rapidprototyping

[rapidprototyping]

Research: Bullet Hell Games

1.Vampire Survivors: This 2D Bullet hell game has the game loop of multiple types of creatures constantly spawning to try and kill you whilst the player has to kill them levelling up as they go. The player can then purchase upgrades once this happens and then the game loop repeats itself. The Unique selling point of this game is that it slowly introduces new enemies separately until it is physically impossible for the player to win.

2.Just Shapes and Beats: This game loop consists of the player trying to constantly avoid attacks in the form of various pink shapes, such as beams, bouncing waves, pulsating shapes, and bouncing circles. These attacks appear and move in rhythm to the music, with difficulty increasing the further players progress. The Unique selling point of this game is the use of music as a form of attack. This is something that I don't think I have ever seen in this style of game.

3.Cuphead: This Game loop uses Multiple bosses that the player/players have to make it through in order to keep their score going. This loop will continue until either one of them or both die creating a rather simple game loop. This is probably the unique selling point of the game as well.

4.Monolith: The game loop for this game has the player progress through a few levels, bouncing off of walls whilst killing enemies, encountering bosses and repeating the process. The unique selling point of this game is the level design and how it is drawn out. I find the 2d design sort or arcade game style and it looks really nostalgic.

5.Enter the Gungeon: This game loop consists of the player running through levels, gaining weapons and items, killing enemies/bosses and repeating the process like most of these games. It's unique selling point is probably it's use of everchanging weapons. Each hero is armed with an ever-changing weapon, ensuring that no two attempts to exit the Gungeon are the same.

6.Ikaruga: the game loop of this game uses enemies by bringing them in individually until it is pure chaos, this continues throughout the levels until the player encounters a boss once the boss is defeated the player can recover and go again. The interesting and unique selling point of this game would have to be the enemy bullets. As bullets come towards you, you'll notice that the bullets (and the enemies who shoot them) are either black or white—when bullets of the same polarity hit your ship, you won't receive any damage. With the touch of a button, you can swap polarities to absorb bullets and deal more damage to enemies of the opposite colour. Once you absorb enough energy, you can shoot off epic homing lasers.

The main similarities about these games are the fact that they all use the same game loop of fighting enemies, gaining new weapons and abilities and repeating the process. They also use the same 2d style designs unlike game like ultra kill. The differences that these games have are that some of them use unique ways of attacking the player such as beats and shapes which uses music like sound waves that the player has to avoid. What makes this style of game successful is it's constant action keeping the player on their toes at all times.

#Youtube

[rapidprototyping]

Research: Block Breaker Games

1.Breakout: The core game loop of this game is simple. The player aims at the blocks and they break depending on thickness. Once the player hits the blocks they repeat the process again and again to try and reach a new high score until it becomes too difficult and the blocks reach the bottom of the screen. The Unique selling point of this game would probably be its simplicity.

2.Bubble Bobble (1989): The Core game Loop of this game contains the player controlling either one of it's characters to take out enemies using bubbles to trap them and then pop them and then move on with the difficulty increasing. I would also consider this to be the unique selling point of this game because it was a unique mechanic at the time.

3.Pong: This game is was of the pioneers of video games. It's game loop consists of two players moving their bars up and down depending on the direction of the ball. Once either side scores a point, the game will reset as well as game loop. It' s unique selling point is definitely the game's design itself. As this was old, not as much game design had been discovered yet.

4.Peggle (2007): This game uses a game loop of the player using ammo in order to break all the blocks in interesting shapes after they have been turned to orange. The unique selling point of this game would definitely be the multiple designs that the game creates using the blocks such as the Eye of Ra in the image below.

5.Kirby's Block Ball (1995): This game loop consists of the player controlling paddles, Power Ups, Bonus Rounds and minigames. It's unique selling point I think would probably be Kirby's copy abilities where the player can turn into stone, needle, flame, and spark and interact with the blocks to destroy them depending on the material.

