Hello
I'm an aspiring indie game developer. Super Awesome is my first game ever. About a year ago I started learning programming in C++ with Cocos2S in mind, but when I tried it it was way too hard for a newbie like me. So I tried Unity and it was great. I loved it and after learning about differences between C++ and C# i started making my first game. It took me 10 months from learning programming to finish it.
I made this game with mobile platforms in mind but as I finished the mobile version (still vaiting for iOS approval) I thought I will make also a PC version (and Linux, and when I can afford the license - iOS).
I heard some comments that its similar to SuperMeatBoy. Yes it is. Just as it is similar to many other platform games, because SMB also was similar to many previous games, because most of the elements are just "Platform Games 101". Plus it's not a secret that SMB (which I love) inspired me to make this game and it's not like I'm inspiring to be some SMB killer. Duuh...
Its not even my league. Super Awesome is just a simple (well kinda difficult though) platform game from an aspiring indie dev that just started his adventure with game developing. If I got to Steam it would cost ~3-4 $.
I hope you guys will like it. I already finished mobile version which can be tried out here (it's Free):
Feel free to try it out.
If you like it and would like to give me a chance you can vote for me:
So because this is your first game, I'm going to critique you very hard.
If this game managed to get greenlit and put on to steam, very few people would actually purchase the game. The few people who would purchase the game would probably give it bad reviews.
Key Reasons:
+The game looks like a first game
+Essentially a clone of Super Meat Boy with shittier graphics. You say it's just a platformer which is why they are so similar. But holy **** dude get creative, you basically copied all the design concepts of meatboy and put them to bad use.
+I wouldn't want to see you as one of those devs who can't handle criticize and delete all negative reviews. That could destroy your career.
Here's what you should do:
A) Scrap the project and work on something else, get more expierence before releasing a first game. This is harder because you worked more than 10 months on it.
B) (Harder one) Try to break the meta of platformers. All your current mechanisms in the games are either flat out stolen or unoriginal. Think Kirby mass attack as an example. Essentially a platformer but with much more characts, creating a whole new play style with new mechanics!
You can take my advice with a grain of salt. But that's how someone who hasn't been working on your game for 10 months would see it.
Overall good work! the game looks great for a first made, but not for a first release
Hello.
Key answers :D
+ yep. My first game looks totally like a frist game. I'm no artist, cant afford artist, and myself still learning how to operate tablet and draw something not-ugly.
+ I know many things (mechanicly) is similar to SMB, but so SMB was similar in many ways to other previous platform games. SMB didnt actualy invent or revolutionise the core mechanics of platformers. I'm not hatin' SMB, I love it, IMO its one of the best games ever, but its great succes was not because some revolutionary platform game ideas but because it was so very polished and moody + cool graphics and music. I'm not justyfying myself, I know it looks similar to SMB, I said it myself in the description. I'm not trying to compete with SMB as this is completely different league. I'm sorry to read that I put all these ideas (even they are not innovative) to bad use as I spend most time on the mechanics to make it as good as possible, and I think that at least that element of my game is good.
+ Why would I delete any review? Thats the whole point I put my game here to get any feedback.
And here's what I would do:
A) I wont scrap this project as I made this game with mobile platforms in mind, and there is not much hard, demanding platform games (like Mini Dash for example) so somebody might actually like it. Most platform games on mobiles are very casual, so if someone likes a challenge, he can try my game. I dont have high hopes about Greenlight, I know the competition, but I didnt make this game with steam in mind. If somehow I get to steam - great, If no - thats alright also.
B) Not all my mechanisms are stolen or unoriginal (unless, you think 90% of SMB gameplay mechanics were stolen or unoriginal also), but I see your point. I know I didnt revolutionise the platform game market, I didnt plan to. I wanted to learn to make games and give a little SMB expirience on mobile platforms. I learned a lot and time will tell if I accomplished the other thing.
Thanks for the feedback;)
Hey, you know what? I like your attitude.
I kinda realize I was being a major douche, so I'm sorry about that. The game is honestly one of the best first games i've ever seen.
Next time you should try to be more innovative though, you have a lot of potential. And whenever you feel comfortable and have enough profit you should look into hiring staff, that way you are producing quality games quicker and better. Or you could sign into a indie studio, a lot of small independent game companies use unity now and would most likely love to have you on bored. With a demo of your game alone you could do it!
Well, it's not that easy to hire someone if you're broke :D I had to go working abroad so I could live of my savings for some time and focus on making games and I basicaly spend all my savings through that year, to buy all the licenses and tools, and... you know... live through:D
If I could hire somebody at least for graphics of course I would do that.
If I wont make it on my own in gameDev I would have to go abroad and look for a job in some indie studio, but its not as easy as looking up what studio is hiring in my region. Looking for a job in game dev basically means leaving country and thats a last resort.
