Hi all!

Another update on Bubble Frog. It's been a few days since the last update and in the world of GBStudio things work fast!

I've already got 10 levels, 4 NPCs, got a counter working for tracking and displaying the number of Onigiri Bubbles you collect, and I've even implemented a lock and key mechanic.

Currently the gameplay flow is based on 3 level chunks. The first 3 are just about movement, the next 3 introduce static hazards, the next 3 teach the player about 1 way paths, and I've now started the next 3 which will be focused on the Lock and Key system. I want to introduce 2 more mechanics; moving hazards, and teleporters although teleporters may end up scrapped as I think they may end up feeling more like a gimmick than an actual gameplay mechanic.

The 4 NPCs I have so far are simply there to add a break between level chunks, to give the game some more character, and finally to give the player advice about the up coming levels. None are planned to appear in the gameplay though which gives me the freedom to get creative with their designs without worrying about how I'll fit them into a small sprite or make them work in gameplay.

I've also added the first level bigger than the 160x144 full screen of the Gameboy. This means level 9 scrolls which gives me the chance to present the player with a choice, the top route looks easy where the bottom one looks much more tricky but what they can't see is that the bottom path is the only way to collect one of the Onigiri as once they've passed through the one way walls there's no going back!

As I add more long levels I want to start using my Check Point System to avoid frustration that became a common thing in version 1.0 of Chumbles Bumbles (forcing me to go back and add checkpoints to lessen the frustration players felt when they died pixels from the end of a level).

So all in all a fairly productive few days!

I'm still not ready to setup a Bubble Frog page just yet on here, but I feel like I'm getting very close to at least a first playable build for people to try out. Once I have that I'll setup a page :D

I'm gonna wrap this up as I think I've covered the ins and outs of where things are going!

-Timbo