Irukandji - Score attack shmup

[charlie]

I made a game again! It's called Irukandji, named after a type of poisonous jellyfish! Thanks to Nyarla for the name Smiley

Irukandji is a fun score attack shooter, set in an abstract underwater trench. You fly your ship against the flow of hundreds of amazing procedurally animated sea monsters, blasting your way to the final showdown – a Giant Enemy Crab! You can also unlock 6 different ships as you play, each with their own weapons and special attacks etc.

You can get it for Windows and Mac OS X, the links is: http://www.charliesgames.com/wordpress/?page_id=399

Anyway, i'd love to hear what you all think Video and pics below

Cheers
Charlie


video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tph_Y1ppXrM

[EPS21]

Buy It! It’s only $1(ish)

Quite the steep price tag

[kengou]

Way too many particle effects for my tastes, based on that youtube video. Hard to see exactly what's happening, where you are, and where enemies are, when there's so many bright particles everywhere when you're destroying stuff and shooting; and a lot of it is the same color!

I'm sure a lot of effort went into this though, and I like the look of the general gameplay. Just can't get past all the messy bright particle effects that obscure the screen.

[charlie]

Way too many particle effects for my tastes, based on that youtube video. Hard to see exactly what's happening, where you are, and where enemies are, when there's so many bright particles everywhere when you're destroying stuff and shooting; and a lot of it is the same color!

I'm sure a lot of effort went into this though, and I like the look of the general gameplay. Just can't get past all the messy bright particle effects that obscure the screen.

In the game's defense, that youtube video doesn't show the game in the best light. the compression makes it look pretty rough. Give the demo a try, here is the windows link: http://www.charliesgames.com/demo/IrukandjiWinDemo.zip

Cheers
Charlie

[TrevHead (TVR)]

As i watched the vid i was found myself really digging it as i thought it might possibly be of those games like nomltest that go on forever and get harder and harder as you play, that was until i saw the end boss. Imo it would be a better game you included the boss but when its defeated the level continues forever with a slighty higher rank each time (more enimies onscreen and a slightly harder crab boss at the end of that sublevel) I bet alot of ppl on this forum would agree, as nomltest was a popular game here years past.

Although tbh i do think the game is ok as it is (apart from wishing the single level was longer atleast) as i do like the inclusion of the online score and different ship mechanics so youll probably getting a donation from me when i set up a pay pall account in a week or so to buy futari.

Way too many particle effects for my tastes, based on that youtube video. Hard to see exactly what's happening, where you are, and where enemies are, when there's so many bright particles everywhere when you're destroying stuff and shooting; and a lot of it is the same color!

I'm sure a lot of effort went into this though, and I like the look of the general gameplay. Just can't get past all the messy bright particle effects that obscure the screen.

I agree, there is too much chip damage on show (it would be great if we could tone it down a bit). On the other hand I do like the rest of the graphics. While i think the Kento Cho neon style has been done to death this past couple of years i really like them in this game due to the over the top glow effects creating bullets not too disimler to how Cave make their bullets (over sized bullet with small hitbox.)

im gonna dl the demo and give it a whirl tomorro

[the2bears]

While i think the Kento Cho neon style...

What? You're thinking of some other person's games.

Bill

[Momijitsuki]

I have to say, I enjoyed how the game looks, but the slowdown is ridiculous at parts that weren't even remotely difficult (that is, if the slowdown is intentional), and that bothers me a lot. If it's not intentional and it's completely based on graphics, I wish there were at least some way to disable them. Otherwise I think it's rather enjoyable.

[charlie]

I have to say, I enjoyed how the game looks, but the slowdown is ridiculous at parts that weren't even remotely difficult (that is, if the slowdown is intentional), and that bothers me a lot. If it's not intentional and it's completely based on graphics, I wish there were at least some way to disable them. Otherwise I think it's rather enjoyable.

The slowdown isn't intentional, i guess it's just your machine. If you haven't updated your graphics drivers in a while that might help. I know nVidia put some slightly dodgy ones out in the summer that were updated in october. Other than that, maybe check you're not running too much else in the background.

