Banana Royale (Pac Man Battle Royale Redesign Contest)

[Sjaak]

I'm seeking the help of all creative people on this forum.

I've created a clone of the "Pac Man Battle Royale" game from Namco. For obvious reasons I cannot distribute the game, but if I change the characters/graphics and alter the game play enough, it shouldn't be too much of a risk.

So fire up your favorite graphics design software and help create a new original game. Anything goes, even monkeys chasing 4 sentient bananas.




Design specs:

Good guys (4)

6 (120px x 120px) frames for when the main character is powered up, this is scaled down to 50% when the character is not powered up
6 (120px x 120px) frames for when the main character is blinking (just before powerdown)
6 (60px x 60px) frames for when it is being chased
15 (60px x 60px) frames for the death sequence
15 (60px x 60px) frames for the death sequence when it is being chased

Example:


Bad guys (4):

2 (60px x 60px) frames for the main animation
1 (60px x 60px) frame for a fading trail

2 (60px x 60px) frames for the main animation when it's being chased
1 (60px x 60px) frame for a fading trail when it's being chased

2 (60px x 60px) frames for the main animation when it's blinking

Example:


Pills (2)

1 or more (60px x 60px) frames for the normal pill
1 or more (60px x 60px) frames for the power up pill

In the game the pills are also animated, like this:

[Sjaak]

Reserved

[vanrose72]

Sjaak, you've done an absolutely amazing job building this game so far! Thanks for offering this redesign contest!

I'd like to know if it would be possible to get examples of the good guys, bad guys, and pills you've used in your version of PBR ... just to get an idea of what to build.

Also, is Banana Royale the finalized theme for this contest?

[jmike]

 
  This is going to be awesome!!!!!!


 

[Sjaak]

Sjaak, you've done an absolutely amazing job building this game so far! Thanks for offering this redesign contest!

I'd like to know if it would be possible to get examples of the good guys, bad guys, and pills you've used in your version of PBR ... just to get an idea of what to build.

Also, is Banana Royale the finalized theme for this contest?

I've put up some examples and there's a lot more stuff to design (sparkles, flashes, wooshes and the parts of the maze). Banana Royale is not the finalized theme. I really hope someone comes up with something better.

I'm thinking Alien Royale: Your alien ufo spacecraft is stranded on earth and you're being chased by generic men in black costumes. Abduct a cow to power up your spaceship and destroy the other aliens.

[Le Chuck]

There is nothing better than Banana Royale. Just wait. You'll see!

Oh, and I don't think a pill redesign is necessary as its hard to copyright a yellow circle. Can that be optional?

[wp34]

This is really awesome.  Would it be at all possible to have your program read the images from a folder upon start-up?  That way folks could customize the game as they see fit.

Thanks for doing this.   

[thatpurplestuff]

Very cool idea for this contest.  It would also be super cool to make the game skinnable so users could have a bunch of different themes to select from on the fly.  Obviously you'd probably have to have a more generic name for the game like "Pellet Plunder" or something that wasn't theme specific... just thinking out loud here.  Either way great work so far!

[ChadTower]

I'm thinking Alien Royale: Your alien ufo spacecraft is stranded on earth and you're being chased by generic men in black costumes. Abduct a cow to power up your spaceship and destroy the other aliens.

Steven Spielberg called.  He wants E.T. back.   

This contest should be a ton of fun for the forum.  Great stuff.

[Vigo]

And I am just guessing, since the point of this is to not infringe on copyright, that all designs need to be original to qualify. So no Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Sewer Royale, as well as no using the sprites from an old NES game and plopping them in as-is.

Obviously you'd probably have to have a more generic name for the game like "Pellet Plunder"

how about "Period Munchers" 

[Nephasth]

how about "Period Munchers" 

I can see it now... A mustached hero being chased by bloody rags...

[yotsuya]

how about "Period Munchers" 

Sounds like something PBJ has been mulling over... 

[Le Chuck]

I don't want to reveal my theme but I'd just like to say it's super hard to render nihilists at that resolution and Jeff Bridge's beard looks terrible, but the White Russians looks great!

