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[nachobeard]

hi all

so I'd love to play/make a game where you control a guy with a grappling hook but you're actually in a side-scrolling shoot-em-up game (like gradius for example) so you have to jump between enemy ships using your grappling hook.  the screen advances at a constant rate, so you're always pushed to make quick decisions.

you can destroy smaller ships by hitting them with your hook (you need to carefully plan your next jump though, otherwise you´ll just fall to your death).  and there are also smaller enemies which you can trap with your hook and use as shields, and eventually throw them around into other enemies/ships.

that's the gist of the game.  it's basically an on-rails platformer with a grappling hook, but instead of platforms there's enemy ships.

anyone know if there's something like this around?

I recall seeing something like a side-scrolling shmup where your ship had a grappling hook but I don't rememeber exactly and can't find in my bookmarks :/

thanks in advance!

[ducktails]

There's this:
http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-US/Product/ちえりのドキ-ドキ湯煙ぶらり旅/66acd000-77fe-1000-9115-d8025855060e

It's vertically scrolling, however. Anyway it's buckets of fun.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pY7tJnkPHLI


EDIT: Oh and Triggerheart Exelica had a grappling hook sorta mechanic. The grappling hook there was used to swing enemies around as a shield and to launch as a weapon. Wasn't really used for movement.

[nachobeard]

that japanese game looks crazy, I´m gonna go try it now.

thanks for that!

[DavidCaruso]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boogie_Wings ?

Not exactly the same as the idea you described, but it has a hook mechanic.

[nachobeard]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boogie_Wings ?

Not exactly the same as the idea you described, but it has a hook mechanic.

shit man, I've been waiting for this moment for 20 years!!!!
I remember playing that game as a youg man in some crappy arcade, never to be found again!
and yet here it is.
amazing.

it doesn't matter if I can't play it, just knowing that it's still around somehow makes me happy.

thanks!

[Charybdis]

Again, it's not exactly what you're looking for but my game Things Jump contains a Ninja that has a grappling hook. It adds a different kind of game mechanic

[nachobeard]

Again, it's not exactly what you're looking for but my game Things Jump contains a Ninja that has a grappling hook. It adds a different kind of game mechanic

I downloaded it and tried it. I didnt see the ninja (sorry I get bored really quickly) but I thought the level design was quite clever.  Congrats!

[stevesan]

That sounds like it could be fun on touch devices! Like touch a ship to move to it. It could be fun - you should definitely prototype it and do a good job.

[nachobeard]

That sounds like it could be fun on touch devices! Like touch a ship to move to it. It could be fun - you should definitely prototype it and do a good job.

this is basically what my current project does.  there's some info in my sig.  overall, it's fun but it doesn't allow for much precision, so my next thing will have joypad controls

[stevesan]

I like the video! I would hope you could make it work without a joypad. How about having some static hook points in the level, or not having the auto-fall? Just some ideas.

[nachobeard]

I like the video! I would hope you could make it work without a joypad.

sure, the game will be released for ipad, so it's 100% touch controls.

How about having some static hook points in the level, or not having the auto-fall? Just some ideas.

yeah I'm not sure what to do about that.
initially I thought that the player would have to pace himself to account for this kind of situation (ie. don't kill enemies blindly because if you run out you have nothing to hook to).
but I'll probably put some code in that makes sure that there's always two or three enemies on-screen, so the player always has something to hook to.

I don't think I can't get rid of the auto-fall because the game is mostly about surviving the auto-fall

thanks for your comments!

[stevesan]

And if you haven't already, you should check out Gravity Hook and GERP (GIRP?). Similar-ish games that maybe could joggle your creativity in different ways.

[nachobeard]

yeah, gravity hook is such a cool design!

but the other game... I haven't been able to find GERP
and this is GIRP as far as I know
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCccnBXcs4I&feature=relmfu

I... fail to see the connection between this and my game
maybe I'm missing something out?

[stevesan]

yeah, gravity hook is such a cool design!

but the other game... I haven't been able to find GERP
and this is GIRP as far as I know
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCccnBXcs4I&feature=relmfu

I... fail to see the connection between this and my game
maybe I'm missing something out?

Yeaahh.. that's OK Just that there's a climbing-on-dots element to it. Like maybe you can have some levels where there's lava filling up the screen, and you gotta move your ship upwards fast enough.

[Sharkoss]

Chain Dive might be worth checking out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJfb5bQ5Pf8

Did some pretty cool things with the grappling hook deal.