Along with a couple of other eo members, I'm entering the Retro Remakes competition.  My entry is a remake of the Nintendo game Kabuki Quantum Fighter.  Here's a quick screenshot.



Well, I tried to hold my self together and post something truly important (like a finished game!) for my first entry back after the redesign (did I mention how great it is), but I can't help myself.  A few major things have happened in my life, though.  I'm gonna give you the condensed version:  I graduated from high school, finally.  It only took me four years, but then again it only took everyone else four years as well...  Anyway, now I can enjoy my 3 classes a week college schedule.  As I'm going to a technology school, my mom generously got me a new laptop as my graduation present.  I'm eternally grateful because this machine is quite possibly the best thing I've ever owned.  Ok, so three major things: high school graduation, college, laptop.  I'm extremely happy about all of these things.

Not much has been going on as far as game development.  I've slowed down a bit in my production rate (it was already unnoticeable).  I've reread two fantasy books:  The Gilded Chain and Lord of the Fire Lands by Dave Duncan.  Now I'm starting to read some of my sister's fantasy/science fiction collection, and I'm surprised that I hadn't started earlier.  It's good to take a break from the comp every now and then, and just read.  Plus, I have a lot of reading to do to catch up to her.

One thing I'm excited about is getting PhotoShop on my laptop.  As if it wasn't difficult enough to learn already, using the touch pad on my laptop makes it a real chore.  But, I like all the features that I've seen so far.  It has so many possibilities, and I've already found a few good tutorials to help me learn the program.  Expect me to use it in some of my future projects.

Usually, I would mention something about basketball in this blog, but I'm not really a Maverick or Heat fan, so I can't really celebrate like I would if the Lakers won.  But I have to admit, I still watched every Finals game.  I'm glad the Heat won, they deserved it.

Anyways, that about raps it up.  I'm sure I missed something, but this just about covers the downtime.

It's mid March, but I'm going to try to finish my puzzle game by the end of the month.  I finished Bipsanity, but the game itself didn't turn out as great as I had expected.  Either way, I'm glad to have finished it, and it has taught me a number of things in the process.

I think I'm going to name the puzzle game Home Base, thanks to S-Chuck's name suggestion.  Technically, you have to get each block to its home base, so the name, though it could be misleading, fits nicely.

Here's a screenshot showing the translucent background as well as the smoke effect when a block is parked home.



I'm also collabing on a project with another eo member, lending a hand in the graphics department.

Sorry for the lack of posts recently (who reads this anyway!), but nothing really exciting has been happening.  Instead, life is just rolling along at its usually gloomy pace.

I've added another example to the Resources page, though.  It shows how to make a simple game where the player has to collect keys in order to unlock something.  This is a classical RPG type situation, where a treasure chest might be locked until the player has a key to unlock it with.

If you have any example requests, I'm willing to take a shot at em.  Send em over to bballer_gm@sbcglobal.net if you'd like something attempted.  I'm not really sure what others know how to do, and what they might need help doing, so  let me know.

Oh yeah, I'm almost finished with a game called Bipsanity.  I've been trying to finish it off for a while now, but a few bugs keep popping up.  I'll let you know when it's done.

Here's a pic I drew a while ago, but recently retouched in pen and added some text.  I can't draw the human body for crap, but I copied this one from an image so it came out decent.

Kobe Bryant


Also, we had a little physics project at school where we had to build something that would throw a 5kg bag as high as possible and catch it again, with certain energy storage limitations of course (no explosives, electricity).  My group got together one Saturday and just built this thing.  It was a fun time getting all the supplies from Home Depot, where we realized most of our designs might not work as expected, heh.  Anyway, here are some pics (I'm in the yellow shirt).

Work begins.  Muhahaha, I watch to make sure all goes as planned.


Midway through production, starvation is getting to the workers..


The finished product, with bungee cords expanded.

Kobe Bryant scores 81 points in one game.  Yeah, I didn't believe it either.  This blog of mine has turned into more of basketball newsletter, with me jabbering on about the game I love.  I don't think thats going to change anytime soon, but maybe I should add in some game related stuff here and there.

I've got two more days of finals, and then I am relieved of the grades that have been stressing me out over the past semester.  I always love that feeling of a blank slate, although it will undoubtedly be filled with blemishes before I make time to rethink my strategy.  For now my strategy is to learn an array of different things, and at least become familiarized in many subjects.  I'm not trying to become a master of physics, literature, or calculus.  I merely want to know what these subjects have to offer.  I already know what I am passionate about, and I am certain that it will lead me to great things, as its benefits have already started to unfold.

I'm talking about game design, the reason that I am a part of this great group of individuals collectively known as eo.  With the recent arrival of talented new members, I know that I am part of something special here.  I guess I'm trying to say that I am thankful to be here.

I'll be even more thankful if I get an 81% on my math final :D

With that, I'm outta here.  On second thought: I should finish Bipsanity already.  And I gotta fix that Mega Man Menu download when I get on my GM computer.  And I should hurry and make the levels for the puzzle game I've started.  And I should finish that vertical shooter.  Ok, I leave you for real now.