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[razu]

Chopper Mike is live!! Enjoy! :D

Click for App Store...


Click for Google Play...


I will be writing some articles on how I made it in the coming months, once the PC, Mac, and Ouya versions are done that is! :D




After nine months of spare time, Chopper Mike is out tomorrow on iOS and Android! :D


Chopper Mike, a charming, fast-paced, arcade helicopter time trial game featuring super smooth graphics and amazing controls. I hope you like it! :D



Release Date
iOS and Android: 21st March 2013.
PC, Mac, Ouya: soon after.

Price
iOS and Android: £1.49, ($1.99).
PC, Mac, and Ouya: TBA, (but will be about the same as iOS & Android).

Features
* Super-responsive controls, "Very impressed by the on-screen buttons in @jamielowesdev's Chopper Mike for iOS. I normally HATE these control methods.".
* 60 frames per second refresh on most devices, (e.g. iPhone 4S+, iPhone 4 is 30fps).
* High quality graphical shaders, (check this!).
* Minimal load times.
* GameCenter leaderboards and Acheivements.
* Instant Restart, for when you're trying to beat your best times.
* 48 levels, split into three difficulty modes.
* 6 playable aircraft, each with their own handling characteristics.
* Beautiful soft shadows.
* No IAPs!! Unlock the 3 bonus aircraft by just playing the game! Pay, play, have a nice day!™.
* Extremely funky music, (which can be turned off, boo!).
* A playable UFO!!

Website
VAMflax.com/ChopperMike

Developer
VAMflax is a one man development company set up by Jamie Lowes. Jamie has worked for Sony, Sega, and Codemasters, working on the handling code for Colin McRae Rally and Sega Rally (Revo). He also worked on the PSP version of Motorstorm. For more details, see jamielowesdev.com

Title Trailer


Chopper Mike Trailer


Gameplay


Awesome Controls! :D




So yeah, Chopper Mike. Made by one dude! Enjoy!!  :D








1080p PC video capture of Chopper Mike. It's almost done!!  :D

Today's video capture of Chopper Mike, unedited, just as it happened. Captured from iPhone 4S running at 60 lovely frames per second!! :D

Click for video...


Almost finished the 'systems' part of the game. Should be able to move back to Choppers and levels soon, then... release it to the iOS/Android world!!  :D

Then PC.. then Mac.. then OUYA...

It's going to be a busy year!!  :D

As ever, follow progress on https://twitter.com/jamielowesdev

Take it easy!!



Older first post...


Chopper Mike gameplay video time...! 60 frames per second, fully pixel lit arcade action, on a Samsung Galaxy S2! Also works on iPhone 4/4S/5, iPad and Android tablets too!

I decided to do a real life recording instead of a screen capture as it actually shows you playing the game, with your fingers!

Here it is...



I know I made it, but I can't get over how cool it is to bank the chopper round a corner to pick up a gem, it's so satisfying, and looks like a little toy chopper!

The menus are in flux... all going to be changed. And I know it says 'shop' but that's coming out. 99p and the whole game is yours!

If anyone wants to test on iPhone 4/4S/5 or iPad, just PM me your apple id email address.

VAMflax...!!  :D



Note: I've posted the latest version back at the start of the thread as people browsing for the first time get to see helicopters, rather than cubes  :D


Original first post:



Hey!

I'm Jamie Lowes. I've made a load of games for other people, (see www.jamielowesdev.com), but now I'm going Indie...!!!

Anyhow, I've got into Unity and I've been playing around with game mechanics on touchscreen devices. First up... HeliQoob!!


http://youtu.be/j0axmrr9RLc?hd=1

You control the 'Qoob' by a single touch. X/Y coords of touch aim the force applied. So, touch the top of the screen to move into it, bottom out of it, then left/right to go... left right. All touches boost you upwards.

It's way fun even at this stage, (first night of development).

Next step is to make some levels with some actual point to them!

Any feedback would be appreciated...!


Take it easy!

[razu]

More heli, less qoob...



Going to put a dude in the chopper tonight. And put together a basic level.

Loving making this...!

[Conker534]

Yesss physics.

I like this. Keep doing this.

[razu]

I introduce to you... Chopper Mike!

Click pic for video...


Having so much fun doing this!

[Majestic]

That last video link doesn't work, i think you need to fix the url

I went to your channel and got the video. The gameplay and animation looks smooth, and the physics are on point.

So far so good! Feel free to check out my work as well

[razu]

I did the same thing before! Somehow quotes and extra https appear when I post here!

Thank you very much!! And cheers for the kind comments.

I tried to listen to music on your site, but nothing would play! What's wrong with the internet today...?!?

[ninja]

This looks great for only 3 days in dev!  Keep doing the updates and you will have a great game in no time!

[razu]

Added pickups and a landing zone. A bit of UI next, and then a level finish screen. Then I can make more levels!

[razu]

Progress!!



Dev build running in the Unity editor.

I've added a state machine controlling the whole level. Added pre and post level states, implemented death by touching red blocks and a super-cool out-of-bounds check. Added results, which transforms it into a proper game that you keep playing over and over, just to complete the level quicker!

Well happy...!!

Also made a blog, (choppermike.blogspot.co.uk), and will be tweeting using #ChopperMike

Yay!

[HernanZh]

I love the concept! It looks great

[razu]

I love the concept! It looks great

Thanks! I can't wait to get it done so everyone can play it. I love it too, but then, I would 

[razu]

I've improved the results, and reduced the touches/clicks needed to restart. Improved the replayability massively!



Way happy with it now. Can't wait to get more gameplay items and... levels, in! Bit more work on the structure and UI first, then I should be ready.

[John Hutchinson]

  I'd totally play this and I'm excited to be able to watch the game unfold here on TigSource. This place is wicked-awesome and I think your game will be as well.

[razu]

That's a cool thing to say! Thanks!

[razu]

You can totally play this!

Playable Chopper Mike Demo, plays in browser, (needs Unity plugin)...



Enjoy!

[John Hutchinson]

I totally just played that! It was hard and fun. I played about 10 times or so (wasn't really counting) and used my laptop's mouse pad. Best I did was 28 seconds perfect and 12 seconds with 3 collisions. I'm sure I would have done better with a real mouse, touch screen or with the 360 controller, but even the laptop thing felt right.

If you set up levels and each has a different theme/challenge then this could get crazy-fun.  I'm thinking maybe "go through the rings", "don't land on the saws" and so on.  Think of little things that you can add quickly and reuse in different ways throughout the game to change up the play.  That way you get the most out of your work.

The bottom line is that I had fun and would definitely play future versions as I have time. 

[jamie.lowes]

Thanks man. Nice bananas by the way.

[razu]

Update!

Well, behind the scenes I have a persistent game object that I'll be able to store game stuff in, like high scores, etc. I also added in a logo screen, mainly to test how "scene flow" works in Unity. Conclusion... it works pretty rad-ly...!!

Anyway, the other day I put in a moving platform, complete with child gem, which all works lovely. However, as soon as platforms move off the ground they really want some sort of shadow...

Behold! A shadow that fades in based on a platform's height...!!!





There are spot sound effects too, but the GF had the TV on and I didn't want that sound in my video 

[razu]

I've been busy...

New build of Chopper Mike is up on VAMflax.com.

It has 10 levels and 3 choppers... enjoy!!

All runs at 60 on iOS and Android too. Going to make a load more levels and get on with publishing it!!

[DustyDrake]

I'd love to play the new build, but Chrome and IE both lock the 'Z' key when I press it, so I can't even stop rising.