Season’s greetings 2007

INTERVIEW
INSIDE
WE SPEAK TO THE CREATORS OF THIS
UNDERWATER ADVENTURE
 REGULARS

Ed’s note 03

From the net ... 04

FEATURE

Masters of an underwater fantasy 07

Speaking with the creators of award-winning indie game Aquaria

OPINIONS

My first game 10
Gazza_N relates the first mistake that a new developer is likely to make

REVIEWS

Cartesian Chaos 12
A local game with an educational aim and a dash of humour

3D Logic 14
A mind-bending puzzler with an extra dimension

3D Logic 2 14
Oooh, there’s more?

TUTORIALS

Blender — intermediate series 15

Time for some in-game animation sequences!

Game graphics with Photoshop 18

More animation, this time in PS

Taking the blue pill for Pygame 20

This one is for the Python enthusiasts out there ...

DESIGN

Creating an effective GUI 22

A look at game menus and HUDs, and how developers sometimes miss the mark

TAILPIECE

Brrrr! 25
A gander at some of the seasonal games produced by Yoyo Games’ first competition

DEV.MAG ISSUE 19 02
 REGULARS

DEAR READER ...

EDITOR
Yes, I hang my head in shame. I allowed the holiday laziness to grip me a little too early, and
Rodain “Nandrew” Joubert
this edition of Dev.Mag was terribly late. No extra eggnog for me this year, it seems. The good
news, however, is that I can quickly distract you with two interesting facts: firstly, it’s the
DEPUTY EDITOR
Christmas season, and that’s as big in the gaming world as it is with any conglomerate which
Claudio “Chippit” de Sa
preys on the festive notions that most people have at this time of year. We’ve even prepped this
issue in a small way to reflect some festive cheer — check out the Tailpiece for more info.
SUB EDITOR
Tarryn “Azimuth” van der Byl
Fact number two is the big one for indie gamers everywhere: Aquaria is out. We’ve got a lovely
little interview with them this issue, and after playing the demo we’ve decided that the game
DESIGNER
definitely merits a review in Issue 20. Some feel that the price tag of the full version is a little
Brandon “Cyberninja” Rajkumar
steep, but I’m in the camp which believes that if people can fork out USD $30 for some of the
mainstream flops that hit our shelves, they can certainly make the same investment for the win-
WRITERS
ner of the 2007 IGF grand prize.
Simon “Tr00jg” de la Rouviere
Ricky “Insomniac” Abell
From what I’ve seen, Derek Yu and Alec Holowka are a fantastically down-to-earth pair of guys
William “Cairnswm” Cairns
who truly deserve to be paid off for their hard work on such an amazing product. Best of luck to
Bernard “Mushi Mushi” Boshoff
them in their future endeavours — I’m sure that Aquaria is going to be a massive success.
Danny “Dislekcia” Day
Andre “Fengol” Odendaal
My own shameless bias aside (I’m quite awful, really), it’s thrilling to see what’s happening to
Luke “Coolhand” Lamothe
indie games nowadays. Projects of an incredibly high standard are cropping up everywhere,
Rishal “UntouchableOne” Hurbans
and comparing the indie games of today to those of, say, five years ago reveals some startling
James “NightTimeHornets”
changes. If you need convincing, be sure to check out this year’s lineup of IGF finalists — our
Etherington-Smith
From the Net section has more details.
Gareth “Gazza_N” Wilcock
Sven “FuzzySpoon” Bergstrom
For now, season’s greetings and enjoy the holiday! We take our end-of-year hiatus now and will
Kyle “SkinkLizzard” van Duffelen
return in February.
RODAIN “NANDREW” JOUBERT
WEBSITE ADMIN
EDITOR
Robbie “Squid” Fraser

WEBSITE
www.devmag.org.za

EMAIL
devmag@gmail.com

This magazine is a project of

the South African Game.Dev
community. Visit us at:
www.gamedotdev.co.za

All images used in the mag are

copyright and belong to their
So what if Bookworm Adventures isn’t the respective owners.
newest of new games? It’s still shamelessly
fun, and a few of us jumped onto the
bandwagon just recently after our dep-ed We wish you a merry Christmas,
played it through and reported that it we wish you a merry Christmas,
wasn’t just an educational kiddie’s title we wish you a merry Christmas,
after all. He also managed to spell the and a free copy of Aquaria.
word“vivification”. The git. Find the game
over at http://www.popcap.com/
DEV.MAG ISSUE 19 03
 REGULARS

AQUARIA RELEASED

http://www.bit-blot.com/

Hey. Hey. Aquaria. Out now. Get it. Get it. Now.
Seriously. Now. We’ve just finished playing the demo
here, and it already looks like one of the most awe-
some indie games that we’ve ever gotten our grubby
little paws on. Needless to say, we’ll be grabbing the
full version as soon as possible. We’ll buy it twice,
even. In fact, we’d pay money just to play the demo
again. It’s really that good. Expect a full review once
we’ve got the whole game to mess around with, and
check out this edition’s feature for an interview with
the creators of this masterpiece.

IGF FINALISTS ANNOUNCED

http://igf.com/02finalists.html

The next set of hopefuls in the Independent Games

Festival lineup has been announced, ready for the 2008
summit in February. What does that mean for us? Well,
a bunch of high-quality releases which are likely to titil-
late even the most jaded of indie gamers. The lineup
has a strong presence of audio-based gameplay (includ-
ing one game which utilises a Guitar Hero controller
for platforming action), as well as one or two surpris-
ing entries from the Game Maker front. Some of the
games already have full (free) releases available for
download, while others have made playable demos.

ELECTRONIC NINJA ROPE? DO GO ON ...

http://www.gamedev.net/community/forums/topic.asp?topic_id=473549

Whilst stumbling about on GD.Net,

one of the loyal Game.Dev community
members came across a game tenta-
tively titled Electropy and shared his
findings with the rest of the group. The
game is comparable to playing Elas-
tomania with an electric ninja rope,
though it also includes a collection of
powerups and far better graphics. It’s
also rather fun. Check out the link for
images, a description of the game and
a 33 MB demo.

DEV.MAG ISSUE 19 04
 REGULARS

XNA GAME STUDIO 2.0

http://creators.xna.com/

Get ready to rumble with the newest release in the XNA devel-
opment line. Changes include a wider support for Visual Studio
2005 products, advanced debugging features, a project upgrade
wizard (to convert old XNA games to the new format) and some
major advancements in multiplayer support. A Net Rumble
Starter Kit is already
available for people who
want to experiment with
net code by modifying a
pre-built XNA game.

