Spark the Electric Jester

Spark the Electric Jester
Developer(s)	Felipe Daneluz
Publisher(s)	Feperd Games
Composer(s)	Andy Tunstall Falk Au Yeong Funk Fiction Michael Staple Paul Bethers James Landino
Series	Spark the Electric Jester
Engine	Clickteam Fusion
Platform(s)	Windows
Release	April 10, 2017
Genre(s)	Platform
Mode(s)	Single-player

Spark the Electric Jester is a 2017 platform game created by Brazilian developer Felipe Daneluz, also known by his pseudonym LakeFeperd. The story follows the titular Spark as he embarks on a journey to stop a mobilizing army of robots from taking over the world. Gameplay involves a mix of fast-paced platforming and melee combat over a series of differently themed levels. A vast array of power-ups are distributed throughout, each characterized by a unique set of abilities for use in battle and traversal.

Daneluz was previously known for creating a variety of fangames based off the Sonic the Hedgehog series, and would draw inspiration from his work in the creation of Spark, which was to be his first commercial title. Daneluz’s game design was influenced by 16-bit platforming games, including Sonic, Kirby Super Star, and Mega Man X. Outside of returning composers from his fangames, Daneluz developed the game alone using Clickteam software. After a successful Kickstarter campaign, the game was eventually released for Windows to positive reception. Journalists made favorable comparisons to the classic Sonic games and directed praise towards its mechanics, replay value, and soundtrack, with criticism primarily focused around its easy difficulty and performance issues. A sequel, Spark the Electric Jester 2, was released in May 2019, while a third entry, Spark 3, was announced in September 2020.

Gameplay

Spark with the Cool power-up equipped, enabling him to run on water. He approaches a pair of Bits situated below a health capsule.

Spark the Electric Jester is a 2D side-scrolling platformer inspired by 16-bit era console games. The player must guide the eponymous Spark through a series of differently themed levels, each typically containing an assortment of obstacles, robotic enemies, and boss fights. Spark's momentum is reactive to level terrain, gaining and losing speed accordingly from inclines and vertical loops.^[1][2] Base traversal abilities consist of a jump, wall jump, and a dash to accelerate forward.^[1][3] The dash can also be leveraged to parry enemy attacks,^[2] harmful projectiles, and various level hazards when initiated upon collision. The player is capable of attacking enemies both aground and aerially,^[4] and can chain up to three attacks at a time.^[3] Additionally, they are able to release a charged shot either horizontally or vertically.^[5] Some enemies can be dispatched with one attack while others require multiple hits to defeat.^[4] Dealing attacks in quick succession will prompt a blue meter, referred to as the "Static Bar", to rise. The Static Bar must be continuously built up through attacking enemies or it will begin to deplete, and empties if damage is received. Once full, it can be expended by releasing a charged shot, enhanced with greater strength.^[3][6]

Two types of collectibles are obtainable. Yellow capsules replenish hit points, of which there are six.^[5] Smaller yellow collectibles, entitled Bits, slowly fill an accordingly colored meter located in the heads-up display. If the player takes damage with no hit points remaining, Spark will die and return to the last checkpoint reached, at which progress is saved, with the meter reset. If Spark dies and the meter is full, however, he will be promptly revived with fully replenished hit points. A life system, typically employed in 16-bit action games, is absent.^[4]

A variety of power-ups are distributed across the levels,^[7] each characterized by a unique moveset and cosmetic change to Spark.^[1][2] They endow the player with either different attacks, traversal abilities, or both.^[8] The benefit a full Static Bar provides varies amongst the powers, in most cases being a different kind of charged special attack.^[2][4][8] A few powers, however, do not activate the Static Bar.^[4] If the player is damaged with a power equipped, there is a chance it will release and temporarily bounce across the screen to be retrieved.^[9] Two powers can be held at once, with the player being able to switch between and manually release them at any time.^[5][10]

Completing the game will unlock Fark, Spark's doppelgänger, as a playable character.^[9] His campaign takes place a month after Spark's and chronicles his journey to find Freom, the game's antagonist, who he believes is still at large.^{[lower-alpha 1]} Differences consist of fewer hit points, altered level design, the omission of power-ups, additional boss fights, and a new moveset.^[4][8] Beside attacking, the player is also able to double jump,^[11] dash, and accelerate downwards while airborne.^[4] Additionally, they are capable of walking on walls and ceilings.^[12] Up to five regular attacks can be chained together, with the next upward or lower one strengthened by chaining at least three beforehand.^[13] The Static Bar also functions differently, as it does not deplete on its own and increases at a more gradual rate. It is built up through a similar method by attacking enemies, as well as through collecting blue capsules and successfully executing parries.^[4][14] The parry has its own dedicated button and halts Fark at a defensive stance.^[4] Well-timed parries will net additional Static Bar increment, whereas mistimed ones will deplete it.^[2] If half-full, the Static Bar can be expended for health replenishment and a temporary invincibility state accompanied by increased speed and strength.^[4][15] Once completely full, Fark will transform into a powerful "Super" form. Taking damage will deplete the bar, causing him to revert to his normal state.^[2][4]

