Yuphex

The title refers to the second planet of the Yuphlaxian star system, one of the worst possible targets for a holiday. The player controls a squat, through spry, reptile who finds his vacation on the verge of ruin due to an unexpected supernova. The task is to find several pieces of shielding, so that the player can dive into the nearby sun and defuse a bomb.

Yuphex is basically a character platformer, with standout design and a few neat elements. Especially notable are the space ship sequences; rather than a straight level-to-level progression, the game offers some freedom of exploration on an overworld map and an endgame inside the sun itself. The platforming also avoids much of the usual frustration in a Game-Maker game, as the reptile rockets out at forty-five degree angles, allowing plenty of room for aerial maneuvering.

Anyone developing a Game-Maker platformer would do well to dissect this game in Character Maker for a tutorial in overcoming Game-Maker’s limitations in control design. Likewise, the visuals display an attention to detail yet a simplicity that lends the game a sense of place found only in the top-rung Game-Maker games. The only thing I’d add to the backgrounds is that I’d change up some of the overt repetition.