In the first part of this series we set the stage by putting together our framework and then getting a simple background on screen. This article will add our rendering loop to the code and let us actually get some bubbles out there.
Read More →
“Bubbles” canvas tutorial part 2: Getting animated
“Bubbles” canvas tutorial part 1: Getting started
When I started this little project I had only a vague idea of how it would look and even less of an idea how it would be written or structured. As it turned out I just slapped down a quick gradient background, came up with a simple Bubble class and set a timer to move the bubbles up the screen. That gave me a basic core to work from, but as I started to tweak and add I realised just how messy it was, even for a simple project like this.
So this tutorial is going to ignore all my mistakes and lead you gently to the finished version with something resembling logical sense. This entry in particular will focus on giving us a basic framework to work within, and go as far as putting a background on screen. Part 2 will introduce the render loop and actual animation.
Read More →
“Bubbles” canvas tutorial: Introduction
After my early forays into canvas and Javascript I commented on Twitter how good it felt to be learning something new, something that felt like it opened up a whole new toolbox to me and the attendant possibilities.
The main upshot of this is that I finally have the tools at my disposal to make the game I’ve been promising my two-year-old son for a while now. This project is ongoing but “functionally usable” now. It hit a few bumps along the road so I’m writing this series of articles to describe the development of the game, the problems I encountered and how I overcame them.
Read More →
Game music: Megaman 5
With Mighty No. 9 around the corner I got to thinking about Megaman. And the music to the Mighty No. 9 trailer likewise got me thinking about Megaman’s music.
Read More →
My little Oni, Part 2: So, we meet again
Having been distracted suddenly by Child of Light and then by Dark Souls I wasn’t sure if I was going to carry on playing Oni. It’s fun, but so is Child of Light. I know, I thought, I’ll have another session and see how I feel after. So I played the next mission, and you know what? I still don’t know.
Read More →
Game music: Titanfall
I’ve never played Titanfall and since it’s multiplayer-only the odds of me ever playing are effectively zero, anti-social misanthrope that I am. Still, that’s no barrier to enjoying the music.
Read More →
Game music: Oni
Having started playing through Oni again, it would be remiss of me to not talk about the soundtrack, and so my Wednesday post buffer grows another week, extending like the timer in an endless runner after hitting a checkpoint.
Extended.
Read More →
Android Review: Lumena
A while ago I got a sneak preview of the Lumena soundtrack which left me eager for the game to be released. Well now it’s out, is the game as good as its music? Absolutely. But good is the wrong word. Evil, maybe. Cruel. Vicious. Hypnotic.
Read More →
OTTTD: Going over the top with Over the Top Tower Defense
Another day, another mobile tower defence game. Today’s is SMG Studio’s Over the Top Tower Defense (OTTTD for those who like their acronyms unpronounceable), just released for Android and iOS. But does the TD du jour stand out from the crowd? Actually it does.
Read More →
My little Oni, Part 1: Behold, Feet
Haha! It works! Thank you, Oni Anniversary Edition, thank you. The game works flawlessly – sound, music, comedy graphics, decent resolutions. I even adventurously turned the visual quality from the suggested “medium” to “high”. I know, crazy. One generic tutorial later I’m thrown into a plot that leaves me thinking I should have read the manual again. It’s not complicated but I’ve no idea who any of the people or companies are. Heigh ho.
So how does it play, and how does that stand up to memory and nostalgia? Very well so far, in all honesty. Read on.
Read More →