JONATHAN BLOW ON THE “WoW DRUG”

http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=16392

Gamasutra never fails to bring us people who have interesting and

new perspectives on game development. Now, they deliver us a
page of Jonathan Blow, the 2006 IGF Design Innovation award win-
ner and creator of the game Braid. And boy, does he have a lot to
say about modern game design. A small essay on player motivation,
the purpose of gaming, and common misconceptions provides some
interesting reading for those keen on understanding game design
better.

I’M O.K ... SORT OF

http://www.derekyu.com/

Derek Yu is one of the blokes behind the much-lauded Aquaria. A little bit of
investigation shows that he’s behind a few other games as well, including the
massively popular (and somewhat controversial) ultra-violent platformer “I’m
O.K”, the tongue-in-cheek reply to anti-videogame attorney Jack Thompson’s
“modest videogame proposal”.
If you haven’t played it yet (or
are looking for a bit of nostal-
gia to go along with Aquaria’s
release) check out Yu’s website
for the download. Be warned,
though – this one’s definitely not
for the kids and shouldn’t be
played if you’re squeamish.

DEV.MAG ISSUE 19 05
 REGULARS

GEARING UP FOR INSTANTACTION

http://blog.instantaction.com/

We’re shivering in our booties about this one.

Described as “something like XBLA for the PC”,
InstantAction is slated to be the platform which
finally allows web-based gaming to catch up to its
peers, with content that downloads as you play
and apparently a “near-console quality” potential.
A GarageGames innovation, InstantAction’s launch
is geared for January and will include both free
and paid-for products. There’s also a competition
mentioned on the blog for those interested in
developing for the platform.

SOUTH AFRICA “MATH”STERMINDING ANOTHER TITLE

http://lms.mindset.co.za/mediawiki/index.php/Mathstermind

Hot on the heels of local production Cartesian Chaos is the news that another entry from
last year’s Game.Dev educational games competition, currently going by the name of
Mathstermind, is in the works for the mobile platform. Although it’s still early days (the
only thing that we’ve had a chance to see are a few dang control prototypes for assess-
ment purposes), a description of the game is up on the Mindset wiki and Dev.Mag may
soon be graced with a project diary showing readers how a South African group goes
about publishing a mobile game. Watch this spot!

HOLIDAY GAMES — MORE WANTED

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/3183/persuasive_games_the_holly_and_.php

Another offering from Gamasutra this month is a feature

which basically looks at holiday themes within games and
nags us for more. A quick history of seasonal tributes in
some of the more popular games – from Super Mario to the
Sims – is given, and several examples of festive mods and
even changes in game-
play based on the time
of year are examined.
Not a thoroughly deep
read, but it’s nice to
browse through if you’re
in the seasonal spirit.

DEV.MAG ISSUE 19 06
 FEATURE

MASTERS OF AN
UNDERWATER FANTASY
AN INTERVIEW WITH THE CREATORS OF AQUARIA
by Simon “Tr00jg” de la Rouviere

B
it Blot, comprising of Alec Holowka What is it like collaborating on a game across much easier to com-
and Derek Yu, is the group which the Internet? Don’t you sometimes get lost in municate over the
masterminded the winner of IGF’s communication? phone or in person. I
2007 Grand Prize, Aquaria. Since its release wouldn’t recommend
on 7 December, Aquaria has quickly consoli- ALEC: Sometimes it can get confusing, but trying it unless you trust who you’re working
dated its reputation as a high-quality product overall it’s worked out pretty well. We’ve with completely! That said, it does work out
and has subsequently raised the bar for indie also worked together in person a number of pretty well for us.
games everywhere. Shortly before the official times, so we now have a better understand-
release, Dev.Mag had a chance to speak to ing of where the other person is coming
the guys about Bit-Blot and Aquaria. from. Tell us briefly what your latest project,
Aquaria, is all about.
Firstly tell us more about yourself. Who are DEREK: There was definitely some difficulty
you and where do you come from? in the beginning ... for the most part Alec ALEC: The cool thing about Aquaria’s story
and I have similar ideas about how to do is that its layered; there’s a surface story
ALEC: I’m Alec! I grew up in Winnipeg, things, but for times when we don’t, it’s that is engaging the player, but there is also
Canada which explains why I have terribly
low self-esteem. My dad was the guy who
first got me into making games (he thought it
would be more creative/productive than just
playing games all day!) with a book called
“BASIC Fun” when I was eight years old. Ever
since then, I’ve been writing music, making
games and taking names.

DEREK: I’m Derek. I was born in California,

in the United States of America. Needless to
say, I always carry at least a dozen guns on
me at any given time. Hey, it’s a dangerous
world out there!

DEV.MAG ISSUE 19 07
 FEATURE

a deeper story - and beyond that there are How did you guys decide you were going col- of Kain, mainly because I loved the atmos-
fundamental themes about laborate on something like Aquaria? phere and the way it used voice overs.
relationships and creation. I’m hoping that
players will be able to fully immerse them- ALEC: I was doing some music for Derek’s DEREK: I’ve always liked games where you
selves in the story and the exploration and game “I’m OK”, and we just started talking get to explore and find interesting places and
just get lost in the world we’ve created! about games and game ideas, and real- things. Eternal Daughter was an homage to
ized that it would be fun to make a game my favorite games as kid - Zelda, Metroid,
DEREK: We worked really hard to make sure together! and Castlevania. There was a lot about that
that Aquaria was a “complete” experience. game that I thought could have been im-
That is, every part of the game – graphics, DEREK: Yeah, it was pretty serendipitous, I proved, and so I think you can see some of it
sound, level design, controls – works together must say! in Aquaria... only much more polished! And,
to ensure that the player is always engaged. of course, the game takes place underwater,
The mouse-only control scheme came from What are your roles in Aquaria? so much of our inspiration comes from there.
that line of thinking ... as did our choice to In particular, many of the creature designs
go with voice acting instead of text-based ALEC: I do programming and music. We work are based on real-life animals. Nature comes
dialogue. I think one of the unique things on the design of the game together. up with weirder, crazier stuff than any human
about this game is how it marries these vari- mind could.
ous concepts. We wanted everything to be DEREK: I do the graphics and most of the
very elegant. But the short answer is that level building! I read you are already planning your next
Aquaria is a massive underwater fantasy project. Any hints as to what it is about?
world. As the player you get to explore it and How long has Aquaria been in development?
uncover its secrets. ALEC: We have a grab bag of ideas germi-
ALEC: Since I first showed my ancient proto- nating. So far there seem to be three good
type of the idea to Derek it’s been just over candidates ... not sure which one we’re going
two years. to pick yet! We probably won’t be able to
work on them for a while ...
Where did Aquaria’s inspiration come
from? When you entered IGF with Aquaria, what
were your expectations?
ALEC: For me it was mainly games
like Final Fantasy VI - games where ALEC: When we first entered, we just hoped
you explore a fantastical world while we’d get nominated for something. Any
having adventures. Games with worlds award. When we received 4 nominations,
you’d want to travel to in person one day! we thought, “Well, now we’d better win
:) I was also inspired by Blood Omen: Legacy something!”

