Getting Around It with Pheasant Birdy

A short platformer that we put together over the course of the last few weekends of GBA Jam 2024, against all odds. (There's a neat twist to it, but the screenshot GIFs featured here don't show it so as not to spoil the surprise!)

Soundtrack: https://fictive.bandcamp.com/album/getting-around-it-with-pheasant-birdy-ost

Extra controls

After the tutorial, you may press Start (Enter) to pause. While paused, you may use the D-pad (arrow keys) and L/R (A/S keys) to observe your surroundings.

The rest of the controls are explained in-game. (The web version even displays the keyboard controls! However, it also supports controller input; besides the keys mentioned above, the X key is mapped to the A button.)

Compatibility notes

Plays on GBA hardware and most emulators (mGBA, NanoBoyAdvance, even VisualBoyAdvance). Two emulators are currently known to have issues:

• GBARunner2 – won't run, white screen on boot
• gpSP – runs, but with distracting visual artifacts

Playing on a backlit or frontlit GBA screen is recommended, though it looks fine in incandescent lighting on an AGB-001 as well!

Credits

• lifning - concept, renderer, engine, design, scripting,scenery, audio codec, pixel font, coordination, stage design (tutorial, cave, finale)
• vivlim - visual stage design tool, stage design (mountain), project hosting, playtesting

• itsonlythee - sprites, scenery, promotional graphics

• artemis - composition, sound direction, chat hosting

• Skirmisher - stage design (grassland), rubber duck debugging, web embed integration, food

• iliana - Hell Labs logo design, food, inspiration

Web player is based on gba.ninja by Simon Paris (with modifications by Rik), which runs VisualBoyAdvance-M via Emscripten.