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 appetites with the promise of a larger game in the future. See Exhibit A: Super Bat Puncher. These projects allow homebrewers more flexibility to play with their creativity, free of the pressures to deliver a complete game to paying fans, as they need only provide us a small sample. In the context of a development competition, it’s like coming together for a film festival in the mold of Cannes or Sundance; it becomes an event in which followers watch curiously for the latest from the usual entrants, the fascination for the newcomers, and the art offered by them all.

For this entry, I’m covering the NESdev Competition, also known as the NESdev Compo, originally known as the NESdev Annual Coding Competition, which offers a wide array of games, demos, and tools for the NES. In the past, cart releases polished from entries were known as the Action 53 series. As of the time of this writing, the programming putting together Action 53, Volume 4 is nearly complete, though ordering information is not yet known, and subsequent compo carts (which will not continue the Action 53 name, but begin as NESdev Compo ’19, and continue as a cart collection for each subsequent compo) are also in the works.

In the beginning there was Jeroen, and he was good.

 

Compo Evolution:

The compo began in the NESdev forum with a July 15, 2010 thread created by Jeroen, who sought to gauge community interest in a coding competition for the NES. The response was immediate, and over the next few months its structure began to take shape with a set of rules and a website. By the time the dust settled on the first compo in 2011, there were 5 submissions for the NROM contest and 4 submissions for the free-for-all contest, in which Twaite and Super Bat Puncher were the winners respectively.

Following the compo, a cartridge was released which featured entrants as well as other games, and most notably Streemerz, a playful reimagining of Bionic Commando. As a means of funding the competition and preparing for future cartridge compilations, Action 53, Volume 1 was released in two production runs by Infinite NES Lives: first a 50-cart run of clear carts, followed by a second run of 100 standard gray carts.

With its emphasis on being a community-run effort, the compo continues to thrive thanks to its organizers over the years: Joey Parsell/Memblers, Damian Yerrick/Tepples, M-Tee, Jonathan Roatch/JRoatch, Paul Molloy/Infinite NES Lives, Bradley Bateman/NES Homebrew, and most recently Matt Hughson and Antoine Gohin/Broke Studio. Thanks to their many hours of volunteering for homebrew, a platform exists for fresh talent and cool new ideas. Some of the best games and most exciting new developers made their splash here. Keep an eye out for who dives in next.

Action 53, Volume 1: rarer and a helluva lot more playable than its namesake forebear.

 

Interviews:

There are so many people to talk to about this compo over the years it has been around and bolstered the homebrew community. How do I even approach an interview section? I interviewed Damian recently, and I’m hoping to talk to Joe and Paul for a separate piece, so I decided for this one, I would reach out to those most currently and heavily involved in running the competition. Otherwise I either tried reaching out to other people involved or decided I needed to draw a line somewhere to ensure I could finish this episode when I wanted to. I hope you enjoy these interviews.

 

Matt Hughson

@matthughson

-It’s great to interview you again! Last time, we talked about From Below, I’m excited to talk to you this time about your role in the NESdev Coding Competition. When did you first become involved in the compo, and what is your role? How has that role evolved over time?

Originally, I became involved in the competition as a participant, when I entered an early version of my game Witch n’ Wiz into the 2020 competition.

The following year I volunteered to help run the competition when the original organizer didn’t have time to run it anymore. That was in 2022, so 2023 was my second time helping to run the competition.

Screenshot from Witch n’ Wiz

 

-In your opinion, how has the competition itself evolved over the years? How has it grown? Where would you like to see it go in the next few years?

I think the most obvious change was in 2022 when the competition was moved to itch.io where it now lives. This exposes it to a lot more people and has a more professional suite of tools for presenting, submitting and judging games.

 

-I’ve tried to pay closer attention to the compo’s discord lately, and among other subjects, I’ve noticed some meaningful philosophical discussions, such as whether the name “NESdev Coding Competition” is still fitting, how to structure eligibility rules, and to structure voting. What are your thoughts on these questions, and are there other meaningful questions you’ve noticed that this competition has raised?

