Time for my first "real" blog post. It's been a while! Hopefully, I can keep this going on, as reading through other dev blogs (most notably the excellent Frictional Games blog) has been a huge inspiration for me over the years, and has helped me towards honing my own skills as a game developer. So please forgive any shortcomings, as I try to get better every single passing day. I hope you enjoy this post, and hopefully there will be more in a more frequent manner than once every 4 years!
The reason for this "epiphany": I recently submitted Ninja Tag Team: Slash n' Dash to the 16th International Mobile Gaming Awards, figuring, well, "why not?"
The submission process was a weird experience for me. Not because of any quirky user interface or the clarity of the submission guidelines, but rather due to the fact that I felt I had to be the reviewer for my own game, having to describe why I felt the game is deserving of a nomination (or even why it should win one of this year's categories). So this got me thinking about NTT, and why it truly is unique, not for myself as a developer, having spent two years working on weekday afternoons and till late at night, as well as entire weekends and bank holidays to complete a game I am proud to stand behind and show people at live events, such as the recent Digital Expo 2019, but as a gamer and somewhat a reviewer. What gives NTT an edge over the fierce competition of this year's Awards (keep in mind Mario Kart Tour, Dr. Mario and Call of Duty®: Mobile all came out this year, not to mention the tons of amazing indie games released for mobile platforms in 2019, as well as major updates for existing games also nominated for this year's awards)? Here is my opinion:
What sets Ninja Tag Team: Slash n' Dash apart from similar games, beyond its unique rich, illustrated art style, are its sense of speed and precision, inspired by ground-breaking games such as Super Meat Boy, and interjected into the endless running formula. As such, NTT is a hardcore platformer, one that's a lot more challenging than you’d assume, with all the features of a traditional platform adventure game (e.g. boss battles, interactive environments, multiple levels), but all that in the guise of an endless runner, requiring the player to bypass obstacles that demand quick reflexes and TONS of practice. That is what makes the game (in my opinion, as well as the feedback I've gathered from players since the game's release) highly addictive. That is one of the best compliments on the game I've heard from players, as well as seeing them tap that Game Over screen with stubborn determination to do better in the next round. Evoking that "can't put it down" feeling is the best thing I can imagine a game like NTT can achieve. That's what I was aiming for during development.
Of course, I've been asked time and again to crank down the difficulty, or include a difficulty setting for more casual play. I actually know people who have given up on the game altogether because they have got so frustrated with it. However, in keeping with the game's SMB-inspired formula, NTT is a game that revels in its addictive yet frustrating game play: there is practically no back-tracking, no far-away checkpoints (except for when reaching the Boss, because I am not a total monster!), collected coins are always added to the player's bank, and unlocked bosses can be practised on in Boss Rush mode. Basically, starting a level over is no different from making it to the next platform after a failed jump. Yes, you might have to kill enemies all over again to get that much closer to the Boss, but, on the other hand, all your earned coins can be cashed in for a power-up that will make it all the more easy to get there. I believe that is a fair trade-off.
NTT is a game that starts off relatively straightforward, allowing players to teach themselves the basics of jumping (the reach, height and timing), but by design ramps up the difficulty soon enough, since mastering the Switch and pulling off air attacks is key to success. Given time, players will be running, jumping and taking out baddies with ease. And when they nail it, this will fill them with immense satisfaction.
This, combined with the fact that the game manages to squeeze out every single ounce of gameplay potential it has, given the simplistic control scheme, is what I believe drove me to decide and submit NTT for an IMGA. This is made more evident in the game's six unique Boss battles. Each boss has its own strategy, and the path to victory will not always be clear right away, as players will be made aware of interactive elements in the environment to create an opening for an attack. Each boss fight brings something different to the mix: there are long-range bosses, indestructible bosses, sinking platforms and slow-down, requiring players to take all skill gained from mastering the Switch mechanic and apply it in a different way each time to get past the boss. This definitely adds to the title's gameplay and longevity, as figuring out how to defeat each boss is a rewarding experience all on its own.
