Nostalgic Game Design Focus - Cloud Kingdoms

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How might I describe this game? Its cute, has a nice atmosphere and its challenging. A good start? Oh yes!

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Welcome. This is 'Nostalgic Game Design Focus' a series where I get to think back and comment upon games that I had played when I was much younger - mostly from a game-design perspective.

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Title: Cloud Kingdoms

Publishers (EU/WW): Millennium Interactive

Game Design: Carter, Dene

Programmers: Lai, H. Wing / Gibbons, J. Paul

Graphics: Docherty, Paul [Dokk]

Music/ SFX: David Whittaker

Released: 1990

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A fair while ago I had mentioned that as we were preparing to be flown out of the UK, me and my brother got to choose a single game to come with us. My younger brother had chosen 'Kid Gloves'.

'Cloud Kingdoms' was the game that I chose.

Unfortunately we had to wait until we had settled in Malta, and the shipped boxes arrived. That took months and so it was only after a challenging and boring snowless Winter that we got to connect the Atari ST the following Spring.

Only then could we finally play our new games - and this is one game that I quite strongly like.

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Story and Objective

In 'Cloud Kingdoms' the official story is that a certain "Baron von Bonsai" has stolen a bunch of magic crystals and plans to use them to enslave the "Cloud Fairies". The hero of the game "Terry" climbs into his "super-giant green skycopter" to search for and rescue them.

However that which is stated upon the box does 'not' accurately represent that which actually goes on within the game. A slight shame, but the game itself is good enough that I've long forgiven the publisher for its transgressions.

This much 'is' true though. There are crystals to be found, you play as a green hero - and you do need to get them all.... to progress.

This is also the objective of the game - to collect all the crystals before time runs out.

This is less simple than it sounds.

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Game Objective and Controls

The aim of the game is to guide the heroic "Terry" throughout a dynamic series of 32 levels, collecting all the stolen crystals and beating the game.

You get to control "Terry" throughout the game. Terry himself is a determined looking green ball-like character who is described as "the first injection-moulded, 8-way rolling, rubber-bottomed software hero!".

That in itself should give you an interesting mental view of the character.

As the box suggests Terry has the ability to roll in 8 directions.

Terry is also able to jump and collect various power-ups - and crystals.

Terry is also able to move along narrow ledges where such present themselves.

Oh... and he is a little bouncy - which can prove helpful or bothersome at times.

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Level Design

While I actually pretty much like the determined little ball that you get to play, I would say that the true star of cloud kingdoms would be the levels - the 'Cloud Kingdoms' - themselves.

This is quite nice and makes for a change. It focuses less upon the character itself and more upon the character's interactions with the game World. And, in my view, it is a fascinating World indeed.

Every kingdom has its own theme and this shades its overall design.

In many kingdoms there aren't many enemies either, and while certain other ports include a small selection of enemies, on the Atari version only a single type existed, visually, - the merciless black 8-ball.

Yes, a black 8-ball - an enemy that should have remained upon snooker tables. For some reason the main set of minions here involve 8-balls. These roll around at a steady pace and tend to follow a steady pattern of movement. Collision with these will likely kill you as your energy is massively sapped within an instant.

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A Word on Tiles

The designers had lot of fun with various kinds of tiles.

• Lava/ Fire/ Acid Tiles that damage you.

• Ice Tiles where you keep sliding.

• Arrow Tiles that forcibly move your character in the direction concerned.

• Magnetic Tiles what disallow jumping.

• Shunt Tiles and Force Columns that bounce you away from them, and

• Regular Tiles that may or may not disappear from under your feet.

• Empty Cloud Space Tiles without tiles can spell instant death.

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Power-Ups

Fortunately there are a few power-ups in the game. Most are one-use items though.

• Keys - Locked doors can prove an annoying thing in this game and its entirely possible for certain stages to become unwinnable due to a poor use of keys. Unlike other items, these can be collected and stored until used.

• Fruit - For extra points!

• Shield of Disbelief - Remember how I said that 8-balls can kill you in an instant? Apparently having your character shut his eyes very tight renders him/her immune to these enemies for the duration of this shield's effect. However Terry cannot open doors while in this state.

• Soda Pops - Replenish your energy

• Clocks - Extra Time is important in this game. Each clock adds 5 "manukas" (maximum 99).

• Wings - Unlike most power-ups, these 'wing tiles' remain in the game no matter how many times you've used it.

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A Word on Time

One thing that I really liked about this game was that it used time as a "life" mechanic. For as long as there is time left on the clock, a player can die with little consequence other than respawning at the beginning.

At the start of a game you begin with 99 'manukas' (where a 'manuka' is approximately 5 seconds in length).

Time begins to tick down and so its kind of a race against the clock.

Speaking of clocks, some levels feature these and each one adds 5 'manukas' to the timer.

Beating a level adds 20 'manukas' but any death results in a loss of 10 'manukas'.

The whole manuka' mechanic adds to the game.

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Level Selection and Progression

This game allows you a certain amount of freedom to choose which kingdoms to take on first.

This means that you can opt to play differently depending on what you are looking for.

If you aren't looking to beat the game then a level like 'Cloud Kingdom' might be a good start. It has a little of this and that and the difficulty curve of the level isn't steep.

For players hoping tobeat the game however ' Arrow Kingdom' is pretty much mandatory. Its a level that features killer difficulty, seekign to toss Terry into oblivion at almost every turn. It being accessible from the start makes it an ideal starting point as people will die playing the level - so may as well deal with the run-breakers first.

Well - each kingdom is linked to 4 other kingdoms. When one defeats a kingdom, the associated kingdoms are shown - with any already completed levels crossed out.

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Of Atmosphere and Conclusion

'Cloud Kingdoms' again, on the Atari and Amiga, has pretty good graphics and a nice atmosphere. Its sound effects are serviceable and its intro 'and' pause music are both awesome. It 'is' a little lacking in music during game stages - but I personally don't mind this... and if memory serves well it can be toggled anyway.

Even if it cannot be toggled, between each stage during level selection you get to hear that nice intro theme again.

It was an excellent game and it will always be favorably remembered. Perhaps it shall see a revival in future.

• More detailed and larger and more numerous levels

• More music selections are always nice, both in and out of game

• A more varied set of enemies and a couple of new collectable abilities

• A more coherent 'story'

Some games just never truly emerge from obscurity - and this game is one that should.

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Today's video shall be a speed run conducted by a TappyLP. Its a very good representation of the game, even if it is rather competitive and snappy in play style.

Yes, I am impressed. Some of those shortcuts I'd never have thought about.

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Well - that is one way to bounce back into those nostalgic moments in time. It is my hope that you find these forays into the past to be mildly interesting or amusing. ^_~

Do you have any comments or feedback? I look forward to hearing any comments that you have in the discussion down below!

Also, if you found this post interesting and would like to share this with your followers and friends then a resteem is always appreciated.

Sincerely,

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