Kommandant RNLF
A platformer about DOS, retro hardware and a cat.
rnlf's cat has slept on his DOS computer... Sitting right on the cooling fan! The poor PC overheated and broke down before his master had a chance to complete this month's game.
Help rnlf retrieve the replacement parts throughout his place, so he can complete his beloved DOS game in time!
But be careful, as a lot of hazardous hardware is sitting around, turning his home into a dangerous maze...Controls are explained in-game thanks to a digital version of the game booklet.
Comments (2)
The first impressions were good. Quality DOSesque audiovisuals paired with the menu, the instructions especially, had me grinning. Way too garish and verbose, just as it used to be! Then I started playing and, unfortunately, the favorable impressions were mostly shattered.
Positives first. The main stars of the show, sound effects and music, are excellent. Makes sense taken the theme, good job on that. The graphics are ok too, except for one crucial detail: smooth movement. Even if the logic runs with floats, the graphics should move based on ints all jaggedy like. This would add a huge amount of authenticity. The collision detection is sub-optimal too, the character moves into walls slightly.
The main issue for me is the lack of decision making. All you do is find the pogo sticks, quickly surmise in which order to pick them up (a trivial problem at best) and then jump to the exit (an easy dexterity challenge never getting any harder).
When I read of pogo sticks I was reminded of none other than Kommander Keen, a clear inspiration in name only as here you don't use a pogo stick at all! This would have made the dexterity challenge trickier. Another addition from Keen would be some sort of hazards and/or enemies, rendering the platforming even more challenging.
I'm not going to judge if you really wanted to create a platforming puzzle instead, rather than a platforming game, so decision making isn't really needed. In that case the levels should be more complicated and harder to solve. A few more puzzle mechanics to contend with (the id classic doors and keys; tried and true block pushing; or teleporters even) would elevate this as a puzzle also enhancing the exploration aspect.
So ah, this fits the theme well and is mostly successful in evoking DOS feelies, but does fall down in the interactivity front. Too simple for its own good.
You guys!