matthughson

Great points @ecmyers! I would probably make it a stipulation that Witch n' Wiz be tested on multiple clone systems, and run without issue. It uses MMC1 (the most common cart hardware), so there is really no reason it shouldn't run on pretty much everything. If the game can run in NESticle, it should run on any modern hardware IMO

I'm starting to put feelers out for publishing of my next NES game, Witch n' Wiz, and one such publisher is LRG. They've done a few retro releases at this point, but I haven't had much interaction with them. Anyone have strong opinions about them, good or bad, buyer or developer? Feel free to DM me if it's not something you want to share publicly. Topics I'm curious about: Shipping costs World-wide shipping Quality of components Quality of box/manual/etc Marketing reach Business dealings If you are a collector, what are your feelings when you see a NES game show up on LRG?

For now, I would just sign up for my other games mailing list. http://frombelowgame.com/ I'll ping that group once the game is nearing completion.

I'm aiming for end of summer 2021. September 2021 time-frame.

I just hit a big milestone in development of Witch n' Wiz... all of the core puzzles are now designed and playable in game! There is still lots left to do, but I think designing the puzzles themselves was the most time consuming part for me, and something I don't really enjoy. So with that out of the way, it will hopefully be smooth sailing for the rest of the project and a planned release of end of summer! Here's short clip of the last puzzle I made!

Oh really? I haven't actually looked into it much yet. Just assumed it was possible haha. Won't be donor carts for sure.

Soko Banana $60 CIB Link Link is dead.

Work has been slow the last month or so. I've been feeling super lethargic after the NESDev compo ended. It's a weird feeling to basically final a game, go through the rush and excitement of releasing it, and then jump back into the day-to-day grind of building the remaining 80% of the game. It feels really anti-climatic and it's been a tough hump to get over. Regardless though, work has continued, and the last week or so I'm getting back into my "put the kids to bed and work till 10pm, no matter what" mentality, and it's helped a bunch. Tilesets in Game All the cool new tilesets I showed in the previous updates are no longer just mockups, and are now in-game, with their associated gameplay. In addition to these new tilesets, the original Castle tileset from the NESDev Compo build has also gotten a facelift as well! New Character Sprites You may have noticed another big change in the gameplay above... brand new character sprites! The original sprites were more or less a paint over of the Pico-8 sprites from the original version of the game, and didn't really pop in the way I wanted them to on the NES. So now we have these new, multi-colored Witch Sprites, as well as new sprites for the Wizard! Prologue I've been plugging away at the opening of the game; a prologue to the main gameplay which tells a little back story. It explains why the boy, Wiz, is being held captive in the Castle, and why the girl, Witch, is trying to rescue him. It takes place 5 years before the main game, and is linear with no real puzzle elements. Here's a quick abridged look at it in it's current state. Some of the art is placeholder at this point! New Music Tui has been working on new songs to go with the new level tilesets. Here's a little sample from the hidden, in-game sound test menu. Magazine Coverage Cool Sh#t Magazine was kind enough to do a nice big preview of the game. It's a fun magazine, and something I look forward to reading every month.

Now that the 2020/21 nesdev compo is done, I figured it is time to start an official thread for my current project: Witch n' Wiz. I'll try to post here when I make major progress, but generally I do much more frequent updates on Twitter and Discord (links in Top Post).

Witch n' Wiz is out now! A new puzzle-platformer for the NES & PC! 3 WAYS TO PLAY Free in Browser on PiePacker: https://beta.piepacker.com/game/witchnwiz Download the ROM via itch.io: https://mhughson.itch.io/witch-n-wiz Buy a Limited Edition NES Cart from Limited Run Games: https://limitedrungames.com/collections/witch-n-wiiz Genre: Turn-Based Puzzle Platformer (e.g. Fire n' Ice, Catrap, etc) Technical Details: Targets Mapper 1 (MMC1). 128KB PRG-ROM (16KB Bank Swapping) + 128KB CHR-ROM (4KB CHR Window). Written in C (CC65) using NESLib and NESDoug/cppchris' MMC1 Helper libraries. Famitone5 sound engine (also by nesdoug). Status: COMPLETE! Features: 100+ Levels New puzzle mechanics every 5-10 levels Battery Save Interactive story telling Rewind ability, to undo previous moves without restarting the entire puzzle Art by Kenneth Fejer, Daniel Turner (Alp317) and Haller Zoltan (Zolionline) Music by Tui Physical Cart: Available RIGHT NOW on Limited Run games. This is an open preorder until mid December, when it will go out of print! This is the only chance to buy a physical copy for at least a year! https://limitedrungames.com/search?type=product,page&q=Witch n' Wiz* Screenshots: Compo Version: Witch n' Wiz was submitted as part of the 2020/21 NESDev Competition, and came in 2nd place. That build of the game can still be downloaded and played on itch: https://mhughson.itch.io/witch-n-wiz You can read all about the development of that version in the compo thread here: https://www.videogamesage.com/forums/topic/6938-witch-n-wiz-nesdev-compo-edtion-out-now/ Social Media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/matthughson Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2788404591447894 Discord: https://discord.gg/DenmA4ssPY

Glad to hear it worked!

