If you folks have been keeping up, you’ll remember that we completed an alpha prototype milestone on Monday for our iPhone/iPodTouch game “Heroes and Villains”. We made an internal video to highlight the features in the game. We Intended to keep it internal, but I figured it would be fun to share it with you here to get some more feedback and to show you guys a bit of what the gameplay is going to be like.
Disclaimer: Keep in mind this is still an early version of the game. A lot of the art is temporary, and everything in the game is going to be tuned up by the time we release it.
The levels and core gameplay were designed by Ian. (my bro!)
We haven’t been afraid to show H+V with its “pants down”, so to speak. Its interesting to see how a game goes through different stages during its development – things tend to change very quickly. To whit, here is a screen cap with the graphics test level textured a step further:
As always, let us know what you think in the comments. 
David McGraw wrote a Comment on February 11, 2009 at 4:06 am
Things are coming along great! Keep up the great job!
Super Toad wrote a Comment on February 11, 2009 at 5:26 am
Really good job. However, it could be nice to have an on-screen button for quick-restarting the level
(sadly, I don’t have an iPhone or an iPod touch)
Chibi wrote a Comment on February 11, 2009 at 6:45 am
The gameplay is inspired – makes me want to get an iPhone just to play H+V.
Jon wrote a Comment on February 11, 2009 at 9:03 am
I hope you have planned a good selection of amusingly witless or vulnerable characters that the player has to rescue. If not then here are some suggestions…
Lady with a kid in a buggy throwing toys out that she has to stop to pick up occasionally.
Skipping girl with pigtails and a massive lollipop.
Small boy with a saucepan on his head.
Crawling baby.
Geeky romantic guy with vision obscured by a bunch of roses.
Crazy lady with vision obscured by a basket of kittens.
Fat guy with a crutch and a bandaged leg.
Blind person and/or wheelchair user.
Drunken tramp with a bottle of booze.
Giraffe wearing spectacles.
Each one could move at a different speed, or stop and start, or stagger back and forth etc.
Jon wrote a Comment on February 11, 2009 at 9:17 am
Ooh, ooh, I got another one…
Two removal guys carrying a piano with the lead guy walking backwards.
Maybe you could save that one for the Victim Expansion Pack.
Jon wrote a Comment on February 11, 2009 at 9:22 am
I got another one…
Two removal guys carrying a piano with the lead guy walking backwards.
Maybe you could save that one for the Victim Expansion Pack.
Alec Holowka wrote a Comment on February 11, 2009 at 9:23 am
Nice! We’d planned for a few different types of civilians – from bus-fulls of children to a millionaire. We also thought about adding “stupid jocks” that would try to fight the enemies instead of running away.
Not sure how many of those will make the final cut, but there are a lot of cool ideas.
Derek wrote a Comment on February 11, 2009 at 9:38 am
I quite enjoy your blog, following the production of your game and the way your independent business is developing is really interesting to me.
I have to say, based on the art and the title I was not interested in this game, however after seeing the video this is exactly the kind of game I love.
I think your doing a great job so far, looks like a lot of hard work ahead. Only one suggestion, I think the levels should start paused, I could see it getting very annoying to have to click pause every time a level starts or restarts. That’s just tedious for no reason IMHO.
Looking forward to the final release!
Alec Holowka wrote a Comment on February 11, 2009 at 9:50 am
Thanks Derek!
Yeah, I’m not all that excited by the title either – it doesn’t really spark imagination for the possibilities of the game. I’ve given a few shots at coming up with a different title, but so far haven’t found anything better.
I think I’m going to hack in the auto-pause on start today.
Derek wrote a Comment on February 11, 2009 at 10:05 am
I wasn’t implying the title was that bad (In fact I kindof like it) It’s just all I had to go on for the game was some art, screenshots and the title. I really didn’t know what to expect for gameplay. I’m sure I could come up with much worse titles like…
Save them, or Not
Watch the old dudes fry
Super powers (and what not to do with them)
This is not Marvel
Etc… No I think your title is fine
Alec Holowka wrote a Comment on February 11, 2009 at 10:08 am
Haha, good point!
Zaknafein wrote a Comment on February 11, 2009 at 10:41 am
Awesome stuff!
