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[frosty]

The Video Virus has invaded your favorite arcade and only you can stop him!

- Over 25 minigames, 100 different levels
- 3 play modes and multiple endings
- Hidden 8-bit treasures and custom scoreboards

Joystick Johnny Website

Free Trial (7 MB)

Requirements:
Windows, 256MB RAM, 1.2 GHz CPU
Keyboard or Game Controller



When it asks you for a scoreboard name, you can use: TIGSOURCE

[sega]

Unfortunately, it doesn't display for me.  The screen goes black for a moment, then kicks be back to the desktop while the music keeps playing.

[frosty]

Hi sega, would you mind trying the following:

1)  Open data/logs/support_snapshot.htm and check the date in the snapshot field to see if it corresponds with when you played.  If so, please submit that form.

2)  Edit data/profiles/default/options.dat and set FULLSCREEN from 1 to 0.  Then replay the game to see if it works in windowed mode.

3)  Edit data/profiles/default/options.dat and set GRAPHICS_DRIVER from 0 to 1.  Then replay the game to see if it works using OpenGL.

Also, what is your video/monitor/OS setup?

Thanks!
Joe

[Guert]

Added to my "To play and review" list... I'll be back with something late next week.

[frosty]

I've just deployed an update which should solve some technical problems.  I'd love to hear from any Vista users out there, if possible.

Thanks =)

[Guert]

Hey there!
I played the game a bit, finished the first arcade. Interesting concept: a collection of tested and true old-school arcade hits all in one title.

I'm a bit rushed on time so I'm simply going to write off comments in no particular order.

The overall look of the game seems to fit the idea but I'd make it more pixel art-ish. The arcade game artwork is fine but the arcade background and menu feels too general.

I knew I had to catch the virus but didn't really bother, I just played random arcade games until the virus had no place to go. Was it the desired behavior or you wanted the player to try to play the arcade where the virus is positionned at?

The games are easy to pick-up and are, well, very similar to their original games so it's hard to get it wrong One thing, all games had pick-up power-ups except the pizza game where you have to shoot the softdrink. I died trying to pick it up. Perhaps telling us before we start playing would help...

I don't have much to say actually. As I said, it's basically a collection of tested and true arcade games with a couple of little variations here and there, like the bonus you can pick-up.

Personally, I think that game lacks punch. I have no reason to play this except for nostalgia value. The game is well done and it's interesting, but it just made me feel like getting my old nes cartridges running. Perhaps you could think of something that is worth changing in those games or select less classic games for the demo. The dmeo is showing how you can remake the big classics, but I can easily find that lying around the web, even some versions completely free to play. 

Basicaly, you need to find something to add to the concept that will help sell it. I wouldn't want to pay for something that I can already access freely.

All in all, the game is ok, it just needs to pack a bit more punch in my opinion. I still recommend people to try out the demo since, like I said, the games are well executed and are fun to play, just like the originals.

Technically speaking, I ran the game on XP and everything was running smoothly.

Later!
Guert

[frosty]

Thanks for your feedback, Guert. =)

Just have a couple of responses about why things are the way they are:

I knew I had to catch the virus but didn't really bother, I just played random arcade games until the virus had no place to go.

There's no way to "catch" the Virus per se.  It's designed so that the last level in each row is the special Virus level, which is different for each game.

There is some decision-making around which games to play and in what order, especially once you've played a couple of times and become familiar with the trade-offs in each one (e.g. which are faster, have more bonuses, the ones you're better at, etc).

I wouldn't want to pay for something that I can already access freely.

The idea wasn't to create a collection of minigame remakes that you can pick and choose, but to turn the arcade experience into a game itself.  You could play Frogger or Pac-Man online of course, but there are no surprises left in those games and usually one play is enough to get your fix. 

In that sense, I see JJ as sort of an "arcade obstacle course".

Thanks again,
Joe

[Guert]

Hey there! It was a pleasure!

I think it's good that you can't catch the virus actually. Gives a reason to switch arcade games I wasn't sure if it was intended or not so I think the effect is done properly. Also, the player can choose his boss form: he choose to battle it in pac-man style or robotron style, or any game he wants to which is very nice.

Perhaps you could add some elements  that links the game a bit more together. Right now, you have the bonus points (if I remember well) that carry on to the next game. You have the overall score too. Have you tried to have a "powerup" or "penalty" that would switch the player from one game to another? Like, you are playing pac-man and woops, you're in space invader? Or perhaps changing the form of the player and its behavior so that he plays like one game but inside another. Like playing pac-man while having the controls of dig-dug or something like that... I think it would be nice but there all theorical.

Anyway, keep it up!
Guert

[frosty]

Actually yes, I had considered a few mashup possibilities like you mentioned.  One idea was that the games you play would let you bring powers into later games.  But this seemed technically infeasible, not to mention a balancing nightmare with all of the combinations.  Also I didn't want to be accused of being too clever. 

