I wasn't sure if I dared to submit this. The colour count is very high (almost seperate 20 colour palletes for every screen makes over 100 colours) and it's unfinished in a lot of ways. Still, my IT teacher stopped replying to my e-mails months ago, so I don't think I'll be working on it a lot more.

I already submitted it at deviantART, so please don't kill me for copying my post. It's a lot to re-write.

"These are mock-ups from a project I was working on for school (IT). The point was to make a game in GameMaker. Before the year ended I got around to finishing nearly all of the pixel art. Just the animation of the enemies has to be done now, and some animations for the main character. (I can't animate. But at least Orpheus can walk and jump. Ish.)

I did manage to create half of the levels in GameMaker, but my final exams called a halt to the work. I do hope I can finish it some time, even if it's just to please my poor teacher. I just don't expect this to be very soon though. Volunteers? I'm more than willing to share the tiles, if anyone can make it happen.

My IT teacher doesn't really know the difference between good and bad pixel art (low or high colour count, etc.) so I didn't care at the time.

Sorry about the bad start screen being in there. Otherwise the mockups didn't match up properly (five... two by two by one? three by two?).

Anyway, the story. If you know anything about Orpheus, I hope it's clear. If not, here goes. (Mind this is all by heart, so I might make some mistakes.)

Orpheus was a legendary Greek musician. His father was the god Apollo and his mother the muse Calliope (though of course there are some other options as well, but lets' stick with this for now). So in the first level you've got Orpheus growing up among the gods and practicing his musical gift. He invented the lyre, among other things.

One of the most famous stories about Orpheus is the one in which he falls in love with Eurydice. She was really bright and full of energy. That's the second level. On their wedding day she was dancing in a field... and accidentally stepped on a nest of snakes. The poison was fatal and she died instantly.

Orpheus was heartbroken. He wanted her back. He persuaded Charon (the ferryman) to let him pass in to the underworld. (Third level.) Mortals can not go there and return, but Orpheus' grief was very convincing. With his music he charmed all the obstacles he came about.

Finally, in the fourth level, he reaches Hades and Persephone (see the pomegranates? good, right?). After many more tears and beautiful tunes he is allowed to bring Eurydice back. BUT. Only if he doesn't look behind him to see if she's following him, until they're back in the world of the living. Orpheus endures this the entire journey back... until he reaches Charon. He can not leave the underworld without being sure his love is following. He looks back. Eurydice was right behind him... and now fades away. Forever.

Orpheus returns alone. He wanders through the forest (fifth level) singing mournful love songs. He doesn't worship the gods any longer, except the sun, Apollo. In the forest was a shrine to Dionysus (god of wine)... and Orpheus no longer worshipping him, or loving any other women, enraged the Maeneads/Bacchantes (female followers of Dionysus, 'wild ones' ). I prefer the way Ovid describes the end of his life: the Maeneads threw rocks and branches at Orpheus, but his music was so breathtaking that even those inanimate objects wouldn't hit him. Furious, the Maeneads tore him to pieces. His songs would float on the winds for eternity. His soul finally joined Eurydice in the underworld."