The crux of these discussions seems to center around the ease at which someone can create an NES game now. It is no longer a guarantee that all entries are serious efforts. You can now create a complete Sokoban game in a few minutes, and it isn’t always obvious when that is the case.

It used to be a right of passage to be able to create anything for the competition, but that’s not really the case anymore, and it causes a bit of friction with what the competition has traditionally meant. I see it as a microcosm of the homebrew scene at large, to be honest.

My feeling is that we should embrace the inevitable and run the competition more like a traditional game jam. There are more entries than most people would be interested in playing, and there may be lots of “low effort” entries. The final score and the judging will sort it all out in the end though, and the average player will only check out the top entries.

 

-This competition has a meaningful influence beyond itself. What impact have you observed this competition to have on other compos, on the NES homebrew scene, and the overall homebrew scene?

I see the competition as a yearly celebration and something for the community to rally behind. I don’t think many people see winning or losing as a big part of it, but rather just see it as a great excuse to create something in a low-pressure scenario (where the expectations aren’t too high).

 

-Do you feel the competition has been influenced in any meaningful way by other compos, and the wider homebrew scenes?

Not really, but I certainly look at the NESMaker ByteOff awards as the high bar to strive for, and the GBDev competition comes across as extremely polished and professional. I kind of like that NESdev competition has a bit of a home-grown vibe though.

This year’s competition is already underway!

 

-What about the impact of the competition on your own work as a homebrewer?

I’ve found it super motivating to work on games for the competition. First, the potential to have my game on a physical cart was something that really excited me. And then being able to use the competition as a sounding board for different ideas is valuable.

 

-Do you have a favorite all-time competition entry? What about a favorite entry that’s gone on to a full game release?

I think my favorite would be Spacegulls. Maybe that’s a bit of a cope on my part, since it is the game that beat my entry (Witch n’ Wiz) in the 2020 competition, but I pick it because it is such a solid, fun experience start to finish. It doesn’t feel like a game jam, or a demo. It feels like a full project.

My favorite game that went on to a full release is probably Nebs n Debs, which I consider my favorite homebrew of all time.

Screenshot from Spacegulls

 

-What trends have you noticed among competition entries past and present?

Morphcat are very good at making NES games

 

-Do you think there are any patterns or common qualities shared by competition entries that tend to score higher?

I haven’t thought about it too much, but I think the games that feel like complete experiences do very well. Games that require multiplayer tend to struggle.

 

-Do you have any advice for people considering entering in next year’s competition?

Just do it! I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who regretted entering, but I’ve met many who regret missing it. You’ll also notice that there are lots of people who come back year after year, so it must be fun!

 

-I really appreciate you taking the time to talk with me and share your experiences again. Is there anything else you would like to tell readers and fans?

Nope! See you next year!

 

 

M-Tee

@mteegfx

-It’s great to interview you again! Last time, you were one of my first interviews, and we talked about Project Blue, I’m excited to talk to you this time about your role in the NESdev Coding Competition. When did you first become involved in the compo, and what is your role? How has it that role evolved over time?

My pleasure as always! So, long story short…

…in 2016, I was hired to illustrate a book on NES homebrew, which led to a few months of research and brainstorming (i.e., digging through forum posts and downloading ROMs). The job eventually fell through, but all that diggin’ led to two things:
     1) me falling in love with a whole bunch of earlier homebrew titles; and
     2) a real hankerin’ to draw them.

Fan art of Memblers’ Munchie Attack and NovaSquirrel’s Forehead Block Guy

So, the next year, I illustrated a couple of older compo titles and pitched myself for the next multicart’s cover art. Folks seemed to dig them, welcomed me aboard, and then I got to make the arcade-themed packaging for Action 53 Volume 3.

