It's Saturday, and I've not really started a game for this week.
Well, that's not entirely true.
I've actually started three games, this week, but all of them seemed to hit a dead-end pretty early on, so I've not really got anything to show for it.

<img src="https://socoder.net/AGAWGold_128.png" style="float:right;"> AGameAWeek Gold is a daily trip through the Jayenkai Archive, to see if I've previously released any games on this day in history.
Sometimes the day is uneventful. Not even I have managed enough to pad out every single day of the year!
Oddly, though, other days contain more than one game.
And today's one of those days!

For the next few days, until April 16th 2013, Sheep Goes Left will be half-price, over at the <a href="https://bit.ly/SheepGoesLeft">iOS AppStore</a>.
To celebrate this random decision, here's...

A Brief'ish History of Sheep Goes Left

After SpikeDislike was released, one of the AppStore reviewers complained that there's no way to save your progress, and that the infinitely continuing level was an issue because there are no checkpoints, and no ending.
...

If you've been following AGameAWeek for the past few years, you'll have noticed the occasional blip, where I've mentioned having a repeating neck cramp, with accompanying migraines. These have gotten steadily worse, up until early March 2012, when I was curled over the toilet bowl, throwing up a worryingly black goo of sorts.
Enough was enough!
An ambulance was called, and after my blood pressure failed to register (too high!?) I was whizzed off to Bolton general where they continued...

Last month, I got to the end of the month, and opted to leave out the last week.
I was FAR too busy doing Unijuggler iOS, it grew out of control, and AGameAWeek took the fall.
This month, we've reached the last week of the month, and a similar kind of thing has happened.
I've spent the past four days working on a "Not Cluedo, Honest" game, and although it's gone well, it's also not!

Thankyou Santa!!

My issue with Super Mario 3D Land isn't the fact that it's in 3D.
My issue is with the fact that the gameplay's in 3D.

Had another Migraine day, today, and thus managed to accomplish bog all.
'tis a bit of a downpoint, considering how productive I've been over the past couple of weeks, but I pretty much ended up reading forums, messing about on Twitter, and.. .. Relaxing a bit.
Because, apparently that's important, even when you're kicking ass making a really great platformer. Go figure!

Something's been annoying me, lately.
I've known what it is, but no matter how I wrangle the numbers in my head, it just doesn't seem to work out.
So, apologies to all, but I'm going to have that well earned rest, whether my schedule accepts it or not..

This week, I started a game on a grid.
It started well enough, with a lovely grid-doodling method making nice colourful griddy squares, and a simple circle on the top for the player. Then I got to the point where I had to do character movement, and my head just kinda went "Ugh.. I just can't be arsed!!"
(URL "https://AGameAWeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/NoGoA.png"><img src="https://AGameAWeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/NoGoA-300x236.png" alt="" title="NoGoA" width="300" height="2...

Today I've been continuing to fiddle about with all the framework's drawing methods.
The engine seems rather fickle, and will sometimes do a bunch of big sprites, and other times do a buttload of tiny ones.
I've currently got the settings to a nice middleground.
It can handle quite a bit, so long as you don't give it mountains of giant sprites to contend with!!
<a href="https://AGameAWeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/photo-1.png"><img src="https://AGameAWee...

As we continue on our short Advent based journey, I'm having a bit of fun making silly little non-games for a change.
It's been a while since I allowed myself to do such simplistic games, and I'm even finding myself coding them in the small hours of the night.
eg, since 10pm, when I got home from work tonight, I've done the following..
1. Watched an episode of Corner Gas whilst eating my tea/supper. (still watching repeats of that!! Doesn't get old!)

In windows, to add a tab to the left of 3 or 4 lines, I've settled into the habit of doing either one of two things..
1. Up, Home, Tab, Up, Home, Tab, Up, Home, Tab, Up, Home, Tab.
Which goes up per line, heads to the far left, then places a tab.
or

54 games. Last year I only managed about 30-odd, so I think that's pretty good going.
Sure, it might not have truely actually been A Game "Per" Week, but I did at least keep the ratio up.
If I hadn't taken the time out to build the framework, I probably would've actually achieved the target a little better
The stats show I was pretty much on top of things up until that point, but then things got slower and slower until my buffer zone was all dried up.
Anyhoo, this is a n...

