Jet!
Release type: Incomplete
Release date: 1995
Levels: 1
Author: Alan Caudel
Website: DummyDuck.com
Related games: Space Harrier, Dummy Duck 7
Not to be mistaken for Matthew Groves's Jet Driver.
Continuing his long line of noble experiments, with Jet! Alan Caudel hit on the start of something really interesting. As with other experiments like Big Fat Tank! and Scurvy the Squirrel the techniques don't quite work out here, but they do pave the path for later refinement and possible perfection.
Inspired by classic arcade sprite scalers like Space Harrier and After Burner, Caudel searched for a way to fudge the same effect in RSD's engine. In the case of Jet!, he used background blocks for the bulk of the illusion -- a method swapped in later experiments with strategically birthed monster blocks.
The effect here isn't totally convincing: the animation is choppy and grid-based; the 3D effect is dampened by the 45-degree perspective employed; background objects don't scale effectively, and manage to damage the player's character no matter how far away they're meant to be; the horizon seems more like it's the top of a nearby hill than a true vanishing point; the character's motion is limited to a small portion of the field. Still, it's a start.
On a plus side, the desert landscape and burnt sky are an interesting backdrop, especially when juxtaposed with the little triangular spaceship. There's some attempt at verisimilitude with the zooming and puffing clouds -- though those look a bit erratic as well, particularly in the full context of the scene. It's also just a brave, interesting thing to attempt with the tools at hand. To make the leap to even attempt a sprite scaler with RSD's engine takes a certain lateral leap.
And Caudel sorta kinda gets things moving here. Not in anything close to an ideal way, but it's a good effort -- and an important first step.
Story[edit]
N/A
Instructions[edit]
- Left, right: Move your ship to the left and right.
- Down: Pull your ship up.
- Up: Push your ship down.
- M: Fire missiles.
Credits[edit]
Game designed by Alan Caudel.
Availability[edit]
This game is not known to have been distributed in any form, prior to its addition to the Archive.
Archive History[edit]
On March 2, 2012, Alan Caudel tracked down copies of Jet! and NBA Jams!, and sent them along for inclusion.
Links[edit]
Downloads[edit]
- Jet! (123.2 kB)
