Monorace [Craneballs] - cinematic trailer release - coming to Appstore really soon

Discussion in 'Upcoming iOS Games' started by craneballs, Apr 15, 2010.

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  1. Guise

    Guise Well-Known Member

    Jul 10, 2009
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  2. _ries

    _ries Active Member

    Feb 18, 2010
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    Good news, Now we have to wait till the 19th!
    Can't wait to see the complete/ final version after testing...

    :D
     
  3. sammysin

    sammysin Well-Known Member

    Feb 23, 2010
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    Government Official.
    Swansea, UK
     
  4. craneballs

    craneballs Well-Known Member

    Monorace is coming out on Thursday. I will get away 5 promo codes now though! How to win one? We want some early impression from you, players. No need for long pages of text but we're not looking for 2 sentences neither. Please show us a proof that you are able to write a good short review. And you must have time to deliver that in few hours - definitely today :) So others can read about it. The sooner the better.
     
  5. Jyankee30

    Jyankee30 Well-Known Member

    Mar 24, 2010
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    Just sent you a pm.
     
  6. nikhsterboi

    nikhsterboi Well-Known Member

    Well here is my short review for the game:

    Being able to test the game, I learned a lot about what Craneballs could do. They make some epic titles! Monorace, their newest game has you switching gravity in order to manuever a weird circle shaped vehicle past many dangerous obstacles.

    First off, the game's menu system is fantastic. The buttons are easily pressable, and the screens are navigable. I can't really find an flaws with it.

    The gameplay while it might sound a bit confusing really is not. Switching the gravity is done by touching the screen once, and craneballs has done a wonderful job with it: the gravity switch is totally responsive, and I'm definetely happy they chose the one-touch control method rather than a bulky d-pad or anything else among the lines.

    You have three characters to play with, each with a different look, voice and personality. Even with three of them, I look forward to seeing more in future updates along with more levels to play as some of the ones already in the game are too easy.

    I never got a chance to play the endless mode, and really would've liked to because from the way you guys are describing it, it sounds great. It was a wonderful idea to incorporate, and now all I'm waiting for is a local multiplayer mode! ;)

    Overall, the game has some places where it could be improved like the steep difference of difficulty between consecutive levels, and other minor things. But the major elements of the game, make it a game never to be forgotten or even deleted off an iDevice! :)
     
  7. CygnetSeven

    CygnetSeven Well-Known Member

    Feb 6, 2010
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    PM sent. Looking forward to hearing from you.
     
  8. CygnetSeven

    CygnetSeven Well-Known Member

    Feb 6, 2010
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    Game Impressions
    Icon: I really wish it was a side shot of the monobike or a pic of Jane. Having said that I wonder if the monobike would work, rendered so small. As it is the colors are bright and inviting.

    Homescreen: Four side options, options, credits, tutorial, openfeint. Three game styles on bottom, beginner, racer, endless. Below that is a won/lost scoreboard.

    Tutorial: A series of eight pictures with simple descriptions of how to play. Tap the screen to alter gravity, collect 'jumpers' (bonuses shaped as clocks), avoid spikes, choose the fastest route, stay on the right hand side of the screen.

    Beginner: I chose to play as Jane. (duh) Gameplay is simple and responsive. Tap the screen to jump and avoid obstacles. I finished level one in third and level two in first so I guess I'm getting better. Rankings are based on time thresholds, not in game competitors. As you play you collect stars (1-3) based on your finish time. Stars will unlock future levels. Beginner has 40 levels. Racer has 40 levels. You'll want to replay levels until you get three stars (similar to Angry Birds or Cat Physics) Levels 6-10 require 7 stars to open, 11-15 require 16, 16-20 require 26, 21-25 require 37, 26-30 require 50, 31-35 require 70 and 36-40 require 99 to open. (whew) So if I only get one star on all races I can't open the next set of levels. Got it?

    Endless: Endless kicked my a** and reminded me that I'm only a beginner. Friends scores are posted in the corner and so far aznriceboi13 is leading with 600 points. My top was about 175. Wow, it'll be awhile before I get past his time but this adds another dimension to an already great game.

