Hullabaloo

[Rubymatt]

Hullabaloo
Current Version: 0.2
30 Arcade Levels
3 Challenge Levels


Note from the Creator
This game is not a replacement for castorvian legends.  I'll still be making that, along with this.  Like many game creators, I get bored with a single project, and so, one day, I decided to begin something entirely different.  This is that entirely different thing.  Over the past few months I've alternated between projects, and made both when I've felt like making each particular game.  This hasn't taken me an awful long time, but I have some decent content in this side-project. 

In this game I've gone for quality of gameplay and simplicity of design over anything else.  THe graphics are cartoony, and that's how I want them to be.

With that, I give you Hullabaloo!

Spoiler: Concept

The aim of the game is to get your little red ball to the crest at the end of the level before the clock reaches zero, avoiding any obstacle in your way.  That's all there is to it.  But below are details of level elements, items, and modes of play, that make this the ball-rolling game with a difference.

Spoiler: Level Elements

http://www.shadowruby.co.uk/hullabaloo/Crest.png[/img] - Level End Crest
Reach this to finish the level

http://www.shadowruby.co.uk/hullabaloo/Bonus.png[/img] - Bonus Crest
Reach this to head to a bonus or secret level.

http://www.shadowruby.co.uk/hullabaloo/JumpPad.png[/img] - Jump Pad
Press the space bar here to jump over one-square black holes.

http://www.shadowruby.co.uk/hullabaloo/Lock.png[/img] - Lock
A block which requires a key to open.

http://www.shadowruby.co.uk/hullabaloo/Switch.png[/img] - Switch
Push for various effects.

http://www.shadowruby.co.uk/hullabaloo/Player.png[/img] - Player
You!

http://www.shadowruby.co.uk/hullabaloo/Enemy.png[/img] - Enemy
Avoid them, or die.

Spoiler: Items

http://www.shadowruby.co.uk/hullabaloo/gems.png[/img] - Gems
Collect 100 for an extra life.  Yellow are worth one, blue are worth five, red are worth ten and silver are worth twenty.  The dark gem will reduce your gem total.

http://www.shadowruby.co.uk/hullabaloo/Key.png[/img] - Keys
Use these to open locks within the level.

http://www.shadowruby.co.uk/hullabaloo/ExtraLife.png[/img] - Extra Life
Does exactly what it says on the tin.

http://www.shadowruby.co.uk/hullabaloo/ ... angers.png[/img] - Speed Modifiers
The orange ball changes your ball colour to orange and makes you speed around the level.  The dark ball, however, reduces your speed.

http://www.shadowruby.co.uk/hullabaloo/Timers.png[/img] - Time Modifiers
The blue timer returns your level timer to 2:00, while the red one changes it to 0:30.

http://www.shadowruby.co.uk/hullabaloo/ ... ifiers.png[/img] - Weight Modifiers
The white ball decreases your weight.  You can jump twice as far like this, but can't push switches. The silvery ball makes you Iron, allowing you to push heavier switches, but unable to jump at all.

http://www.shadowruby.co.uk/hullabaloo/Invinciball.png[/img] - Invinciball
This will make your ball flash different colours, and make you temporarily invincible to enemies.

Spoiler: Modes of Play

Arcade Mode
A normal mode in which you must complete each level in order.  Every five levels you are given the chance to save.  After ten levels, the colour of the surroundings change, and the theme of the levels becomes different.  In the last level of each "sector", there are always two exits, one of which will always lead to a bonus round in which coins and extra lives can be picked up.

Challenge Mode (Beta)
A special mode for those with experience of the game.  here, you have to complete special "challenges" on levels, some of which are from Arcade Mode.  After beating certain targets, you will be awarded with either:

http://www.shadowruby.co.uk/hullabaloo/emeraldcrest.png[/img] - an Emerald Crest for completion of the challenge (worth 2 points)
http://www.shadowruby.co.uk/hullabaloo/ ... ecrest.png[/img] - a Sapphire Crest for beating a harder target (worth 5 points)
http://www.shadowruby.co.uk/hullabaloo/Rubycrest.png[/img] - a Ruby Crest for reaching the highest target for the level. (worth 10 points)

After beating certain sector targets, you can advance to the next set of challenges.

