Beat-em Up Movement

I have been trying to figure out how a beatemup type game's movement would work in unity (like streets of rage or turtles in time or scott pilgrim or castle crashers). It would be a 2d game but also moving along that z axis. Does that mean that it should be a 3d game with sprites or a 2d game with custom z and y axis control, which confuses the heck out of me if i want jumping too. I don't really even see any tutorials on the subject that includes jumping. Can someone put me on the right track?

 

Those games are unique in the sense that y position represents depth and as you mentioned also represents vertical position for jumping. Basically all you'd need for 2D is to track real y position. Which only corresponds to when feet are on ground. That's your value for depth knowing in which order to draw things. The jumping would effect where the sprite is actually displayed vertically but would not change the depth. Basically think of jumping and being knocked up into the air as an offset. So a Vector2 could hold the position x and real y. Then add any jump or knockback y offset to that value. But always keep another Vector2 of the character's actual ground position. That would work with an automated physics system like Unity. Use the v2 corresponding to ground position for draw order.

 

Could you provide an example?

 

Why would you need two Vector2s? It's not a 4D game ;P (I think you meant a Vector2 for 'main'/'ground' position and a float for vertical offset - like jumping or knockback)

I'd use Unity's 3D physics engine for a beat-em up game, regardless of visual representation (ie 2D sprites or 3D models). Then jumping would not be an issue.

 

Exactly. You wouldn't need to use a vector2 for the yoffset and a float would work. I'd probably use a Vector2 to begin with just in case I wanted to do some kind of x offset effect at some point.

 

Couldn't the x offset effect use the 'main' Vector2?

Still, I recommend 3D physics for such a game. Especially if one is planning to have platforms/bridges/etc.