The Underside - second preview

[davidn]

Arthur Lee has released another preview version of The Underside, a side-scrolling platform adventure. I've mentioned the game before a few times here as something that I have very high hopes for - Arthur Lee, let's be honest, doesn't get on with a lot of people in the Click community, but you have to admit he's got a very professional-looking game here. He's good at getting the intangible charm and character in sprites that make things look so special.

And what's really impressive about this release is that it includes the wonderfully-named Almighty Paintbrush, which is even at this stage a pretty complete world editor for the game. This is possible because most of the game is externalized into little script files, sprite sheets and level layouts - by modifying any of these it's possible to create your own adventure using the game's engine, making it one of the most fully modifiable games in the Click community next to Knytt Stories. A mod loader is included, but I couldn't get it to run and just overlaid the files myself. Two of them are included in the preview.

There have been many jokes about how similar the game looks to Cave Story, though those are wearing a bit thin now, and so is the frankly slightly schizophrenic defence by the author. It's never been a secret where the inspiration came from, though, and to be honest I don't see the problem with it - this might be the nearest thing we get to a sequel, and if it promotes the use of Click software by being a great example of what you can do with it while it's at it, all the better. In the end, the similarity is going to be an advantage, because even if it's labelled a "Cave Story creator"... that, to me, sounds like a pretty fantastic idea. Who knows, if the language and tile editor is simple enough to pick up, it might even become a new ZZT of sorts. But without the community - they can keep that.

The Underside preview 2

Comments

Re: Subject

[kjorteo]

I haven't left! I don't show up in #i-c or on the fora very often due to weaving, and I haven't worked on Adventure of Sam also due to weaving, but it's on my list of things, I swear!

Also, you're Schrödinger's Cat? Good to know, but then the question becomes, who were you? Everyone on the fora changes their usernames too fast for me to keep up. The "We must invent teleportation!" title made me think you were nuero for a second, but then I saw nuero reply to a post of yours, so either you have two accounts and are schizophrenic or you're not nuero. So now I'm even more confused.

Re: Subject

[(Anonymous)]

If you must know, I was "Raistlenn" around 2002-2003ish, before the purge. Raistlenn:Schrödinger's Cat :: Gamemster1:Stak

(We pretend Raistlenn never existed) My toolkit is in the newest version of Z-Files, the only relic of my past.

Re: Subject

[davidn]

I remember the name "GameMster1"! I think the character might even have had a cameo appearance in one of my games, but perhaps I'm remembering that wrongly. Definitely had something to do with one of them, though.

I think I'm in something of a similar situation - my involvement with the ZZT community was when I was a bit... new (in fact it was my introduction to the Internet in general), so my past there isn't something of which I'm particularly proud - apart from The Mercenary, which I liked a lot, and it was a shame that it had to be cut so short.

My memory of it is of being rather hostile, but that was towards a sixteen-year-old idiot version of me - but I'm not sure they realize that I'm not the same any more. I hope I'm not, anyway.

Re: Subject

[(Anonymous)]

Everybody changes over time. You are welcome and encouraged to come back. Remember: http://zzt.belsambar.net/fora

Re: Subject

[kjorteo]

I used to be (in order) Culex2000, WhompKing64, KoopaTheQuick64, UltraSephiroth (I'm so sorry,) then most notably ChocoboKick before I was finally Kjorteo. Those days were over well before I was introduced to the ZZT community, though, so I don't have to deal with any of that there, fortunately....

And I don't care if I'm the only one out there even counting you; I liked ZZT Crime. :(

Anyway, I wouldn't know for sure, but I would guess that any specific legitimate grudges back from the day are gone, but as you've probably noticed, the community is kind of hostile just in general, just for fun. I wouldn't recommend plunging headlong into the IRC channel if the workings of the community still confuse you at this point, but you can ease yourself back in gradually (the fora are good for that,) or even if not, you can still make a cool game or something and limit your contact to the more serious people (Commodore, Quantum P.) plus me. :)

Re: Subject

[davidn]

I think my biggest ZZT Crime-related mistake was allowing Scorch to continue uploading versions under my name. I notice that another version has been put up very recently, and frankly I dread to think what's in there.

Re: Subject

[kjorteo]

Oh, ouch. Yeah, Scorch isn't exactly well-loved these days, so that might not have been the best move.

Oh hey, that's where your skull icon is from! I get it now!

Re: Subject

[davidn]

Yes! After series 5 they replaced it with a walking suit of armor health indicator, though, and the last series was even further sanitized with a cake representing life left. They were all too soft.