*Disclaimer: Writing is not my strong suit.*

A few days before the N.E.S. Game Jam was to start, I was asked if I was interested in participating in this event by my friend, who is the programmer of Sol Defender: Zero Day.

The base idea for Sol Defender: Zero Day has it's origin in a game demo we made in 2006. I was excited by the opportunity to help create and publish a conclusion to the first iteration of this game idea.

In many ways, this game is an ode to the many arcade classics that inspired a generation of gamers, as well as Konami's Salamander (or Life Force in the U.S.A.) and Gradius  games on the Famicom/Nintendo Entertainment System. I still have my original cartridge of Life Force and N.E.S.

Decisions :  I felt it paramount to focus on a small in scope/scale game, considering the strict time limit for asset creation and the use of a limited color pallet. I wanted the game-play to be innovative and involved, but easily understandable. Always consult the programmers during the initial game-play design process, if possible.
As previously mentioned, we did not have to think of a game idea by brainstorming; the idea had been established long ago, so that part of the process was swift.

Recently, I  discovered Masahiro Sakurai's YouTube channel "Masahiro Sakurai on Creating Games". His three-video series "Special Crossover!" set my mind on the game-play and presentation of Sol Defender: Zero Day for the jam.

Process : My process for designing begins by thinking the idea through. Give yourself and your team time to think on your concept over several days. Then, take a break for a day, and review the following day.

Next make an outline schedule for the project. Expect delays, sick days, hardware failure, and other issues.
Schedule for 75% of the available time allowed. Scale your project accordingly.

I advise against starting quickly into development without a clear plan and outline. Make sure everyone understands the core idea and game-play to be created and why. Some game-play mechanics and ideas will develop naturally from the process and each person's thoughts.
When that happens, evaluate by thinking through the concept and its application in the game first. Then, decide if the mechanic should be implemented for testing by assessing yourself and your team member's time limit and physical energy limit. Is it worth it?

The next phase for my approach is to draw my ideas in my sketchbook and write all aspects as I think about them and discuss them with the team. In many cases, a visual helps people comprehend the idea. If drawing is difficult for you, try referencing existing media and combining idea elements. (Example A + B, but without C.)

Most importantly, in the design of the game controls I wanted Sol Defender: Zero Day to be accessible for more people than the arcade or N.E.S. games of the past. The main elements of the game-play can be performed using only the directional pad / arrow keys.
As a team we feel strongly that games can and should be thoughtfully designed.

I then used PhotoShop CS6 (2012) and Microsoft Paint Ver. 1607 to  create the artwork and animations used in game. I also used this software to create the game book layout into a printable, fold-able booklet. I enjoyed making it.
Our team programmer also contributed to the art and ideas involved with the title screen, Sol health bar,  space ships, and aliens.

With the schedule deadlines mapped out, it was decided that audio needed to be worked on by another person, so we invited a new collaborator to our team. Thanks to this collaborator, the audio was a key element finalized on the first try.

In the remaining few days, all the story and menu assets had to be resized and updated. I realized that the horizontal and vertical dimensions were incorrect, not matching the rules. They were corrected and sent for assembly into the game engine by our team's programmer. We are happy that only a few aspects had to be removed from the original design, and that many elements fit in place on the first try.
Overall, things went very well and we are eager to share Sol Defender: Zero Day with the itch. io community.

Learnings : The main things we learned are that we work well as a team and that each team member is valuable in aspects beyond their assigned roles. We encourage all teams who work well together to involve differently tasked members in decisions involving the game, and let them try different game development tasks in small manageable ways.

There will always be errors or issues caught or not noticed. Do not feel bad if your game has an error or mistake. Breathe, rest and recover from the work, then take the time to fix them. Getting anything as complex as a video game to 100% is a monumental feat. Remember, YOU are the most valuable part of the process, not the end result or product. Without you, it would not exist. Give credit where it is due, including yourself.

Lastly, congratulate yourself and those involved. You did it.

Thank you to the itch. io platform team and the host of the event, and everyone who played our game.

Sol Defender will return...

*Edited by K.M.*