Knights of Bytes
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Posts posted by Knights of Bytes
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13 minutes ago, Sumez said:
Got a shipping notice yesterday. Looking forward to trying this
That's great news! Please let us know of his safe arrival by posting a picture.
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Hi there, video gamers!
It's been some time since our last update, and we apologize for that.
Does that mean the project is dead?
On the contrary: It's very much alive - and finally complete!
We added the final touches, performed the final tests and created the final builds: Sam's Journey on the NES has been submitted to our partner and retro game publisher poly.play for reproduction!
Sam's Journey NES Gold Master
The very first cartridge to contain the finalized gameAnd the guys over at poly.play haven't been lazy either! The first batch of boxes complete with cartridges, manuals and a whole lot of goodies has already been produced!
The very first cartridges have just been flashed,
assembled and labeled by poly.playWe would like to thank all those early birds who placed their order during the pre-order campaign. Sam's Journey on the NES has finally begun - and he will come to your place very soon!
Ready to be wrapped and shipped!The official public release is incredibly close. Stay tuned!
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On 8/21/2023 at 8:13 PM, Sumez said:
Well, I'm confused why that requires two separate builds. Of course, using variables for things that could be constants can complicate 6502 code, I'm well aware of that, but I feel like anything that could be done as separate builds could at least be replicated via bank switching.
You are absolutely correct, and there is certainly more than one way to handle the NTSC/PAL differencies.
In our case, a lot of calculations and conversions are done in the data export step of the build process. We do this at build-time to gain performance at runtime.
The downside is system-dependent game data, and there's a lot of it in the game! To solve this, we chose the easiest and least expensive way: different builds for NTSC and PAL.
On 8/21/2023 at 8:13 PM, Sumez said:Am I correct in assuming the PAL version is the "original" version of the game, and the NTSC one edited to reflect that as closely as possible?
Yes, the C64 version of Sam's Journey was initially created with the European audience in mind as they make the bigger part of today's C64 community despite the C64's origin in the US.
When we decided to have Sam attend his journey on the NES as well, we knew we would want to handle both fractions equally and offer properly adjusted versions.
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On 8/21/2023 at 3:56 AM, Knights of Bytes said:
Yes. As soon as the physical editions are complete and sent to the pre-orderers, the game will go on regular sale with a digital release available as well.
Oh, and for buyers of a physical edition, the digital release will be included.
Those who order a Standard Edition will be provided with a URL to the game files, and those who go for the limited Ultimate Edition will even find an SD card in their box.
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3 hours ago, WaverBoy said:
Will there be an NES rom available for purchase and download?
Yes. As soon as the physical editions are complete and sent to the pre-orderers, the game will go on regular sale with a digital release available as well.
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Soundtrack On Vinyl In Stock!
Hi there, video gamers!
The Sam's Journey NES Soundtrack on Vinyl arrived at poly.play!
This LP is limited to 300 pieces - and 18 fans of 8-bit chiptunes have already secured their copy!Want one as well? Get it here:
https://polyplay.xyz/search/?lang=eng&qs=sams+journey+nes -
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Soundtrack Available!
Hi there, video gamers!
Listen to "Under Deck", a groovy and piratey NES chiptune from Sam's Journey!
The entire soundtrack features 19 beautiful and versatile tracks plus an additional bonus track. It's available on CD, MC, and even LP at Poly.Play:The Ultimate Edition of Sam's Journey comes with the CD included! -
20 minutes ago, Sumez said:
Preordered
Awesome, thanks for your support!
21 minutes ago, Sumez said:What's the purpose of picking NTSC or PAL? If it is programmed to consider the timing difference, shouldn't the game just auto-detect it?
The NTSC version and the PAL version of Sam's Journey are built with completely different physics so that the perceived gameplay speed is virtually the same on both systems.
We made a little video to demonstrate this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNZtc_fNe8s
If you have further question, please don't hesitate to ask.
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Chester Kollschen
Knights of Bytes-
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Sam-Themed NES Controller Available!
Hi there, video gamers!
Want to enhance your Sam's Journey experience? With this NES controller, you're invincible!
Get it at poly.play:
https://www.polyplay.xyz/search/?lang=eng&qs=sams+journey+nesNever heard of Sam's? Please find information here:
https://www.knightsofbytes.games/samsjourney/nesStay tuned for more updates!
