The document outlines Thomas Battams' initial plans for developing a 2D side-scrolling platformer video game. It includes an initial reaction, mind maps of early game ideas and influences, a mood board analyzing visual influences, and a proposed schedule. The main game concept is for a platformer similar to Mario and Sonic where the player navigates levels while losing hit points from enemies. Research sources cited include platformer games like Sonic Mania, Super Mario World, and Cuphead as well as magazines and developer interviews.

1. Initial Plans
Thomas Battams

2. Initial Reaction
• This will be quite good for me, since it is
something that I am very interested in, so the
prospect of making a video game is quite
appealing.

3. Mind Map
Initial Ideas
…
Undertale
Origins:
Perseverance
Generic
Fighting
Game
This would be a side-scrolling
game where you have to work
your way through the different
levels without losing all of your
‘lives’, you’d start with 3
hitpoints and everytime you’d
get hit, you’d lose one. It would
be structured similarly to Mario
and Sonic, but gameplay would
be like an easier version of
Cuphead.
This would be an RPG based game similar to Undertale, where you go through the areas having
the option to fight or spare everyone you encounter. It would be like a prequel to the original
game focusing more on one of the six unnamed human souls that fell down after Chara, but
before Frisk. Due to timeline placements however, Asgore and Toriel would need to appear in-
game, Gaster and Flowey/Asriel would also likely make an appearence at some point.
This would’ve been a
fighting game similar to the
likes of Street Fighter.

4. Mind MapThis will be a 2D Side-Scrolling
Platformer, similar to the likes of
Mario and Sonic. The gameplay
would work in a way where you
start with a certain amount of ’hit
points’, and every time you get
hit/get crushed/fall off the stage
you’d lose one of those ’hit
points’, collectables would
essentially be split into three
different categories, one that
restores one of your ’hit points’,
one to increase your score, and
one that is there to upgrade your
character.
Similarly to games like Sonic, areas
would be split into two different
levels per area, with a boss at the
end of each level.
The Level Design would be a bit more like Mario as
there wouldn’t be a larger emphasis on speed like
there is in Sonic, rather be more platform based like
Mario, Megaman, and Cuphead.
Enemies would change
depending on what area you are
in, for example in a forest the
enemies would be Wild Animals,
in a factory they would be
robots, in a city they could be
the mafia or police. However
due to the basic storyline (being
similar to any other 2D
Platformer), there would also be
a mixture of mechanical beings
added into the levels, and the
second Act’s boss would be as
well (first would be a mixture).
Upgrades to the character
would be things like
increasing the number of
‘hit points’, how much
damage they do to bosses,
and something to change
how the player
approaches enemies

5. Mood Board

6. Mood Board Analysis
Is there any repetition in the images you have collected? Repeated
colours/images styles/fonts/tone/mood
• For the most part the visuals are quite bright and colourful, the
colour scheme has mainly been blue, green and brown, due to the
amount of levels that have been set in some sort of forest or
countryside area. Almost none of the levels were set in some sort
of industrial area, the majority were in a field/forest setting, or
some other natural setting (i.e. Mountain, Desert, Ocean etc.)
How will your mood board influence your final product?
• The Mood Board helps to give me a general idea of what I should
be making for the final product, for example a level set in a
forest/field area would be ideal, as based on the mood board it
seems to be a staple to platformers.

7. Schedule
WEEK OVERALL PLAN SPECIFIC TASKS
1 Case Study, Initial
Response, Product
Research
 Research into different platformers in
order to find out what works and what
doesn’t

2 Audience Research,
Production Experiments,
Proposal, Planning
 Production Experiments would likely
include prototype designs of character
and some enemies, as well as a basic
level design for the first stage.
3 Production  Start Animating the Game
4 Production  Finish Off Animating the Game and
Add in Music and Sound Effects
5 Evaluation 

8. Bibliography
• Name at least 7 sources that you plan to use in this project. These should include audience research, books,
videos/films/video games, magazines and newspaper articles etc.
1. Sonic Mania (2017), Video Game (2018)
2. Kemps, H. (2017). Sonic Mania Review. Available: http://uk.ign.com/articles/2017/08/14/sonic-
mania-review. Last accessed 21st February 2018.
3. Ortiz, J. (2017). Sonic Mania Review. Available:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j432mIGvHFo. Last accessed 21st February 2018.
4. Super Mario World (1990), Video Game (2018)
5. Ortiz, J. (2011). Super Mario World (and All Stars) Review. Available:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gT684UptHkM. Last accessed 21st February 2018.
6. Cuphead (2017), Video Game (2018)
7. Skrebels, J. (2017). Cuphead Review. Available: http://uk.ign.com/articles/2017/10/02/cuphead-
review. Last accessed 21st February 2018.
8. The Escapist. (2017). Cuphead (Zero Punctuation). Available:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNN2etNrBoE. Last accessed 21st February 2018.
9. PlayStation Official Magazine Issue 127 (October 2016), Magazine (2018)
10. Playtonic Games. (2015). 6 musts for a perfect platformer, from the Yooka-Laylee team.
Available:
https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/243310/6_musts_for_a_perfect_platformer_from_the
_YookaLaylee_team.php. Last accessed 21st February 2018.