Creation - Fixing up the Blog and a vid!

So, I'll be fixing up the blog the next few days. (You may have noticed the new temp banner)

But, to keep you guys entertained, I posted a concept video of a game level. The video highlights a musical field where Orkestral (birdy guy) lives. This would be a multiplayer musical fighting game. I hope you guys like it! Oh, the music is by BlackMill.
 
- Paige

Commentary: Originality in games.

Today I downloaded Smash Hit by Mediocre on my phone. And I was blown away by the originality! It was a much needed fun and interesting phone game! They took the contrite endless runner game mechanic combined it with break-out to create a first person smash to survive game. 

This game feels so indie, I love it.

Here's why it felt so original:

 

Mediocre improved upon the endless runner genre. As far as I can tell, the bulk of the world is not randomly generated, which plagues many runner games. As a result, Mediocre could handcraft the look of the environments and made sure it didn't become too hard too fast. They also created checkpoints, so when you die, you can start there. So nice! (It's part of the paid version.)

 

The world is art. Even with simple geometric shapes, Mediocre sets the mood with music, material shading, and lighting. This game is living proof that videogames are an art form. Even though there is no story, you can still sense it!

 

Everything is a game! There's even a level for the credits! If you smash everything in the credits, there's a secret minigame (Now that's attention to detail!).

 

Finally, this game is not a clone or money grabber. It's really refreshing. I can tell the studio loves making games for games sake.

 

 Oh, and the physics engine is AMAZING!

 

 Seriously, try it out! It's free to play on Google Play here.

Apple Store here.

 

If you've played it, let me know what you think about it in the comments!

 

P.S. Mediocre is based in Sweden and focuses on non-violent games. Now that's my type of studio!

 

Images courtesy of GooglePlay

Creation: Moosh loves Bananas!

Here's some fan art based on Zelda: Oracle of Time. The game doesn't hold your hand with instruction and you also get to ride on various creatures! Depending on the creature you chose would determine the overworld terrain. Choosing Moosh resulted in a land of holes you had to fly over. It was a cool mechanic that increased replay value as you could only chose one creature per play through.

Commentary - Interactive Props (Pokemon Y)

I want to turn this blog into Game Creation and Commentary, where Sid and I share art from projects we are working on, but also give our thoughts on game design. I think it will be really fun! If you guys have any suggestions or ideas, let us know in the comments below.
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Anyways, I wanted to start commenting on interacting with props. I'll pull an example from Route 14 in Pokémon X and Y. When first encountering this route, I noticed a playground! My heart raced with joy as I realized you could play on the equipment!

However....
I was sorely disappointed when I sat on the swing and nothing happened...

"Is this swing glued to the ground?"

You may think that allowing the player to swing is trivial and that I'm too picky of a player. But, I think it's the thought that counts. If players could swing, it would say that Game Freak goes the extra mile to put love into trivial details. I know there are big deadlines that prevent extra code, but it would be really fun to swing. The world would feel more alive and interactive.

Anyways, on a more positive note, at least you can ride down the slide!

"Time to go down the slide again!"

 

Thanks for reading! 

-Paige

 

 

Images courtesy of Let's Play Pokemon Y

Creation - Math Bot Promo Video

 

Hey Friends! Here is a video I made promoting Math Bot, a fun math tilting app that Sid and I helped make. It also was a finalist in the BYU Rollins Center Mobile Competition.

Support us by downloading from the links below.

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.SmartCookieStudios.MathBotLite

Amazon App Store:http://www.amazon.com/Smart-Cookie-Studios-Math-Lite/dp/B00IEXOXA8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1394504445&sr=8-1&keywords=math+bot


Tell us what you think!
- Paige

Happy Holidays from Politoed!

I had a great Christmas!

This is one of Paige's favorite Pokemon. I painted this up and caught one for her. :)

She got Pokemon Y for Christmas, so I hope she adds it to her team!

-Sid

Coconut Island - Playable Game!

I made this point and click adventure for Sidney's Birthday! I made it in roughly a week, so it is more like a prototype than a finished art piece. I created it with GameMaker Studio HTML5.

Report any issues in the comments so that I may fix them.

 

I apologize if it has a long load. Have fun!

 

-Paige