Tuesday, Fred the Parachuting Flea.
Needs a few "I didn't get that!!!?" kinda tweaks, but it otherwise working nicely.. If I drop dead tomorrow, at least the game's ready for release

This one didn't really turn out, so well.
It's a nice nature based bee game, with lovely floaty music, and some words.
<a href="https://AGameAWeek.com/complete/Barry_The_Spelling_Bee_20100629A.png"><img src="https://AGameAWeek.com/complete/Barry_The_Spelling_Bee_20100629A_thumb.png"></a>
You hit Tab to highlight the flower/bee, type it's unscrambled word into Barry's Belly, then hit return.

I don't usually repost this here, but. What the hey!<br>
<br>
(URL "https://groups.google.com/group/socoder-newsletter">Sign up, it's fun, and weekly, and written!!)<br>
<br>

Oh dear, I'm WAY behind, this week.
I spent most of yesterday doing odd little bits of behind-the-scene Socoder stuff, so I'm a wee bit behind.
Then, today, something that should've been a 10 minute job ended up taking AGES to do!
I hate things like that!

legoman4032 asked in the Youtube comments if I had mp3's.
Who am I to argue..
(URL "https://AGameAWeek.com/music/ingame/Pain.mp3">Pain.MP3) The version from the YouTube video!
(URL "https://AGameAWeek.com/music/ingame/Pain%20Extended.mp3">Extended), via the basic use of a repeaty bit in the middle, but in an instrumental stylee!

This week has taken many twists and turns.
I started off making a nice game with a snowman, then that turned into a game with Greenie, then the new PC turned up and I spend a day or two playing with that but the whole network's down, and now I'm waiting on a new Router being delivered! blimey!
Meanwhile it's a chore getting from one system to the other, and that means I'm relying on a slightly-dodgy-not-quite-Win7-compatible edition Paintshop Pro 7 and a slightly-dodgy-not-quite...

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Socoder Newsletter
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Blimey, Blockman got big!
5Mb!!
FIVE!!
That's not like me!

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The AGameAWeek 2008-2009 Retrospective

(URL "https://www.agameaweek.com/2009/08/agameaweek-2008-2009-part-one/">Part One), (URL "https://www.agameaweek.com/2009/08/agameaweek-2008-2009-part-two/">Part Two), (URL "https://www.agameaweek.com/2009/08/agameaweek-2008-2009-part-three/">Part Three), (URL "https://www.agameaweek.com/2009/08/agameaweek-2008-2009-part-four/">Part Four), (URL "https://www.agameaweek.com/2009/08/agameaweek-2008-2009-part-five/">Part Five)

The Home Str...

First things first, here's this week's AGameAWeek game.
I've done a few dozen "Get the Greens" before, so I figured I'd keep this one short.
Simply put, get the greens, and avoid the holes.
No enemy this time, just you and the floor, so if you're nice and gentle you could probably get quite far through and score a decent score.

It's been 30 weeks since I last tackled Horizontal Shooter.
The last time, I used BlitzMax.
It was wonderful, and gave me all manner of nice swirly effects for those lovely background lines.
Mmm..

<img src="https://socoder.net/uploads/1/onlinegets.png">
That there's the first official online highscore!
o/ YEAY! o/
But, boo that I had to manually copy and paste bits of text to get the level into the database in the first place!!

A sequel/repeat this week, as the <a href="https://socoder.net/?Workshop=Challenge&Week=167">Wednesday Workshop #167</a> asked us to create a game with 2 main characters.
At first I considered doing a Bill and Ted game, but couldn't think of a decent gameplay element other than "Move the blocks".. That'd be a most excellent waste of the characters.
So I resurrected Bibbleman and Bobbleman, and just used them instead.
Still the same game, mind.. So if you're wo...