It's a retro, side-scrolling shooter aiming for the feel of the ID/Epic/Apogee shareware games of the early nineties. One of the hallmarks of those games were the cool HUDs (Heads Up Displays). I just started working on the design of the Captain Plokey HUD and recently posted a picture of the current WIP version. The graphics on the current HUD are pretty rough, and it still has a bunch of "placeholder" artwork. That said, I'm pretty happy with the way its turning out. I'm probably MOST happy with the part I did NOT create - the font (I searched FOREVER to find one that I liked).
That said, I'd like to start a thread to discuss HUD design.
- What do you like about HUDs?
- What don't you like about HUDs?
- What is your favorite HUD? (name the game)
I suppose you talk about HUDs from any genre but what I'm really looking for are HUDs from side-scrolling shooters (1985-1995 era). I know that many RTS games have brilliant HUDs (Starcraft, Warcraft II, etc.) but they have a completely different make up than the ones I'm looking for.
To start this off, I collected a number of different HUDs for discussion. Beleive it or not, I actually picked these up AFTER I made the C.P. HUD. Looking at these, I think my first attempt was pretty good - even if it still requires a lot of work.
So, in chronolical order, here are the HUDs:
T H E X D E R ( 1987 )
T h e x d e r is one of my all time favorite games. The HUD design is pretty basic but it has a number of nice features:
1. Basic, unfettered, easy to understand design
2. Easilly glanced-at energy bar with three color zones (red, yellow, green)
3. Two cool fonts: a futuristic font and a nice digital font
Personal Note: Back in when the game was released in 1987, I would play it daily until I was able to complete all 16 levels. If you haven't played this game, find an abandonware site and download it. It's a real classic!
Captain Comic ( 1988 )
Captain comic was a cool platform game created by ... wait for it... Michael Denio in 1988. The action in the game was not nearly as good as T h e x d e r but it included an inventory feature. I'm not sure I'd really seen inventory in shooters before and it certainly increased my interest in the game. I think Brice Morrison might call the introduction of an inventory to a shooter as "adding another layer" to the game (http://www.create-games.com/forum_post.asp?id=264101).
As for the HUD, here my thoughts:
1. I liked the "full-screen" design. At the time, it felt immersive
2. The ENERGY and SHIELD bars were nice and large with icon indicators (rather than TEXT descriptions)
3. Nice digital font for the score (seems like a requirement for the sci fi shooters)
4. A black box for the inventory... its sheer size makes you want to find all the objects and fill it up
5. Number of lives easilly viewed on the bottom
T H E X D E R 2: Firehawk ( 1990 )
T H E X D E R returned in 1990 with Firehawk. Although the basic game play remained pretty much the same, there were a number of new weapons the robot could use. However, the HUD changes from the original to this version were significant. It went from a basic black bar to a full-screen view. I actually didn't like this HUD at all because I found it confusing and hard to locate information (when you needed to quickly glance at it). I felt it was too cluttered and had too much information.
Captain Comic 2 ( 1990 )
Michael Denio made a sequel to Captain Comic with a few innovations to the HUD. It's been awhile since I played this game so I don't remember what all the icons represent (with the obvious exception of the life counter) but I think this is a definite improvement over the original game's HUD (which wasn't really bad).
Turrican ( 1990 )
I never played Turrican so I can't speak for the game. I found this game while searching for HUDs and really liked the design of it. Here's what I think:
1. I like the distinct sections for weapons and ammo counters.
2. Very colorful - but not distracting the way the Firehawk one was.
3. Easy to read energy bar.
4. My only change would be to decrease the size of the score counter. I find score counters on platform shooters to be extraneous and unnecessary information. I play these games to blow sh*t up ... not to rack up a score. I am more concerned if the energy bar is full than if I score 10, 20, or 100 extra points.
Darkman ( 1991 )
Again, I never played this game -- I just found the HUD and thought I'd include it. I like the simplicity of the design. It's nicely segmented and is easy to read. I have no idea whether the game was worth a piss but the HUD is cool.
Duke Nukem ( 1991 )
Now HERE is a classic. The original Duke Nukem had a cool, full-screen HUD with rivets in the corners (as if the whole thing were a metal plate). My college roommate and I played this piece of shareware ad naseum between our classes. It shares two things in common with Captain Comic 2:
1. Full screen HUD
2. Inventory for items
The items you could collect in Duke Nukem were really cool. Sure there were the requisite boring keys to open up doors, but there were a number of other items that really added to the gameplay. Again, if you have not played the original Duke, find it and download it now. This game may be my single biggest motivation to make Captain Plokey.