Spoiler: Screenshots

The save screen:
http://www.shadowruby.co.uk/hullabaloo/Screens/Save.JPG[/img]

Level 27:
http://www.shadowruby.co.uk/hullabaloo/Screens/27.JPG[/img]

The Challenge Mode Level Select
http://www.shadowruby.co.uk/hullabaloo/ ... llenge.PNG[/img]

Download Current Version (0.2)
http://www.shadowruby.co.uk/hullabaloo/Hullabaloo.zip
This version contains 30 arcade levels and 3 challenge levels.

Note: Challenge mode is incomplete.  There may be bugs, because the systems aren't entirely polished yet.

Spoiler: Credit

Dubealex for his AMS

Music:
"Atlantis" from Kula World
"Egypt" from Crash 3
"The Eel Deal" from Crash 2

 

[Despain]

YES THIS LOOKS BADASS

 

[GrooveMan.exe]

The sprites are eeeeeeeh, but it' a novel use of RPG Maker if I've ever seen one. Downloading~

Edit: Hey, this is pretty fun to play! I'm reminded a little or Marble Madness, crossed with those block-pushing maze puzzle games. Sokoban?

PS: Invisible walls are cheeeeeap. ;_;

 

[Rubymatt]

Sokoban?

And yeah, there aren't many invisible wall levels.  There are two instances of it in arcade, and one in Challenge, thus far, and I don't plan to make many more.  Maybe one or two later.

 

[GrooveMan.exe]

Yeah, games like these.

http://www.game-remakes.com/images/scre ... _3_279.jpg[/img]
Push blocks onto holes, solve the puzzle type games. The map structure is similar, and some variations run a key/keyhole block-type system.

I'm not saying this is unoriginal or anything, it's pleasantly retro. =D

 

[Rubymatt]

Ah, used to have that on my mobile.  Wasn't called Sokoban though.

Lemme know when you finish Arcade / get stuck / try the Challenge Beta and give me some feedback.

 

[Necrile]

I have that on my calculator, Grooveman, haha. Good times. Anyway, I'll download the game when challenge mode is complete.

 

[GrooveMan.exe]

Oh I didn't post much feedback, did I?

I got up to halfway in Green, before getting tired/fustrated. I think you should take a hint from Monkey Ball, and have Easy/Advanced/Expert modes for Arcade, each with a different number of maps, and ramped complexity/difficulty of said maps. Sometimes I felt that the collision detection for the enemies was a tad too sharp; meaning if I grazed one by even a pixel I still died. This resulted in me being a tad selfconcious when dealing with narrow corridors and enemies. Not good for time trials.

The invisible maze on Challenge mode has the map altered from the arcade version, right? Blaaarg. ;-;

 

[ultimaodin]

Wow this was surprisingly fun except for the invisible walls! I can't get passed it! You should have something like everynow and again they flash so that you have to keep it in your memory.

I might give a go at making something along the lines of a complete puzzle game like this.

 

[Rubymatt]

My lead beta tester says that the invisible wall levels "show different kinds of puzzles", and thinks I should leave it in.  But don't worry about it.  There are only two instances in Arcade, and that's how I plan to keep it for some time.
However, since it has been noted by members of this forum, I'm gonna decrease the difficulty of the Arcade level that's fully invisible, but would like to leave the challenge one as it is (because it's a challenge :D).

Also, GrooveMan, I do not intend to create a difficulty select.  The difficulty simply changes with each Sector.  As for the collision detection with the enemies, I'm currently looking for a way to solve it.  Any ideas on that would be greatly appreciated. =D

 

[Sonata]

Nice! This reminds me of Chip's Challenge. I'll download this when I'm on my PC.

 

[moog]

Nice! This reminds me of Chip's Challenge. I'll download this when I'm on my PC.

Oh snap, it does! I loved that game.

 

[Rubymatt]

Well, if you download, lemme know what ya think of it =]

 

[bluehazed]

Wonderful. Just wonderful. The only thing you could do better is like ultimaodin  said, to have some flashing, so you know we know where the invisible walls are at one point, but otherwise, mad props.

ps: i loved chips challenge. the only good game on windows 3.1.