Scrobins

Added Super Cambur for the NES, now live on Kickstarter!

Added Flea 2 for the NES, now live on Kickstarter!

Bumpdated some more!

That’s really cool, even bringing in someone who worked on them just to talk or get a gander at their stuff is a treat.

Latest post is up, covering the NESdev Compo & 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 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?

He’s not even moderating, just acting as a voice of reason and respect. You’d think a former mod would know the difference, but then again you just like Monday morning quarterbacking us.

Very happily bumpdated!

The Mega Cat Chronicles A blog series by @Scrobins Episode 2: Rocket Panda Introduction: Working in such a creative industry as video games can bring some fun people together, giving rise to great working relationships. With time and more collaborations under their belts, real friendships develop, as well as a shared idea for a project of their own. The work I’m honored to do with Mega Cat is a fun example, but right now I’m thinking of two developers who have worked together since the days of the first PlayStation. Though they have collaborated on a number of games over the years, coming together to form Space Pants Games represented a new phase in their partnership, one in which the potential of their new games will launch them into the stratosphere. For this entry, I’m covering Rocket Panda, a jetpack action-adventure for the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive developed by Space Pants Games. As of the time of this writing, Rocket Panda is live on Kickstarter through Space Pants Games, with fulfillment by Mega Cat Studios, and a special VGS variant designed by @T-Pac. You can still pledge for the campaign here. Development Team: Ben Everett: art Julian Scott: programming That CIB is a sweet treat indeed, just don’t dunk it like a StarTropics letter And HERE is our own handiwork, which will look lovely next to your copy of Diamond Thieves Game Evolution: VGS’ connection to Rocket Panda began early in its collaboration with Mega Cat. James and I often share games we think would be good projects to publish together. One of them was by Space Pants Games, which had recently released Gunslugs with Retro Room Roo. In this case though, that initial game was Rocket Panda: Into the Unknown, which had a more Space Harrier vibe. The developers were flattered but felt it wasn’t a big enough game to warrant a full release, so instead VGS was included in the imminent campaign for the main game. Space Pants Games initially published the demo for Rocket Panda on itch.io on April 13, 2021, continually working on the game as it neared completion. A few years later it was ready, and on February 15, 2024, the Kickstarter campaign launched in earnest. Screenshot from Rocket Panda: Into the Unknown With thousands of dollars already pledged from hundreds of supporters, Rocket Panda launched with a full tank of gas. Backer tiers were organized in typical Mega Cat fashion: with tiers sharing the game’s confectionary themes. Fans could receive the game’s rom, cart-only, CIB, a VGS variant with unique cover art, a limited-edition CIB, poster, stickers, postcards, pins, keychain, artbook, decorative wooden cart, and your name in the credits. The campaign also offers a stretch goal, offering a mini game to all backers whose tiers include digital rewards. Gameplay: Rocket Panda describes itself as a jetpack adventure. You play as Rocket Panda, working your way through a series of labyrinthine lands to free your badger buddies who have been kidnapped by the evil Biscuit Head. Collect biscuits for points, tea for dash power, and rescue your friends across 60+ levels set within 7 different worlds in a deliciously themed game. Controls are easy to learn: navigate using the D-pad, press the A-button to dash, and press the B-button (or Up) to activate the rocket, noting that not using your boosters will cause you to drift slowly to the ground. I’ve heard of strong tea but THIS is ridiculous! (I’ll show myself out) Review: Rocket Panda is a cutesy adventure that will test your precision as you navigate your jetpack through mazes of enemies and hazards. In essence there are two types of difficulty: that built into the levels themselves, and your playstyle, dependent on how aggressively you activate your boosters and finagle Rocket Panda through danger. Of course it’s all wrapped in an adorable package that easily lulls you into a false sense of security. This is a fun for all ages game: players of all skill levels can pick-up-and-play and have a fun time, having high score challenges with each other. As observed in the VGS Discord, this is the rare Genesis homebrew that doesn’t try to be gritty. The game tells you what you need to know, easing you into its controls, and the HUD helps you track items you’ve collected/yet to collect, thus making it accessible to those who may not immediately know what they should be looking for. The color palette is bright and sunny, with an art style that emphasizes being silly (how else would you describe a boss battle against grumpy toast?) and probably hunger-inducing. As much as the levels themselves, the various screens, ranging from the title and credits screens to the game over screen boast stunning animations that mesmerize, encouraging players to explore the entirety of the cart’s offerings and the breadth of its developers’ talents. Musically the game is delightful, like the background to a happy stroll rather than a tense rescue mission, further underlying Rocket Panda’s all-ages accessibility as