J1N Games

Sandy Beach

Sandy Beach is a Wii Ware Game Developed by Frozen Codebase LLC for Konami.
Sandy Beach @ Nintendo.com

I was one of two programmers on this project at Frozen Codebase.  We were basically responsible for everything.  The game was made with the Vicious Engine and completed in 5 months, the first shipped project I was on from beginning till end.  Sandy Beach is currently available in the US and Japan.  Europe release is TBD.
My main responsibilities were:
-Vicious Engine Code Changes/Management/Extension, Integration of AI Live Move tools into Engine
-Gameplay code, Player Controls, Camera Code, AI Code
-System code (Saving/Loading/Wii Homebutton/Wii Ware menu)
-Build system (Wad for Wii Ware), Use of Codewarrior, Wii SDK, Devkit updates, Localization, Wii Ware Online Manual
-Nintendo Wii Lot Check requirements, Nintendo Ware use (Banner File Creation/Icon File)
-Game Design, System Design, Planning, Project Management

I am credited as Programmer on this game.

Main Game modes:

Free Play:
The regular mode of Sandy Beach is a simple free mode where you can build sand castles without hassle on the beach.  The way the system worked was much like Legos.  Our team decided upon this style of design because we didn’t have the manpower or time/resources for a physics system to simulate sand, so we simply masked the building of a sand castle by emulating “lego” blocks that can be placed on a grid.

Crab Battle:
Originally this mode was supposed to be simply a timed mode where you tried to build the best castle you could in a time limit and then a tidal wave comes and destroys your castle.  I felt this was a really poor idea, so I suggested a mode that was similar to a Tower Defense style game where you could place cannons on your sand castle and defend it from incoming crabs.  Our producer told us that since it was not in the budget or schedule we would have to do this mode on our own time.  So the artist at the time made me a single cannon and a crab, and over the weekend on my own time I was able to create this mode.  ”Crab Battle” mode is now hailed as the “best” part of this game, even if it was scored low by reviewers.

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