(formerly SplatShop-2D Land: Developer Tales!)

Written by Finley Farrah

A regular column on the development of my content universe, the InkSplativerse. (note: All entries before 28/11/23 were called SS2DL Developer Tales and were purely about SS2DL.)

20/9/23: First Entry!

It's been a while since SS2DL (my game) has been developed, but it's my first time writing about it.

For those who don't know: SplatShop-2D Land is a retro-inspired 2D platformer starring this lil' guy.

Or, you can have some of your SS2DL fan-art appear at the end of these columns!

Finally, you can help shape the game by becoming part of the SplatShop team!

This is Finley Farrah, signing off!

21/9/23: More stuff

Here's some key art for the game!

We also have a bunch of new characters. Introducing Manny and Big Red!

We also have a new gameplay mechanic!

We swear we'll have some actual in-dev gameplay soon. 

This is Finley, signing off 😉

Impressive, huh? That was meant to be on the "Slice of Life" page but I have decided to put it here 😂

I've recently been thinking of SS2DL merch opportunities ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️

These could be real with your help. Possibly. 

Finley signing off 👍

28/11/23: The Expansion

Welcome to the new-and-improved InkSplat's Corner! I'm InkSplat, and this is my corner. It will be divided into sections based on different things. First up:

DEVELOPER TALES!

Where we develop SplatShop-2D Land!

Since I last left you, I've been developing SS2DL on-and-off for a while now.

After watching the developers of Penny's Big Breakaway (an amazing game developed by the same people responsible for Sonic Mania) play said game, I wanted to do something. Here is...

New features, like a speedometer and ranks! The lowest rank you can get is F, while the highest is i for "intellegent". Just thought that would sound cool, in a video-game-from-around-Y2K kind of way. Think of the i-Rank as the P-Rank in Pizza Tower. I am also adding a 3D hub-world. Next, we have...

Artist's Tales...

Where we do art!

Recently, I found out about the Young Animator of the Year UK award. YAY UK for short. It's partly hosted by Aardman Animations (Wallace and Gromit) and Blue Zoo (Alphablocks) and it is a prestigious award given to young and talented animators. One of my favourite winners is "The Complete Cartoon History of Man" by a 17-year-old named Thomas. Watch it, it's surprisingly good for the creator's age. 

One of the other things YAY UK does is their mini-challenges. If you want to animate, whether that be claymation, 2D or 3D, practice with these. Recently, I have been attempting "Myths, Magic and Mayhem" by Blue Zoo. This is a character-design challenge where you have to design a character from a description. I haven't uploaded my entry yet, but it was still fun!

Wait, I forgot something about SS2DL.

The new story elements I came up with.

Castle Storm has left-over files from another game corrupting it. 2D must delete those files. That's why there are Detonators.

We've run out of time for now! Join me next time for more stuff. InkSplat out.

5/12/23: Still Workin' On It

DEVELOPER TALES!

I have added the ability to sprint, among other things, to SS2DL. I actually have footage of that. I could show you that next issue.

InkSplat Speaks

This is a new segment where I talk about things in a blog-style way! 

First up, Fortnite. Chapter 5 looks really promising. I mean, look at it! The new modes, the new story... Everything just seems so great! Don't look it up, just download Fortnite from Epic Games Store or your console's shop and play it! I'm looking forward to this game's future!

Next up, the Game Awards. On December 7, this amazing celebration of gaming will happen... at 1am? Seriously? I'll check it when I wake up on that day. If you want to vote, please vote Pizza Tower for Best Debut Indie Game. Also, vote for Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Splatoon 3 or The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom in the categories they show up in. Encourage Nintendo, as they revolutionised how gaming works with those games. Plus, if you're in Fortnite, vote either PRIDASK's Music Megaverse or Top5Gaming's Boxfight PVP for Best Fortnite Experience. PRIDASK are the Matsaya Matsuuras of their time (play any PaRappa the Rapper game if you have the chance, it's a good series) and Tommy from T5G revolutionised how the classic boxfight mode works. Plus, trailers will be shown at the Awards. The Rocket Racing mode in Fortnite will launch at the Awards and SEGA have something very special to show there. They have sent people postcards with the text "New era, new energy. See you at the Game Awards." Personally, I think this is a reveal of their new Dreamcast game revivals (their apparent "Super Game" that will help them rival Fortnite, as well as some new movie adaptations)  or, judging from the fact that the postcards were sent to fighting-game players, a reveal of their "Virtua Fighter x eSports" game they have been teasing for a few years.

