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8bit Doves

For the Nitrome Jam entry, see Jam:8bit Doves.
Icebreaker: A Viking Voyage ← 8bit Doves → Endless Doves

8bit Doves is a mobile game released for Android, iOS, and the Amazon App Store on August 27th, 2014, and on Amazon Underground on August 26th, 2015. A Windows Phone version was planned to be released at a later date[2], but this release was cancelled. The player controls a flying man as he tries to collect doves while trying to reach the level's finish line.

The game is expanded from the Nitrome Jam game 8bit Doves. A spin off of 8bit Doves titled Endless Doves was released on November 12 2014.

Controls

  • Tap left side of the screen - turn counter clockwise
  • Tap right side of the screen - turn clockwise

Gameplay

8bit Doves retains its core gameplay from the Jam version of collecting doves while trying to reach the finish line at the end of each level.

Plot

8bit Doves is set in a futuristic post apocalyptic world[3], with a sleeping flying man strapped to a NitromeBoy (a parody of the Gameboy) while in a prison. Doves have entered into the man's prison, their chirping causing dreams of flight inside the mind of the flying man where he is trapped in an 8bit virtual reality world. [4]

Spoiler
Upon the flying man completing Nightmare level 3-12, the doves lift up his helmet and the man wakes up.


Level packs

8bit Doves is split into three level packs: Sweet Dreams, Deep Sleep, and Nightmare.

Ending

This navigational box contains a spoiler. Click [show] to open the box.

8bit_Doves_Ending_(mobile)

The ending depicts the flying man, as he is seen on the title screen, having his mask removed by two doves which causes the colour of the screen to change from 8bit to full colour.

Avatars

8bd-freeavatars

When 8bit Doves was released a link on the game's menu allowed the player to log into their Nitrome account and unlock four 8bit Doves exclusive avatars. These avatars will only be able to be unlocked through this method, people without the game unable to unlock these avatars.

An option to receive the avatars is on the main navigation screen after the Nightmare level pack. This icon shows a flying man avatar emerging from a pink gift box; everything is in green and gray. By selecting the icon, the device's browser will load, displaying a screen with the profiles module. The user can then log into their account to receive the four avatars.

Price

Regular

CDN ($) US ($) GBP (£) EUR (€)
$3.74 $2.99 £1.99 2.50€

Sale

The game was temporarily put on sale on November 19th, 2014, this sale ending shortly after[5].

CDN ($) US ($) GBP (£) EUR (€)
$1.23 $0.99 £0.69 ?

Release

See also: Special announcements

8bit Doves was released on August 27th 2014, along with its website updated with information pertaining to the game. Though the game was released on August 27th, the game's trailer was released the previous day.

Versions

Release version

This was the initial release version of the game, labelled 1.0 on iOS, Android, and the Amazon App Store.

Level select update

Released on September 2nd 2014 for Android, this update added a level select feature to the game, fixed some bugs, updated the game's icon, added sounds to the ending, and added a few more doves on empty levels. Due to Apple taking long to approve the update, this update was not released for iOS until September 12th.

Android update 1

Version 1.2 saw an Android release on September 4th 2014. This update added a back button when navigating menus and brought Google Play Services improvements for functions that used it.

iOS update 1

This update was released on iOS and is labelled as version 1.1.1. It fixed a few bugs.

Android update 2

This version was released on Android on September 9th 2014 and update fixed a few bugs.

iOS update 2

This update was released on iOS on March 9 2015 and is labelled 1.2.1. This update adds native resolution support for iPhone 6/6+ and improves character animation.

Gallery

Video gallery

Jam version differences

See also: Sweet Dreams#Differences from Jam version

The mobile version of 8bit Doves will contain a few changes that will either mostly or entirely regard content from the Jam version, these changes made due to the rushed nature of the Jam version and the smartphones/tablets it is being ported to.

  • The menu is slightly different from the Jam version. The differences are that the flying man is wearing a different helmet, one that is light coloured on top and has a box placed over his eyes. His nose is also slightly different. Also, the Gameboy has been shifted down a bit, from being above the pipes to down a bit behind them. Note that the mobile version's menu lacks birds; this picture was provided by Nitrome on the Nitrome blog, and despite lacking doves the actual menu has them.
  • The game has a wider screen.
  • Instead of the player starting a level by moving in an arc either to the left or right (as in the Jam version), the player starts a level in a bed, with the player either being launched forward or horizontally (depending on the bed). This new method for starting a level was used as many beta testers for the mobile version were crashing into a wall using the Jam method of starting a level.[6]
  • The level completion sound is different.
  • Movement speed is increased.
  • Levels have different background art.
  • Frame rate is increased.

