BACKGROUND
Zion: The Game - Title Screen
As a kid who grew up in 90's, I have a great fondness for the 8-bit & 16-bit aesthetic of video games of that era. I've always wanted to create my own game, but overcoming the challenge of learning to code was tough to get past. Not anymore with the development of GB Studio, an open source visual programming software.
Using my comic book, Zion as a starting point, I created a 2D side scrolling game to show off Zion's powers.
DEVELOPMENT
Zion: The Game - Storyboard Sequence
After diving into the features of the program, I created a storyboard sequence of the demo to figure out how all the elements in the game would work together. From there, I created the assets I would need for the game to function.
GB Studio workspace
Zion: The Game - Character Sprite Sheet
Zion: The Game - Level Background
LESSONS LEARNED / NEXT STEPS
Because GB Studio uses the same development system as the original Game Boy, it's limited to the file size constraints of the system in terms of character animations, color palette, music and level design. This meant I had to be a little creative with things like repeating level elements, music loops, etc.
Currently, the demo features one level, but I plan fleshing out the game with the multiple levels, boss fights, and power ups. From there, I'll release betas for testing, and then make the game available for purchase.
