Platform Masters - Will you be the world's next platform master?
Last updated: Feb 2, 2011 (third version - now on its own domain name)
Level 2 update on Mar 11, 2011 (added screenshot to simulate game play)
Level 2 update on Apr 1, 2011 (added reference to the glossary)
Level 0 update on May 18, 2011 (2 minor grammatical corrections)
Level 3 update on Jan 18, 2012 (screenshot and details updated, some proofreading)
Level 3 update on Feb 6, 2012 (section 3 added detailing current progress)
Level 3 update on Jun 24, 2012 (various edits and updates, progress overview video updated)
Note: Platform Masters is a work in progress so details will be limited in some areas until future updates. Be sure to check the development history section (often called the screenshot archive) often for the latest progress and developments as this area is updated quite frequently. Don't know what a certain word or term means? The extensive glossary will explain them, especially the terms exclusively used in with Platform Masters or in my projects.
1 What is Platform Masters?
Typical game play in Platform Masters (Jeremy's House (world 1) shown)
Land on the goal platform before time runs out. Simple, right? Its not since enemies, treasures, hazards, and tools are along the way. With 300+ levels, 20 vast, gorgeous worlds, and apparently-infinite ability upgrading, theres countless hours of platform-hopping action.
Platform Masters is like nothing ever seen. Despite being purely 2D, the extreme use of parallax scrolling gives a strong 3D feel. Score, lives, difficulty, jumping, and many other aspects have no apparent limitations, offering extreme flexibility and replay.
2 Key features and aspects
These are most of the key features and aspects of Platform Masters (some are still classified (kept hidden from the public until further notice)).
Here's a brief overview of the main features and aspects of Platform Masters:
Over 300 levels of intense, high-speed platform-hopping action collect jewels, battle more than a dozen types of enemies, and land on the goal platform as soon as possible!
20 vast, gorgeous worlds take in the richly-detailed, colorful scenery. Run through a metropolis, swim in a beautiful lake, ride an air taxi, have fun at a carnival, brave bubbly hot lava, and slide through the frozen arctic.
Parallax scrolling like never seen before this 2D platformer seems more like it was 3D, complete with accurate fog, texture fading with distance, and eye-catching 3D-behaving clouds and ground textures, all realistically to scale.
Realistic real-world effects - the sky darkens with great height (even the stars become visible), and the scene gets dark deep underwater.
Interactive tutorial levels learn the basics of game play in fully playable tutorial levels without the stress of normal game play.
Detailed overworld move between worlds and levels with ease and see how the marker's location is closely reflected in the background scenery.
Immersive, in-depth plot get a feel for what things are like for the characters. Every fine detail has been worked out.
Ultra-precise movement movement updates 960 times a second while input is checked up to 240 times a second.
Near-instant load time background scenery loads quickly and levels within the same world load instantaneously, even the massive but optional jumbo and supersize levels!
Extreme customizability customize dozens of aspects of game play, far more than just standard volume and button controls, and to a degree of precision very rarely seen. Helpful descriptions explain everything in plain English.
Customize the difficulty 9 settings allow for play by beginners and masters alike.
11 types of platforms plenty of variety for every occasion.
Complex platform motion the node-based system allows advanced movement behaviors for moving platforms.
No noticeable limits rack up a quadrillion points (a million billions), a million lives, or defeat any enemy or boss in one hit, if you dare, and still go even higher for centuries.
Extreme replay value - just because you complete the game 100% doesn't mean you're finished. What other challenges can you come up with?
Upgradeable abilities jump a mile high, dash along at supersonic speeds, strike enemies from hundreds of feet away, learn how to glide, bounce, swim, levitate, and much more.
24 catchy tunes youll be singin along before you know it.
Classified.
Classified.
3 Remaining progress
Platform Masters' progress may seem like it's getting nowhere, since I've been working on the graphics for over 3 years. Most of that was learning tricks and optimizing while also learning the quirks and limitations of my game engine. With the learning phase over with, the real progress has taken off. Once the scenery for all 20 worlds is 100% done (minus story stuff and full functionality on some worlds), the character's animation is redone, enemies are done, and the rest of the game objects are added, this is when progress will really take off. This is because the fun stuff will begin. For details on what progress I've made and what Platform Masters looks like in motion, accurate as of June 8, 2012, this video explains not only the current progress I have, but also what's in store to come and about how long I'll need for those parts. Look at the screenshot archive and the News and Announcements section of the forums for any new updates after this video.
