Released • Updated • Version 1.4
Sqdef - Handheld Tower Defense
Sqdef is a tower defense game for the GP2X handhelds. The goal is to prevent enemies from getting from one side of the map to the other by placing towers along their way. There are over a dozen different buildings with upgrades, tech research, and a whole lot of maps! There's also a built-in editor so you can make your own maps and share them with others.
Sqdef won 1st place at the GBAX 2007 Coding Competition and is a GP2X Wiz built-in game.
Contents
Downloads#
Released • Updated • Version 1.4A
Screenshots#
A few screenshots from the latest version 1.4:
Sqdef 1.4 added bridges, making more kind of maps possible.
The procession of enemy units on the main menu screen is actually a game instance set to run forever.
Trapper towers (purple) are great for breaking up tightly knit waves...
...while Armories boost every in-range tower's damage by 50%, making it easier to take out tough bosses.
The upgrade pop-up and over it the main HUD which toggles on and off.
You can make your own maps with Sqdef’s built-in editor!
An upgraded Scythe can deal some serious damage, especially when boosted by Armories.
A max-upgrade Ice Turret enhanced by 11 nearby Armories.
Older Versions#
And here are some screenshots from earlier versions that lots of cool folks from the old GP32x forums helped test back in the day:
The first playable build, with a HUD and menu system. The towers shoot and miss.
At this point all the basics worked fine and the game was playable.
I picked darker colors that are easier on the eyes. Sqdef's visual style was inspired by the classic Noiz2sa vertical shooter.
This is how Version 1.0 from GBAX 2007 looked like, with factory buildings and upgradeable towers.
I experimented with a Matrix-themed color scheme in version 1.2, and added an in-game map editor.
Version 1.4 has softer graphics and added map support for road bridges.
Unreleased#
Back in 2008 I was playing around with ideas for Sqdef 2, running in wide-screen 400x240 in anticipation of the Open Pandora.
I was imagining a smooth animated plasma background and lots of color blend effects.
Plants were going to provide energy that could be captured by nearby farm towers.
As of early 2024, I still want to some day open source the old Sqdef 1.4 code, adapt it to Faur and release fresh builds for web and other platforms.