Upon completion of their respective campaigns, the player can revisit levels as either Spark or Fark through a time attack mode, with their fastest finishing time recorded in the game's menu.^[5] Completing the game will also unlock Wishes Mode,^[16] a toggleable option equipping Spark with every power-up at once.^[17] Hard modes consist of reduced health, altered enemy placement with increased strength, and new boss attack patterns.^[5][18] Two additional game modes can be unlocked.^[8]

Plot

The story begins with Spark, a yellow anthropomorphic character of the Formie species, explaining his origins to the player. After obtaining a job as a circus performer, Spark was replaced with a robot bearing a close resemblance to himself. In the present day, Spark overlooks his city in discontent, lamenting the increasing presence of robots in his society. As the robots abruptly begin to attack the people of the city, Spark intervenes to stop them. After Spark defeats the robots throughout the city, he encounters his look-alike from the circus. The look-alike taunts him before running off, igniting a rivalry between the two. Spark subsequently travels across the planet to fight the mobilizing robotic army, learning of their plans for world domination. He dubs his look-alike "Fark", a portmanteau of "Spark" and "fake".

Spark is eventually introduced to a resistance movement of robots and their leader, a roboticist named Doctor Armstrong. Armstrong explains that he created a robot to guard Megaraph, a towering robot production facility. The robot, dubbing himself Freom, developed a dogmatic personality and amassed an army of robots, a consequence of his autonomous programming. Armstrong also discovered that Fark's intended purpose was to masquerade as an ally of Freom and eventually betray him, but Fark had been unsuccessful in doing so. Armstrong enlists Spark to infiltrate Freom’s battle airships as well as Megaraph, where Spark can confront him.

After defeating Fark in a final duel, Spark ascends up Megaraph and encounters Freom sitting atop a throne of machinery. Freom reveals his plan to launch the facility into the planet's orbital ring, bringing about a mass extinction. As Megaraph lifts off into space, Fark thrusts his staff into the sky to aid Spark from the surface. Brandishing the staff, Spark transforms into a more powerful form and pursues Freom up to Megaraph's peak. With his newfound strength, he is able to defeat Freom and thwart his plans.

Development and release

Screenshot from After the Sequel, one of Daneluz's fangames. The design of "Beam Sonic", as depicted in the screenshot was used as the basis for Spark's design.

Hailing from São Paulo, Brazil, Spark the Electric Jester was created by Felipe Daneluz, known online by his internet alias, LakeFeperd. He first immersed himself in game development in late 2010 after having discovered the open-source game engine Sonic Worlds.^[19][20] The framework was developed by collaborators from the Sonic Fan Games HQ website for designing Sonic the Hedgehog-style levels within the Multimedia Fusion 2 program.^[20][21] Daneluz had desired to create a game based off the franchise since he was a child,^[19] and would find the engine to be "easy to use" due to its accessibility to those lacking programming experience. He went on to develop three 2D Sonic fangames while attending college as a game design student, these consisting of Sonic: Before the Sequel, After the Sequel, and Chrono Adventure.^[20] The games received over 120,000 downloads overall and positive online coverage for their replication of the official series' classic gameplay.^{[21][22][23][24]}

The idea for Spark originated from After the Sequel. The game contained a power-up derived from the Kirby series,^[25] endowing Sonic with a jester-like appearance and the ability to generate fireballs.^[21] Daneluz sought to create a character based off the power-up's fusion of Sonic and Kirby elements,^[25] with other games, such as Ristar, also inspiring him. Daneluz found that initial reactions to his design were poor and would attempt to adjust it, but ended up scrapping his redesign attempts.^[26] Work on Spark began by the time of Chrono Adventure's development. Daneluz had intended for the gameplay to be different from that of Sonic's, recounting it as being initially slow, Mega Man-like, and more mechanically simple than the final release. He found this early iteration to be dull, and implemented Sonic elements, such as speed and vertical loops, as a result.^[27]:{{{1}}}

