30.06.06

Dragon Forever v0.1

Posted in dragon shmup competition, everything, games, projects, shmups at 10:49 pm by the2bears

I decided I would submit Dragon Forever to the Dragon SHMUP Competition after all. I’m glad I did, as the deadline put some pressure on me to finish up some things and have a packaged game. While I think it’s far from being finished, it’s enough of a game that I can put it out there without too much shame. Even though it still doesn’t have any sound.

New features added: the game starts a lot easier now and gets progressively harder with each new level. Scoring has been implemented and you score much higher the closer you are to a castle unit. Each time you’re hit with an arrow a time penalty is assessed, with the game being over when time runs out. Destroying a castle grants a time and score bonus.

Download the standalone Windows version here: Dragon Forever

A Java Webstart version that supports Windows, MacOSX, and Linux is here: Java Webstart Dragon Forever

Go ahead, it’s free and hopefully a little bit of fun. Let me know of any problems, bugs, or ideas you might have to improve it.

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Draginstein

Posted in dragon shmup competition, everything, games, shmups at 10:21 pm by the2bears

The Draginstein team lost a key member (birth of a new daughter, he’s busy now) just before the Dragon SHMUP Competition deadline. They still managed to submit an entry (disclosure: I submitted an entry as well), though there’s not a lot to say. Should they finish it I think it will be quite impressive, with a 3D world and shmup gameplay. You already have the option of changing your viewpoint in the game.

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Dragon’s Ride

Posted in dragon shmup competition, everything, games, shmups at 10:14 pm by the2bears

I was lucky to get one try of Dragon’s Ride, as it has crashed repeated on startup since. It’s the Dragon SHMUP Competition entry of tetractys. It has some very impressive 3D work in the opening scenes, and takes an interesting approach to gameplay. Your Dragon runs along the ground from left to right, essentially making it a horizontal shmup with an interesting little bounce to the movement. The variety of styles in this contest amazes me, all so different from my own.

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Visible Entity

Posted in dragon shmup competition, everything, games, shmups at 10:08 pm by the2bears

Visible Entity is magicman’s entry in the Dragon SHMUP Competition. In the interest of fairness I will mention that I also have an entry in the contest.

I have to admit the graphic style doesn’t appeal to me, but the game itself is runs well and is quite a bit of fun. I like the progression of enemy waves and types, as well as the powerups that come with time limits. You can also recharge your health by picking up what I think are flasks with an ‘H‘ on them. I suspect the game is a little too easy.

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29.06.06

Smark’s Lair

Posted in dragon shmup competition, everything, games, shmups at 9:15 pm by the2bears

Smark’s Lair is another entry in the Dragon SHMUP Competition at Shmup Dev. In the interest of fairness I will mention that I also have an entry in the contest.

The first thing I noticed about Smark’s Lair is the background music. Inspired I think, reminded me of war drums and the call to battle. I also noticed the graphics, which I really like. The cartoony style of the landscape and sprites really works well.

Gameplay consists of moving over a horizontal playing field, controlled by the arrow keys. You’ve two types of fire attack, a quick shot (‘Z‘) and a charged one that really lays waste to the enemies below. An additional attack I like is the ability to pick up an enemy (‘X‘) and then either throw them or eat them. This facilitates health recovery as well, as eating the sheep heals you. Interesting, this is now the second game to have sheep and health tied together. Time to eat more lamb chops.

There’s a good mix of enemies, including archers, wizards, and knights. A lot of fun and another great entry, this one by marius.

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