Overview
A departure from the bloody, horror-theme seen in Madhouse, Love UP! is a philosophical platform-shooter where the player uses love to overcome his foes. Instead of killing with bullets, enemies are converted into friends with hearts, flowers, and music. The game features a unique mechanic where the protagonist's surroundings actually shift with his mood; going from gloomy gray skies when sad to rainbow-streaked sunny days when happy. While the game has undergone several aesthetic revisions, the theme remains the same; use love to drive out hatred, greed, and all the things that are ultimately destroying your world.
Features
Platform gameplay with multi-directional shooting mechanics that are based on popular classic shooter weapons, but instead bullets and bombs you're throwing hearts and flowers
A unique environment-shift mechanic based off of the concept that the external world is a projection of the internal one; gloomy skies when sad and bright and sunny when cheerful
Enemies are not killed, but healed and converted to “friendlies”, some of which may tag along to assist in the journey
Boost the Love Meter by converting enemies to friends and grabbing happy pills; watch the world around you shift for the better as your powers of love increase
Journey through Greek-inspired gardens, sterile cities, and EVOL Corporation's top-secret headquarters to spread love and heal the world
Progress and Status
After 2007, there has been no further production on the Love UP! Project aside from on-paper design. However, I feel that the concept makes the project worth revisiting, but it's mainly a matter of feeling the game's message for myself first before being able to proceed with it.
Download
Alpha Version - 2.11 MB Zip - Updated 12/25/07
Gallery