DEV.MAG ISSUE 19 08
 FEATURE

DEREK: Haha, yeah! It’s hard to know what to going to come more unique opportunities.
expect. Part of you wants to win, but you’re What we don’t have is the kind of power and
afraid of jinxing things. We were incredibly money the mainstream industry has, so we’ll QUIRKY QUOTES
happy just to be able to attend, to be honest have to make up for it by sticking close and
helping each other out. An indie-owned pub- Favourite Console?
What do you think about the indie scene of lishing label that’s not a casual portal would
today? be wonderful. ALEC: Currently Nintendo DS! But
in terms of all time, probably Super
ALEC: It’s exciting! What is your advice for indie developers? Nintendo.

DEREK: It’s getting bigger and better, but it ALEC: Keep your stick on the ice. If this is DEREK: I think the NES holds the
still stays personal – I love that. I can tell really what you want to do, keep at it until softest spot in my heart. But it’s like
you, two years ago, you really had to look you succeed! choosing between children... I don’t
hard to find good independent games. These want to play favorites. I love them all.
days, it seems like everyone is interested. It’s DEREK: Work at it. Finish games, even if they
wonderful. There’s really nothing more to say aren’t perfect. Don’t sell your first finished Pizza or Pasta?
other than that it’s a great scene to be in. game. Work with people who share your vi-
sion and dedication. Love what you do! ALEC: Tacos.
Where do you see the indie scene going?
Anything else you want to say? DEREK: Pizza Pasta.
ALEC: I’d hope to see more power in the
hands of developers. I’d like to see indie ALEC: I was hoping you’d ask “Why are you Mars or Jupiter?
developers collaborate to create their own guys so sexy?” to which my answer would be
publishing label. “Aww, yeah.” Oh well. ALEC: Uranus

DEREK: I feel like the independent scene DEREK: I was tempted to answer “Aww, yeah” DEREK: Mars. I have three words for
is more flexible ... with that flexibility are to every one of your questions, actually! you: three-breasted prostitutes.

Master Chief or Mario?

DB SAYS ... ALEC: I’d love to see Mario crush Mas-

ter Chief’s skull in.
I’ve already had a shot at the demo, and boy is this game
sweet! Expect a proper review as soon as we get our hands
DEREK: Whichever one can defeat King
on the full version. If you want to try it out yourself, visit Bit
Koopa.
Blot’s website at http://www.bit-blot.com/

DEV.MAG ISSUE 19 09
 OPINION

“My first game”

by Gareth “Gazza_N” Wilcock

“
Hey guys! I’m new to game develop- started devving (or are considering it) with here. Those with the drive and passion to
ment, but I’ve got an awesome idea the aim of creating exactly the kind of epic make games will work past the initial disap-
for a game that I wanna share with game described above. I know I did, and pointment and start working towards their
you. I hope to have it finished in like a couple many people that I speak to who are inter- grand ideas, learning and improving as they
of months, and it’s gonna be awesome. Here ested in starting development give me very go. Those who aren’t willing to put the ef-
it is: I’m gonna make an MMO with like a mil- similar ideas. Yet, when I punted my big ol’ fort in (or who just aren’t suited to it) will
lion items that you can combine for different idea at Game.Dev a year ago, nobody shot crash and burn. It’s like that with any human
effects, and huge randomly-generated areas me down. Nobody said “dude, don’t even endeavour. Slagging newbies, like I’ve seen
populated with randomly-generated monsters bother, you have no idea what you’re doing”. done in some of the more elitist online com-
with randomly-generated attacks, and, like, They would’ve been right too. Yet, somehow, munities, does nothing for their confidence.
you can make your own spells, and the story! I’m still making games. Occasionally they’re It certainly isn’t helping them in any way,
Man, the story’s gonna be awesome – it’s even enjoyable. And my fellow newbies and and it discourages someone who could poten-
got aliens and orcs in it. And, like, I know I just so happen to be getting better and tially be the next great design legend from
I’m new to this, so the graphics won’t be too better despite our initial n00bitude. Imagine ever getting started. Nice moves.
complicated – just like Quake 1 graphics. So that.
wadda ya think?” After all, I wonder how Will Wright’s critics
My point - the vision is what’s important feel now...
What do I think? Oooooooh boy...

Now, I’m hardly the Most Enlightened Guru

of Game Design, but the urge to squash the
above with a snappy “there’s not one iota
of the possibility of a chance that you will
pull that off” reaches epic proportions. Let’s
be blunt – the poor person has absolutely no
idea what they’re getting themselves into, do
they? They’ll flounder around hopelessly with
all aspects of game creation before giving up
and doing something simpler and more re-
warding, like raiding the liquor cabinet. Bet-
ter to put them out of their misery straight
away, right? I’ll get the flamethrower. Let’s
put that poor delusional n00b in their place.

Not so fast ... I’m pretty sure that many, if

not most, of the people reading this article

DEV.MAG ISSUE 19 10
 REVIEW

CARTESIAN CHAOS
http://www.retrotoast.com/
by James “NightTimeHornets” Etherington-Smith

C
artesian Chaos, version 1.0, is the satisfying bolt of lightning and a comical wail practiced solving such formula recently and
first commercial release from South which encourages the speedy dispatch of the the tutorial on this could do with an added
African developers RetroToast next assailant. The musical soundtrack helps dose of clarity, something which is sure to be
studios, the winners of Game.Dev Comp 15. set a pace to the gameplay and offers enough addressed in future updates.
Regular readers of DEV.MAG may be familiar variety to avoid becoming overbearing.
with their work, having been featured in the Along with the reflexes of a mathematically
October 2007 edition. The game provides three game modes: adept puma, the player also has a number of
‘Quick Quadrants’ has you identifying which weapons at their disposal. These are awarded
Cartesian Chaos is a challenging educational of the four Cartesian quadrants contains the in the form of ‘powerups’ during the game
title that tests one’s mathematical prowess monster’s weakness, and ‘What’s the Point?’ and provide much-needed assistance. Five
while being fun at the same time. The story: requires you to pinpoint the (x, y) coordinate powerups in total allow the player to hinder
once every millennium, spiteful mathemati- of the weakness; ‘Define the Line’ is the most the spiteful expressions’ progress and even
cal ‘expressions’ migrate across the Cartesian challenging and requires the solving of a line reveal the locations of their weak spots. All
plane seeking to throw themselves back into formula in the format of Y = MX + B in order is fair in math and war. Descartes himself had
the origin and end their tortured existence. to plot the gradient of the line. Simple and developed a devastating weapon named the
This cannot be allowed to happen or else the mostly effective tutorials are provided for Descartes Doomsday Device, better known as
basis of mathematical reality will be torn each of these modes to ensure that the gam- the DDD. With enough kills under the belt,
asunder. Never before has the world been er doesn’t have to take a refresher course in the DDD becomes available and this bad boy
so close to dividing by zero. All is not lost mathematics from their 10 year old cousin. has the power to zap every monster currently
however, for each expression has a weak spot The more complex line equations can become on screen. It comes with a warning however,
which can be targeted to destroy it and this slightly confusing, especially if one hasn’t “Do not push this button.” Scary stuff.
is where the player steps in — to take the
fate of the universe into their hands.

