My NES game for the Byte Off IV competition has been submitted! I had 5 weeks to make a new NES game, or demo at least, using NESmaker

Become a monarch butterfly on its migratory journey. The way will be treacherous and there’s no slowing down! Keep an eye on your hunger meter, and refill it by grabbing the milkweed flowers scattered around. Beware the monarch’s natural enemies, such as wasps and praying mantises. Make it to the end of your migratory path to join your other monarch friends!

download it free on itch.io: https://toad64.itch.io/monarchs-flight or play free in your browser: https://theretroverse.com/product/monarchs-flight/

Messing around in FamiTracker, remade some old favorites. (Chinese_Viking)

NES Homebrew and Aftermarket games are now displayed! #nintendoentertainmentsystem #neshomebrew #nesmaker #hagensalley https://www.instagram.com/p/B7om-IBnWso/?igshid=1uuntig610xej

After a month of hard work on an entry for NESMaker’s Byte Off competition, Pingback is playable.

Coming up with music that was actually listenable was probably my favorite part of the project.

Please check out all the entries here.

Going through the tutorials for NESMaker again, and its features are still giving me chills.

Kubo 3 (REV A) (NES Game)

Kubo 3 (REV A) (NES Game) #kubo3 #nes #famicom #game #homebrew #nesmaker

Kubo 3 takes up the adventures of the cowboy turtle where the previous episode ended. The Evil Mole kidnapped the villagers… and Kubo will have to find 4 sacred objects in order to free them.

The game designer, Seiji, is a rather young boy and help from his father dale_coop (code) and Raftronaut (music).

 View On WordPress

I’m excited to welcome our very first Geek Dad feature, Joe Granato from The New 8 Bit Heroes. He’s a new dad and long-time geek working on a cool project to help people create their own Nintendo games.

1) Let’s start with the basics – name, what do you do, etc. My name is Joe Granato – I’m a filmmaker, game developer, writer, and musician.  The current project I’m working on is NESmaker, a tool that allows users to create new, cartridge based, hardware playable NES games without having to learn to code.  In addition, we are programming our own NES games.  More information about that can be found at www.TheNew8bitHeroes.com. I chronicled the homebrew community in a feature length documentary called The New 8-bit Heroes, which is currently available on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0786Y4L53  (*A certain Geek Mama makes a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it appearance in the documentary and bonus footage)

2) What do you geek out on?  I’m a big retro game nerd, and am a big fan of science fiction and fantasy.  Some of my fandoms include The Legend of Zelda universe, Stephen King’s Dark Tower mythos, X-files and The Twilight Zone, Asimov and Bradbury, Firefly and Quantum Leap…I guess it’s a pretty eclectic mix of things.

3) Marvel or DC? and Why? A good story is a good story.  I have no allegiance to either.  I think they both have their well constructed narratives, and I think they both have ill-conceived disasters.  As a filmmaker, I definitely appreciated the Nolan Batman films, the first two probably being my favorite superhero adaptations.  But that was more due to the caliber filmmaking than the characters, necessarily.  In contrast, I never really liked the style over substance approach of Snyder’s movies, so they’ve been much less interesting to me.  I probably am attached less to any Marvel character, but they have been consistent in cultivating their extended cinematic universe and have kept me entertained for a decade.  So especially if we’re talking about extending the characters to their film adaptations, that’s a tough question.  If we’re including all related media, I think Marvel has the edge for me, especially considering many of their stories were originally conceived when the company was still the struggling underdog.  That sort of struggle has a tendency to produce more honest art in any medium.

4) Star Wars or Star Trek? and Why? I think this is a similar answer.  Star Trek and Star Wars serve very different functions in my psyche.  One is science fiction, one is fantasy.  I love both science fiction and fantasy.  As a storyteller, I think that I’m much more passionate about the original Star Wars trilogy than I am for any particular Star Trek episodes or films, but for escapism.  But then, I have been less passionate about anything since.  Star Trek’s breadth and topical social commentary which has continued to evolve with new generations of audiences is always interesting, but it’s more recent iterations have jettisoned much of that for more cinematic arcs and blockbuster style sensory experience.  I think I’m disillusioned when either tries to be the other.  Star Wars falls apart when it becomes allegory for our contemporary political climate.  Star Trek feels a bit vapid when it’s reduced to action set pieces.  I like my Star Wars fantasy, and my Trek sci fi.  But I’m not sure I could ever pick between the two.

