Upsad Down (alpha)

Status (01/31/2021)

This game is alpha version 0.3 of the game I intend to present at the NesDev compo 2021. It is playable via jsnes emulator on itch.io but ROM is not available yet.

This is a preliminary release, in testing and debugging phase, so many points may evolve until final release.

Fine tuning of gameplay, and code optimisation is not done yet.

How to play :All modes :

Left/Right : move piece
A/B buttons : rotate
Down : soft drop
Up : exchange with stock piece

Single mode only :

Select button : use special power-up from jauge.

Modes :Single mode :

In single mode, you play on only one playfield. Your goal is to make lines.

But there is a twist, the ball will help you or crush your better plans. It is up to you to decide how to manage the ball, will you use it as a destruction ally, or try to protect your construction ?

Each time a line is made, or a brick is destroyed by the ball, the jauge on the left rise :

Description of power-up :

• Level Up : the speed of falling is increased, you gain more points each time you make lines.
• Level down : the speed of falling is decreased, you gain less points each time you make lines.
• Stone : This item is automatically activated when jauge has the level. The next piece will be a 2x2 bloc, and will drop at max speed, this bloc can only be remove by the superball. You can also invoke it just like other power-ups.
• Freeze ball : freeze the ball for a limited amount of time.
• Super ball : the ball will destroy everything on its path, including stone blocks. There is 2 super ball power-up in the jauge. The first one if shorter than the second one.
• 1000 points : add 1000 points to your score

Use Select button to activate the power-up.

Special mode :

In Special mode, you play on two playfields alternatively. Each time the ball destroy a brick on one playfield, it is recreated on the other one.

There is no power-up, but special brick appears randomly in the playfield. Once destroyed by the ball, the special effet is set :

Description of special effects :

• Speed Up : the speed of falling is a bit increased, but cannot rise the next level
• Level down : the speed of falling is decreased, but cannot rise the previous level.
• Transfert : next piece will be play on the other playfield.
• Stone : The next piece will be a 2x2 bloc, and will drop at max speed, this bloc can only be remove by the superball.
• Super ball : the ball will destroy everything on its path, including stone blocks. There is 2 super ball power-up in the jauge. The first one if shorter than the second one.
• Freeze ball : freeze the ball for a limited amount of time.
  Note : freeze ball has priority over super ball. This means that is super ball when a freeze ball is set, the freezing time will be counted, then the remaining time of super ball will be played.

Story Mode :

Story mode is not available in alpha release, and probably in NESDev release. Your goal will be to explore a level, and play different challenges.

Credits : Graphics : 

• Inca Game Assets by Kronbits (itch.io)
• Story mode character from Elthen's Pixel Art Shop - itch.io
• Other assets by Fadest

Music :

• Temporary placeholder music from Shiru's Neslib
• Final music : Rayxamber (Coté Gamers)

SFX :

• Incomplete placeholder SFX : Fadest

Tools & code

• Made in C with Shiru's NesLib
• FamiStudio by BleuBleu (itch.io)
• NES Screen Tool by shiru
• Original (?) idea, code by Fadest

Todo List

• Option menu (NesDev)
• Proper end screen  (NesDev)
• Help screens  (NesDev)
• Finalize SFX  (NesDev)
• Finalize Music  (NesDev)
• New effects in Special mode ?
• Story Mode  (Final release)
• And so many other things...
• ... take time to do them