14 comments

1. 

   n/a says:

   September 3, 2008 at 10:05 am (UTC -7 )

   First off, I have to say, great release! I really like the games you make. Any chance that you will be adding the levels from previous versions into this new version? Also, in the level editor, there is no “eraser” in the creation tools. Will it be possible to add one? For ideas, did you ever think about adding a “swinging rope”, “collapsible floor”, or “spitting fire”?

   I also have a game idea for “Platdude’s Retro Collection”, how about a boxing game and tennis game? Oh, and on the Q*bert clone game, there is a certain level that starts you off on a cube in the far corner, being in that place your only option is to jump to your death as you are no able to jump to any other cubes, so basically it is game over when that level shows up.

   Anyway, keep up the excellent work!

2. 

   Jayenkai says:

   September 3, 2008 at 2:14 pm (UTC -7 )

   Thanks, glad you enjoy it!

   Due to the game being a total redo, some things aren’t compatible between the old version and this one.
   A simple example being that there’s no longer any balloons.
   A more complex example being the way the red blocks have changed..
   Previously, if you moved a red block past some ladders, the ladders would show up once the block has moved past, as though it’s on a seperate layer.
   Now, if you do the same thing, the ladders are gone.. missing.. never to be seen again! (Unless the level reloads, obviously!) This is a subtle, but huge change! The levels thus far haven’t made use of it, but I’m hoping that in future you can use the blocks to carve out areas that might otherwise be inaccessible to you.
   Could be interesting to see how much of an impact that has on the level design.

   So, with the little changes here and there, I opted to instead re-draw all the levels.
   I’m currently working through, copying things bit by bit, and reworking levels that no longer work.
   It’ll be more or less the same, but different enough that it’s still interesting to those who played the old ones several hundred times. (As an example, the first level of The Tough Gets Tougher is infact a mismash of the first two levels of the first release..)

   Swinging ropes would be fun, visibly, but level-editor wise it’s much easier to implement a moving block that bounces from wall to wall, allowing a little moving platform to stand on.

   Collapsible floors are drawn, are in the spriteset, but once I added “Item X” (spoiler!!!?!) I considered them to be redundant. (in the editor, along with the spikes + darts)

   Spitting Fire.. I read that and thought of little flamethrowers on walls and floors that you have to time+pass.. That could be fun.
   Then, as I wrote Spitting Fire I thought of Mario throwing fireballs, and how, instead of having little darts that only move left or right, you could have little red flaming balls that hop down the level..
   Either/both of those could be fun

   Last time I opened up Retro Collection and compiled it, the DS/PALib inexplicably started to complain about a lack of memory.
   I haven’t yet bothered to fix that, so.. I think that Q*Bert bug might be there to stay.. sorry!

   Oh, and in the editor, use the trigger to erase.
   Additionally..
   DPad Left = “Use this block” if you can’t be bothered using the block select.
   DPad Right – Hold, draw box = Draw box.. (similarly works in conjunction with trigger to erase a box.)

   (or if you’re left handed, you can use the other trigger, and A/Y instead of left+right.. aren’t I kind!)

3. 

   n/a says:

   September 3, 2008 at 4:38 pm (UTC -7 )

   I just thought of some more ideas for JNKPlat DS, I was thinking of something along the lines of puzzle assembly that would allow access to an other part of the level and/or to an alternate exit that would bring you elsewhere from what the original (an easily accessible) exit would bring you to. Puzzle assembly could be done with blocks (or something) that you push in a certain order/sequence that could cause gears to move that would either pull a wall that has a chain attached to it, and/or a bridge would appear at a gap somewhere in the level…these are just some ideas I felt like mentioning.

   Oh, I forgot to ask in my previous post, who is the artist and what is the name of the track used in JNKPlat DS 0.8? I really like that track!

   Anyway, I am really excited for the next release of JNKPlat DS! I’m that the Q*Bert bug might be there to stay. Either way, these are some highly addictive games that you make.

   Well, like I said before, keep up the excellent work! Also, have yourself a great week!

4. 

   n/a says:

   September 3, 2008 at 4:41 pm (UTC -7 )

   Oops! Forgot to say thanks for you response and for pointing out how to erase things in the editor. Thanks!

