Just after I was introduced to Invader Zim, I started discovering some of the different fan projects linked to it. I liked that fans were making these amazing contributions to the show. I wanted to contribute to the fandom as well with my own project but didn’t have any ideas at the time.
Months later, I was taking Python as part of my Information Technology course. The instructor was lecturing about if statements, he compared them to a choose your own adventure game. Not long after, I started on a Python based proto-type called invader_zim_sim. It featured a mock character list, and an incomplete version of Megadoomer. Unfortunately, it took forever to program and accessibility seemed to be a major issue.
Recently I figured out how run Python code online, using a service called repl.it. Click the play button (triangle in the bottom right corner) to run it.
NOTE: If you're using a mobile device or want a full screen version of the prototype click or tap here. For best results on mobile devices, move the divider (the bar in the middle of the repl.it screen) to the top of the window. If you're using a smaller device such as an iPhone 4, I recommend using a bluetooth keyboard.
While creating a trailer for the prototype I knew I needed a better name than invader_zim_sim. So, I renamed it The DoomCider, a play on doom and decider. After publishing the trailer, I was surprised that people were excited to play it!
I hated web development at the time. I only switched over for compatability reasons. Fortunately, the transition dramatically simplified and sped up development. It also made me take an interest in web. Inspite of this Megadoomer was still taking forever to complete and I began growing impatient with my miniscule progress. After about a month of development, I finally got to an ending. After creating two others, I decided to turn the incomplete page maze into a demo.
Prior to releasing the demo, I recalled a video I had watched about a month prior. It was published by Shining Cecil and involved him reading the Pokemon hand book in Zim’s voice. It stuck in my memory and sparked the idea of character narrators.
When I first started developing the HTML version of the game, I googled stock images. I ended up having to change them. And at the time I had very limited art skills, so I created some basic silhouettes in paint. Shortly after I changed the icons, Peter Fields offered to improve them. His designs are featured in the current selection menu, although I created Keef's icon/animation.
