Official Download

Here it is, at long last: the download for Supernova 2586.  Only compatible with Windows.

http://www.mediafire.com/download/4mpz9c42k9k2izh/Supernova+2586.exe

But that's not all!  I will likely continue to work on this game after graduation.  Follow the official Facebook page for updates on the game's progress.

https://www.facebook.com/supernova2586#

Finally, if you're seeing this for the first time, check out the trailer I made for the game!

30 Second Poster

Or a minute, same thing.  I made this in about a week.  The voice acting was actually done by my brother, not me.  I just down-pitched it a bit.  Hope he did all right for you!

Status Report

It's been a while since I've made a post, so here's everything that's up with the game right now.

A few new game mechanics have been implemented.  The player can now perform power slides, although it's not in 100% working condition.  He should only slide a few feet, but currently you can slide indefinitely.  Wall jumping has also been added.  It's clunky at the moment, but it works.  These two features add a lot of maneuverability and ways to dodge attacks or navigate levels.

There are now speed settings and difficulty settings.  "Hard mode" just adds new, harder enemies in its current state.  There are four game speeds you can play on: normal speed, 20% faster, 50% faster, and 100% faster.  This should add a decent amount of replayability.

There are four levels right now, each made up of two to three rooms, plus two bosses currently.  I can get through it in about ten minutes, but someone less familiar with the game might take longer.  And, of course, many more levels are on the way.

Finally. there are a variety of environmental objects to make each level feel different.  These include moving platforms, rotating sawblades, pitfalls, disappearing and reappearing blocks, and my favorite, blocks that make you bounce when you jump on them.

User Manual

For my final project in Technical Writing, I decided to do a user manual of my game (by the way, it's called Supernova 2577, at least right now).  I doubt there will be many printed copies of this, but at least I can post it here to provide some useful information on the game.  It sums up aspects such as story, characters, and gameplay, so this should answer some of the questions people might have.

http://www.mediafire.com/view/mv864w79bdexnnl/Manual%20Final.pdf

Downloadable Prototype

Here it is, the first publicly playable prototype.  Try it out and leave a comment below about what you think!

http://www.mediafire.com/download/06qk2b6ccxea423/Supernova+-+Prototype.exe

When commenting, let me know what you liked, what you had issues with, and ideas on what to add or how to improve the game.  Thanks for your time and feedback!

DISCLAIMER: Current version is not playable on Mac.

Review of Literature

I already talked a bit before about games that influenced mine, so this will be sort of an addendum.  The two games I seem to keep bringing up are Mega Man X and Castlevania.  Right now, it very much feels like a hybrid between the two; some of the weapons function very similar to those of Castlevania, like the throwing axe and the holy water, with my respective equivalents being shurikens and acid vials.  But while your main weapon in Castlevania is a short-ranged melee weapon, Mega Man gives you a projectile weapon, which is where the hybrid element of my game comes in.  Additionally, it features actions such as wall-jumping and sliding, which I'd like to incorporate if I figure it out.  Overall, fans of these two series should find a lot to like here.

I kept talking about Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon as my inspiration for the game's soundtrack, with what I suppose I'd classify as 80s synth-rock, for lack of a better term.  However, as I've crafted some of the music for my game, I find that it's not quite the same style.  There's nothing necessarily "alien" sounding about Blood Dragon's soundtrack, and my music is more along the lines of heavy metal with a sci-fi twist.  Of course, not all the songs in the game will be the same, so we'll see what else I end up churning out.

So now, let's talk art style.  A lot of indie games like Fez and VVVVVV go for a retro 8-bit look, sort of like NES games.  There's a certain nostalgic appeal from this for some people, but I felt like that would be taking the easy way out.  For me, it's all about the 16-bit era, which in my opinion has held up almost flawlessly from an aesthetic standpoint, moreso even over the ones that came after it.  While it would take some work, I'd love if my game could look as good as some of the greats from back then, plus the added enhancements of modern technology.  Take Super Metroid (pictured below), which pulls of the alien atmosphere perfectly.  Obviously, a full team of professional artists can make a better-looking game than I can with my limited time frame, but I'll perform to the best of my abilities.

Characters and music

Here are some of the characters that appear in the game.  The first guy is the player, and the rest are various enemies that you'll be fighting.

Next, we've got some music.  I've been making a lot of songs recently, being both a fun and productive way to kill time.  Here are a few of the better ones I've churned out.

https://soundcloud.com/jeffstip-1/sets/senior-thesis