Universal Backpack Harry (Working Title) Upcoming Platform Game, with a nice added extra.

Hi folks, been a while since I’ve been on here for more than a few minutes, it’s been crazy busy lately.

I’m sat here working away on trying to finish off what will be my next game. I’ve been working on it for well over two years now.

This is a quickly put together pre-pre-preview video to show you a teeny bit of the built-in level editor. At least this video is a little better than the first one

What I've made in the video is just a quick little bit, not a proper level as it were. It certainly doesn't represent what can be made in the final product. In fact in the final game it's possible to craft huge MetroidVania style labyrinthine levels, should you want to.

The final game will have (an as yet undecided quantity) of levels to play through as the main game.

But the most fun bit will be the included level editor. With this you will be able to create lots of different kinds of levels and share them online for the rest of the world to download and play.

You can create short, traditional platform games. Longer levels with a bit of exploration and if your feeling adventurous, the largest level size can accommodate sprawling, maze like levels with branching paths, puzzles, traps, secrets and so much more. You are limited only by your imagination.

There’s a variety of blocks to build platforms, Immovable walls and scenery. You can place enemies and obstacles in the levels to your hearts content. Add locked doors to block parts of a level until the player discovers the matching coloured key to open it, throw in a few moving platforms, some fire blasting cannons and a few collectibles. The possibilities are endless.

It’s all ridiculously easy to use, create and share levels and as well as any that you might make, we’ll be creating more as time goes on and uploading them too.

I’m really looking forward to seeing what kinds of games people make with this.

Comments, suggestions, abuse and general chit chat welcome as always

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Hi again,

Just thought I'd put up a couple of extra screens from me playing around in the editor to go along with the new video.

The random block near the end was just put in so I could have something to keep running against to check the scrolling of the parallax backgrounds.

I should probably mention a couple of other things just now that are quite relevant to the game.
Such as me obsessing over the controls for almost the duration of development so far.
I was never going to be happy until I got the controls to be simple and intuitive. But most importantly for me, they had to be pixel perfect.

I've wanted to make a platform game since I started gaming back in the 70's so when I finally did it, it had to be done right. I'm not always especially happy with touch screen controls, some games manage them really well, some games play like a dog.
So in this game I've tweaked them and changed them and started over so many times that I can't remember any more. But basically what I've ended up with is so accurate and so simple you can literally play the game perfectly without looking at the screen of your device (I mean using the iPhone as a controller with TV out, the games not that easy )

There's also MFI controller support for those of us who prefer a bit of physical contact and when the new Apple TV gets added into the mix the controllers will be great for the big screen.

Speaking of, it is my intention that this game will be fully universal and work across all devices. Although the Apple TV compatibility likely won't be added until a little later on as I've no hardware to test the game on, I wasn't one of the lucky ones who got an early unit.

I've done my best to make sharing levels as simple as adding a name and hitting the share button. Of course you can also save levels locally on your device for your own use and while you build and tweak them to perfection.

When you download someone else's level from the servers, the game will automatically check from time to time to see if it has been updated by it's creator. It all happens seamlessly without you having to do anything. Of course you can remove any levels you download from your device if you've had your fill of them.

Thinking of people who might want to upload or download levels on the go, I've done as much as I can to keep the size of the files you transfer down. The average level, or rather, the amount of information you need to transfer for a level is only a few KB in size, so it's fast but more importantly barely makes an impact on your data allowance.

Thanks for reading, suppose I'd better get back to work now.

 

Thanks, and I'll definitely keep you in mind for testing the game.

 

Hi folks,

Just thought I'd put up a little video of me quickly putting a short level together to test the new jetpack out.


The jetpack opens up a lot of possibilities, especially in the larger levels you create. You can make ever more devious areas which would have been inaccessible before. Or nice tricky corridors to navigate down, an entire flappy bird level?
It's up to you and your imagination, oh yeah, the character can do a double jump now as well. Happy days

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*Edit.

Since I made this video I've improved the controls for the jet pack. Instead of operating much like the jumping it's now smoother and more refined. Well just more, jetpacky.

Now you tap and hold on the screen to glide upwards and when you let go you fall at a reduced rate, well you would if you had a jetpack wouldn't you

Moving left and right while using the jetpack has also been tweaked and all In it gives you a lot more control with the jetpack, allowing you to navigate in even more confined spaces.

 

Well folks, it's been over a month since I've posted any updates. So I thought I'd drop by and throw up some new information.

First, theres been lots of additions and improvements to the game. So the level creation tools are more flexible and easier to use. The game itself has been tweaked to within an inch of it's life to make it all "feel" good and so on.

Here's the (probably) official description for the game and I'll put up a couple of trailers at the bottom of the post. The first one is the official reveal trailer and the second is just a quick clip of the game running on the new Apple TV. Which also gives a brief glimpse at the online, shared levels interface where you can filter levels by category, or search by name (including partial matches.)


Prepare yourself for an epic adventure in a classic, retro styled platforming world. Run, jump, fly and bounce your way to victory in this fast and frenzied game made by us but created by you.

Yes, I did say created by you. If you've ever played a game and thought, I can do better than this, well, here’s your chance to prove it. Because the absolute best bit about Backpack Harry isn't actually our game, it’s yours.

With the full featured but simple to use level editor built-in to Backpack Harry, you get to create your own worlds, play them, share them and generally prove just how awesome, devious, cruel or sneaky you can be. Choose from three world sizes and create whatever you want to.

Want to make a classic platforming level, with traps, enemies, obstacles, hidden areas, collectible bonuses and everything else that makes a platform game great? You can. Or perhaps you'd like to create an auto runner level, well with the flick of a switch you can do that too. Fancy trying your hand at making a flying game? Well, good news, we included a jetpack. Or you can combine everything together, choose the largest world size and make a massive MetroidVania (Google it) game.

The only limit with Backpack Harry is your imagination. And because Backpack Harry is a universal game, you can even play your brilliant platforming creations on the big screen with the new Apple TV.


Highlight Features:

Create your own levels and share them online for the world to play.

Easy to use level creation tools, allowing you to create just about anything you want.

Play our game, your game and everyone else game.

Classic platform gaming.

Pixel perfect, precision controls.

Create different types of game. Normal platform, auto runner, flying, or combine everything it’s entirely up to you.

Levels you create are synced using iCloud. So you can start off making a level on one of your iOS devices and continue making it on any other of your iOS devices when your out and about, at the office, on the train or sitting on the loo.

Vote for your favourite levels.

Did I mention, there’s a Jetpack. You can use it in levels, or make a completely airborne level.

Compatible with MFI Game Pads on iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch and Apple TV


Official reveal trailer:

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New Apple TV footage:

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Well, when the updates start coming, they come thick and fast.

Here's a quick clip of the new camera smoothing in the game. It's still being tweaked a little but overall I think it gives a bit more of a "classic" platformer feel to the game.

Opinions welcome as always.

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Hi folks,

Well as I'm now just a few short (feels like an eternity) days away from finally submitting the game to Apple I thought I'd do another quick update in case anyone is still listening

I couldn't resist adding in a few new things, classic platforming fare. Invisible blocks, moving spikey columns of death some more obstacle types. That's sort of thing.

Naturally the games been getting tweaked along the way to make sure it all works just as a platforming game should and there's now three different camera styles to choose from in the settings. Basically everyone had their favourite from the ones I was trying out and each has its merits, so you can pick your preferred style.

I've lots more ideas for the game, but they will have to come later, assuming anyone actually plays it of course. I'm now in feature lockdown mode or it'll never get released

Here's a short "official launch" trailer. No doubt there will be more to come.

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