Jump to content
IGNORED

Mr. Turtle


digress

Recommended Posts

Yeah, I don't have any problem with it either. I was just considering the impression I get from the illustration.

 

One of kiddiest games I have played would be bubble bobble and all you do wack little cute characters. Poor guys.

LOL! Well, look at it this way: Mr Turtle's "attack" could only stun creatures, or bump them to the right or left a little bit, it would never actually "kill" them. Even this could be integrated into different mechanics. For instance, imagine bumping a critter and using it as a step (while it's stunned) to reach a higher ledge. Or bumping a clamshell (like the one in the official mockup screenshot) to force it open.

 

Of course, the bubble-blowing mechanic would only work while Mr Turtle is underwater, and he would be defenseless in open air (his air meter would refill quickly, on the other hand). So another interesting mechanic could be to find a way to transfer water from one screen to another, in order to use bubbles to get passed obstacles which cannot be passed any other way. Such a transfer mechanic is actually not too difficult to implement: Just imagine a block that acts as a cork of sorts: Just bump to cork to remove it, and the water falls from the current screen down to another screen directly below it. Or bump a horizontally-placed cork, and watch the water level equalize between two adjacent screens. Now that would be really cool, especially if you work it into a screen map randomizer, so no two games would be the same. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

He could be a snapping turtle and he rips apart his prey and leaves carnage in his wake. :)

That could be the power-up for spelling the word Pearl. He starts as the mild-mannered, educational turtle that Coleco had envisioned for the kiddies and then when he powers-up he turns into the hell-bent-on-destruction Mr. Snapping Turtle that bites and destroys everything in his wake for us 40-something year olds.

 

ED: Those Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for the NES can kiss my Coleco arsh!!!

Edited by NIAD
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

that's what I imagined it would be as well originally. a smurf clone

 

I'm listening to everyones ideas and then i'll plan it out.

 

Can you add a laser to the sharks head?

 

 

uhhh. I can't tell if u are being serious

 

He could be a snapping turtle and he rips apart his prey and leaves carnage in his wake. :)

 

a hardcore game could definitely be in done. I was originally planning a conan type game with blood and beh eadings. I'm not sure if mr turtle should go this route but I got no problem making it so.

 

instead of heading up he's actually entering the underwater cave that leads to the gates of hell.

 

That could be the power-up for spelling the word Pearl. He starts as the mild-mannered, educational turtle that Coleco had envisioned for the kiddies and then when he powers-up he turns into the hell-bent-on-destruction Mr. Snapping Turtle that bites and destroys everything in his wake for us 40-something year olds.

 

ED: Those Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for the NES can kiss my Coleco arsh!!!

 

As a kid I always wanted this game (that was never made). I always imagined it like a Smurf's Adventure game, a side scroller of some type.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

He had a very heavy lunch.

 

He'll be able to swim a little sort of like joust so he can get up to the surface and walk on land for some parts.

 

 

Looks really sweet, so far. Good teaser!

 

I know it would fly in the face of him walking on the bottom, but shouldn't a turtle be able to swim?

 

Yes it is alive. It's very satisfy to work on after looking at that same picture since I was a kid and wondering if it was ever coming out.

 

It's alive! IT'S ALIVE!! That eternally motionless mockup vaporware screenshot is... ALIIIIIVE!!!!!!! MUUUHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! :evil:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

Updated version of screen 1. Mostly working. On to screen 2 after I get the shark to chase you a bit. Should be up in a few minutes if not showing yet. Yes I'm cheating by closing the shell and getting more air & lives & all the pearls.

 

http://youtu.be/ZYe1LQ_J2YM

 

There is more done than it appears. Most of the game engine has to be instigated on this first screen then additional levels should be much quicker to make.

 

The score now works and updates from 1-5 digits with no leading zeros

The Air Gauge works and you die if you run out. You have to get you head above water or into an air pocket to recharge

you can now collect or eat the little fishes

the shark now kills you

fixed some graphic glitches

turtle lives now count down and erase from screen

game can now end

the pearls can now be collected and updates your turtle progress graphic

added some music and sound fx. Nothings final yet. probably will have 2 music pieces that alternate.

  • Like 7
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks. There is more done than it appears. Most of the game engine has to be instigated on this first screen then additional levels should be much quicker to make.