The similarity that all these games have is the use of collision to ricochet the ball off of each rectangular shaped block that these games all seem to use. I find this as a very unique collision style only thought to be used on things like bounce pads or games using velocity. The Differences that these games have are definitely the different abilities. Kirby uses different abilities to destroy certain blocks whereas Bubble and Bobble use bubbles in order to destroy enemies. What makes these games successful are the satisfying mechanics for the collisions. It gives the player excitement about whether the blocks will break or not. One thing that might not make this style of game as successful as it is would be that the game loop isn't that exciting therefore taking away the potential of this game style. To fix this I would suggest giving the player more ammunition/ limited moves to make the game more fast paced.

[rapidprototyping]

Research: Endless Runner Games

1.Subway Surfers: The Core game Loop of Subway Surfers has remained the same since being made. It consists of running along subway tracks, collecting coins and power ups, dodging obstacles and reaching a high score. I'd say the Unique selling point of this game has to be the hoverboards. Each hoverboard had their own unique design as well as each having their own abilities like high jump, smooth drift, gliding, teleporting etc. the player can also unlock different abilities on these boards as they go so they can change which one they would like.

2.Temple Run: I'd say the core game loop of this game would probably be replaying the same base layers of the game over and over again which in this game would be the reused level designs as the player continues through the game until dying. The Unique Selling point of this game are it's use of coins in order to power up an ability that allows the player to run really fast whilst being protected from death temporarily. Once it runs out the player must simply collect more coins in order to use it again.

3.Crossy Road: This game uses a game loop of simplicity. It consists of the player simply making their way through a long line of obstacles like Cars, Logs on Water and Trains. This continues until the player dies. The unique selling point of this game would probably be that it moves the screen up to force the player forward. If the player does not move and eagle comes to take them away. I found this quite unique for this style of game.

4.Jetpack Joyride: This game uses a game loop of different scenery from Underwater oceans to hazardous areas whilst shooting through scientists using different power ups. The unique selling point of this game would definitely be the jetpack function. when the player presses anywhere on the touchscreen, the jetpack fires and Barry rises. When the player lets go, the jetpack turns off, and Barry falls.

5.Sonic Dash: This game uses the loop of enemies, Obstacles, Power ups, Boss and repeat. This is quite classic in these sorts of games. The unique selling point of this game is probably it's use of loops in the game. The player uses a speed pad that starts a domino effect where they loop around collecting a few rings and then return to a normal state. This is quite a rare function in these sort of games.

6.Minion Rush: This game uses a Loop of Dodging Obstacles, Gaining Currency, using power ups, facing bosses, dying, recovering and repeat. Minion Rush's unique selling point is probably it's minigames. These range from flying from a cannon to ascending on a flying unicorn.

Overall the Similarities these games have are that they are all about achieving a high score, being fast to avoid obstacles, defeating enemies and collecting currency. However, They are all very different in terms of mechanics and style (2D,2.5D,3D). What makes this type of game successful is probably it's fast paced action which keeps the player constantly focused and interested which are two important factors in the gaming industry.

[rapidprototyping]

How Gameplay Loops Keep you Playing:

This Following video below focuses on how gameplay loops keep you playing a game. A gameplay loop is where actions or emotional states are repeated and help serve as the foundations of certain games. They can be found pretty much anywhere such as FPS's, RPG's, Narrative's and many more. In games like DOOM, they use a game loop called Core loops which is where the player is in an endless loop of doing several things in the same order only to move to another area and repeat the process. Games like Mario also include this by using the method of Approaching an obstacle, Executing a jump or movement & Recover on the other side. These short and snappy game loops are what keeps the player interested in what they're doing. Longer gameplay loops like Total War have the method of Target, Muster, Fight, Consolidate which sometimes isn't the best way because the players can just get bored. The way that games can balance both of these out are by using one or two medium length loops with a process like Explore the surroundings, Conquer the land, Move on. This way players can make it through the boring stuff and progress to the more exciting and fun areas of the game.

#Youtube