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

Super Tiny Monkey Out Now!

After months of hard work, labor, and skipping lots of weekend nights-out, we're excited and proud to announce that Super Tiny Monkey is finally out now on Android and IOS devices.

You play as Goggles, the experimental tarsier who managed to escape from Dr. Zoo’s laboratory and your goal is to run away from his poachers and minions who are sent to capture you. You must leap, glide, dash, or dive from one platform to the next to get as far away as possible. The crux of the gameplay revolves around avoiding obstacles. You will begin with the most basic of control, which is simply tapping on the screen as you pass platforms by-- not unlike a rythm game. As you progress and your character levels up you will open up more control options such as gliding, diving, dashing, and at higher levels you gain access to super powers that will help you conquer the increasing difficulty of the game. There are two game modes: the endless platformer (adventure) mode and the unlockable boss battle mode. Megaman has been such a huge inspiration for me, still one of my all time favorite games to date, and hopefully this shows on the boss battle experience.

We'd like to take this opportunity to thank all the people who helped us along the way. Thank you for testing the game and giving us feedback. The game wouldn't be as awesome as it is today if not for your help, and while it's finally out for everyone to enjoy, our work isn't over yet! There's still four acts to expect and we've actually began working on Act Two.

The game is FREE to download and play, and is available on both Android and IOS platforms (iPhone, iPad, tablets). Here are the download links:

https://itunes.apple.com/app/super-tiny-monkey/id919522710?ls=1&mt=8

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.hobbigames.tinymonkey
You can also simply search for "Super Tiny Monkey" in the App Store or the Play Store.

To get in touch with us, or to follow further development of the game, you can bookmark our website:

http://www.hobbigames.com

So what are you waiting for? Download the game now and start leaping, gliding, and diving for your survival!

-- LJ

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

Beta Tester Rewards

The game is almost ready for release. As is standard with BETA tests, we'll reset everything and have a fresh start when the game releases. Of course, we're not simply forgetting all you BETA testers who helped us through the development of the game with your feedback and bug reports. As our way of saying "Thank You" we're offering some sort of reward for all who downloaded and will download and play the game until the time of release.

Here's how it'll work:
1.) You have to have downloaded and played the game at least one time since we started beta until before we release the upcoming update.
2.) You must perform the update from the device that you used to play the BETA version on. The reward is device bound, not account bound. After it gives you the rewards, then it will be tied to your account.
3.) You must perform an UPDATE. If you had previously played the game but uninstalled it, or wiped out the local data from you device, then you won't get the rewards. We suggest that you download and play at least once as soon as possible.
4.) This is for Android only.

So there you have it. Once again we thank all of you for your contribution, and we're so excited to deliver the release version of Super Tiny Monkey: Act One.

-- LJ

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

STM: December Status Update

Despite the long December holidays, we're still hard at work on Super Tiny Monkey. I really don't know myself how, but we managed to put in quite a number of new features in time for our target release date. I'm personally excited to tell you all about these latest additions to the game.

Here's the video that shows all the new features of the game:

In case you couldn't watch the above video, don't worry. Just read on and don't hesitate to drop a few comments afterwards.

Acts and Storytelling

If you've been following the game development from the start, you'll recall my previous article about the game's plot. We want to put this backstory in the game itself, and we've decided that the most feasible way is to present it using comic strips.

The comic strips come in full color. While they don't have speech bubbles, we try to make each panel come alive by adding sound effects and contextual animations. These strips tell the story for every Act in the game, and acts as the prologue for their respective maps. We believe that by adding these fluff pieces gives the game more depth and personality.

Unlocking Boss Maps

I mentioned in a previous video that the Razor Wings map will be available to players at level 15. Some people felt that it will make the game a little too grindy. After some reevaluation, we decided to lower this requirement to level 11. We adjusted the player's progression and by level 10, you would have learned all the abilities at their basic level. All that will be left for your character's improvement will be upgrading these abilities.

Future boss maps will have the option of purchasing them to be unlocked. For Act one however, it is not possible to unlock the Razor Wings map by purchasing it, as we don't want the players to bypass the crucial learning levels.

Spitoon Super Power

The third and final super power our hero can learn is the Spitoon. It's basically a bullet fired by the player that travels in a straight horizontal direction. This gives the player a long range offensive option, and while it's much cheaper than power dash, it's also weaker.

Just like the power dash, it can bring down enemies (eagles, and boss, at the moment) but not poacher Rico, or the poacher hanging by the trees. Future maps will feature more of these enemies that can be brought down using offensive powers.

New Side Quests

As with the Forest Edge map, the boss map will also have its own set of quests. They're also entirely optional, although I'm sure players will inevitably complete them as they play.

