#30daydeveloper - Day 10 - Gravity Corners

Hello! If this is your first time reading about my thirty day developer challenge, click here to go to the first post!

So now that the game's prototype is finished, I should start adding bells and whistles to it right? Or should I keep updating the core functionality of the game? Not that the core functionality is all too complex or anything.

I once read an article suggesting that the core game play mechanics are the most fundamental key to a game's success. Every game can be simplified down to 20-30 seconds of "core" game-play that is repeated over and over throughout the game. Therefore, if this fundamental piece of the game is not interesting or entertaining to play, then chances are that the game will also be boring. There's only so much you can polish a piece of turd, right?

I wonder if this is true. Are there any games out there with lame "core" game mechanics, but yet are very addicting and fun to play? Will adding shiny gadgets and score multipliers do more for my game than updating the main game design?

Anyways, today I implemented gravitational pull of the four corners. I thought it was kind of anti-climactic that once a ball touched any of the four corners, it just sort of disappeared without much grandeur. So I changed it to detect overlaps (using the Pythagorean Theorem, who knew math would be useful in real life?)

Maybe I'll add some simple sounds to get a better idea of what my game will look like when played. So here's a short list of future ideas that I am planning on implementing, in no particular order:

1. Sound effects and music
2. Menus and settings
3. Score multipliers and bonuses (kind of like Tony Hawk's Pro Skater combos)
4. Scoreboard and high scores (local or internet)
5. Mobile application using PhoneGap

On a side note, wow I guess I still have a lot more mountains coming up, haha.