For what it's worth, it runs pretty much full speed on my Dad's old angle poise iMac, from about 2004.

Cheers
Charlie

[Pixel_Outlaw]

Looks fun I'll download it now. If it runs I'll probably purchase it from you.

[TrevHead (TVR)]

While i think the Kento Cho neon style...

What? You're thinking of some other person's games.

Bill

although i used him just as an example kento (whoops kenta) cho has used the neon/ minimalistic style in alot of his games (rrootage, p47, mucade, torus trooper) he just doesnt add asmuch glow effects as say geomentry wars. Him and the game geo wars are the 1st things i think about for this style


To expand upon my point that imo shooters made with this style are all over the place and while it doesnt bother me per say (can be much better then amerterish crappy artwork) but to me anyway a shooter (especially multi directionals) that uses the neon style will have a hard time standing above the crowd of all the other shooters that use the same graphical style. I bet if you showed an average shmup gamer a few pics of multi directions that use the geo wars neon style they would be hard pressed to name them. Ok the vert and especially the hori games that are made today arnt as generic but as more and more of these games are made things probably will get worse.

For Irukandji like i said b4 (just to let ppl know what im writing about isnt an attack on this game but shooters as a whole) that i think the style even though neon is unique due to the glow effect and that i really like it. So it does show there are ways to stand out using the neon style aslong as the dev tries to be unique.

These are just my own take on shooters as a whole but im sure you have a much better understanding considering the sheer amount of indie games you play.

PS ive still to play the game but i hope to do so b4 i goto bed later tonight

[Pixel_Outlaw]

Additive blending is not a crime.

With that said, I purchased this game. Once it gets going it is pretty cool, also the first level is a bit slow to start off but that is really my only complaint.

[Momijitsuki]

I have to say, I enjoyed how the game looks, but the slowdown is ridiculous at parts that weren't even remotely difficult (that is, if the slowdown is intentional), and that bothers me a lot. If it's not intentional and it's completely based on graphics, I wish there were at least some way to disable them. Otherwise I think it's rather enjoyable.

The slowdown isn't intentional, i guess it's just your machine. If you haven't updated your graphics drivers in a while that might help. I know nVidia put some slightly dodgy ones out in the summer that were updated in october. Other than that, maybe check you're not running too much else in the background.

For what it's worth, it runs pretty much full speed on my Dad's old angle poise iMac, from about 2004.

Cheers
Charlie

I just updated everything last month, and this computer's only a year and a half old, and it can run pretty much anything I throw at it with ease. Maybe it just doesn't like to work with Windows 7, perhaps.

[TodayIsForgotten]

I agree with TVR. Its a decent little game. But having it become harder would be nice. At times it is hard to see where your ship is. It almost feels like its floating with the tempest type wings on the first ship. The bullets have a neon tinge to them similar to geo wars 2. Its annoying and hard to focus on at times. Aside from all that you do get use to it but its still there.

As for the slowdown i don't really experience any. Once and awhile on the final boss spread pattern and when there are about 200 enemies on screen.

[null1024]

I'd play it for longer than 30 seconds, if all the fancy glowing didn't slow my machine down to a crawl [it's a cheap laptop] as to feel like I'm flying in molasses.

[KMM]

It runs great on this five-year-old computer, aside from massive slowdown when the boss dies.

I really like this game so far. Multiple stages would be cool, but I do like the Neon Ocean by itself.

Oh, and the milking with Sun Spread is ridiculous. Apparently the method for it hasn't been obvious to other people playing or something, because my first-place score on that board is 53 million points higher than the second-place score.

[charlie]

It runs great on this five-year-old computer, aside from massive slowdown when the boss dies.

I really like this game so far. Multiple stages would be cool, but I do like the Neon Ocean by itself.

Oh, and the milking with Sun Spread is ridiculous. Apparently the method for it hasn't been obvious to other people playing or something, because my first-place score on that board is 53 million points higher than the second-place score.

