ET-Skate

This Monkey CANNOT Skateboard

About

Over their 2023 winter break, the University of Calgary’s Game Design Club put on a game jam. In a limited time, participants had to work together in teams to develop a video game matching a theme or special constraint. My favourite activity. For this particular event, teams were to make an arcade game. The organizers would create a rudimentary cabinet housing a tiny computer, small monitor, a joystick, and two buttons. Projects were limited materially by the available inputs and hardware capacity, but also the manner in which games would be played. High scores were a must, with limited, repeatable playtime. These unique requirements introduced novel and creatively stimulating ramifications to the design and implementation process.

With constraints established, we had plenty of time with no plan to speak of. I had a vague indication of interest from a friend that we might, maybe do something for the jam. Our short walk through the requirements and aesthetics of the theme came up empty. After giving up, he joked: “Imagine a sequel to ET where they have to teach him how to skateboard”. This snowballed. Realizing the physiological limitations of the creature, referencing classic skateboarding games, exploring complex and expressive uses of the limited inputs, ska. The iconic cover image of the bike crossing a full moon morphed into the wrinkled plant goblin flying through the night sky on four wheels. There was nothing to be done. This had to become a reality.

Roles were assigned, he would model the monster. I, the unemployed one, would have time to do everything else. Plans were drawn, thought to paper, breaking down what needed to be done into an itemized list of tasks. Something digestible. I would have to “make the game”, but that means making the jumping, pushing, turning, tricks, adding animation to all these actions in a way that could be easily integrated with the model when it was finished, wipeouts, the combo system, the scores, saving scores, displaying scores, sound effects, something to handle music… Another was implicated. A mutual friend, sonically gifted. He would draw from the soundtracks of Skate 3 and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater to craft an immaculately nostalgic track.

Everyone played their parts beautifully. Communicating throughout, adapting to changes made as the project became itself. By the deadline, we had crafted something silly and a bit dumb. A pixelated Extraterrestrial kickflipping to retro ska in an empty checkerboard hellscape. A genuine expression of that initial vision, moulded by the abilities and inclinations of those involved into material form. I am quite proud of it.

What I Learned

I’ve been at this for a good bit. I figured out that I can just grab and wrangle the bones of a mesh skeleton for very cheap and effective juice, but more than anything this project was a celebration of what I can do and love doing.

_{Roles: programming, animation, design, coordination}

_{Tools: Godot, Blender}

Ancestry:

⮣ ET-Skate
⮣ Golfo (Jam Version)
⮣ Slug Rider
⮣ Surreal Taxi
▪ Skatboard Rat