An Interview with Hung Dang Quang

Jumping Frenzy is a simple but fun old-school arcade game that is currently available on the iPod App store. I got the opportunity to interview Hung Dang Quang, the designer of Jumping Frenzy about being an indie game developer, and to find out more about the game itself.


Q. What got you into making apps?


A: Games have always been a passion of mind. I like to play games and dream of creating great games which everyone loves. Besides, I'm also passionate about high-technology. Combining these two passions, I have entered the field of developing games for the iPhone/iPod. I really enjoyed it.


Q. What was your inspiration behind the manic game, Jumping Frenzy?


A: Fire is one of the most popular games in the Game & Watch series. This game was my inspiration during creating Jumping Frenzy.

Q. Out of all the things that could have jumped from the buildings, what made you choose animals?


A: I want something cute and lively in my game, therefore animals are very suitable. As you see, the animals in the game are very cute.


Q. How easy/difficult did you find it when you released your first game?


A: Because I'm an indie game developer and new to the games industry, marketing for the game is very difficult. 


Q. Now Jumping Frenzy is out there on the world market, do you have any more apps planned?


A: We plan to release two games in October. I can reveal to you that one of the two games is called Stars War.

Elementimals Review

Elementimals is a card based game on the iOS market place, which is both fun and simple.  The games simplicity makes it accessible to any iOS gamer.  Based on the Final Fantasy VII game Triple Triad, Elementimals is a mix of solitaire, pokemon and tic tac toe.  


The game consists of either a two player mode or a you vs the computer.  The main mode against the computer, allows you to rack up a win streak of games and eventually, if successful enough you can unlock another game mode.


All games consist of a 9 square area, in which you and the computer take turns to place, element-infused animal cards.  If the card you place has a higher number facing adjacent cards, then the losing cards are converted to your colour.  The player with the most cards at the end wins the game.


There is also an option to put element squares on, this decreases the power on all facings of a creature whose element does not match it by one point, however if it does match the creature they gain one point in power, to all of their facings.

Elementimals may not compare strategically to the games of Reiner Knizia that are available on the market place, but unlike a lot of the those games, Elementimals is simpler and will appeal to a much broader audience.  The games colourful design and wonderful artwork match the theme nicely, giving players a unique and engaging experience.


Elementimals is a must by game for anyone on the ipod, while simple the game is not as random as it first appears and as you play more games the deeper strategies begin to reveal themselves.

A great card game for the ipod, simple and engaging, Elementimals will keep you occupied for much longer than you probably intended. 5/5

Dan Fornace on Elementimals

Dan Fornace is an indie games developer with a lot of talent and drive.  After playing his game Elementimals on my ipod, I asked him for an interview.  After a few emails back and forth he was kind enough to answer my questions, here is the result:

What got you into making apps?

Well, I've always been interested in making games for the iDevices, but what really got me started was a class my last term of senior year at Drexel University, in Philadelphia PA. The major there is expanding and they are getting ready to add some new classes to the curriculum. One of those classes is a Web Applications class which is meant to teach HTML5 Web Design specifically for mobile devices. I decided to sign up with my teacher for an independent study where I would do the research, receive class credit and report back with my updates and where I found help online. I really wanted to do a game, but had not done much Javascript before so I wanted to keep it simple. Thus, Elementimals came out of the 10 week course. A few weeks after the course ended, I used Phonegap to help me get the game onto the App Store!

Elementimals is different from all of your other games, what made you 

choose a card game?

Looking back on it, you're right; the game is pretty different from my past projects. I think the main reason it's different is that I like to think of games that are designed for the device they are played on. I also like to think of games I am capable of creating =). A card game seemed like a great fit because it allowed me to create some fun art, and figure out a code system all within 10 weeks. I spent the first 5 weeks just making the cards, the backgrounds, the menus and other assets. My friends didn't think I'd get anything done since I didn't program much. After 7 weeks, I only had menus coded. But in one week, I managed to turn the game from a few menus to playable because I had all the assets ready to go. The last few weeks I polished the game up and had a fellow student, Matt Duffy, help me by creating an online score system with his PHP skills!

What inspired you in making this game?

The game is inspired by Triple Triad from Final Fantasy VII because I always enjoyed it when i was young and wanted to do my own take on it. The premise is fairly simple, but the strategy starts to seep in quickly. I really wanted to take the Triple Triad experience and streamline it. I made bright graphics, clear numbers and made sure the rules were clear. I went with Element Animals (pokemon ripoff I know) because a.) they are fun to draw and b.) they made the most sense for the elemental aspect of the card game. So if I had to explain this game by only using other games, I would say it's Triple Triad mixed with Pokemon mixed with Solitaire. I say Solitaire because they both share that random deal where every game is probably winnable, and its just a matter of making the right moves.

Compared to your other games, how fun was it to make?

Very fun! Javascript is great. My whole game is one script and it was not even too hard to work with. I used Dreamweaver and Photoshop to make everything. I googled when I ran into trouble and I tested the game online with my iPod Touch. It was great to be able to show it to friends while I worked on it, and since it was HTML5 I could send them the link once, and then they could keep checking back for updates if they felt so inclined. By the way, the HTML5 game is still playable on PC here. Getting it into an App was not that complicated thanks to Phonegap. I think that many people who are interested in web design already have the skills to create a fun little app. The biggest thing I would recommend is making sure you think of something that is achievable and would be fun on a touch device.

You seem like you always have a project in the making, what is your latest project?

Well, right now I am getting ready to transition from hobby/student game design into an 8-5 career in it! I am starting at a AAA company next week and am very excited to learn how the big dogs work. I want to absorb as much knowledge as I can. So right now I am finishing up a little PC demake of Super Smash Bros. and then I will be relaxing for a bit while I transition into my new job!

Should we be expecting any iOS releases from you in the future?

Well, I don't want to let the cat out of the bag, and both Matt Duffy and I have gotten jobs, but I have contacted him about possibly creating a full version of Elementimals. I would love to create the game with user profiles, deck building, multiplayer and in-game purchases (more cards, upgrades etc) We both may not have free time, but I really think there is enough fun in the general design of the game to create a great multiplayer mobile community.


Dan Fornace's website
Super Smash Land site is www.supersmashland.com


Dan Fornace was also interviewed on Retro Kingdom & 8-Bit Girl.