Bug Game

Bug Game is a Nintendo 64 homebrew game by Team UltraBrew and released on 09 December 2021. It is more of a tech demo than a final game, but you play as a cockroach in an arena with a centipede. It was made for the 64brew game jam 2021.

You can download the ROM and source code from the download page for Bug Game by using the password hazematbug or see the source code on Github and download from Drive.

Bug Game style and gameplay

Style

Kind of like Test 3rd Person Demo, Bug Game is more of a tech demonstration than a complete finished game. Because of this, the context about what the game was planned to be is outside of the game itself. The idea behind the game originally was to make something in the same vain of Super Mario 64 with various levels and collectables, but it had to be cut because of the deadline.

Bug Game has a very cartoony feel to it, with very distinct bright colours for each of the objects. This makes it easy to distinguish and identify everything from a distance. The music also follows in the same vain, albeit very repetitive.

Gameplay

You play as a cockroach moving around and exploring a small arena. The area has two raised platforms, one is accessible through two ramps and the other can be jumped to via a mushroom.

There are a few objects strewn throughout the level. You can interact with a wooden box that can be pushed around that I find always to sink into the stage and you can also pick up and throw this blue orb/jewel.

The centipede that walks around the level doesn’t really harm you, it only wants to eat up the blue orb. After eating it, the centipede gains another segment up to a maximum of eight. If it eats the orb while you’re holding it, you can end up holding the centipede (which glitches out the orb until you let him go).

If you walk into the centipede head-first, you both start moving up vertically in the air, for a fun little glitch.

‘Control’ Theme

The idea behind the game jam’s theme was that you’d be able to control the seasons, with certain actions and places being available only at certain times of the year. I suppose it would be something like Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons on the GBA. This wasn’t implemented into the submitted ROM though.

Credits

The game was made by Team UltraBrew which consists of Hazematman (programming), Darklink623 (art assets), Nick Carver (audio).

Review and conclusion

There’s not much I can really critique about this project since it isn’t really a completed game but rather a tech demo. That being said, it is fairly interesting as a tech demo since it uses a recently-introduced offshoot of Libdragon called UGFX which allows for games to be made in 3D. Bug Game is certainly proof that it is possible.

The stage itself is fun to explore for a few minutes: you can play races with the centipede, try to push the box without making it fall, or even just try to find and exploit the floating glitch. It is a good bit of fun, even if it is only for a few minutes. I hope to see this be developed further, but it certainly is pleasant enough to keep my attention.

Articles across the web

Bug Game is a N64 homebrew demo made by Team UltraBrew for the 2021 64Brew Game Jam where you play as a cockroach in a 3d arena.
Article published on N64 Squid

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