Dookie's Java 2D Game!

[Dookie]

Hey gang,

I've been bored last week so I started learning how to create 2D games.
Firstly I wanted to make a tetris game but that turned out to be too easy to manage so I came up with a different concept.

I'd like to ask you people to test it out, tell me if something doesnt work properly and what changes would you make. You have to have a Java Runtime Environement 6 installed and not have Nokia Ovi Suite installed (doesn't let .jar files to be launched in any frikkin way).

Get the game here: http://www.2shared.com/file/uR3-nvnt/SmallBox_31.html
(last update 5. april, 2:27 GMT)
If you see a problem after explosion tell me. I had a couple and not sure if it's fixed. Shit got stuck in mid air.




older versions:
1: http://www.2shared.com/file/LyflJDGy/SmallBlox_30.html

I'll be making a sidescroller 2D game (Mario jumping games). So I'd like to ask anyone who can provide some freeware pixel art, sounds or background images. Or even create their own.
Will need animated main character / enemies / whatever. I'm no good at photoshop. Or point me to a site where I can steal the art!

Thx Dookie  

[Daekesh]

Not bad.  Could use some 'game over' screen!

[Dookie]

Yea still have a couple things to do:

proper Menu/Game Over options,
explosion animation in exploding places,
speeding up after lvl 5 or increasing the score to reach the levels,
an option of game spawning 3 items in a 90 degrees turnable line & wider frame,
implement get to the choppa sound?

[Daekesh]

Don't forget you want achievements, a shop and random powerups!

[Dookie]

Yea a buddy of mine suggested a joker piece spawning 4-5% of the time, that matches every other type of shapes.
Not gonna expand the game into something bigger, just wanted to learn the basics before I do anything serious 

[Daekesh]

Exploding blocks?  When u complete a set with them it takes out every adjacent block.  "Block Buster" when it lands, it destroys everything under it (maybe 3-4 squares?)  Extra points for making 4- 5- 6- chains and so on.

[Daekesh]

Some sort of space-invaders type block, where u can shoot downwards with it, to destroy blocks below.

[Dookie]

now it's set to remove the blocks that match 3+ from the Array. I want to replace them with explosion image for 0.5s or something.

one friend of mine suggested to make it into a Strip Tetris! Having a lady in the background taking a piece of clothing with each level up. Making you motivated to keep the blocks low to see her

and think of the promotion lines: Strip Tetris: IT GETS HARDER EVERY LEVEL

[Goza]

Technically, works fine.

I did not see a "how to play/goal" screen. I assume it's just 3+ connected pieces get removed?

- there's no counter that shows you when the next lvl begins ("X points to next level")
- there does not seem to be a bonus for aligning more than 3 blocks
- also, there does not seem to be a reward for "chain reactions". If the current match does lead to another match, there should be a score bonus/multiplier
- yes, some non-interfering block explosion/remove animation would be good
- needs more block ideas:
Examples:
- unmatchable block that can only be destroyed by matching/removing an adjacent block
- block that - when matched - destroys all adjacent blocks in a 3x3 grid, or a horizontal/vertical line etc. That block could also behave like a "joker" (matches with every other block)
- if you add more special blocks, you might need to remove one kind of regular blocks, or two. Once it gets crowded, it can be hard to recover


Yes, I played a lot of Puyo Pop Fever.

[delling]

Looks good, Dook! It feels like there's an issue with moving diagonally, but it's hard to put my finger on it (these kinds of things have to be changed and tested, over and over... and over...)

Need more visually distinct shapes. Too many 'black circles'.

Is there a reason it's so narrow? It's not a problem -- it can force you to stack unwanted shapes on each other -- but it does feel a bit 'cramped'?

Agree with Goza's suggestions.

[Dookie]

Obviously the game isnt finished and polished  
I never planned for this to be anything else than a tool for solving a more complicated tetris/block game I was planning.

@Goza
-Yes I know, dont have any begin menu/screen that explains how to play.

-The explosion of 4 or more blocks and consecutive explosions are on my to do list to upgrade. Someone suggested I play the frag sounds from UT like HOLY SHIT, UNSTOPPABLE.  

-The levels are set to trigger every 100pts.

-There's no real goal to reach yet. Game ends after lvl 5 completes.

@Delling:
-dont know what you mean by diagonal movement, the horizontal movement is set to delay 200 milisec between each move and when that occurs the vertical movement holds for 10 milisec.

-The reason for this beeing so narrow is the shape of blocks. It's 45x45 pixels in a space of x=5x45 y=13x45.
I bugs me too but I don't know how else could I prevent for the frame being any other shape. I was thinking about getting a wider shapes, keeping the 45 height and increasing the image width. Or moving the Score and shit to the right of game board. Also the reason for the frame being so narrow is the game mechanics, have 5 horizontal spots, 8 shapes. Can't add any more space it would become easier

-The first version of this had green/red/yellow etc. rectangles, it didn't look as cool as the smiley icons but it was easier to place blocks without even focusing. I have a hard time matching the right black ones too after some time of playing.

*EDIT*
Anyone noticed the game freezing/twitching for half a sec? It happens to me once in 10-15mins and it bloody started when I added Anti-Aliasing on the ingame Font.
*EDIT*

I'll post a new version when I finish one.

[Daekesh]

You could make it wider by putting the score information on a side panel, like tetris.  You could add a 'how to play' thing there, too.  And next block info, some statistics.  The naked ladies?

[delling]

By 'diagonal' I mean 'what happens when you push down + left/right at the same time'. Some games let you move a block diagonally, some only let you move down THEN left/right. It changes how the game 'feels'.

[Dookie]

*Delling version* so he doesn't feel cramped 

yea, I only have down button there to speed up the Y movement. Nothing else.

[Dookie]

Was thinking about making levels this way. With unexplodable blox or blox that explode only if they are around a 3+ or 4+ explosion. This would go on forever until you would get overwhelmed for sure.