Looped GBA

Looped
General
Author	Jason Bullough (Bootlegger)
Type	Puzzle
Version	2004
License	Mixed
Last Updated	2004/04/30
Links
Download on itch.io
Website

Loop is a logic puzzle game. It is a remake of a game previously developed by Bootlegger on the Atari ST.

The homebrew was entered into the GBAX 2004 Coding Competition.

User guide

Gameplay

The idea behind the game is to create concentric loops using the random pieces given.

A further random piece that can appear is a star - this piece can be used to remove any item you have placed on the gameboard.

If you do not wish to utilise a star piece simply move the cursor over a map board piece or a blank area and use the item. You cannot however remove a map screen block.

The maps themselves can not be used as part of the loop so you must work around them.

Time limit:

• Each item you have has a fifteen second time limit to be placed.
• This is identified by the green bar disappearing under the ITEM TIME text at the base of the screen.
• If this bar disappears completely, you will lose one of your 3 lives.

About levels:

• Each of the 25 levels gets progressively more difficult as the maps get more complex.
• Each level also has a time limit to complete of 2 minutes - this is also identified by a green bar disappearring under the LEVEL TIME test at the base of the screen.
• If this bar disappears completely, you will lost one of your 3 lives and the whole will restart so you will have to start the level again.
• To complete a level you have to score the target score required for the level. At the base of the screen you will see your current score.

Upon completion of a level:

• A stats page will show you information on score for that level, number of pieces left on board, deductions from score, and total game score.
• The decuctions from score is based upon amount of pieces left on screen multiplied by 10.
• If you managed to fill the whole screen with pieces, the level will be full and you will lose a lifeand have to restart that level.
• Gameplay is over when all lives are lost.

Scoring

The target score is given on the level description at the interval. The score is based on the size of the loops created.

For each piece in the loop adds 10 to the multiplier and this is multiplied by the number of pieces in the loop. So for example, a four piece puzzle would create a multiplier of 40 which would be multiplied for 4 for the amount of pieces giving a total of 160.

However if you had an 8 piece puzzle this would be multiplier of 80 multiplied by 8 pieces which would give you 640.

To create that score with the original 4 part loop you would have to complete that four times which would need twice as many pieces, so the bigger the loop the bigger the score and the faster you can complete the level.

Controls

Menu:

L/R - Brightness

Start - Play

In game:

D-Pad - Move current item around the play arena

A - Drop the current piece, Remove a piece (if the piece is a star)

L/R - Shoot a missile

Select - Pause, Resume

Start - Quit the game

Screenshots

Compatibility

Tested on real hardware with visoly xtreme cartridge.

When using an emaultor, use Visualboy 1.7 or greater.

Known issues

Some levels you may get a bug - this is an annoying character who can come in from either side of the screen and drop a block on any item you have previously placed.

This block can not be removed with the star item so make sure it doesn't block your concentric loop.

You can shoot the bug down with a missile and score 50 points - use Left/Right Shoulder buttons to fire a missile.

External links

• Author's website - http://homepages.manx.net/bootlegger/index.php (archived)
• itch. io - https://bootlegger.itch.io/looped-gba-puzzle-game
• GBAX 2004 Coding Competition - https://gbax.gp2x.de/gbax2004.html