Amaze Entertainment
While at Amaze Entertainment, I worked on small teams to develop six Nintendo DS games, including several Disney titles. I collaborated closely with designers and artists to create new features and tools. A DirectX game engine I built in college became the foundation for a studio-wide content editor.
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End
This sequel to Dead Man’s Chest featured improved platforming (hooking, sidling, rope swinging, climbing) and two new minigames, Liar’s Dice and Dueling, both supporting local wireless multiplayer. I worked on:
- World objects (pickups, breakables, obstacles, puzzles)
- Platforming abilities (ledge grab, sidle, climbing)
- Touch screen dueling mode and multiplayer
- Enemy AI and waypointless pathfinding
- Multiplayer lobbies and download play
- Damage system and status effects
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest
This was the first commercial project I worked on, a game closely following the Disney movie of the same name. It included a single-player campaign, co-op multiplayer, and three minigames: Walk the Plank, Shoot the Monkey, and Boom Barge. My contributions:
- World objects (powerups, breakables, obstacles, puzzles)
- Paper-dolling system for equipment
- Minigames (single and multiplayer)
- AI for enemies and bosses
- Camera effects and rail system
- Scripting for triggers and events
I helped develop in-house tools, most notably Quintessence, a level scripting tool used on all 3D games at the studio. Designers used it to add enemies, objects, triggers, spawn points, and camera paths to maps. My contributions included:
- User interface via .NET Windows Forms
- Visual Source Safe integration
- DirectX rendering and camera features
- Map serialization to ROM data
- Requirement gathering and user support