Progress Thread - MiedoW (Cheril's Nightmares)

[na_th_an]

UPDATED - Entry finished and submitted.

Source code:
https://github.com/mojontwins/Miedow_NES

ROM download:

mojon-twins--miedow--1.0.nes

(64.02 KiB) Downloaded 2850 times

description.txt

Code: Select all

Title: Miedow (Cheril's Nightmares)

Author: Mojon Twins

Year: 2018

Players: 1

Description:
After walking into the 
shrine, Cheril falls asleep.
In her dreams, a voice
commands her to find her
daughters...

D-Pad: Move around
A: Jump
B: Shoot/Push

You can push some blocks
around, as well as statues.
Move statues to pedestals
to proceed. Find keys to
open locks. Shoot orbs to
light them.

URL: 
http://forums.nesdev.com/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=16889

Credits:
na_th_an: Code, gfx, music
Davidian: title tune
Anjuel: title logo
Zemman: testing

---
Original post:

Having been uberbusy this year I had to settle on something more simple than my last year entries. This time we have a top-down, flick screen adventure where you control Cheril shooting, dodging, jumping over lava pits, and solving some puzzles which have to do with the classic Sokoban.

It will be CNROM coded in C and using neslib and famitone2. It will use two CHR banks for graphics, and two for map data.

I still have some things to iron out before I can post a demo so you can tell me what you think Some screens will have to do, for the moment.







We are aiming for a moody, gloomy athmosphere. The game uses rudimentary yet effective rain and lighting effects and I'm planning to add a boss, if I have the time.

[Lazycow]

Hey, pretty pixels! This maid looks somewhat familiar, do we know her from a previous game or does my confused mind playing tricks with me?

[na_th_an]

She may be familiar 'cause she starred one of our last years entries, "Goddess".

[calima]

I think the HUD would look prettier without the =.

[na_th_an]

In fact I think you are right. I will try some combinations.

[M_Tee]

Backgrounds are gorgeous, especially the way the floor is lit around the candles and the palette choice for the magenta lake, with the way it contrasts (both temperature- and value-wise) with the dark, cool ground around it.

[pubby]

I really like the artstyle.

[na_th_an]

Thanks for the comments. I know I'm completely breaking the perspective, though. The reason is that I'm only using 32 metatiles per level plus the fact that I've tried to make backgrounds easily understandable, mainly because there are "push-statues over touchplates" puzzles all around.

[na_th_an]

Early demo, so you can see it in action. It's level 3.

- A jumps, B shoots. Press B next to a pushable block (i.e. a statue) plus D-Pad to push it around.
- You can jump over enemies (hard to time, though), and you should jump over lava pits.
- The objective is rescuing the maids in the level (just 1 at the end of this one).
- closed "doors" can be opened by "lighting" stones with a hole in them (after 4 shoots, they "light"), or by placing statues over pedestals. When all "lightable" stones are lit or all statues are in place, the "door" will open.
- some closed "doors" have locks on them; those can be opened with a key.

That's basicly it. The game is composed by short levels like this. Some feature exploration. Some are more heavy on sokoban style puzzles. Some feature more platforming (there are slippery floor and spikes for your amusement). Some are more action driven.

In the full game, elements are introduced one by one. First level introduces pushable statues. Second level introduces lava pits. Third level is this one. There are 7 levels currently, the final game will feature 10, most likely. Some are shorter, some are longer.

Hope you like it. Comments are welcome, thanks.

[Lazycow]

A jumps, B shoots

Hm... Is it a de facto standard, mapping A to jump and B to fire? Or did you select this mapping randomly?
(I just wonder, because I mapped B to jump and A to fire and now I feel guilty)

[gauauu]

A jumps, B shoots

Hm... Is it a de facto standard, mapping A to jump and B to fire? Or did you select this mapping randomly?
(I just wonder, because I mapped B to jump and A to fire and now I feel guilty)

Yes. The vast majority of NES games that had jump/shoot controls used A to jump and B to shoot. Games that didn't felt REALLY weird.

[dougeff]

Every NES shipped with Super Mario Bros. They decided A = jump. Everyone got used to that. Other games copied this to fit in with user expectations.

Edit. The only game I can think of that maps B to jump is Ooze, from Action 52.

[thefox]

Edit. The only game I can think of that maps B to jump is Ooze, from Action 52.

Also Werewolf. And boy does it feel inconvenient.

[toggle switch]

after play testing project blue on an AVS, i am going to test reversing the controls as well, or at least having the option.

there are a lot of times when you want to hold down A while jumping and press B rapidly to fire projectiles, and it's a bit awkward. enough so that i instinctively found myself reaching for the wrong controls the first time i played it with an actual controller. holding down B while rapidly pressing A is a much more natural movement to make.

[gauauu]

. holding down B while rapidly pressing A is a much more natural movement to make.

Those of us that grew up with NES are quite used to holding A to jump and mashing B to shoot.