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About this blog

As a new game crosses the finish line, destined perhaps to become the next essential gem, this blog will feature an in-depth look into the heart behind the homebrew.

 

Entries in this blog

A Homebrew Draws Near!

Special Episode: The State of Homebrew 2022

A Homebrew Draws Near! A blog series by @Scrobins Special Episode: The State of Homebrew 2022 The evolution of homebrew has collected an enthusiastic mix of developers and gamers, all of whom draw on the love of something meaningful from their pasts to dream of what might be possible in the years to come. Though we may bring to bear the skills we have cultivated as adults, in this realm it is done to feed our inner child. Homebrew has come a long way across several decades, w
A Homebrew Draws Near!

Episode 1: Project Blue

A Homebrew Draws Near! A blog series by @Scrobins Episode 1: Project Blue Introduction: Promoting a new homebrew game must be exhausting, especially if you are maintaining hype and anticipation while continuing development of the game itself. Each tease must generate enough curiosity and excitement to stoke conversation while saving enough detail for the release, which has its own rules to communicate an engaging, persuasive pitch. As a new game crosses the finish l
A Homebrew Draws Near!

Episode 19: Montezuma's Revenge

A Homebrew Draws Near! A blog series by @Scrobins Episode 19: Montezuma’s Revenge Introduction: Many of the stories behind the homebrew games shared here began years before their publication or even any real development, like Trophy by Gradual Games. Some celebrated homebrews are ports of beloved games from another time, like Ultimate Frogger Champion, among several of KHAN Games’ works. And sometimes these two narratives come together as a game with a long history is re
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Scrobins in A Homebrew Draws Near!

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A Homebrew Draws Near!

Episode 25: Homebrew Magazines

A Homebrew Draws Near! A blog series by @Scrobins Episode 25: Homebrew Magazines Introduction: Nearly every gaming fan, new or old, modern or retro, has or had a regularly published magazine they eagerly awaited, which often contained news on upcoming games, tips for improving their luck/skill at existing games, and shared a general love with the magazine’s creators and fans. Inspired by institutions like Nintendo Power and Game Informer, several enterprising members of
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Scrobins in A Homebrew Draws Near!

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A Homebrew Draws Near!

Episode 9: 8-Bit Xmas 2020

A Homebrew Draws Near! A blog series by @Scrobins Episode 9: 8-Bit Xmas 2020 (Dr. Covio) Introduction: Video games are a lot like movies, an excellent effort can give rise to a sequel, potentially even a series, one which perfects a formula and offers something new and fun while retaining everything that made past installments worthwhile. It is a difficult tightrope to walk: providing more of what works without merely delivering a carbon copy, while also experimenting wi
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Scrobins in A Homebrew Draws Near!

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A Homebrew Draws Near!

Episode 16: Eyra-The Crow Maiden

A Homebrew Draws Near! A blog series by @Scrobins Episode 16: Eyra-The Crow Maiden Introduction: Developing and releasing a single homebrew game is an immense undertaking. It’s no wonder some brewers either work on one project at a time or chip away at multiple projects over a long span of time. Or if you’re Second Dimension, you assemble three separate dream teams to develop a game for three different consoles and release them almost simultaneous to another game they de
A Homebrew Draws Near!

Episode 42: NESdev Competition/Action 53 Multicart

Episode 42: NESdev Competition/Action 53 Multicart Introduction: Our enjoyment can be found in things of various sizes and levels of “completeness.” For all of the feature-length films and long-running shows we love, some of our favorite movies and tv shows are shorts, miniseries, and anthologies. So too is our love of video games, with favorites found among those experiments in which the developers showed off their skills in a proof of concept, or demos that could whet our
A Homebrew Draws Near!

Episode 22: Fire and Rescue

A Homebrew Draws Near! A blog series by @Scrobins Episode 22: Fire and Rescue Introduction: Among the many homebrewers I have been privileged to interview, several were also academics: professors who teach game design and development by day, and by night put into practice those same lessons into their own passion projects. Their expertise is expressed through their style, and sometimes traces of the teacher are apparent in their games, either highlighting the lessons the
A Homebrew Draws Near!

