The New 8-bit Heroes: New NES game and creation documentary

Update on the beta
about 9 years ago – Sun, Feb 12, 2017 at 01:59:44 PM

So last night we gave the beta *prequel quest* a full blown test run...on a cartridge, in front of a live studio audience.  It was great to see people with all levels of experience with NES games testing it out, watching people adamant about getting beyond a certain challenge, legitimately interested in where our mini story arc was pushing our young vagabond and following NPC's clues to progress.

They helped us track a handful of bugs...there are bound to be a few more hiding.  But we feel confident that this prequel, which is approximately 1/10th the length and complexity in both scope and features of the actual game, is to a solid playable level and gives a valid vertical slice of what Mystic Searches will be.

Based on last night's full test run, I want to clean up a thing or two, and finish tweaking our deliver method with Gradual Games' Derek Andrews, and then it will be ready for your consumption!  We can not wait for feedback.

We will be updating the website with a section devoted to this demo this week.

The Beta, Film Festival
about 9 years ago – Wed, Feb 08, 2017 at 08:05:17 PM

Good morning, everyone!  Some updates...

THE BETA:

I know some of you are patiently awaiting the "Demo Quest" Beta.  It's  just about ready.  I've spent the past week not only working on optimizing some of the game engine and correcting a few of the bugs, but also working with Derek Andrews (Gradual Games, The Legends of Owlia, Nomolos) to tweak his GGVm (gradual games virtual machine) in order to bring you the demo on PC, Mac, Linux, and potentially Android devices.  This will be the actual NES game data without having to use an emulator to play it.  It ironically makes the file size larger (estimated around 70mb or so), but will allow for play on just about every platform, and has been tested on an array of computers.  While we can't account for every computer/operating system scenario, we've tested on enough (and diverse enough) to be confident that it will run smoothly on most machines.  I strongly recommend playing with a gamepad for the truest experience!

I'd like to also take a moment to give a shout out to Shiru and Josh Fallon.  Shiru is the man, the myth, the legend in the NES development community.  Aside from all of the other resources he's created for the community, he helped craft our first custom emulator that works with our development tool, which allowed us to establish a very efficient method for prototyping.  That coupled with our NESmaker tool, the brainchild of our needs plus Josh Fallon's effort, is making the complexity (in NES terms) of Mystic Searches possible.

THE STORY OF THE BETA:

We have many goals with this beta.  The first goal is to generally demonstrate what we have in store for you all with Mystic Searches.  The beta is approximately 10% the size of the actual Mystic Searches game proper, but highlights some of the main gameplay mechanics and features.  You'll unlock magic types, find relics, learn magical songs, talk to NPCs to learn a bit about the world, negotiate with shop owners, fight monsters, solve puzzles, navigate mazes...it is a full microcosm of what we have in store for you with the full game.  

However, we didn't not want to give away *part* of the actual game at all.  Instead, we developed a prequel quest, which was created mostly during the 48 hour global game jam (video in previous update).  I've taken the last two weeks to refine and get it ready for distribution.  This game tells sort of a prologue to Mystic Searches (thus, named Mystic Origins) and takes place in a more mundane part of the world known as Varekai.

In Varekai, the continent of Myrinda (the world of Mystic Searches) and the stories of magic and wonder have mostly faded to myth.  It is known by residents as the land beyond the mist, and most Varekains are rather agnostic about its existence.  But an anomalous force has disrupted the song of the world in the Palacido Mines, fostering paranoia and superstition, and causing unrest in the small, simple country.  The vagabond musician Julian, known locally for his magical madrigals, is summoned to one of the ancient mystic temples by a strange man.  This man employs him for a very odd task, and thrusts Julian into an unexpected adventure.

NOTES ABOUT THE BETA:

While the goal has been to create a full and inclusive, albeit small scale, game experience for the Beta, we anticipate there may be a few bugs and issues.  We have worked hard to thoroughly test the game, but have no doubt that some of you may find interesting and unanticipated ways to *break it*.  Also, we have kept it relatively light so as not to outshine the actual game.  We're excited for your feedback as we tweak the game's engine and get ready for the full release of Mystic Searches.  

Incidentally, this beta-quest Mystic Origins also does work on a cartridge.  A few have asked if we will be making this beta-quest version of the game available on a cartridge...we hadn't planned on it, but I'm not against it.  If people are interested, it's always possible.  If it is something you're interested, let me know.

