them less challenging, with emphasis on flow of movement. I try to make them speed-run friendly, with lenient checkpoints and ample opportunity to hold the run button!
The art comes last, and I try to make nice looking stuff, especially in the rooms that are more challenging. The way I see it, if you’re gonna die 10 times, you might as well do it to some nice tunes and with some visual encouragement. Sometimes, my stuff turns abstract, and makes sense only to me. I’ll explain one of them later.
TSP: Do you make your levels on the PS3 or Vita?
D_Mise: Vita, for a lot of reasons. When I made my first level (“It’s Not Godzilla”), I made it on the PS3. Then, I uploaded it and later played it on the Vita, only to find that there were inconsistencies with audio and framerate. It’s almost unplayable toward the end! I never went back to try and fix it for the Vita, but it was a lesson nonetheless. Also, I’m rarely home (full time student, full time job), and I commute a lot, so the Vita is far more convenient, and Sound Shapes is my bread and butter.
TSP: What are your favorite levels that you’ve made and why?
D_Mise: “When We Were Stars” – This was my first “real” level. I wanted to tell an abstract story of a fallen star finding its way back. It starts out in the wreckage of collapsed stars, and then goes on to five dudes trying to recreate a star, then to a colder environment, and eventually ends on a collapsing frozen throne, before joining the stars. It ended up with a lot of plays in a short time, and I was flattered that the community liked it so much. So then I got cracking on a new level, and I released “Permission to Launch”. Both managed to break 1000 plays each, which I didn’t expect at all!
“Hurricane Refugee” – Was first called Hurricane Refuge (one letter makes a big difference to me). I had a lot of time on my hands during Hurricane Sandy, so I figured what better way to commemorate the occasion than to release a new level. I decided that the best way to make it through the actual storm was sleep (and Sound Shapes), and so, I mirrored that. You start in the clouds, enter a pipe into the night, and then enter another pipe into a dream. I used the deadmau5 orbit creatures to give it a hurricaney/cycloney feel, and there are 3 instances where you get hurled through the air. I like it because it’s a bit personal to me; it marks a natural disaster that kept me indoors for way too long, during a time where I felt I needed a break from the whole work and school grind. Creating became my outlet.
“Buggin’” – Man, this level was my first attempt to participate in the Theme-A-Week, and I chose #CRES, but I was nowhere near done by the next Theme-A-Week’s reveal. I suck! I decided to release it anyway, two weeks later without a fancy hashtag. While creating the track, I felt it reminded me of skittering sounds, so I chose some insects as a theme. Then, I made a spider, and called the level “Insectinoids.” Then, I realized that spiders aren’t insects, so after a grueling renaming process, I called it “Buggin.” The music ramps up toward the end, since the theme was #CRES. There’s no plot, no real continuity between segments; just some bees and earthworms and fire ants. I thought the music buildup was cool, especially the honeycomb room.
“Save The Princess! #ASYM (Symmetrical)” – I wanted to participate in a Theme-A-Week before the end of the world, and so I finally did with this level! My plan was to make a boss battle of some sort, along with a retro homage on the final screen. Once these ideas fell into place, the level and music created itself. I added a layer of urgency and tension through chat bubbles and sphincter moments. I’m strongly considering making a princess saga.
TSP: What is the favorite level you’ve played and why?
D_Mise: The very first level that floored me was the notorious “And I To Fire” by Jordanbuster. There’s a lot of depth to it, and I remember thinking to myself, “How much time did this take to make?” The more levels I create, the more I appreciate it. If there were a Sound Shapes vinyl, this would be track 1.
Also, there’s this way cool Metroidvania stage I remember playing that felt less like Sound Shapes and more like a Super Metroid 2 demo.
There are lots of others that I’ve played (I try to keep up with the Greatest Hits and levels on recent activity board), but I mainly watch my girlfriend play through the community levels. I help here and there, but there’s still a lot of rage quitting!
TSP: Any tips or tricks that you’ve learned?
D_Mise: A basic level making tip: make a blueprint. Lay out your sounds, and then put up giant sticky shapes to see how your level could progress. Toy with the BPM and scale, and if something interesting just isn’t working for your level, don’t be too proud to remove it! You can reuse ideas for future work, where it might just fall into place. A piece of advice I was given: if something is good, you can use it more than once. If something isn’t good, don’t use it ever again. Do what you want to do, and have fun!
