A simulation screenshot showing how the game will likely look when played (accurate as of Apr 12, 2010)
What is the game Platform Masters and what is it about?
Last updated: Apr 30, 2009 (first version)
Level 7 update on Sep 17, 2009 (worlds updated and expanded on; clouds details moved to here and rewritten)
Level 6 update on May 9, 2010 (some worlds have been declassified, others have been expanded on; section 3 renamed and expanded on)
Game flow < Previous page | Next page > FAQ
1 What is a world in a video game?
A world, in video games, is a group of levels with a similar setting or theme (such as a forest or the mountains). Platform Masters has 18 worlds. Each world has its own background scenery, the theme or setting. Each world also has its own unique boss. What is a boss? It is a more powerful enemy with more complex actions than a normal one, often marking the end of a "chapter". Quite often, later worlds are more difficult than earlier ones. Platform Masters is the same way.
2 The game's various worlds
There are 18 worlds in Platform Masters. I'll only list those that are not classified (confidential - kept hidden from the public). Every world has an official name for it, but some are classified. As development continues the classified content will be declassified.
World 1 - Jeremy's House. This is the easiest of all the worlds. The levels involve only non-moving platforms and few, easy-to-get enemies. There are no hazards like spikes, but there are springs present. Use this world to learn the basics of game play and get a feel for the game's mechanics. The scenery is primarily composed of houses though there are small and medium-sized hills in the distance, along with grass. The ground is primarily grass, though the ocean can be seen with enough height to see over the higher hills.
World 2 - Ronnis. Ronnis is also easy. It introduces dynamic platforms (moving platforms), though they're relatively slow-moving and simple to work with. The scenery consists of an animated traffic light (using real-world timing rules) up close with pavement in the foreground (no cars - they're behind the scene). Grass leads to a ledge with a river below. The river has sailboats going back and forth across it. Beyond the river are a long series of sky scrapers that extend out into the distance for miles. The ocean is just beyond, if you can see it between the buildings.
World 3 - classified.
World 4 - Keveran Desert. Keveran Desert introduces hazards in the form of cacti, along with a new type of platform (classified as to the specific type). The background scenery consists of sand with cacti then sand dunes. A rock cliff with banding is about 1 1/4 miles away and small and medium-sized hills are just beyond. Far, far away into the distance is the ocean.
World 5 - Lake Keveran. Lake Keveran introduces water and mud. Though 75 feet deep may not seem shallow it is as a blue spring on the ground is more than enough to get from the lake's bottom to the surface and a little above. Beyond the wavy water are beaches then hills.
World 6 - Keveran Forest. Keveran Forest introduces bottomless pits, water pools, and spikes. The scenery involves a thick fog bank enveloping the low-lying area where the forest itself is. A river cuts through leaving an odd gap in the trees. Small hills poke out of the fog in the furthest reaches.
World 7 - classified.
World 8 - Keveran Reef. Keveran Reef revolves around deep water. Above the very wavy water, a lone, 5-mile-distant island is visible. Below the water, a coral reef is present on a ledge.
World 9 - Carnivalesta. This world introduces great heights and a new type of platform (classified as to the type). This world is simply the most beautiful of all and is full of color and animation. The foreground consists of pavement which has barker stands and food stands underneath colored flags spanning from one light pole to another. Beyond these is where a lot of the animation is present - a 250-foot-high Ferris wheel, and an assortment of other carnival rides with ever-changing lights. Two sets of roller coaster tracks lie beyond, reaching 110 feet high. Grass is beyond which leads up into the mountains, of which have small cities and villages dotting them. The night setting and night sky really add to the beauty of this world. This is my top favorite world as of May 9, 2010, and is likely to stay that way.
World 10 - classified.
World 11 - classified. This is my third favorite world as of May 9, 2010.
World 12 - classified.
World 13 - Mount Sentusia. Mount Sentusia is a volcano with a lava pit below. Don't fall in the lava or your HP will go down at a blazing fast speed. If you can get above the rim of the volcano's caldera, you can see the mountains and clouds below!
World 14 - classified.
World 15 - Nodera Ice Shelf. This world is slippery and the water is freezing cold, and deadly. Be careful not to touch the water for more than a few seconds, or it'll sap HP. The scenery involves a series of ice burgs with a large one up close. Small mountains across the ocean are visible near the edge of visibility. This is my second favorite world in terms of scenery, as of May 9, 2010.
World 16 - classified.
World 17 - classified.
World 18 - classified.
3 Scenery and 3D effects
Although Platform Masters is purely a 2D game, with no hint of 3D elements being used, the extreme use of parallax scrolling makes this game seem like it was 3D, especially the clouds. Through the use of a surprisingly simple formula, "Pixels*Scaling=CU", I can mimic 3D very well. Unlike a 3D game, the "camera" cannot rotate. Scaling, in my case, is the relative size and distance (mainly distance) of an object. Doubling the scaling causes objects to appear half as big on each side (horizontally and vertically), and move like it was twice as distant.
All objects utilize this system, though some, such as the ground and clouds, have special "extra" enhancements. The closest part of the ground is textured and, like a 3D game, the texture gets smaller and less detailed as it gets further away until the texture is otherwise featureless.
One of the most eye-catching elements of Platform Masters are the clouds drifting above. They, however, are only a flat plane. Practically all worlds have clouds drifting above. When near the clouds or inside them, the scene fogs up. When going 200 mph horizontally, their 3D-like motion really stands out. Perhaps one of the most awesome features is the fact that objects can "poke" through the clouds.
To give a more atmospheric feel and greater realism, fog is present. As objects get progressively more distant, they become harder to see as they lose contrast. In the screenshot above, you can see the distant hills seem more "white" than the closer ones. Even the clouds and ground have this effect. I call this distance fog, as opposed to a cloud bank like with Keveran Forest.
Game flow < Previous page | Next page > FAQ
9.1.5 Platform Masters - The fast-paced, action-packed 2D platform game
9.1.5-1 Introduction
9.1.5-2 Features
9.1.5-3 Gameflow
9.1.5-4 Worlds
9.1.5-5 Frequently asked questions
9.1.5-6 End user license agreement
9.1.5-7 System requirements
9.1.5-8 How to buy
9.1.5-9 Downloads
9.1.5-10 Development history - multiple pages
9.1.5-11 Progress checklist
Footnotes:
None.