[Vigo]

I don't want to reveal my theme but I'd just like to say it's super hard to render nihilists at that resolution and Jeff Bridge's beard looks terrible, but the White Russians looks great!

The dude abides. 

I'm as much luck as you are. Those topless photos of Kate Middleton do not translate well to the low resolution. I am having similiar troubles with Alf and the Hamburgler doing a 3 legged race. However it is surprising how dapper Grover Cleveland looks in a 120 pixel frame. You can even make out the Kazoos I put in his ears.

[PL1]

I don't want to reveal my theme but I'd just like to say it's super hard to render nihilists at that resolution and Jeff Bridge's beard looks terrible, but the White Russians looks great!

I think you're missing the whole avoid copyright infringement thing . . . Dude.

It could be an interesting aftermarket skin, though.  Are you including the rug?


Scott

[dgame]

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,122705.msg1303045.html#msg1303045

[Trip]

Meme Royale

Troll faces would make good ghosts. 

[yotsuya]

Meme Royale

Troll faces would make good ghosts. 

X2 Warz!

[Le Chuck]

I'd just like to state that this is no joke.  Even using keyboard shortcuts and working from a template it's taken me a long ass time to get through the characters and this is just a rough draft to see how it'll look.  My monkeys had better look awesome or I'll be severely put out. 

Sjaak, how do you want everything?  Each frame individually?  What's the naming convention you're looking for?  If I send you my monkeys can you drop them in and tell me if they look like hammered ass or not?

[Well Fed Games]

Just make it K.C. Munchkin Battle Royale 

Very cool that this is happening... been a big fan of the project and it sounds like replace-able graphics will make it ok to release... love it!

[Crazy Cooter]

Working idea for those artistically inclined:
"Queen Anne's Revenge"
Since 60x60 pixels is plenty of room for emoticons, use a rendition of the common 3d smilie face.  http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/Smileys/classic/blank.gif

"GOOD GUYS"
Pirates of course! Blackbeard and any others from the golden age.

"BAD GUYS"
Naval officers from various countries (change their hat colors).  Pick historically accurate names for each.

"Pellets" look like a coin (assuming they are skinnable) and power pellets are big coins spinning around a vertical axis.

All kinds of options for cut scenes/death scenes/bonus items.  Boats, skulls, chests, etc.

See attached image for excellent example [stolen off my internetz]

[Le Chuck]

Rather than sentient bananas being chased by monkeys I'm doing monkeys chased by witch doctors. I stuck with Blue, Yellow, Red, Pink as the player colors and the flash is a negative of the character.  Chased version for all monkeys is the purple.  Death is a fade to skeleton with a collapse.  Banana power pill animation sequence is at the bottom.  Oh and if you can't tell it is extremely Monkey Island inspired.  Think of it as a mash-up.  Sjaak, let me know how you need this all broken up if you want to give it a try.  I'm curious to know if the monkey crawl looks legit.  Well, as legit as you can get with blue monkeys.  Maybe it's too legit.  I still think Banana-Royale has a nice ring to it. 



If I'm feeling really froggy I'm going to do 4 astromech droids being chased by Jawas.  Maybe "Tatooine Royale".  If anybody else wants to jump on that golden nugget of a bad ass idea feel free.  Geogie-pie loves fan based stuff anyway.

[Sjaak]

Rather than sentient bananas being chased by monkeys I'm doing monkeys chased by witch doctors. I stuck with Blue, Yellow, Red, Pink as the player colors and the flash is a negative of the character.  Chased version for all monkeys is the purple.  Death is a fade to skeleton with a collapse.  Banana power pill animation sequence is at the bottom.  Oh and if you can't tell it is extremely Monkey Island inspired.  Think of it as a mash-up.  Sjaak, let me know how you need this all broken up if you want to give it a try.  I'm curious to know if the monkey crawl looks legit.  Well, as legit as you can get with blue monkeys.  Maybe it's too legit.  I still think Banana-Royale has a nice ring to it. 

If I'm feeling really froggy I'm going to do 4 astromech droids being chased by Jawas.  Maybe "Tatooine Royale".  If anybody else wants to jump on that golden nugget of a bad ass idea feel free.  Geogie-pie loves fan based stuff anyway.

If you get me the image without a transparent background instead of a black, I can run some tests.

