LudumData

Pew! Pew! by sorlok

[raw]
made by sorlok for LD 43 (JAM)

pew<em>pew</em>3.png

Story

Most of the journey to planet Xylitol has been spent in uneventful hyper-sleep, but the last few parsecs are going to be rough. Your puny ship needs to survive wave after wave of Xylian armada ships, all while gathering Power-Ups and avoiding space debris. In order to escape some truly impossible situations, Sacrifices Must Be Made.

Controls

  • Arrow Keys: Move
  • Z: Fire
  • X: Sacrifice a Power-Up

Theme & LD Stuff * For the player: You will need to sacrifice your Power-Ups to beat the game. * For me: I sacrificed all but 16 colors by using the PICO-8 fantasy computer. It's a pretty neat engine! * I also forced myself to make my own music this time, as music is something I've never been good at.

Tactics * Some things can only be destroyed via sacrifice * More Power-Ups make you stronger, but slower (and also a bigger target) * All enemies have fixed patterns; there's very little randomness in this game

Help! * If you're stuck on Level 1: https://pastebin.com/raw/qZCbgAte * If you're stuck on Level 2: https://pastebin.com/raw/vniJb7C7 * If you're stuck on Level 3: https://pastebin.com/raw/TymK4R05

Bugs * Hit boxes are off a tiny bit in some cases * The last boss sometimes freezes the game (unsure why) * Fullscreen doesn't work on some systems

HTML5 (web) https://www.lexaloffle.com/bbs/cart_info.php?cid=pewpew-5
Source code https://bitbucket.org/sethhetu/ld43/src/default/ld43.p8
Original URL https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/43/pew-pew

Ratings

Overall 277th 3.694⭐ 33🧑‍⚖️
Fun 120th 3.823⭐ 33🧑‍⚖️
Innovation 560th 3.094⭐ 34🧑‍⚖️
Theme 346th 3.719⭐ 34🧑‍⚖️
Graphics 469th 3.594⭐ 34🧑‍⚖️
Audio 230th 3.565⭐ 33🧑‍⚖️
Humor 690th 2.5⭐ 31🧑‍⚖️
Mood 520th 3.306⭐ 33🧑‍⚖️
Given 34🗳️ 30🗨️

Feedback

samh
04. Dec 2018 · 14:46 UTC
It’s hard! I kept trying and trying but couldn’t beat the game. But it’s addictive, I will probably try again later. I like the PICO-8 style in general and it’s nice to have music even if it loops a bit early.

I found some situations a bit unfair; like here, I had just fired the super missile (I know I should have sacrificed it!) but for some reason one metal box still killed me (the others in front of me were properly destroyed).

![bug-pewpew.png](///raw/9b9/1/z/1ebbc.png)
SnuggleHero
05. Dec 2018 · 00:53 UTC
Though I died more than I'd like to admit (the DMV may now revoke my PICO-8 pilot's license), the journey was a joy and your soundtrack is stellar.
🎤 sorlok
07. Dec 2018 · 04:13 UTC
@snugglehero Thanks! Fortunately, your plane has no motor, so the DMV can do nothing to stop you!

@samh Thanks for the feedback! Level 2 definitely ranges into unfair territory --actually, I did not know that the super beam could destroy metal boxes (it wasn't supposed to, since "sacrifices must be made"). Glad you enjoyed it, and good luck!
justalocalhero
07. Dec 2018 · 05:15 UTC
Had a ton of fun playing this. The movement and shooting feels polished and satisfying. The enemies are nicely varied. Having to choose between dodging and firepower adds a lot of interest. The sound effects, art, and music work perfectly for the retro arcade style.

Really nicely done.
khaotom
07. Dec 2018 · 05:31 UTC
Very nice use of theme! Plays very well too. :owl:
silkworm_sweatshop
07. Dec 2018 · 12:01 UTC
Jam space shooters are typically pretty bland but this one was really nice. Graphics are simple but stylized, polished and work really well. Same with the sound, everything has good feedback and sounds that fit perfectly. Solid entry overall!
arron-fowler
14. Dec 2018 · 11:03 UTC
I really enjoyed this. Art and soundtrack spot on. It felt very refined and not really got a bad thing to say. Solid
🎤 sorlok
18. Dec 2018 · 00:23 UTC
Thanks so much for the feedback everyone! Really glad you enjoyed it. :)
Mr ChocolateSalmon
18. Dec 2018 · 06:49 UTC
Very well made. The graphics and retro feel work really well, and the sounds are all top notch. Game-play is hard, but fun and rewarding, and the power-up mechanic, including the ability to sacrifice power-ups, is great. Good job mate :thumbsup:
blubberquark
19. Dec 2018 · 11:53 UTC
Good take on the theme!
Mordokay
19. Dec 2018 · 14:56 UTC
Awesome game! Super fun to play and everything game element works. Sound is great, graphics are very cool, controls are very good (even though I would have preferred them to be a little faster of moving forwards and backwards). Good job!
jotson
19. Dec 2018 · 22:39 UTC
Really great! I'm impressed that you were able to create so many enemy types, movement patterns, and firing patterns. Nice music, too.
loveapplegames
21. Dec 2018 · 22:31 UTC
Fun game, with a lot of content! Essentially the game is about memorising the enemy paterns. I did find it a bit off-putting to start all over again every time you make a mistake.
Cerebral Bore
22. Dec 2018 · 15:29 UTC
good game, pixel perfect, music and sound in the mood and the power up is must more a power down :P
acaral
22. Dec 2018 · 17:26 UTC
a family resemblance with Galaga (I guess). Smooth and fun entry (efficient too).

I had fun.
Sockman
22. Dec 2018 · 21:42 UTC
Wow, this is one of my favorite entries. Lots of other games had similar ideas, where you have to sacrifice powerups in some way, but I think this is the best game that did something like that. The fact that you're not any safer even with a powerup makes things a lot more interesting. There's a lot of strategy about if you should get rid of all your powerups, or if you think you can survive with them. And you still want at least one, so you can sacrifice it as a last resort. It's really easy to understand but makes the game really interesting. The graphics and sounds were really good too. I had a lot of fun with it :)
🎤 sorlok
23. Dec 2018 · 05:22 UTC
Thanks so much for your feedback everyone, really appreciate it! I'm working my way through your games as well~
kamekai
23. Dec 2018 · 05:29 UTC
Pretty sweet little game. Love a good bullet hell especially with a twist. Also a fan of the art style and how everything's always "dancing" a little bit.
legulysse
23. Dec 2018 · 17:35 UTC
Very well made !
Menu music is a bit boring, but as soon as the game starts its instantly addictive.
I died a lot but would have gladly tried some more if I had the time o/
Good job !
Franciszek Pyrć
23. Dec 2018 · 20:22 UTC
Such a fun game. Beware that this comment comes from a guy that doesn't like playing games.
🎤 sorlok
24. Dec 2018 · 00:30 UTC
Thanks for the reviews and feedback; I appreciate it!
Ok, I think I've played everyone's game (send me a message if I missed yours).
Back to random games!
miziziziz
24. Dec 2018 · 01:21 UTC
pretty good little game. Hit boxes being off were kind of annoying, but base mechanics are pretty fun.
I thought the rain was bullets and spent a long time trying to dodge them before I realized they were safe
HDugmag
24. Dec 2018 · 01:48 UTC
I love this! Really reminds me of Space Invaders :thinking: The art-style is really nice and controls are responsive. I liked the variety of the power-up stages, and the audio is amazing! Amazing implementation of the theme, well done!
ToadieTechnika
24. Dec 2018 · 02:26 UTC
Mechanics made sense for the theme. Good game