 

The score now works and updates from 1-5 digits with no leading zeros

The Air Gauge works and you die if you run out. You have to get you head above water or into an air pocket to recharge

you can now collect or eat the little fishes

the shark now kills you

fixed some graphic glitches

turtle lives now count down and erase from screen

game can now end

the pearls can now be collected and updates your turtle progress graphic

added some music and sound fx. Nothings final yet. probably will have 2 music pieces that alternate.

 

 

Holy bonanza! Absolutely stunning and impressive Mr. Digress!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So are you planning on each screen being self contained as shown by the wrap around? I always pictured this game to be more like Smurf in that you can go back and forth, across several screens gathering letters for PEARL. Then a new set of levels with a different words to be found.

 

For instance, going to the left in the middle would take you to a cavern, going to the left along the grass would take you over the cavern thereby adding exploration into the mix.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The wrap around is only because there is no where to go yet. I will be adding sprites for when he walks left as well.

 

I have several different enemies and locations designed but how to get to them is not other than in a linear fashion. So that is a good idea. I was going to make it linear like smurf going to the right but I like that idea and I think I might borrow that.

 

it creats a problem though as I plan to make the terrain randomly generated so coming back it would actually be different than when you go in. It wasn't a concern if you were only going 1 way as I didn't have to store it in the limited memory as hardcoded. If you notice smurf actually does this. The landscape will change if you go back 1 screen and go forward again.

 

Come to think of it Smurfette never actually comes home even for the start of the level. Maybe smurf should just pack her overnight bag and bring it to her.

 

I'll have to think about it. Thanks for the idea.

 

So are you planning on each screen being self contained as shown by the wrap around? I always pictured this game to be more like Smurf in that you can go back and forth, across several screens gathering letters for PEARL. Then a new set of levels with a different words to be found.

For instance, going to the left in the middle would take you to a cavern, going to the left along the grass would take you over the cavern thereby adding exploration into the mix.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The five pearls represent all the stages of the game. So they'll be spread out and you can only get the pearl at the end of a stage after getting by the obstacles and monkeys and sharks and billy goats and eagles.

 

Once you get the fifth pearl you win the level/game. and take a nap.

 

 

so what happens when you get pearl total, is it just a bonus or a cool little bonus round like on ladybug where you go to a screen and pickup all the extra points.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Once you get the fifth pearl you win the level/game. and take a nap.

 

Funny thing the nap would apply to the original target age group of toddlers, many of whom are now actually old enough to also need a nap after playing games! Edited by Tarzilla
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

it creates a problem though as I plan to make the terrain randomly generated so coming back it would actually be different than when you go in. It wasn't a concern if you were only going 1 way as I didn't have to store it in the limited memory as hardcoded. If you notice smurf actually does this. The landscape will change if you go back 1 screen and go forward again.

What you could do is generate the entire contents of a single screen from a single seed value of 0 to 255. So the complete multi-screen landscape of a game session could be defined as a simple array of bytes in RAM, with special attention given to how platforms connect between each screen.

 

Just my two cents. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mr. Turtle, Tunnel and trolls, Skiing, Horse racing, Smurfette's birthday, etc. Can someone more enlightened than me please explain if these were really in development or if Coleco never had any intentions of releasing them. I remember seeing the Skiing and totally wanted that one.

Coleco just wanted to make the competition (Atari, etc.) sweat a little by generating empty hype. Considering many Coleco fans still talk about those vaporware titles today, I'd say it was a good idea from a purely marketing standpoint. They may have intended to actually make those games, but priorities changed along the way, and projects were dropped in favor of others.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What you could do is generate the entire contents of a single screen from a single seed value of 0 to 255. So the complete multi-screen landscape of a game session could be defined as a simple array of bytes in RAM, with special attention given to how platforms connect between each screen.

 

Just my two cents. :)

That's basically how Berzerk and Frenzy generate their random but repeatable mazes.

Another technique that I'm using for a game that requires more planning but less byte work space is to predefine a bunch of screen templates with attributes for exits. In the case of the screen above, you'd have two exit sets on the left, and how ever many tiles are on the right. When generating the level of say 10 screens wide, you would randomly pick templates based on compatible exits, then randomize things inside like the shell. An actual 10 screen level would only be an array of template numbers. I'm using this technique to do something that allows being underwater, going down two screens, left one into an underwater cave, then retrace back up. It supports the screen to the left of Mr Turtle being a cave, but you could walk along the grass over top. You could also think different than Smurf by designing later levels as 10 wide by 3 or 4 high where to get to something you see on the first screen requires going right, down, down, right, right, up, right , up, left,left,left, right.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...