Category: Thoughts - dannylv100.com

Divercast Ep.5 : Comic Books - Recommended Reading

9/28/2014

On this episode of Diver-cast, Andrew and I talk about comics. We each recommend 3 comics that we think are great (for one reason or another). Andrew recommends and epic and I say "What is WW2 without super humans?"

Sit back and relax, its time for Divercast.

Divercast Ep.5: Recommended Reading - Comic Books by Divercast on Mixcloud

Do you have questions, comment or concerns? Email us at [email protected]
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- Danny Q
@Dannylv100

Divercast Ep.4 : Suggestions for Gears of War 4

9/8/2014

In this episode of Diver-cast, I talk about what I would like to see in the next Gears of War game. I talk about Co-Op, multiplayer and where I would set the Gears 4 campaign.

I also discuss my issues with the previous games and how to improve them. There are a few spoilers in this podcast, so if you haven't played Gears 1 to Judgement, you may have some story elements spoiled.

Divercast Ep.4: Suggestions For Gears Of War 4 by Divercast on Mixcloud

Do you have any suggestions for Gears of War 4? Well the game is still a few years away, which means you have plenty of time to make suggestions. If you have any suggestion that you would like to share, please feel free to tweet them to me or leave a comment on the blog. I will add them to a list that I will post here on my blog.

Do you have questions, comment or concerns? Email us at [email protected]
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- Danny Q
@Dannylv100

Freeze-E Frosty's : Developer Commentary - Level 1

8/19/2014

Welcome to the first installment of Freeze-E Frosty's - Developer Commentary. In this video series I will go behind the scenes of Freeze-E Frosty and share with you my design process.

Freeze-E Frosty's Developer Commentary - Main Menu and Level 1 from Danny Quesada on Vimeo.

Further Notes: Level 1

- The main menu was originally part of the third level but was discarded. Toward the end of development it was salvaged and turned into the main menu.

- There are almost one hundred dynamic lights in the first half of the level. Once the player reaches the second floor (where the workstation is) there is a trigger that completely deletes all of the lights. This was done to keep the frame rate from dipping lower than 30fps.

- We were lucky enough to record all of the voice over work in a professional studio with talented audio personnel. We did two 4 hour sessions to record all the voice work.

- This level went through many iterations before we went wit this design. This design was sketched by myself while I was stuck in traffic heading home one day.

- Danny Q
@Dannylv100

Divercast Ep.3 : Most Disappointing Game

8/5/2014

In this episode of Diver-cast, Brian Shimamoto and Andrew Brumder join Juan Valencia and I as we discuss what the most disappointing game from our childhood and adult life.

We talk about what made these games disappointing. Brian want's realism in his sports games, Juan breakdowns one of the biggest games of the last console generation and Andrew relives the horror of Fester's Quest.

Divercast Ep.3 - Most dissappointing Games (Re-Edit) by Divercast on Mixcloud

Do you have questions, comment or concerns? Email us at [email protected]
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- Danny Q
@Dannylv100

Divercast Ep.2 : Dead Space 1 & 2 Feat. juanitudev1

7/21/2014

In this Episode Juan Valencia (aka juanitudev1 ) and I talk about why we love Dead Space 1 and 2. We talk about weapons, characters and what moments stuck out to us as gamers and developers.

Juan claims that Dead Space 2 has the best intro to a game ever and I mention why my fear of ghosts is a rational one. Please join us for our second podcast.

Note: Heavy Spoilers for Dead Space 1 & 2. We talk about how both games start and end.

Divercast Ep.2: Dead Space 1 &2 by Divercast on Mixcloud

Do you have questions, comment or concerns? Email us at [email protected]
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- Danny Q
@Dannylv100

Indie Arcade: No Brakes Valet

7/14/2014

Valet 2 Furious

On this installment of Indie Arcade I am going to talk about "No Brakes Valet" for the PC. It is a 2D arcade style parking without brakes simulator(?), or at least that's the best way I can describe it.

Premise

The premise of this game is simple. You need to try your best to park a car with no brakes, that is oftentimes rocketed into a parking lot.

Each vehicle comes speeding in and it is up to you to try and get them to a parking space. Parking in a space successfully will earn you points (tips). The challenge comes from the fact that you have no brakes and you have about twenty cars to park, which leads to all sorts of chaos.

