New Puzzle Game Idea

[OMars]

I was think about a game that works much as bust-a-move does, but it involves rings of jewels/pieces expanding out instead of lines of jewels/pieces coming down to the bottom of the screen. The idea behind the game is that you're trying to stop planets from growing too large. You have to break the planet down a layer at a time. If you don't complete the task within the given amount of time, the planet will get too big and gravity will bring you(a satellite-planet-destroyer type of thing)crashing down onto the planet.

Here is a quick ms paint rendition of what I'm talking about:

*note: I did this in 5 min using a mouse and keyboard. There would actually be less parts of the planet per layer. It would be an extremely difficult game, otherwise.

I think that there(assuming the game will get made)should be two modes: rotation and revolution.

Rotation:
In one of the modes the planet rotates when you click the shoulder buttons, or if you want, you can use the dpad. In the gp2x-f200 version there would be a touch strip on the right side of the screen that allows you to rotate the panel as you drag a finger/stylus along the strip. You then fire off a colored piece of matter at the planet, aiming a the same color pieces to destroy of row of 3 or more of that color piece. You can configure the button you want to use to fire the piece off. Note that the satellite would be stationery on the right of left side of the screen, depending on how you configure the game.

Revolution:
When press the shoulder buttons, the satellite moves either to the left or right. It is pretty much the same idea as the first mode, other than the fact that the satellite moves.

I just don't have the time, currently, to learn how to program. And I don't have much experience in digital art. That is why I decided to post it here. Hopefully, some programmer and some artist will be interested in this idea. At first I wanted it to be the first game i make, once I learn to program, but I just went ahead and spilled the beans on this game idea. Good luck to anyone that wishes to be a part of the creation of this game.

So, the basic idea of bust-a-move is in this game, but it is a fresh new way of playing the game. What do you guys think? :huh:

-OMars

 

[OMars]

OK..........................maybe I should have kept it to myself.

You don't have to be a programmer to tell me what you think of the idea, you know...

 

[Parkydr]

I still can't picture exactly how you play - sounds a bit like Bubble Train.

 

[rokdcasbah]

yeah at first glance i was about to mention bubble train as well. but bubbletrain is a spiral...it sounds like you're saying you have to do a whole ring at a time? that might be more fun.

the first stargate game for game boy was kind of like this, but backwards, and more vertical-ish. you had a circle of glyphs, new ones fell from the ceiling, you had to stack them up correctly. i liked it.

i think that whatever you do, don't just leave them as balls, make them something cool like dinosaur eggs, or muons...i need an emotional attachment to these bricks. in tetris i think you're possibly building a rocket?

how about: little animated alien fur balls that need to paired up so that their psychic energy creates a feedback loop so they can teleport to their home planet. i'm picturing something like the guys in amoebax...

 

[OMars]

Thanks for the replies, guys.

I just searched bubble train and my idea does seem similar, but oddly enough, I haven't even heard of bubble train before. :blink:

Parkydr, the satellite revolves around the planet, with its barrel facing the planet at all times. Or the other way it can be played, would be for the satellite to be stationary on one side of the planet, with the planet rotating as you use the controls.

rokdcasbah, you sure have creative ideas. But, like I stated earlier, I am merely throwing this idea at anyone who would like to make it. I am really hoping it is made, though.....with you being the idea-maker-upper-guy.

Any other thoughts?

edit: In that picture, there should be more room around the planet, so that the satellite can revolve around it.

 

[rokdcasbah]

oh i see. i have very little coding skills. i was thinking about getting a fenix project going, but this game idea seems kind of ambitious for me

 

[kevcal]

Reminds me a bit of (arcade) tempest in a way.

Sounds like a good basis for a game - as rokdcasbah said - more attachment to the game could be nice or maybe it could be made quite psychedelic looking (a la tempest 2000).

Don't see why something like this couldn't be created in fenix (I have no knowledge of fenix )??

 

[OMars]

oh i see. i have very little coding skills. i was thinking about getting a fenix project going, but this game idea seems kind of ambitious for me

I think that you should, if you really want to, try to make a small program where you revolve one sprite around an orb, and see if you can keep the revolving object to stay pointing towards the orb it's moving around, while you press the right/left directional keys on your keyboard. If you can, then that is a start for a new game. If you can't, well then you either need to work a little more on coding or I can try to come up with a simpler, but good game idea for you.

Whatever you decide on, good luck!