Development

See also: Jam:8bit Doves#Development

The Jam version of 8bit Doves was created in five days for the Nitrome Jam. Mat Annal - one of Nitrome's co founders - did the game's art while Icebreaker A Viking Voyage programmer Arthur Guibert did the programming. Unlike all of Nitrome's other browser games, 8bit Doves was made in Unity instead of Adobe Flash. Prior to development of the game's mobile version starting, Arthur Guibert while bored[7] made the Jam version of 8bit Doves run on an iPhone[8], which may have been influential in the decision to make the game a full fledged mobile title as the game worked "really well"[9] on an iPhone.

Development of the mobile release of 8bit Doves presumably started soon after the Jam, as the Jam version's composer William Bard shared how after the Jam he had been contacted by Nitrome to make music for the game[10], although he only specified the game as "8bit Doves" and not that it was the mobile version (which had not yet been revealed).

On June 30th, 2014, Nitrome officially revealed[11] the game on Twitter and later published a more formal Nitrome blog post about the game. [12] The revamping of the Nitrome.com mobile page on July 15th, 2014, also caused Nitrome to put up a banner on the page for 8bit Doves, which also revealed the game would be coming to Windows Phone.[13] The next day, Nitrome uploaded a video of 8bit Doves being played on a Windows Phone.[14]

The game's Jam version was used as a starting point for the mobile game[15], though the use of the Jam version's levels in the mobile version changed over time. Originally the Jam levels were going to be ported in their original (or near-original) form to the mobile version[16], though later the attitude towards this changed to using to using some of the Jam levels in the game or using the general ideas expressed in the Jam levels and using them in other new levels of the game. [15]

The launching device, used to start the player in each level, was changed to launch the player only in straight directions instead of an arc, as the arc version caused many beta testers of the mobile version to immediately crash into walls upon starting a level[17].

Though one criticism of 8bit Doves was how short the first release was (being only 30 levels), the reason behind this was so Nitrome could be able to create more levels for the game at a reasonable pace, as past experience with making the level packs of Icebreaker A Viking Voyage "epic" caused Nitrome to take longer to release level packs, and subsequently when they were released they did not have that large an audience.[18]

Information regarding new gameplay elements were announced in the weeks that followed. Nitrome announced on August 26th that the game would be released the next day, and also uploaded the game's trailer. The game was released on August 27th 2014 for iOS and Android, with a Windows Phone version coming later.[2]

Though the game initially lacked a level select screen, a point of criticism in several reviews, Nitrome was already working on adding this but released 8bit Doves without it so that the game could be available on the Apple App Store the same week Icebreaker: A Viking Voyage was "Free App of the Week".[19]

Nitrome wishes to add more levels to 8bit Doves, and configured the game so frequent updates are possible, though whether further level packs are produced depends on how popular the game is.[19]

8bit Doves' released on Windows Phone was delayed as Nitrome wanted to get editorial coverage for the game from Microsoft when the game was released on that platform, as they were concerned the game would sell poorly without this coverage.[20] On November 11th, 2014 Nitrome commented that they had discussed the coverage with Microsoft and that they had to re-start the discussion as it had not continued for a notable amount of time[20]. On May 3rd, 2015, the port of 8bit Doves to this platform had been cancelled, as Nitrome mentioned that they had no current plans to release their games on Windows Phone due to the platform's poor market share and the difficulty in getting promotions on the it[21].

The game was released on Amazon Underground on August 26th, 2015[22].

Reception

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Sales

Nitrome has not specified anything regarding 8bit Doves' revenue gain on either the Apple App store or the Google Play store.

8bit Doves sold very poorly on the Amazon App Store, the game's situation on this platform described by Nitrome as "we pretty much got 0 downloads". [23]

The game, along with Endless Doves, was downloaded a lot in in Japan[24].

Promotions

The game was put on sale for a limited time starting on November 19 2014[5] and ending shortly after.

