So as I started working on Stick Man Trampoline, this talk popped into my mind. The art I was making (with my very simple paint skills) was minimal at best. I started thinking about how I could make the most of the simplicity in both gameplay and art of the game. So, I decided to take that very simple art, and make it as "Juicy" as possible.
First off, I added a simple animation to the stick man. Bouncing upwards, his arms and legs are tight, almost as if he's pencil-diving into the air. As he reaches the apex of the jump he starts kicking his feet and flailing his arms until he hits the trampoline and goes into a 'pencil dive' again. This simple addition added a new level of fun. (I'm sadistic, and found watching the stick man flail his arms constantly to be very entertaining).
Next, I wanted to do something with the trampoline. Originally, it was a simple black line. Now it jiggles! Every time you hit it, it'll wiggle up and down a little bit before settling back in.
Lastly, I wanted to create at least some level of narrative for the incessant jumping, so I made a few different random backgrounds to each level. To emphasize on the "juiciness", I made sure to animate at least one thing for each background. Bubbles float up underwater, the sun pulses in the desert, etc.
All in all, I really enjoyed this project. The multi-platform architecture seems to be working well (I have, however run into some issues with Windows Phone that I'm looking into). I also enjoyed the experiment in making a game "Juicy" and am planning on working this concept into my next project.