Turrican 2 ( 1992 )
I have absolutely ZERO idea what some of the sections for this HUD are for (since I never played the game). But, the HUD is just sweet! Simple, easy to understand, and cool. What more can you ask for in a HUD?
Galactic Warrior Rats ( 1992 )
This is an interesting HUD. Even though I really like the fonts, I don't like the lack of ICONS. I think ICONS would have been a better than the TEXT descriptions.
Universal Soldier ( 1992 )
This HUD reminds me of the HUD for Turrican... except not as cool.
Velokid ( 1992 )
I found this one sifting through titles on Mobygames.com. I haven't played the game but the HUD isn't really grabbing me.
Alien Breed ( 1992 )
Not sure why, but I really like this HUD. It has a lot of info but it seems to display it well. Also, it just screams military, sci-fi shooter... something I'd like to shoot for with Captain Plokey.
B.O.B. ( 1993 )
Crap. Although this HUD is easy to read, I just can't stand it. Why does this HUD suck:
1. The artwork is so bad that it eclipses whatever benefits are gleaned from the simple layout.
2. Military, sci-fi shooters need a digital font... not a Mario font. Style clash!
3. Colors are hideous. I'm no fashionista but I can tell when certain colors don't mix.
4. The notches on the top of the HUD drive me f'ing crazy!
Blake Stone: Aliens of Gold ( 1993 )
Blake Stone was a decent FPS. The problem was that it was released within a week of Doom and was completely eclipsed by it. I really like the HUD design as it is colorful, easy to read, and had a big image of the current weapon (something I want in the C.P. HUD). Also, the health was represented by a heartbeat monitor.
Doom ( 1993 )
Doom is a classic. Besides having big, bold sections... it also dispayed damage in a unique way. The lower the player's health, the more "beat up" the guy in the middle would look. When health neared zero, he began to look like Forrest Griffin in just about all of his UFC fights.
Global Gladiators ( 1993 )
McDonald's sponsored a game!
Halloween Harry aka Alien Carnage ( 1993 )
Next to Duke Nukem, this game is the second biggest inspiration for Captain Plokey. The HUD design was pretty good and had a cool feel about it. The single best apsect of this HUD was the exceptional weapon artwork. Very cool!
Lords of Thunder ( 1993 )
I know nothing about this game but I thought the HUD was interesting.
Robin Hood: Legend Quest ( 1993 )
Cool HUD with nice big icons. It's not the best but has a good, clean feel about it.
The Chaos Engine ( 1993 )
I think this was a two-player game. Never played the game but the HUD is awesome!
Blake Stone: Planet Strike ( 1994 )
Blake Stone returned for a sequel in 1994. There were a few changes to the HUD - most notably the health monitor.
Heretic ( 1994 )
Now THAT'S a HUD! Excellent artwork, simple layout, fits the game. You can't get any better than this!
Lollypop ( 1994 )
I am going to bet with some certainty that no one on this site has ever played Lollypop. Which is really a shame as it sports some of the best pixel art I've ever seen in a game. In Lollypop, you play a lollypop-throwing wind-up doll battling an assortment of strange creatures and environments. It really should have done better than it did.
As for the HUD, it rocks for the following reasons:
1. Simple layout
2. HUD "feel" matches the "feel" of the game
3. Great artwork
4. Cool font!
Super Metroid ( 1994 )
Super Metroid is another classic game that a lot of folks have played. The HUD is not terribly complex but it really works for the game. I like the way you can immediately tell the following:
1. Which weapons you have
2. Which weapon is selected
3. How much ammo each weapon has
Very cool!
Abuse ( 1995 )
Abuse really DEFINES military, sci-fi shooters. The game's HUD shares a lot in common with Super Metroid's HUD, but it has a ton more style. The dark, muted palette matches the game, and I really like this HUD a lot.
Universal Warrior ( 1995 )
Ah! My eyes are bleeding! This HUD is a total P.O.S.
Zombie Wars ( 1996 )
Halloween Harry returned in Zombie Wars. The HUD was easy to read but lacked a lot of the style of the original HUD. Still, it's one of the better HUDs in platform shooters.
Okay, having said all that... let me know which HUDs you guys like. Name the games so that I can find some screenshots of them. Thanks!
Universal Soldier was Turrican 2 with a bit of reskinning and different order of levels that's why they're similar.
