Game Pitching

For my Senior Capstone class and my Game Development class I had to come up with game ideas/pitches.  It's harder than it looks!  I would think one, write it out, and go...nah *crumple up paper*.   Either that or think that it's been done already and then think of another game.

So, here are my two premises of the games I though. 1) You are an apprentice wizard who has to get back your master's staff from the evil witch.  2)  You are a pirate looking for treasure.   So, that's the basics of the two.  I'm horrible at thinking up games.  However, I actually put more thought into the pirate game than the wizard one.

Here's my pitch for the pirates and apprentice:

THE QUEST FOR TREASURE
This game would either have a top down view similar to Zelda or a side view similar to Castle
Crashers. You are a pirate trying to find the big treasure chest on the map (whether it be
at the end of the level, of you have to explore the map to find it). You have to face other
pirates and other enemies (possibly military or maybe zombie/skeleton pirates) to get to it.
You need to hack and slash these pirates/enemies while trying to find the" big booty", which
contains loads of gold (can maybe use for a shop or just be there for points) and possibly rare
items (weapons, HP upgrade potions, etc). Once you find this chest you end the level. You can
find mini chests aside from the main treasure that contain new weapons and armor or potions.
Your character can also earn ranks. The more chests you find (even little ones) the higher your
status/infamy rises (so achievements. If you collect 10 chests you could get a rank like "Starter
Pirate"). For the main character I was thinking you could chose who you want; either have
pre-made characters to choose from (even a girl character for those females out there!), or even
have a simple character creation. In game your character will have an HP bar either above your
character or to the side of the screen to help keep track of health.
Each level would be a different location (deserted island, jungle, etc), and on each progressive
level the enemies would become a bit harder. I was also thinking of maybe having a menu map
for levels and have it be linear.  So you chose the first X you see on the map, and once you defeat it another
one pops up and you go there to the next level. Once you finish all the levels a congratulations
would come up showing your points, ranks, etc.
OPTIONAL: You can possibly find a parrot or some sort of AI to help you fend off other pirates in
some areas.


APPRENTICE ADVENTURE

You are an apprentice wizard. Your master's wand/staff/book/orb/jewelry/etc has been stolen by
the evil witch and it is your job to get it back. This would be more of a 2D side-scroller platformer
and more to the likes of Mega Man and Cave Story. As you progress through the game you can
obtain and/or collect new spells and potions whether it be to upgrade a weapon, health, magic, etc.
There are mini bosses throughout the game. There's also the idea where you can obtain items from
some mini bosses. For example, one mini boss could be a witch and you can obtain her broom to use
once you defeat her.
For levels, you would be crossing deserts, snowy mountains, and even jungles to reach the Evil Witch's
castle. So, this game has potential for a plethora of level ideas and designs.
Monsters/enemies are also potential for ideas and expansion. Each level would have different monster
types that associate it to that area, and possibly could be seen in later levels but upgraded (tougher,
etc).
The characters in this game are mainly you, the evil witch, and you master. There could be other side
and minor characters put into the game. There could be a level where a fairy helps you or an orc helps
you fight a mini boss, or possible the Evil Witch has a daughter who hate her mother and she helps you.
The story could be pretty simple or could be drawn out a little bit. The basics are that the Evil Witch
wants your master's wand/staff/book/etc. to obtain the up-most power in the land.
Visually the artistry would lean more towards a cartoon-style, so this game is light and not hardcore.