After you have your blueprint, save and quit. Play your level and figure out if the audio/framerate dips and why. The answer is usually a clashing of two audio tracks that might play smoothly while editing, but for a freshly loaded playthrough causes lag. Another cause is the timing of getting certain notes, and the triggering of memory-heavy creatures and stuff.
Also, play test as often as possible! Force your friends, co-workers or whomever to play through it. Lure them with candy, beer, whatever it takes. I would get feedback like “I liked the other one better” from one person, with another saying the complete opposite. Take criticism well and often!
One trick: If you place a note and then place a duplicate note on top of it, it sounds louder for that slot (note: it can effectively stack ~4 times). You can use this for added emphasis on desired sounds within a loop or sequence. It’s very situational, but can bring something soft to the forefront in a major way.
TSP: What would you like see added to the game in future updates that would make your creations even better?
D_Mise: I’d love for more artists to lend more audio to play with. Maybe some Flying Lotus, Grimes (go Canada!), Anamanaguchi, or even Ronald Jenkees (awesome YouTube pianist) and Module (the guy who did the Shatter OST). Make it happen!
In addition to what a few others suggested (collaborative options, group rotating, screen by screen BPM editing, etc.), one update I’d like is a sort of chain trigger, which would hold off on playing a note/sequence until the entire chain is complete. I’m a fan of games that have some sort of huge payload, like getting a bajillion points at once, or massive critical hits. Perhaps this can lead to a scoring mechanic?
I’m just nitpicking though. I appreciate the simplicity (complexity?) of the creation engine, and the limitations encourage more original work.
Thank you for this way cool opportunity to talk about all this!
Big thanks to D_Mise and the Sound Shapes community for taking part in the series. The support has been really awesome especially from so many places around the world. Sound Shapes is truly an international phenomena and is bringing people together to create beautiful art. I’m happy to be a part of it and you should be, too.
The Sound Shapers – DUSTINISGOOD
The “SoundShapers” is a series of articles and interviews that spotlight a different member of the Sound Shapes community weekly. Check out other posts here.
I was introduced to this week’s Shaper from a screenshot of one of the best re-creations of a character I’d seen in SoundShapes. Sure there were a couple of Mario doppelgangers around but a faithful re-creation of a character from a staple of the Anime genre was new and kind of mind boggling. It was this level that brought me into the world of community member DUSTINISGOOD.
Playing through some of his levels gave the feeling that he not only understood the unwritten language of what makes a good platformer but also that he likes to torment his players with rhythmic death symphonies. I decided that I was up to the challenge and failed miserably ( insert sad face ).
Some of the levels I played were:
“Breakdown” – I loved the color palettes he used in this level, I’ve seen them used before but for some reason they stood out to me in this one. The section in which the bouncy cubes were implemented added both a level of depth to the level’s music but also to the complexity of the platforming. Breakdown is hard and can be unforgiving in spots if you aren’t paying attention and learning what it is trying to show you but if you can dodge enough lava bullets and swinging wrecking balls you will find yourself on the leader board. Good luck, though, because at the time of this article there are fewer than fifteen folks there already.
“Termite” – Is a very cool symmetrical 1SL level that is deceptively hard. The laser robots play guardian as you try to get to the goal and do not make it easy. The level plays like a virtual game of “hide and seek” and can be quick if you want to get a low time but much more daunting if you looking to capture all the notes on this level.
“Cowboy BeBop” – Is a masterpiece, end of story. I am still dumbfounded and amazed that DUSTIN made this level in this type of a game. I’m amazed at the artistry and imagination it takes to re-create almost down to the pixel a picture of such an iconic character. BeBop is less a platformer right now than a proof of concept, as it is still in beta, but nonetheless extremely impressive and beautiful. I believe this level opens up the scope and boundaries of what people believed was possible in the Sound Shapes engine.
Dustin took some time to talk to The Spawn Point and tell us about his process.
TSP: Give a little background on yourself and why you decided to play Sound Shapes.
