Especially since I've now taken them back out again for being too much of a Mario rip off. [smile]
Having stolen the basic 2D scrolling platform concept (not alone in this, I know), I'm trying really hard to find some original ideas rather than just continue the clone-Mario approach. Hell, I can play Mario on Facebook these days if I want, so I'm not really achieving much if that is all I aim for with Udo.
One idea I was thinking about at work today (I should probably concentrate on my actual job more really) was chimney jumps, or rather the idea that if you push into a wall as you are jumping, you stick for half a second or so and can then jump back away from it.
Okay, so now I'm just ripping ideas of N instead of Mario, but hey. Getting the physics of it working is simple enough, the big challenge would be getting the graphics side of it looking right.
Jujitsu continues fun. I'm about a quarter of the way through learning what I need for my white belt grading now, but I've been being someone else's training dummy tonight so am a bit achy.
Downloaded the Tomb Raider: Underworld demo off Steam the other night. I sort of like it, sort of. Part of me still misses the "walk to the edge, jump back, run and jump, grab" precision of original TR, but I must admit the graphics are quite impressive, although not really a major leap forward from TR:Anniversary. Both TR:A and TR:U knock spots of Angel of Darkness though.
There you go then - project update, brief bit about martial arts and a demo review. What on earth more could you ask for from a journal entry except screenshots?
I agree you should look for new distinguishing game mechanics but wall jumps are just clichè. A few more steps in that direction and you'd be following the recent craze of physical accuracy as "gameplay". This constrains mechanics a lot, many games didn't consider physics much, all that matters is that it's fun. Worth reading IMO:
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/1524/the_chemistry_of_game_design.php
Udo is a purple, weirdly fuzzy creature, I'm sure you'll be able to come up with interesting abilities for it. The "stomp" attack was really cool, we need more of that, and less of the physically-based kind of mechanics :)