What is Maestro Nav?
Maestro Nav is a web game that I developed for Newgrounds' 2021 Flash Jam. I handled all aspects of development except for the audio! As a web game, Maestro Nav is playable on multiple platforms, including desktop and mobile.
Desktop
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Mobile
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Flash? In 2021? Wasn't Flash removed from browsers?
It was! However, the game's .swf is run through Ruffle, an open-source Flash player built in Rust. Not only does it take care of the security concerns that prompted developers to drop Flash in the late 2010s, but it also greatly enhances performance and allows playback on platforms such as iOS and Android.
Out with the old, in with the new.
So, Flash still works. Why use it, though?
As Flash provided the toolset that started my love for game development way back in 2009, it was exciting to see it get a second wind thanks to Ruffle. While modern engines, such as Unity or Godot, also allow games to be deployed to the web, their many intricacies lack the "what you see is what you get" simplicity of developing with Flash and Actionscript.
Inspiration
For the game jam on Newgrounds, I had several weeks to complete the game. Knowing that I wanted to make a small project that hearkened back to a simpler time, I reviewed some of my old notes and game ideas from around 2009, back when I discovered Flash games.
While rooting around through old files, I found the first ideas I ever had for a Flash game: "Maestro Master", an ambitious (if misguided) attempt at a Guitar Hero clone. Guitar and bass were to be handled in a traditional method, very similar to "Super Crazy Guitar Maniac", a then-popular series of Guitar Hero-esque Flash games. Vocals and drums, though, would be handled differently: a microphone for the former, and a webcam for the latter!
While the idea was far too gimmick-heavy for my tastes today, I had never tried making a rhythm game, and found the idea appealing, especially in light of finding inspiration in the then-new Friday Night Funkin', created by a team on Newgrounds.
While rooting around through old files, I found the first ideas I ever had for a Flash game: "Maestro Master", an ambitious (if misguided) attempt at a Guitar Hero clone. Guitar and bass were to be handled in a traditional method, very similar to "Super Crazy Guitar Maniac", a then-popular series of Guitar Hero-esque Flash games. Vocals and drums, though, would be handled differently: a microphone for the former, and a webcam for the latter!
While the idea was far too gimmick-heavy for my tastes today, I had never tried making a rhythm game, and found the idea appealing, especially in light of finding inspiration in the then-new Friday Night Funkin', created by a team on Newgrounds.
Ideation
After settling on that core concept, I began to outline ideas for the art style, theme, and gameplay.
Some of my favorite games have been those where the player assumes the role of a specific character, rather than an abstract figure (i.e. a nameless figure in a space ship). As the user would be dodging enemies in this game, I settled on the idea of playing as a sound wave, complete with their own goal of leaving a stereo to become the song the user listens to as they play.
Some of my favorite games have been those where the player assumes the role of a specific character, rather than an abstract figure (i.e. a nameless figure in a space ship). As the user would be dodging enemies in this game, I settled on the idea of playing as a sound wave, complete with their own goal of leaving a stereo to become the song the user listens to as they play.
From initial sketches, the character’s design philosophy didn’t drastically change - only the details!
One of the final design tweaks was for the eyebrows - as is only natural for a sentient sound wave.
The final in-game design!
During development, I also aimed to make the game playable on mobile devices, meaning that a simplistic control scheme was necessary. This led me to design the game with three lanes that the user, enemies, and power-ups would traverse.
PC Mockup
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Mobile Mockup
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I wanted the power-ups to provide some depth in a potentially-repetitive game, which led me to create a system where the user could hold two units of the power-up. If they used one, they would immediately recover one health point, but if they used two, they would briefly become invincible. Activating the ability will deplete all power-ups the player currently has on-hand, though, encouraging them to consider if they truly want to grab every power-up coming their way. Would they always want the brief invincibility that two units would provide, or would they be more comfortable always guaranteeing they have health recovery in reserve? These sorts of strategic decisions drove my game design philosophy during development.
Design and Refinement
As I refined the gameplay elements, the visuals and story continued to take shape. I aimed for a whimsical tone, inspired by surreal art and stories such as “Alice in Wonderland” or “The Third Policeman”.