I was always a big fan of the Turrican + Doom ones. The important info stood out really well. Firehawks always looked too busy. I used to think it was because of my old small monitor but even on my current display it still looks cluttered!
And Global Gladiators was kinda ace! I always got stuck on an ice level back when I was a kid... should probably try it all again.
The Chaos Engine's UI always looked quite flat to me. It's not something you can just glance at and instantly know whats going on.
The actual HUD sucked, but you've gotta love the two statues
Also, I don't know if they count, but the cockpits in the original "Wing Commander". They were all very realistic, detailed, and functional - and just the fact that the different fighters all had unique cockpits was really cool at the time
Apart from that, I don't really notice the HUDs in most games, which I think is how it should be - they ought to be clear but unobtrusive.
I am really impressed by the effort that went in to that post Jess, great lot of examples and information.
Me personally, I'm a fan of simple bar HUDs, I find it much better to have simple, clear information presented well so it's easy to look at and locate important things on it, or even be able to see some things without having to actually move my eyes and focus on it. I don't mind the big fullscreen HUDs, but more often than not they tend to annoy me.
Originally Posted by Dr. James Universal Soldier was Turrican 2 with a bit of reskinning and different order of levels that's why they're similar.
Too funny! I just looked that up in MobyGames trivia for Universal Soldier and you're absolutely right. I knew I wasn't crazy about them looking the same.
Originally Posted by Dr. James I was always a big fan of the Turrican + Doom ones. The important info stood out really well. Firehawks always looked too busy. I used to think it was because of my old small monitor but even on my current display it still looks cluttered!
I completely agree with all of that!
Originally Posted by Dr. James And Global Gladiators was kinda ace! I always got stuck on an ice level back when I was a kid... should probably try it all again.
Sounds like I need to check it out.
Originally Posted by Dr. James The Chaos Engine's UI always looked quite flat to me. It's not something you can just glance at and instantly know whats going on.
I've never played the game but I see what you mean about the HUD. I think I liked it more for the quality of the graphics than for the accessibility of the information. But, accessibility trumps quality when it comes to HUD shooters. You have to be able to glance at the HUD and quickly see the information you need. Hunting for the information means the HUD is deficient. So, good point.
Originally Posted by Sketchy The actual HUD sucked, but you've gotta love the two statues
**ZELIARD HUD**
Great find! I never played Zeliard but even though the HUD doesn't cut the mustard, its uniqueness deserves a look. Thanks for including it!
Originally Posted by Sketchy Also, I don't know if they count, but the cockpits in the original "Wing Commander". They were all very realistic, detailed, and functional - and just the fact that the different fighters all had unique cockpits was really cool at the time
I agree completely. The original Wing Commander was an awesome game with a sweet cockpit HUD. It's not exactly the type of HUD that I'm looking for (retro shooters mostly) but it can certainly receive an honorable mention. On a related note, I played the crap out of that game in college (along with Duke Nukem). I think I bought my first SoundBlaster card specifically for Wing Commander. Great fun!
Originally Posted by Sketchy Apart from that, I don't really notice the HUDs in most games, which I think is how it should be - they ought to be clear but unobtrusive.
I agree with part of that. I think they should be clear but don't necessarily have to be transparent to the player. I think a HUD can be designed well enough that it adds value to the game and elevates the player's overall immersion and experience. I recently played through Halo: ODST and really liked the HUD in that game. It's a number of generations removed from the stuff I'm talking about here but the same rules still apply: information is easy to find, looks good and fits with the game, blends with and builds on the game experience.
Originally Posted by jthongbai I am really impressed by the effort that went in to that post Jess, great lot of examples and information.
Thanks! As you can probably tell, I'm serious about getting a good HUD for our game. And, since I started doing some research on the retro shooters I'm looking to emulate, I thought I'd share that research and open it up for some discussion.
Originally Posted by jthongbai Me personally, I'm a fan of simple bar HUDs, I find it much better to have simple, clear information presented well so it's easy to look at and locate important things on it, or even be able to see some things without having to actually move my eyes and focus on it. I don't mind the big fullscreen HUDs, but more often than not they tend to annoy me.
I know exactly what you mean. Some HUDs are just distracting... a problem which occurs more frequently with full-screen HUDs. While I don't think all full-screen HUDs are bad, they are certainly a lot easier to screw up than simple top or bottom single-bar HUDs. Done incorrectly, full-screen HUDs can dominate the screen and distract from the central action -- something a HUD should never do.