The game world is graphically simple yet

polished and crisp, presenting a colourful
Cartesian plane which will be familiar to
anyone who has entered the first year of
high school. A scoreboard and control panel
keeps track of the current game on one
side of the screen. The spiteful expressions,
or monsters, appear from the sides of the
screen and drift towards the center of the
Cartesian plane, the origin. A wide variety
of cartoon faces with expressions such as
angry, confounded, happy, sad or frightened
will assault from all angles. The faces also
bear a mathematical expression above them,
their weak spot, and this all makes for a
nifty pun. Once a monster’s weakness has
been uncovered it will be destroyed with a

DEV.MAG ISSUE 19 12
 REVIEW

The game can be played in answer. What’s the Point

either ‘Arcade’ or ‘Challenges’ and Define the Line modes require
mode and at four difficulty more thought, often proving
levels; easy, medium, hard and challenging and even downright
the aptly-named crazy. Arcade, impossible on the ‘crazy’ difficulty.
as one would expect, has the Define the Line is no doubt aimed
player striving to set a personal at those who have at least covered
best score. In Challenges, 48 these concepts in school but in
scenarios are offered and have no way precludes younger players
the player attempting to beat certain scores to use in case the boss is about to catch you from learning. The equations require a sharp
or time limits, reach the target number of slacking off again. mind to calculate speedily and will provide
kills or deliver a certain number of combos. A a daunting test of one’s ability on the higher
combo is achieved by zapping 5 monsters in a The Quick Quadrants mode is by far the difficulty levels.
row without missing and then continuing the simplest, with only four possible solutions
streak. A speed combo is achieved by zapping to any expression, but would still prove Cartesian Chaos is a terrific little package
monsters quickly. Multiple player profiles can useful in teaching mathematical concepts that injects some new ingredients into math,
be used within the game and this allows for to a child. Older players may quickly realise namely colour and fun, and gives an original
competition amongst friends and family to the loophole in this game mode as there is and refreshing spin to puzzle games. Children
rank highest on the scoreboard. no real punishment for an incorrect answer, will find themselves learning basic math-
other than a loss of combo score, thus reduc- ematical concepts in the guise of a fun-filled
There are minor gripes such as the inability ing the game to a frenzied click fest in order game and teenagers and adults will find plen-
to disable sound or music from within the to beat the challenges. This is especially true ty of challenge in honing their math skills.
actual game, being forced to return to the on the higher difficulty levels in which the Math is an area poorly explored by electronic
main menu to do so. This is further com- monsters assault the origin so quickly that games and Cartesian Chaos will really give
pounded by the fact that one cannot leave a there is no time to contemplate the correct the left hemisphere a solid workout.
game to be resumed later. This could prove
especially annoying in arcade mode when try-
ing to achieve a high score. The option to run
DB SAYS ...
the game in windowed mode seems largely
redundant as the game is forced to run at Want to try this game out for free? Find a demo of Car-

1024x768 and using any desktop resolution tesian Chaos at http://www.retrotoast.com/

lower than this will result in a windowed

game that does not fit the screen at all. The The full version is available from Savage Software at

only perceivable reason to use this would be http://savagesoftware.com.au/, and the product link is

the availability of the minimize button, for also available on Retrotoast’s home page.

those who haven’t quite mastered alt+tab,

DEV.MAG ISSUE 19 13
 REVIEW

3D Logic You are presented with a grid of varying sizes

and are required to connect special coloured
http://www.kongregate.com/ squares with their counterparts by filling
games/AlexMatveev/3d-logic open blocks on the grid with a matching col-
by Claudio “Chippit” de Sa our. The twist here is that field of play itself
is mapped onto three faces of a cube.

I
t’s uncommon to find a puzzle game that
isn’t simply a tried and tested idea with The addition of an extra dimension adds a
a simple twist. In fact, more often than deceptive amount of challenge to what would
not, that’s all a puzzle game needs. 3D Logic, otherwise be a rather simple game. But
however, is a little more than a simple twist anyone persistent enough to complete all 30
on an old idea. devilishly tricky levels will be awarded with
the simple pleasure of a tangible feeling of
The premise of the game is quite simple, as success together with the boasting rights that
is often the case with successful puzzlers. it earns.

3D Logic 2
http://www.kongregate.com/
games/AlexMatveev/3d-logic-2-
stronghold-of-sage
by Claudio “Chippit” de Sa

3
D Logic 2 takes the gameplay tested
in the first incarnation and gives it a
good new coat of paint, some polish
and 30 new, even more menacing, levels.

While the sequel doesn’t actually add any

new gameplay elements to the game besides
a relatively redundant ‘story mode’, it is
rather selfish to ask for more than what it
has already done. With a smooth new look,
more intuitive controls and more high-quality
levels, 3D Logic 2 does all it needs to do.

With its new skin to keep things fresh and the

new controls that make it easier than ever to
get every line connected, this sequel takes
everything that was good about the first
game and simply gives us more of it. If you
ever feel masochistic, remember this game;
it’s a perfect way to break your head.

