Intercept - Completed boss shmup

Grindie · Post by **Grindie** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 8:30 pm

Hey. I'm new here. Thought I'd get some reactions for the game I've been working on (I'm the graphics guy).

The game's called 'Intercept'. It's similar to Warning Forever in that you continuously fight an evolving boss, whilst trying to rack up an insane score.

There are 3 upgradeable weapon types:
Rapid fire - which shoots straight ahead causing alot of damage.
Spreadshot - spreads bullets outward, comes in handy for taking out drones and bombs.
Charge - Very powerful shot that can clear enemy bullets.
You can also upgrade your speed and health.

We've just released an update yesterday which allows people to submit their scores to us for the hi-score table on our site.

I'll post some screenshots to get you in the mood.

You can download the game from our website (link in my sig), or if you're too lazy, here's a direct link: http://perfectrun.net/download.php?d=in ... _v1_01.exe

R_Typist · Post by **R_Typist** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 6:28 am

...downloading...

Well, I suck, I was only able to make it to stage 4 with a score around 191000.

Very playable game. The art style reminds me of PC engine for some reason or another. I not the best connoseur of shmups, so I'll try not sound too ignorant of matters.

The graphics themselves got the job done and then some. In spite of being a bit blocky, they actually manage to be colorful and vivid at the same time. The backgrounds were smooth and it was very easy to tell the difference between foreground and background. The atmosphere with all the bright colors was very interesting, but I will hold one reserve: lighting in this art style is one-dimensional, but not totally unexpected.

Good luck with this game. In enjoyed playing it, and will continue to do so.

Are you planning on keeping it as a "one boss shmup"?

[edit]

I'm a stickler when it comes to music... It gets the job done, but it sounds rather dry as underprocessed. I'm sure it sounds like a retro sound... which is good... otherwise, I really can't complain, it sat in the background nicely and enhanced the mood.

battlegorge · Post by **battlegorge** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 8:52 am

This is a very cool game.
I already answered on your shmup-dev topic

The 3 weapons are well balanced.

My new score is 1041738.
But your online highscore method is not that good.

Grindie · Post by **Grindie** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 9:01 am

Thanks for the comments guys. I'll have a go at answering your questions.

R_Typist wrote: The graphics themselves got the job done and then some. In spite of being a bit blocky

That was intentional. I prefer lo-res pixel art.

R_Typist wrote:Are you planning on keeping it as a "one boss shmup"?

Pretty much. But in version 1.1, we're gonna stick in a bonus round that gives you a break from the boss. I'm not gonna go into details though or Bisse (the coder) kick my ass.

We're actually planning another shmup now, but it won't be available for some time since we're still working on a platformer/shooter. You could try out our first game, Perfect Run if you want, but it's unfinished.

R_Typist wrote:I'm a stickler when it comes to music... It gets the job done, but it sounds rather dry as underprocessed. I'm sure it sounds like a retro sound... which is good... otherwise, I really can't complain, it sat in the background nicely and enhanced the mood.

If you don't like it, you can always use your own music. Just delete the MP3s in the Intercept folder and stick in some of your own.

battlegorge wrote:This is a very cool game.
But your online highscore method is not that good.

Yeah I know. We're noobs.

Post by **Ghegs** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 1:35 pm

I gave the game a run and it's got some good ideas. I like how your ship evolves as well, not just the enemy ship. I scored some ~753k on my best run.

Still, I think the camera is pretty horrible. There's just too much wobbling going on. It makes bullets that much harder to dodge. But then, I've never been a fan of the screen scrolling horizontally in verts or vertically in horis. And this one scrolls all over the place, you can hide over half of the enemy ship off-screen horizontally (and get it completely off-screen vertically).

Of course the available space is needed to properly dodge some of the stuff, so it's there for a reason. It's a personal quirk, I admit. But I'd be curious to see how it would work if I could zoom out and see the entire playing field, or at least a good portion more, so that the wobbling would be kept to the minimum.

Also a proper Top 10 high-score list would be nice, one that would chronicle not only the scores, but also the level reached and how you had upgraded your ship.

R_Typist · Post by **R_Typist** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 5:37 pm

This is addictive... I'm up to 557k

One thing I'd like to ask... how did you become such an accomplished pixel artist? What tools are you using? I'm more going the rendering/modelling route, while this art style is definately intriguing to some degree.

Grindie · Post by **Grindie** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 5:43 pm

R_Typist wrote:This is addictive... I'm up to 557k

One thing I'd like to ask... how did you become such an accomplished pixel artist? What tools are you using? I'm more going the rendering/modelling route, while this art style is definately intriguing to some degree.

I use a simple free program called iDraw for pixelling. I could upload it for you if you want it. It's a small download.

I prefer lo-res pixels to renders. I think it's like comparing tradionally animated movie to CG movies, know what I mean? I'm not saying renders are bad... just that I prefer pixels.

R_Typist · Post by **R_Typist** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 6:04 pm

Grindie wrote:I use a simple free program called iDraw for pixelling. I could upload it for you if you want it. It's a small download.

I prefer lo-res pixels to renders. I think it's like comparing tradionally animated movie to CG movies, know what I mean? I'm not saying renders are bad... just that I prefer pixels.

Oldschool rocks... however, professionally modelled shooters can be a thing of beauty as well. I have tastes for both...

