The Little Things

One iPhone developer that always spring to my mind is 'Donut Games'. This is not only because they put out some pretty decent games but also because of their games 'style'. They force consistency between their games and because of this it's easy to tell if a game was made by them, this made me look through their entire collection after playing one or two of their games having found them fun. If you pay attention to their menu systems they are all very similarly laid out, and probably the most important thing they've done is open with their company name and a sound byte that imprints their trademark on your mind. I wanted to do something similar as it helps make your game memorable and also pushes forth your franchise. As such here is my opening loading screen and sound sample. I also considered a naked picture of myself but I want it to stick in your head, not haunt your dreams.

A World of it's Own

For anyone out there with an iPhone or iPod touch you know that the app store is flooded with unimaginative and uninspired games. There are some real gems out there but for too many it seems a case of sifting through crud in the vein hope of finding something good. So how am I going to make my game sparkle out from the sea of excrement? Well one way is through its art. Art is amongst the earliest thing your exposed to regarding a game and more importantly; for marketing, you don't need to buy the game to see screenshots of it. It's no secret that a game's graphics can really draw in an audience. A compelling environment, interesting and unique art style and memorable character designs all go a long way to turn a good game in to a great game.

here's your first taste of the kind of characters and their respective art in the game so far as well as a little snippet of information about the characters.

The Player Character

It's your goal to keep this little guy alive. Bounce him to the top of the level and away from the upwards approaching monster... Easier said than done.

Mean Jellybeans

These floating menace hover about trying to get the jump on anything nearby.



When the player character gets close enough the flying jellyfish drop their red bean men who in turn explodes knocking the player downwards towards the approaching menace. However if you can manage to get the player to bounce ontop of their jellyfish parachute you can bounce off of them and knock the red bean right out of them.

Slugstreams

Slugstreams suck in air to keep afloat. This has an adverse effect of pulling things in their path towards them. Whether this is bad or good depends on the situation.

Buglet Swarms

Pillars of bugs segment the level as they attempt to fly upwards to safety. When you see the little ones fluttering by you best work out which side you want to be on.

Clone Imp

Perhaps the strangest of all inhabitants the clone imp mimics the player exactly, having to look after twice as many characters in a time of crisis makes more than double the trouble.