Topic: [Fan Games] Castlevania, Final Fantasy, Eggerland, Mario, Megaman

[darkmanx_429]

I have to ask why so many people are insistent on doing an 8 bit fan project, rather than a more current 32 bit 2-d one? 8-bit is extremely old and played out by now, but I keep seeing 8-bit Castlevania rehashes. So far I seem to be the only person doing one that is at least 16-bit, and I do not understand why with all the talent that there is out there. 

Your not the only one...

[Inccubus]

I'll be programming the game with game maker, so the issue of the graphics style is completely irrelevant to the programming itself as far as fan games are concerned..
The choice of 8-bit style graphics is my preference (I'm huge into retro gaming) and it will be a lot quicker for me to work with.

Retro is 'in' right now for whatever reason. Part of it though is probably that the simple graphics are easier to work with for more ppl.

I have to point out something that I've been wanting to ask.
Lately it seems ppl are using the term fan game for hacks as well as actual fan games, why is that?
The CV2 project going on right now is a ROM hack. Your own project, Esco, is also a hack. (Excellent work, BTW.)
My project is a from-scratch fan game as far as programming is concerned.
I'm not gonna be using or modifying any code from any of the source games.

That and I'm an 80's kid. I grew up with Atari and NES. Just be glad it isn't a 4-bit style project. LOL

[X]

That and I'm an 80's kid. I grew up with Atari and NES. Just be glad it isn't a 4-bit style project. LOL

There's nothing wrong with retro man! I'm also an 80's kid and I WILL play this game if and when it comes out 

-X

[Inccubus]

Thanks, X. I hope you enjoy it. I just finished building the Second stage layouts this week, It's a massive recombining of all 4 versions of the Main Hall sans the courtyard area since that was expanded into a stage of it's own. It doesn't have a lot of new rooms, but by sorting out all the old rooms in a new lay out it should provide a new experiance especially for those unfamiliar with the rooms from say, the MSX version. And when I say massive, I mean it ended up being something like 50 screens with 2 main branching paths and some hidden areas.

I'm thinking something I can do to make the game feel a little more fresh is completely disregard the original distribution of candles, chests and keys and rebuild them from scratch. Maybe do the same with enemy placement too. What do you guys think?

[Jorge D. Fuentes]

Sounds like a plan.

Also, the original games did not have vertical areas.  Perhaps it would be cool if you incorporated more of them into the stages, that way you can have upward-branching paths, sort of like in Harmony of Dissonance or the towers from Dracula's Curse.

I'm interested in this.

[darkmanx_429]

This project shows promise...

[Inccubus]

Thanks guys. ^__^

@Jorge: I am, as a matter of fact, using some vertical areas as they are present in the stages from the SNES & X68K versions. Also, something I'm doing often is adding custom rooms to transition between areas that don't totally jive because the doors are in awkward places. My current concept for the clock tower has a big fork in it built primarily from the SNES & X68K clock towers since they're of completely different design.

If I have time tomorrow I'm gonna convert my hand-drawn maps into png's so I can post them.

[X]

Having forks in the paths you take will definitely add to some replay value.

-X

[Inccubus]

Yeah, I'm keeping that in mind because it sometimes makes merging the different versions of a stage easier as well.
I changed the stage content a bit from the original concept, but I'm keeping the big for in stage 2 (Main Hall) because it adds abit of that Rondo feel and helps preserve the stage order of CV1 & SCV4 by making two paths. So basically if you go through the Main hall the way you remember from the early days you'll get more old school stages, but if you go off the beaten path you'll end up in the newer stages.

BTW if anyone has any suggestions for adapting the Chandelier room concept from SCV4 into one more compatible with the NES/MSX capabilities please let me know. Right now I'm thinking of changing the over-sized chandeliers into smaller ones more akin to the swinging clock thingies in CV3.

[X]

BTW if anyone has any suggestions for adapting the Chandelier room concept from SCV4 into one more compatible with the NES/MSX capabilities please let me know. Right now I'm thinking of changing the over-sized chandeliers into smaller ones more akin to the swinging clock thingies in CV3.

There called Pendulums  While the Chandeliers were on the large side in SCV4 that was just for the large Simon sprite. But actually I think it would be cool to have gigantic, massive chandeliers for your game! It would add to the difficulty just a tad and look impressive to see an 8-bit Belmont swinging on a massive 8-bit chandelier. Dracula's castle is huge from how your game is going to interpret it, so why not go all the way?

-X

[Inccubus]

Ah, yes! Pendulum was the work I was looking for. Thanks.

True, but is something the scale of the SNES chandeliers doable on NES/MSX style hardware?
That would require a fuck-ton of tiles and bank swapping. Would the NES or MSX have been able to handle such a complex background effect? (I definitely rule out it being done as sprites.)

What do you think about mixing it up with some smaller ones too?

[X]

A whole mesh of different-sized chandeliers would be neat. But if you're worried about incorporating the ones from SCV4 into your game then wouldn't it be easier just to custom make them? A completely new chandelier design just for your game 

-X

[Jorge D. Fuentes]

If you want to use the large ones, they're here:

(fire not included)

You can use that as a base and make low-sized versions.  Do you intend for them to swing?  If not, you can probably use the ones from Dawn of Sorrow.  If you need them smaller, there are small chandeliers in CV4 and in Bloodlines (and X68000).

If you need them in 3-color (NES look) you'd have to do some sprite magic, or find games that used those (Gameboy games come to mind).

[X]

Yeah if I'm not mistaken, the smaller chandelier would fall on you if you stepped under them.

"The chandelier always falls when we have guests" -Count Orlock. Transylvania Twist.

-X

[Inccubus]

I do intend for them to swing which is why I'm worried about whether the NES could have handled something as huge as SCV4 ones.
The smaller ones should work just fine if I model them after the old pendulums. I think what I'll do is limit how far the big ones swing to reduce the number of "tiles" they would use. It would also make room for small ones and change how platforming across them feels.