PIXEL FIGHTERS - THE MOST OLDSCHOOL SHMUP EVER MADE!

[tiaoferreira]

Hello, guys! My name is Tião Ferreira, I'm a brazilian policeman, comicbook penciller, history teacher, and now, flash programming apprentice!

I did a little tribute to the old games, mixed various influences, I hope you recognize them during your play!

I am producing the game in Macromedia Flash MX 2004, using AS1, very slowly, for lack of time, but I'm getting there!

Enjoy!

Please test my game --> http://www.samysofigames.netii.net/pixe ... pixel.html
1st appearance --> http://gamearte.blogspot.com.br/2009/09 ... do-em.html
My other things:

http://www.tiaoferreira.deviantart.com
http://filosofiashmup.blogspot.com.br

[z0mbie90]

Sweet. But man those sounds

[worstplayer]

So far it looks promising. It's obviously an early version, and there's a lot of things to improve.

You're probably aware of the bugged powerups and enemies apparing where they shouldn't (ships happily sailing through "land" tiles).
Other problem I had is that you can't move to corners of the playfield. Either remove this limitation or clearly mark where player can and can't go. Getting stopped by invisible wall while trying to dodge bullets is frustrating to say the least.
And rotating sprites really don't fit the "atari" look of this game. Maybe you'll find this useful?

But good start anyway. The game is already quite playable. Keep it up!

[tiaoferreira]

Thanks for the comments. The project is in its fourth update. As for the rotary srita, the idea is the same, using a visual old game with new techniques.

As for the invisible walls, this only occurs because the link is shown without the page file "html ", only the executable "swf". In full-page, still under construction, the player can see the limitations of where you can and can not go.

Cars on water, boats on land, they really are bugs still to fix, hehehe!

PS: Please, download the font "adore 64", it enables ATARI texts, heheh!

http://www.4shared.com/file/2rwd5g7N/adore64_2.html

[tiaoferreira]

Hi, dudes! I need you to test the new game server "PIXEL FIGHTERS" to see if the online ranking is working. The table ranking shows the following example data:

__________________________________________
| NAME | SCORE | ENEMIES KILLED | 1º
------------------------------------------------
| Alpha | 9999999 | 102 | 2º
------------------------------------------------
| Bravo | 8888888 | 101 | 3º
------------------------------------------------
| Charlie | 7777777 | 100 | 4º
------------------------------------------------

And so on, until completing the 10 records

If FLASH game shows a high-score list, with green types, the game will be done.

[tiaoferreira]

Sorry, dudes! I forgott the URL!

www.goldensox.org/Air/aviao4.swf

Enjoy it!

[tiaoferreira]

Stirring in my eternal project "PIXEL FIGHTERS" Shatterhand's friend made ​​me an explanation of the way "EUROPEAN shmup" to be: the plane of the player has a shield, which will diminish as it is hit by firecrackers enemies, and after closed phase, we have the opportunity to repair the damage and re-equip the aircraft with different weapons and / or better.

According Shatterhand, that style games, such as AREA 88, STAR SWORD (which was introduced more than a year ago) are not much loved by the public shmupper.

Given the situation, I decided to do a poll in which you, the members of this community, the main reason for implementing the project, as it should be able to choose the scheme of "life control" of the game:


1 - Only one life, with HP bar?

2 - Three little lives and goodbye, the first shot?

3 - whatever, just finish the project, man!

PS: Translated by google, please forgive my poor english!

Arcade fake cabinet:


CAN YOU DEFEAT "ARACNOBOT"?

[Udderdude]

2 all the way :P

Some extends would be nice, too :P

[tiaoferreira]

Updating project!

Now, with hi-scores on line! Try!

http://samyragames.freehostia.com/shooter/aviao4.swf

[Udderdude]

Still way too easy. I got up to 200 enemies killed before I got bored and quit.

There's still boats appearing over land and ground completely dissapearing.

Missiles are way overpowered.

I think fans of Atari 2600 games might like it though

[tiaoferreira]

Thanks for playing, dude.

Enemies killed are not important to TOP TEN RANKING, this number will be important to other achievements.

But, did you killed the BOSS? If you not done it, you can not say "IT IS TOO EASY".