5. 

   Jayenkai says:

   September 4, 2008 at 2:07 am (UTC -7 )

   It’s not 0.8, it’s 08, as in 2008

   Puzzle assembly is, at it’s rawest form, pick up A, take to B. That’s basically what the keys do, and you can get some cracking levels going with loads of keys and doors all over the place!
   As much as I like to add loads of silly bricks into JNKPlat’s, I do tend to stick to functionality rather than quantity.

   The alternate path thing has been done before.. In fact, in level 5 of the first DS release (the one atop level 3), if you fell down you’d have to hit Exit #2, which took you back to level 4.
   Sequentially it worked. If I created it for the level editor. .. It might not. I’m not sure. I’d have to play around with it for a while.

   Music = JNKPlatDS, and is mine, hence why I didn’t bother sticking a music-credit on the thing (unlike Arcade Slots where I grabbed a few tracks from Aminet)
   The JNKPlat ditty is pretty much standard, but I like to play around with it, and throw it into a bunch of my games. (Much like that orange/yellow rounded rectangle on the menu screen!) Over the years I’ve done a few tracks with the ditty, a pack of which is here. (Play ‘em in Winamp, or any other Mod player)

   I should point out that I’ve gotten lazy lately, and the latest few are old Aminet mods with the patterns ripped out, and my tune shoved in there instead. (Original song’s credits are still in there!) It’s only ‘cos good samples are getting harder and harder to find anymore.. Especially small sized ones!

   Anyhoo, back to the game. I’ve a few new levels up and running, and if anyone would like to submit a bunch more, I’ll have a new release online in the next week or so. But not this week. It’s Socoder.net’s 2nd birthday, and I’ve got website-coding to do!

6. 

   n/a says:

   September 4, 2008 at 11:52 am (UTC -7 )

   On gbadev.org forum you mentioned about “ice blocks”, “rocks” and “Light + Dark” but didn’t know what to do with them.

   I have a few ideas for the “ice block”. You could have a machine that creates ice blocks in needed areas, but the blocks would only last for a certain period of time so PlatDUDE would have to move quickly. Their use would be to freeze a body water to allow PlatDUDE to cross over to the other side and for temporary protection from fire (ice block would melt quicker from fire of course) and arrows.

   Now, for the rock, PlatDUDE could push the rock from higher ground onto a catapult that would launch a block (that he previously placed on it) to a higher floor of the level. The launched block would only reach as high as the floor below from where the rock was pushed from though. Also, if the rock was pushed from the left, the block would fly to the left and if the rock is pushed from the right, the block (if placed on the left of the catapult) would fly to the right. I have other ideas that would involve scales that would work in a way of a switch to open things like doors, bridges, etc… and/or something similar to “Rube Goldberg machines” but I’ll stop here.

   For the use of the “Light + Dark” part, you could make the level dark and make PlatDUDE glow with an aura after he collects a radioactive object. Also, there could be a “light switch” that has a timer that works similar to the “pump switch” that would keep the level lit for a certain period of time. You also mentioned “Little wall/floor mounted flamethrowers”, those too could also be sources of light (with added auras of light) for the dark levels and the “little “Mario-fireball” style blobs” could show you a path.

   About wind, it could be in the form of gusts to bring PlatDUDE to a higher ground.

   I had other ideas that involved a pit that you think it would cause PlatDUDE to die if he fell into it, but it would actually bring you to a secret part of the level were you could collect items like the “Super Precious Gems!!”, keys and other collectible things you might add.

   Anyway, these were just some ideas that popped up when I read your post on gbadev.org’s forum and felt like sharing them.

   Oh, thanks for sharing the music that you created, I’ll definitely give them a listen when I download a player. Once again, good work on the track for the latest JNKPlat DS, I love that track! Do you have anymore music uploaded anywhere? I would like to hear some more if you do.

   Well, have a yourself a great rest of the week!

7. 

   Jayenkai says:

   September 4, 2008 at 2:31 pm (UTC -7 )

   Okeydokey, lets go through these again.. It’s fun to imagine what could/couldn’t be

   Ice blocks.. To make an ice block, you need the water in a block to start with. The only parts in JNKPlat with water, the water’s already inside a bricked out area..
   If the water’s already surrounded by bricks, what difference is freezing them really going to make?
   I can imagine a big swimming pool being frozen, and you running over it..
   ..
   But how different is that to just swimming over the top of the pool?