Merry December and InkSplat out!

19/12/23: The IC Christmas Special!

OK, everyone! It's the moment all of this has been leading up to!
Drum roll, please....

A photo of the InkSplatMedia office Christmas party?

Wait, who's that girl to the left?

DEVELOPER TALES!!!

Also, she doesn't have a cup and saucer permanently attached to her hand. Also also, here's the second boss!

Wait, a new lore-relevant character?

And, last but not least...

InkSplat Speaks

So, I'm taking a break. This is because I have recently needed a break for mental health and time reasons. Also, it's Christmas. Go figure.

A few weeks after the Game Awards, here are my thoughts on it.

First up, Cocoon beat Pizza Tower in the Best Debut Indie vote. I can agree with this, as Cocoon is a very good game in its own right. Also, Pizza Tower was never taken as seriously as Cocoon throughout this year.

Forza Motorsport, one of the first video games with its own sign language interpreter, won Innovation in Accessibility.

Dave The Diver, as predicted by me, unfairly lost the Best Indie vote to Sea of Stars.

Zelda: TOTK won Best Action-adventure, Street Fighter 6 won Best Fighting, Super Mario Bros Wonder won Best Family, Pikmin 4 won Best Sim/Strategy and Ironmouse won Content Creator of the Year. Very agreeable, but I think Wonder should be known for more than just being a "family game." That game had Super Mario 64, if not Pizza Tower, levels of innovation.

I am unsure what won Best Fortnite Experience.

Now, onto the reveals and trailers.

A city somewhere, 20XX. A couple play some Sonic together. Shortly after, the power goes out and things start disappearing. A Shinobu arcade machine turns on and the husband stares into it.

"LET ME REINTRODUCE YA!"

Jet Set Radio, Streets of Rage, Golden Axe, Shinobi and Crazy Taxi. SEGA are cooking. They're making brand-new games in these old series, with more to come! According to SEGA's CEO, the original teams behind these games are involved with the new Super Games. What a blast! 5 new SEGA games, with more soon! How amazing!

From Panic and House House, the minds behind Untitled Goose Game, comes the multiplayer masterpiece that is Big Walk. You and a team of players get to explore a vast open world together, in a way that only the developers of Untitled Goose Game can. I dunno how to describe it, just click on the link and watch the trailer.

Also, there was a trailer for a Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi sequel called Dragon Ball Sparking!: Zero (the Budokai series is called Sparking! in Japan.) and a trailer and release for the Rocket Racing mode in Fortnite. Those were cool too.

And finally, what I did this month.

When I wake up, I check a video game recommendation advent calendar and get a daily reward in a few of my favourite games. Then I go downstairs and eat some advent calendar chocolate as I prepare my mind for school. Then I do the usual.

So, merry Christmas and InkSplat out? I dunno, man, I feel tired. 

23/1/24 - Alright New Year

I'm taking a break from SS2DL for now. That's it, that's the post.

30/1/24 - A statement from your boy Finley

I wanna take a break from-a-da InkSplat's Corner. Maybe I'll turn this into a video series or something, but until I get an idea, this is as dead as F-Zero.

In other news, happy 1st year of being a thing, Pizza Tower! You're amazing and always will be. In more other news...

Real Life Tales with InkSplat

Public transport, amirite? (crickets)

No, seriously, I'm currently doing travel training for my Duke of Edinburgh's Award. Youth without limits and all that, and all that. Never has one man so disgracefully bought some chocolate and water at the Didsbury Co-Op, while also looking inside the Oxfam, M&S Simply Food, Barnardo's, Boots The Chemist and Tenerence Paul hairdressers. I could see a bus parked in a literal puddle. What a day!

That's it, InkSplat out.

9/2/24: 2D Makes His Return

After what seems like decades, I give you...