If is TOO EASY, break the hi-score!

The bugs will be solved along the way. For now, there is only one phase available.

REMEMBERING: The people are voting for life schemes: classic arcade, or european shmup. If they choose classic arcade mode, many players will not survive even five minutes, hehehehe!

For those who have Orkut account, there is a specific community about SHMUP GAMES: http://www.orkut.com.br/Main#Community?cmm=2591559

[Udderdude]

How many enemies do you have to kill before you reach this boss? :P

[tiaoferreira]

The enemy number is not important for this. To fight against enemy, you must survive, completing the map.

The BOSS "IA" is not complete, but he shoots wildly, both causing slowdown. In fact, during the mission, some moments are with slowdown due to the large number of projectiles on the screen, even in an area that the player does not see, are not being removed from the screen.

I'm trying to eliminate this problem now.

[tiaoferreira]

I've passed this sunday studying flames and patterns, to use in some special situation.

The first result is this:

Animation:
1st test:
http://cabrumzine.vilabol.uol.com.br/rastro.swf

2nd test:
http://seap-rn.vilabol.uol.com.br/rastro2.swf

With this, I will create a lot of damage flames, and some powerful weapons, heheheh!

Create games is funny, play them is better!

[Horacechin]

That was pretty fun. I like the scenery and little houses (also the moving water effect on the islands) . But there are two main problems (number 1 is probably just for me).
1. There seems to be a little slow down when there are alot of bullets on screen.
2. You cant move to the corners of the screen. (Left and right also)

[Horacechin]

Stirring in my eternal project "PIXEL FIGHTERS" Shatterhand's friend made ​​me an explanation of the way "EUROPEAN shmup" to be: the plane of the player has a shield, which will diminish as it is hit by firecrackers enemies, and after closed phase, we have the opportunity to repair the damage and re-equip the aircraft with different weapons and / or better.

According Shatterhand, that style games, such as AREA 88, STAR SWORD (which was introduced more than a year ago) are not much loved by the public shmupper.

Given the situation, I decided to do a poll in which you, the members of this community, the main reason for implementing the project, as it should be able to choose the scheme of "life control" of the game:


1 - Only one life, with HP bar?

2 - Three little lives and goodbye, the first shot?

3 - whatever, just finish the project, man!

PS: Translated by google, please forgive my poor english!

Arcade fake cabinet:


CAN YOU DEFEAT "ARACNOBOT"?

Number 2

[tiaoferreira]

really. This is because the game, the way it is being shown, is without borders, and what you see on screen is beyond the limit that can move. The original game resolution is 160 x 120 pixels and the screen you see is wider, but it is not useful area of the game.

When the game does not have most of these bugs will be shown the actual usable area of the game, then yes, the player will no longer have this impression of limited movement.

Did you killed "ARACNOBOT"?

[tiaoferreira]

Well, is time to show something...

I've made some updates. Please, test and tell me what you think.

Remembering game database:

Title: PIXEL FIGHTERS (idem)
Year of Project start: 2009
Style: Vertical shooter
Players: 1
Languages available: Brazilian Portuguese and english
Status: Playable
Finished project percentage: 70%
Screen size: 130 x 120
Platform: Windows XP, Seven, Vista, PSP, Cybergame Dynacom and all consoles that run flash player 9 or newest (I never tested on MAC).
Tool / language used: Flash Actionscript 1.0
Filesize: 2,3mb (until now)
Distribution: Freeware
Main credits: Codification by Gabriel Moura and me; folley effects by me (not all of them, there are some sound effects found at Find Sounds website); special thanks to Gofaia (for PSP app development), Googley (Raiden-x’s author, for his valuable tips, again) and Gryzor/Rozyrg (for some interesting A.I. ideas); music by Euler Moisés (for the final version), Harppia, Nightwish, Blind Guardian and other greatest heavy metal bands (for the testing versions), music samples from various ancient games (homage)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAe4HodY ... OSGcWt-RdQ
Testing procedural environment generation


Pixel Fighters running on PSP (still not pefectly)



A fake arcade cabinet: don't need to pay for dream, hahaha!