5) Were you a geeky kid or did you come into it later in life? I think my life was kind of a geek-donut.  As a kid, I was definitely a little nerd. I was the Nintendo kid in my neighborhood.  I remember the first time a girl that I had a crush on ever called me on the phone, it was to ask me questions about Zelda 2.  I became very interested in programming, loved to read, loved horror and fantasy movies, voluntarily stayed in on Friday nights to watch X-Files, had late night sessions of Magic the Gathering, D&D and Axis and Allies…sure, it’s safe to say I was a nerd then.  I sort of grew out of video games for a while, and my focused interest in many of those nerdy things waned a bit as I got much deeper into music, toured with a rock band, began teaching, became an “adult”.  But I found my way back.  Now I have an arcade cabinet in my living room, make video games and write sci fi and fantasy, and even have a new Magic deck hiding in a drawer for a rainy day.  My nerddom has unapologetically returned in full force.

6) Are your kids into the geek stuff too? Well, the young one is only two years old so it’s a bit hard to tell at this point, but he is absolutely my little padawan.  He loves the intro to TNG and is excited when he sees the Enterprise on screen, knows all of the main Star Wars characters by name, is excited to “press the buttons” on the arcade machine…at least for the time being, he is perfectly happy being indoctrinated in the ways of the nerd.

7) Are you working on anything right now you’d like to share? The main nerdy thing in my universe right now is continuing development of NESmaker and geeking out over all of the amazing games our community is developing with it.  Hopefully, something we’re creating gives someone else the ability to make something worthy of being a new geek obsession!

Big thanks to Joe for volunteering to be the first Geek Dad on Geek Mamas! If you are a geeky parent interested in being featured, contact me for details.

  Geek of the Week: Filmmaker, Game Developer and Geek Dad Joe Granato I'm excited to welcome our very first Geek Dad feature, Joe Granato from The New 8 Bit Heroes…

March Manual Madness

Another few months have passed since my last foray into the written word of this Nintendo-based journal.  I’ve missed a few items, I’m certain, but manuals have been the bulk of my NES-related pickups in recent weeks.  Since we last spoke I have added a total of 22 new manuals to my collection.

On March 8th I received a package from Lukie Games with the following booklets:

Adventures of Gilligan’s Island

Bubble Bobble

Life Force

Metal Gear

Peter Pan & the Pirates.

Fast forward to March 19th and an envelope came for me from a Kijiji seller (who is also an NES collector) in Ontario.  At a similar place in his quest, he is going for a complete NTSC cartridge collection and, as such, had to make the difficult decision to part with some of his manuals and other treasures in order to focus his resources on obtaining the last remaining games (all heavy hitters).  He cut me an awesome deal (one collector to another) and allowed me to add:

Classic Concentration

Ghostbusters

Guerrila War

Hatris

Kid Niki (Radical Ninja)

Nobunga’s Ambition

Predator

Tecmo World Wrestling

The Three Stooges

Treasure Master

World Champ

Ending off this whirlwind was a package today with 5 more manuals enclosed from DK Oldies:

Dungeon Magic

Hollywood Squares

Kung-Fu Heroes

Ninja Kid

Overlord

Rounding out the additions since last entry I also picked up the manual for Metroid from a FB seller in Quebec in mid February and I received my kickstarter reward fullfillment from the NesMaker campaign (thanks to the New 8-bit Heroes).  It was a cartridge shell, flasher, and component USB cable to connect to the computer.  What NesMaker allows NES fans to do is to create their own 8-bit Nintendo games (without having to learn assembly or write a single line of code).  The software compiles the game and flashes it to a blank Nintendo cartridge that can then be played on the original hardware.  

Other highlights from this two month period were that I found a new way to store my growing collection of manuals.  Previous to my current set up I had purchased a wooden box (somewhat similar to a breadbox) and painted it a Nintendo appropriate gray. Unfortunately, the bi-product of any burgeoning collection, eventually they out grew their home.  At Value Village of all places I found a few large 3 ring binders that I presume once housed 5x7 pictures and filled it with my manuals. This worked wonderfully until I had to pick up the binders to move them and several fell out under their weight.  To resolve this I purchased small 1″ round, clear, mailing labels (Avery label 2355) at my local Staples store and affixed them to the top of each “picture pocket”.  This stops the manuals from sliding out whenever moved.  Each of the 3 binders houses about 150 manuals so far with room to grow.  It is convenient for searching to confirm missing ones (or asses damage to any I currently have if better copies fall into my lap).  It is also a very nice showcase for others interested in seeing them.  

Licensed games:  616/677

Manuals:  343

Get Your Loved One’s A Special Bespoke Dress This Year

nesMake your loved o happy by gifting them a high-quality and highly comfy handmade dress from Just4unique, your bespoke clothing home. Check https://bit.ly/3DgYT6c for updates!

Best Tailoring Brand for Tailored Clothes. Bespoke Suits, Bespoke Shirts, Tailored Jeans, and More. Custom-made to fit your body perfectly!