Game Assistant

One thing we observed from the players during a public demo is that when they die twice or thrice too early into the game, they give up, stop playing, and move on. While it is our goal to make the game challenging, we don't want to discourage new players. Instead, we want them to feel welcome into the game. This is how we came up with the game assistant.

The game assistant is basically a tutorial system, only we didn't make a separate tutorial map. The assistant will appear from time to time, usually at the beginning of a run, in order to teach the player the basic controls, and of any new abilities that have been unlocked.

Your assistant is more that just a tutorial. He's an actual game character with a personality of his own. His name is Paru, the rainbow butterfly. Aside from teaching you how to play the game he also give his accounts of the events and experiences of our hero. We want to design a cute, lovable, yet witty side character in Paru.

We're almost ready for release with Act One; we're just polishing some stuff here and there, so hopefully all will be ready for release this month. To keep yourself updated of any news and announcements, all you have to do is subscribe. As usual, you can follow us from the links below:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hobbi-Games/670225326384827
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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs-QGA3pIyNXgpztnyRRBqA
Website: http://hobbigames.com/

-- LJ

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

Hobbi Games at ESGS 2014

After experiencing game conventions for the first time at PGF 2014, I kept wanting more. A little over a month has passed, and here we are at another gaming event. This time it's the E-Sports and Gaming Summit. For those who have yet to hear about this, the event's main draw are about e-sports tournaments. Aside from these tournaments, however, they also gave the indie developers a chance to showcase their games for the visitors to play. IGDA Manila was given a booth and Hobbi Games was a very honored recipient of an invitation to be one of the exhibitors. For the first time, we are attending an event as as an exhibitor!

IGDA Manila exhibitors

IGDA's lineup consists of Warrior Defense, Barber Hero, Caves & Chasms, Project CQB, Super Tiny Monkey, and Fizz + Hummer. I gotta say, aside from our own game, the lineup amazed me. The quality and fun factor of the games in our booth has transcended the image and appeal of local indie games, at least in my mind.

Sponsors and showcases. Can you spot the STM logo?

From time to time I sneak out of our booth and let my partner do the work, because I wanted to check out all the other games. It would have been such a waste if I didn't get to try them out, no?

Quickfire Games was here, and just like with PGF, they're showcasing Wild Season and Hayaku Ninja. Finally, I had the chance to play both games. Playing Wild Season immediately reminded me of the Harvest Moon days, what with a farm, a mayor, and a bunch of single girls that I'm sure you're bound to have a relationship with. The game is still in alpha, so it would be too early to make judgment calls on anything. While Wild Season has a relaxed pace, Hayaku Ninja is the opposite. It's got a frantic "catch falling stuff" (in it's case it's falling mochi) gameplay, and a boss battle to boot.

As I wander around I also took pictures of other booths and their on-going events.

Other games that I was also able to try were Super Awesome Quest by Boomzap, Nightfall by Zeenoh Games, Limbones by St.Benilde, Kaloka by Pepe Berba, and Jumping Jean by Javi Almirante. I wanted to try more games, but as an exhibitor myself, I have to get back to work!

St.Benilde booth. I remember when I was making DOS games in college...

Boomzap booth. I got reconnected with an old colleague here

Zeenoh games with their horror game Nightfall

"Kaloka" is a must try. The title is very apt.

Jumping Jean. I enjoyed playing this.

Going back to the IGDA Manila booth, people are just pouring in. Maybe it's because we're showcasing good games, or was it because we're next to the snack station?

Some media reps also came in to try our games. I felt especially nervous around them, because I don't know how to be a salesman! I built my career around software engineering, and selling my own product is a first for me. Getting interviewed is also a first for me.

Haogamers was here

TooMuchGaming was also here

The event went for 2 days, and considering the drive from and back to Bulacan, manning the booth, standing and walking around for an entire day, it was exhausting to say the least; but it all paid off when I think about the great experience I had talking to fellow developers, industry veterans, and the players themselves. Hearing their feedback on how they enjoy the game is such a fine feeling that just wipes all the exhaustion away. On the other hand, listening to their comments, suggestions, and advice made me so happy, because it proves that they are interested in what I offer. I may have been making games for more than 10 years, but it was primarily  just a hobby, and I'm a complete neophyte when it comes to designing commercial games. I also don't have a full understanding of the market yet.Their words gave me direction and motivation. You guys are simply awesome!

Mr.Evan Spytma, Regional Country Manager for Unity Singapore

Me talking to Mr. Nimit Panpalia of POKKT. We had a very insightful conversation about market standards and business sense. I was so lucky to have met him. Also in the frame is Mr. Evan Spytma playing Project CQB

To celebrate each day of the event, we at Hobbi Games went out to dinner.

A special shout out goes to the 4 winners of the Super Tiny Monkey t-shirt!

Jose Rafael Dimatera

Jan Michael Lim

Jerome Delos Santos

Rafael San Antoni [sic]

-- LJ

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