A month-long Kickstarter campaign was launched in late July of 2015,^[28] accompanied by a demo containing three levels.^[29] The fundraiser earned over US$ 9000 from the contribution of 440 backers,^[7][30] surpassing its funding goal of US$ 7,000.^[28] Daneluz claimed that "the majority of the game's initial development" was complete by the campaign's launch, and planned to allocate funds towards music and sound design.^[31] The musicians Andy Tunstall, Falk Au Yeong, Funk Fiction (Pejman Roozbeh), and James Landino returned for Spark after having collaborated on Daneluz's fangames,^[32] with Michael Staple and Paul Bethers also contributing to the soundtrack.^[33] Alongside music composition, Landino served as a sound designer and managed the audio team.^[31][34] Tunstall also worked on sound design and contributed music,^[31] concept,^[26] and cover art.^[35] All other aspects of the game's development were handled by Daneluz.^[36] Spark was created atop the code from his fangames in Multimedia Fusion 2, later transitioning to Clickteam Fusion 2.5.^[27]:{{{1}}} Aside from Sonic, the Mega Man X titles and Kirby Super Star were Daneluz's biggest influences, with Bayonetta and the Smash Bros. series also serving as inspiration.^[25] The character of Fark was influenced by multiple rival characters in video games, such as Mega Man's Zero, Kirby's Meta Knight, and Sonic the Hedgehog's Metal Sonic and Shadow, while Freom was influenced by Dragon Ball's Frieza.^[26]

Spark was originally projected for an August 2016 release on Windows and OS X platforms,^[7][31] but would instead launch on April 10, 2017, exclusively for Windows via Steam under Daneluz's studio name, Feperd Games.^[2][8] It received an update on June 20, 2018,^[37] including performance improvements, bug fixes, a rewritten story, and the addition of hard modes.^[18]

Reception

Reception
Review scores Publication Score Destructoid 8.5/10[8] Hey Poor Player [9]

Coverage of Spark was positive. Journalists felt that its various influences were incorporated and iterated on successfully, with the game most favorably compared to the 16-bit Sonic titles.^[2][5][8][9] Writing for the gaming website Hey Poor Player, Delano Cuzzucoli characterized the amount of power-ups as "extensive" and viewed them as "a major draw" to the game.^[9] Amr Al-Aaser of Rock Paper Shotgun commended Spark for its variety of ideas in both its level gimmicks and power-ups, and opined that it would "remix and refresh old ideas with its own, instead of being content to pay homage".^[2] The power-ups were described as more in-depth than those in Sonic 3 & Knuckles by Destructoid's Jed Whitaker, who accredited them towards elevating the game's quality to that of the classic Sonic titles. Whitaker also drew attention to its unlockable modes and wrote that there was "a plethora of content and playtime".^[8] Cuzzucoli echoed a similar sentiment, citing replay value as one of Spark's strengths. However, he commented that occasional portions of the levels felt vacuous.^[9] The soundtrack received positive reactions and similar comparisons to the Sonic series.^[2][5][8][9] It was described as "a powerful feel good mood that's easy to get swept away in" by Al-Aaser, and Whitaker believed it was of equal quality to the series' music. Additionally, Cuzzucoli highlighted the soundtrack as Spark's strongest point.^[9]

Most journalists covering Spark thought of it as initially easy.^[5][8][9] Cuzzucoli and Whitaker considered Fark's campaign to be more challenging than Spark's, with the former declaring it superior due to its greater difficulty.^[8][9] Alternatively, Seagrave suggested hard mode to those seeking a challenge.^[5] Cuzzucoli also expressed that while he had seen nicer pixel art elsewhere, he still felt that Spark's graphics were visually appealing and better than those in Daneluz's fangames.^[9] Seagrave singled out the game's performance as its biggest downside, acknowledging Daneluz's efforts to address frame rate issues but noting that some still remained.^[5]

Sequels

On September 12, 2017, A successor under the title of Fark the Electric Jester was announced.^[38] The game was developed with Unity^[39] and released on May 16, 2019, for Windows as Spark the Electric Jester 2. Unlike its predecessor, Spark the Electric Jester 2 features 3D gameplay and stars Fark as its protagonist.^[40]

Spark the Electric Jester 3 was concurrently announced on September 7, 2020, with the release of Spark 2 for the Xbox One.^[41][42] The game will reintroduce Spark as the protagonist and is set to iterate on the 3D gameplay established in the second title.^[43]

Notes

References

External Links

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