Well I mean there are plenty of people out there who I'm sure would be fine working on their first game for free, as long as they get profit once the game comes out. it benefits both parties because the dev gets more clicks for better graphics and the artists is more likely to get a job after his first game
who cares if a games mechanics are stolen? nothing is original any more. every video game ever made has stolen elements from what came before it. if your character jumps, walks, runs, collects coins etc...you are ripping off every video game ever made.
i think if you are going to critique someones work and say its more or less crap, then you should post a link to your own game to show them how its done properly.
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I think there are a few too many people on here that lack the knowledge to actually KNOW!! what goes into creating a game.. CLONE or not.. I think your game is pretty ******* good considering 10 months ago you knew little to nothing.. and this comes from someone who is current working on HIS first game :)(i chose c++ and SFML as its closest to RAW CODE) its easy to put a game down for looking amateurish, but pixel art / game art is even HARDER than learning how to code.. at least it takes a shitload LONGER to master than it does to master coding.. It might have been nice to see a few new mechanics.. but guess what.. ITS YOUR FIRST GAME!!!! who cares!!! all that it demonstrates is this.. When you DO!! come up with a great idea.. you are talented enough to bring it to fruition. You are going to get a LOT of haters.. especially like the guy who commented first.. basically wrapping their jealousy up in a CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM :) ignore them, infact, i wouldnt listen to ANYONE that hasnt actually been through the process of making their own games.. talk is cheap. Well done matey.. When the little guy was burned and just his eyes were looking around.. make me ******* laugh.. more of that in the game will make it infinitely more inviting..
The fact that you also have not finished your first game means your on the same boat as him. The game is really great for a first game, that is defiantly true. And he/she should be extremely proud of it. Am I jealous of the developer, No. Just because someone critiques your work doesn't mean there jealous. It's not the playground, it's the video game industry. Hate is part of the job, but it can be avoided.
I apologize, I didnt mean to say you were jealous. I just re-read my post and i can see why you would think I did. I actually meant OTHERS will be jealous and generally hate on it for THAT reason, especially because it does look so similar to SMB. I did think your critique was a little harsh considering it had little to balance it out on the praise side of things, but hey.. perhaps thats what he wanted.. CONSIDERING YOUR THE ONLY PERSON HE REPlIED TO!! :) even though others took the time to post hehe. When my game is anywhere near a PRE ALPHA ill be looking to you for that venom filled tongue of yours to give me an honest opinion of my game :) tnx for not starting a flame war, you clearly have class and patients.
Guys, no wars in my news! :D Think of a happy place ;)
Hello.
I am happy with my game. I dont expect it to be a huge hit, I never said I do. I did it mostly to learn anything as I didnt know anything at start. I learned a lot. I know it is similar to SMB and I dont have high hopes for Steam, but I havent made it for steam. I made it for mobiles. Mobiles lacks hard, demanding, challenging platform games so I might actually find my targed, even thougn graphics are **** (on smaller screen they dont look as bad :D).
I'm always open to any criticism, although I would want to hear/read something different than comparing it to SMB as this doesn't actually give me any feedback. I like when somebody actually plays the game and says whats good, whats bad, and why. Them I know what I did wrong and where can I improve.
Thanks for good word. Cheers ;)
This game looks really good. And I know how hard it is to create a game and you simply cannot learn how to do everything (engine, coding, art, game design etc.) while trying to come up with an original idea. You learn how to code whilst coding but it is a lot more diffcult to learn something while you try to figure out a completely new concept. Good work!
Hello
I agree that its very hard to evolve in all fields at once. When I was making this game I focused mostly on learning coding as I knew almost zero about programming. Sure I also learned how to operate tablet and draw but the results are not the best :D On my second game though, as I was way better at coding i took me way less time to code so I could focus more on graphics (well, and I actually knew more about graphics as I already made one game) and I think my second game doesn't look as bad:
Ludumdare.com
Anyway, Rome was not built in a day and there is time for everything. I know much more now so hopefully my third project will be better ;)
Thanks for the good word :)
I'll say I think it looks amazing for a first game...even for a fifth game! The critique world can be brutal. But in the game industry...really any industry, if people like it, it won't matter if it's ripped off. Consider all the famous guitar riffs that people love but are ultimately a rip off of another song.
The Adventures of PB Winterbottom, an Xbox live indie game is one of my favorite games, but I always read that its essentially a Braid clone or rip-off...but guess what, I've never played Braid so I have no comparison therefore I don't care.
I've also never played SMB, so on the market if I played your game, it would be an experience in its own right.
Having said all that, brutal criticism right out the gate is what you need, because even superb AAAs' get grilled and trashed on the internet.
Hello
Well, I think in any form of public art you must prepare yourself for any kind of feedback, positive or negative. There is nothing wrong with negative feedback as long as you can learn something from it.
