As Light Fades, New Light Emerges
Sunday, December 20th, 2009
Game Development
The development of my avant-garde game of discovery for the iPhone is wrapping up nicely. It should be submitted to Apple for App Store approval within a couple of weeks. Expect details soon.
Analysis
Outside of game development, I have been analyzing a couple of famous game designs. I’m in the process of turning these notes into a more digestible reading experience with entertaining highlights for all to enjoy. The names of the games? Well, they both come from different parts of Asia…
What’s next in terms of development?
A lot. Really. I have been brainstorming different types of art styles and the animation that goes with them. It bugs me to see complicated art paired with shoddy (or total lack of) animation. I’ve been studying and doing tests with “glowing” pixels, monochromatic design, positive & negative space, simulated paint, and 16-bit art styles.
In addition to this art style initiative, I have a couple of “touch demos” I’d like to begin working on soon. These won’t be much more complicated than one of those 5-10 second WarioWare minigames, but they will allow me to find the fun and match an art style with each demo.
In my life…
I’ve been enjoying New Super Mario Bros. Wii quite a bit. The way multiplayer transforms the experience makes going through the game multiple times a treat. Whether you play by yourself or with friends, the finely tuned difficulty keeps players going for “one more try.”
If you’re looking for some other new games to pick up, I recommend Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box, Dead Space Extraction, NyxQuest, and Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story.
I’m currently reading The Elements of Style (Strunk/White) and The Glass Bead Game (Hesse). I don’t have much to say on either at this point, but they will both undoubtedly influence my future work.
Links
Donkey Kong & Dig Dug paintings (Brock Davis)