#6 - Inspiration

I feel like it'd be good to talk about some of the inspiration and research that lead to me to make this game.

Since Alienhead is so closely inspired by Binding of Isaac, I started by simply googling all games that the algorithm may categorize as similar. Here's what comes up on google: Enter the Gungeon, Dead Cells, Cult of the Lamb, Slay the Spire- to name a few (plus ofc Meat Boy, since the art was made by Edmund McMillen.)

My thoughts on these games in list form:

• Enter the Gungeon: amazing, loved it. Frustrating as hell. Kind of made me hate guns, like in general.

• Dead Cells: very cool, and slick to play. But i felt like my blood pressure was rising every time i sat down to play. Probably a bit too intense for me to play long term.

• Cult of the Lamb: super clever, and iconic. I liked the fight mechanics, and the lore / decision making. It was very fun to have choose between cultivating a flock of dunces who are either vegetarian exclusively or cannibals. Town building games don't grab me too much tho.

• Slay the Spire: I was obsessed with this game for about a year. I played on mobile like every spare second I had. I think its brilliantly balanced. And I have heard a lot of people hate on the art, but they are wrong. The art is great in Slay the Spire. In fact, the idea for the previous failed card game that I gave up on (Dundra) was largely inspired by it.

• Super Meat Boy: Not really similar to TBOI, like at all. But I did play the shit out of it. I had to.. since I was so invested in Team Meat from the movie.

I guess I should probably disclose that I am a huge fan of Edmund. I know it's probably cliche, but Indie Game Movie was kind of a big deal for me. To me, the documentary proved that video games are capital "A" Art. And the psychos that dedicate themselves to making games should be regarded as artists. And I wanted to be one of them.

I think the special thing about Indie Game Movie was not the drama of Fez, nor the success of Meat Boy- it was the freedom. It seemed to be selling the idea of making video games for everyone. Like anyone could make up whatever they want and put it in a game - and people who play it will connect with you. All you gotta do is scrap and hustle and not give up. That's a really appealing message to me. Something about Midwestern work ethic.. blah blah blah. But for real, that movie inspired me. I started to pay super close attention to indie games after that.

The algorithm's above list clearly limits itself based on genre. Which is fine, but I kind of wanted to tell a story in my game- and honestly I felt like a rogue-like would be too hard for me to program. I wanted to mimic the Binding of Isaac, not copy it. This lead me down the path of "Adventure Game" genre. So, I decided that Alienhead is an adventure game.. Cool I gotta make sure to understand what there is to love about the best of adventure games.

Here are some of the top contenders that grabbed me, also pixel art- and informed how I am making and approaching this game:

• Animal Well (shoutout to Chicago!)

• Tunic

• Zelda - duh. I'm talking the older ones tho: The Legend of Zelda, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, A Link to the Past, Link's Awakening

• Super Metroid

• Metroid Fusion

• Castlevania, the ones on Gameboy & NES

I know, I know.. you are probably thinking, "bUt ThOsE aRe MeTrOiDvAnIa'S ! " That's true, however, that approach to categorization of art kind of .. sucks. And it never made sense to me to use the title of the art as the thing that you use describe it's genre. That would be like referring to any paintings made in the Renaissance with naked people as "Birth-of-Venus-like".. or maybe you would say, "VetruvianLisa" (Vetruvian Man + Mona Lisa). I suspect the reason why "rogue-like" and "metroidvania" seems to have took off as a naming convention has something to do with video games' marketability as a PRODUCT. Capitalism, you've done it again! I propose we use the time period or even the name(s) of the artists for categorization (how about Miyamoto-esque?)- it would be more consistent with other mediums.. just sayin.

At any rate, it's fun making these lists, and somewhat helpful to make myself see the connections between the stuff that I like and the stuff that I make. Here are some other sources of inspiration for Alienhead, besides video games:

• Kurt Vonnegut, all of his work

• Twin Peaks

• Adventure Time

• Steven Universe

• Solaris - Stanislaw Lem

• Pizza tower

• Akira

• First Contact by Becky Ferreira- non-fiction kind of philosophical exploration of why people are obsessed with aliens throughout history

  
  

You know, I realize full well that I'm screaming into the void with this.. but I don't know.. its kind of nice to have the outlet. Whatever man. Til next time, I guess.