DEV.MAG ISSUE 19 14
 TUTORIAL

BLENDER TUTORIAL
Animation Sequences
By Stefan “?rman” van der Vyver

This article refers to resources available at the “Contents” section of the Dev.Mag website (www.devmag.org.za).
It is recommended that you visit the site and download these resources.

nhancements to the games that you you tell the bouncing ball to change its this ani-

E develop can take many forms. One

enhancement that adds real spice is
in-game movies. Blender 3D is an excellent
speed? Or consider a rocket taking off. You
may place the rocket on the ground, and
then higher up in the air, but nowhere can
mation the
camera will be
doing a slow pan onto
free tool to help you produce short motion you define how fast it accelerates. I'll use the planet from right to left.
clips in almost any format. This tutorial will this tutorial to tell you how to define that The planet will fill two thirds of the
focus on some basic aspects of animation movement. screen, indicating that we are quite
that I hope will assist you in creating close to it. At the end of the shot the
animations that will enhance your game Storyboarding the animation is quite planet will fill almost the entire screen. Then
development. important. It is necessary to know how much the satellite will fly in from the right, going
time we have, as well as how to pose the towards the left. Without the satellite, the
Animation involves moving pictures. To make objects as cinematically as possible. This is shot could simply be a documentary about a
the moving pictures, we move things around, where you have the opportunity to play film planet. The satellite flying past indicates
photograph them and then play the director. You call the shots. some contact by humans with the planet.
photographs back to make it look like they This could mean simple interest, monitoring
moved. Getting things to move is easy. But I am going to use a planet, a satellite, and a of the surface, or many other things. The
simply telling an object to move does not camera. We will animate them separately point is that it brings another emotion into
define the detail of the movement. Take a from each other. The .blend file with all the the scene.
ball, for example. You can position the ball elements will be provided, so that you can
to fall to the ground, bounce and continue focus on learning the animation aspects I have decided to animate the sequence as
like this until it comes to a stop. The detail quickly. The planet will be my main actor. In below, based on my storyboards.
of the bounce is
that the ball has
zero speed at the
highest point of its
bounce, and the
fastest speed just
before it hits the
ground. Where do
 TUTORIAL

Begin this tutorial with the Blender file that 10.00 next to RotZ. Insert another Rot types of handles or controls for defining the
is available from the website. keyframe. shape of a curve. In this case we will use the
(http://www.devmag.org.za/uploads/ Vector handle type to straighten our IPO
BlenderSatelliteStart.blend) Now change your bottom window to an “IPO curve.
Curve Editor” by clicking on the top left icon
You will see two viewports. The one on the and choosing IPO Curve Editor from the list. Hit [V] and see the handles change to green,
left is the active camera view, which also Use the ‘zoom view to area’ icon to zoom in and the line is immediately straight. Now we
represents the final rendered image view. On on the selected keyframes. This IPO curve have a constant rotation throughout. The
the right is a top view of the scene. represents acceleration. If you feel planet will spin at a steady pace right from
challenged by or scared of this screen, my the start of the animation until the end. Hit
The Planetary rotation suggestion is that you take a deep breath and [TAB] again to exit edit mode.
I'm going to guess that you will also be too hang tough.
lazy to work out the rotation for the planet The Camera Movement
in a scientific way. Certainly your viewer/ On the horizontal axis we have time, and on RMB select the camera. Insert a LocRotScale
player will be less concerned with the the vertical axis the value that has been keyframe at frame 1. Now advance to frame
correctness of your planetary rotation than keyframed. In this case, we are seeing the 225 and position the camera as in this image.
with its appearance. Therefore, I'll make a rotation keyframed over time. As such, it is Then insert another LocRotScale keyframe.
suggestion for the rotation values. You can obvious that there is a slow start to the
change it any way that you like. rotation, followed by a steeper acceleration Since the camera represents a subjective
curve, ending in a slowing down of the view of the scene, we can accept any kind of
Select (RMB) the sphere representing the rotation. motion. My suggestion would be to have the
planet. With your mouse cursor over the top camera stationary for a few frames before
view, press [N]. You should see the object This means that the planet will start rotating the movement starts, and then again let the
properties displayed like this (The property slowly, then speed up, and then slow down movement end a few frames before the end
dialog will appear centered on your mouse again. This is definitely not good behaviour of the animation. We can do this by editing
cursor position): for a planet, so we are going to change that. the curve and calling up the curve point
The way in which we will change it, will be (keyframes) properties.
Please note that all rotation values are by giving the curve a
currently zero. We will animate the RotZ uniform acceleration.
value. Remember that, in Blender, you use
the arrow keys to advance through frames. Select the curve
Up and Down advances or rewinds 10 frames representing the Z-
at a time, while left and right moves one rotation. Press [TAB] to
frame at a time. Once you are certain that enter edit mode for the
you are on frame 1, press [I] and choose Rot IPO curve. Press [A]
from the list to insert a keyframe for the until both keyframes
rotation value that the planet will have on turn yellow (indicating
this frame. Advance to frame 225. That will that they have been
be the last frame of our animated sequence. selected). Blender
Enter a value of provides three different Straightened IPO Curve
 TUTORIAL

Select the rotation curve and go into editing at frame 150. Go to frame
mode. Select the curve point on the left and 100. Position the satellite
press [N]. The Vertex X value represents the just out of camera view and
frame value of the keyframe, i.e. this is the insert a LocRot keyframe at
frame at which this keyframe or curve point that point. Now advance to
is activated. To advance the keyframe along frame 150 and position the
the timeline, simply type a different value satellite at the opposite side
next to Vertex X. In this case, I would suggest of the camera view, just out
a value of 10. of view. Add another LocRot
keyframe.
You will see that your keyframe has moved.
Now select the other curve point or When you now use the arrow
keyframe, and change the Vertex X-value to keys to advance forward and backwards the “Stars” button under the “Shading” ([F5])
215. This gives us 10 frames before the through your ani-mation you will see the and “World” buttons.
camera animation starts, and makes the satellite fly by the planet. We did create a To render the animation, I have set my
camera movement stop 10 frames before the problem... The satellite now comes into view render screen up as in the image below.
end of the animation. That's it for the accidentally before and after it should. My
camera. Press [TAB] to exit edit mode in the suggestion is that you go to frame 99 and The way in which you use the rendered
IPO curve editor. 151, and in both cases move the satellite frames depends on your development
quite far out of shot and insert a keyframe at platform. Blender has a built-in video editor
The satellite fly-by both points. that allows you to render sequences of
We want to have the satellite always pointing rendered files as video, should you require it
straight at the planet, in order to create the Considering that a satellite would move at a in that format.
illusion that the satellite is observing the relatively constant speed, my suggestion
planet. We can do this by have the satellite would be that you edit the curves for the I hope that you have learnt some valuable
point at the planet. I have made sure that satellite animation, making them straight as information that will aid you in your future
the planet and the satellite have the same well, indicating constant movement. game development!
local orientation by selecting each in turn
and pressing [Ctrl]-[A]. That applied their To sort out the starry background, I have set Happy Blendin’
orientation, rotation and scaling. my background color to black, and activated

Select the satellite then the planet. Render settings: .png filetype, 225 frames, RGB
Press [Ctrl]-[T]. Select TrackTo Con-
straint. If you grab [G] the satellite now
and move it around, it should auto-
matically rotate so that it always faces
the planet.

According to the storyboard I created, I

want the satellite to come into shot at
frame 100, and leave the field of view

Changing the X-value of the IPO curve.