Art and Design

No brakes Valet features a hand drawn style. You will notice this with some of the maps and the vehicles in the main menu. The cars in the game are pixel based and the games overall look is retro and clean.

No Brakes Valet captures the intensity of driving a car that can't stop. As soon as you shoot into the parking lot, you are going to want to steer your car and slow down.

Unfortunately you will just end up slamming into the walls. Once you've attempted to park your 5th car you might think you have the hang of it, only to suddenly have control of parking the Prime Ministers car!

Speaking of which, there are a few different vehicles that you get to operate. Sedans, sports cars, chicken truck and an ambulance are a few of the cars you get to park.

The game is a laugh riot when it comes to causing all sorts of vehicular mayhem. There is a part of you that still try to steer the cars and brake, even though there are no brakes!

Vs Mode - Settling Grudges Over Tips

No Brakes Valet features a frantic versus mode for each of it's game types/maps. In this mode either player is propelled into the parking lot, attempting to park safely while also possibly knocking their opponents of of their parking spot.

I was able to play and few rounds, and as you can tell from the screenshots above, the game gets frantic very quickly. It was already a challenge to try and park your car with no brakes, but now factor in your buddy as they come careening in and smashes into your car in a head on collision and it all adds up to a good time.

No Stopping Now

No Brakes Valet is a fun arcade parking simulator. I recommend this game to anyone looking for something that is easy to pick up and play, but hard to master (I don't think I will ever park these cars right!).

I also recommend this game for anyone that has an Ouya, as it offers a 4 player versus mode. We could all use more local multiplayer madness!

No Brakes Valet was Developed by Captain Games

Click here to download No Brakes Valet for Ouya, IOS and Android!

- Danny Q
@Dannylv100

Divercast Ep.1 : Duke Nukem Revisited

7/7/2014

In this episode, I talk about the character of Duke Nukem and what he meant to me. From growing up as a kid playing Duke Nukem 3D to being an adult playing Duke Nukem Forever. Please be advised, mild language is used in this episode.

Divercast Ep.1: Duke Nukem - Revisited by Divercast on Mixcloud

Do you have questions, comment or concerns? Email us at [email protected]
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- Danny Q
@Dannylv100

Indie Arcade: Bite Me

6/25/2014

War With Words

Welcome to the second installment of Indie Arcade! This time I played a charming 2D strategy game called "Bite Me".

Premise

The premise is easy enough, You are trapped in the grip of a giant, and he is just about ready to eat you. Using your gift of gab you need to convince him that eating you is a bad idea.

You avoid death by choosing from a selection of replies (multiple choice style). The Giant responds to your choices, either bringing you closer to the jaws of defeat or lowering you to your escape.

Art and Design

The art style is what I would describe as retro and clean. The trees, and the ground are subtlety detailed, the art is charming and the animations are simple. The giant reminds me a friend I used to know back in college, which made some his in game comments more hilarious.

I found the music of this game to be another highlight. I actually really enjoyed the track that plays as you try and avoid being eaten.

The game is mostly dialogue boxes and multiple choices. The writing is witty and at times can be very amusing. Unfortunately, I don't want to spoil this game, so this means you are going to have to play the game yourself.

Jack the Giant Debater

Bite Me is an interesting game with a strange premise, overall it has charming writing, music and art. It is however a short game that can be completed very quickly. I still would recommend that you give this game a try, especially if you are a fan or witty writing and giants that wear plaid.

Credits

Bite Me was created by
Yann Ben Alluch - Dialogue http://mcnostril.tumblr.com/
Ian Girard - Game Design & Art http://seventysevian.tumblr.com/ - @Ian_Girard
Pierre-Luc Poirier - Game Design, Programming & Music http://technobeanie.com/ - @technobeanie

- Danny Q
@Dannylv100

E3 2014 : Indie Dev Meet-Up And Games I am looking Forward To

6/18/2014

E3 2014

I got the chance to spend a few days at E3 this year. I was only attended the first two days, and I didn't get a chance to look at everything, but I did get a chance on getting hands on with a few games.

Indie Dev Meet-Up

Epic was kind enough to host an Indie Dev Meet-Up at one of my favorite bars, The Golden Gopher. Thanks Epic for hosting this event. I am still wearing my wristband!