-TURBO DEVELOPER TALES 2: 2nd IMPACT-

I made a new enemy.

This is their in-game sprite.

They work like the Balloon demons in the impeccable Neon White (just go ahead and buy it, support Ben Esposito), and pretty much any balloon in platformers, in that they burst and launch 2D into the air when he touches them. Their code is broken for now. Also, it's OK to be inspired by other games. I mean, have you seen the Yekop from Stinkoman 20X6 and how it's literally just like Pokey from Mario? Also, you have to remember that Pizza Tower, Neon White, Kirby, Wario Land, WarioWare and Sonic are the main inspirations for SS2DL in general. Au revoir, bye, that's it, InkSplat out.

5/3/24: So, London, huh?

I was gonna review the WcDonald's manga, but it's not accessible in the UK.

So, instead, why don't I talk about my trip to London?

After waking up around 5am and going to Stockport train station, we start in London Euston, a bustlingly busy train station with a surprising amount of shops and restaurants. We don't stay for long, though, as I arrive in...

The Palace of Westminster, a huge building which just so happens to have the House of Commons and House of Lords in it. Combined, they are the UK Parliament. I can't believe how I was allowed to go there!

I learned that a bill has to go back and forth between Commons and Lords before it can become a law. How complicated.

I then bought a notepad and some chocolate from the gift shop.

Also, I had to walk. A lot.

The sun was really bright that day. 

After crossing the bridge, I walked across the Covid Memorial Wall.

Inspiring, seeing the spirits of those who passed due to COVID live on forever on this wall. Beautiful.

I then walked across Lambeth Bridge.

I spent some time in the Parliament Square Garden watching YouTube.

After that, it was time to go home. Back to Euston, then back to Stockport train station. Overall, pretty fun day. London was barely as good as Manchester, but still worth visiting. 9/10. InkSplat out.

21/3/24: Easter, the InkSplat Way

So, Easter egg hunts. You find eggs in a field. Fun, huh? What happens when, during Easter, you're doing things that aren't just collecting eggs? That's right, Roblox's idea of an Easter egg hunt, called The Hunt: First Edition.

The Hunt is Roblox's replacement for their yearly Metaverse Champions event, which was originally a replacement for their yearly Egg Hunt event. In The Hunt, you have to complete tasks such as surviving for a specific period of time in a survival game like Creatures of Sonaria or 3008, or collecting a certain amount of things that may or may not be eggs in a game like Sonic Speed Simulator. You do this in an attempt to earn "badges" which can be used to unlock items for your Roblox avatar. Just like a battle pass in Fortnite, there are 2 unlocking paths, a free one or a "premium" one you can unlock by either spending 800 Robux or wearing a specific set of items. Let me talk about my experience with some of the games on offer and offer some tips.

Creatures of Sonaria - Survival of the fittest

Creatures of Sonaria is, according to Deadline while the game's TV adaptation was being announced last year, "[a] popular game [which] spans exotic worlds of [monster-like creatures, dragon-like creatures and] critters." It takes place on Sonaria, an alien planet that's like Earth but its own wildlife. You choose a creature and have to survive all the way through to old age. I decided to play as the de-facto mascot of the game, the small but powerful Minawii. As you can recolour your creatures, I decided to do so.

Objectives for this badge:

• Survive until your creature levels up to become an adult. Do not use aging tokens. That's cheating.

• Visit 4 biomes on a single life.

• Buy anything from the in-game store.

• Complete 7 biome objectives. They should show up on the side of your screen when you enter a biome.

Tips for this badge:

• Complete the "Eat 50 units of food" and "Drink 50 units of water" biome objectives. They're the easiest.

• Complete the "Travel x amounts of studs" biome objective.

• Play as a semi-aquatic creature to gain more ground to navigate.

• Play as an omnivore to gain the ability to eat plants AND meat. You'll need them.

• Play as a small creature to move around faster.

• Play as a creature with the Guilt ability to make those who attack you very very sorry indeed.

• In conclusion, become a Minawii main, as it has all the attributes described above. Play as Minawii. Or Lissiceous if you don't have enough Shrooms to get a Minawii. Lissiceous is semi-aquatic AND has poison. Plus, it's really cool. Easily my favourite starter creature.

