You are Tooks the penguin, and your mother has been captured by evil polar bears. To get her back, you must run, jump, and use your trusty umbrella to navigate through all of the polar bear isles until you find her.

Features

• Two different types of levels: Time Attacks and Exploration levels
• Penguin avatar
• Player character uses an umbrella to defeat foes
• Game stresses fast play, but does not heavily penalize slow play. There are almost always faster ways to complete the levels than the base path.
• Upgrades throughout the game give the player character more abilities to assist in finding alternate paths or more efficient traversal through levels
• Player character is never killed; he can only be stunned which wastes precious seconds.
• Medal system with a tiered reward system: faster or better play yields a better medal, bronze, silver, gold, and platinum.
• Medals are worth points, and upon reaching certain point quotas, new levels are opened to be played

Player Motivation

The player is motivated to complete the game to complete the story and see the end of the tale. The player is then compelled to replay old levels to get better times and better medals.

Genre

Jumping-Platform game with minor puzzle elements hiding alternate paths

Intended Audience

Platform fans will enjoy the deeper level design and the heavy use of theme.

Unique Points

• Player's avatar cannot die; he can only become stunned;
• Medal system encourages levels to be replayed.
• Permanent upgrades in a platformer.
• Penguin avatar.

Similar Games

• Super Mario Brothers
• Sonic the Hedgehog
• Metroid

Abilities

There will be one new ability gained at the end of the Exploration Level in each world except the last, and at the moment we plan to have 5 worlds. That means 4 new abilities will be obtained over the course of the game. They are listed in the order they are obtained.

• Belly Slide: This is not an upgraded ability, though it is worth noting. While traveling on slopes, Tooks can slide on his belly to pick up large quantities of speed.
• Umbrella Float: While in the air you can use your umbrella to float slowly to the ground. You can reach far-away ledges this way.
• Grapple Hook: Swing and jump from grapple points to grapple point to climb faster and reach areas otherwise impossible. Often there will be a single grapple point that will allow a player to pass over a series of more complex jumps
• Umbrella Thrust: Destroy breakable blocks to find additional paths and areas in levels. These paths are frequently major shortcuts and can allow the player to pass by or around difficult portions of the main path.
• Pogo-Tip: Break blocks below you and jump really high. This item can be used to open hidden tunnels below you or it can be used to bounce up to a ledge that is just beyond reach.

Levels

Levels are broken into 5 worlds, each with 1 Exploration Level and 3 Time Attack levels.

Exploration levels have four exits, one exit corresponding to each type of medal. The bronze and silver exits are relatively easy to find and reach, while the gold and platinum exits are more hidden and require better exploration to find. A countdown timer shows the player how much time he has left, because when it reaches zero, the silver, gold and platinum exits all close.

Time attack levels have only one exit, and the levels themselves are much more linear. Medals are awarded to the player based on the amount of time that it takes for the player to complete the level. To obtain a platinum will require near perfect play, while a silver medal would more likely be obtained on the second or third attempt.

Design Goals

Addictive gameplay
Cute atmosphere

Story

You are Tooks, a penguin of Antarctica. One day when out with your fishing with your mother, you are ambushed by evil polar bears from the North Pole. They kidnap your mother and leave you to fend for yourself. Surprise and sadness overtake you and you run home to get the only item that will allow you to take back your mother from the bears. You return home and run past the knife rack, past the rifle cabinet and into the garage. You run past the family tank and rummage around in an old box until you find the perfect weapon to unleash against your foes, a purple parasol. With parasol in hand, you hurry after the polar bears to reclaim your mother.