And is it safe to assume that this music is on the H+V soundtrack? I really like it, it’s been stuck in my head ever since the last Gamma3D video blog.
Zaknafein wrote a Comment on February 11, 2009 at 10:42 am
Oh also, my last name (with a “é”) is invalid according to your validation.
Jon wrote a Comment on February 11, 2009 at 11:13 am
Ooh, I got another one…
Two removal guys carrying a piano Laurel & Hardy style with the lead guy walking backwards.
Maybe save that one for the Victim Expansion Pack.
Jon wrote a Comment on February 11, 2009 at 11:17 am
Kid on a pogo stick. Which way will he bounce next?
Nava wrote a Comment on February 11, 2009 at 11:47 am
Hahaha sweet! I love the citizen ideas you folk are throwing around, especially the piano movers…. I don’t know if it would be prudent to kill babies when the government is involved though :p
You already know I think it’s awesome but I say again: Awesome! I love watching it unfold.
David wrote a Comment on February 11, 2009 at 3:33 pm
I had no idea what H&V was about until this video, and it looks really cool! I think this concept gets more to the heart of why superpowers are interesting than the standard brawlers.
Are the villains and the heroes going to be the same characters? And do they ever meet? It could be cool if sometimes the opposing side is controlled by the AI. E.g. maybe there’s a level where you’re trying to kill the old guy walking between three buildings, but stretch shows up to bridge the gap whenever he walks off. To solve it you have to wait for the old guy to walk out onto one gap, and then move him to the other before stretch can follow.
Jon wrote a Comment on February 11, 2009 at 6:16 pm
Two more victims for ya…
Skateboarding dude going back and forth pulling ollies
Hot chick with ridiculously large bouncy boobies in a bikini going round in circles on roller blades
…but both are generally moving closer to the danger all the time with occasional random bursts further forward.
jon wrote a Comment on February 11, 2009 at 6:18 pm
Here’s 2 more victims for ya…
Skateboarding dude going back and forth pulling ollies
Hot chick with ridiculously large bouncy boobies in a bikini going round in circles on roller blades
…but both are generally moving closer to the danger all the time with occasional random bursts further forward.
JacaByte wrote a Comment on February 11, 2009 at 9:06 pm
Dunno about the hot chick with a bikini and roller blades, I think H+V should focus more on hilarious stereotypes than going for something original in this case, e.g. a girl with ponytails and a lolly, guys moving a piano, drunken progra- I mean Scotsman with broken bottle, kid with red-striped shirt pulling a red cart with a stuffed tiger in tow, etc. I approve of stuff like Jon suggested.
JacaByte wrote a Comment on February 11, 2009 at 9:08 pm
“Err… the other Jon. Not the Jon who posted above me.”
Oops.
Jon wrote a Comment on February 11, 2009 at 10:28 pm
But I’m all the same Jon. Well I think I am.
Two Jacks wrote a Comment on February 11, 2009 at 11:55 pm
Those buildings remind me of Animal Crossing.
It’s hard not to see how the game is coming along, nicely that is.
Hm…
Cannons?
Seesaws?
Super springs?
Revolving doors?
Lose fire hydrants?!
Hard to go wrong. As for a title:
Fate Effect VI
Predestination Situation Collaboration (PSC)
Karma Team Go!
Naomi wrote a Comment on February 12, 2009 at 2:51 am
I get ‘video not found’ when I try and play
Andrew wrote a Comment on February 12, 2009 at 8:15 am
I can’t wait to see how the killer robots will fit in! I can only imagine that there will be even more to this game in the near future.
FellaDudeMan wrote a Comment on February 19, 2009 at 7:43 pm
Love. The. Music.
I’ve listened to this video so much now just to hear the track. You wouldn’t believe how many times I listened to you say “Boom.” while I was working. Haha!
Oh yeah, game looks good too of course. I elect the Guy Smoking Near an Explosive Gas as an NPC and the Crazy Fenced Dog as a possible hazard!
Nomad wrote a Comment on February 21, 2009 at 2:07 pm
Oh, yeah!
The music track playing at background is just awesome!
I watched this video a couple days ago but today found myself playing this music in my head.
Please say that it is this from H+V soundtrack, so it will not be lost in the wast net, and I will hear it again in a good quality, when I buy iphone and your game. ))