Hints for other games because I can't think of any descriptions:

• In Barry's Prison Run (a first-person obby where you escape a prison), you have to collect donuts on the 4th level to get the badge. Don't worry about getting caught by Barry, the prison warden, as your donut count won't reset and you'll just go back to the checkpoint.

• In 3008 (a first-person base-building survival game), you have to complete 3 randomly-selected objectives and survive before morning. Hold down the run key (Shift by default) to run. That's important. Very important. Also, here are the easiest objectives: "Move x studs," "Pick up an item 5 times" and "Consume 5 items."

• In Sonic Speed Simulator (the only official Sonic-the-Hedgehog-themed "simulator" on the platform), equip Birthday Chao and Omochao. You can get these for free easily and they help you level up fast. Perfect to run though the map and get the 100 items required for the badge!

• In Death Ball (an anime-inspired action-packed game of dodgeball with a homing ball and swords), you have to defeat a boss, the powerful Korblox. Team up with other players, as it will be easier (Obvious McDuh, much?) and everyone alive in a boss server after Korblox has been defeated will get the badge upon defeating him.

So, this "The Hunt" feels less like a hunt and more like an easy ERRAND. But, a fun and easy errand! Really fun! Also, I like Sonaria again.

I shall write a Pizza Tower update review and give you more InkSplativerse news when I get the time. InkSplat out.

25/3/24: A Jasper Mention, Because My Friend Would Appreciate It

Play Jasper when it comes out July 15th. InkSplat maybe out.

2/4/24: Twenty Four Twenty Four

Now playing: Somebody New (Album Edit) by RiZi

Hi, everyone! This is InkSplat, reporting LIVE from my new iPad! I'll be staying at a relative's house near Dover.

DEVELOPER TALES:

Some people will know about my game engine pulling this error up:

This is discouraging me from working on SS2DL for a bit. Don't worry, I will still work on it. And if not, I have an idea.

A new, totally original IP!

Yes, an FPS about parrying.

Here's some text from my notes about the game.

"An FPS where you either can't shoot or can't move.

You can play as 2 robot things. This one isn't an InkSplativerse jawn.

Model 1

Can run, jump and dash like a Warsow character. Shoots and drops energy cans as soon as they are picked up. Also, can parry projectiles like V1/Peppino. You know who you are.

Model 2

A turret. Can turn and shoot, but not move. Also, can grapple to certain enemies and points."

Anyway, play Warsow at warsow.net. It's real fun.

I will eventually make the game someday. InkSplat out.

3/4/24: Art? From InkSplat? Preposterous!

Now playing: Groovy Graphs! (A) by Louie Zong

Yes, I finally finished some art.

Let me explain. This was for Strudel Café, a "hybrid pet site dedicated to helping artists grow and refine their skills using a series of art and writing based prompts to progress[...]" It takes place in Midveil, a "fictional world full of whimsy and fairytale creatures" inbetween our universe and a universe of fiction. One of the types of "fairytale creatures" you can play as is called Arborlings. Arborlings are essentially plant rodent things. During spring, there is an event called Enlightenment where your Arborling can go on a pilgrimmage through this enchanted forest and, most importantly, LEVEL UP and become Druidic, which means you grow taller, look cooler and essentially get SUPERPOWERS. Real cool. You can play the game at strudel-cafe.com.

Also, even though SS2DL's future is uncertain, I still want to do InkSplativerse-related projects, such as animation and/or games. I already have game ideas, like a point-and-click adventure like SBCG4AP, which I reviewed in a past issue. Also, this time tomorrow, I'll be in sunny Wissant, France! Hoo boy! InkSplat out!

4/4/24: We're in France!

Now playing: Beginning (from Deltarune Chapter 1) by Toby Fox

InkSplat here, travelling to the port to get to France! Was kinda torn down by the news that Strudel Café was to be shut down (I literally played Goodbye to a World by Porter Robinson as loud as I could) but after that I got ready. I might write a game review today! One on Corn Kidz 64, maybe.