    Overall: I was about to say this was an above average physics based game with great gameplay and fresh style... and then I opened endless mode and it went over the top! What a treat! Especially with openfeint and your friends scores staring you in the face. Love it! Love it!

    Awesome game that I look forward to hearing everyone rave about wednesday night! Thanks Craneball for an amazing sneak peak!

    PM me with any questions or I'll answer them here.
     
  9. CzarCastic

    CzarCastic Well-Known Member

    I was one of the lucky ones to get a pre-release promo code (thanks Martin!), so I thought I'd post my early impressions and answer some common questions.

    First of all, let me just say that Craneballs has really nailed it with this game. You will not be disappointed. If you're a Craneballs fan or a fan of side-scrolling all-you-can-get games like Canabalt, Chop Chop Ninja, et al, you'll love it. This is a slick little game with tons of polish.

    First, let's talk about the options. There are three characters to choose from. The choice is purely cosmetic. I didn't notice any difference between any of the racers. OpenFeint is the social network of choice here, complete with online leaderboards and challenges, but no achievements. Options include a selection to reduce the textures for older gen devices. I've got a 3GS, so I left that option alone. You can also independently turn off sound & voices, engine sounds, and game music. I didn't see an option for iPod music, but I also don't have any music on my iPhone, so I can't test to see whether it defaults to your own music.

    There's a quick tutorial (8 screens) that gives you a basic understanding of the layout and gameplay. Martin, just a note here, there are a couple of awkwardly worded sentences in the tutorial. I'm not sure if that was done purposely due to space restrictions, or if it's a translation thing. Message me, and I can tell you which I'm sections talking about. This, obviously, does not impact gameplay, so it's not a big deal.

    There are three gametypes to choose from: Beginner Career, Racer Career and Endless Mode. All three are available right from the start, even Endless Mode.

    Beginner Career and Racer Career are pretty much the same, so I'll talk about them together. There are 40 races in each career. The tracks are the same in both careers. The difference being the speed at which you race. Racer Career is much faster. Think of it as hard difficulty, whereas Beginner Career is significantly slower and easier. Both races use the same tracks, so Race 1 in Beginner Career uses the same track as Race 1 in Racer Career. This is a game of reflexes and eventually memorization. I predict that leaderboard times will be separated by thousandths of seconds. Beating the target time earns you 3 stars. If you can't beat the target time (and I couldn't in the Racer Career), then you earn either 1 or 2 stars, depending on how close you get to the target time. The stars you earn accumulate and open up subsequent races. To begin each career, only 5 races are available. However, based on what I can tell so far, even a moderate player should be able to open all of the races fairly easily. The trick will be getting 3 stars and then ultimately beating the best online scores. There's a possibility of 120 stars over the entire 40 race career. It takes only 99 stars to open up the final set of 5 races, so you can almost get there without getting 3 stars in any race.

    Endless Mode is available right from the start. You choose your racer, then you go. The goal is to get as far as you can. The tracks seem to generate randomly, so each attempt is a different race. There's a Challenge option available in Endless Mode. Selecting that option allows you to race as far as you can. When your race is over, you select a friend from amongst your OpenFeint friend list to challenge. Presumably, your friend races the same track as you to try to beat your score. I could not do this, as I don't think any of my friends has the game yet, but I'm sure this will be popular after the release.

    There are a lot of nice touches in this game. The menus are well polished. The graphics are great. I love the similarity to Borderlands in the characters. On the Career menus, you're given a tally of your star count, as well as results in previous races. If you've not earned 3 stars in a given race, the menu shows you how close you were to beating the time (usually within seconds, or even hundredths of seconds). After completion of an Endless Mode race, you're given a screen that shows your results, as well as friends results. It's a nice touch to have that info there to encourage you to do better after each race.