Episode 2: KUBO 3

A Homebrew Draws Near! A blog series by @Scrobins Episode 2: KUBO 3 Introduction: Homebrew development can be as stressful as it is fulfilling. Between writing code, designing sprites, and storyboarding, all to produce a game that will appeal to a small, but devoted community, it’s an impressive feat when a homebrew crosses the finish line. Many homebrewers balance their passion projects with primary careers, families, and a host of other responsibilities that demand the
A Homebrew Draws Near!

Episode 13: What Remains

A Homebrew Draws Near! A blog series by @Scrobins Episode 13: What Remains Introduction: Video games can aspire to be many things. They can be a playful escape from the world, and they can be a new lens for seeing the world and how we exist within it. Not many games use their medium to weigh in on substantive political discourse, but today’s game, with its themes of health & environmental policy, truth & disinformation, and archival institutions and the protectio
A Homebrew Draws Near!

Episode 8: The Assembly Line

A Homebrew Draws Near! A blog series by @Scrobins Episode 8: The Assembly Line Introduction: It was around September 2017 that I first learned about homebrew games. Months earlier I shipped my collection of old video games and consoles from my parents’ home and hoped to expand my library. Searching for the “essential” gems no self-respecting vintage gamer should be without, I stumbled upon a pair of articles from The Verge and Wired about new games for old consoles. Curi
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Scrobins in A Homebrew Draws Near!

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A Homebrew Draws Near!

Episode 4: Trophy

A Homebrew Draws Near! A blog series by @Scrobins Episode 4: Trophy Introduction: The timeline for developing a homebrew is rarely brief. From a game’s first imaginings to its final publication and availability to fans, months, even years may pass. But some games can trace their history across decades to the developer’s childhood and the games that brought them joy. Though time and tide may occupy their mind for a spell, pulling their attention in myriad different direct
A Homebrew Draws Near!

Episode 18: Chumlee's Adventure: The Quest for Pinky

A Homebrew Draws Near! A blog series by @Scrobins Episode 18: Chumlee’s Adventure: The Quest for Pinky Introduction: There has been an awakening. Have you felt it? Modern icons of pop culture and homebrews, coming together. Commissioned. Official. Licensed. Where first, barely a year ago there was Jay & Silent Bob: Mall Brawl, another game pushes the floodgates open a little further, with the dev team announcing yet another licensed homebrew coming in its wake. No lo
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Scrobins in A Homebrew Draws Near!

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A Homebrew Draws Near!

Episode 41: Oratorio

A Homebrew Draws Near! A blog series by @Scrobins Episode 41: Oratorio Introduction: Many of the games I’ve written about draw inspiration from classic games of yesteryear, sometimes while reaching into modern generation technology and gaming sensibilities to bring something new to the cartridges we pop into our very old consoles. Rarer though is the developer who ports an entire modern genre to a modern console, highlighting how the limits of the NES lie much further t
A Homebrew Draws Near!

Episode 33: Sam's Journey

A Homebrew Draws Near! A blog series by @Scrobins Episode 33: Sam’s Journey Introduction: So much of homebrew derives from people making and playing the games they loved as kids, but some of the creators from those nostalgic days are returning to embrace the love fans have for the older stuff. Whether it’s the Oliver Twins dusting off unreleased games decades later or Yuzo Koshiro working on something new, the rising popularity of new games for old consoles is bringing a
A Homebrew Draws Near!

Episode 26: Alwa's Awakening

A Homebrew Draws Near! A blog series by @Scrobins Episode 26: Alwa’s Awakening Introduction: The deep catalog of 8-bit inspired games has fired up enthusiasm for retro content, leading to the development of similar new games, hunger for the old games that served as the catalyst for this new appetite, and adding momentum to the homebrew games that bridge the gap between them. Some of the most popular of these retro/modern hybrids hew so closely to the limits of the hardwa
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Scrobins in A Homebrew Draws Near!

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A Homebrew Draws Near!

Episode 3: Anguna Zero

A Homebrew Draws Near! A blog series by @Scrobins Episode 3: Anguna: Scourge of the Goblin King Introduction: Just about every classic console has experienced new life with the rise of homebrew games to supplement its library. However few homebrewers develop games beyond one preferred console. Those brewers who dare to branch out find new challenges to enhance their skills, and new audiences eager to play with the fruits of their efforts. For this entry, I’m coverin
A Homebrew Draws Near!