Now playing: the Team Toon theme song

OK, so now I'm on the boat. Cool. I've recently been watching shows on this free streaming platform called YAAAS! alongside Netflix, Disney+ and NOW. YAAAS! has children's shows of all kinds, including old CBBC shows that aren't being aired anymore like League of Super Evil and Brain Freeze! I forgot Brain Freeze was even a show before I installed YAAAS! But the real reason I use YAAAS! is very much Team Toon.

Team Toon is a show about a group of schoolkids who make web cartoons, specifically webisodes of PSYCHO SQUIRREL, a show about a jumper-wearing squirrel who is... a little mad. According to IMDb, "Discovering that the 'Psycho Squirrel' cartoon characters they draw can come to life, four friends pit their superheroes against a host of villains." Just watch it, it holds up a decade from release despite having some mediocre special effects. It's free to watch on YAAAS! Go to yaaas.tv, please!

Now playing: Fireball (feat John Ryan) by Pitbull

Just finished my Corn Kidz 64 review. On a boat. Would'ja look at that, the "Irish Beer Brand Pub Quiz Trivia Record Book™️" Record for most travelled Inscapism review! Hooray. I went down to the on-ship World Duty-Free, and hoo doggy. Hoo doggy, hoo doggy.

It tilted like anything.

Really hard to walk. Fortunately, I'm on one of the best ferries of all time, with a fancy kitchen, clean floors, interactive play tables, comfy sofas, arcade games and so much more! How fun! A ferry from the future...

(insert that one cutaway joke from The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants season 3 here)

and it tilts so much? Interesting, very interesting indeed...

I edited the review, and I can see the outline of Calais from the window! How cool!

Look very closely, you just might see it.

Oh.

Close, but no nothin'.

It rains. It rains. Hoo doggy.

My weather app from the future predicted this perfectly.

(Rainy, see?)

By the way, the app I'm using is called (Not Boring) Weather. It's free, but only on iOS and iPadOS. Download it, it's really good. Also, the sun is shining and we're now in Calais! Or, at least, we will be...

Now playing: Á LA FOLIE by Julien Granel

We're here! And, oh, boy, is it amazing.

Let's see what it's like in the house...

Place is real real nice. Very comfortable, TV has access to cool French channels like Gulli. Gulli has Zig & Sharko on it, so my home comforts are remaining.

Also, turns out, shops are bigger and shows go slightly harder. They're better, but there's also the good old-fashioned Language Barrier™️. There's this one show about a buncha rescue dragons that I really wanna watch but can't because of the Language Barrier™️. It's called Azuro and the Dragon Brigade.

Enjoy the synopsis, taken fron the TF1 website and given a good translatin' by DeepL:

"The Dragon Brigade, made up of Azuro, Oria and Vermillon, is a firefighting unit specializing in the rescue of fantastic creatures. As soon as the signal sounds in the fire station, our heroes dash aboard the Dragocamion to face any danger that stands in their way, whether it's an earthquake, a potion explosion or a snowstorm! The dragons use their courage and, of course, their special abilities to accomplish their missions."

(Mareanie belongs to the Pokémon Company, Peppino belongs to Tour de Pizza.)

Also, got some stuff from a Lidl and an ACTION. ACTION is like the French equivalent of B&M's, except it has WAY better stuff than B&M's.

Overall, really cool place. Can't wait to get going to the Nausicaá centre tomorrow! InkSplat out?

5/4/24: The Grand Nausicaá

InkSplat here, going to what the Bolougne locals call la Grand Nausicaá. The Nausicaá Centre is a huge building in Bolougne-sur-Mer, housing the largest aquarium in Europe. Y'know, being a sea creature, Mareanie must love it there. Shame I'm not taking them!

Got stuck in a lift...

Now playing: the ambience that plays over speakers at the Nausicaá itself and on the place's website at nausicaa.fr OR ARTISTIQ (from CROSSNIQ+) by ViRiX Dreamcore (visit https://crossniqplus.bandcamp.com/album/uplink-crossniq-original-sound)

So, I'm here at the Nausicaá and it lives up to the hype. Very beautiful building with some clever tech and amazing animals.

One of the best parts is the sea lion tunnel, where you can see sea lions surrounding you.

