Earl the Tomb Robber Devlog # 6: From 8-Bit Platformer to Modern Adventure

Ok, I know you hear the name “Earl the Tomb Robber” and immediately think “Ooh, a new Tomb Raider clone. That’s cool.” But did you know that Earl the Tomb Robber actually came out about 6 years BEFORE Tomb Raider? That’s right, long before there even was a Lara Croft, the only booty to be found in ancient tombs belonged to Earl!

The Origins of Earl

I first released Earl the Tomb Robber in 1990 as a single-screen style platformer for the C64. As a kid whose parents wouldn’t buy him a Nintendo or Sega game system, I was jealous of my friends who were enjoying games like Mario Brothers, Bubble Bobble and Snow Bros. I didn’t have a game console, but I did have a Commodore 64 computer and a copy of Gary Kitchen’s Game maker, software that let beginners create their own games for the system! The hardware and the software were both pretty limiting, but that didn’t stop me from setting out to make the next big arcade style game! And so my journey into Game Design began!

The original game was pretty simple. You had a mascot character, Earl, whose goal was to use bombs to blow open doors and collect the treasure behind them.  Bombs could be collected from TNT crates found in the level and used to destroy enemies as well as doors. Once you’ve destroyed all of the doors in the level and collected all the treasure, you could advance to the next level and face new, more difficult enemies!  In true arcade fashion, there was no real ending to the game, it just kept getting harder until you eventually ran out of lives. 

Although it was fairly basic, I still consider this one of the best games I ever created for my trusty C64, and am still rather proud of it to this day.

Fast Forward a few decades and here I am again diving into the world of Earl the Tomb Robber, but video games have changed so much since then and so Earl would have to evolve as well. Once I decided to revisit this title, I had to decide exactly what I wanted it to be. I now have years of professional experience in Game Dev as well and having my own taste in games evolve. I wanted to keep the charm of the original game while updating its presentation and mechanics to suit modern gameplay. The core mechanics are all still here: Collect bombs to destroy doors and enemies while climbing ladders and exploring the environment to discover treasures!

But now, there’s also so much more. The world itself takes place over an entire island to explore with several different environment types. Challenging puzzles provide the main gameplay loop with enemy combat now playing a bigger part of keeping the player engaged without becoming overbearing. You can also look forward to finding collectables, upgrading your equipment, unlocking new outfits and more! Of course the biggest change is the addition of a complex and emotional story. Storytelling in games has become my passion and I learned a TON about what makes game stories work in my time at Telltale Games. I wanted to bring all of that knowledge and choice based interactivity to this game as well. Whew! Thats quite a checklist of features!

The short pitch is, I wanted to make a game that takes the look and emotionality of a Pixar movie, blends it with modern gameplay inspired by the latest God of War and Uncharted games and mixes in a bit of that old school arcade charm! The results should be a unique experience that promises fun for anyone looking for something beyond just another shooter.

General Updates

So what’s new since last month? Well, I’ve done a lot more writing on the story and made some updates that divides the story into chapters that helps players stay focused on incremental goals. The chapters now play out like mini episodes within the larger overall narrative of the game. This ensures that the player always has something interesting they are working toward from moment to moment!

I've also begun work on the second main environment. In the last update, I mentioned that I had completed the Desert Plains environment and this month I’ve begun work on the Jungle Ruins! I've started building a few of the environmental puzzles and creating plenty of nooks and crannies to explore! 

As for the combat, well, I’ve made the decision to go in and re-code it all from scratch… again!  The combat is actually starting to feel pretty decent, but it’s still a bit too glitchy and inefficient. Sometimes that’s just how it goes in Game Dev. To get a feature to where you want it to be, you’ve got to scrap it and start over again a few times, learning as you go. It’s painful, but it’s worth it.

Finally, I’ve figured out what to do about the Upgrading the Shovel issue I was having as mentioned in the last devlog. I’ve decided to kill that feature!  I’ve also killed the ability to use either a basic attack of a strong attack in regular combat. Neither of these features were standing out or adding any significant fun factor to the game, so instead, I've decided to implement a kind of Power Attack instead! This works a bit like the Magic attack in the old Golden Axe arcade game. As you fight, a Power Attack meter will slowly fill up. Once it’s full, you’ll be able to unleash a powerful special attack that can cause major damage on nearby enemies! New special moves will become available to unlock with the treasure you’ve collected to keep things fresh and exciting! I haven’t implemented this feature yet, but stay tuned for a sneak peek in future devlogs!

Personal Updates

Not much to say about any personal updates. Things are pretty much the same around here. 

But here’s something interesting… maybe…

By now you all know that I want the core of this story to be a reflection of my own personal journey dealing with my issues with depression, disability, and low self esteem. I think it’s something that a lot of people can relate to, and maybe if I can help myself, I can help others too. But sometimes when I sit down to write, I have trouble getting those emotions on the page. I start to wonder if my antidepressants are keeping me from doing my best work? Like… if I’m not always in a pit of total despair, how can I honestly write about it? 

I know, that’s not a healthy way to think, and don’t worry, I’m not gonna go off my meds. It’s just something that’s been on my mind.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this look into the past and future of Earl the Tomb Robber.

If you’ve been following along and haven’t wishlisted this game on STEAM yet, please consider doing it. It costs nothing and really helps me out alot by giving the game more attention.

And if you’re watching the video on YouTube… maybe do the whole Like and Subscribe thing too?

Thanks so much, everyone!  Until next time, keep looking for your treasure… inside and out!