    Gameplay is fast and furious. You're given some general guidance in the tutorial, but really, the learning comes from playing. I know that it's best to always be in the air as much as possible. You switch your gravity by simply tapping on the screen. During gameplay, that is the only action needed. Anything you do to slow yourself down is bad. Slow down too much and the left-hand side of the screen will overtake you and it's game over. There are also obstacles to avoid (holes, spikes) that will end your game too. Speed boost and time bonus powerups are strewn throughout the races, but I was mostly focusing on not dying. As I get better, I'll work on grabbing those powerups more often. The time bonuses will be the difference between the leaders on the leaderboard, so I understand their importance.

    One thing that I saw I didn't like, but I can understand why it was done. When you are playing in your gameplay session, your scores are not immediately sent to OpenFeint, so you can't instantly compare results. There's an option in the menu to sync scores at any time, but it takes a lot of time and I got a few time outs before I was successful. I think this was done to save people from those slight jerky delays that are sometimes associated with OpenFeint integration. In a game like this, every frame is important, so I can understand if this is the case, but it'd be nice to compare your scores instantly. That minor quibble aside, I didn't see anything else immediately wrong with the release.

    I'd love to see future updates include something like an upgrade shop to customize your ride, or even your character. It'd be fun to have a mode to race with your souped up racers. Additional characters would be nice. It would also be cool if each of the characters had characteristics that impacted gameplay, with leaderboards and careers for each different character.

    Anyway...I think that's enough for now. I need to get back to work, which really just consists of me playing Monorace at my desk and acting busy. :D Bottomline: If you're a fan of the all-you-can-get genre, then this is the game for you. Although, if you're reading this, you probably already know this. This is just another confirmation that you shouldn't hesitate to grab this as soon as it's available. If nothing else, you can see yourself at or near the top of the leaderboard, if only for a few minutes. Who doesn't like that, right?
     
  10. Touchgamer3g

    Touchgamer3g Well-Known Member

    Oct 18, 2009
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    #230 Touchgamer3g, Aug 17, 2010
    Last edited: Aug 17, 2010
    Impressions:

    First off, when you launch the game the main menu is sleek in design and very "straight to the point". You have your Options, Credits, Tutorial, and OpenFeint along the left side and Beginner Career, Racer Career, and Endless Mode along the bottom. In the middle, you have your three characters to choose from named Big D, Jane, and Gus. As far as I can tell, the characters are only skins (no special powers, abilities, etc.).

    The game's graphics are unbelievably realistic. The three characters are very detailed and just from the look of them you can see there personalities pop right off the screen.

    In the tutorial, you learn how to play the game through eight screen of tips. It is easy to understand and very user friendly.

    There is a level selection screen where you can see all of the forty levels available. Each level saves your best time and how many stars you earned. Also, you can try to beat the Designer Time.

    The gameplay consists of trying to get to the finish line by using gravity to your advantage. You have to tap the screen (along the bottom) to switch from riding your bike on the top or the bottom, avoiding obstacles. There is a lot of skill involved and fast reflexes are needed.

    In Endless Mode (my favorite), it is just what it seems- Get as far as you can without crashing your bike. Your best ride is saved and you can also see your friend's results which is a nice feature.

    I am not keen on the icon which is a picture of one of the characters named Big D. I would have much rather preferred to see a picture of a Monobike, but that is just personal preference.

    OpenFeint is integrated for global leaderboards which includes your scores for:

    Endless
    Beginner Overall
    Racer Overall
    Beginner Tracks ranging from 1-40
    Racer Tracks ranging from 1-40

    Overall, Monorace is a fun, engaging physics-based racer with a ton of personality. If you are looking for a game you can spend hours with or just one to play in short spurts, do not hesitate to pick this one up.

    Thanks for the pre-release copy Craneballs. I enjoyed reviewing the game!
     
  11. CygnetSeven

    CygnetSeven Well-Known Member

    Feb 6, 2010
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    I agree with everything you say CC. I would say my impression was to compare it more to a physics game than a side scroller but I really think fans of either genre are going to find a common ground here. This game really transcends barriers, whether your looking for a puzzle, racer, scroller, etc. It's here.

    Your comments for improvements and customization are interesting. My thought is that the points you acquire in the challenge levels allow for upgrades but those upgrades are only usable in the endless mode. Therefore everyone in the challenges are on the same footing.

