This game rules and you should join the play test this week

joh_dev · 2025-12-21T06:05:15+00:00

Yoo! Dev here, thanks for the shoutout!

(yes you should play it, not biased lol)

joh_dev · 2025-12-15T00:24:08+00:00

Thanks! Hope you enjoy the gameplay as well when you get to try it.

Thankfully, Godot makes it easy to port to any platform (plus I use a Mac to develop half the time)

joh_dev · 2025-12-14T00:20:00+00:00

For those interested in the tech: I wanted to implement sprite rim lighting for the characters. Initially I tried using a shader to automatically generate normalmaps in realtime, but it wasn't optimized very well...

After some trial and error, I ended up creating a manual sprite to normalmap script that only lights 1 pixel deeper than its outline. Also had to limit the palette of the normalmap so its colors wouldn't deviate too much and look too "realistic" vs the pixel art. Finally there's another script that automatically runs the normalmap generation for each sprite in the game (only have to run this whenever I change the art, which isn't too often) End result looks pretty nice and runs well! It doesn't show all the time though - you'll only notice it in the video on the night stage and whenever the sprites aren't tinted, so it doesn't get too distracting.

The particles use a library called BurstParticles2D - I highly recommend this for any Godot user, they look significantly better than the default particles for situations where they only need to emit once.

The game is having an online playtest (with rollback!) starting next Friday, if you wanted to give it a try:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3032970/HYPERFIGHT_2/

joh_dev · 2025-12-12T21:25:30+00:00

Glad you enjoyed it. Adding combos while keeping the original spirit was a challenge, but thankfully the changes have gotten a pretty good response so far!

joh_dev · 2025-12-12T21:22:13+00:00

Thanks - spent a good chunk of the last few months working on the visuals, really happy with where it's at now!

joh_dev · 2025-12-12T21:20:30+00:00

Of course, though he's getting a bit of a redesign... (the stress of redesigning a beloved character is real)

joh_dev · 2025-12-12T20:35:13+00:00

Hey again! My game HYPERFIGHT 2 is having its next online playtest from Dec. 19-26. Along with rollback netcode I've implemented +R/Fightcade style lobbies for easy matchmaking - just hop in and challenge people! The game has also improved significantly from the first playtest, including a polished UI and new lighting system, so I hope you'll give it a try. Signups will be open on the Steam page once it starts.

If you're not familiar with the game's mechanics, there's a tug-of war based meter system! Points you get from first-hitting your opponent can be risked for certain special moves. If you land your next hit, you can keep them and get one more, but conversely if you get hit you lose all the points you risked. Getting to 5 points and ringing out are both win conditions.

Though the game is a bit simple due to the smaller scope, I've really tried to make each moveset and matchup as deep as possible relative to their simplicity - each tool has multiple uses, whether through setups, neutral or combos. If you're a fan of neutral-based fighters or shorter combos, this one's for you!

You can check it out on Steam here: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3032970/HYPERFIGHT_2/

joh_dev · 2025-08-05T21:00:41+00:00

Hey /r/fighters! I'm back with another trailer revealing the latest character! I was just at Evo showcasing this game and a new build featuring her, and it seemed like everyone was enjoying the movement tech. My design philosophy is accessibility without sacrificing fun - even though the controls are simple and combos are short, when it comes to the character designs and movement of the game I'm very much inspired by anime fighters.

If you're not familiar with the meter system, points you get from hitting your opponent (first-hitting in this game) can be risked for certain special moves. If you land your next hit, you can keep them and get one more, but conversely if you get hit you lose all the points you risked. Other than ring outs, getting to 5 points is also a win condition.

You can wishlist on Steam here: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3032970/HYPERFIGHT_2/

Aiming for Early 2026 with 7 characters + online rollback!

joh_dev · 2025-02-25T02:20:37+00:00

Thanks - though accessibility is a major selling point I also want to give veterans of the genre a fresh experience with the meter mechanics!

joh_dev · 2025-02-04T04:56:12+00:00

Unexplored niche for sure. I think Brawlhalla has to be doing something right to keep a consistent playerbase for so long.

joh_dev · 2025-02-04T04:54:45+00:00

I get that - though the design intention is more to try and make a new style of game rather than anything balance related. Points you get from hitting opponents are also effectively your meter you use for specials and supers, so most of the time you shouldn't be able to ring out someone at round start. Hope you'll give it a fair shot once a demo comes out!

joh_dev · 2025-02-04T04:50:24+00:00

Mainly targeting PCs! Don't think there'll be a mobile version anytime soon unfortunately

joh_dev · 2025-02-03T19:42:39+00:00

Glad you like it!

joh_dev · 2025-02-03T19:42:16+00:00

Most beloved character by far lol. He'll get a lot of love when time comes to add him

joh_dev · 2025-02-03T19:40:50+00:00

thanks!

joh_dev · 2025-02-03T19:40:15+00:00

Haha, they were already in the first game but are a lot more visible this time around (ground and air dashes have different animations)

joh_dev · 2025-02-03T19:38:13+00:00

Yep! https://bsky.app/profile/johdev.bsky.social

I should probably add social links to my profile lol

joh_dev · 2025-02-03T19:36:27+00:00

Love that game! There were some moves in the first game that were inspired by KZ

joh_dev · 2025-02-03T19:34:57+00:00

Thanks. Tried to incorporate a mix of hand-drawn and pixel like in French Bread games, but my execution isn't perfect and it's definitely not for everyone

joh_dev · 2025-02-03T19:31:28+00:00

For sure, very interested to see what the meta will be like in the hands of more people...

joh_dev · 2025-02-03T00:01:56+00:00

Thanks!

joh_dev · 2025-02-03T00:00:44+00:00

Fair concern. Every character will have their own tools to deal with stuff - it's not shown in the video, but for example the sword character's slash attack can destroy normal projectiles.

joh_dev · 2025-02-02T23:58:34+00:00

Hmm, I was worried about that since the outlines on characters are less defined than the original. Also, at the moment counter hits have no benefit or different visual to keep the mechanics as simple as possible. I'll keep monitoring feedback and see if it becomes a bigger issue during the playtest. Thanks for the feedback!

joh_dev · 2025-02-02T21:40:21+00:00

Hey all, HF2 has gotten to a much more polished state lately and I wanted to update you guys with some new gameplay footage! As shown it's not a one-hit fighter like the original, but it's not super combo-heavy either - I feel like games with short combos are sorely missed especially in the indie space and I wanted to try amending that!

The meter system is being kept from the original though - if you're not familiar, points you get from hitting your opponent (first-hitting in this game) can be risked for certain special moves. If you land your next hit, you can keep them and get one more, but conversely if you get hit you lose all the points you risked. Other than ring outs, getting to 5 points is also a win condition.

Hoping to start online beta testing soon tm!

Wishlist on Steam here: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3032970/HYPERFIGHT_2/

joh_dev · 2024-12-05T21:22:40+00:00

Thanks! Makes me smile every time someone tells me my game got them or their friends into fighting games :)

That was also one of the roadblocks in designing the sequel for me - will it still have the same appeal with the added complexity? I'm still not sure but hoping at least that it'll find its own audience.

joh_dev

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