#just4unique #shopping #tailoredclothes #bespokeclothing #tailoredclothesonline #customtailoredclothes #ladiestailoredclothes #bespokeclothes #bestbespokedress #womensfashiontrend #holidaydressforwomen #womenselephantpajamas #justuniquecom #concisestandcollarjacket #contrasttrainingpants #tweedskirtkneelength #just4uniqueclothes

MGC 2021: NESmaker Creators Spotlight ft. Artix Entertainment, GV Gaming, and Raftronaut

LIVE from Midwest Gaming Classic 2021!

The Dogcast is joined by 3 fantastic creators of modern NES games through the power of NESmaker!

First, we have Artix Entertainment.  Adam has been busy making games for the past 20 years but making an NES game is his newest adventure.  Dungeons & Doomknights is awesome!

Next, we have Gilbert from GV Gaming.  Prompted by a 1/3 life crisis, Gilbert pursued his dream of making a story he wrote when he was a kid called, "Hazard - Let Us Out"!

Finally, we are joined by local rockstar, Jordan Davis aka Raftronaut.  Starting from adapting his band's album into chiptunes, he went down the rabbit hole and decided the only logical thing to do was create an NES game!

Video Interviews are available on our YouTube channel!

This episode was recorded Live at Midwest Gaming Classic 2021 at The Bonus Stage.

NESmaker - xhttps://www.thenew8bitheroes.com

Artix Entertainment www.Artix.com Facebook - www.Facebook.com/ArtixKrieger Twitter - @artixkrieger Instagram - instagram.com/Artix

GV Gaming https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100073976298705&tsid=0.04734781975341984&source=result

Jordan Davis https://itch.io/profile/raftronaut https://dustymedical.com/bands/space-raft/ Twitter: @0000jordan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/space_raft/ Bandcamp: https://spaceraft.bandcamp.com/album/positively-space-raft Sound Cloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-634230995-350638590

Contact us: Twitter: @HOTDogcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hairofthedogcast Email us: [email protected] Instagram: hairofthedogcast

To see how you can support The Dogcast and access a bunch of cool, exclusive perks, visit our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/hairofthedogcast

We appreciate your support!

Check out this episode!

For #ScreenshotSaturday I thought I'd post some screens from my WIP NES game based on Steamboat Willie. It's a simple platformer that will take you through a couple of different locations like the docks and the steamboat, avoiding animals that are angry over the abuse they took in the original short.

I'm trying to keep the colors to mostly black and white, but finding it quite challenging to limit an already limited palette like the NES. Also, it's my first time trying to make an NES game, which is pretty challenging! But I'm using NESMaker and having a good time learning something new.

NESmaker 4.5.9 Crack is an advanced level application to create NES games. This is the only game that doesn’t require any deep-down knowledge

Here some news about my NES ball-breaker game. I have redesigned the dungeon level. Although NESMaker is a nice tool, it wasn't the best option for my style of game. I decided to go for cc65, a C compiler for the NES. I will have some gameplay to show very soon.

Playing a NES Demo of Doodle Jump by Nate Peters! #nesmaker #neshomebrew #nesoddities #hagensalley https://www.instagram.com/p/B2Js-WZnStg/?igshid=yphxqjgek0ik

I checked my retroarch screenshots folder on my phone and found these. I meant to do a post back when i was phone only and never got around to it.

I found this game on rom-hacking in the homebrew section.

The NESmakers website has some valid points.

Playing it on my phone with touch controls was pretty satisfying, I would never play something like micro mages on my phone, even though it is a far better game. Just from a controls point of view you want something more like this.

That being said with a little tweaking and tightening up this could be a really good game. I had fun

NESMaker’s Byte Off 19

Byte Off 19 is officially done and I am very happy to have been a part of it.  Here is a break down of the demos that were made available.