Having said that, do you think NTT succeeds in its goals or do you find it plain frustrating? Have you fallen in love with it, or have you shouted and cursed at it and given up? What games have provided you with that perfect balance of just right?
The reason for this "epiphany": I recently submitted Ninja Tag Team: Slash n' Dash to the 16th International Mobile Gaming Awards, figuring, well, "why not?"
The submission process was a weird experience for me. Not because of any quirky user interface or the clarity of the submission guidelines, but rather due to the fact that I felt I had to be the reviewer for my own game, having to describe why I felt the game is deserving of a nomination (or even why it should win one of this year's categories). So this got me thinking about NTT, and why it truly is unique, not for myself as a developer, having spent two years working on weekday afternoons and till late at night, as well as entire weekends and bank holidays to complete a game I am proud to stand behind and show people at live events, such as the recent Digital Expo 2019, but as a gamer and somewhat a reviewer. What gives NTT an edge over the fierce competition of this year's Awards (keep in mind Mario Kart Tour, Dr. Mario and Call of Duty®: Mobile all came out this year, not to mention the tons of amazing indie games released for mobile platforms in 2019, as well as major updates for existing games also nominated for this year's awards)? Here is my opinion:
What sets Ninja Tag Team: Slash n' Dash apart from similar games, beyond its unique rich, illustrated art style, are its sense of speed and precision, inspired by ground-breaking games such as Super Meat Boy, and interjected into the endless running formula. As such, NTT is a hardcore platformer, one that's a lot more challenging than you’d assume, with all the features of a traditional platform adventure game (e.g. boss battles, interactive environments, multiple levels), but all that in the guise of an endless runner, requiring the player to bypass obstacles that demand quick reflexes and TONS of practice. That is what makes the game (in my opinion, as well as the feedback I've gathered from players since the game's release) highly addictive. That is one of the best compliments on the game I've heard from players, as well as seeing them tap that Game Over screen with stubborn determination to do better in the next round. Evoking that "can't put it down" feeling is the best thing I can imagine a game like NTT can achieve. That's what I was aiming for during development.
Of course, I've been asked time and again to crank down the difficulty, or include a difficulty setting for more casual play. I actually know people who have given up on the game altogether because they have got so frustrated with it. However, in keeping with the game's SMB-inspired formula, NTT is a game that revels in its addictive yet frustrating game play: there is practically no back-tracking, no far-away checkpoints (except for when reaching the Boss, because I am not a total monster!), collected coins are always added to the player's bank, and unlocked bosses can be practised on in Boss Rush mode. Basically, starting a level over is no different from making it to the next platform after a failed jump. Yes, you might have to kill enemies all over again to get that much closer to the Boss, but, on the other hand, all your earned coins can be cashed in for a power-up that will make it all the more easy to get there. I believe that is a fair trade-off.
NTT is a game that starts off relatively straightforward, allowing players to teach themselves the basics of jumping (the reach, height and timing), but by design ramps up the difficulty soon enough, since mastering the Switch and pulling off air attacks is key to success. Given time, players will be running, jumping and taking out baddies with ease. And when they nail it, this will fill them with immense satisfaction.
This, combined with the fact that the game manages to squeeze out every single ounce of gameplay potential it has, given the simplistic control scheme, is what I believe drove me to decide and submit NTT for an IMGA. This is made more evident in the game's six unique Boss battles. Each boss has its own strategy, and the path to victory will not always be clear right away, as players will be made aware of interactive elements in the environment to create an opening for an attack. Each boss fight brings something different to the mix: there are long-range bosses, indestructible bosses, sinking platforms and slow-down, requiring players to take all skill gained from mastering the Switch mechanic and apply it in a different way each time to get past the boss. This definitely adds to the title's gameplay and longevity, as figuring out how to defeat each boss is a rewarding experience all on its own.
Having said that, do you think NTT succeeds in its goals or do you find it plain frustrating? Have you fallen in love with it, or have you shouted and cursed at it and given up? What games have provided you with that perfect balance of just right?
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