Another cool place is the coral exhibit, wher you can see all kinds of coral.

The clownfish in this exhibit had cool unique patterns I hadn't seen before. Also, more sea lion exhibit stuff:

A touching pool with sharks and rays...

A rainforest area with lizards, amphibians and some of the largest fish I've ever seen...

A climate-change-themed area featuring jellyfish and penguins.

And most importantly, the viewing tunnel and window.

The tunnel was short, but worth it. So many cool species, including a GIANT ray that kinda reminded me of Big Man from Splatoon 3. BIG MAN REAL?!

Overall, really cool place. Would go back to it.

Good place. 

I might do another review.

Tomorrow, I'm goin' to a big shopping centre!

InkSplat out?

6/4/24: The Big Cité

Now playing: RUSH HOUR by Louie Zong

InkSplat here, reporting LIVE from a shopping centre from the future, the Cité Europe! This place is BIG. I mean, really BIG. EA Sports BIG™️. It's just as big as the Trafford Centre back home, yet has way better shops. A toy shop with cool nerdy action figures and trading cards, a bowling alley with arcade games, a giant book shop, loads of clothing shops, a huge gaming store, a giant Carrefour hypermarket and a HUGE tube slide from the top floor to the bottom floor, amongst other things. The book shop was selling manga that wasn't even available in English yet! I got a Sobble (from Pokémon) Funko POP figure from the gaming shop so far. A Water-type nondescript lizard thing to go with my Water-type sea star thing I already have. I also have a Grizz (from We Bare Bears) keychain, a magazine and a French copy of the Splatoon manga! I also got... a real Azuro and the Dragon Brigade book! Remember that from a few days ago? Plus, the Cité has an app thing called JUKEBOX. Music blasts over speakers in the halls of the centre. With JUKEBOX, you can vote on a song which will play next! That's cool, and you can't do that in the Trafford Centre! I managed to get a thing in:

(Listen to Frizk's stuff by the way, he has some really cool songs that aren't All My Fellas. Stream his song "tiny windows" that he made in collaboration with Tanger! You may know Tanger from Beat Saber or Geometry Dash.)

I did not want to leave the centre, as it was so cool, but I did. Overall, cool place. I'm going back to the UK tomorrow. Au revoir! InkSplat out.

7/4/24: Weclome Back, InkSplat (deliberate spelling mistake)

Now playing: Receding Hairline Celebration Party (from Pizza Tower) by Mr Sauceman

Your dreams were your ticket out... (Lyrical reference.)

Well, all good things must come to an end. We're crossing the Channel again to go home. I'm gonna miss this place, what with its shops from the future, aquariums from the future and apartments from the future. Stunning views from the window, modern convenience, so much fresh air... I miss this place already and I haven't left yet! I'm going on another boat to go back.

We're now on the open sea. One of the best things about this boat is that it has a timer to show how long remains until you arrive.

Like before, I went in the duty free and toppled around.

Now playing: (Just play Fireball again. Mr Worldwide.)

Yes, I did.

I was going to play an arcade game, but we didn't have any change.

I've just entered UK territory, but I'm not on dry land yet. Still in the boat. Watching some long-overdue Team Toon.

WELL, WE MADE A LITTLE SHOW AND IT GOT REAL! / GOTTA GET THE WHOLE TEAM IN THE ANIMOBILE!

Yes, baby boy!!! HE'S RETURNED!!! PSYCHO SQUIRREL HAS RETURNED!!! WE'RE BLASTING OFF WITH THE NEW TEAM TOON TODAY!!!

Also, we're 7 minutes from the UK now!

I miss France. Really much. At least I can watch Team Toon and Pokémon now.

6 minutes now, yes!

5 minutes!! 4!!! 3!!!

Twice (2) minutes now...

1 minute!!!

Now playing: Qumu's cover of Now or Never from the Splatoon series

YES!!!!

INKSPLAT HAS COME BACK...

To England.

Now playing: Electrifying (The Rock's entrance theme) by Jim Johnston

ALRIGHT, BABY BOY!!!! I'M SO BACK!!!! And, unlike last time, it didn't rain! Also, there was a "Species of the Channel" display on the ferry.

