VVVVVV Interstate

VVVVVV, but Frogger.

About
Interstate is a custom VVVVVV level made in 2 weeks for the NYU Game Center.

The level features new rooms, enemy patterns, and puzzles.

This was a solo dev project.
Media
Interstate is a Frogger-inspired take on VVVVVV.
Interstate is a Frogger-inspired take on VVVVVV.
10 unique rooms to beat!
10 unique rooms to beat!
Discover your sense of timing—
Discover your sense of timing—
—and put it to the test.
—and put it to the test.
Process
If VVVVVV is a about one thing, it's about precision platforming.  So when I had an assignment to design a level for the game, I wanted to see if there were other facets of the game I could explore.
Shoutout to the VVVVVV editor for making it all possible.
Shoutout to the VVVVVV editor for making it all possible.
 A large chunk of my original designs had the player idling, waiting for platforms to crumble to progress. I was essentially exploring the facet of "waiting," not the most inspired choice if I'm being honest. So I switched gears, leaning into another area I was exploring: movement.
Before—
Before—
—and after!
—and after!
The biggest change in my designs, while not included in the images above, was the inclusion of spikes. Spikes are a necessary evil in VVVVVV, since they're one of the few things that can force player movement. It's easy to wait for the right moment once you've figured out a pattern, but throw some spikes into the mix and suddenly stalling for time becomes a gauntlet that punishes hesitation.
Before—
Before—
—and after!
—and after!
In the end I couldn't get away from precision in my designs. But that's okay, because then it wouldn't have been a VVVVVV level, would it?
Of course, the real star of the show was playtesting, since it's thanks to playtesting feedback that I got the necessary kick in the pants to revisit my designs in the first place.
Before—
Before—
—and after!
—and after!
You can watch a playthrough of Interstate on YouTube.
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