The mission menu


On line "hall of fame"


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAe4HodY7Zg

Story

"PIXEL FIGHTERS" is a homage to the oldschool games. I mixed many concepts and ideas, resulting on a curious game. I think this "PIXEL FIGHTERS" has everything I wanted in "RIVER RAID", but Carol Shaw could not did, hehehe!

In this game, I'm trying create a procedural environment map generation, it will be used in most of my games. Until now, I like it!

"PIXEL FIGHTERS" is a game full of references to old games. try to identify them! Try to enter in top ten players, register your score on line!

[tiaoferreira]

Well, I have some updates:

New graphics for all levels;
Defined number of levels: 40 standard and some secrets;
Redefined system of procedural maps generation: tiles environment now change according current mission;
All secundary weapon (bombs) implemented - Napalm (yellow), airstrike cluster (blue), grand slam rain (green) and TNT super charge (red);
And project keeps going... Slowly...

[tiaoferreira]

Well, finally, I back to production of PIXEL FIGHTERS!

The news include a MAP PROCEDURAL GENERATION. How it works?

I expended too many hours studying RIVER RAID and Carol Shaw's way of build her maps...

So, I built a way based on number variables. They commands randomically the generation of game maps.

See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAe4HodY7Zg

[tiaoferreira]

Well, too many things happened since 2009...

So, I'm back again!

I made some corrections in code, and I got some better results.

Unfortunatelly, new codes caused fall of performance

I'm testing replace all vector graphics by PNG graphics. Maybe it works

[tiaoferreira]

For refresh memory:



Some weapon features:





Cutscenes sketches:







A combat tower, from all bosses:



Some "bosses" sketches:

[tiaoferreira]

Well, my daughter was testing the updates and she warned me about the available arsenal: She said that some weapons are too similar to others. I decided to test some changes and these are the test results, until now:

See the guns at maximum upgrade level

Yellow Gun


Red Gun


Blue Gun


Green Gun


I've reduced the needed levels to maximum upgrade, from five to three. When the game starts, the defaut weapon level is seted like zero. So, the total of levels are four (0+3). I believe this is the only case of mathematics in which zero add something and change the results, hehehe!

Following with tests, the cutscenes are being ok.

[S20-TBL]

I tried playing the .SWF, but the website seems to be saying "File not found"...did you take it down recently?

[tiaoferreira]

Unfortunatelly, the server was lost:( And with it, all hiscores registered I'll re-upload next month.

[tiaoferreira]

Well, I've posted an old and "full of bug" version to download, hehehe!

Unfortunately, the weapons upgrades are not available, but you can take a little idea of game.

If you run the game using a flash player, it runs in fullscreen mode, and you can use a web browser for this;

http://www.mediafire.com/download/ah93r ... aviao4.swf

[tiaoferreira]

NEW UPDATES!


The good news:

50% of soundtrack defined; Preferred genre: speed metal.

All bomb types are working;

All weapon types are working;

All enemies can aim player; Some enemies can pursuit player;

Score system is defined = Players rank is based on points and enemies body count;

Evolution icons added = signs that show from "rookie" to "veteran".

The bad news:

PSP version canceled by while;

Procedural map generation still causing little bugs, giving a strange visual to the game;

When player defeats the "ARACNOBOT", the score counts unstoppable, until the mission be changed;

Game difficulty is too excessive on arcade mode = bosses shoot no mercy!


The work continues

[Ixmucane2]

Do you have an updated link to the game? The VilaBol hosting of your old site is gone and I assume the December Mediafire link is obsolete.

[olaHalo]

Do you have an updated link to the game? The VilaBol hosting of your old site is gone and I assume the December Mediafire link is obsolete.

this one worked for me
http://www.mediafire.com/download/ah93r ... aviao4.swf

very fun and visually pleasing game
1st boss got me so many times =D
love the music too

[tiaoferreira]

Thanks, friends. the link of Media Fire is the latest version.
For these days, the work is stopped, because my computer is broken. During a big rain, the roof of my house has gained a large hole EXACTLY over the PC cabinet. A waterfall washed the equipment and ONLY THE HD was not burned

But I'm buying new pieces, coming so, the project continues