Sorry for the lack of updates. I'll post some brief news about whats happening with my game development.

First of all, there is an updated version of Derelict out on the games page. This includes a bug-fixed version of the speedfix patch, and includes a cool new feature - autosaving. This still isn't the "definitive" Derelict though, in a fortnight to a month or so I will release yet another edition, this will include the Commercial release version of Derelict's theme song, "Enemy" (soon to be available for purchase on iTunes and Amplifier, congrats Kristie).

I may also update the levels and story as well. And of course, this will also include the level editor. At the start of this month I began work on Mobile Warfare, my idea for an ultra simple action game playable over the Internet. I didn't get that far before I started to lose motivation to work on it. Below is a screengrab I've released of a very very early test edition, which I thought looked pretty good, if a little "too realistic" for the type of game it was going to be.

Part of the reason why I lost motivation to work on it was because at the Auckland Game Works meetup this month, I was informed about yet another game development competition. This one is a "Demakes" competition, the idea of which is to remake a new game to look like it was developed for an older system (the example they gave was "Cogs of Conflict" for Atari 2600).

The first idea I got was Ultra Plumber Universe, a 2D sidescrolling remake of Super Mario Galaxy, and I had some good ideas how to make the game fun and interesting. Unfortunately I discovered that not only has someone else in the competition has got the same idea, but someone else has been remaking Super Mario Galaxy with SNES graphics and it looks damned good. Incidently, this is what my version looked like before I gave up on it:

After thinking about it some more I started working on a C64-like adaption of Duke Nukem 3D called Princess Plutonium 2D, with gameplay inspired by Metal Slug and Robocop but levels that look almost exactly like sidescrolling versions of the Duke3D shareware episodes, but even that project is going nowhere fast and time is rapidly running out for the competition.

So, yeah, I haven't really felt motivated to work away on games like I normally do. Its, strange, it feels like years since I last made so little progress working on game projects. I may just forget about this competition as well as mobile warfare until next month, when the Retro Remakes competition starts... stay tuned