Jet Effects

I'm working on a personal project with Paige. Stay tuned for more. ;)

Math Game Prototype

 

 

This is a rough screenshot of a competitive math game I prototyped recently. Maybe I'll eventually polish it up and post it so you guys can play it.

Water Galbo!!

I recently played through Kirby's Return to Dreamland with my siblings and it was a blast! Here's a Water Galbo enemy fanart!

Nebulous Being

I did a speed paint of Nasa's Swan Nebula Photo and decided to turn the giant form into a creature.
-Sid

Creation - Meet Sputty

 

I quickly made this cute little Gif to explore Sputty's personality. Sputty is Probo the Math Bot's friend. He assists Probo on the space station and likes taking pictures.

 

-Paige

Commentary- Taking time to make Sequels

Sorry I haven't had time to post (I'm getting ready for GDC), so I'm posting a Commentary instead of a Creation.
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If a studio makes a successful title, it seems they immediately jump on a short production schedule to get the sequel out the door. My response, "slow down."
If not, the sequel will have minor improvements, feel formulaic because the developers were afraid to take risks, and, in the worst case scenario, be buggy.

I didn't enjoy Pokemon Platinum as nearly as much as it's predecessor (Pokemon Ruby) due to the fact it felt like the same game with prettier art.

The Portal series is a different story. Portal was released in 2007, while its sequel was released much later in 2011. Portal 2 added a deeper story, more puzzles, better graphics, and co-op with its own storyline. Despite the fact Portal 1 set up GLaDOS's character, I like the sequel more because it adds so much.

Taking time to make great sequels or games in general isn't a bad thing. I wish more publishers would realize that.

Image courtesy of PC Gamer

Commentary - Crazy Bonus Content!

I apologize that I'm reviewing an old game, but I couldn't resist. Today I'm going to talk about Ape Escape 3 for the PS2. First off, if you haven't played this game, find a used copy and buy it now! The duel stick controls are very innovative and responsive.

Anyways, Ape Escape's story revolves around an evil monkey named Specter taking over the world's TV broadcasting stations. Each platforming level is cleverly designed around a TV show or movie. Although this game is amazing on its own, it's the bonus content that pushes Ape Escape 3 to the next level.

You can watch their skits or make your own!

Throughout the game, you'll watch small monkey skits performed in front of cameras. That alone is awesome, but once you finish the game, you can make your own skits! They voluntarily wrote their own video editing software inside a lengthy polished game! It not only supports the story, but it provides countless hours of fun for the player! That's dedication. There needs to be more bonus content like this!

An example of some created videos.

And, the extras don't stop there! They also included a lengthy kid-friendly Metal Gear Solid ripoff. Not to mention a fortune teller, multi-player fighting game, and a monkey toss!

Definitely harder than AE3...

Wow. Ape Escape 3's massive amount of bonus content shows that Sony cares about the player and loves making games! I'd love to make a game with tons of bonus content. If you've played any Ape Escape titles let me know in the comments below!

-Paige

Images courtesy of Google Images and Brian's Simian Cinema