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[Starflier]

For fear of having the link lost in the below text, Here's the link:

Balloon to the Moon
(4.3mb zip file, contains fullscreen and windowed versions, plus the MMF file.)

I just pulled an inhumane all-nighter, 'cause I thought this was the last day, then I found out I have annother whole week... phooey.

Anyhow, I took a game from start to finish in just under 17 straight hours... Here she is:
Balloon to the Moon (4.3mb zip file, contains fullscreen and windowed versions.)

Balloon to the Moon is a co-operative game for two players that combines elements from flight sims, arcade platformers, and old-school shooters. Balloons don't have steering wheels, so you need to tip the basket to spin around. Stomp on the floor buttons to zap the hostile aerosquid. Collect the antigrav tokens to fly higher. Fly all the way to the moon without letting those pesky squid sneak up behind you and you win! Otherwise it's a one way trip to squid gullet land...

UPDATE: New Version (1.1)
Synna, you're my new favorite...

I think my problem was that I couldn't always remember which of the characters was the heavier, so the balloon ended up veering all over the place. I think I shot about 5 enemies!

Technically neither puff is heavier, but the balloon will persist in the dirrection it was spinning until both puffs are on the same side. I tried and failed to fix that... I have added some different nuances to the physics that will either be more convincing or annoying..

I found a couple of bugs, too. If one of the characters is standing still in an elevated part of the balloon, and the other moves in such a way as to lower the ground beneath the still character, they remain at the same height, until you move them. If that makes sense.

I was able to reduce the frequency of this; Still happens when you're squashed up against the wall, but that's about it...

Also, was it intentional that you can only jump when you're moving left or right? IT feels really odd.

Fixed!
I also adjusted the difficulty ramping, smoothed out the rising, added more squid, paralaxed the stars and adjusted the music

UPDATE: New Version (1.2)
Thanks to Hempuli who used his God-like Klikker prowess to solve my weight problem.

Screenshots:

The "Menu"

 
Inside the Moon Balloon

[Synnah]

Oh wow, this has a great style! I'll try it out when I get home.

[Inanimate]

This looks really cool! I'll try it when i get someone to play it with me. 

[Fuzz]

The graphic style is wonderful, the control scheme is genius, and I love how it was intended as a cooperative game but was also entertaining while playing by myself. Great game.

[Synnah]

I was also 'playing it by myself' (Not a euphemism). I couldn't quite get on with the controls; I think my problem was that I couldn't always remember which of the characters was the heavier, so the balloon ended up veering all over the place. I think I shot about 5 enemies!

I found a couple of bugs, too. If one of the characters is standing still in an elevated part of the balloon, and the other moves in such a way as to lower the ground beneath the still character, they remain at the same height, until you move them. If that makes sense. Also, was it intentional that you can only jump when you're moving left or right? IT feels really odd.

[trabitboy]

I had a nice moment with it 

[astrofra]

Looks visually so poetic, like an old amstrad or spectrum game, in 3/4 colors mode !
I gotta try it ! 

[twohalf]

Wow, I love the lightweight feel this game has with it!
It took me a short while to get used to the buttons not releasing after you jump off, but after that it's pretty fun. =)

[Starflier]

I found a couple of bugs, too. If one of the characters is standing still in an elevated part of the balloon, and the other moves in such a way as to lower the ground beneath the still character, they remain at the same height, until you move them. If that makes sense. Also, was it intentional that you can only jump when you're moving left or right? IT feels really odd.

Both of those are because in my rush I ended up using the default MMF platform movement (le gasp!) I was just so astonished/pleased that they didn't randomly fall through the floor... Anything I tried to whip up failed miserably, so in the (perceived) time constraint I settled on the sucky clickteam movement...

Maybe I'll have some time this weekend to fix it, but I dunno...

[r.kachowski]

I like how both parts have to move in cooperation if you want to come to a satisfying ending, not unlike making love to a beautiful woman.

[Fuzz]

I like how both parts have to move in cooperation if you want to come to a satisfying ending, not unlike making love to a beautiful woman.

Did you not use that analogy for something else as well? :D

EDIT: Fuck, you've used that analogy thrice in the past 2 days.

[Starflier]

The graphic style is wonderful, the control scheme is genius, and I love how it was intended as a cooperative game but was also entertaining while playing by myself. Great game.

I didn't notice until Swiss Tony spoke put in his two cents, how much your above comment could be said of sex...

[TheKeyToDestruction]

Very nice. it might be me but is one of the guys heavier?

[Starflier]

Okay, I don't know the deal with the "One guy is heavier thing..." there's nothing I did to make that happen, so we'll call it a glitch... Yes, I released a glitchy game, but my skills aren't upgraded enough to fix it. If there's a God-level Klikker about who would like to take a couple swipes at it, I'll pass on the MMF file, but other than that...

So, yes... apparently, one of them is heavier...

[Will Vale]

I've only played this on my own and I think you've made my left brain hate my right brain, and vice versa. Especially when I get the munchkins swapped left-for-right.

Neat idea with the coop shooting and (I assume?) competitive scoring. The graphics evoke the speccy quite well too.

[Pishtaco]

This is really nice, and beautiful. I did find the gameplay a little disappointing after a while; to avoid a squid sneaking up on you, it feels like you have to keep spinning around the whole time. So I had one guy fully on the right, and used the other one to occassionally level out, fire shots or jump for the bonuses, and that was it. But I haven't actually beaten the game this way, so maybe I'm missing something.

[Alec S.]

I like the core mechanic, it seems interesting.  I only tried playing it by myself so far, but when I get the chance, I want to try to play it with someone else.  Seems like it could be quite a bit of fun.   

[Fuzz]

Just beat it with a friend. Very fun.

[Starflier]

If it's any consolation to anyone, I've only played it by myself... That and my win:lose ratio is kinda like 10:1...