<BODY> “I always remember Ocean for doing great games, but I found the original Gilligan’s Gold to be a stinker,” Jamie tells us. “I wondered if I could do better with modern tools.” Jamie’s chosen tool is Jonathan Cauldwell’s MPAGD (Multi-Platform Arcade Game Designer). “I don’t feel MPAGD was really made with this sort of game in mind, so that is the challenge,” Jamie adds. “The focus is on tight gameplay. Everything has to work so the player has confidence that Gilligan is going to do what you tell him. The scripting is quite complex as there are several game mechanics that all have to work together.”
Was there a particular challenge Jamie faced? “The trickiest bit so far was the minecarts,” he admits. “They must travel between screens regardless of what the player is doing. But generally, the game has so much going on.” That also means Jamie’s game needs a little more time. “I hope to finish it this year, and have it released for Christmas! It’s slow because I am doing everything myself – loading screen, music, menus, and game.” </BODY>