HuZERO - a score attack PCE racing game FREE to download!

[ccovell]

Oh, come on, I used fewer exclamation marks than that...   

[NightWolve]

True, I partly added 'em for emphasis, you ran out of room seemingly, thus I also assumed. ;)

EDIT: HiScore just now: 54526 err, now 65985!!

Yay!

EDITx2: 71,453

Yaaaaaaaay, though still behind others!

[esteban]

I finally played this (but not on real hardware...that will have to wait until holiday vacation). At first I was awkward learning the mechanics/controls. Then, PANG! Everything "clicked" and I have been having a great time playing this.

I can't help but feel that Covell spends a lot of time polishing the little details/refining the mechanics (not just the aesthetics, which are also amazing).

For the folks who were commenting on the mechanics and control: I believe that Covell was trying to create the best possible experience + challenge given the constraints (2:00 minute time-attack).

I feel he carefully chose and fine-tuned the mechanics... and it works.

The fact that this game doesn't play the way we "expect" it to play reveals how inflexible we are when it comes to gaming conventions, especially  the conventions within genres.

I had to get used to the controls, too. But I'm glad Covell forced (some of) us out of our comfort zones.

For the record, I would love Covell to experiment and try different things in future incarnations of HuZERO (I want rain effects with a slippery road—just kidding. I *do* want my car equipped with a single surface-to-air missile, though, to launch from my car when a helicopter appears overhead. The missile/helicopter won't have any actual impact on the game, it will just be an homage to Spy Hunter).

FINALLY: If HuZERO didn't have the trappings of F-Zero, I wonder if folks would have been more willing to accept the controls/mechanics?

[NightWolve]

Oh hey, that's a great idea actually, este, if Chris thought about combining elements from Spy Hunter, so make this a hybrid of F-Zero and Spy Hunter, rather than just trying to port the same exact game over which is perfectly playable where it came from, etc. Yeah, that would be nifty.

[A Black Falcon]

FINALLY: If HuZERO didn't have the trappings of F-Zero, I wonder if folks would have been more willing to accept the controls/mechanics?

That would help, yes.  I'd still dislike the controls, though.  The way that you change the car's angle, instead of turning the wheels as in a normal racing game, is so odd, and I definitely don't like it as much as normal racing game controls.  I mean, I do like this demo, but the controls hold it back a bit.

For the folks who were commenting on the mechanics and control: I believe that Covell was trying to create the best possible experience + challenge given the constraints (2:00 minute time-attack).

There must be better ways to do that than making the controls really odd, though?

[Joe Redifer]

Consider the NSA stopped! Thanks, HuZero!

[NightWolve]

Consider the NSA stopped! Thanks, HuZero!

   

So, I can't beat the top scores, I'm stuck at 71,453, my best... Like somebody said, you gotta move left and right to bump up your points. I really concentrated on one game and had a perfect ride, no hits, full power, just glided at maximum speed and I wound up with only 60k+ points... So it's not just a matter of going max speed and trying not to touch the sides, etc.

EDIT: It's really tough to get past the 72k mark still... It's gonna take a lot more practice. Just can't seem to do it.

EDIT: Got up to 72,995. Surpassing NecroPhile is nearly within reach along with stopping the NSA!!! ALMOST! This really isn't all that difficult now I see. If you respond to the curves in time, you'll do fine, really.

[NecroPhile]

Frag's score is even higher, NW.   Keep fighting the NSA!!!

So yeah, I can't help but compare this to F-Zero.

You don't say. 

[NightWolve]

Oh yeah, so Frag's the champ now ? I take it he posted a photo in the score thread.

It's really tough to get past the 72k mark still... It's gonna take a lot more practice. Just can't seem to do it.

[NecroPhile]

Yep.  He's got me edged out by a mere 149 points, but try as I might I just can't get any higher.

[NightWolve]

Here's a Christmas meme in Chris' honor there.   Randomly ran into it again.



So how does the fight go against the NSA ? I surrendered still at 72k, I just can't edge past that so far. As they say, you don't win a silver, you lose the gold, and until I can edge past that 75k mark, no point in photo proof. I'll reserve that for when I defeat Fragmare's score and it WILL happen!!!

[ccovell]

Some news that has made me a bit happy:

HuZERO was ranked 4th in the scene website 4Sceners.de's "Game of the Year 2014" awards.



Also, if you can speak Spanish, there's an interview with me that was just put up on the site RetroManiac.

[esteban]

Some news that has made me a bit happy:

HuZERO was ranked 4th in the scene website 4Gamers.de's "Game of the Year 2014" awards.



Also, if you can speak Spanish, there's an interview with me that was just put up on the site RetroManiac.

As anyone who has conquered Hydride would say...Congratulations.

A well-deserved honor.

[ccovell]

Also, if you are interested in FM sounds, I released an FM tool (toy...) for the Sega Master System, which placed 3rd in the SMS Power coding competition this year.



YouTube demonstration:

[esteban]

ZIPPER BASS.

[Debvgger_]

Also, if you can speak Spanish, there's an interview with me that was just put up on the site RetroManiac.

Interesante ;-)

That was quite an interesting interview Chris!

[NecroPhile]

Nice, Chris.  Screw those PC games, you deserve the top spot. 

[NightWolve]

Ah, HuZero, forgot all about thee! Guess FragMare (was it?) still reigns supreme score-wise ? I just couldn't get to that 70k range. :/

[ccovell]

A little update: I've put up the English version of that RetroManiac interview with me: ChrisInterview.html

[esteban]

A little update: I've put up the English version of that RetroManiac interview with me: ChrisInterview.html

Sautéed onions + perogies = heaven

Also, I must have used Google translate(?) when I read that interview the first time.