Dark Ninja - Galactic Games [SCRAPPED SOUNDTRACKS]

Game Updates & Announcements
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That’s some pretty intense subject matter :upside_down_face:

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It is. And you kind of called it with your previous comment.

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I’m extra excited now that there are officially dead children :upside_down_face:

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Well, not necessarily children, but there is still someone who passed away in this story.

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Last time, I spoke about how Dark Ninja will deal with two sensitive/mature topics. Now, due to one of the character arcs during the late game stages, I am considering adding a third sensitive topic to the list. More information on that later.

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86

I’m a sucker for M-Rated games, so I’m all for this hahaha

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87

I am not but if there are dead people then I am fine with it :upside_down_face:

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I mean, I am trying my best to keep Dark Ninja T-Rated, but if it does become M-Rated, it would be understandable.

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89

Doesn’t sound like it will :upside_down_face:

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I mean you’re not the developer, so you nor I can know for sure, so we’ll just have to wait and see

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That’s fair, I go now :upside_down_face:

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Warning!

This post talks (a little bit) about sensitive topics. If you do not think you can handle such topics, do not click on the summary below. If you are still curious but not mature enough, ask a parent or guardian to read through the text with you, then take time to discuss what you read and understand.

Sensitive Topic

So as stated before, Dark Ninja is part of the Specials series, and one of the criteria for making it on there is having mature/sensitive topics being discussed within that game. Dark Ninja will specifically talk about these topics:

  • Death of a Loved One - A loved one, such as a family member or friend, has passed away, and the characters are struggling to cope with the loss. Dark Ninja explores this topic from the beginning to end of the story.
  • Violation of Human Rights Under Authoritarian Regimes - Not all governments respect our freedom of speech, press, and due process. Dark Ninja explores this topic in the Steaming Springs, Laughing Lake, and Clockwork Canyon levels.

Now, when it comes to sensitive topics such as these, there is usually a grey/gray area of where that game or show will be rated. I will be pointing to the main inspirations for Dark Ninja that I discussed with @browngr.
The storyline and plot of Dark Ninja was inspired by a Nickelodeon TV Show The Legend of Korra. This show follows a teenage girl named Korra, who is a legendary entity known as “The Avatar”. As the Avatar, she has control over the four elements, and must use her powers to bring balance to the world. The issue is that Legend of Korra deals with sensitive topics of its own (change and trauma, just to name one). Despite this, the show is rated TV-7, meaning that the target audience is 7-year-olds and older.
Now we look at the second inspiration: Omori. This game is about a young boy named Sunny and his dream world alter-ego, Omori. Sunny is trying to come to terms with a forgotten tragedy, while Omori is trying to stop Sunny from remembering that tragedy. Omori also deals with sensitive topics (depression, just to name one), but unlike Legend of Korra, Omori has often been thought of as an M-Rated game (the psychological horror in that game probably helped push that rating).

When it comes to Dark Ninja, I feel that the game will fall somewhere within this grey/gray area. On one hand, it deals with sensitive topics. But on the other hand, those sensitive topics aren’t talked about in too much detail, and the game has a relatively happy and comedic mood all throughout. While I intend to keep Dark Ninja around the T for Teen rating, I won’t be surprised if it ends up being rated M for Mature. As G already said, only I - the developer - know so far, so you would have to wait until the demo, or at best the final product, to see, and decide whether this game can be played by teens or just adults.

EDIT: After a lot of thinking and some revisions to the story of the game, the sensitive topic “Suicide” has been removed. I felt that it was too touchy of a subject, and would surely bump the rating for the game to M for Mature. The other two topics will continue to be discussed in the game, and will not be affected.

Anyways, don’t worry, this will likely be the first and only time where I discuss sensitive topics on this discussion… or ever. After all, this forum is open to all ages, and I prefer to keep it that way.

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So, I have done some research on ESRB Ratings, and I think I have an idea of what Dark Ninja will be rated. Some content descriptions for this game may include:

  • Mild language - There is no swearing in the game, but there is some language that you would normally never hear in a formal conversation.
  • Suggestive themes - This is referring to the sensitive topics discussed in the above comment.
  • Mild blood - Cuts and bruises here and there, as well as some spilled blood. Blood only appears in the cutscenes, and not normal gameplay.
  • Cartoon and Fantasy Violence - Should be self-explanatory.

For this reason, I’m fairly confident that Dark Ninja will turn out to be T for Teen, and quite possibly E10+ (though I doubt that this will be the case). But again, we will have to wait and see.

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I have decided to make a revision in the comment I am currently replying to. If you want to see, search for the section “EDIT” in the post.

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1.1 K Views Milestone!

A couple of days ago, I logged onto the Flowlab Community Forum to find that the discussion post for Dark Ninja has reached 1.0 K views! Now, as I am posting this comment, it has reached 1.1 K. That’s amazing! I don’t think any of my posts have ever gotten this many views before (I think the Pixel Sports discussion once had, but that was during the old forums, so that doesn’t count by my standards).

To celebrate this, I present to you a soundtrack that plays when you complete a level!

Victory Is Ours! - Soundtrack plays after completing a level

Or, y’know, if this topic is never noticed again, I can always play the soundtrack of defeat…

Evil Prevails - Soundtrack plays during Game Over screen

Thank you to all of the users who have payed attention to the development of this game. I’m happy to hear your excitement for this game!

@rcreger @browngr @meburningslime @spencertheball @The_Kodex @ManiacPumpkin @Ramshacklegamestudios @MelloJello @00T_Free @theglitch055

(I can only mention 10 users per post. Even if you are not mentioned here, I still thank you for your interest in this project!)

Other achievements:

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I’m glad that my fascination with dead children in video games came in handy :upside_down_face:

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Awesome, congrats Galaxian!

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Whoa, 22 days since the last comment by @Ramshacklegamestudios… This got quite inactive pretty quickly.

Anyways, I’ve been coming around to the concept of mini-bosses that appear randomly in a stage. If you’ve played Minecraft Dungeons and ever randomly encountered an Evoker or Enderman, I’m talking about those kinds of mini-bosses. What do you guys think?

Should Mini-Bosses Be Added to the Game?
  • Yes, They Should Be Added
  • No, Don’t Add Them
  • Not Sure Yet…

0 voters

If you have any reason why you chose this option, by all means, go ahead and speak your mind! And if you need any clarification on how they would work, just ask.

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99

The more bosses, the better!

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Welcome @YerAverageGamer !
Your support is well appreciated :grin:

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