OK, I'm just leaving the ferry for real now.

Now playing: We're Only Human by Graham Kartna

Wow, feels... somewhat odd... to be back... after days in what seemed like a dream, I'm back in the UK again. It's like I just woke up. But I am in the UK now, and I feel amazing. Also, new QI episode just dropped. Cool.

Now playing: turnstile hop by Louie Zong

Currently chillin' in the UK. Feeling alright. InkSplat out?

8/4/24: So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish

Now playing: So Long and Thanks for All the Fish (Reprise) (from Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy) by Neil Hannon

InkSplat here. What a holiday, amirite? Everything seemed to be from the future and now that I'm in the UK, it just isn't the same. I could've gotten a Kirby of The Stars: The Story of King Dedede Who Lives In Dream Land (aka Kirby Manga Mania) volume from when it started in the 90s. But now, I'm heading home. Home is where the heart is. And now, let the week 'o' nothin' before school begin. InkSplat out.

Epilogue: All available, streamable tracks with names mentioned in this very thing are available in a playlist on Spotify, appropriately named "Now Playing:" Listen to the songs, plus a few extra, here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/62LE0uUg3jQJkF0jaiH5gF?si=C5O7Qiw3ScSLnPbjnamilA&pi=e-pMyOOj8sQGGZ

22/4/24: WE ARE BACK

Developer Tales?

I'm still working on SS2DL. Or, rather, considering how I could return to working on SS2DL.

So, after the big error of '24, I'm considering moving development of SS2DL to GameMaker. Maybe. Maybe I'll keep using GDevelop.

For those not in the know, GameMaker is a game engine designed to be easy to use. It is most well-known for being used by Toby Fox to make his 2 RPG masterpieces, Undertale and Deltarune. McPig also used it to make HIS magnum opus, the platformer known only as Pizza Tower. As fans of all 3 of those games, I'm using GameMaker. Also, umm, I forgot to mention a new game mechanic:

PATCHES!

In game development, a patch is a fix added to a game. In SS2DL, 2D must go through a stage again to patch it. This is just like Pizza Tower's "Lap 2" mechanic, though it can last forever and with different game mechanics, like the many Lap 3 and onwards concepts found on YouTube, mods and the like. Here's the track for Patch 3, where KUB3 is set on you. It's called "RELEASE DA SOUNDZ." I wrote it. Volume warning maybe?

Listen to it. It's good.

InkSplat out?

23/4/24: Never Mind! Never Mind At All!

Yesterday, I said I was moving SS2DL development to famous 2D game engine GameMaker. This was because of the infamous "Error of '24." Well, after rebooting my PC, performing some disk cleanup and finally updating GDevelop, SS2DL works again! I can now make SS2DL on GDevelop again after what seems like years but is actually weeks! At last! InkSplat out!

30/4/24: So Retro!

I have new characters. Please look at them.

Splash Urchin is one of SplatShop-2D's favourite video-game characters, from the famous 1996 game made by Dynamic Soft.

He might could help 2D on his adventures, y'know?

Also...

Also, ALSO, I have a new gameplay mechanic to show off soon! InkSplat out!

1/5/24: Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!

It's May today! Yesterday, I officially managed to finish all 3 tracks that play during SS2DL's thrilling escape sequences. Take a listen and maybe a look:

3/5/24: A Screenshot?!

I finished my art GCSE yesterday. In other news, a screenshot of SS2DL circa May 1 2024:

You might have noticed the new animation on the Pixie. You might have also noticed:

THE RUSH METER

A new mechanic. By collecting items, defeating enemies and gaining speed, you can fill up this meter. If it hits 100 or higher, you gain invincibility and vastly-increased speed. The meter decreases if you don't move, though. The mechanic was inspired by a Sonic Robo Blast 2 mod character, and will replace a combo meter I planned to include in the game. 

Also, I have decided there will only be 3 patches (laps) in the game. The game will be updated for as long as possible, though. "Patches" (the game mechanic) are different to actual patches (bug-fixes). If you want to add Patch 4, you'll have to mod it in yourself.

That's it. InkSplat out.