I'm googling iDraw. I have a keen interest in Shmup developement

Grindie · Post by **Grindie** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 6:05 pm

R_Typist wrote:
Grindie wrote:I use a simple free program called iDraw for pixelling. I could upload it for you if you want it. It's a small download.

I prefer lo-res pixels to renders. I think it's like comparing tradionally animated movie to CG movies, know what I mean? I'm not saying renders are bad... just that I prefer pixels.
Oldschool rocks... however, professionally modelled shooters can be a thing of beauty as well. I have tastes for both...

I'm googling iDraw. I have a keen interest in Shmup developement

I'll upload it for you. Every time I Google iDraw, I get some Mac program.

Here you go: http://homepage.ntlworld.com/thomas.mcc ... /iDraw.rar

R_Typist · Post by **R_Typist** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 8:45 pm

Grindie wrote:I'll upload it for you. Every time I Google iDraw, I get some Mac program.

Here you go: http://homepage.ntlworld.com/thomas.mcc ... /iDraw.rar

Cheers! I had that very problem.

My pixel art is not up to par. I can, however, see such a program comming handy for my minimalistic texture generating for some of my models.

Grindie · Post by **Grindie** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 8:49 pm

R_Typist wrote:
Grindie wrote:I'll upload it for you. Every time I Google iDraw, I get some Mac program.

Here you go: http://homepage.ntlworld.com/thomas.mcc ... /iDraw.rar
Cheers! I had that very problem.

My pixel art is not up to par. I can, however, see such a program comming handy for my minimalistic texture generating for some of my models.

Lo-res FTW!

Doozer · Post by **Doozer** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 1:00 am

Sup, Grindie.

Grindie · Post by **Grindie** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 8:00 am

Doozer wrote:Sup, Grindie.

STALKER OF THE NIGHT!

landshark · Post by **landshark** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 4:03 pm

The bullets seem to move at a strange rate compared to the background. I kept running into them when I didn't think I should be.

battlegorge · Post by **battlegorge** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 6:22 pm

Grindie wrote:Yeah I know. We're noobs.

I am a noob ,too but i use the highscores scripts by EricDB and Windapple.

They are for gamemaker but i guess your coder is a gamemaker expert.
Making a little highscore uploader in GM like mine would be easy.

http://host-a.net/getfile.php?usern=bat ... cripts.zip

Grindie · Post by **Grindie** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 6:38 pm

battlegorge wrote:
Grindie wrote:Yeah I know. We're noobs.
I am a noob ,too but i use the highscores scripts by EricDB and Windapple.
They are for gamemaker but i guess your coder is a gamemaker expert.
Making a little highscore uploader in GM like mine would be easy.

http://host-a.net/getfile.php?usern=bat ... cripts.zip

All of our other games are made with GM, this one was made with C++.

ED-057 · Post by **ED-057** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 9:39 pm

I played this game today and after a few tries managed to score 730k (and then time ran out). There must be some "edges" to the playing area right? It seems like when I'd let the bullets chase me too far away I wouldn't be able to make it around them. (same kind of feeling as when one floors the accelerator to go after a spot in heavy traffic and the engine decides to take a deep breath first)

When you power up the blue weapon does it only charge longer (to a greater degree) or does it also charge faster or do more damage? I was only using that one but now I'm thinking it might be more worthwhile to power up the other ones and use those instead as the game progesses.

great job on this game...

Nate · Post by **Nate** » Mon Aug 07, 2006 2:29 am

I'm reminded of Cyber Core and Radiant Silvergun right off the bat. Maybe a little Override. That title screen text reminds me of Neo Geo text. Particularly Last Resort. Very addictive old-style mechanics...the scrolling cam would be excellent if I could get my controller to work...does the game support an ext. controller? Yeah, this is a gem. I'm going to play it often.

I think the music suits for what it is. Nice that you get random tracks. That's innovative.

Great job!!!

Grindie · Post by **Grindie** » Wed Aug 09, 2006 10:44 pm

Nate wrote:I'm reminded of Cyber Core and Radiant Silvergun right off the bat. Maybe a little Override. That title screen text reminds me of Neo Geo text. Particularly Last Resort. Very addictive old-style mechanics...the scrolling cam would be excellent if I could get my controller to work...does the game support an ext. controller? Yeah, this is a gem. I'm going to play it often.

I think the music suits for what it is. Nice that you get random tracks. That's innovative.

Great job!!!

Thanks. If you wanna use a pad, just download JoytoKey from out site (or anywhere else you can find it). It makes your pad simulate your keyboard keys. That's what I use, comes in handy with these games that don't support pads.

ForteMP3 · Post by **ForteMP3** » Thu Aug 10, 2006 3:24 am

Very well done, but I have to agree with the complaints on the camera, they make dodging bullets fairly difficult. I love this shmup despite that problem though, so keep up the good work!

captain ahar · Post by **captain ahar** » Mon Oct 30, 2006 5:37 am

pleasant. normal complaint about the camera. the game would play a lot better without scrolling that severe.

Teasy · Post by **Teasy** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 7:52 pm

Changing the camera to Static in the main menu helped me a lot. But for me even then it's too hard lol

I think I need to practice a lot more before I can get past stage 3!
Great game for the turbo reflexes. I loved the graphics and the sounds, but the music didn't appeal to me

(It's cool that you can add custom music!)