Update 1 - Getting Started

I spent the better part of the night creating new graphics for the game to replace the old, pixelated placeholder ones. I want to give this game a sense of depth using these new graphics. They're still subject to change over time as I fine tune the game. That includes these new pre rendered power up icons: 

These will be the new placeholder powerup graphics. They're not perfect, I may redo the missile power up later but for now I'm satisfied with how they're represented while the game is in development. They even spin as they descend downwards; https://files.catbox.moe/e5c30l.webm. It's nice to see this kind of progress regardless of how minor. I started off with graphics that look like this:

Now, that's not all. I've updated the graphics for the ball, player, and the bricks itself. They even have an animation where they implode upon impact. However, I've added one of the new mechanics that I want to implement to make this game stand out amongst the rest of the breakout clones out there. The "Bounce Off" mechanic: https://files.catbox.moe/2pb63f.mp4

This mechanic is like a flipper in a pinball table. When the player hits the ball, the ball goes faster, and you get 5 times the points when you hit a block. This mechanic speeds up the gameplay quite a bit, having the ball go double the speed, but it also makes the game far less manageable. I wanted to introduce this risk reward element to encourage player expression, and I plan on building upon it later with different levels with unique gimmicks. I've also made it where the player's block can rotate about 20 degrees left and right while moving, That way, the player can influence the direction the ball is going in as it returns to the player.

The easiest part of developing this game is over I feel, because now I have to create the unique levels for the adventure mode and the puzzles that go alongside with it. I'm confident in my ability to deliver on this however, I've got a really good rhythm going with development and I can't wait to work on more.

https://files.catbox.moe/xgkvk9.webm