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TIA Limited Gfx Competition Entries

The $100 TIA limited graphics competition is accepting entries until 10th November, from when 10 days of voting commences. Here is a look at the three games that have been submitted so far.


Black and Blue GMC topic and download link

A surprisingly addictive arcade game where all you can do is shoot! You have to avoid sets of blocks that move towards you from all sides of the screen. Sounds simple? – you can’t fly around the only way of moving is from the backthrust generated by firing your gun.

Points are awarded both for staying alive and destroying the moving blocks, but get hit and you will loose health. Should you get pushed off the edge of the screen, either from a moving block or backthrust, you will die.

The background music fits the arcade style of the game and the lack of repeated sound effects every-time you shoot is a blessing. Use of limited graphics in this game is extremely effective as the game still has a good number of animated effects despite the imposed limitations.

Controls: Mouse cursor to aim, left click to shoot.

My highscore: 1889


The Bonsh WHFF download link

In The Bonsh you control a red stickman who you must guide through several rooms of platforms clinging to the walls and jumping to avoid obstacles. Dangers include spikes and rising and falling blocks which can crush you. As all the terrain in the game is blue it is sometimes hard to distinguish what is a danger and what is not.

The game rooms frequently vibrate a small amount giving the effect that your screen is wobbling which was irritating and may hurt your eyes if you play for more than a couple of minutes.

Whilst particle effects are used in some of the situations where your character dies I feel the overall implementation of graphics here was far more basic than in Black and Blue which really used the limited graphics colour scheme to full effect through animation.

Controls: Arrow keys to move the stickman. Instructions are given within the game.


Abstractoid GMC topic and download link

You are a triangle. You have been programmed to destroy anything in your path. And you will do it well…” is the strap-line for this extremely fast-paced arcade shooter.

Diving from one side of the screen to the other whilst shooting four enemy types is what you will do for the entirety of this game. Using your shield, provided you have enough energy, gives you a brief respite – just long enough to move somewhere safer and start all over again.

Particles seem to be somewhat overused, with small black boxes exploding across the screen everytime you hit an enemy which adds to the distraction caused by a constantly spinning and scrolling background.

The game also seems to be just too hard from such an early stage, and no scoring mechanism is included – two more facts that taint my experience when playing Abstractoid.

Controls are given in the game, use ‘Z’ to select “Play” to start.


Are you impressed with the ways that the above games have created graphics-schemes that fit in with the criteria? Which game do you think deserves to win $100 in the TIA Limited Graphics competition?

What do you think?

7 Comments

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  1. Two colours? That’s not a limitation! I don’t particularly like these sorts of competitions because I don’t see where the limitation is in only being able to use a select number of colours.

    If you want to really limit a game designer, restrict the number of variables/rooms/etc they can use, or limit the number of keys/functions that can be used as controls in-game, etc. There are several other ways to make a competition more fun and interesting.

    However, this competition has made me decide to start up again a platformer puzzle game that I never finished (but I also lost all the files for). I’ll try using only two colours, and just that: black and white. Literally.

    No gray. Yes, I know the submissions have to be in tomorrow, but I don’t care. I’ll see if I can finish it tonight. If not, I’ll just submit it to Yoyo Games at some other date.

    ~ Kid27, Experienced platformer maker

  2. NAL has just submitted his game to the competition, if you wanted to know. I think you wrote this article a little to early Phil.

    This article was not meant to be complete run down of all entries, obviously it would be foolish to do that at this stage. Instead this was “a look at the three games that have been submitted so far” which also had the effect of reminding people that the competition is taking place.

  3. NAL has just submitted his game to the competition, if you wanted to know. I think you wrote this article a little to early Phil.

    Also, TIA, I thought these games were being voted for. How can you know who will win? Also, all of the games haven’t even been submitted yet. O_o

  4. Woah… I completely forgot about this. I’m gonna whip something small up for this. I should be done by the middle of next week – I’ve just thought up a nice idea. Thank god I have a holiday from school this week :).

    TIA
    How come you were referring to the games as ‘2’. I can see three games up there… O_o

  5. well I think they both fit the criteria 😛 however i dont think I should say who i think will win out of these 2… you all hafto wait untill the 10th of Nov for that 😉

    I think that both of these games were programmed well, they both used the Draw functions well just like i suggested for everyone to do.
    so in my eyes they are both great games. one may be harder than the other, but i dont think that should taint his score tooo much…

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