It’s not the first game I played, but it’s the first that I remember having fond memories around it.
Actually, quite a while ago I have drafted myself a plan of “learning gamedev”. There were many things on it, but one of it was - to recreate a few classic games, including River Raid. So I take this opportunity to finally kickoff this project. The end goal is to release it on itch, so I was brainstorming for a title that wouldn’t infringe on anyone’s copyrights . And I come up with “Canyon Onslaught” . Maybe I’ll come up with better idea later, but it will do for now.
To be clear - I don’t even imagine to make a game in a week (I possibly could do something if I would jam for whole week, but that’s not the point). This week I want to focus on Collab, so first of all establish “art direction” and create a prototype assets and scene for the game.
For sure the assets will be 3D, the presentation is a question… and art style is also a question - even on a spectrum from low poly to realistic there are many choices… and a theme. As I looked it up there is no set theme for the game, but it’s a jet figther (so modern theme), but in my memories it was rather ww2 (maybe because of baloons :D).
I don’t think I need to be really faithful to the original concept - both in theme/style or presentation. I’m thinking of what really was ‘the spirit’ of the game.
It’s good that I’m just about to begin “Creating Thumbnails” lesson in the drawing course but for me is a drawing tablet and Krita, not pencil and paper…
I don’t want it to be fully top-down perspective, or not “behind the ship” perspective like in Argon Assult (ha! that was my first post here!). Plus I like the best the art from the cartridge…
So isometric perspective it is!
Art direction
Low-to-mid poly style. Something like modular vehicles from character course.
I will keep it more or less to the original. That is, modern settings, but I will most like push it to the future. I am thinking about pushing it quite far to the future and make it quite colorful (think loads of emission like here.
Reference board points to the list of basic assets I need.
Now onto drawing/concepting player airplane (though as you can see from the board → it might not be an airplane at all - I am drawn to more scify-like theme ).
And btw. someone made a sequel!
PS. Now that I am over-analysing the game I think that balloons were stupid in the game
Kit-bashing is probably the way to go with this project… make a couple of elements like turbines, wings, etc… then schmoesh them together to make variations. That way you don’t have to commit to a specific design.
That would be the best approach. I’ll see how much I can progress till end of tomorrow - basically was stuck at long hours at work for whole week… that I’ll be able to do something on time
. And I come up with “Canyon Onslaught” 
. Maybe I’ll come up with better idea later, but it will do for now.
but for me is a drawing tablet and Krita, not pencil and paper…
). I will brainstorm model designs “on paper”. So instead I used google and pureref.
).
)
that I’ll be able to do something on time