Having said that, I've found a few more HUDs to post. I'll put together another email shortly. Thanks for all the feedback and keep it coming!
A very excellent compilation of some of the best, worst, and most standard HUDs in 2D gaming. Great job with this handy reference guide!
In my personal opinion, the perfect HUD for a game has these two qualities:
1. It's simple enough to read that you can scan over it with the blink of an eye and immediately find what you're looking for. Bonus points if you don't even NEED to look at it. A good example of this would be Diablo's health and mana counters, which take the form of red and blue orbs in each corner of the screen. They're big enough to where you can see them out of the corner of your eye no matter what you're paying attention to.
2. The artwork of the HUD doesn't clash with the game, especially if the game is all about immersing the player into the story. Popular RPG's like Final Fantasy do this surprisingly well, despite the heavy complexity of their battle HUDs which often take up a third of the screen (or more).
As for my favorite HUD, I would have to say Donkey Kong 64 - not because of the artwork per se, but because of the clever way they displayed information to the player. Nothing in the HUD is displayed until it becomes relevant: If you get attacked, your health pops up for a few seconds and then hides again; if you collect a banana, your banana count pops up and then hides when you've finished collecting. And if you ever need to look up something that isn't being displayed, all you need to do is pause the game and everything slides in. It works really wonderfully, and doesn't subtract from the experience like so many other badly-organized HUDs.
This game is pretty old so some of its mistakes can be forgiven. The biggest problem I have with this HUD is that for a single-bar HUD it is just F'ing HUGE! At its current size, it dominates the screen and unnecessarily limits the size of the player's action window. It could easily have been made smaller so that the action window could have been larger.
Baal ( 1988 )
For an older game, I thought this was a pretty good HUD. The problem that I have for this game is that as good as the HUD is ... it doesn't fit the game. The HUD looks like a ship's cockpit when the game is about controlling a guy with a gun. Unless the guy has a pilot in his head, get rid of the silly cockpit!
Bionic Commando ( 1988 )
Not too shabby. I normally like ICONS instead of TEXT descriptions, but I think it was done well enough that it works.
Dr. Chaos ( 1988 )
Meh. Should have used the space better. All that wasted space on top of the HUD should have been given back to the action window.
Obliterator ( 1988 )
I haven't played this game, but, based on the HUD, it looks like you can have up to FOUR different weapons. This HUD isn't really grabbing me but it may do an adequate job for the game.
Starquake ( 1988 )
Ugh! This just sucks with a capital SUCK! I just want to slap the guy that drew it. The mistakes made are simply indefensible.
Altered Beast ( 1989 )
I'm cool with making the HUD looked like chipped stone but I think the artist went overboard here. The cracks actually interfere with and obscure the TEXT. It's not a horrible HUD but it certainly could have been better.
Exolon ( 1989 )
Okay... so here we have an obvious mistake of using the same FONT for both the TEXT DESCRIPTIONS and the COUNTERS. Either change the TEXT DESCRIPTION to an ICON or make the COUNTER a different FONT. I actually like this font for the descriptions... I just think they should have used a DIGITAL font for the COUNTERS. It *IS* a sci-fi game, after all... stick with the tenets, people!
Strider ( 1989 )
At first glance, this HUD looks awesome! However, the more I think about it the less I like it. Let me outline the reasons why:
1. As far as I can tell, there are three pieces of information: score, time, and health. This HUD is simply huge considering that's all that is really displayed. It could easily have be made smaller.
2. The HUD is so large that it crowds the action window and makes it feel cramped.
3. The characters bordering the HUD are cool... but extraneous. They actually look so good that they distract from the main view.
Here's a full-screen HUD for a shooter. I like the "look and feel" but the information is a little hard to locate quickly.
Exile ( 1991 )
For the most part, I like this HUD. My biggest beef with it is the stylized game title right in the center. Not only is it not needed, it is distracting. I'm not an idiot, and I certainly don't need a HUD to remind me which game I'm playing. Get rid of it!
Rogue Trooper ( 1991 )
Why are the company name and logo on the HUD? Also, note to the developers: if I'm playing a game as an ass-kicking, blue, zombie soldier... about the last thing I want to see on my HUD is a friggin butterfly!
Valis IV ( 1991 )
Simple and easy to read. It's a bit basic but that can be forgiven.
Alien 3 ( 1992 )
Not bad. This HUD also makes that mistake of using the same font for both descriptions and counters. Change it up to make it easier to differentiate the important information.