8bit Doves along with Roller Polar were featured on the Apple App store on December 29 2014 in the section "Best Game's You've Never Played". [25]

On January 24 2015 8bit Doves was featured in the Apple App store section "one-touch games", despite not being one touch. [26]

8bit Doves was made temporarily free on the iOS App Store from March 9-16 2015 as part of Apple's Free App of the Week[27].

On July 3rd, 2015, Pocket Gamer and App Spy gave out on App Spy's Twitch channel an iOS download code for 8bit Doves[28].

Bundle

A three game bundle consisting of 8bit Doves, Gunbrick mobile, and Icebreaker: A Viking Voyage was offered on the Apple App Store on January 29 2015.[29]

Availability on other platforms

PC release

Nitrome has stated that a desktop version of 8bit Doves is possible, citing the game being made in Unity as the reason for this.[30]

Windows Phone release

8bit Doves was planned to be released on Windows Phone[2], but this released was delayed due to Nitrome wanting to get editorial coverage for the game from Microsoft when it was released on that platform, as they thought the game were perform poorly without this[20]. Nitrome mentioned on November 11th, 2014, that had discussed this with them and that they had to re-start the discussion as both parties had not discussed it for some time[20]. This version of the game had been cancelled by May 3rd, 2015, as Nitrome mentioned that they had no current plans to release anything on the Windows Phone platform, their reasons for this being the platform's poor market share and difficulty getting promotions[21].

Future content

Nitrome has said that they may update 8bit Doves with new content at a future point in time, and also that they have some ideas for what to do. [31]

Game Boy version

Arthur Guibert, the programmer of 8bit Doves, made a version of 8bit Doves game that ran on the Nintendo Game Boy. Nitrome was impressed by it and planned to polish this version of the game and use it to promote the mobile version of 8bit doves, though they never did get to doing this [32]. When asked about the game in January 2015 Nitrome said that a decision about the game has to be made on whether it will be polished and released or shown in the current form it is in. Nitrome has still expressed interest in using the polished version to promote 8bit Doves.[33]

Nitrome has said that once they have time they will cover the game on the Nitrome blog and likely as a video of it on a Gameboy emulator[34]. Originally Nitrome wanted to show the game being played on an actual Gameboy, but were unable to due to lacking the necessary hardware[34].

Trivia

  • The game's icon was changed in the 1.1 update from a dove to the flying man, due to the possibility of the game being mistaken as a Flappy Bird clone due to the presence of the dove[35], and also to make the icon unusual so people may investigate further.[36]
  • This is the first premium Nitrome game that didn't receive a site skin commemorating its release, with the second one being the mobile port of In the Dog House.

References

  1. ↑ As seen in the Google Play description.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Game Developer's Blog - Nitrome: 8Bit Doves Out Tomorrow!: Great news, our second mobile release 8Bit Doves is due for release Tomorrow on iOS and Android devices (Windows devices to follow shortly)., 26 August 2014, retrieved 26 August 2014.
  3. ↑ Game Developer's Blog - Nitrome: 8Bit Doves Out Tomorrow! → Comment by Nitrome: Bingo :)

    In response to Frostyflytrap:

    So it's a post-apocalyptic world somewhere in the future perhaps..., 26 Aug 2014, retrieved 9 Sep 2014.
  4. ↑ Nitrome: 8bit Doves, 27 Aug 2014, retrieved 10 Sep 2014.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Game Developer's Blog - Nitrome: 8Bit Doves ON SALE!, 19 Nov 2014, retrieved 19 Nov 2014.
  6. ↑ Game Developer's Blog - Nitrome: More 8-Bit Doves! → Comment by Nitrome: Yeah after some testing we found that a lot of players were actually crashing via launching straight into a wall. So we now have a sideways take off for sideways levels and a vertical one for ones that suit that starting position., 30 July 2014, retrieved 8 August 2014.
  7. ↑ Jonathan Annal on Twitter: [7]: Mat and @birslip [Arthur Guibert] got board [sic] and made there's run on iPhone and iPad whilst there waiting. Its REALLY great., 9 June 2014, retrieved 30 June 2014.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Arthur Guibert on Twitter: [8]: Check out our #nitromejam game 8bit doves running on the iPhone! @nitrome, 9 June 2014, retrieved 30 June 2014.
  9. ↑ Nitrome on Twitter: [9]: ...we just wanted to see how it would run and play. It works really well though...needs more levels though!, 9 June 2014, retrieved 30 June 2014.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 William Bard on Twitter: [10]: Beyond excited to write some more music for @Nitrome's "8bit Doves"! Let's do this! Stay tuned., 19 June 2014, retrieved 30 June 2014.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Nitrome on Twitter: [11]: check out 8bit doves running on mobile! #nitrome #8bitdoves, 30 June 2014, retrieved 30 June 2014.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Game Developer's Blog - Nitrome: Brand new mobile game! (8Bit Doves), 30 June 2014, retrieved 30 June 2014.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 http://cdn.nitrome.com/styles/images/lo_ios_8bitdoves.png
    on iOS [,] Android & Windows Phone
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Nitrome on Twitter: [12]: 8bit Doves running on windows phone! WOOT!, 16 July 2014, retrieved 16 July 2014.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 Pocket Gamer:: 8bit Doves, a tappy bird-collecting arcade action game, is Nitrome's next title for iOS and Android → Comment by Nitrome: [...] Also you stated that the first pack will use the online levels. That's not the case as there will be new levels in the first pack too. The old levels might still be used or at least ideas from them and spread throughout the new levels in the game. Were using the Nitromejam game as a starting point and while we don't want to upset the balance of the game too much by adding things in order to make more levels we really needed to add more gameplay elements so thats [sic] what were doing., 8 July 2014, retrieved 8 July 2014.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Game Developer's Blog - Nitrome: Brand new mobile game! (8Bit Doves) → Comment by Nitrome: Yeah it's true that it almost impossible. But well [sic] fix this in the mobile version. So don't sweat it to much, just a silly little mistake whilst building levels quickly for the nitromejam. With so little time, mistakes are bound to happen., 30 June 2014, retrieved 30 June 2014.
  17. ↑ Game Developer's Blog - Nitrome: More 8-Bit Doves! → Comment by Nitrome: Yeah after some testing we found that a lot of players were actually crashing via launching straight into a wall. So we now have a sideways take off for sideways levels and a vertical one for ones that suit that starting position., 30 July 2014, retrieved 8 August 2014.
  18. ↑ Touch Arcade: Universal 8bit Doves (by Nitrome) → Post by Nitrome: 2)We planned the game to make adding more levels a realistic task for us. We learned from our last game Icebreaker that if we make packs too epic that it takes so long to make an update that everyone has forgotten you game by the time you put one out. This time we wanted to make a game that is was possible for us to support., 28 Aug 2014, retrieved 5 Oct 2014.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 Touch Arcade: [ 8bit Doves review]: Thanks for the review guys! We will take your comments on board! A level select of some sort should hit with the next update which were already hard at work on and should hit in a week or two. It [level select] is something we wanted to add but we wanted to time it with Icebreaker going out as Free App of the Week so we had to draw a line. More levels are something we really want to add too. We have structured the game so that we will be able to do much more frequent updates this time around after going too epic to be able to support Icebreaker in a timely fashion. Of course it all depends on the downloads we get on how much we can support it :), August 14, retrieved 8 Feb 15.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 20.4 Game Developer's Blog - Nitrome: Endless Doves on mobile tomorrow!: We started trying to talk to Microsoft to get some editorial coverage. It was going well and we got an intro but then things fell a bit quiet and we need to pick up the conversation again. Putting things on Windows phone is not that hard and we wamy [sic] to support it with the Unity games but the fact is is [sic] we don't get any editorial support for what we put there we would probably spend more money uploading it than we would make back., 11 Nov 14, retrieved 11 Nov 14.
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 Nitrome on Twitter: [13]: porting [to Windows Phone] wasn't really the issue. Lack of market share and difficulty in getting promotion[s] make it hard to be viable [,] but that's not to say we're not going to try it at some point. We probably will., 3 May 15, retrieved 26 Sept 16.
  22. ↑ Nitrome on Twitter: [14]: Got an a Android device and want Nitromes Gunbrick and 8bit Doves for free? Then check out Amazons new app: http://www.amazon.com/underground, 26 Aug 15, retrieved 31 Aug 15.
  23. ↑ Game Developer's Blog - Nitrome: Platform Panic is out next week! → comment by Nitrome: We tried it [uploading games to the Amazon App Store] with 8Bit Doves and we pritty [sic] much got 0 downloads., 12 Dec 14, retrieved 12 Dec 14.
  24. ↑ Nitrome on Twitter: [15]: both that [8bit Doves] and Endless Doves did really [well] in Japan., 6 Jun 15, retrieved 6 Jun 15.
  25. ↑ Jon Annal on Twitter: [16]: #8bitdoves and #Rollerpolar are in best games you never played., 29 Dec 14, retrieved 29 Dec 14.
  26. ↑ Arthur Guibert on Twitter: [17], 24 Jan 15, retrieved 24 Jan 15.
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 App Advice: Nitrome’s 8bit Doves is selected by Apple as the latest free App of the Week, 12 Mar 15, retrieved 12 Mar 15.
  28. ↑ Pocket Gamer on Twitter: [18]: We're giving away codes for @Nitrome's 8bit Doves over on Twitch - join us!, 3 Jul 15, retrieved 3 Jul 15.
  29. ↑ Jonnathon Annal on Twitter: [19]: Oh looky looky. A bundle of @Nitrome Premium games at a reduced price on IOS #gunbrick #icebreaker. #8bitdoves, 29 Jan 15, retrieved 29 Jan 15.
  30. ↑ Nitrome on Twitter: [20]: As it is built in Unity it's pretty easy to make up a desktop version so possibly. Mobile is top priority though., 29 August 2014, retrieved 29 August 2014.
  31. ↑ Nitrome on Twitter: [21]: we may get around to updating it [8bit Doves] at some point. We had some cool ideas for sure., 20 Mar 15, retrieved 20 Mar 15.
  32. ↑ Game Developer's Blog - Nitrome: New Year? New Games! → comment by Nitrome: He [Arthur Guibert] has tried lots of things...he made a version of 8bit Doves run on the original Gameboy. We were going to polish it and use it for promotion but never got to it...maybe at some point we will., 1 Jan 15, retrieved 1 Jan 15.
  33. ↑ Game Developer's Blog - Nitrome: Codename: Feeding Time!: Gameboy version of Doves - we have to decide if we'll finish it off properly or just show what we have I think. There's still the idea of using it for some kind of promotion though at this point I'm not sure what that would be., 3 Jan 15, retrieved 3 Jan 15.
  34. ↑ 34.0 34.1 34.2 Game Developer's Blog - Nitrome: Vault!_screenshot! → comment by Nitrome: Yeah I think we will when we get a mo. Wanted to do a vine of it running on an actual Gameboy but we no longer have the equipment to do that. Probably will show a video from the emulator though at some point....best we can do., 22 Jun 15, retrieved 22 Jun 15.
  35. ↑ Game Developer's Blog - Nitrome: Oh a Lovely dovely Update!, 3 Sep 2014, retrieved 4 Sep 2014.
  36. ↑ Game Developer's Blog - Nitrome: Oh a Lovely dovely Update! → Comment by Nitrome: Also we felt that the image of a flying man is unusual and might make people investigate further., 3 Sep 2014, retrieved 4 Sep 2014.
  37. ↑ Game Developer's Blog - Nitrome: Brand new mobile game! (8Bit Doves): Finally were going to add a lot more levels some new features and split into three easy access packs., 30 June 2014, retrieved 30 June 2014.
  38. ↑ Nitrome's post on Vine