Star settings
 TUTORIAL

GAME GRAPHICS DESIGN

Part 3: Basic Animation
By Rishal “TheUntouchableOne” Hurbans

This article refers to resources available at the “Contents” section of the Dev.Mag website (www.devmag.org.za).
It is recommended that you visit the site and download these resources.

ou have learned how to create a basic If you downloaded the file that I well at least most of them

Y vector sprite and it can be very useful

in a game, it will enrich the game and
make it fun to play and interesting, the only
supplied last month, you will have
to unlink the layers as I have
linked them to keep the relevant
do.
You will need to see each
frame of the animation, so
problem is that a static, non-animated sprite parts of our character’s body you will need to make the
will not add the professional feel and polish sorted and grouped animation window available.
needed to make a game really stand out, together without Click Windows>Animation,
even a small amount of simple animation can creating a separate make sure there is a tick
create a wondrous feel to the game with group for each body next to the “animation label”
minimum effort. In this tutorial you will learn part. Select all the and make sure the animation
the basics of creating simple animation in layers by pressing Ctrl + window is visible.
Photoshop. It is very simple and easy to click on layers, right-
perform. click, select “unlink The first frame in the animation window
layers”. should be the current image. While the
Firstly, open the last Photoshop project file current frame is selected, click on the
we worked with. The different views of the The first movement we “duplicate selected frames” icon, this will
character should be will create is a very duplicate the frame and make it available
sorted into groups. simple one, walking. All for manipulation.
Select the front characters need to walk,
view group and
duplicate it to a
new project of
suitable size,
preferably a size
that is similar to
the character
itself.
 TUTORIAL

While the second frame is selected in the

animations window, select the characters
right foot and move it up slightly, to give the
effect of taking a step forward.

Now click on the duplicate layer icon. In this

frame we will set the image back to its
original state by moving the character’s right
foot back down to give the effect of the
character completing his step.

Select the current frame and duplicate it

once again, this time, we will move the
character’s left foot slightly up to give the
effect of taking a step with the left foot.

Click on the play button to view the

animation. It’s animated but not animated
enough; it looks like the character is just
tapping his feet. We need his entire body to
be affected every time he takes a step, so needed using the skills learnt in the past
select the second frame where he lifts his tutorials. The most useful tools for creating
right foot and select all the layers (Ctrl + movement animations are the tools in the
click on layer) except the foot layers then transform drop down menu under the edit
link them (right click>Link layers). menu. You can create a range of effects
using these tools. For colour animations you
While the layers are selected, click can manipulate the blending options of the
Edit>Transform>Rotate. Now rotate the different layers in different frames and window, this will really mess up the
character’s body slightly to the right by produce some really cool effects such as a background transparency as it creates
approximately 3 to 5 degrees. Now click on change of skin colour to green when eating a translucent images to optimise the
frame 3, click Edit>Transform>Rotate and poisonous item and other similar effects. animation. If you are creating animations for
rotate the selected layers slightly to the left web sites then using the tween option
by approximately 3 to 5 degrees. Once you have completed your animation, shouldn’t be a problem at all.
select File>Edit in Image Ready. When the
Click the play button; if you performed the project is open in Image Ready along with That’s the basics you need to know to create
method correctly, you will see a really cool the animation window select your own animated sprites for your games.
looking animation of our character walking File>Export>Animation frames as files, now Experiment with whatever you can in
forward. This animation can be used in a save and you will have the images ready to Photoshop, it can only help.
game to make it look really awesome and use in a game.
polished. Go on, start creating some awesome
If you are using a library/engine that needs animations to make your games even more
That’s the basics of animation in Photoshop; the animation in GIF format, you can save fun and exciting!
you can experiment with the other views of the frames as GIF files then use the free
UnFREEz:
the character and create every movement application called UnFREEz to create one This application can be obtained from
animated GIF file. Just http://www.whitsoftdev.com/unfreez/

drag the images into

the UnFREEz window
and save as an
animated GIF file.
If you are creating
animations for games
then stay away from
the tween option in
the animations
 TUTORIAL

Taking the blue pill for...

PYGAME
By Kyle “SkinkLizzard” van Duffelen

he game development revolution is

T
mouse and sound
here! Well, not really, but for those handling, amongst
who feel like developing games in others, and adds onto an
Python, Pygame is the next best thing since already reasonably
sliced bread. Pygame is a set of modules and powerful but easy to
add-ons based on the Simple Directmedia learn programming
Layer (SDL) library for the Python interpreter language. As it says on
and programming environment. Created by the Pygame website, it 'takes the C++ out of its classes and sub modules appear in the
other enthusiast Python developers to help game development'. python dot menu (the menu that pops up
you create the perfect game with less effort, when you put a full stop after an identifier)
the library includes graphics, keyboard, making them easily accessible after a simple
Advantages to import statement.
Pygame
Being an add-on for Pygame is well documented and there are
Python means it is many tutorials covering the basics of game
cross-platform, development in Pygame. Several of these as
allowing development well as full documentation can be found at
for Windows, Mac OS http://www.pygame.org/docs/. There is
and Linux, with each even a book on beginner’s development in
platform having its own python and Pygame available for sale.
Pygame version. One Information on the book can also be found on
thing to note, though, the Pygame website. Regular competitions
is that Pygame will not are also run by the folks at pygame.org
install on a higher than where you can showcase your acquired
required version of the Pygame development skills. Another
Python IDE; if it says interesting addition to Python that is worthy
Python 2.4, be certain of interest is Panda 3d which is a C++ 3D
that it is in fact 2.4 you library with a set of Python bindings. More
are using otherwise it information on that can be found at
will simply tell you that www.panda3d.org.
no Python environment
is installed. Once You can find the various downloads of
installed, Pygame is Pygame at www.pygame.org, and the
fully integrated into required python interpreter at
the programming www.python.org.
environment and all of
 DESIGN