    Also this screams for online racing but I know the dev will cringe when I mention that. (ha, sorry) Maybe a second game could focus solely on that.

    Monorace:Throwdown

    I like the sound of it!
     
  12. CzarCastic

    CzarCastic Well-Known Member

    Downloadable ghost runs could be an option too, or even ghost runs of your own best time, just to have something to try to beat each race. Sometimes it's hard to tell exactly how well you're doing. Racing a ghost would solve that problem.
     
  13. Touchgamer3g

    Touchgamer3g Well-Known Member

    Oct 18, 2009
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    I really like the idea of ghost runs, along with the other ideas you mentioned above involving customization with an in-game shop and characters with their own special abilities.
     
  14. Jyankee30

    Jyankee30 Well-Known Member

    Mar 24, 2010
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    I was also one of the fortunate few to get a promo for monorace, here is my assessment:

    Monorace is a side scrollin' 2-D action packed thrill ride brought to you by craneballs.You have a selection of 3 characters to ride a mono-bike with.Before I get into game play, I'll go through a couple of other technical things.The menu interface is easy to navigate. The actual game-play mechanic of switching "gravity" is highly responsive and smooth.There is fast app switching with the iOS4, with switching between apps or hitting the home button you will start exactly where you left off. There is openfeint for all the score/leader-board junkies. There is ratings for every stage, each total career, and for endless mode. Also for the menu of endless mode and each individual stage of both beginner and racer careers there is a quick friends leaderboard which I assume shows your openfeint friends' top scores. Think your friend cant beat your top score? You can also send challenges to friends or other people that have monorace.

    Throughout game-play, your objective is simple. Avoid obstacles, use time and speed improvements (stage by stage), and keep from getting stuck behind a ledge.Simple.There are 3 options of game-play. There is the beginner career, the racer career and endless mode. Beginner and racer career are similar as they are set tracks with a time objective. Based on the time taken to complete these tracks, you will be awarded star ranks...Much like the ranking system in angry birds. The difference between beginner and racer careers is the obstacle frequency and speed, Racer being faster and obstacles more frequent than in beginner career. To proceed between stages you need to achieve a certain star rank. There are multiple stages in each career.

    Endless mode is a game in-of-itself. Its similar to any other randomly generated side-scroller, Random traps, gaps and slow-down/speed-up strips will go on endlessly until you crash and burn.

    The game is immensely polished. The score for the game matches the game-play perfectly, fast-paced and covering several genres of music. The mono-bike sounds are authentic to a basic motorcycle. The environment visuals may be dull for some but are not intrusive.

    Overall this is a great, polished game that has included 2 full career modes and an endless mode that will keep you coming back for more.

    There is not many things that are negative to say about the game. Some minor things, as mentioned before the icon could have been better(side/2D view of mono-bike?Jane?), Jane's voice doesn't match her. Again, minor things.

    *Thanks craneball for giving me a promo code and giving me an opportunity to review this great game. Hope its a success.*
     
  15. nikhsterboi

    nikhsterboi Well-Known Member

    Thanks Craneball for the promo! Enjoying it so far. Polished, has a ton of replay value, and like all of your guys' games it has solid potential. ;)
     
  16. CzarCastic

    CzarCastic Well-Known Member

    One other thing that I've really come to appreciate is the nearly instant restart of a race. No loading times whatsoever. Screw up? Bam! You're back at the beginning giving it another go. Get a slow finishing time? You can push the "Restart Race" button and you're right back at the start to give it another shot. In a game like this, where races can sometimes (often times?) last merely a few seconds, it's nice to jump right back in. :D
     
  17. Touchgamer3g

    Touchgamer3g Well-Known Member

    Oct 18, 2009
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    Have you considered adding a track editor with the ability to upload and download user levels? That would be awesome.
     
  18. craneballs

    craneballs Well-Known Member

    Thank you all for your time to write some nice words about the game! Can't wait when it hits Appstore in few hours!

    Hmm, we've got a level editor but it's not very user-friendly :) and only for Mac. Yes, it would be awesome, but not possible now, unfortunately.
     

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