[Trip]

That is awesome, Le Chuck, but wouldn't using Monkey Island characters defeat the purpose of making it not copyright infringing? 

[Le Chuck]

Trip, everything has been altered past what is generally required for image use. No where in MI do any of the images appear as shown here.  It's fan based and inspired by.  If I had full images of four different ghost LeChucks chasing Guybrush, Elaine, Voodoo Lady, and Herman Toothrot then I'd probably be in a red area but even then, LA doesn't really mind stuff like this.   

Sjaak, attached rar has all the transparencies. 

[TopJimmyCooks]

you've got some 8 bit pixel art chops, Le.

[Le Chuck]

you've got some 8 bit pixel art chops, Le.

Thanks but it isn't a contest... what's that?  It IS a contest!?  Ah man, now I've got stress related bubble guts!

[Le Chuck]

Been thinking about Droid Royale/Tatooine Royale more.  I have good shots of R2 and R5 and even a good GONK to work with but I'm having trouble coming up with a fourth candidate and I don't really want to do C3P0 because as a stand up hominid form he tends to waste a lot of the usuable pixel area, ditto that bug eyed imperial droid.  Any other good droid recommendations?  Need one more.  Also, rather than four jawas I was thinking about trying to do a tusken raider, a sand trooper, a jawa, and summink else.   

[Nephasth]

Make a gif of your monkeys Chuck. I want to see them animated.

[Le Chuck]

Make a gif of your monkeys Chuck. I want to see them animated.

I don't work for you!

Okay.

Yellow monkey stationary - looks odd to me this way


Red monkey moving - lot better this way


And the witch doctors

[TopJimmyCooks]

Le, please have an animation of the dying monkey/skeleton on my desk by 8:00 am tomorrow.  Dismissed.

[Le Chuck]

Don't you people have your own themes do be designing? 

[Vigo]

Here's my submission. It's called Half assed Heroes.
Here are the heroes: 

Captain clap
Sir shocked: 
Sad Sal: 
and the Condescending Crusader:   
Here is the Death sequence: 

Power pellet:   

Bad guy: 

[pinballjim]

Don't forget the PBJ:   

Nice work, Le Chuck.  A new skin for this game makes it a lot more interesting to me.  Pac-Man's been done to death.

[Le Chuck]

Don't forget the PBJ:   

Nice work, Le Chuck.  A new skin for this game makes it a lot more interesting to me.  Pac-Man's been done to death.

Thanks man, I thought about four Konkey Dongs chasing a Ms. Pac-Man but in that game Ms. Pac-Man always loses. 

[pinballjim]

I've contemplated having Opt2not doing some Konkey Dong artwork for this, but he reasonably expects to be paid and I want to make sure I like the actual gameplay first.

[opt2not]

I generally like being paid.

Cool idea for this! I was thinking Fat Kid and Smarties as a theme myself. "Like a fat kid on a smartie" has been a phrase I've been hearing lately, and Pacman being a bottomless pellet pit seems to fit!
The ghosts could be jocks with letterman jackets. :-)

[Le Chuck]

Been playing around with two different Star Wars themes.  These aren't original work but instead are sprite rips from the SNES games.  They have been altered in a minor way but these should not be construed as being original works.  Still, I think it'll be a fun theme and while I'm waiting for parts to arrive it gives me something to do... plus I think it would be totally fun to have a few SW skins for this great game.

Droid Royale:  Four droids are lost in the sands of Tatooine.  Seems that everybody is after our favorite droids.  Help R2, C3P0, Gonk, and R5 (bad motivator) get away from Jawas, Gamorrean guards, Storm Troopers, and Tusken raiders. 

So far I've finished the baddies.  I'll up load more. 


My other SW theme is going to be the bounty hunters chasing Luke, Leia, Han and Chewy. Baddies finished for that one as well.

[PL1]

I have good shots of R2 and R5 and even a good GONK to work with but I'm having trouble coming up with a fourth candidate . . . .  Any other good droid recommendations? 

How about a MSE-6-series repair droid like the one Chewie barked at on the Death Star?




Scott

Edit: Related video.

[flashiv]

Awesome work Le Chuck!