Topic: Is it kinda easy making a Castlevania game like SOTN and PoR?

[Saner]

yeah that would be interesting, maybe it is simple to do, we just gotta know how they program it and stuff and what programs they use to draw the sprites, but not sure if they use a separate program to test the animations. 

I dunno,  I have a theory that 2-D games like Portrait of Ruin and Order of Ecclesia,  use a game engine, which is like a programmed system of tools to make a game, it would include graphics programs, control programs, backgrounds, linking areas, abilities, inventory management, etc.

But anyone here think it's pretty easy to make a good looking Castlevania game (on par with PoR or SOTN), if we sort of discover the "keys" to developing a game like them?   

[Kale]

Since I don't really get your post, I'll reply to your topic title. No, its not kind of easy, its hard. It mightbe easy if you are a good programmer who knows how to do it, but for a starter, its never easy.

[Evil_Kitty]

In Reply To #1

Well, I take it you want to create a fangame of some sort.

The easiest way to do this would be to pick up GameMaker. If your after making your own assets and such, I think ProMotion(?) is supposed to be good for pixel art.

But if you're really serious--you sound like your just getting into this though--then its serious work. You'd have to learn code(preferable C++)pick up Visual C++, the Direct X SDK--which would cut out work on basic things say the code required to load an image.

Once you have your game engine done(Gamemaker pretty much has this all done) you would still have a good amount of enemy and player code to do.

The art would take a hefty amount time too and I would just find sprites sheets from Castlevania games.

Code comes before art in video game making. If the code sucks the game will suck despite any brilliant artwork.

BUT designing the game and all that would not take much time--relative to the rest of the work.

So, no its not easy. It can be done but it would likely take 2-3 years for an experienced person unless you're working on it full time. On the bright side creating a sequel could be done with less work and would be easier and a matter of additional art/animation since the engine would be done.

Its good you have an interest in this sort of thing, but it's a beast of a project which is why there are so few completed homebrew games out there.

I hope this anwsers your question. Your post was a bit vague.

[Long John Silver]

no newbie coder could pull off something like the metrovanias. gamemaker's not powerful enough for that either.

the closest fangame to that is uzo's, but even that one has still ways to go before it's finished.

as for sprites, any decent graphic program can do those. paintshop pro, photoshop, gimp, hell, in tight situation even mspaint if you absolutely can't get anything better.

[The Last Belmont]

yeah that would be interesting, maybe it is simple to do, we just gotta know how they program it and stuff and what programs they use to draw the sprites, but not sure if they use a separate program to test the animations.

[PFG9000]

It's one thing to program sprites to move against a tiled background while music plays, but I'd imagine things like:  1)balancing the difficulty throughout various character levels, 2)planning/programming/spriting/distributing powerups and items around the world, 3)checking collision detection, and 4)general playtesting are all quite involved processes that no amateur could do particularly well.

[Pneophen]

no newbie coder could pull off something like the metrovanias. gamemaker's not powerful enough for that either.

That's not entirely correct since I made a metroidvania type game a while back using gamemaker. Whether it was good or not is another story.

I do agree that it would be a good idea to learn a programming language and make your game from scratch, since you would have more control over the little details that you might not have using game authoring tools.

[Algernon]

no newbie coder could pull off something like the metrovanias. gamemaker's not powerful enough for that either.

On the contrary. I've pulled off better effects in Gamemaker than I've ever seen in Pork.

Example:




Unless you mean something else?

[Ed Oscuro]

Unless you mean something else?

That he undoubtedly does.

I haven't used Gamemaker so I can't comment on whether it provides enough flexibility to do a Super Metroid style game with hubs.  If you can do hubs, though, you can put double jump items and freeze beams and big hammers and all that other good stuff around, though.  The other question would be how robust the scripting system is...I don't think it'd have to be all that much if you were just doing the linear (psuedo-roaming style of Metroidvania) "go here before that guy appears" type game.

[TRON]

Hello, programmer here. Here's a few pointers (pun intended) on how castlevania is built.

Making a game on the style of a metroidvania is rather easy if you have a pre-built engine and all you do is add graphics, music and a gimmick. This is what the team led by Igarashi is doing.

If you need to create the engine from scratch, it is not otherworldly either. You will need knowledge of the hardware you are using though.

Here is a writeup on how the NES Metroid works internally.
http://mdb.classicgaming.gamespy.com/m1/lvldata.htm

The modern castlevania games follow up this rather closely. They refer to map locations using memory addresses.

If you want to go ballistic, here's the source code:
http://mdb.classicgaming.gamespy.com/m1/m1source.txt

Happy reading...

[Evil_Kitty]

In Reply To #10

Whoa, I never knew this was on the MDB. And yes GameMaker can create something on the level of Castletroid. There's a fan remake of Metroid II(AM2R) that shows the program capibilities.

[The Last Belmont]

In Reply To #10

 There's a fan remake of Metroid II(AM2R) that shows the program capibilities.

that' fuckin' awesome man, I gotta track that shit down.

[Long John Silver]

In Reply To #7

i know you did. but i meant one that plays exactly like one. yours didn't have seamless screen transitions for example.

the real metrovania changes the background/enemies/objects and moves the player to the other side of the screen as far as i know from messing with memory values in all metrovania titles.

[Pneophen]

In Reply To #13

I could have implemented the seamless screen transitions. It was just a matter of me not bothering with them to save time. A lot got omitted/sacrificed in order to speed up development.(a mistake I hope not to repeat)

I think the only real difficulty in making a metroidvania type game would simply be having the the free time to develope one, as anyone that has worked on a homebrew game can attest.

Here's a few pointers (pun intended)

HA!