[Guert]

My programming teacher one said that in computers, your only limit is your imagination. Computers can create the wildest thing but you're the one typing on the keyboard.

Anywho, I'm sure you can think of something that could spice it all up...
Take care!
Guert

[ஒழுக்கின்மை (Paul Eres)]

In the title, those spiraling dots move over the bottom and top parts of the tv screen thing but not the left and right parts, seems like a bug.

I think it needs a greater variety of games. Maybe the full version has more, but because of how simple the graphics are for each one (they look more like Atari 2600 graphics than arcade graphics), and because of how short each one is, I think the game might be interesting if it had *a lot* of these games -- not just a dozen, but hundreds.

If I were making this game, and if I wanted to sell it, I'd have around 200 games in it -- seriously! -- they're simple enough that I could create one or two of them per day. And I'd make them not just identical or inferior to the old classics, but each have some new twist on them. I'd also make the time between different games much shorter, just slam them from game to game without a moment to take a rest or choose their next game, like Wario Ware does. And just put them *in the middle* of the most interesting part of a game, and have it last a few seconds, not at the beginning and go through the entire level over the course of a few minutes. Wario Ware had a nice formula that was fun, and I think this strays too much from it even though it has the potential for it.

But I wouldn't personally make such a game because I'm not a fan of arcade style games. I like games with a larger purpose, a feeling of progression, a meaning other than nostalgia, a story more interesting than "a virus has attacked! catch it!", so it may just not be my type of game.

[frosty]

Thanks for your feedback, rinkuhero. =)

Re the bug, I've heard that from one other user.  If you switch to OpenGL in the options, it should go away.  It sounds like a rare bug with certain video cards that I probably won't be able to work around until after the release.

Re the design, all of your points are good, and I had considered many of them when I started out. =)

First, though, I didn't want to copy the pace of WarioWare.  WW is more about instant recognition-and-reaction, which I think is too short to be interesting in a classic arcade setting.  If a player sees a Pac-Man maze, they're going to want to eat all the dots.

But the main thing I wanted, which past minigame-games haven't really done, is decision-making around which games to play.  That led to the multiple-level system, which made the total number of games go down from about 100 planned, to the current 40 because of the added work.   It only takes me about 30 minutes to make *a* game -- in fact, the prototype had 24 games made in 24 hours.  But making balanced minigames in my style (retarded Duplo-block retro =), takes much longer.

Luckily, since it's all data-driven, I can release add-ons later and players can  make their own minigames without any real scripting. 

I like games with a larger purpose,

Well, you won't find *that* in my games! 

[ஒழுக்கின்மை (Paul Eres)]

My pathetic video card doesn't support OpenGL, so that's not an option for me unfortunately.

I think the decision-making about which games to play is a good aspect of it, but all the games are fairly easy for me, so that was never an issue. Is there a difficulty mode setting that I missed? Because I never died once in the demo.

I also think the demo's a bit too small; you only get 5 games out of 40? That's like 1/8th of the game, not really enough to judge whether the rest of the games are fun. My own shareware game gives 1/3rd of the game away for free and that seems to have worked pretty well, and even those who can't afford the game get enough to enjoy a few hours with it.

And yeah, not all games have to have a larger purpose, it's just my personal preference -- I like games more like Ico and Xenogears and Pikmin, but there are people who like arcade games too and you're better off asking those types of players what they think of it.

[frosty]

I just released the full version last night. =)  The parent post has been updated accordingly.

Note, you can get $4.00 off with this easy-to-remember discount code:
BEFL005D2 (good until next week)

[lowpoly]

Requirements:
Windows, 192MB RAM, 1 GHz CPU

just out of curiosity, why 192MB of ram and not 256? Seems like a weird number for a requirement... 3 x 64? 128 + a 64mb stick?

[frosty]

It's the upper bound of what memory it actually uses, and yes it also happens to be an increment of 64.  I actually just changed it to 256 just to be safe and predictable. =)

[Doncommie]

I bought it and enjoyed it. It's a lot more polished than I expected and the consistent theme across all the games is well done.

I agree with Guert about the bonus pickups, the game title screens need to tell you what they are so you don't try to pick up things that are actually obstacles.
I guess the biggest issue is the nature of the game itself, if you like minigames then you will like the game.

I struggle to think of what to suggest but I think right now that you get a decent game for the money, especially with all the nice mode options.

[frosty]

I just posted a slideshow documenting the progression of Joystick Johnny from prototype to final product.

You can see most of the awful graphics, dead ends, and stupid ideas I came up with along the 10-month development cycle. The pages are arranged so you can easily compare each version.

View Slideshow

[EvilASh]

I still love Axel F

[Alec]

Nice!

I love seeing behind the scenes + progression stuff.