Airboat Apocalypse -Great combo of race against the clock arcade action and world map exploration in a monster swamp. Renegades Mountain Showdown -A very unique and humorous mix of fantasy and everyday life in this solid top down adventure. Time Survivor -Deserved award winner with excellent art, and a massive world and original story that will keep you exploring for answers in a "virtual" world. To The Ends Of The Earth -Deserved award winner with a very detailed and stylistic high fantasy adventure that will tug at your heart strings. Fight of the Phoenix -Exciting, crystal punching action with beautiful artwork. March of the Minotaurs -Maze games are always classic and MotM is a solid contender. Dodge the monsters, get the star, it doesn't get old. Llamagade -Action platformer demo with the wildest attack move :D Shaolin Squirrel -Tiny character, big moves. I really wish there was more of it. Hazard: Let Us Out -What's going on with the machines at work? Dodge and deliver bullets while searching for answers. Pizza Party! A proper party game with a solid co-op mechanic that's unique both on and off the NES. Dimension Shift -Gorgeous award winner that puts even official NES games to shame. Flea! -Probably the longest "Demo" in the collection? Level after level of tough as nails platforming and it never gets old. Diablobetes -Classic, addictive, arcade maze action with a great sense of humor. Nix -Truly underrated sci-fi, action/adventure with a one of a kind special move system and a vast world to explore. Dummy Duck 7 -A humorous adventure demo with such strong characters that I keep wanting to call it an RPG. 40 Thieves -A skillful Arabian arcade platformer that will steal your whole afternoon if you let it. Miner -Tiny player makes for a great big platformer. The Delivery -Probably the fastest paced game in the collection. Stay in the lines to collect and deliver packages. Simple and addictive. SpaceVania -A deceptive title in more than one way. Almost a winner for creepiest monster. Hey Reset -Quality all around in this striking minimalist, cartoony, platformer with a great soundtrack. Nessy The NES Robot -If your nostalgia strings haven't been pulled yet, Nessy will be the platformer to do it. Attack of the Gummy Bears -Hardcore vertical platforming. Very solid game if you have the skills. Time Chaser -Another unsung entry with impressive mechanics not seen natively in the NESMaker software. Doodle Land -A simple sketchpad theme executed well and taken as far as it can go. A definite fan favorite. Twilight Of Powers -Amazing creature designs in this dark and creepy action platformer. Eternal Prelude -A challenging dark and sombre fantasy that will draw you to try and try again to coax its secrets from a decrepit castle. Spacepunk'd -The funkiest neon sci-fi shooter. Underground Adventure -The game that gave us all proper two player capabilities. Kubo 2 -A pyramid adventure with many secrets and power ups. This simple game will surprise you with its depth. Silver Island -Heavy metal monster hunting action with multiple weapons and flip flip flip! Turtle Rescue: Unhatched -IMO this was the most polished and complete "demo". Adventure, power ups, puzzles, collectibles, and a boss rush all in a tight narrative about saving turtle eggs from crabs. Buttons that change function depending on what you're interacting with, whoa. Artix -Feel almighty as you hunt dragons and monsters with your gargantuan axe. Happy Scrappy and the Haunted Mansion -Cute, creepy, and a bit psychedellic. This extensive platformer pushes a few boundaries. Jane Jones, Poet Detective -Nesmaker's groundbreaking point and click inspired adventure. By and and for literature lovers! Bohpoli! - Magical Warps -Definitely one of the most stand out titles with amazing art and challenging puzzle platform gameplay that breaks all the rules. Space Raft -Fuel your van with hamburgers in this detailed post-apocalyptic runner. Pingback -A maze adventure to get lost in.  One key, many doors, can you find your way out.  Or, is that really all that your supposed to be doing here? Hmmm. Jelly Jam'd -Capture the jelly fish. This stylistic shooter should have got the cutest content award. From pixels to buttons, everything in this demo chirps fun. Xeno Creeps -Fantastic and unique arcade action, blast hopping enemy to enemy. Ski Pirates -The title still makes me wonder what could have been. Harry Dwarf -A bad joke made into a gorgeous and addictive puzzle platformer. Shadow -Collect cats in this quality, black and white, classic, platformer. Adventures of Eldorin -Traverse the kingdom to find the cure for your beloved. Closeout -A great start on an Atari port. Bogen -Rock solid, pixel perfect platforming. Made by and for nostalgia. Soko Banana -The most polished puzzle demo with amazing art, animation, and box pushing game play that we all want more of it. HammerSmack! -The title is also the gameplay, and it smacks so well! Swamp Donkey -Cutest main character? An adventure to discover what's going down in your swamp... with rockets! Office Hero -Pick-up-and-play stealth game that will keep you entertained for hours finding all the endings. Grave Adventure -Purple never looked so good. An edgy platformer with loads of style. Page Turner -Explore this classic adventure island to witness the actual creepiest character of all the contest entries. Pandora's Blocks -By NESMaker developers, for NESMaker developers. Project Kunoichi -More than meets the eye in this action platformer with stealth elements. Nezumi -Amazingly detailed, cinematic, samurai fantasy, action platformer. Momoc -Well deserved award winner that shocked us all with it's well executed resource management puzzles. Witch City -Fight creepy monsters while exploring the city in this fantastic, gritty, action adventure. Pink Fucking Face -The only other adventure maze game that I would still be trying to find the exit to if the dev didn't admit that it wasn't complete. Possibly the most expressive main character of the lot. Dragon Master -Defeat monster after crazy monster in this kung-fu action demo. Shokan Doro -One of my personal favorite epic samurai adventures. Windermere -Classic haunted mansion horror adventure with an in-depth story and creepy vibes all around.