Research SHMUPs and look for
inspiration from other games, but also TV, film, literature, graphic novels,
current affairs etc. This document will give you guidance as to the style of
your game assets. Use whichever software packages suit you best, BUT cite any
sources you have used in your research, both written and visual.
Remember that you are trying to generate thoroughly
thought through concept art ideas for computer game graphics and apply project
management techniques to direct a project, showing creativity and flair and
working independently to professional expectations.
SHMUP games have been around since near the beginning of
video games, the premise of these games is shooting the enemies to gain
points/power ups to progress through the stages to fight large bosses. Within
the SHMUP genre there are many sub-genres each with their own style, Rail
Shooters are games where you have little to no control over the characters
movement but you do the aiming and the shooting, an example of a Rail Shooter
is House of the Dead for Arcades and eventually Dreamcast. Another example of a
sub-genre is Bullet Hell games, this type of game is accurate to its name,
there is a never-ending onslaught of bullets fired at you and its up to you to
dodge them, an example of a Bullet Hell game is Ikaruga. Some SHMUP games have
real world influences like 1942, a varticly scrolling SHMUP game using real
world planes as its playable character and enemies, the inspiration was World
War 2 and the goal was to destroy the Japanese Air Fleet. Many different
setting can be used for SHMUP games and this has already been explored as there
have been many games set in the future and in the past.