tetensa@lopers.unk.edu

UNK student, Noah Meyer, harnessed retro and modernized gaming in a new, recently released video game. After learning to code by himself, Meyer designed his own video game.

Lloyd the Monkey 2 was a new experience for the young developer.

“The title is the second part of an ongoing science-fantasy narrative about a monkey swordsman who gets tangled in the conflicts of an extra-terrestrial royal family,” said Meyer in an email. “The previous installment was released on Aug. 2017.”

Meyer said he has his sights on a computer science major with a minor in Japanese—a culture that had a large influence on his latest game. He was also inspired by popular AAA games like Final Fantasy VII and Kingdom Hearts, which are role-playing games made by the titans of the Japanese gaming industry.

Meyer grew up playing several classic video games before deciding to pursue a career in computer science. He mentioned Super Mario as one of his biggest influencers.

“Mario has always been the golden standard. Super Mario: Odyssey is a perfect example,” Meyer said.

Among other inspirations, Meyer drew from games like Mega Man X and Sonic Mania for Lloyd the Monkey 2’s platformer-like gameplay.

Platforming games have been a staple of video gaming since The Legend of Zelda 2 or Super Mario Bros. 3. Meyer hopes to combine the retro aesthetic of games like Mega Man while using modern developing methods.

Technology has been advancing to the point now that anybody can be a game developer with enough time and skill. The Unity Engine is a developing software that can be used to make games combined with programming. Looking back on the two years he spent developing the game, Meyer claims his biggest challenge was learning code and how to program. The rest he picked up along the way with ease.

Meyer also likes the freedom a lot of video games give the player. Some of his more major influences allow the player to move at their own pace and choose which levels they want to complete first. He reminisced back to Sonic Mania, admiring the developing company, Sega, for involving the gaming community and giving gamers a voice in what was produced. In fact, Meyer said one of the developers played his game on stream, remarking that he liked it very much.

After hearing positive feedback, Meyer was inspired to work on a new project.

“A 3D third-person shooter combined with platforming.” Meyer said. “The Unity Engine lets you program efficiently with whatever you want.”

Both Lloyd the Monkey 1 and 2 are available on itch.io. To find Meyer’s new game, players can check the Steam store itch.io and purchase it for $5.99. If gamers are looking to support a Loper or enjoy a unique and fun game, give it try.