Creating an effective GUI

A practical approach to the layout and design of graphical user interfaces for games

by Sven “Fuzzyspoon” Bergstrom

I
n this article I aim to share some ideas, So I went on a mission to understand how example) a player starting a game with an
experiences and even tips for creating games made effective designs out of minimal awesome custom skin for his player, custom
the GUI your game really needs. By no components, and how immense games could music, all the wonderful things your game
means am I an expert, but I aim to share use a single mouse driven menu for every- offers in the main menu but then, the graph-
information I have picked up over the years thing that needed to be done. How an effec- ics lag and jerk because he has vertical sync
about interface design, and in this article I tive GUI can be created and implemented set to on and he doesn’t have the greatest
will cover topics ranging from the main menu was deeper than I had expected, but it make PC. This causes an instant black mark on the
of your game, through to the game menu, or breaks a LOT of how your game affects the game to the players mind, because he needs
right even across to the interface design of game play, the player and even your engine. to go back to the menu and try FIND what he
the HUD, the options menu as well as cross- needed to set in the first place. Don’t get me
ing some points on window based design. Main menu wrong, I’m not telling you to stick too many
options into the main menu, but look at what
At one stage in my life, in one stage in my The first point I’m going to shed light on is options you are using screen space for, and
game development cycle I decided to make a the main menu. Ooh, obvious choice, but how much of the space is dedicated to what
menu for a game. I made a few logical deci- hear this. Did you know that about half of is relevant to starting the game.
sions – about what need to be there, what what someone thinks about the game is the
was too much information, how many options menu? What is the first thing they see? Most On the other side of the field, I don’t think
I would provide my user with and the like gamers would skip intro movies and head for you can have a menu with too little. Without
– but after all that, even after implement- the game itself to see what the rave is about, making a stupid thought come up, if you
ing my “perfect menu design” I felt unhappy and they are faced with your menu. A cum- leave out the options menu, that’s too little.
with it. I was no artist; I wasn’t really even bersome menu with too many commands can I’m referring to a menu with only what’s im-
a good programmer at the time. But I knew overwhelm a player quite easily; to the point portant, as well-placed items and easy-to-use
then that I didn’t understand why the menu where he may just quit instead (it happens). interface that even if simplistic, is effective.
wasn’t as cool as other games I had played, Too many options can distract a player from As you may figure out, I am a minimalist
or even as cool as my abilities could create. setting up the important options, causing (for when it comes to design, but I always notice
that menus that grab my attention have
had only a few items – and they are well-
executed. This is an obvious statement to
most of us, but I see far too many games that
have poor menus because they try overdo the
“functionality : wow factor” ratio. I WANT
developers to make kickass, random, sexy,
animated, motional amazing unconventional
menus, but the second that crosses over
to making the menu a little bit silly on the
functionality side, revert.

Let’s look at some well-known examples,

even of recent games that are out to see how
we can identify a good clean and functional
menu. My first example will be the good
straightforward menu example: Command
and Conquer 3, Counter-strike, Quake,
Unreal Tournament, and so on. They all have

DEV.MAG ISSUE 19 22
 DESIGN

animations, all have a simplistic design. They the same theme, same graphics even. Well, players understand that what happens is their
have no excessive animations which make if your options menu is not cumbersome, but mistake, not the game’s fault. Also, be sure
you wait while it animates itself, it doesn’t has a lot of options, that’s OK. But if it has to make the items properly functional. There
make load times excessive and it keeps the a lot of options scattered all over the place are a lot of half-baked GUI types out there
eye candy at a reasonable level. A game like not grouped by any means, no descriptions because they’re created inside a game en-
Transformers, on the other hand, has an of what sets what option, for example, FSAA gine. If you notice a lot of games put all the
excessive animation. It makes me wait while will most likely make some unsuspecting non- main important options outside of the game,
it makes the cube spin. Even though it’s not technical person put it on, which is horrific in the operating system before you play, mak-
lagging it feels slow. The average gamer / when it comes to lag in games, especially ing sure you get to have a look at that first,
user wants to be able to navigate fast regard- with full screen post-processing shaders like where it’s not squashed by spacing and it’s
less of how cool it is. Let’s say I have been HDR and bloom. In turn this forces the player not limited by the code of the programmer
playing GenericGameName: 2 for a few days to now try beat the lag to get to undo an who is rushing to meet a deadline. This is a
and it’s the 10th time I am logging in. I doubt option, which would most likely need the great solution to most game options problems
I would need to re-familiarise myself with graphics device to reset, in turn unloading and seems to work really well in my view.
the menu, and I doubt I will be gawking at and having to reload the game again, making
the eye candy. I want to be able to PLAY the it a huge pain in the jack to make a mistake. HUD and other on-screen displays
game, that’s why I am running it. The Chroni- Eventually, players may feel it safer to turn
cles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay had all the options off and play with less features Don’t you love choice? Sure, I didn’t always
a cube menu and extensive animation, but its because of one badly described menu fea- go into Quake and change the HUD colors and
navigation is simple, fast and well-made. ture. This is in the general tips, so I won’t transparency to make it personalized, but
carry on with that point. what if I wanted to? If I’m describing a new
As far as first impressions are concerned, a game to a friend, I can’t describe the graph-
great menu and an OK game goes a lot fur- An important thing to watch out for in the ics more than saying how great they might be
ther in the mindset of a player than a good options (and elsewhere) is the use of combo but I can point out other, more specialised
game with a poorly managed menu. Some boxes, check boxes and other such GUI items. aspects, and one thing players love is choice.
tips for a main menu: it must be simple, Don’t get me wrong, I love the simplicity, It may take a little longer to implement cus-
fast and effective. Cliché at least, but logic but have you ever played a game where the tomisability, but what if a particular player
supersedes the need for fun menus when it options flick back and forth when you are likes to play with their HUD almost invisible,
comes to functionality. moving your mouse wheel on another option, because they don’t really care how much
which (as has happened to me) could mean gold or mana they have at the moment? If
Options menu you are scrolling through the list of resolution I’m confronted with a HUD that is static and
options? Make each option you are “working “in the way” of my playing, my view of the
This part of the GUI, I hear you ask? Sure, it’s with” highlighted if possible, this will help game is tarnished. The colors, the size, the

DEV.MAG ISSUE 19 23
 DESIGN

transparency ... they’re small things, but they immediately look at it with the harshest my dog got its head stuck in the fan and is
they can help a player enjoy a game more if of critics and think about what they might trying to flick the switch – I must be able to
they have the ability to make it personal and not like. Even if the graphics of the menu are hit a key that will allow me to return to my
more to their liking. simple and not fancy, even if they are badly game and know what was going on, as well as
implemented, if it works great, and looks ok, present me with game options and informa-
I know nobody reading this would be dumb and doesn’t stop me from playing the game tion that I might find useful.
enough to make a HUD over some part of the itself most players breeze past the menus
screen that might prevent a player finishing and enjoy the game a lot more than if there Besides having a clumsy dog, I must be able
a task in the game, or seeing that last enemy was any hindrance to getting the game going. to get out of the game quickly. There must
setting up an ambush for them. But few easy be a good way to quit in most parts of the
logic points will still be mentioned: General Tips GUI in my opinion, because if I want to quit it
shouldn’t take me a really long time. Saving
- A HUD should never block gameplay (take Always display necessary information in the must be in the quit option if needed, or au-
focus from the game) game, the menus everywhere. “Undocu- tosave must be done if possible and enabled.
- A HUD is for information and feedback, mented” options are cool for advanced users, I never want to feel like the game is the
don’t litter it with useless specs but most likely will push a player to not play reason I was late for an appointment.
- A HUD can be whatever you want it to be, a game with the games full potential, or his
but make it useful machines ability. Conclusion

On-screen displays often have the choice to KISS – Keep it simple, is it that hard? A GUI Some may think this is all general knowl-
be hidden. This is a great help and will most that is simple but effective beats an ad- edge, but I felt compelled to elaborate
likely make the game easier for you as the vanced 3D menu that makes it hard to get to because some games frustrate me (no names
creator and the player. Players, believe it the game I want to play. mentioned) due to the lack of GUI logic. This
or not, are critical, especially if there has is open for discussion, and I’m always keen
been any tiny speck of hype or build-up to a In-game menus are really, really important. to hear opinions. These are mine, and are
release. The minute they get into the game If I get drawn away from my game – let’s say limited, but I hope you found them useful.