Episode 15: The Curse of Illmoore Bay

A Homebrew Draws Near! A blog series by @Scrobins Episode 15: The Curse of Illmoore Bay Introduction: The growth of the homebrew community and availability of homebrew game carts is largely thanks to the savvy of a handful of people who have made the herculean effort of establishing supply chains to manufacture and publish cartridges for other brewers in addition to their own games. Among these titans of industry are RetroUSB, InfiniteNESLives, Broke Studio, the 6502 Col
A Homebrew Draws Near!

Episode 30: Jessie Jaeger in Cleopatra's Curse

A Homebrew Draws Near! A blog series by @Scrobins Episode 30: Jessie Jaeger in Cleopatra’s Curse Introduction: Franchise opportunities in Hollywood may make us cynical, but when they appear in gaming, we fans still get excited. Maybe it’s a reflection of video games as a younger medium that audiences aren’t yet turned off by the notion of a creator tapping into a winning formula with a new character or gaming mechanic that is immediately fun and which teases hope for mor
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Scrobins in A Homebrew Draws Near!

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A Homebrew Draws Near!

Episode 31: GunTneR

A Homebrew Draws Near! A blog series by @Scrobins Episode 31: GunTneR Introduction: Homebrew is brimming with tales of nostalgia and love letters to cherished games of developers’ childhoods. Though money changes hands, homebrew development isn’t particularly lucrative, and most brewers will tell you their work is done out of passion for the hobby. But some developers exude such an unfiltered, unadulterated joy in their wizardry, that watching them at work, figuring out
A Homebrew Draws Near!

Episode 32: Crabbie Attack!

A Homebrew Draws Near! A blog series by @Scrobins Episode 32: Crabbie Attack! Introduction: Playing a new game (hopefully) means we are seeing fun through the developers’ eyes. Hints of their own passions echo throughout the code, reflecting on other aspects of their personality that shapes the overall game. Across the Mario franchise turtles are generally enemies, but for other creators turtles might be the hero. Sometimes playing with those personal preferences can be
A Homebrew Draws Near!

Episode 34: HaraForce

A Homebrew Draws Near! A blog series by @Scrobins Episode 34: HaraForce Introduction: It should come as no surprise that the homebrew community spans the globe. I’ve had the privilege of interviewing brewers across four continents. But for all the interconnectedness that makes homebrew a small world, there are islands. Japan, the birthplace of Nintendo and Sega, is also the center of a thriving homebrew, or “doujin” Famicom scene. However, many players in the West are un
A Homebrew Draws Near!

Episode 35: Sly Dog Studios & The Candelabra Epic

A Homebrew Draws Near! A blog series by Scrobins Episode 35: Sly Dog Studios & The Candelabra Epic   Introduction: Once a developer decides to make a sequel to follow up on a previous game, there is the inevitable question of whether the next entry should offer more of the winning formula or strike out for new territory? On the one hand, by sticking with what's tried and true, you run the risk of becoming stale, and on the other, by wanting to innovate and stay
A Homebrew Draws Near!

Episode 36: Red Moon Lost Days

A Homebrew Draws Near! A blog series by @Scrobins Episode 36: Red Moon Lost Days Introduction: While each generation of video games and the consoles that defined them touch on nearly every major genre, there are some specific associations that endured. For instance, the Sega CD conjures memories of the brief trend of full motion video (FMV) games, and the 16-bit era, between the SNES and the Sega Genesis, was perhaps the pinnacle of console beat-‘em-ups. The early disc
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Scrobins in A Homebrew Draws Near!

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A Homebrew Draws Near!

Episode 37: Full Quiet

A Homebrew Draws Near! A blog series by @Scrobins Episode 37: Full Quiet Introduction: I’ve frequently praised new homebrew for both giving us new gems in beloved genres, and for pushing the limits of homebrew closer to the heights of the console’s licensed era. But for all the achievements developers have collectively reached, one peak remained to be summited: scale. While myriad games have proven so addictive, fans will pour hours into them, we have not yet received t
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Scrobins in A Homebrew Draws Near!

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