Assassin ( 1992 )
Who turned out the lights?
Jill of the Jungle ( 1992 )
Jill of the Jungle was a great shareware game from Epic. The HUD, though, was not so great. The game controls (swim, shoot, help) certainly don't need to be on the HUD. The rest isn't too bad.
Premiere ( 1992 )
Awesome HUD! Easy to read, looks great, fits with the game. Perfect! Notice the proper use of a FONT change between the TEXT DESCRIPTIONS and the COUNTERS. There are even a couple of ICONS thrown in, too! (... Jess sighs and smokes the proverbial cigarette)
Wolfchild ( 1992 )
I'm not sure why this is a full-screen HUD but it doesn't really bother me. It's stripped-down graphically but I do like the pixel art that is there. Thumbs up from me!
Doraemon 2 ( 1993 )
There is a lot that I don't like about this HUD:
1. Lots of wasted space - it could have been smaller
2. Heart icons seem out of place juxtaposed with the counters
3. How in the heck can you display a futuristic ray-gun on a wood panel HUD? Come on, people! Wake up!
Akira ( 1994 )
Looks pretty good to me. I don't know what everything does but it's not too bad.
Blackthorne ( 1994 )
Here's a different take on a full-screen HUD... a bottom and side-bar without the full outline. I like this HUD a lot and think it works quite well. Good artwork and everything is easy to see.
Judge Dredd ( 1995 )
Great HUD! Clear, simple, and cool graphics.
Cyril Cyberpunk ( 1996 )
I'm luke warm on this HUD. I see a lot of room for improvement but I'm not hating it. I just think that Cyril needs to get his Cyberpunkass a new pixel artist.
Front Mission: Gun Hazard ( 1996 )
Jeebus! Has anyone seen my bifocals?
Vectorman 2 ( 1996 )
Now THAT is a minimalist HUD! Even though it makes a poor use of space, I still like it. Works for me.
Colony 28 ( 1997 )
Wow! I really like this HUD. Even though the weapon artwork on top is slightly muddled, I think other aspects of the HUD really shine. Great artwork, easy to find information, and, most of all, it contributes to the player's immersion in the game. Just by looking at the HUD you already get a feel for the game that you'll be playing. I like that a lot.
So, these are my opinions. Let me know what you think!
I agree about Strider's HUD. It looks awesome to begin with, but it's more distracting than anything during gameplay. Maybe they could have used it as a "Stage Complete" graphic instead, aye?
Hahah, I remember Jill of the Jungle. One of the few games that I remember my sister playing obsessively.
My favorite HUD from this batch has got to be Judge Dredd. The shading makes for an absolute batch of awesomesauce. <3
Looking at all of these HUDs is giving me some interesting ideas for when I make a new game. Actually, though... I've been wondering if I should touch up the HUD in my current game project, FableQuest. Seeing as how you're so HUD-savvy, do you think you could rate my HUD too?
Strider 2 was one of the first games I ever played on the Amiga. Must dig that thing up. But yea that GUI is just a case of fashion over form, it looks nice but it's basically just the 2 character sprites and some info that could be placed in a corner.
I know the guy who did most of the art on Assassin, his uncle runs a garage opposite my house. He went on to make the 50 Cent games so yea . But that does work in the game since Assassin is quite a dark game. Them icons do light up. Still remember the cheat for that game (aceviewfromupheremate).
Actually I was reading up on these years back. I think it was in CU Amiga maybe, but they collared some devs and asked why they have such giant UI's. Apparently it was all down to compressing the screen size so they could squeeze more sprites.
Originally Posted by Spaceman Strife Looking at all of these HUDs is giving me some interesting ideas for when I make a new game. Actually, though... I've been wondering if I should touch up the HUD in my current game project, FableQuest. Seeing as how you're so HUD-savvy, do you think you could rate my HUD too?
No problem! Looks like you've got a great game going there!
Okay, considering the above screenshot, here is what I would say:
1. The game looks like a fantasy game but the HUD looks sci-fi. Right off the bat I would change three things:
---1. Change buttons from slick and shiny to old and worn.
---2. Change font from sans serif to serif. Sans Serifs simply look too new. Serifs have an older feel about them.
---3. Change the background to a granite. The solid grey doesn't fit a fantasy game. It looks unfinished.
2. I'd change the button positions. The Inventory and Skills button should be separate from the menu button. Consider moving the menu button to the left.