We will be showing it off in its cartridge form for the first time this Saturday at Level Up Legends in Largo, FL, presented by our friends at M&M games and FLG.  This will be considered the launch event for this beta-quest, and technological woes notwithstanding, the demo for Mac, PC and Linux will be ready for YOU to play on Sunday.

We will be launching a Steam Greenlight campaign using Mystic Origins as our demo.  Again, pending technological issues, we plan for the demo's download to be available on a Steam Greenlight page.  

THE FORT MYERS FILM FESTIVAL:

Also to note, The New 8-bit Heroes film is an official selection at the Fort Myers Film Festival!  We are very excited to be selected along with amazing films from all over the world.  I don't have the exact program for the festival yet, but it runs March 8-12.  So for those of you in the region, we'd love to have you out to catch the film on the big screen.  I'll let you know details as I learn more!

NESmaker - making a Mystic Searches beta in 48 hours!
about 9 years ago – Mon, Jan 23, 2017 at 08:34:37 PM

Many of you know I decided to really stretch our NESmaker tool's legs this weekend.  I set out to create a mini beta-quest of Mystic Searches from scratch in 48 hours as part of the Global Game Jam.  I wanted to demo the sort of storytelling potential this tool will unlock for people like you who have always wanted to create an NES game, while at the same time putting something together for you patient friends to test out.  In just 48 hours, could I put together a diverse, in depth, mini game world and get it on a playable cartridge?

It went something like this.

Who wants to beta test a small demo?
about 9 years ago – Fri, Jan 20, 2017 at 02:53:31 PM

Where are my beta testers?....

So, Global Game Jam is upon us.  Over 700 sites in over 90 countries worldwide will sync together to create games in an insane production sprint for 48 hours this weekend.  It's an event I've been doing for five years now, and it's always a blast.  For the past three years, I've hosted the location here in Sarasota.  

This year is a little difficult, though.  You see, to be fair to my wonderful wife, I can't leave her alone with the newborn for 48 hours straight, AND be beat to hell come Monday, essentially leaving her 100% with the baby duties for three whole days.  So I'll be manning the event with the help of some local developers, but escaping to help give her reprieve.

This puts me in a position where I don't think I can really fairly be part of a development team who would be counting on me.  So I got to thinking....

What if I were to use this production sprint to create a mini demo that showed off some of the features of Mystic Searches for you wonderful people to test?  Something that would be a self contained narrative that would somehow relate to Global Game Jam's theme...a sort of...Mystic Searches prequel, if you will (albeit likely still buggy and whatnot...but functional and playable).

Important thing to keep in mind...this will not be the game...more like a miniquest that acts as sort of a mechanics demo to show off some of the features, and to quench the appetites of those of you who have been waiting so long to get a taste.  The game itself features a rich mythology that I'd never be able to cram into a mini game like I'm envisioning that I could create over 48 hours.  This will not have save features.  It will obviously not include all of the items or relics or spells that you can collect over the whole game, and I won't be able to create a 512 screen map (like the actual Mystic Searches will be).  I will also, somehow, find a way to make it align with the Global Game Jam theme, which I won't know until around 8pm tonight, and of course it may have zero to do with the actual world of Mystic Searches.

But this could also serve as a way to show off how quickly I can snap together things using our NES development tool, too, which we hope to get out into the world for YOU to make YOUR games in 2017.

So I'll tell you what...all this in mind, anyone who emails me at the address below with the word BETA in the subject over the course of the game jam (which, for us, will end at around 8pm EST on Sunday) will get access to this mini-quest.  Be aware, this will be a beta, will likely be rife with bugs and glitches, but will give you a great idea of what the game will be like, and have a full on, albeit short, 'game' experience. 

Who wants in?

Email me at [email protected] with the word BETA in the subject.  

Ready?  Go!

Behind the scenes look at development
about 9 years ago – Mon, Jan 16, 2017 at 06:31:42 PM

Behold...the glamour that is NES development!  Figured I'd just flip on my iPhone camera a few times today while I worked so you guys could see what a day in the life of development for Mystic Searches looks like.  Get waste a half hour of life with me as we glimpse at some of the features of Mystic Searches, the NESmaker development tool, get a peek at code and some ASM coding strategies (and how the ASM works in tandem with the tool), and just general nonsense about daily life with a newborn!