FINes - Aquarium simulator

[agg23]

FINes (pronounced Finesse)

Genre:
Simulation, Aquarium

Development Details:
Targets Mapper 3 (CNROM) for proper A53 support
Developed exclusively in Millfork, a custom C-like language designed for 8-bit machines.
FamiStudio music library

Features (TBD):
Various fish species to breed and keep alive, with varying effects on the tank environment
Multiple types of placable plants
Tank health maintainence affecting fish health, selling prices, and more
Various boons to drive the simulation in the desired direction
A "spectator" mode that allows you to watch your fish without worrying about game mechanics
Open source under the MIT License

Competition Category:
Category 1 - Game

Check out the source and latest builds at https://github.com/agg23/FINes

[agg23]

I've been working very hard since Dec. 30th (a few days before the contest was announced) to build a game about fish for the NES. Aquariums have been an interesting hobby of mine, and I have always enjoyed simulated tanks as well (I loved MOPy Fish). So, as my first released NES game, and as an entry to the 2020 NESDev competition, I set to work.

As of now, I have completed much of the art and basic systems required for the game, with the primary work remaining on integrating animations and wiring up the mechanics that make the game a game (fish and tank health management, buffs, etc...).

As noted above, you can follow my development progress on Github, where I will be making regular releases, but I have attached the latest build for your convenience.

Please feel free to give me any feedback you may have (though I would recommend checking out the current known issues for the build you're using). This is my first NES title, so I imagine there are many learnings I can gain from the much more experienced citizens of this forum.

Note: For this build, on the fish shop screen, the plant shop is accessible by pressing select. I'm still trying to figure out how to communicate that.

[agg23]

As we near the submission deadline of the contest, all of the pieces of FINes are coming into place. Animations are being added, breeding, growth, health, and sales mechanics shored up, and lots of feedback mechanisms are present (with sound effects coming soon). I'm particularly happy with the way the plants look and animate.

Amusingly, the fish swimming still needs significant work, but I'm leaving the best for last.

[agg23]

And the game is submitted! Lots of final cleanup and polish in the release build.

Now to begin adding non-A53 features