The design for the enemies went through significant revisions while the story was taking shape. As they’re a visual representation of “bad vibes” in the story, I settled on a design that evoked TV antennae, combined with a smokey, toxic-looking cloud.
The final Bad Vibe design.
A design was also needed for an enemy that would be equivalent to the length of two Bad Vibes. Continuing to lean into the absurdist themes already established in the setting, I created an object utilized by the Bad Vibes in the context of the story: a cane combined with a spatula, as “They were getting on in age, and they needed to cook their food - may as well save space and combine both needs into one tool.”
The final “Stereo Junk” design.
When the core concepts for the gameplay and visual identity were established, and once the foundation was created for the code, one of the last major components was selecting a song. I chose “Positive Vibe” by Rukkus on Newgrounds because its sound hearkened back to the late 2000s era the game drew inspiration from, and its varied structure, melody, and rhythm gave me plenty of flexibility to design the level with the peaks and valleys that would create an impactful experience.
Release and Revision
Version 1.0 of the game was released on February 28th, 2021, just in time for the game jam’s deadline! After the release, I knew there were a few elements I wanted to go back in and add after the contest's judgement phase; most were elements that had to be scrapped to hit the deadline, such as...
Motherboard Background
A notable feature that needed to be cut in order to hit the deadline was a scrolling background showing the inside of the stereo, helping to convince the user that they are playing as a sound wave on a journey!
A notable feature that needed to be cut in order to hit the deadline was a scrolling background showing the inside of the stereo, helping to convince the user that they are playing as a sound wave on a journey!
In V1, if no enemies were on-screen, there was no impression at all that the user was moving.
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In V2, thanks to the scrolling background, the user always gets the impression they’re progressing.
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Encore!
The game only had one level at launch, but in the post-launch update, I added a second. This gave me a chance to include the song Time Machine by Waterflame, another musician on Newgrounds whose work I greatly admire.
The game only had one level at launch, but in the post-launch update, I added a second. This gave me a chance to include the song Time Machine by Waterflame, another musician on Newgrounds whose work I greatly admire.
Revised UI
User feedback from V1 indicated that it was irritating to need to choose whether or not the player was on mobile when they were starting the game. In V2, the user can make this selection from the loading screen, allowing them to get right into the game as soon as possible.
User feedback from V1 indicated that it was irritating to need to choose whether or not the player was on mobile when they were starting the game. In V2, the user can make this selection from the loading screen, allowing them to get right into the game as soon as possible.
In V1, this option created a pain point and was far from exciting.
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In V2, the option has more flair, and doesn’t get in the user’s way.
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Open Source
A thorough code clean-up made me confident that some devs may benefit from re-using bits and pieces of my code in their own projects. The code is now available on my Github!
A thorough code clean-up made me confident that some devs may benefit from re-using bits and pieces of my code in their own projects. The code is now available on my Github!
A New Feature: The Rhythm System
User feedback pointed to a critical issue with the game: it borrowed elements of rhythm games, but never fully embraced them. Though items spawned on the song's beat, this never meant that the user had to respond to them on the beat. In short, the game was more akin to an avoider with level design inspired by its soundtrack rather than a true merging of rhythm and avoider.
After completing the elements above, in order to respond to the "rhythm issue", I designed a new mechanic: the rhythm reward system. If a user dodges an enemy on the beat, they will be given a rhythm point. If they reach 20, they will receive a power-up. If they are hit by an enemy, their rhythm will be depleted back to 0.
User feedback pointed to a critical issue with the game: it borrowed elements of rhythm games, but never fully embraced them. Though items spawned on the song's beat, this never meant that the user had to respond to them on the beat. In short, the game was more akin to an avoider with level design inspired by its soundtrack rather than a true merging of rhythm and avoider.
After completing the elements above, in order to respond to the "rhythm issue", I designed a new mechanic: the rhythm reward system. If a user dodges an enemy on the beat, they will be given a rhythm point. If they reach 20, they will receive a power-up. If they are hit by an enemy, their rhythm will be depleted back to 0.
Final Thoughts
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What Worked
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What Didn't
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