DEV.MAG ISSUE 19 24
 TAILPIECE

BRRRR!
A TOUCH OF WINTER FROM YOYO GAMES

by Rodain “Nandrew” Joubert

I
t was early November, and the finishing than work, I remembered the message sent The site operates in a simple yet effective
touches were being applied to Dev.Mag to me by the great Yoyo. Deciding that it manner, similar to many other online game
for the month. We made our final e-mail would be an interesting venture (and a great portals. The twist comes in when you realise
check before the release, and were confront- seasonal addition to Dev.Mag) I set off to that the games you’re loading up are entirely
ed with a little elf that had snuck into our investigate the competition for myself. The Game Maker products, playable straight from
mailbox. It bore news of a great competition theme? Winter. Santa Claus, penguins and your browser using a special plug-in supplied
with amazing prizes, held in the faraway snowmen were to greet me at every turn ... by Yoyo Games. At a glance, players can
realm which was ruled by the group known as see a list of games, their descriptions, their
Yoyo Games. Yoyo Games are the new driving force behind relative popularity, and even player com-
the distribution and showcasing of the rapid ments and reviews to help other people get a
Romanticism aside, we were sufficiently game development tool Game Maker. They’re perspective on the various titles.
interested in this news to add a quick post still in the beta phase (as reflected by a few
about it before finishing off Issue 18 and niggling issues on some of the site’s pages) Although the winter competition hasn’t yet
sending it out into the big bad world. but they’ve already secured a strong follow- finished, here’s a smattering of the entries
ing in the Game Maker community and their to show you what people in this community
A month passed. Overcome by December competition has attracted lots of very well- produce when they get their development
laziness and looking for anything to do other made entries in just over a month. groove on ...

DEV.MAG ISSUE 19 25
 TAILPIECE

GARDEN GNOME CARNAGE

Finally, the gnomes have their revenge against all those pesky elves who come stomping around
every Christmas. Tie yourself to a skyscraper on wheels and make those elves fly! A delightfully
humorous and incredibly well-executed arcade game, Garden Gnome carnage is a fine example
of what can be done with simplicity in mind. Although the gameplay isn’t as deep as a full-scale
MMORPG, the short, merry sessions that players have with this title are unforgettable.
GGC has been polished well enough to shine. Players are motivated, the eye-candy
is pleasing, sounds and combos are satisfying and the winter theme is most definitely
there in full force. Throw in a few extra elements such as unlockable protips, a tower
that you can disassemble brick by brick (throwing aforementioned bricks at the hap-
less elves) and some interesting appearances when your score goes up, and you have a
game that does a great job of filling those five-minute voids between tasks.

WORMAGE

Now here’s a friendly little title. As its description

goes, there’s no violence, no gore, just good ol’
worm management in an effort to help the little
critters survive winter! Wormage works because, like
GGC, it doesn’t promise the earth. Rather, it works
on giving the player just a few features and makes
sure that everything works well together. It also
works well to promote objective-based gameplay as
well as good old sandbox fun. The graphics are nice,
the sound is adorable and it has the potential to oc-
cupy a fair amount of a player’s time.

FLYWRENCH

To be honest, Flywrench’s supposed back story seems to be the only half-hearted link to
the competition’s winter theme that can really be found in the game. Still, it deserves a
mention due to its interesting gameplay and stylistic use of retro graphics and sounds. The
basic gameplay involves a small ... thing ... which moves about in
several different ways. The catch is that each particular movement
changes the object’s colour, allowing it to get through like-coloured
obstacles without getting zapped. Play this game if you want an
example of how really basic graphics and game mechanics can offer
a player with something fun and interesting. Be warned, however,
as the game is perhaps a little too difficult and will chase away less
determined gamers.

DEV.MAG ISSUE 19 26
 TAILPIECE

TWODASE

Now to change the genre to puzzler, and the number of dimensions to three. Game Maker has
a somewhat dubious reputation for 3D. It can be done, but most efforts involve a simple walk-
around-and-shoot-generic-stuff mechanic which is praised and drooled over by developers who
don’t stop to consider that the end result is about as fun and original as a raw
turnip. Twodase is a game which not only showcases GM’s 3D capability, but puts
it to use in a game which the author has actually shown a great deal of care in
making. It’s slick, and it engages the player beyond simply clicking at bad stuff to
make disappear. In Twodase, you guide your snowman across a multitude of levels,
bouncing on a series of ice blocks which subsequently disappear and leave a gap
through which clumsy players can fall. To complete a level, players need to jump
on all the blocks in a way which allows them to do so without falling.

PENGUINS UNDER SIEGE 2

We wrap up this brief showcase with something that occupied my attention for perhaps
the greatest amount of time. Penguins Under Siege 2 isn’t the perfect game, but it has a
surprising amount of content, including a multiplayer mode and several skirmish maps. The
game pits two rival penguins against one another, each combat-
ant’s goal being to destroy the other’s crystal. Both sides have
strongholds which they upgrade to increase their income, research
new technologies and create powerful offensive and defensive
structures. For the most part, the game is quite well-balanced,
and most potential problems seem to have been considered and
eliminated by the author. This is a great example of a GM title
which genuinely has a lot to offer.

DB SAYS ...

Weee-ooo! If you’re looking for some quick indie gaming this holiday season, you can do a lot worse than
checking out the entries of the Yoyo Games winter competition. Fire up your web browser and go to
http://www.yoyogames.com/gamemaker/competition01 to try the games suggested, or explore the
site for yourself! Just remember to keep an open mind — the community is full of developers who are
at various levels of experience, and if you find a game which you think needs to be improved, always
offer the author some *constructive* feedback. As a good game developer, it’s best to take the good
with the bad and learn from both!

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