Game Design Contest Pitches #1

These are pitches submitted to GameCareerGuide.com’s Game Design Challenges. Some designs won, some were bridesmaids, and some fell by the wayside.

This one was a ‘Reboot’ theme for dormant franchises. It did not make the cut! I did come in second with my ‘Double Dragon’ entry, that is for another day.

Sonic Collider by Dave Delisle

Premise: Sonic Collider is a strategy racing game, which relies on the player’s ability to navigate Sonic through a network of power conduits, in which the actions taken in one lap affects latter laps, and when going fast enough, latter laps affect earlier laps (time travel).

Story: Sonic is enlisted to regain control of the world’s power system from Dr Robotnik by racing through a network of power lines. The lines are corrupted with Robotnik’s power signature, which Sonic has to disable.

Gameplay: Inspired by the Large Hadron Collider and TRON, Sonic has to blaze his way down a series of corridors, with a tracer in tow. The tracer leaves a permanent path in Sonic’s wake. The tracer can change colours to affect the ability of Sonic in reclaiming the course, as well as leave a ‘foothold’ for the next lap. The goal is to lay a complete connecting power ring that stretches the entire length of the course within a time limit. The player has to disable Robotnik’s red power signatures that are littered throughout, while changing the course to allow for faster and faster laps. Sonic can reach speeds so fast that he can race against previous laps, a la ghost racing.

The numerous tracks will be lapping, and will offer multiple routes. They will be littered with Red power signatures that will be left by Robotnik. Sonic has to avoid, and when necessary, disable or interrupt these power signatures in order to place a normal power line that circulates the whole track.

Many obstacles litter the track. There are no ‘traditional’ enemies present (the Sonic equivalent of a Goomba or Koopa).
The player has to switch between laying a ‘power’ line with laying a ‘turbo’ line and a ‘combat’ line, simply by changing the colour of the tracer.

The ‘Power’ line is White. The goal is to run this line from start to finish to reclaim the stage.
The ‘Turbo’ line is Green. This can be placed to assist you in future laps. Following a green line in future laps boosts your speed.
The ‘Combat’ line is Blue. Use this to cut through red lines. Some red lines can be jumped over, but others, which move and can cut power lines need to be destroyed. Other red lines can be cut by ‘looping’ them (see picture).

Also depicted is ghosting. Reaching fast enough speeds, the player can reach previous laps as though traveling back in time. You can interact with the previous lap run, by ‘bumping’ the prior lap runner out of harm’s way (gaining more time), triggering dual switches at the same time. One caveat: You cannot navigate through an existing Combat (blue) line, as this will cause damage. This encourages the player to limit the use of the Combat line.

Multiplayer: No racing alongside, instead, the players race head-to-head, avoiding each other’s Combat track. They can combat each other by placing power surges within the other player’s tracer line.