#79373 - ROFISH - Thu Apr 13, 2006 7:54 am
Does anybody have a list of the "Official GBA Rules" that a GBA game must follow? Mostly nitpicky things by Nintendo like "game must have a title screen with a 'Press Start to Continue'" or "must have sound volume option" stuff.
Also, GBADev and DevKitPro rules. After a couple small hiccups, it's working perfectly fine with C++ and XCode.
EDIT: I'll release my project when it's finished. It's a school project, not something I actually intend to submit or a publisher or anything. I'm just curious about what's required.
#79386 - sgeos - Thu Apr 13, 2006 10:26 am
They are a bunch of nit picky things put in place for consistency. Don't worry about them until you need to. Work on making a quality product first.
-Brendan
#79448 - zzo38computer - Thu Apr 13, 2006 7:44 pm
What is required is that it doesn't mess up the unit, and that you can't sell junk. It doesn't matter if you don't publish through Nintendo, but it is recomended it doesn't mess up anyways.
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#79491 - tepples - Fri Apr 14, 2006 12:41 am
The phrase you're looking for is "lot check", the name of Nintendo's software qualification process. I haven't seen the official lot check guidelines, but I'll give you a few samples of what I've gleaned from commercial games for several Nintendo systems:
For one thing, the Control Pad should always be called the Control Pad, not the arrow keys or directional pad or D-pad or anything else. Buttons should be called "buttons"; "keys" are objects that unlock "doors".
Yanking the cartridge shouldn't completely corrupt the save. (Use some transactional method if you can, or just use an Animal Crossing style last-known-good system.)
In menus, A goes forward and B goes backward.
Mario Kart Super Circuit doesn't have "PRESS START"; it goes straight to a menu.
In Japan you PUSH a button, but in North America you PRESS it.
Here are GameCube guidelines which may be useful as to what to expect.
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#79505 - sgeos - Fri Apr 14, 2006 1:39 am
There are guidelines and requirements. There are also words that must can can not be used. What do you do with a mouse? Guess what you can't do with a touchpen.
-Brendan
#79513 - tepples - Fri Apr 14, 2006 2:25 am
(morphing topic slightly to cover Nintendo DS specific issues)
If "touch" replaces "click", what replaces "drag"?
_________________
-- Where is he?
-- Who?
-- You know, the human.
-- I think he moved to Tilwick.
#79561 - sgeos - Fri Apr 14, 2006 10:15 am
Pull out your nearest instruction manual and find out. =)
-Brendan
#79594 - tepples - Fri Apr 14, 2006 1:02 pm
| sgeos wrote: |
| Pull out your nearest instruction manual and find out. =) |
Mario Kart DS, whose gameplay uses only the traditional Control Pad and buttons, doesn't use whatever drag is called. Meteos uses only language related to the effects within the game, assuming that the player can infer how to "slide" pieces up and down. (No, I don't own a copy of Kirby: Canvas Curse.)
_________________
-- Where is he?
-- Who?
-- You know, the human.
-- I think he moved to Tilwick.
#79937 - sgeos - Mon Apr 17, 2006 10:29 am
I'll be honest and admit that I don't know what the English word is. I'll also be honest and admit that I don't see how it matters, either. Create your own guidelines for own image. Use somebody else's guideline when you release something under their system.
-Brendan
#80015 - gauauu - Tue Apr 18, 2006 2:23 am
Maybe "draw"
#80079 - thegamefreak0134 - Tue Apr 18, 2006 5:31 pm
Yes, this certainly applies to Kirby: Canvas Curse. (awesome game, BTW)
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