Hello !! As you know, we are currently working on the commercial version for Racketboy. This is the first entry in our Devlog, documenting all that process. We will be talking about everything new that will be implemented in the game. Please understand that the changes will not be implemented on the online version :)
We will, however, be releasing a demo with those features in the future. Now check out what we have been working on!

Racketboy gone Wide!

While exploring our options to optimize Racketboy’s capabilities, we decided to expand the screen to a wider format. It doesn’t affect pixel aspect on the graphics, and gives you more space to move around. Even though Racketboy is all about retro, every screen today uses a wide format, so it seems like a good change to be made. Also, players get more space to move around, we get more room to throw enemies at them, and it also increases the chances of having a co-op mode in the future :)

We made this short video to announce this change!

Dash as an evasive maneuver

Another big concern of ours is about Racketboy’s mobility and evasive options. After all, the game does have a tendency to get filled with bullets. Shoot’em ups usually have either a huge bomb that doubles as a life saver, or some sort of gimmick that acts as an evasive maneuver, such as a dash or a shield.
I have discussed with some people here from the forum about the use of bombs and evasive maneuvers, gathered some good feedback, and after thoroughly considering our options, I think we chose the best one. Thinking about Racketboy’s unique play style, we believe that giving him the ability to dash is the best option. It allows you to get out of danger quickly, and save that super ball that was just out of reach!

What about bombs?

Bombs are a big part of any Shmup, in my opinion. They always have huge destructive power, and most of the time they also double as an evasive maneuver, a last-resort sort of thing that gets you out of a tight situation. We weren’t thinking about using the classic ultra-destructive, yet limited bomb style. Instead, we want to explore some possibilities that are more related to our game’s mechanics. More specifically, related to the way you can supercharge a single ball. If you hit the same ball consecutively, it gets bigger, faster and stronger. The ball eventually reaches a “SuperBall” state and its properties change. That’s where the concept for a Bomb comes in!
This SuperBall state will be our version of a bomb. Currently, when you supercharge a ball, it goes through every enemy. And while you manage to keep it on-screen, you will continue to be rewarded with all that destructive power. And yes, you can even get multiple SuperBalls on screen! So it’s more of a skill-based bomb.
You can have as many “bombs” on screen as you are able to get, but the counterpart is that you don’t have so much control as to WHEN you will activate that bomb. That all depends on how many times you have to strike the ball to supercharge it, and how fast you can do it. That’s why the player will have the Dash as an immediate-response tool for emergencies.

We also want the player to be able to choose between an array of SuperBall abilities. Which means that you can have the piercing ball that already exists, or something more destructive like a ball that explodes into a massive laser; Or balls that spawn small explosions whenever they hit something, things like that. I would like to hear suggestions of SuperBalls, if anyone have a nice idea, so don’t hesitate to bring it to us :)

Well, that’s what’s new for now, I hope to be bringing more updates by Friday, so see you guys then! Let us know what you think of Racketboy so far, and help us make it grow cooler and better ;D