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[Christian223]

I want your opinions on my new project, a plataform RPG inspired in Wonderboy in Monsterland.

It has many features, and in this prototype I wanted to show it's main ones. I want to make a very casual plataformer, and I also want to include most of the features of Wonderboy in Monsterland, that is, buy clothing, equipement, and get stronger, while progressing in the levels.

I want to know your opinions, ideas, critiques, what you would like to see in this kind of game?.

Also I want to know if you would buy this kind of game in an episodic manner, for like 5 dollars or less. Instead of a big game, I plan to make several small episodes of this game, adding new features/enemies in each episode and advancing the story, with more levels of course.

Thanks a lot and let me know what you think.



Download: http://www.funeffect.com/prototypes/RPGplataform_1.zip

[supershigi]

I haven't actually downloaded your game yet, but I wanted to answer a few of the questions you posted... my boyfriend was actually really addicted to Wonderboy in Monsterland a while back (we downloaded it off virtual console), and we were just having a conversation about what type of things made these platform RPGs so fun.  So I guess here are a few things we'd want to see or enjoy in this type of game:

• Different forms that allow you to access new areas (it doesn't have to be forms, it could be mounts, special armor, etc.)
• Good twitch-oriented platforming
• Being able to upgrade your armor and weapon
• Having plenty of areas to explore and a simple leveling-up system

I think I would purchase this type of game in an episodic manner for around that price, especially if there were an interesting story to go along with it.  Wonderboy didn't really have much of a story, so it might be nice to see a game that puts more of a focus on that. 

[undertech]

Wow-this bring me back to when I used to play this on the SMS all the time. Now you've got the theme song stuck in my head.
I wonder what made you cite Wonderboy as inspiration - the game is anything but casual if you consider the platforming and the difficulty. Buying equipment to improve yourself certainly isn't limited to this game, even amongst side scrollers.
What I liked most about it was the music (it was brilliant), the frequent changes of scenery, and of course the punishing difficulty. I don't know if punishing difficulty and a story go well together. Then again who knows?
Also for some reason the palette swap knights didn't bother me since they all had their own unique personalities.
I'd comment on your game but it crashes as soon as I try to run it.

[gunmaggot]

Wonderboy in Monster Land.  Not only is it the game with the best name ever, it is awesome fun.  How is the Master System version? I only ever played it in the arcade.

Re: Your game:

Well, I'm guessing all the graphics are placeholder so I won't bother pointing out that the coins are, in fact, not coins.
Everything seemed to control smoothly and simply, so that's cool.
Only thing that bothered me is: To get to the character that tells you how to jump, you need to jump.  So you might wanna fix that.

[undertech]

I didn't even know there was an arcade version! Since I can't very well compare the versions, I'll just say the SMS version plays pretty good! It came in a cartridge as opposed to the card, so it does have some meat to it, that's for sure.

[gunmaggot]

I didn't even know there was an arcade version! Since I can't very well compare the versions, I'll just say the SMS version plays pretty good!

You gotta MAME that!  I would die without MAME.

[ithamore]

It crashes on me too, but your screenshot looks nice.

[Christian223]

Thanks a lot for your comments, they have been writen so I don't forget.

Soon I'll upload a new fixed version, so you can comment too, stay tuned and thanks!.

[Christian223]

UPDATE!!!!

Here are the most important new changes:

-It saves the progress between rooms, including player equipment and changes in the room.
-You can increase your hearts by picking items.
-You can get different sets of equipment (in this version you can just change swords, but that can be expanded with ease now).
-You can enter doors and access different rooms, allowing gameplay like in Metroid where there are lots of rooms to explore.
-You can mount certain monsters. Possibly to go through dangerous terrain without being harmed.

Please try it and let me know if there are any problems, I'm experiencing some weird behaviour I did not notice in the older version, at times the game changes speed for a few milliseconds and I don't know what's causing it.

Also let me know if you have any ideas or suggestions and things you would like to see in this game. Thanks a lot.

Download: http://www.funeffect.com/prototypes/rpgPlataform2.zip

Instructions: Press X when you are on the door to enter. Press X on the chest to get swords.

[Christian223]

I have been continuing working on the game, but I wanted to know your opinions on an idea I had.

The idea is: you have an inventory and have to experiment using items with the enviorement to try to collect different items to sell. Like for example, use a bottle on a river to collect little fish, or scissors to collect plants.
I got this idea trying to make the game more about exploration and playful experimentation rather that fighting and jumping & running.

Is there a game like this?, what do you think of the idea?.

[J. R. Hill]

Not many that are platformers at least.

[Christian223]

Here is a new UPDATE:

Major changes:

-You can build equipment by talking to people. In this prototype you can talk to two guys that build different armors. You have to bring them different materials in order to build a specific armor, the more materials you bring them, the better the armor. Each equipment uses one material to give the equipment special bonuses against certain types of enemies.

The new thing is that you can carry a limited number of items, and so you have to choose wisely which materials to gather. The materials appear in all the level, in different groups and quantities.

-You can equip different items too, in this demo you can just change your armor, but the system is in place to equip all kinds of things like helmets, boots and swords.

-Stats system like those new nice Castlevania RPG games.

Also, the game aims to be more like a mix between Commander Keen and Flashback in the platform behaviour, so you have to be carefull where to jump and so on.

Looking for your feedback on this:

1)what is it missing to be fun?

2)would you buy this game as it is but with better graphics?.

3)My idea is this, stop adding more features right now and start making the levels, better art and polish it, but If you guys think it needs more changes in the mechanic, then I'll work on it to make a better game. My objective is to sell this game for a low price as an episodic game, like those old Commander Keen shareware games, do you think it can succeed with this idea?.

4)Here is an idea, to make the game replayable I can re-set the level so that it gets re populated with different materials to gather, but in the same location, so you have to re explore the level to find the materials you want, what you think?.

Thanks a lot.

DOWNLOAD:  http://www.funeffect.com/prototypes/RPG_Platform3.zip

Keyboard controls: Q for inventory, S to gather, Z, X, C to attack, equip, action and jump.

[J. R. Hill]

The dialogue is annoying because it triggers every time you run into them.

It seems with a limited inventory you should have the ability to drop items.

Obviously it also needs more enemies, a coherent level design, and graphics to go with it.