DUSTINISGOOD: My background as a gamer started when I was very young. Atari was an excellent way to pass the cold winters of New Hampshire where I grew up. I liked Pong enough, and Asteroids was fun, but Pitfall was the game that introduced me to platforming and what really blew my mind. When Nintendo came out and I played Super Mario Brothers for the first time, I became a platformer for life. Mega Man, Zelda II, Super Monkey Ball, Bit. Trip. Runner. – these games define me as a person. Obviously, Sound Shapes is just the next step for me. Sound Shapes also appeals to me as a musician. I learned to play the drums in High School and also sang in the choir. (I grew my hair out too… I thought I would be the next Eddy Vedder). In college, I played drums in a few bands and got into raving, had a sweet set of turntables and beat-making equipment. I could spend all day just mixing beats. That is what makes Sound Shapes so great, it really goes beyond gaming and into the world of making art. How lucky are we all to have a single thing that provides us with an excellent artistic outlet with a readymade gallery and audience. Coupled with some seriously awesome platforming? I couldn’t be happier! Today I live in Denver, Colorado and work as the head horticulturalist, facility manager, and master cultivator for a medium-sized medical apothecary, and I also consult for the hi-tech indoor farming industry. I used to work as a sports photographer and that satiated my creative streak nicely, but since I switched careers in 2009, I have been missing art. I love my work, but it doesn’t provide me with that creative outlet that I crave, and Sound Shapes fills that void perfectly.
TSP: How do you plan out your levels? (Music first or art?)
DUSTIN: To plan out my levels, I break it down into a few steps. First, I make a gameplay style choice. Will the level be a speedy platformer, a super hard death-a-thon, an artistic display, or epic story. The next step is to lay down the music. For “Cowboy Bebop” for example, I tried to replicate the baseline to the theme music for the anime series that it is based on. Like jool2306’s level “Seasons”, you couldn’t recreate the music of “Seasons of Vivaldi” after placing a bunch of gameplay elements, the music must come first. After the basic elements of the music are in place, it is time to consider your color palette. For each frame you basically have 4 colors to work with and one will always be background and one will always be on top. That limiting fact makes for an interesting creative challenge that I love to see how each Sound Shaper overcomes in their own way. The next step depends on that original gameplay style choice. If I am going for platforming speed or challenge, I work on those elements next. If it’s more about story telling or art I will come up with thematic elements next. Finally, it is all about polish. I replay the level over and over and fix any bugs, fine tune the gameplay, and box in the frames so that gamers don’t end up lost in what I call “the netherworld”. I am ashamed to admit that I will add in music “coins” after the fact, for the purpose of coin collection gameplay, but I will try to make them add to the music or at least be unobtrusive, but it does make the sound potentially more garbled.
TSP: Do you make your levels on the PS3 or Vita?
DUSTIN: I play and make levels on my PS3. I am very tempted to buy a Vita though, because my girlfriend does not tolerate me playing video games while she is around, so I end up doing most of my Sound Shaping after she falls asleep. I may be able to get away with playing Vita while she is up but that is iffy! PS: (I don’t mean to make my girlfriend out to be a tyrant, she is actually quite lovely!)
TSP: What are your favorite levels that you’ve made and why?
DUSTIN: My favorite published level that I have made is “BREAKDOWN.” (Not to be confused with the level “Breakdown” by Anoy337 which is also one of my favorites). This level has only 6 completed play-throughs and most of those took over 10 minutes. My score of 4:50.61 is first, but I know it could be beaten by at least a minute. I am just waiting for someone to step up and crush it. (I have posted much faster times in the level creator mode!) Get to it before Milkmaniac does, because his scores are mostly unbeatable!
“BREAKDOWN” is my favorite published level because of the pure gameplay of it. Every frame has a way to blast through super fast but it is not readily apparent the first time you play. Little tricks like waiting for the monster to come to you then running underneath or placing yourself in just the right spot to be shot right past the obstacles is the only way to fully appreciate the platforming of this level. It was originally named “Timing is Everything,” but I renamed it after watching most of my friends breakdown completely while playing it. As far as I know, it hasn’t made anyone cry yet though!
TSP: What is the favorite level you’ve played and why?
DUSTIN: Choosing one favorite level is nearly impossible for me! There are so many reasons to love this game and everyone puts their own thumbprint on it when creating levels. So here is a list of some of the levels that I really love:
As far as I can tell, Daftbomb is the most prolific Sound Shaper. His levels are always super polished, have great music and flawless gameplay. “+” and “3” are my two favorite of his, though, because of the challenge. Both of those levels took me several hours to beat with a score that satisfied me, and I still go back to them again and again just for fun.