How high have you got the multiplier with the sun spread then? 40+ is doable

I just set a few fairly ok scores before i launched the game, haven't had a go since, although my Straight Shooter and Green Snake (I'm called insincere dave on that board, don't ask - i was testing the name saving stuff...) haven't been beaten yet...

Cheers
Charlie

[KMM]

Forty-plus is downright easy with the Sun Spread. Unfortunately, there's no way to check your best multiplier with a given ship, but I'm pretty sure it was well above fifty when I got that score (I haven't used that ship again yet).

I'm gunning for the top of the Green Snake board right now. I got second place on my perfect run, so...

EDIT: Still no Green Snake score, but I just topped the Option Star board. My multiplier was a bit over sixty before I died (stupidly, I might add, and it would've been above seventy if I hadn't died). Still enjoying the game, definitely worth at least the two bucks I spent.

[charlie]

Forty-plus is downright easy with the Sun Spread. Unfortunately, there's no way to check your best multiplier with a given ship, but I'm pretty sure it was well above fifty when I got that score (I haven't used that ship again yet).

I'm gunning for the top of the Green Snake board right now. I got second place on my perfect run, so...

EDIT: Still no Green Snake score, but I just topped the Option Star board. My multiplier was a bit over sixty before I died (stupidly, I might add, and it would've been above seventy if I hadn't died). Still enjoying the game, definitely worth at least the two bucks I spent.

Green Snake is mostly about picking the right weapon. Missiles start off less powerful than the lasers, but end up more powerful and faster. Good Luck

Cheers
Charlie

[Slump]

Looks fancy! I'll probably give this a go if I can ever find my dang plastic... Might I inquire what tools you used to develop it or is the particle engine all you? If so, bravo sir!

[nZero]

Do the proceeds go towards further development of Space Phallus?

[charlie]

Do the proceeds go towards further development of Space Phallus?

Yep, that and Scoregasm I want to finish Space Phallus in jan/Feb

I use blitzmax to program my games.

Cheers
Charlie

[charlie]

Linux version now available

Cheers
Charlie

[Jeneki]

Shoot, how did I miss this? Will buy.

Glad to see Charlie is releasing new stuff.

[charlie]

I've uploaded a Windows fix for those who are having difficulties with slowdown in various part of the game. Should work fine now

Cheers
Charlie

[charlie]

Just a quick shout to say you can get Irukandji AND Bullet Candy Perfect together for a $1+ donation (two games for at least $1) until January the 1st. You can also send the games as a gift to a friend

Cheers
Charlie

[icbluscrn]

would have paid more but 3.17 is all i had in pp.

[charlie]

would have paid more but 3.17 is all i had in pp.

Thanks man

Happy Christmas.

Cheers
Charlie

[worstplayer]

Game freezes when I try to config joystick buttons

EDIT: when I first attempt the joy config it doesn't let me configure attack 1, on second attempt the menu disappears. The background still moves and music still plays, but it doesn't respond to input.

EDIT2: Works with Xbox360 gamepad. Still freezes on second attempt, but first one works, so it's not much of a problem.

[BulletMagnet]

Not really related, but I still got a chuckle from this article -

Everyone has bad days — even a guy with the title of “best job in the world.”

Ben Southall, the 34-year-old caretaker of Hamilton Island in the Great Barrier Reef, learned that lesson the hard way.

On his blog, Southall detailed being stung by the “tiny and extremely venomous” Irukandji jellyfish.

Never even heard of that type of jellyfish before this game, and now it's in the news, heh heh.

[worstplayer]

Not really related, but I still got a chuckle from this article -

Everyone has bad days — even a guy with the title of “best job in the world.”

Ben Southall, the 34-year-old caretaker of Hamilton Island in the Great Barrier Reef, learned that lesson the hard way.

On his blog, Southall detailed being stung by the “tiny and extremely venomous” Irukandji jellyfish.

Never even heard of that type of jellyfish before this game, and now it's in the news, heh heh.

Your pattern recognition serves you well.