I always find it hard to find the actual episodes when you post here @Scrobins. Might be nice to include a link?

You are correct! I just did this search by the way. Nothing complex https://www.kickstarter.com/discover/advanced?term=nes&category_id=35&sort=most_funded&seed=2695265&page=1

Updated May 2023: Here's the top 10, most funded homebrew game projects. This only includes funds from Kickstarter (some games had massive indiegogo or post launch sales as well). NOTES: Some Kickstarters include multiple platformers (eg. NES + SNES etc) so it's not entirely apples to apples comparisons. I am only including new releases, not re-issues of old games, however I am including original ports of games that previously appears on other platforms. #12 Trophy ($40,096) https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/solegoose/trophy #11 Anguna: Scourge of the Goblin King ($40,435) https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/solegoose/anguna-scourge-of-the-goblin-king #10 Project Blue ($42,592) https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/nesgame/project-blue #9 Montezuma's Revenge ($45,060) https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/348297293/nes-montezumas-revenge #8 Roniu's Tale ($49,243) https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/megacatstudios/ronius-tale-for-the-nes #7: Dungeons & Doomknights ($54,715) https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/artix/dungeons-and-doomknights-an-8-bit-adventurequest-f #6 Skeler Boy ($55,875) * https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/skelerboy/skeler-boy-part-ii-for-game-boy-cartridge-and-pc #5: Jim Power ($63,805) * https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/retrogames/jim-power-a-nes-snes-genesis-turbografx-and-cd32-game #4: Black Jewel Reborn ($70,803) * https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/evildragon/black-jewel-reborn #3: Super Russian Roulette ($84,263) https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/batslyadams/super-russian-roulette-a-new-party-game-for-the-ne #2: Super Tilt Bro. ($96,290) https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/brokestudio/super-tilt-bro-new-online-nes-game #1: Micro Mages ($177,115) https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/morphcat-games/micro-mages-a-new-game-for-the-nes * Includes multiple platforms in final sales numbers.

Sounds interesting! I'm worried I'll just end up wishing I was reading the book rather than scrolling through text on a GB screen though... Looks like it's well over the goal already though!

I recorded a playthrough here if anyone gets stuck (or wants to challenge my speed run):

Here is a fan made mapper 28 support: https://forums.nesdev.com/viewtopic.php?p=102718#p102718

I just took a quick look, and it does not look like PowerPak supports mapper 28 (https://www.retrousb.com/product_info.php?products_id=34). That's kind of surprising to me, but I'm not sure how active PowerPak development is. You could trying reaching out to @bunnyboy on the VGS Discord.

Mapper 28 (Action 53).

Mapper 28 (Action 53).

DOWNLOAD HERE! Update: Now that the competition is over, you can follow the rest of the development on the official thread here: https://www.videogamesage.com/forums/topic/7795-witch-n-wiz/ I am working on a new game for the NES: Witch n' Wiz! For the 2020/21 NESDev competition, I have put together a sort of "demo" of game. You can download it for free using the link above. It is just a small sampling of what I hope to deliver in the final game, in fall of 2021. Genre: Turn-Based Puzzle Platformer (e.g. Fire n Ice, Catrap, etc) How to Play: Objective: Vanquish all the monsters in room by slamming into them from the side. Push blocks around in a similar way to create bridges over gaps. You cannot jump! The only way to move up is the climb a ladder. If you make a mistake, press B to undo your last move, or SELECT to restart the room. Controls: D-PAD: Move the character. SELECT: Restart current room. START: Pause game (view password, change floors, quit game). B BUTTON: Undo last move. A BUTTON: Switch characters (later levels only). Features: 30+ Levels New puzzle mechanics every 5-10 levels Password Save Art by Kenneth Fejer and Zolionline. Music by Tui Social Media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/matthughson Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2788404591447894 Discord: https://discord.gg/DenmA4ssPY

The FINAL BETA version of Vs. From Below is OUT NOW! Download the FREE emulator-friendly ROM or Vs. Arcade-Ready EPROMS! Read whats new, and about how the best players in the world competed to have their scores etched into the silicon of this game FOREVER! https://mhughson.itch.io/from-below/devlog/212679/vs-system-beta-0100

No said anything about this game involving reading! What a bait and switch!

Sweet. Thanks for all the info.

I saw this game mentioned in another thread with a "word of warning" about pre-ordering. Game looks really amazing though, and I am completely in the dark on what happened... in the past. Without being too harsh, can someone explain in an objective way what happened (I can assess the risk of ordering for myself). http://paprium.com/