C#, XNA, and My New Game

Over the past month I've been learning C# and working on a game in XNA. This project is HUGE for a single person to undertake. All I can say so far is that it's a 4-player party game that I'm hoping to release for XBLIG. I got the idea when playing the original Super Smash Bros. with my roommates. How was it we could still play something so old and simple, and have a ton of fun? It's because the game had an endless amount of possibilities and we were always able to find new ways to beat each other. The game is timeless and I'm hoping to emulate that with what I'm doing. I want a group of friends to be able to sit down and battle all night long. Drinking, cursing, and rivalry encouraged.

So far I have tested the core mechanics with family and friends. It was fun, and even after I was bored nobody wanted to put down the controller. I've transfered that over to a full project where I have the physics working. Maps are loaded by using serialized data (no more making my own .txt files). Right now I'm working on the map editor so I can have a nice set of levels to test on as the game grows.

Here's a video of a bug I had when first hacking it together to test the mechanics. (It's long since been resolved)

What I've learned so far:

• How to serialize data (saving and loading maps)
• Using controllers and controller states
• Platformer physics
• Collision detection and resolution
• The C# language through game development in XNA

What's coming next:

• Map editor
• Player weapons and shields
• Learn a shader language for fun effects