KataMarble (2007)
Platform: Flash
Language: AS2
KataMarble is a game I wrote in about 25 hours during the early days of the summer 2007. It is also a Flash game, and you can play KataMarble here.
The goal was to create a game prototype based on the concept behind Namco’s Katamari that could be played on a mobile phone. I was applying for a job at Namco Networks America, and I hoped (in addition to being a great learning experience) this would help me get the job.
To make a long story short, I’m not working for Namco … but the guys there left me feeling like they would have hired me if the boss had not decided to dissolve the position I was applying for.
The highlights of the interview process were two fold. First, after the phone interview was over, the guy told me I was the “most articulate person he had ever interviewed”, and second, they followed up with flying me down for an on-site interview. The people there were great and although I am disappointed that I’m not currently employed with them, it did encourage me to believe that I could make a career doing what I love!
Through this, I learned more about game design (especially thanks to feed back from the guys at Namco Networks). I also tried some new user interface ideas, and had to face some challenges (which have never been completely resolved) related to collision detection with a tool like Flash.
