Oh! Describe Your Music...

[dejobaan]

I'm seeing a lot of great feedback on the latest build, which I appreciate. It's interesting to read from a developer's perspective -- right now, I'm focused on this tiny, narrow area of game design, and the comments remind me that there are broader problems to solve.

So, let's play a game:

1. Post a link to a YouTube video of a song you like.
2. Describe in detail what you think a Kick It level for that should look like.

It's an experiment. But what the hell.

[shadow125]

Sonic Unleashed - Spagonia: Rooftop Run

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0piixxCTmo


I Always imagine this game as I imagine the gameplay of Sonic Unleashed itself (The day stages at least), incredibly fast, twitchy and ever changing.

On top of that, stunning views in the horizon and and ever changing perspective.

To be more specific, individual blocks to each beat while travelling near a central object or column of some sort that winds in different directions, somewhat like city 12.

If the walls surrounding the level pulsed to the drum beats that would be even cooler...


(May as well put this as a point of reference: The actual level being played)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RghR4ShliIQ&feature=related

[webepoop]

Good Day by Tally Hall

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGQZItOMz6k

I imagine it as a sort of a big spiral staircase that you have to spin around in the slower parts, but something like the newest city in the faster parts. like you have to go through a hole in a wall of blocks (don't know if that makes sense.)

[The Wuggly Ump]

I'm gonna do a handful of songs because I can never only talk about one thing.

1. Harry 'Haywire' McClintock - Big Rock Candy Mountain
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqowmHgxVJQ

Ideally this would be a slow stroll kinda pace around a brightly colored vaguely mountainish thing. Ignoring the subject though, I'd like something similar to walking alone on the beach at dawn - bright colors, relaxing atmosphere, etc. Lots of yellows and reds in the visuals. There'd only be one way to get points so it would be extra relaxing.

(You know what would be awesome for this game? I "Relaxation/Excitement Slider", where if it's turned all the way down you have something like I just described, and if all the way up, you have an aneurysm)

2. Chaos Royale - Anna Supernova
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_YXltDZL_8

Playing this song would be like getting punched in the head every two seconds while trying to balance on one foot and recite Walt Whitman's "Songs of Grass" in its entirety.

I'm saying it would be ♥♥♥♥ing hard. Extremely heavy visualization on the level of the more intense and fractal Milkdrop stuff. Constant streams of extremely fast moving enemies. Constant 100-point score plates in dizzying arrangements. Moving objects all over to dodge/kiss. Color scheme: pure black and pure white with occasional, sudden, and temporary jumps to bright primary colors.

3: The Beach Boys - Good Vibrations
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCeD_6Y3GQc

Think 60s-style psychedelia - the Beatles' Yellow Submarine film, Rick Griffin posters, etc. Constantly bending visuals. Slow pace until 2:58 when ♥♥♥♥ gets (relatively) crazy. A lot of movement required by the player to get a good score, but not much else - no enemies, no rotation plates, you get the idea. The player should be constantly moving, though.

4: Snoop Dogg - Gz and Hustlas
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74AiUh7muQE

Rap is all about the beat and the lyrics. So make the lyrics (grabbed via an automatic lyrics scraper) appear on the beat. Every line has one thing to shoot. Every letter "o" is a rotation plate. The piano bass line determines where the lyrics appear. The level's background and the color and font of the lyrics reacts to the high-pitched melody.

Okay, that's all I guess. I was gonna do a gospel and a metal one but I'm tired.

[Jono00]

1. Madness 9's soundtrack
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3Coc5LWptY

Boss battle all the way, baby! This soundtrack is eerie, makes me feel like something bad is right next to me. Of course, having just a boss in the entire level is boring. That's why it should change shapes/attacks/colors/size/other properties to keep things fresh. Also, some high speed blocks aimed right at my head in some parts sound fitting.

[hat]

Beck - Timebomb (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWtZ1TqMq4g)
Undulating colors and pulsating blocks.

[MagiusdelCotto]

A Beautiful Lie by 30 Seconds to Mars (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Kvd-uquuhI)

I think this captures the feel that I want in Kick It! A wide open expanse opens up beneath you when the music is slow, letting you grab hugs/kisses and score plates at your leisure - but when the music picks up, you're scrambling to dodge the obstacles that are in your way, and then the music slows down again, and you see the the level spread out below you again.
That's really the feel that I'd like to get with the game. And I know you guys can do it - you pulled it off with several of the AAAaAaaA!!! levels. And I can't wait until it gets there.
Oh, and I'd also like each level to be as unique as the song it's based on.
Magius out.