To start click on the game screen (It should say Code Monkeys) and Press Z or X

**To avoid the glitch and fight the Game's Boss, hug the top of the screen after the asteroid swam ( At the end of the first level) other wise LVL 1 will loop**

For this year's GMTK Game Jam, Code Monkeys present: Rickety Rocket, a retro-themed sci-fi shmup? for the GameBoy.

Join Earl, the inquisitive wheat farmer from Boise, Idaho who singlehandedly both started and ended the Great Intergalactic War of 1947. While gazing into the beautiful night sky, Earl witnessed the most incredible sight: a flying saucer! Determined to prove it to his friends who ridiculed him, Earl built himself a rocket so he could meet the aliens from outer space and convince them to join him and his friends for a round of whiskey. Unfortunately Earl's invitation just so happened to sound exactly like the most condemning and blasphemous phrase ever known in their native language, threatening to wipe out the entire galaxy for offending their species. Rather than courageously attacking the aliens and saving the galaxy from mass extinction, Earl has chosen to run like a coward. Now you must help Earl flee!

Controls

To play, hold the "B" button (or "X" key on a keyboard) to fly upwards, and release to fall down. Move left and right using the D-Pad (or the left and right arrow keys on the keyboard) to dodge obstacles. Use the ship's very toxic exhaust to knock out the aliens.

How the game relates to the theme of "Role Reversed"

  • With most shoot-em-ups, the player shoots forward, courageously running head-first into danger to save the day. In Rickety Rocket, you play as a coward who is running away from danger, blissfully unaware that the toxic exhaust behind the rocket is causing any harm at all to the aliens.
  • Shmups typically move you forward automatically. This game pulls you back down instead, forcing the player to actively fight against gravity.

WORKS ON REAL HARDWARE!

Comments

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I don't know what I did differently but I finally beat the boss!

Had quite a fun! nice work!

I'll be uploading a fixed version soon

I'll admit it, I've been having a hard time getting to the mentioned boss haha
The way you die when you touch the end of the screen makes this complicated, and it doesn't help that when the scrolling stops (after some asteroids), my ship persists to move upwards, and causes a restart.

Am I missing something, perhaps?

Digging the asteroid sprites and the music a lot, though!!
Not to mention the sheer creativity behind the main game mechanic! Has insane potential.

Very fun concept and I love the look on an old school Game Boy! Great work!

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Wow! the hardest moment is starting your game, but its awesome - very good work.

We're trying to get it to work but unfortunately we can't play in any of the browsers we tried :( The concept seems so cool, answer us if you manage to know what's the problem and we'll definitely come back to the page to give it a shot!

strange, I'd just tried it on chrome and Firefox and it runs. Have you tried it on Android?

This seems neat! Is there a link to the rom?

Not at the moment, there's a small bug at the end of the first level that can't be fixed untill after the Game Jam is over. Will link the fix ROM afterwards

Fun game! Nice mechanics!

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thanks

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Thanks! And your music was awesome, neither of us have any musical aptitude so finding your music was a life saver

I'm glad! Thanks for using my music!