Space Adventure Cobra:
The Awakening
Introduction
Space Adventure Cobra: The Awakening is a
2D action/platformer game made with Unity by Magic Pockets and published by Microids.
It’s an adaptation of the first 13 episodes of the manga by Buichi Terasawa.
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Creative process
To create our levels, we had three main constraints:
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The game has to follow the anime
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The development time was very short
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The levels must be long to beat
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Initially, with the lead designer, we watched the episode.
Then we decided how to translate the anime sequences to a kind of gameplay (Run n’ Gun, Platforming, Boss, Exotic gameplay….).
The second step is to create a document to record the intentions, pace, and difficulty of the sequences, and then choose which sequences are the most important.
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To create long and fun levels in a limited time, I created three kinds of sequences:
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Memorable sequences: They are the sequences I want the player to remember; they need more work and give a different challenge than the others (Exotic gameplay, Boss)​​​
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​​Arenas: These sequences only need a little effort, they are quick to make, help to enhance the pace, and can keep the player busy for a while.
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​​Standard sequences: They make the link between the memorable sequences, they are quick to make and can be duplicated at a level and reused in another. (Platforming, Run n’ Gun, Puzzle…)​​
Episode 03 - Level 01: "The Graveyard"
Intentions: In the story, Cobra is discovered by the main antagonist, “Crystal Bowie” and escapes.
To give the feeling of a flee, lots of enemies are in the background, and Cobra can’t shoot them.
Episode 04 - Level 01: "The Jail"
Intentions: Cobra has to infiltrate the jail and find Catherine. To translate this into gameplay, the platforming sequences challenge the player on their timing to go through obstacles (drones), and the consequences are severe (death or arena).
Episode 07 - Level 01: "Refresh Center"
Intentions: Cobra has to infiltrate the refresh center through the roof. To give a height sensation, the player spends a lot of his time in the air because of the grapples.
Episode 08 - Level 01: “Bowie Tower”
Intentions: To challenge the player's reflexes, his field of view is reduced, and most of the obstacles can be avoided with the dodge mechanic
Episode 09 - Level 01: “Gorilla base”
Intentions: In this level, enemies believe Cobra is their ally, he can freely go into their base.
So the player can follow the golden path without any obstacle, but he can explore “forbidden zones” (infiltration) to find collectibles.
Episode 10 - Level 01: “Gorilla base 2”
Intentions: Cobra has to flee from the base and goes through the mountain. This is why there are lots of glide and flee sequences.
Episode 12 - Level 02: “The Pyramid”
Intentions: In this episode, the pyramid is collapsing while Cobra is inside. This is why in this level, lots of rocks and platforms are falling, there are a only a few solid platforms to let the player rest a bit.
DLC: “Dominique”
Intentions: In this level, Dominique is the playable character, she has no weapon nor special power. So most of the sequences are platforming and the player is challenged on his timing.