opposed to the Genesis’ reputation as the edgy older brother. This is a game hearkening to the roots and learned backgrounds of its developers, eager to show off once again that the limitless possibilities of homebrew are for everyone. Interviews: I got the developers to spill all the tea behind this game and their backgrounds. For a taste of their sweet stories, read on… Space Pants Games @games_pants Ben Everett -Before we dive into Rocket Panda, I would love to talk about you and your background. What first inspired you to become a game artist? What is your origin story? I started out as a 3D animator in TV and games back in 1996. I’ve always been a gamer and had been studying 3D Animation. Then I moved into games design, which is where I met Julian. We worked on Starsky & Hutch for the PS2, Xbox and PC. After a few years in commercial games, I really wanted to do my own thing and work on smaller projects that didn’t take up years of life. Julian was at that time working for himself making Flash games so I joined him as an artist/designer. Our first game was Driftrunners and did pretty well. A couple of years later we cooked up Rocket Panda (Flash), a homage to Space Harrier. We’re both Sega fans, and Space Harrier is one of my early arcade faves. Screenshot from Driftrunners -Who are your influences? And whose work are you watching closely now? Growing up, I always liked the fantasy art of Roger Dean and John Harris and the anime style of Katsuhiro Otomo, Masamune Shirow and Yoshihisa Tagami. Video game wise, I was a fan of all the Sega games and consoles, so Yu Suzuki and Yuji Naka were my influences. I’m a bit out of the loop these days so I’m not watching anyone closely. -Do you feel your artwork has a signature aesthetic that is uniquely you? How would you describe the feel of your work? Not really no. It varies from project to project. I’m generally trying to emulate someone or something else! -In your opinion, what makes good pixel art and game animation stand out? I appreciate a good choice of palette more than anything else. And anything that is bold and visually clear - in a lot of game screenshots I can’t even make sense of what is happening sometimes. -What tools do you use to create? For 2D I use Aseprite and Affinity Photo. For 3D I use Cinema4D. I’ve been doing a lot of little projects in Godot over the last few years, and that’s really robust and fun to use. -Do you have a preference creating for a particular genre? Does your process differ when working within a different set of limitations or sense of rules? I always like the faux-3D games such as Outrun, Afterburner and Doom. And arcade and racing over adventure and strategy. I think I just like really big pixels! I love the original Gameboy titles, and these days I’m generally playing the Switch. When you’re older you don’t have the time for massive games that take 30+ hours. I do like to wander around and admire the scenery in modern games, but I never progress very far. My process doesn’t change much. Generally it’s sketch it out on paper, then get a decent working prototype for sizes, then start creating. -Tell me about your creative process while working on Rocket Panda? How did you transform the concept art from the page to the screen for this game? How do you maintain the important details of that art given the limitations of coding for a decades-old gaming console like the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive? Well, there wasn’t really any concept art. We used the existing objects and characters from our Flash shooter as a base, but I just drew everything from scratch after sketching out a rough plan. I probably spent most of the time with tile sets, trying to get a nice biscuit and candy flavour to things. Limitations are good in my opinion, they keep you focused on what you can or should do. -Ever since my first episode, artist M-Tee planted this idea in my mind that a game’s protagonist serves as the player's point of immersion in the game, informing how we understand the game's world. I also believe that the protagonist’s design serves as a reflection of its designer. What is the intention behind the protagonist’s design? Do you see yourself in them? What is it about pandas that resonate so strongly with you? Wow. That's quite the question. No intention really. I don't see myself in Rocket Panda. We just like Pandas (and other black and white animals). Flying pandas are amusing to us. I guess from a design perspective, chunky animals make for a better collision box fit too -What was the working dynamic like with Julian? I’ve been working with Julian over 20 years now so it was no problem. We generally agree on things, and we’re easy going. It’s just a game so it isn’t worth arguing when we’re basically headed in the same direction. Rocket Panda (Genesis) was kind of an experiment that blew into a full game, so lots of trial and error along the way, but nothing disastrous. -What new challenges or surprises surfaced in your work on Rocket Panda? What lessons did you learn that you would like to share with the people who aspire to follow in your footsteps? If anything I was surprised at how straightforward it all was. I think that’s down to good tools and modern emulation. Because we already had characters and a setting, as well as some visual style from the previous Panda games we had made, it was fairly smooth process converting to the limited pixels and colours of the Mega Drive. Getting the palettes right early on will save you a lot of time and effort though! -Is there another project after Rocket Panda on the horizon? Another dream project