#1565 - loopy - Mon Jan 20, 2003 7:52 am
In order to learn the ins and outs of GBA programming I decided to remake an existing game. I chose this route especially because I'm no artist/musician and I didn't have any ideas.
The game I chose was the original NES Metroid. It's only been a couple of days and I already have most of the scrolling engine, all of Samus' animations, collision detection, etc. So far the graphics and collision are pixel-perfect. You can't tell it's not on an NES emulator.
The problem now is, even though I'll be done with this in the not-too distant future, what good will it be to me? I can't distribute or sell it to anyone legally. I didn't expect this to turn out as well as it has so far. It would be nice even if I could just use it to show gaming companies my stuff. I need work.
Any thoughts or ideas?
#1598 - Splam - Mon Jan 20, 2003 5:19 pm
Only things you can do is release it for free download and hope you have no legal hassles and use it for showing software companies, they like to see people can write GAMES not DEMOS so it should serve you well if it's fully playable, I've known a lot of coders who are great at producing spectacular effects, you ask them to write a game and they get totally stuck because they don't understand the whole logic of game writing and thats exactly what software companies DON'T want ;)
#1610 - JonH - Mon Jan 20, 2003 6:44 pm
heh thats kind of like me, but the other way around :) ask me to make a game and no sweat i'll get it done and looking good. but ask me to make a demo or an intro and well, i'm pretty much stuck - usually end up resorting to a logo and an animated game style sprite moving across the screen! ;)
#1624 - loopy - Mon Jan 20, 2003 8:28 pm
Well, I'm definitely going to try finishing it either way. If nothing else it will be really cool to say I did it and be able to prove it.
I don't think I'll probably want to make this available anywhere until I think it over and do a little research first, though. As a programmer I respect Nintendo's copyrights, and I've been keeping this totally to myself for now. I'm kind of hoping there's a microscopic miniscule chance they'll give me permission to use it as part of my portfolio, but that's probably wishful thinking.
#1644 - Badut - Tue Jan 21, 2003 12:29 am
I'm not sure but couldn't you change the graphics and some aspects of gameplay and then you've got yourself an 'original' game (albeit somewhat inspired by another game but most games are anyway).
'Cause it sounds like the only things you "borrowed" were the sprites and the background right?
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#1727 - darkcloud - Wed Jan 22, 2003 1:49 am
I also am currently developing a game using Metroid's graphics. It has an original storyline just not original graphics and stuff. It's looking really good so far though, at least I think it is. It's called Metroid Spheroid (you'll get the name once you hear the story) so look out for it in the near future.
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#1742 - joet - Wed Jan 22, 2003 11:09 am
Well I've done a similar thing - repoduced an older game, mainly because the assets already exist and it's ideal for learning the in's and out's of the system without getting too distracted by trying to invent gameplay.
I'm also using it as part of a potential portfolio, but rather than offer it for download I'll simply be using it during interviews - the GBA is an ideal thing to take along.
#1768 - loopy - Wed Jan 22, 2003 9:06 pm
joet - that's a great idea!
BTW, would someone like to check me on hardware. Put e-mail here if you would. It works in all the major emulators.
Done so far - room implementation, structures, horizontal scrolling, most of samus is done.
Known issues -
1 Jumping when under something doesn't respond exactly like original.
2 There are only 2 rooms!
#1791 - tepples - Thu Jan 23, 2003 5:00 am
| loopy wrote: |
| You can't tell it's not on an NES emulator. |
Can the player press L+R to bring up a menu and load another game on the cart? ;-)
| Quote: |
| BTW, would someone like to check me on hardware. |
Is it multibootable? If not, that's OK; I have both MBV2 and flash. So please send a copy to tepples?spamcop?net and put "GBA" in the subject.
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#1795 - loopy - Thu Jan 23, 2003 6:23 am
Ok, there's a few things that give away that it's not the original, one being that since the screen dimensions are less than a NES I had to put the status bar closer to the upper left-hand corner of the screen. Anyway, it's really close.
tepples, it's not multibootable. In fact I just have the .bin output from gcc (devkit advance). Is there anything else I need to do to it like add a header or something before it can go onto flash?
I just noticed a few things that might screw up the hardware (very frequent joypad polls, etc) so sometime tomorrow it should be ready.
#1797 - tepples - Thu Jan 23, 2003 7:26 am
| loopy wrote: |
| Ok, there's a few things that give away that it's not the original |
Did you catch my PocketNES allusion (L+R = menu)? Or are you a different 'loopy'?
| Quote: |
| it's not multibootable. |
Design decision, or innocent omission? With devkit advance, you need to do only three things to make a program work on multiboot: 1. make a global variable int __gba_multiboot; 2. keep your program under 192 KB (this gives you 64 KB of EWRAM to hold decompressed assets), and 3. make sure you don't overwrite your program in EWRAM.
| Quote: |
| In fact I just have the .bin output from gcc (devkit advance). Is there anything else I need to do to it like add a header or something before it can go onto flash? |
I can add the header. Or you can use "gbafix" to add the header. Some flash writing programs will add the header for you.
_________________
-- Where is he?
-- Who?
-- You know, the human.
-- I think he moved to Tilwick.
#1810 - peebrain - Thu Jan 23, 2003 2:47 pm
I got a flash card, send it my way and I'll check it out.
peebrain AT psipog DOT net
~Sean
#1838 - loopy - Fri Jan 24, 2003 5:41 am
| Quote: |
| Did you catch my PocketNES allusion (L+R = menu)? Or are you a different 'loopy'? |
Ah, yes. I've been confused with that Loopy before, and I quite appreciate his work. I did however write a GB emulator called LoopyBoy. Pretty lame though cuz it only runs Dr. Mario, Tetris, and demos. Still, it was fun to do. I wonder how he got his name? Mine was given me because I always used to say things were loopy.
| Quote: |
| Design decision, or innocent omission? |
Innocent omission I would say. This is my first ever experience with the GBA and frankly I've only learned as much as I explicitly needed in order to accomplish this so far. Thanks for the info, though. Eventually I expect it to be too large.
Well, it's been sent out and I'm curious about whether you guys even get it to run. I didn't add the header cuz I just wanted to get it out. I realized that if I'm serious about this I need some serious design changes, so we'll see what happens.
#1841 - satanicfreak2 - Fri Jan 24, 2003 6:07 am
you can change it a bit and make a brand new game out of it. New graphics shouldnt be that hard to make.
#55602 - Palamon - Thu Sep 29, 2005 9:25 pm
I wonder if anyone in the homebrew community as been hassled for using ripped graphics from commercial games in thier free distribution games.
#55605 - tepples - Thu Sep 29, 2005 10:31 pm
Yes. Nintendo cease-and-desisted a project that was going to remake Super Smash Bros. Melee.
_________________
-- Where is he?
-- Who?
-- You know, the human.
-- I think he moved to Tilwick.
#55662 - sgeos - Fri Sep 30, 2005 10:39 am
If you global replace the gfx and make original levels you can release it without any hassle. I'd love to see a metroid clone with original stages.
-Brendan
#55729 - gauauu - Sat Oct 01, 2005 4:41 am
| Quote: |
| I'd love to see a metroid clone with original stages. |
As long as it was well designed.
I had the same thought you did, but then I picked up a couple original metroid rom hacks that redid all the levels. One of them was decent, the other was beyond painful. Just because you CAN remake the levels doesn't mean you should.
#55787 - sgeos - Sun Oct 02, 2005 6:45 am
I said I'd love to see it. If it sucks I won't play through it. =)
-Brendan