Alien Up is a sci-fi 2D anime style pixel shooter game. This entry will go over the upgrade system of Alien Up. There are a few steps that need to be executed in order to get a majority of the Chelsea upgrades in the game. To get the upgrades, like double jump, faster reload, more power etc, the player will have to go through the Solar Coin Coffee Girl.
The Solar Coin Coffee Girl (SCCG) is a barista in one of the popluar over franchised coffee shops in the space colony where the game takes place. She forgot her nametag during the time of the invasion and the player/Chelsea doesn't know her real name. SCCG is a "Soda Jerk" which means she is a big fan of soft drinks. She knows the history of all the different bands, collects cans and memorabilia relating to soda. She is a total soda freak. She will be the first person Chelsea saves. After saving SCCG the game's upgrade shop will open.
The shop in Alien Up is where the player can purchase upgrades for Chelsea as the game gets progressively more difficult. Upgrades like more HP, more ammo in a clip, double jump, faster reload etc. The player will not use currency to get these upgrades however. This is Alien Up, it has to be different and stupid. The player will have to use points that are given to Chelsea from SCCG when Chelsea turns in a soda to her. The player will get the sodas after beating a special level goal. For instance, the special level goal might be "receive no damage." After the goal is met the player will gain the soda at the level's end screen. The soda is only available once so there will be many sodas to collect. After receiving the drink the player will turn it in to SCCG for points. Depending on the drink (how hard the level goal was) will determin how many points she will give Chelsea. But, before she gives the points, the SCCG will go into a historic rant about the soda Chelsea just turned in. Here is what she will say about the drink in the GIF above, Faust.
"Faust?! You got a hold of Faust?! This was created in the early 1990s back on Earth. Among the many contenders of common sodas at the time, this was a soda that would go down in history as both super popular and super short-lived. The story of Faust began with the vision of a small, independent soda company named Arcadia Delight. Their team of flavor scientists, led by the brilliant but problematic Dr. Cornelius Blackthorn, set out to create a soda that would stand out from the ordinary sea of colas and citrus drinks. After countless experiments and late-night taste test monkeys, they stumbled upon a combination that seemed both daring and irresistible – a cinnamon-infused elixir that would come to be known as Faust. The story of its creation is a lot like the legendary character who made a pact with the devil. Blackthorn was so desperate for a hit that he made a deal with the Devil himself. Or so the marketing wanted us to believe anyway. Faust was marketed as a bold and devilishly delicious beverage. Its deep red hue and distinctive cinnamon aroma set it apart from the mundane sodas lining the shelves. The first batch hit the market in 1993, generating a wave of curiosity and excitement. This soda had 2 issues though. 1, the whole Devil connection turned some people off. What if they got cursed!? Possessed? And 2, it was very expensive for the common consumer. Deliberately sold as a luxury item at launch, this made Faust very popular and hard to get. Other companies reverse engineered the formula to create cheaper Faust knockoffs. This caused the real Faust to undersell and discontinue after a 2 year run. Blackthorn soon disappeared after the drink was retired. Maybe he did make a deal with the Devil after all."
Alien Up is an indie game that will have an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign in early March 2024. Be sure to look out and donate towards the development when we go live with the campaign. If you want to try an early build of the pre-alpha demo yourself you can head here on Steam and download the demo. Feedback is very important to me so feel free to give it in the site’s forum or the Steam forum.