that you hope to bring into existence, video game or otherwise? We are working on a couple of Mega Drive projects, one being a shoot-em-up and the other a ninja action type game. You’ve got to have a go at the classics. I’d ideally love to do an Out Run homage... -Are there any homebrew games in development that you are excited to play? I’ve not been looking around much at the minute as I’ve been too busy. -I really appreciate you taking the time to talk with me and share your experiences. Is there anything else you would like to tell readers and fans? Thanks for listening. The Mega Drive is alive and well. Blast processing is the future Julian Scott -Before we dive into Rocket Panda, I would love to talk about you and your background. What first inspired you to become a game developer? What is the origin story of Space Pants Games? Like many people I had a home computer in the 1980s, and back then everyone learned to program, mostly because that’s all you had! So I got reasonably good at it and got a job in the industry in 1990. Been doing it ever since. Space Pants Games is a brand Ben and I invented purely for Rocket Panda, and we carried on using it for other games. -Who are your influences? And whose work are you watching closely now? My programming influences are mainly the people I worked in the industry. I learned a lot from many other people during my career. -What tools do you use to create? For the Genesis I use a simple assembler for writing 68000 code. I use a variety of IDEs, depending what I need to do. Different IDEs have different plugins available for 68000. I generally use Rider, but I use VS Code when low level optimizing, as there’s a good instruction timing plugin. For tools I now use WinForms, but for Rocket Panda I made a toolset using Unity. -In addition to Rocket Panda, you’ve developed Rocket Panda: Into the Unknown, Gunslugs, The Firebird!, and Super Maximum Overkill, among other games. These games represent a wide variety of genres. Is there an intention behind this variety, such as challenging yourself, or is it more that you are focused on making the games you want to make in that moment? Some of these games were made for Game Jams, so they were made to match the theme of the different Jams. Others, like Gunslugs and Heroes of Loot were conversions of other people’s games. These were mostly used as development work for my engine / tooling, as it’s simpler in some ways to make a conversion of an existing game. Don’t have to worry about gameplay! I’m happy to work on pretty much any type of game! Screenshot from Gunslugs -Tell me about your creative process while working on Rocket Panda? I like an iterative approach. I always try to make tools with fast iteration times. The more times you can change something, and test it, (without getting bored) ... the better. I usually freeform draw maps, then think about what could go where. I’d add new enemy types, code them up, and if they worked then Ben could make them look pretty! As time goes on, you get a larger palette of behaviours to work with, and combining these in different ways can often give surprising results. -What to you are the necessary elements of an action game? Not many boring bits. I don’t like too much time when there’s nothing much to do. If a cutscene isn’t skippable I’m likely to rage-quit -How did you first connect with Ben? What is the working dynamic like in your collaborations? Ben and I worked in the same company in the early 2000s. I think he was working on a game called Sheep, and I was working on Noddy’s Magic Adventure, both for the PS1. We since went on to work together on probably over a hundred games! It’s very easy going. I think the main thing for both of us is to *finish* games, so we’re never going to get worked up over small details. There’s no *one thing* which works when making games, there are always options, so we try not to take much time over decisions. -How did you first connect with James and Mega Cat Studios? Sorry, I can’t remember. I suspect we just emailed them blindly! -What new challenges or surprises surfaced in your work on Rocket Panda? What lessons did you learn that you would like to share with the people who aspire to follow in your footsteps? Nothing much really. I had to re-learn 68000, but it came back to me quite quickly. Once you’ve made plenty of games, there’s not often much new to do, though I’m always aspiring to make the tooling ever better. We had some issues with palette management, but that’s fixed now going forward. For me, putting the work in is most important. Can’t rely on inspiration, but you can rely on some kind of work ethic. -Is there another project after Rocket Panda on the horizon? Another dream project that you hope to bring into existence, video game or otherwise? No dream projects, but we have a number of games in the works. I like doing technically challenging things, trying to bring something new to the Mega Drive, so I sometimes focus on that part of it. But doing tech for tech’s sake can be dodgy. The game comes first! I’m sure we’ll make some kind of Outrun game eventually. -Are there any homebrew games in development that you are excited to play? No, I’m not really aware of many others. Conclusion: Thanks for tuning in to this latest episode of the series that highlights the latest treats coming to the cartridge, thanks to Video Game Sage’s collaboration with Mega Cat Studios. What are your thoughts on Rocket Panda and its incredibly talented developers? What homebrews are you eagerly looking forward to? Perhaps you’ll see it here soon in the next tale of…The Mega Cat Chronicles!