Chester Kollschen
Knights of Bytes -
Sam's Journey NES: First Batch In Production!
Hi there, video gamers!
We're happy to announce that the first batch of Sam's Journey for the NES is in production!
A big thanks to our three-digit early birds who already placed their pre-order! You rock!
Want a copy, too? Pre-order Sam's Journey at poly.play:Never heard of Sam's? Please find information here:Stay tuned for more updates!Chester KollschenKnights of Bytes-
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Sam's Journey NES · Development BloopersHi there, video gamers!In game development, things don't always work as expected... For example, the transportation device in this short video clip wasn't supposed to fall, let alone jump!Fortunately, this issue is fixed in the release version!
You can now pre-order Sam's Journey at poly.play:Never heard of Sam's? Please find information here:Stay tuned for more updates!Chester KollschenKnights of Bytes
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Sam's Journey NES Standard Edition Revealed!
Hi there, video gamers!
What would a new game for the NES be without a nice physical edition?
We're back to present you the first impressions of the upcoming Sam's Journey NES Standard Edition, distributed by poly.play!
A Beautifully Decorated Cardboard Box
The Standard Editon of Sam's Journey comes in a standard-sized NES cardboard box.
Sam's Journey NES Standard Edition As Distributed By Poly.PlayThe box will be shrink-wrapped by poly.play in order to protect it from damage on its way to you.
Even More Beautiful Content
Instead of the infamous polystyrene distance piece, we put in a little treasure chest with some additional extras!
Sam's Journey NES Standard Edition As Distributed By Poly.PlayHere's what you get:
- Game Cartridge (either PAL or NTSC) With Dust Sleeve
- Beautifully-Designed Manual
- World Map Of The Game (all in-game maps merged into one)
- Treasure Chest Themed Distance Piece
- Sachet With Diamonds From The Game
- Seven Sam Costume Cards
Pre-Orders Open In July!
Sam's Journey for the NES will be available for pre-order in July.
Create a customer account at poly.play to be ready!
Stay tuned for more updates!
Chester Kollschen
Knights of Bytes-
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Hi there,
sorry for the delay - we must have missed the new post notifications...
On 3/4/2023 at 4:09 PM, zxdplay said:Well done, the game looks great！！！
Your game runs very smoothly and has many features, including smooth scrolling in four directions, character switching, dynamic backgrounds, the ability to step on monsters, and the ability to climb. The graphics are beautiful, and it must have taken a huge effort to implement all of these functionalities. It's a fantastic game, and I wish you success!Thank you very much, @zxdplay!
You're right, we put a whole lot of work into the game to get it right. But it's very rewarding work!
Now we're really excited how Sam is going to do in NES community.
On 6/15/2023 at 5:09 PM, Scrobins said:Check out the latest episode of A Homebrew Draws Near, covering Sam's Journey!
Thank you, @Scrobins!
Those who consider pre-ordering Sam's Journey will find some more information about the game and its creators in your comprehensive article. The interview was fun as well, especially your question "do you identify with Sam?" We've never been asked that before!
Chester Kollschen
Knights of Bytes -
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Sam in 3D?
Hi there, video gamers!
After a COVID-19-related hiatus, we're back with a new post!
2D Sam meets a 3D version of himselfWhat's happening here? Is Sam done with 2D and planning his leap into the third dimension??
Of course not, but that 3D version of Sam may have something to do with the limited Ultimate Edition which we are currently creating for Sam's Journey on the NES!
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38 minutes ago, Scrobins said:
If you’re looking for a publisher, VGS would also be happy to help and leverage our partnership with Mega Cat. Let me know and feel free to PM me if interested!
That's a very kind offer, thanks!
As it happens, Mega Cat Studios featured Sam's Journey in their Weekly Dose of Gaming News in 2020 and briefly teased the very early NES version of the game as well.
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5 hours ago, a3quit4s said:
I think @matthughson had a good experience with launching Witch n wiz on limited run, he maybe able so answer some questions if your interested in that route.
Thanks for this reference! I've already met @matthughson in a chat where we talked about his Retrobrew Magazine.
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4 hours ago, a3quit4s said:
I did see the link on the Sams homepage for poly.play but I wasn’t sure if that was for a paid ROM or a physical CIB.
