🟡Benjamin’s Concept Research¶
Introduction¶
For this project we have been told to create a Bullet Hell/Shoot’m up(SHMUP) for casual gamers with a small to moderate amount of time.
In order to create the best game we can, the question has to be asked; “What makes a game a Bullet Hell?”
Among our group we named a couple of games that we think falls under the Bullet Hell umbrella and assigned two or three games to ourselves. For my research I looked at classic arcade title Gradius as well as the more modern Synthetik in order to get a feeling of what was the best of both worlds in terms of new and old.
In addition to the main question of “What makes this game a Bullet Hell?”, I will also be looking at these games and document the following questions:
- What features in this game makes it unique?
- What makes the game appealing to casual gamers?
- What are upsides and downsides to this game?
Gradius¶
ℹ️ What makes this game a “Bullet Hell’?¶
Gradius is one of the classic Bullet Hell/Shoot-m-up arcade games. Since it’s release in 1985, Gradius has been credited with having an unique powerup system.
The game is a sidescrolling SHMUP that tasks the player ship with surviving an onslaught of enemies through space and tunnels in order to beat a boss at the end.
By grabbing items from enemies the powerup bar progresses. Once the powerup bar is on a powerup the player desires, the player can claim it and use the powerup for as long as they desire.
This gives a simple and quick manner of progression that is easily repeated without making the player feel bad about losing said powerups.
During the levels in Gradius, enemies will spawn in waves depending on where the screen is. In addition to enemy turrets, ships, monsters and stations there are also other obstructions like astoroids and slime balls that the player will need to navigate around or shoot.
The combination of the different mechanics above make the player feel rewarded for quickly progressing and feel challenged by the several objects tossed their way, which embodies the meaning of a Bullet Hell.
What features in this game makes it unique?¶
As noted before, Gradius is renowned for its unique and interactive upgrade system. This system boasts a powerup track at the bottom of the screen that displays the powerups the player can obtain.
Upon killing an enemy, it is possible for power capsules to drop. If the player grabs one of these, it advances the powerup track by one slot.
From here on out the player can choose whether they want to claim the currently selected powerup or keep stacking power capsules until they have another powerup they desire.
This upgrade system is ideal for flow purposes, as it doesn’t take the player out of the game and becomes an addition to it. Managing the powerups while playing also challenges the player in a different way, rewarding them when they do this correctly.
What makes this game appealing to casual gamers?¶
Gradius is a simple to understand game with a nice amount of depth to it. Its powerup system also makes the flow of the game very smooth, making the gameplay more enjoyable.
Add the average length of a level at about two to five minutes and this game allows for short, enjoyable gameplay for casual gamers to enjoy.
🟩Upsides¶
- Unique levelup system
- Simple gameplay
- Lots of interaction options with different player actions during gameplay (powerups, life, ui)
🟥Downsides¶
- Linear
- Slow at certain parts
Synthetik¶
ℹ️ What makes this game a “Bullet Hell’?¶
Synthetik is a game about two androids rebelling against an army of evil robots. In Synthetik the player fights hordes on robots on a level while getting loot from their enemies and creates in said level.
In Synthetik both the players and the enemies use guns to shoot at one another. Unlike with most bullet hells, the projectiles in Synthetik are usually pretty fast. It is common for players to hide behind obstacles and walls while enemies are unloading on them.
Since the players are robots, in addition to randomly rolled guns the player can use different parts and artifacts to boost their performances in combat and upgrade said components.
What features in this game makes it unique?¶
Synthetik has random events that can occur on levels that impact the rewards and difficulty that that level holds.
A player has the choice to interact with these events, with loot and powerups being used as incentives to actually do it.
This is a great example of rewarding a player for their choices.
What makes this game appealing to casual gamers?¶
Synthetik is very stylized and quick. It makes the player feel powerful while not making the enemies weak. This feeling of empowerment and loot to strengthen this feeling is what can drive a casual player into the deeper levels of the game.
🟩Upsides¶
- Weapons with random stats and bonusses
- Quick gameplay by player skills and projectile speed
- Highly replayable
🟥Downsides¶
- Downtime when looking for items on the map
- High anticipation when awaiting a confrontation
- Hiding vs dodging
Conclusion¶
Gradius is an arcade classic that has interesting ideas that I would like to implement and improve on for this project.
It’s gameplay is tried and true and will fit this project well.
Mainly I would like to add the powerup system to get the flow state that is necessary for our target audience.
Synthetik is a bit of an oddball in the Bullet Hell/SHMUP genre that has an interesting take on the genre’s characteristics. The random events in the game along with the random bonuses powerups can have make gameplay exciting and show that randomness has a place in games like this. Synthetik’s influence over our project will be lesser, but the information I’ve gained from it will be implemented.
Sources¶
Proof of Concept¶
The game has several aspects that are important to the core experience that need to be implemented.
In order to prove the seperate mechanics are possible, I will explain below here:
Flying¶
Flight is one of the most important parts of the game, on par with shooting and enemies.