Added Rocket Panda for the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive, now live on Kickstarter! And if you look among the tiers, you will notice a special VGS exclusive variant with cover art designed by our own @T-Pac!

Added Googie Toons for the NES, now live on Kickstarter.

I’m shutting this down. This thread will now be locked. You have been told to go seek help. Go do it. Nobody here is capable of giving you the help you need. Please heed the advice you’ve been given before you hurt someone.

I’m going to echo what’s already been said in abundance: see a mental health professional. This is a webforum for video game enthusiasts and is a weird place for advice or camaraderie or commiseration for what you’re going through. We are not equipped to help you. And it is getting tiresome that you refuse to accept the overwhelming consensus this community is offering to you.

There's really no constructive benefit to others calling this a troll post. We the staff are monitoring this and at least one of us is in direct contact with the OP. If we thought there wasn't something of legitimate concern here, we would lock the post and ban the OP. We will police this thread and forum, just worry about whether or not you feel like engaging.

Our VGS variant (with art by our own @T-Pac) for Rocket Panda is on Kickstarter!!! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/spacepantsgames/rocket-panda-a-delicious-rocket-adventure-for-sega-genesis I will update the list later today when I have a moment.

I was able to get a cart when they released a second wave a few days after the first. No idea if there is a rom out there. You could ask the Retrotainment Guys since it was a 6502 Collective project.

This is the first I’ve heard of something like that. Are you sure you aren’t confusing it with the Zao NES album?

Bump

Added The Train

Added The Train Part 2 for the Gameboy, now live on Kickstarter!

I’ll be making a special announcement when that one launches, because VGS is involved in this game!

Added Cherry Rescue for the Gameboy, currently sold out.

Added Jane Austen's 8-Bit Adventure for the NES, currently sold out.

Added Donkey Soldier also known as NeMULEsis for the NES, now available through Dalyen Games.

Added Cyber Rogue, in development for the NES.