New Game - Batman: Brave and the Bold

The Cartoon Network Games Studio has a new game! And it's Batman!

http://www.cartoonnetwork.com/games/batmanbb/dynamicdoubleteam/

We had to do this game REALLY fast (4-5 weeks) and start with almost no assets. My hope was to make a fun fighting mechanic and highlight the important aspects of the new Batman series such as non-Gotham locals and teaming up with other heroes. So this game is fighting space pirates on an alien world and Blue Beetle is your team mate.

Since we could not afford level design/progression we took the fighting mechanics as far as we could in a single-screen game. There is the usual punching but there is also and uppercut and a footsweep that place the enemies into special airborn and prone states respectively. Blue Beetle is available through "call-in" attacks. Using these moves can combine in different ways. If an enemy is airborn or prone Blue Beetle will do a different call-in.

When I design games I always try to think, "whats the most fun 5 seconds?" In this game my ideal sequence was:

1. You have 3 meters of Blue Beetle call-in
2. Perform standard Blue Beetle call-in, he flies by hitting your target a few times
   
3. Batman punches the same enemy (keeping the combo going)
4. Batman uppercuts the enemy in the air
5. Blue Beetle call-in. Since an enemy is in the air, BB does a contextual attack for airborn enemies. BB jumps out and beam attacks the enemy in the air
   
6. Batman hits the enemy a couple times on the way down
7. Enemy is now prone on the ground
   
8. Blue Beetle call-in. Since an enemy is prone, contextual attack for prone enemies. BB smashes down with a huge hammer popping the enemy back into the air.
9. Batman hits with a jump kick for the final blow.

It sounds like a crazy string of stuff but it happens super fast in the game and is the best way to score huge points. Our programmer totally nailed the feel of the juggling; all the Batman combat and Blue Beetle call-ins feel perfect.

There are 2 enemies: a easy to defeat fodder enemy and a really powerful enemy that will allow you to do the crazy combo outlined above.

I think the game turned out great. We are hoping to revisit the game engine and really blow out a part 2 with exploration, more enemies/locations, bosses, etc. Here's hoping Batman is a hit and we get to make another game!