v • d • e8bit Doves
General 8bit Doves (Jam version) • Endless Doves • 8bit Doves series • 8bit Doves website • Flying man • Doves • Aviary
Level packs Sweet Dreams • Deep Sleep • Nightmare
Hazards Saws • Wall • Black blocks
Interactive objects Boost tiles • Keys • Wind tiles • Launching devices
v • d • eMobile games
Free Endless Doves • Roller Polar • Platform Panic • Magic Touch: Wizard for Hire • Silly Sausage in Meat Land • Cooped Up • Green Ninja • Vault! • Beneath The Lighthouse • Gopogo • Rust Bucket • Leap Day • Stretch Dungeon • Hop Swap • Silly Sausage: Doggy Dessert • Flat Pack • Turn-Undead: Monster Hunter • Colorblind: An Eye For An Eye • Turn-Undead 2: Monster Hunter
Premium Icebreaker: A Viking Voyage • 8bit Doves • Gunbrick (mobile) • In the Dog House (mobile) • Bomb Chicken • Super Leap Day
Published Ultimate Briefcase • Redungeon • Magic Mansion • Drop Wizard Tower • Tower Fortress • Slime Pizza • Nano Golf: Puzzle Putting • Spike City • Nano Golf: Hole in One • Spicy Piggy • Sprint RPG