   Ice = skiddy is pretty much the only place where I can see Ice being any use in the game..

   “Now, for the rock, PlatDUDE could push the rock from higher ground onto a catapult that would launch a block (that he previously placed on it) to a higher floor of the level.”
   Is a nice idea..
   But then what? You’ve a rock lying on the other side, and bog all to do with it, except to maybe bounce it back again!

   BUT.. If we take your idea and tweak it… a teensy tiny bit..
   “Platdude pushes red block (block already in the engine) off, it bounces on a spring (spring already in the engine) and lands on the opposite platform.”
   Now, that’s much more useful! And I only need to add a “block-bounce-spring function to do it.

   “I have other ideas that would involve scales that would work in a way of a switch to open things like doors, bridges, etc…”
   Rock pushes switch was the main point of it in the first place, but the plungers have pretty much killed the “Rock/roll/click” timing thing. But if you take a red block, and stick it onto a plunger, the plunger would be held down.. Could be handy. (again, would need to be added!) .. But. How d’you then get the block OFF the plunger?… hmm..

   “For the use of the “Light + Dark” part, you could make the level dark and make PlatDUDE glow with an aura after he collects a radioactive object.”
   In a perfect world, easy. On the DS, I’m not confident I could pull that off!

   Light switch, sure, but having a glow around a character that interacts with the surrounding area that should be dark enough that it isn’t actually obvious that the level’s still there in the background… Not sure!

   I don’t like the idea of “A pit that looks like it could kill you, but ultimately doesn’t”. I really hate stuff like that! If something won’t kill you, don’t make it look deadly, and vice versa! See “Sonic plummets to his death way too much lately.. It’s what ultimately ruined a great franchise..”

   Add more ideas, though. I know I’m flinging out complaints, but be assured my mind’s spinning with thoughts as I read your posts, here, and those on GBADev.
   I think I need to add some pickups… Having a whole Inventory system, and only keys to go in it.. kinda wasteful!

   As a last little note, though, do remember that things must stick to the grided rule to work right! So, some things are really awkward to impliment!

   And… *sigh* I really don’t want to get into explaining AL O’DARE, but most of my mp3s are under his name! Here’s a batch of ‘em!

8. 

   sky says:

   October 3, 2008 at 10:45 am (UTC -7 )

   its great!!!

9. 

   Jayenkai says:

   October 3, 2008 at 2:56 pm (UTC -7 )

   Thanks..

   I think..
   I Googled, but couldn’t tell if you were Spam or Not!!

   If you turn out to be a spam bot, I’m kicking your message outta here!

   But I’ll take the compliment either way

10. 

    ScRaT says:

    October 19, 2008 at 3:36 am (UTC -7 )

    Hi, it’s a great game.
    But how can I save my progress?
    I’ve got the “JNKPLAT”-Folder in the root directory of the flash card. But where do I have to put the rom “JNKPlat08.nds”?
    Thanks!
    ScRaT

11. 

    Jayenkai says:

    October 19, 2008 at 3:49 am (UTC -7 )

    Use “JNKPlat08_dldi.nds”
    Should work, assuming your card auto-does the DLDI patching, if not, you’ll have to go hunt around for all the DLDI patching information.

    Also, honestly, I’ve no idea how different carts do things.. It might be that the cart you’re using won’t allow it to access files from different places..
    To be extra safe, put the .nds into the root, too..

    And if you don’t get it working, let me know.

12. 

    ScRaT says:

    October 19, 2008 at 5:17 am (UTC -7 )

    Thanks for the fast support!
    Now it works!
    I used the JNKPlat08_dldi.nds and put it into the root.
    Thanks again!
    ScRaT

13. 

    Jayenkai says:

    October 19, 2008 at 5:32 am (UTC -7 )

    Good to know!

14. 

    SpookyNL says:

    March 2, 2009 at 9:40 am (UTC -7 )

    I had the same problem as ScRaT, then i also put JNKPlat08_dldi.nds on my root and it worked! If you have a EDGE card, do this!