Benny
Benny is in many ways your archetypal First Game-Maker Game. It's a character platformer, based on a previously existing character, that demonstrates bemusement and resultant whimsy toward Game-Maker's features, yet is motivated to press on and nonetheless at least complete a single level.
There are lots of Game-Maker games like this. Usually with a second or a third game the author will grow more comfortable with the tools, their use, their potential. The games will get more refined and more ambitious. In the case of Benny, it's the only Benny we have.
There are a few things to note here. With the game's single level, Wears took the time to experiment with Game-Maker's gravity properties, as well he might have. The monsters don't do much (as monster movement is one of Game-Maker's trickier and stranger functions), but they demonstrate plenty of wacky humor. The character of Benny demonstrates limited and rudimentary animation, but nevertheless controls well. His tail attack doesn't quite work as intended, but these melee attacks are hard to implement and this was a noble attempt.
As in some of Alan Caudel's early games, Wears included a sort of a contest -- presumably just to see if anyone was actually playing his game. If you reach the end of the level and contact him at his Prodigy account, you will receive an unspecified prize. (Presumably the offer is long since over?)
Benny is a totally valid first attempt, that closely resembles the starting point of other major Game-Maker authors -- and indeed Wears' second game improves on his work here. By what this game has to show, it would have been interesting to see his later works.
Contents
Story
N/A
Instructions
- Space bar: Swing beaver tail
- c: Fire gun (with item)
- s: Twitch head
- q: Do angel flip
- p/d: Pick up/drop items
Numerical keypad:
- 7/8/9: Jump left/up/right
- 4/6: Walk left/right
Credits
Designed by Matt Wears.
Background
- Benny was created by my friend Matt Wears. It was based on his character Benny the Beaver. I think Matt also made a game based on his other character Dexter the alligator.
Availability
This game is not known to have been distributed in any form, prior to its addition to the Archive.
Archive History
After an earlier wave of rediscoveries, on July 13 2011 Alan Caudel provided another archive of previously missing Game-Maker material, including the following:
Links
