BASIC INFORMATION & GAME SUMMARYAfter browsing a dozen games on www.popcap.com I decided the most interesting was Astro Pop Deluxe. The publisher is PopCap Games Inc. The author of the game is Sukhbir Sidhu, which could only be found in the credits of the game after downloading. Of the fourteen different type of games discussed in class, I would classifythis game in the ‘puzzle’ category. The price for the game on-line is free for the first five levels, and with one character. If you download the game, you have a limited 60 minutes of game play for free, with full options with being able to unlock three other characters and their ‘SUPA’ powers. If you want to purchase the game for an unlimited amount of time, it costs $19.95. The minimum system requirements stated are Windows 2000/98/Me/XP, Processor: PII, DirectX required, 128 MB RAM, free hard drive space: 10 MB, 16-bit Video Card, 16 MB DirectX-Compliant, 16-bit Sound Card, and a mouse. The estimated download time to install Astro Pop Deluxe for cable and DSL is 39 seconds, for dial-up, 17 minutes. The game size is 7 MB. The installation was straight forward and easy to follow. Even though my 4MB video card on my laptop was not up tothe 16 MB requirement, it was still playable, but the performance was degraded. This wasdue to a smaller image (did not fill the spread of the screen), and the game was borderlinetoo slow loading to play. My laptop has the minimum 128MB of Ram, which also is a major contributor for the game load being slow. Despite this, the actual game play was atthe same speed of 1GB Ram.The game consists of strategically shuffling like color bricks together to make a combination of four or more adjacent bricks of the same color. When this is accomplished, the color combined will blast apart. This is concurrent with rows added to the top level to increase the challenge. The only interaction with the user interface is through the mouse. The faster you hand eye coordination, the longer you stay alive. The story line is while unlocking the characters and powering up weapons, ‘you rocket through hyperspace in search of the elusive Quadrillium.’ (www.trygames.com) The story line is simple back ground to enhance the game, which pops up between levels to accomplish rescuing characters and upgrading weapons. The player’s role starts out as one character, named Vector, whose job is to fill the Brick-O-Meter running vertical along the right side of the screen. While doing so, the first basic SUPA weapon charges Amanda YaklinGame Design Assignment #2while as you pop bricks. The player attempts to stay alive while traveling through the hyperspace, keeping the wall of bricks from crushing the space ship. The game play is done by clicking the left mouse button to pick up and stack up to 6 bricks of the same color and releasing the bricks by clicking the right mouse button. The player stays on thebottom of the screen, but can move horizontally with the mouse to pick up the bricks directly above. Combination of bricks exploding has a different amount of points awarded. The Brick-O-Meter is also a way to keep score in a sense, because when it is filled up, the level ends, and the player advances to another level. With the points scored,new levels are achieved such as window washer, or novice pilot. Weapons are upgraded every four levels for each character individually.The artworks of the blocks start out simple solid colors, but as you pass levels, new bricks are added. The back ground is that of space scrolling by from top to bottom. This is for the illusion of traveling through space. The current pilot that you are using is drawn in a cartoon manor in the bottom left corner of the screen. As the game progresses, these character’s expressions change. They smile and show teeth when doingwell, close their eyes and pray when you are close to dying. There are also slightly animated, making it more interesting to watch. I think the artwork is clever in that it enhances the little story line of the game, but not too busy that it takes away from the action on the screen. There are red lights that flash when you are in danger, and ship pieces that fly from where the wall of bricks is touching the bottom portion of the screen The sound and music are quite interesting. The back ground music is techno sounding. The sound effects are a vital part of the game. When bricks transform, they allhave different sounds, so you know they are currently on the screen. When you explode different types of bricks, the audio is different. There is even a brick that when used freezes the screen and makes the sound of a breeze running over the screen to freeze the action. Depending on the degree of combinations exploded, there is a woman’s voice with comments to match. Some of her comments are “Combo” “Double-Combo” “Giga-Combo” and “Ultra-Combo.” The higher the combo, the higher pitch her voice is when saying it. Some special features include an upgrade on your pilot level. Some examples are window scrubber, space technician, cadet, and commander. The best special feature is Amanda YaklinGame Design Assignment #2the use of the SUPA weapon. It is shown on a big, visible bar at the middle left hand sideof the screen. The bar starts out empty and charges as you are exploding bricks. Only when the bar is fully charged can the SUPA weapon be used. Once you turn on the SUPAweapon, it doesn’t shut off until it is completely empty. Each character has its own SUPAweapon. Vector’s SUPA weapon is the Plasma Cannon, and it blasts bricks straight up from trigger point. Vixx’s SUPA weapon is the Psychic Blast. You could choose with themouse which bricks on the screen to explode. Sprocket’s SUPA weapon was the Fusion Warhead. It exploded a certain percentage of the bricks on the screen. Turbot’s SUPA weapon was the Neutron Pulse. The pulse would freeze the screen and target out any of the intoxicated bricks. Each of these weapons receives an upgrade every four levels completed. Another special feature is the fact that even though you can die, every so many levels are a check point for you as a player to return to. This keeps motivation to play on, since you don’t have to start from scratch. Also, each player is not given right ofthe get go. One of the character’s open has to be used to unlock the new players. Another special feature is the possibility to log
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