“Diamond Elephunk” by TheBeejAbides was the first user-created level that I played, (mostly because of the “Big Lebowski” reference in his username) and it is still one of the best! Beej’s platforming is so much fun throughout his levels and his storytelling is very fluid and entertaining, and no one can beat “Seizure square dance” or “Totemly awesome” without becoming a master platformer.
yodalex is another superb Sound Shaper. I tend to like his/her levels all equally as they are all very similar. Pure platforming, no story line, nothing un-essential, super clean. Just you and the speed run… Go!
Now it is time to talk about jool2306. I can’t heap enough praise on this creator. His levels are amazing! He has a great, cartoony art style, difficult and fluid gameplay, a true knack for picking the best elements of his favorite levels and adapting them to his own uses, and the ability to make me feel sad or make me laugh out loud completely unexpectedly and without warning, all with just the simple set of tools that Sound Shapes provides. It is most impressive! His epic, episodic, egg themed levels are hilarious and everyone should play them. “Without you” and “Seasons” can drown you in melancholy and sadness in a very satisfying way. However, his best levels in my opinion are his 1SLs (one stage levels). “Pizzzza” is so hard that I have played it probably 100 times and have yet to make that final jump onto the finishing “slice”, and “Devil symphony” was a wholly zen experience for me. This simple level with the awesome title screen art is ridiculously hard. I stood, inches from the TV for over an hour trying again and again to inch closer to the finish. I screamed, I jumped up and down, I almost chucked the controller through the TV, and I finally got it after I got myself into a trance-like calm where it was just instinct, nothing else. I don’t think I have ever had a gaming experience that intense before.
Some of my other favorites include: “Lets go” by gassst, “Gezawesome vol. 1” and “The wheel of music – 1SL” by gezouten, “Pear tree & fish” by AntiHumor and “Beat it” by Milkmaniac.
TSP: Any tips or tricks that you’ve learned?
DUSTIN: The biggest advice that I can give to anyone is to backup your levels; make copies, save to the cloud, upload your unfinished levels and just mark them as unfinished, or something. “Cowboy Bebop” is an unfinished level. I am still working on it as we speak. Soon I will reload it with a bunch more “scenes” and a remixed soundtrack. The reason that I uploaded it unfinished is because I really didn’t want to lose it like I did with the “Breaking Bad”-themed level that I made a few months ago. I spent at least 50+ hours making it and it was my best! Of course, you have to take my word for that because my PS3 froze up while the save icon was lit up, and I was forced to restart, and I lost the whole thing. After speaking to Jon Mak of Queasy games, I sent him the corrupted data, but unfortunately it wasn’t able to be retrieved. I greatly appreciate Jon Mak’s patient help and correspondence, but it was still a huge bummer. The whole thing could have been avoided if I had only made copies.
TSP: What would you like see added to the game in future updates that would make your creations even better?
DUSTIN: I have a ton of ideas about DLC that I would be psyched to see. Here are a few:
Have an option to put any object in the foreground (interactive) or background (passive). That would be a great way to easily create depth.
Have an option to choose from a color wheel and change the color of an object without changing its interactive properties.
Have an enemy that eats other objects in the frame.
Have the option to give the player a “ground pound” sort of action and blocks that can be smashed.
Have an adjustable curved line tool, where you place a line and then grab it from somewhere in the middle and pull it into a curve. Making curved lines is so hard in Sound Shapes, and I believe that a curved line tool would really help bridge the gap between creating rudimentary digital art and more traditional techniques such as painting or calligraphy.
I want to say thank you to all of the amazing Sound Shapers out there who have provided me with countless hours of entertainment. To Kahlief Adams for giving me this opportunity to share my views of this amazing community that we are so lucky to be a part of. To all of the people who have reached out to me through PSN and continue to share their thoughts, opinions and stories with me, and to everyone at Queasy Games for making the best indie game of all time!
Huge thanks to DUSTINISGOOD for participating in this week’s article. The end of the year is quickly approaching and so is the end of our #SoundShapers series. It has been a wild and amazing ride, I thank all of the Shapers who have been a part of it and Queasy Games for being so awesome. Stay tuned and check back here next week for our next Shaper.
Related articles
- The Sound Shapers – Anoy337 (thespawnpointblog.com)
- The Sound Shapers – Jool2306 (thespawnpointblog.com)
thespawnpointblog 