Action 53 Vol. 3 print assets (image courtesy of Infinite NES Lives)

Since then, I’ve handled the graphic design and most visual assets for the competition, its multicarts, and eventually, the Action 53 itch page.

 

-In your opinion, how has the competition itself evolved over the years? How has it grown? Where would you like to see it go in the next few years?

The original goal of the competition, I hear, was to encourage folks to bite the bullet and release whatever projects they were working on—which it still does successfully. As long as we keep getting a healthy mix of newcomers and veteran developers participating, compo day will continue to be my Christmas morning.

Nothing else encapsulates the nostalgia of waking up to a new NES game or two than compo morning.

 

-I’ve tried to pay closer attention to the compo’s discord lately, and among other subjects, I’ve noticed some meaningful philosophical discussions, such as whether the name “NESdev Coding Competition” is still fitting, how to structure eligibility rules, and to structure voting. What are your thoughts on these questions, and are there other meaningful questions you’ve noticed that this competition has raised?

To be honest, there has never been any consistent branding to the competition’s title and formatting. Even on official pages, it’s wildly inconsistent, and as such, a nightmare when trying to decide what to put on the cart packaging or promo images.

rampant title and formatting inconsistencies

·        Is NESDEV part of the competition title or not; and if so, is it Nesdev, NesDev, NESdev, or NESDev?
(5 options)

·        Does the year come before or after NESDev?
(2 options)

·        Coding is in the name, but no one ever mentions it colloquially, so Coding or no Coding?
(2 options)

So, there have been at least twenty (5×2×2) title format variations I could choose from, all with justifiable precedence. 

What did I do when I needed to choose one? I combined them all for the mouthful that was The NesDev 2019 NES Coding Competition Multicart, and stylized it in all-caps stylization to gracefully avoid that decision.

Compocart 2019’s web manual header

But that only lasted for two competitions. I don’t remember who suggested dropping Coding, but I’m glad it and the redundant NES are gone. Now the title is now much more inline with its colloquial one anyway.

Assets through 2028 have been produced with this format, so hopefully it won’t change soon!

 

-Do you feel the competition has been influenced in any meaningful way by other compos, and the wider homebrew scenes?

In fact, the above naming inconsistency is one of many indicators that the compo isn’t a commercial endeavor. It’s not really branded, polished, or shiny. Its title is literally just a description of what it is, and it’s run with virtually no hierarchy by a fluctuating wave of volunteers. Ultimately, whoever is handling whatever task has the final say on their contribution, often resulting in mild chaos, delays, decision paralysis, and more…

…but that’s also its charm!

No one seems to have any motivation (or opportunity) to profit, and as a result, there are no airs put on. Another key element to its appeal is how downplayed the competitive aspect is: no theme and no time constraints (aside from a deadline). But if someone wanted to work on a title for years and submit it, they could!

So, I guess I’m saying that flashier competitions or bigger jams can be great, but I’m glad that this compo has its niche and is filling it.

 

-This competition has a meaningful influence beyond itself. What impact have you observed this competition to have on other compos, on the NES homebrew scene, and the overall homebrew scene?

Confession time! When I entered the homebrew scene, there was a dichotomy of release philosophies: either free ROMs or a costly physical-only cart. I’ve never been quiet about my opposition to physical exclusivity, so it should be no surprise that there was a cheeky little devil on my shoulder, cheering every time an unusually polished compo entry was released for free.

The devil on my shoulder
(AKA Lord A’zul from La Patifferie, a title Wendel Scardua, Raftronaut, and myself
started for a past compo, but sidelined for scope creep)

These days, affordable digital releases are the norm, so that’s not really a factor anymore. However, I still use the 2016 compo (Nebs n Debs, Twin Dragons, Filthy Kitchen, etc.) as a major milestone when separating eras of NES homebrew history.

2016: The year in which five potent platformers swept the top of the competition

 

-What about the impact of the competition on your own work as a homebrewer?

