In this third blog of the series we’d like to reveal the Powerslide movement mechanic, which is mostly meant for those speedsters amongst you.
Powerslide
The Powerslide has had its own iterative process to become a version most fitting Kabounce. Though, the base of it has been persistent throughout: converting speed on the ground into changing direction in a smoothly curved motion. This base is what we call Drift.
What we felt missing, was a ‘punch’, something to make it truly worthwhile. This is how the boost that comes with the Powerslide was born. The provided speed bonus and the juiciness* of a good execution make it more Kabounce-esque. Especially in challenges is where its agile application comes to full appreciation, as you can use it to quickly pass a corner after landing with a Spin.
* Juiciness is a term we use in game development to describe multiple layers of positive feedback to satisfy user-input… It’s essentially an adjective for “woa that was pretty cool”.
Slingshot
It does not end here though! The rest of the design may (possibly..) have originated from an accidental programming bug (our only one ever, surely), where certain spastic button mashes would result in hilariously flinging into the air. Obviously we would not leave this in like this, but we took note that the move actually showed a purpose, and we found a way to integrate it for additional mastery manoeuvres.
The addition of the Slingshot move essentially opened up two varieties of complementing other existing movement mechanics; vertically and horizontally. These are not at all required to learn, but they will open new paths to advanced players.
The vertical Slingshot provides a boost in an upwards (who would have guessed) direction. To execute it, one must have a certain momentum in order to translate that vertically by combining the Powerslide and the jump mechanic.
The horizontal Slingshot is the combination of using the Spin, Powerslide and jump in an almost rhythmical performance, enhancing the forward momentum.
That’s it for this weekend. Next weekend we’ll be back with the Combo system and how we handled the Camera in a game that is full of sudden movements and quick turns.
Thanks for reading! Share your thoughts in the comment section below.
-Jos
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