Old Codes, New Releases for Playdate

As I sadly move away from game dev on Playdate, I’ve released a couple of interesting old things…

SHARK TURTLE

This is a version of SameGame (さめがめ) originally released under the name CHAIN SHOT in 1985 by Kuniaki “Morisuke” Moribe for Fujitsu FM-8 home computer. The concept is as old as Tetris, perhaps even older, and at one time SameGame in its many guises was more popular than Tetris in Japan. One version had an active modding scene and some had strategy guide books.

It was submitted and rejected in the first wave of submissions to Playdate Catalog. At one point the plan was to wrap this in a theme/concept and give it the same sort of love that resulted in the great experiences of my other games like YOYOZO, Fore! Track, Bender 2: Bend Harder, but for one reason or another it never happened.

What is here is a fully-playable, feature-rich, albeit “no frills” version of SameGame with fast updates, solid controls, and great music. It’s a lot of fun and great to play little-by-little when you have a spare moment, as you dictate the pace and progress of the game turn-by-turn.

gingerbeardman.itch.io/shark-turtle

NEW WORLD

This is an interactive music track where you’re the DJ. You control various instruments and vocals, doing live mixing of the track. It’s really fun to play with!

It is a technology demo that was put together as part of a pitch for a game. Whilst the game never came to be, an improved version of this technology went on to be used in Bender 2: Bend Harder for the dynamic background patterns that animate to the beat of the music.

gingerbeardman.itch.io/new-world

On Sale!

Oh, and all my Playdate games are currently on sale (until 20th March 2025):

• YOYOZO
  • read about it being a GOTY 2023
  • 50% off
• Sparrow Solitaire
  • read the making of
  • 30% off
• Bender 2: Bend Harder
  • read the making of
  • 50% off
• Fore! Track
  • read the making of
  • 50% off
• Super ICARUS
  • read about its dynamic music
  • 50% off