The social aspect of collaborating on an entry is genuinely one of the high points of my year. Knowing that my teammates would be bummed out if we didn’t get something submitted is quite a motivator (even if it means ditching a larger project, and starting a smaller one, often days before the deadline, which we’ve been guilty of thrice so far ). 

The entries I’ve collaborated on so far:
 Łukasz Kur’s Gruniożerca 2 and Gruniożerca 3 (the latter also with Chip Jockey)
Wendel Scardua’s Bare Metal 2.0, HBC Phutball, and Miroh Jr. (the latter two with Raftronaut)

 

-Do you have a favorite all-time competition entry?

My top five favorite NES games are (currently): Miroh Jr., Megaman 2, Blazing Rangers, Bubble Bobble, and We Are Hejickle. Two of those are compo entries (and one of them I co-designed with literally me as its target demographic, so is that cheating?)

A totally unbiased look at the five objectively best NES games of all time

 

-What about a favorite entry that’s gone on to a full game release?

I typically prefer smaller standalone entries (Böbl or Espitene for instance) to those which tease a larger game. That said, there have been quite a few games that really deserved, but never got, a more fleshed out version. And of those, none has left me hungrier than Nalleland. 

Nalleland: A superb platformer with DK ‘94-style depth of movement, but only one level… ㅠㅠ

 

-What trends have you noticed among competition entries past and present?

Every year, we seem to get:

• Humble projects from first-timers;
• Exploratory side projects from veteran developers; and…
• Multiplayer-only (or at least multiplayer-heavy) titles.

Those last ones often get less love, but are the ones I look the most forward to because there are so few multiplayer NES releases outside of the competition. Having friends over? You could make a heck of a party cart by throwing the multiplayer compo titles from each year into a folder.

Just some of the awesome multiplayer titles across compo years (pictured):
RHDE, Spacey McRacey, No Good Can Come of This, LightShields, Super Homebrew War
NNNNNN, Spacegulls, HBC Phutball, CatMercs, and Tiny Golf

 

-Do you think there are any patterns or common qualities shared by competition entries that tend to score higher?

Because judges are the developers themselves, and that roster changes every year, I think the scores are generally more reflective of that year’s judges than of the games. That said, the feedback is still invaluable. The competition forces a couple of dozen other devs to not only sit down and play your project, but to tell you where they think it could be improved. It’s an extraordinarily rare opportunity, and an aspect that’s often overlooked.

 

-Do you have any advice for people considering entering in next year’s competition?

Do it!

 

-Any news on when fans can expect cartridges for Action 53, Volume 4 or subsequent competition carts?

There have been a lot of delays (many, but not all of them my fault, I promise! ). But now with Broke Studio at the helm, I suspect we’ll get Action 53 Volume 4 soon. After that, we’re currently… four years behind the compo . Each has a planned standalone release, and I hope that they’ll make a very nice set of shelf candy one day. Hopefully we can get them out in waves that’ll eventually get us caught up to the competition year too. Fingers crossed, eh?

The most recent revision of the Action 53 Vol. 4 cover art.
It’s a wraparound, so the other 29 titles are shown on the box and spine.

 

-I really appreciate you taking the time to talk with me and share your experiences again. Is there anything else you would like to tell readers and fans?

Next time you almost click an OMG! Hidden NES Gems?! youtube video, save yourself the heartache and dig into past compos. Some of the console’s best and most interesting games are hiding out in there, and a lot of great titles get overshadowed by the compo big guns.

Mike J. Moffitt’s Karate Kick for instance…

 

Conclusion:

Thanks for tuning in to this latest episode of the series that shares the adventures behind the latest newest homebrews making their way to you. What are your views of the NESdev Competition as a pillar of the homebrew community? Which of this year’s entries do you hope will get a full release? What homebrews are you eagerly looking forward to? Perhaps you’ll see it here soon when…A Homebrew Draws Near! Command?