An Ode to 8-Bit

Inspiration

Just figured I'd do whatever was interesting, iOS was negative since I'm a PC guy, Python decided not to cooperate, and my technical toolkit was much too shallow to properly contribute to any group... And since I came to learn something new, I decided to dive into the Game Dev. track.

What it does

Just an iteration of a top-down shooter in the style of those from the 80's and 90's. Most assets were created from scratch including the music.

How I built it

Using various tools available on the internet, assets were created for use in Gamemaker. The meat and potatoes of the game were made using Gamemaker's drag and drop interface.

Challenges I ran into

As with any game development, glitches and bugs are always an issue... One thing that's cumbersome with the drag and drop interface is that sometimes its not clear how certain actions are going to be executed and in what order. Conditionals are also a pain...

Accomplishments that I'm proud of

I was able to create a mini-game from start to finish. Though it still has a few wrinkles to iron out, it's broadly-speaking glitch free.

What I learned

How to think about the development process for a game (which can always be transferred to any type of project). I was able to learn what it truly takes to produce a finished product even for something that is seemingly simple.

What's next for An Ode to 8-Bit

Iron out the wrinkles, add more levels, add more music? The possibilities are endless.

Built With

• gamemaker