3. I'd place icons in front of the menu buttons. You don't have to but I like that practice.
4. I'd separate the sections a bit better. Right now, you have a single line separating the three major sections. You might consider a some other demarkation.
5. The bottom right is pretty packed. I'd consider some way of spreading the information out.
There may be some other things but I thought I'd make a quick and dirty mock up for you. I found a granite background and lifted some graphics from Warcraft II screenshots. It's not perfect (or complete) but it shows some of the things I mentioned above.
Hope that helps! Also, these are just opinions. Again, looks like you've got a great game going there!
P.S. Now that I look at the screenshot again it looks a lot like vector graphics. I might change my HUD mockup to not have such a "grainy" feel. Perhaps something that looks "worn" but matches the art style a bit better.
Since I made that "quick and dirty" HUD mockup, I've continued to think about your HUD. A few more points:
1. I looked at your project page and saw more screenshots of your game. After more thought, I can say that the "granite" background I put in my HUD mockup does NOT match your art style. Something more minimalist would work better as the HUD should always match the game.
2. While the granite doesn't work, I would still try to give both the buttons and background some sort of stone-like texture. As you're building an RPG, the HUD should suite the genre. Currently, it looks far too "clean and new". Changing the texture and giving it a "worn" appearance will lend the game a heartier feel.
3. I would introduce some sort of artwork into the HUD. Diablo and its clones make the HUD feel "old and ancient" through both the HUD's design (as well as texture). You don't necessarily have to draw Health and Mana statues (like Diablo), but a few small decorative designs would really bring the whole thing to life. Right now, as there is neither texture nor design in the HUD, it just feels a bit "unfished".
4. Change the palette. There are two problems here: (1) The colors within the HUD clash. (2) The colors in the HUD (especially the blue and blue-green) clash with colors in the game itself. Since this is an RPG, I would go for Earthier tones. You can get away with garrish colors in a sci-fi shooter but you have to be more careful about your palette choices in an RPG.
5. Some of the information you're displaying in the bottom right may not need to be "on screen" all the time. Consider having a "Character" button so that you could hide that information and reduce the clutter in the HUD. I would certainly keep the Health and Mana on screen, but the Level, Experience Bar, Experience %, and Gold could be placed in a "Character" pop-up. That's up to you, though.
6. If you want to keep all of that information on the main screen, consider putting the 10 inventory items on side bar on either the right or left. It would reduce clutter and wouldn't necessarily take up that much more desktop real estate.
7. All of the HUDs I researched were for shooters. Since you're making an RPG (specifically a hack-n-slash), I would take a closer look at HUDs from that genre. Earlier, you mentioned the Diablo HUD, and I think your HUD could benefit from "borrowing" some of its elements. I don't mean to say that you should copy its design, but it does such a good job at organizing information that you might be able to learn something from it. I would also recommend that you take a closer look at some of the Diablo clones (many of which share gameplay elements with your RPG). Some of these are:
- Diablo II
- Mythos
- Throne of Darkness
- Titan Quest
- Darkstone
- Baldur's Gate
- Torchlight
etc.
Again, it's not to copy these games... but to understand how they present information and learn. You should be able to incorporate some of their ideas into your game.
Final note: The video of your gameplay looks awesome! You've got a great game coming along there.
Wow, I didn't expect such a thorough explanation! Thanks a million, Jess.
I'd like to keep all of the vital information stashed within that particular space, if possible. Like the game's graphics, i'd also like the menu to be on the minimalist side, at least when it comes to space. When it comes to the artwork, though, you're definitely right about it looking a little too sci-fi. I also remembered what you said about the text font being different from the number font, and in that case, maybe I can do away with the HEALTH and MANA labels and place icons there instead.
Now that I think about it, I -could- get rid of the percentage counter on the EXP bar and just leave it as a thin yellow bar. The player should still get an idea of how close they are to leveling up just by looking at the bar.
I'll also play around with the colors a bit and change the texture of the menu. I'll see how stone works, but i'm also tempted to try a "fire" or "royal" theme too. :3 I shall also look at some screenies of some of the games you've mentioned (though I do remember playing a few of them as well).
Lastly, thank you for the compliments! I'm really excited about working on the game, and I really want to get all of the artwork in the second town finished up so I can move on to the third dungeon and, consequentially, my first public release.
EDIT: I played around with the menu based on some of your suggestions, and here's the result so far...
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Edited by an Administrator
One of the few games that I remember my sister playing obsessively.