Neither, nor!
poly.play are also a reseller of the C64 version of Sam's Journey. You may have stumbled upon the article pages of that C64 version in their store.
poly.play will eventually produce and distribute the NES version of Sam's Journey as well, but the article pages for the NES version aren't set up yet. We're going to offer both a physical boxed edition (complete with box, cartridge, manual and some additional goodies) and a digital download edition. They will most probably be different articles in the store to avoid confusion. For those buying a physical boxed edition, the digital download will be included.
4 hours ago, a3quit4s said:Whatever helps you tell me how and when to buy the game lol
Thanks, will do!
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On 9/7/2022 at 9:31 PM, a3quit4s said:
You seem to be very far along!
You're absolutely right: Sam's Journey on the NES is virtually complete!
We are currently designing and creating the physical editions of the game, requesting quotes from hardware manufacturers and setting up the distribution stuff.
On 9/7/2022 at 9:31 PM, a3quit4s said:Is there a spot where we can pre-order or were you still planning on a Kickstarter?
As the game already exists, we feel that Kickstarter might not be the ideal platform to use. However, we still need some kind of commitment from our inclined audience so that we can handle the costs for the development, production and shipping.
A pre-order sounds like a fair split of risk. We don't have a pre-order page yet though... How about a tiny registration form where people drop their e-mail address, and in turn, we inform them about the start and the location of the pre-order? Would that work?
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The World Of Sam
Hi there, video gamers!
Sam begins his journey at the bottom of the Lowlands. But this is only a small part of the world he's about to travel!
Luckily, he has a map at hand which guides him through the many different locations, such as dark forests, rocky mountains, dangerous deserts and frozen caves.
Map Of The Lowlands Where Sam Begins His JourneyIn total, 3 overworld maps, 27 huge levels and over 2000 screens are waiting to be explored!
More info about Sam's Journey on the NES on our website.
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Boot Testing Sam's Journey On Real Hardware
Hi there, video gamers!
It's always exciting to check if the game we're currently creating runs on real hardware, so let's give it a quick spin on the good old NES!
Sam's Journey Booting On Real NESThere's also a video showing the boot sequence on our website.
Fun fact: The game does indeed have sound, but the camera's microphone somehow didn't catch it. However, it did catch the squeaking lid!
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Box Samples Arrived At Poly.Play
Hi there, video gamers!
Our friends at poly.play have received the first batch of box samples for Sam's Journey on the NES!
Now, some craftmanship is being called for to get them assembled...
Box Samples for Sam's Journey on the NESIf we are satisfied with the quality of the results, we will have found our boxes! Their dimensions match those of the typical NES game boxes so they are going to look great in your collection!
Are you interested in Sam's Journey on the NES? We're going to start a pre-order campaign soon, but you can already register a customer account at poly.play who will eventually handle the production and distribution of the game.
Who are poly.play?
Based in the EU, but shipping internationally, poly.play are an aspiring retrogame publisher who have already published numerous small and large scale game productions, mainly for classic home computers such as the Commodore 64, the Amstrad CPC, the Apple II or the Atari 800.
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Hi there, video gamers!
No screenshot or video this time, but something no less important!
Creating a video game like Sam's Journey is very much about writing code, designing worlds, drawing graphics and composing tunes. All of those tasks result in a huge bunch of digital data.
But digital data alone is not the end of the story. If we want our Sam to look cool on the store shelves, things must get physical! And one of the things we need is a cartridge board to store the game on.
A Collection Of Circuit Boards For NES Cartridges
There are quite some circuit boards available for NES game productions, all of them with their own benefits and flaws. We ordered a collection of those boards to evaluate which model suits best the requirements of our game.
This is a very exciting step in the development of Sam's Journey on the NES as it also marks the game's transition from a project to a product. Stay tuned!
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Sam's Journey on the NES has finally begun!
in Share
Posted
Hi there, video gamers!
According to poly.play, more than 100 units of Sam's Journey for the NES have already been sent out!
Not yet, but we might consider this in the future. For now, maybe you can find some fellow NES fans who are interested in Sam's Journey as well and then do a bulk order? Your other option would be the Download Edition which we are going to add to to the online store very soon.
Awaiting your first impressions.
Happy retro-gaming!
Chester Kollschen
Knights of Bytes
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