AuthorTopic: Yet another platformer-mockup...  (Read 3801 times)

Offline dkh

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Yet another platformer-mockup...

on: October 07, 2007, 11:15:43 pm
Hey guys,

I've worked on this, my second more serious mock-up, for quite a while now and think I'm finally ready to post it here. It was done with the rules from the MF3 in mind, but since it's an original "game idea" and not a title-demake, it doesn't qualify. Anyways, here it is:


original - 160x144 - 4 colors - made to be viewed in x2 (left-click)

Please ignore the player-part in the UI (bottom-left corner of the screen).

I'd like to know what you guys think, suggestions and paint-overs are very welcome, as always, so don't hesitate. But keep in mind that the palette is fixed (so: no palette-edits) and that the original Gameboy tile-dimensions (8x8) and sprite-dimensions (8x8 or 8x16) apply.

Problem areas are the wooden crates, the spikes and the kinda empty top-part of the screen as far as I can tell, please help me there. Also, do you think it reads well? Readability was my main goal, but I have looked at it for a too long time to still be able to tell how it does, I need a fresh pair of eyes to be the judge there. :)
« Last Edit: October 08, 2007, 06:23:21 pm by dkh »

Offline Arachne

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Re: Yet another platformer-mockup...

Reply #1 on: October 08, 2007, 04:51:22 pm
I like what you've done so far, and I think the spikes look good the way they are. :)

I don't think there's any need for AA at that size, and if you want transparency, you'll only have three colors left to use, so one of the colors on the coins would have to go and the background tiles would have to use one of the mid-grays instead or be completely square.

You have some very similar brick tiles. I think removing the dithering on one of them and placing them in a more random order might give you a bit more variation and more defined bricks rather than a wall of noise.

Some clouds might work in the top half.

Offline ptoing

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Re: Yet another platformer-mockup...

Reply #2 on: October 08, 2007, 04:57:53 pm
The coins could be background tiles, as they are in ALL older Super Mario games.
There are no ugly colours, only ugly combinations of colours.

Offline Arachne

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Re: Yet another platformer-mockup...

Reply #3 on: October 08, 2007, 05:13:32 pm
Wouldn't that look pretty ugly against the darker cityscape, though? The coins are too big to fit in a single tile, so there would be a lot of empty space around them.

Offline dkh

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Re: Yet another platformer-mockup...

Reply #4 on: October 08, 2007, 06:28:02 pm
Thanks a lot for your suggestions so far!

Second version is done, issues I addressed:

- all sprites reduced to only use three colors for transparency (thanks for reminding me, forgot about that rule).
- removed AAing.
- added several clouds (thanks a lot for the cloud-style in your paint-over, Arachne, mine would always suck).
- added tile variation.


second version - 160x144 - 4 colors - made to be viewed in x2 (left-click)

Offline ptoing

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Re: Yet another platformer-mockup...

Reply #5 on: October 08, 2007, 06:33:59 pm
Well true, but the coins would be at least 2 sprites, 2 8x16s each and that is rather wastefull, considering maximum on a line is 10.
so there are already 6 sprites in each line where those coins are and i take it those birds are not tacked to the sky and are sprites too, add the player and you are likely to get dropout.
This are things would would need to be worked around if it was done on the real thing.
There are no ugly colours, only ugly combinations of colours.

Offline dkh

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Re: Yet another platformer-mockup...

Reply #6 on: October 08, 2007, 06:44:02 pm
Ah, okay, I see the problem now. Well, it's just a mock-up. I'm a programmer, but I'm currently just working on the gfx, put short, this project is not meant to be realized. And if it is ever realized, I'll most likely do it on a PC. So, let's leave it at that.

I also quickly threw the (new and color-reduced) spinning coin in an animation:



Any other improvements necessary?