Super Tiny Monkey: Act 2 Screenshots

A new batch of screenshots for Super Tiny Monkey: Act 2, fresh out of the oven. Enjoy!

More details coming soon! Just give us some time to put in all the new enemies and obstacles.

-- LJ

To contact the author, just send your e-mail to hobbigames@gmail.com

Super Tiny Monkey Act 2: White Beach

It has been a few weeks since we released Super Tiny Monkey on the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store. The days that followed were spent on delivering an update that would improve user interface and resolve the bugs that were found quickly after release. Now that Apple has finally reviewed and approved of our update for the iOS version, it's time for us to get back on track and start won the promised Act 2 of the game (and soon, all subsequent Acts up to Act 5).

I wanted each Act to feel unique in terms of gameplay. We (yes, you who have played the game!) already know that the premise of the game-- just navigate through the platforms, avoiding obstacles and outrunning Rico the Poacher. It sounds repetitive by nature, so I never stopped thinking of ways to spice things up for the new maps that we're going to deliver.

First, Act 2 will no longer take place in the same old Forest Edge map. If you've played the game, you will notice from the map selection that Act 2 has a beach backdrop:

Secondly, the new map, which will be called White Beach map, will feature a brand new set of obstacles. Aside from Rico the Poacher pursuing you, everything else will be new. This map will have rivaling territorial monkeys that will knock you out if you ever stepped on their tree, while some will even hurl stones at you when you get in their range.

Lastly, the new map will introduce a new game mechanic-- the "ride" mode. This isn't anything new or innovative by itself. In fact, this type of gameplay has been known to be mixed in with other sidescrollers as well (Megaman, TMNT, etc.). In this mode, your character will ride a bird, and this will give the player a new gaming experience, with a new control scheme and yet again a new set of obstacles.

This is a work in progress!

So here's the basic idea: at the beginning of Act 2 Goggles and Paru will meet a new character named Beaks the Hornbill. Every once in a while during a run, Beaks will appear and the player can choose to ride on him or let him pass by. Upon riding Beaks, they will climb up in the air above the trees, and the camera will follow them. Welcome to the "ride" mode!

The "ride" mode, also a work in progress

Remember Gradius? Oh boy, that's one of my all time favorites. This new "ride" mode is inspired by that game in case it isn't obvious yet. Much like in Gradius, you cannot collide with any other creatures or projectiles running across the screen. In order to avoid these new set of obstacles, you control Beaks by swiping your finger across the screen. Beaks will move in the same direction as your swipe, so there's no more tapping or gliding in this mode. All the power ups that Goggles has learned are still usable here, and you can choose to be a defensive or offensive player. When you do get hit however, Beaks will be knocked down and you will eject yourself, only to fall back down below the trees. From here on normal gameplay and control scheme will be used and you can only hope for Beaks to appear again soon.

Beaks the hornbill concept art

So that's the gist of the first part of Act 2. These are all still works in progress, and now would be a great time to get your feedback. What do you think of the design? We'd be happy to take on comments and suggestions.

Hopefully I can work on a prototype real quick and show you guys a working gameplay footage. Until then, see you around!

-- LJ

To contact the author, just send your e-mail to hobbigames@gmail.com

STM: October Status Update

We've been working hard these past few weeks to assemble our planned updates for the game. Since we've release our public demo last month, we're very excited to announce the following improvements to the game. These new features will be available for you to enjoy once we publish them in the Play Store. Expect it to arrive this October!

Watch the video where I personally walk you through the new features of the game.

If you don't feel like watching the video, you can just read on as I explain the details of the update.

You can expect the following changes and additions that will come with the update:

Character Upgrades

With character upgrades players will feel the sense of progression. We borrowed some elements from the RPG genre and allow the player to power up their character.

Just keep earning EXP and leveling up to unlock ability tiers. You can then purchase the upgrades using the golden bugs you've been collecting in the game.

Continue System

A standard feature of Endless Runner games, the continue systems allow the player to optionally continue his/her run in case his character died or get caught. Continuing the session will require 1 Rainbow Butterfly. These butterflies are acquired as quest rewards. Player can also get more butterflies in the shop.

In-game Shop

Through the in-game shop players can buy convenience items such as golden bugs or butterflies. It is not our goal to tighten the cost of objects to force players to buy stuff, rather, they're here only for those who lack the time for earning the currencies. If you feel the game is getting skewed towards the favor of the shop, let us know!

Items in the shop are bought with real money. Soon cosmetic items will also be sold here.

New Quests

We added 16 new quests for levels 8-10 players. As with before, these are optional missions that provides not only additional goals, but additional sources of EXP, golden bugs, or butterflies.

Improved Power Dash

The Power Dash may now be used as an offensive weapon. At the moment, only the flying eagles can be brought down with the power dash. In the future, many more types of obstacles can be countered by the player not only using power dash, but by other offensive skills as well.

Dodge them or take them on?

The game is still far from what we would consider a finished game. We chose to let the public play the demo with these updates to gather more user feedback so we know where to improve the game more. We've been listening, and we're very thankful for all your support!

-- LJ

To contact the author, just send your e-mail to hobbigames@gmail.com