Same test restrictions as last time (no sound, only emulator play).
Blox
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WOW!
This is really good and fun!
A take on, on the Breakout theme. In order to avoid speed problems, there are only a handfull of
blocks to each level - but it works rather well!
The game has virtually no slow downs (the first to bricks in level four being the exception).
The game has 10 Levels now (level 11 has the same setup as level 1 ...).
While the levels objective is always quite easy (clearing the levels), the game gets incressingly harder
because the bat shrinks. In the end the bat is smaller than the ball - and it really is hard to
return it.
There are three different kind of bricks:
- simple one touch
- simple two touch
- ball releasing bricks
I don't know how many balls can be on screen at one time - but at least three.
Trying to hit three balls with a (tiny) bat is really taxing.
The game has a high score screen, so compettions are possible - since it gets quite hard fast,
a game does not last too long.
Wonderfull little gem. Fun to play. A few more levels please!
And perhaps an option for analog input?
Bird Runner
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This game leaves a rather unfinished impression.
The story is for my taste a bid "strange".
(you are a bird RUNNING, you foes are moving cacti, which
you can destroy after eating some flesh...)
The PDF instruction leave also things to be desired...
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OPTION SELECTION
There are no options, you are a simple fireball spitting bird.
GAME PLAY
You are a bird. That can spit fireballs. ...
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The graphics are not animated. Under no circumstances can the bird be identified as a bird,
it could also be a trashcan on two wheels.
The "bird" can be moved left right, the cacti (and the flesh (in the form of "pong" a ball - a rectangle) ) scroll
in from the right. You can jump over them or destroy them by coughing up a fireball (or a smaller "flesh" ball (also a rectangle)). You can "store" the fireball giving energy the flesh gives you to cough up more than one fireball in
a row.
Level one is quite easy (just destroy a couple of cacti).
Level two is two hard to be even remotely fun, because every cactus needs 4 shots to be destroyed - and the
appearence numbers double, so you have to collect four shots before you can even try to kill one.
The game probably has some initialization bug. The first time I played level 1 I needed to kill
3 cati, the second time I played level one I needed to kill 4 (a complete new game), next time 5 etc.
So I guess some initialzation of levels is missing (I always got to level 2 - so the increase might be a level 2 thing).
Also after quite a few games, the game completely crashed upon dying.
Last thing to mention is the collision detection. If you even touch the cactus in the front by a
mere split hair - you die. If you happen to jump on top of it... nothing happens... here a little bit
of further adjustment would not hurt.
Moon shot
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You must shoot "defined" objects on the screen. Shooting the wrong objects will decrease score or cost
you a life.
Nice large objects. The moons horizon is changing with your heading - nice effect!
"Collision" detection. could be a tiny bit better - at first I thought I must hit some objects multiple
times, but I discovered, that the aim must be VERY exact.
Using the "digital" joystick input "slows" the game down.
A little bit faster moving enemies and an analog input would be much more fun I think!
Also the enemy movements might be a little smoother - right now they "jump" a little from one location
to the next. One can do very smooth moving objects on a vectrex!
The game often "hovers" around the 50Hz barrier. Perhaps a tiny little performance boost would make the game less
"wobbly".
What also would be nice (but also costs some game time) - if the shots could be displayed... doesn't have to be much -
only for 1/4 of a second or so - just a fast moving missile, or a laser beam - or whatever.
But seeing at least something happen when you press fire would increase the shooter feeling tremendously.
On my first try I came to level "7" (I think) - which gave the message "LEVEL UNDEFINED".
Good that there is a message :-) - but well it leaves an unfinished taste ...
Space Defender
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(Gee the students like blue overlays! - but this one doesn't even display the button usage!)
Hey - this is my game - a take on Vectorblade!
Or so to speak.
Ok BSHMUP...
First thing you see - your own spaceship is about 3 or 4 times the size of the enemies. Well that is fair - you are all alone and they are many.
You can have up to 5 bullets in the air... good!
Strange (for a Vectorblade player like me) - your ship can move out of bounds and appear on the other side.
The enemies on the other hand "bounce" of the screen edges - both taken together feels even more "strange".
There seem to be two types of "enemies" rocks (falling) and aliens (can shoot).
Level end...
I always find it a bit "irritating" if a level ends while there are still enemies on the screen.
I guess it is a simple "enemy dead"-counter - but still... all of them disappearing...
But enemies bullets...
they are kept OVER level starts - old shots from the last level - are still in the air...
(again collision detection... I was hit by an enemies (not bullet) - which wasn't even near me...
... on the other hand, the bullet enemy collision detection works great!)
After each level there is an intro screen for the next.
To advance you have to press the fire button - which in a "fire frenzy" usually happens directly after entering
the screen (since the level ends also abruptly).
This reminds me of my first "shop" in Vectorblade...
Please use another button for shop exit... *cough* I mean for the intro screen.
There are a maximum of 4 enemies on screen, plus all the bullets - the game most of the time refreshes
in under 50Hz, which is good!
There is a continue option after your final death. Cool!
I have to look at the "continue" screen on a real vectrex, the emulator display tells me there is something
special about it - but I can not tell what it is :-).
The "instruction" (concept art) mentions some sort of power up - this sadly is not implemented yet...
Alltogether - nice little game with a few inconsistencies - ... and unfinished.
Cheers
Malban