The thing with my game being similar to SMB is that most of the people saying that dont played platform games much before SMB, because they would know that SMB was also hugely inspired by couple other games like "I wanna be the guy". And what was wrong with that? "N" is also hugely inspired by SMB. And also someone could say that its SMB with new skin. But so what? Somebody who really liked SMB would also happily play N. The same way as somebody who really liked "I wanna be the guy" would play SMB. Whats wrong in that that N is so similar to SMB if its good. Its like writing about any new FPS "meh... I wont play that, I already played DOOM 20 years ago, and its basicaly the same" :D Anyway, thats only my opinion. Everyone has theirs :D
Thanks for the good word ;)
I for one think it's great for a first game. I do suggest you release, but for free. This way people tend to be less demanding on stuff and you do get the reward that people play the game you worked so hard on.
Good luck!
Thanks.
It is Free :D on mobiles.
And as about Steam I've read many times that it's not a good practice to release anything for free on steam because people doesnt even try it as they think that if even the author of a game thinks so low of his game that he velues it to 0 they wont even try it :D I've read a couple of opinions like that on gamasutra, etc.
Even if I get on steam the price I'm hoping for it is like ~3$. So you can buy two beers for that 3$ or buy my game and maybe even have more fun than from drinking the beers ;)
looks great! Must've been a lot of work to get this far
Hard to say if this was a lot of work as this is my first project. It definetely was a lot of expirience and fun:D
Like they say: Find a job you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.
First off, you're taking the feedback like a champ and that bodes well for your future as a game developer.
I'm heading into the same situation with my game Boss 101. Some of those gut punch review above are helpful in the sense they might give you a pulse on the 'common impression' you game is giving people when they first look at it. As a gamemaker you are always vying for attention from your target audience. You must have done SOMETHING right since people are putting eyes on your game at the moment. The question is what happens between their first impression (seeing your animated icon on the front page, reading your request, etc) then looking at that game. It's in that moment people make a judgment about the product.
The good news is they fact they even take a moment to write anything down is a sign they feel something might be there now or in the future. That is a really, really awesome thing.
Your best bet (and this is only my personal opinion) is to step back and take a moment to look at your game and see if you can pull out that extra something people may be noticing. That little something that is unique and ultimately sellable. Maybe it's your main character, maybe it's some gameplay element you pull off particularly well. Maybe it's even your story (yes even a game like this can have a story). Of course - you can always just plow ahead heedless of any and all advice if you feel you are jamming. Many great successes have happened this way.
I guess my point is, feedback here is helpful and though some of it is harsh it's at least a gut reaction that you can work with. The very WORST THING is ambivalence about a game. That is to say - you're at a disadvantage when no one gives a flying 'eff to even comment or download or anything.
Here's the real deal - people would rather carry you on their shoulders and nail you to a cross. Give them the right reasons and you are gold. The right reasons are, of course, for you to discover.
Best of luck,
-Tim
Hello
Awesome looking game of yours. Very dynamic. And you're right that some people can get intrested by the icon but loose intrest when they come in, but everyone has a right to their opinion. Sure, it's nice to get any feedback, good or bad, and I know that the main problem with my game (puting aside that it's similar to SMB or any other previous platformer if anybody finds it a problem) is the graphics. If I could I would do something about it but I just cant. I'm no artist and I cant afford one, however cheap he would be. Maybe if I earn some money I will pay some Pro to update my graphics to a proper level but at this point not much I can do.
But you know, like I said I dont expect it to be a huge (if any) succes on PC, so if I get to steam it would be a really nice suprise. I made it for mobiles, and there, on small screen graphics doesnt look that bad :D So maybe it wont be that big of a problem and game will finds its target, and when I have some budget I would update it do proper PC graphics.
Mobile version is finished as it is, so all I can do now is not to waste time and just work on my next project and time will tell if I could afford to update this one.
Thanks for a good word and best of luck for your Boss 101. Awesome pixel art on that one! I wish I could draw like that. Maybe some day... ;)
Hey there!
I am in a situation where I've been making little games here and there, and currently developing a game with a bit more content and substance but still no where near the amount of polish that I can see to be in your game from the trailer.
If you're expectations are reasonable, which it seems they are I think you should try for it. I'd agree with previous posts and really take a hard look at the game from an objective perspective, and not one where the love and affection you have for the game itself influences your judgement (the game is totally worthy of that no doubt).
Good Luck!
Amazing work for a first game. Despite being a kind of "clone", this game is full of work and passion. Looking at the greenlight comments prove that. I have your chances. I voted "yes" on GL.
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You have inspired me.. im going to make a page and post some regular updates on my own game.. its currently not EVEN a game.. but documenting the entire process is a great idea, even if you just want to look back on how far you have come..
commenting on your game.. I think its a little unfair.. considering there are a lot of games out there that have copied the SMB formula.. check out the reviews for a game called SKULL FACE!! it looks very similar to this game here.. and definitely borrows from SMB but it got a shitload of GREAT REVIEWS!!!! so never say never.. your game might just make it onto steam..