Game Development Live

2D Bullet Hell Prototype

Top-Down Shooter with Extensible Flight Patterns

A 2D Top-Down Bullet Hell game with adjustable flight patterns, various enemy types and an upgrade system for the player.

UnityC#Game Development2D GraphicsObject PoolingPattern System

2D Bullet Hell Prototype

Overview

A 2D Top-Down Bullet Hell game developed as a prototype with focus on extensible flight patterns and a dynamic upgrade system. The game combines classic Bullet Hell mechanics with modern game design principles.

This project was developed at bib International College within just 2 weeks during class time and after school.

Gameplay Video

Note: The stuttering in the video is from the recording and does not occur in the actual game.

Game Mechanics

Flight Pattern System

  • Adjustable Patterns: All bullet flight patterns are modular and extensible
  • Performance Optimization: Object pooling for efficient bullet management

Enemy System

  • Ghosts: Chase the player with different behavior patterns
  • Shooters: Enemies that fire bullets in various patterns
  • Final Boss: Complex boss with multiple phases and unique attack patterns
  • AI Behavior: State machine based enemy AI

Player System

  • Upgrade System: Collect power-ups for various improvements
  • Attack Speed: Increase fire rate
  • Damage Boost: Improve damage per hit
  • Procedural Animation: Animations that consider mouse direction

Technical Architecture

Core Systems

  • BulletManager: Central management of all projectiles with object pooling
  • PatternSystem: Modular system for flight pattern generation
  • EnemyAI: State machine for enemy behavior
  • PlayerController: Player control with upgrade integration
  • GameManager: Game state and level management
  • Tilemap System: Multi-layered tilemap with various levels

Performance Optimizations

Object Pooling

  • Bullet Pool: Reuse of bullet objects
  • Enemy Pool: Efficient enemy management
  • Effect Pool: Particle effects pooling

Rendering Optimizations

  • Sprite Batching: Automatic batching for 2D sprites
  • Culling: Frustum culling for non-visible objects
  • LOD System: Level of detail for complex patterns

Conclusion

The 2D Bullet Hell prototype demonstrates modern game development techniques with focus on modularity and extensibility. The pattern system enables endless combinations of flight patterns, while the upgrade system provides continuous progression.

Developed with Unity, C# and modern Game Development Patterns