I had some great conversations with a few different Indie Devs. One of the highlights of the meet-up was just getting the chance to speak with so many indies. It was really inspiring to talk with so many talented people.

Indie Dev Meet-Up at the Golden Gopher.

What I am looking Forward to

I was only at the show floor for a day and for the majority of the time I was stuck inside of the south hall, so I didn't get a chance to check out the West Hall.

I have been waiting to get a next gen console, but after this E3 I think I need to hurry up and pick something. I am currently a PC/Xbox 360 guy. There are a lot of interesting games coming out on each console. A game like Mario Maker is dream come true.

Games I am Looking Forward to:

- Alien: Isolation
- No Man's Sky
- Evolve
- Cuphead
- Mario Maker
- Mass Effect 4
- Star Wars: Battlefront 3
- Night In The Woods
- Titan Souls
-Sunset Overdrive

I also got a chance to try out the Occulus rift. Man the potential for that is massive. I only tried a virtual reality sound demo with it, but it is so engaging, it is hard not to see this as the future of games.

Alien : Isolation - Demo

   While inside the south hall I came across the demo for Alien: Isolation. I had been following this game for quite some time and I am a pretty big fan of the first two Alien films.

   Alien: Isolation lived up to the hype. It was probably one of the first times I have ever played a demo at E3 and was convinced that the game was legit. If you get the chance to play the demo, do yourself and favor and do it.

   The game lived up to my expectations and if the demo is indicative of what the full game is going to be, it is going to be great.

   Shout out to the guys running the Isolation booth!

The best thing about this Years E3 for me was, meeting a bunch of new people. It is always refreshing to see talented developers out there making awesome games. I am already looking forward to next years E3.

- Danny Q
@Dannylv100

Indie Arcade: Titan Souls

5/19/2014

Titans to Fall

Welcome to a new segment on my blog called Indie Arcade. In this section of my blog I will talk about cool indie games that I come across, Indie Games that I think deserve a shout out. This section isn't mean to give a critical review or assign a score. This segment is just meant to give a shout out to an interesting indie game.

Titan Souls is a 2D adventure game that you can play right in your browser. I am going to be sure to not to spoil too much about this game because I feel that most of its appeal comes from experiencing it for yourself.

Premise

The premise of the game is simple. You are tasked with tracking down four titans and defeating them. Each Titan has a weak spot. Strike them when they are vulnerable and they will be defeated.

The player is equipped with a bow and a single arrow. After each shot the player must retrieve their arrow, or be defenseless. The player can summon the arrow to them, but this will leave them vulnerable to attack.

The player must make use of their roll/dodge ability in order to avoid incoming attacks.

Art and Design

The art and music really do standout in this game. They were definitely be the first thing I noticed. Art wise, I can say I appreciate pixel art, even though I think it has become really common amongst indie games. Titans Souls keeps the silhouettes simple while bringing out rich details with simple color and shapes.

One thing that I loved about the game was, how small it made me feel. The whole time I was playing I was wondering about how big the world was. I felt as if I was the only person left. The world I was exploring felt better suited for the towering titans rather than the likes of our human avatar.

Each Titan design is unique and each encounter presents the players with different challenges to overcome. Be prepared to roll/dodge and time your shots perfectly if you want to walk away victorious. When the Titans come after you, they are oftentimes swift and unmerciful.

I call this titan "Brain Freeze".

Cons

My only criticisms of Titan Souls is the control scheme. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out how to properly dodge/roll and shoot. It can be tricky to get the hang of, and it is probably best to get this sorted out before you fight any of the Titans.

Also, every time you're defeated you start back at the beginning of the game. No progress is lost, but you will have to make the trek back to the Titan that defeated all over again, which can be a bit frustrating when you're character can only travel by walking or rolling.

Adventure Awaits

When I stumbled upon this game, I didn't expect to find something so charming and engaging. I would recommend this game to anyone that loves 2D pixel art adventure games and to people that love video game soundtracks, because as mentioned before the music is one of highlights.

Update

Titan Souls was announced to be coming to PC, Mac, Linux, PS4, Vita in the near future! Read more about it here! And be sure to support the game once it is released!

Credits

Titan Souls is developed by
Mark Foster @ClawhammerMark
David Fenn @autotwitch
Andrew Gleeson @_andrio

Play the Titan Souls Prototype here

- Danny Q
@Dannylv100