The Digital ScrapBook of an RPGMAKER (Updated sporadically)
Saturday, December 31, 2016
Sunday, December 18, 2016
Thursday, November 24, 2016
Tuesday, November 8, 2016
Monday, October 31, 2016
(Reference) Looking Forward: The Huntress of The Hollow - RMN
(from RMN - Looking Forward: The Huntress of The Hollow by LordBlueRouge - October 31st 2016)
Over the last few of weeks, following its initial release, I noticed the rpgmaker2003 game "The Huntress of the Hollow" has been generating quite a bit of buzz; hovering on RMN's front page, often dropping down to the 8th spot, only to suddenly climb back up to 3rd or 2nd place.
Now normally, from past experience, we'd probably all chalk this phenomena up, to a semi-popular youtuber doing yet-another let's play of an rpgmaker2003 game.
But after carefully doing a quick google search, it becomes immediately apparent that only a handful of youtubers have actually done a let's play of "The Huntress of the Hollow".
...Either way, it's very unusual for a newly released rpgmaker2003 game to be generating such a large amount of buzz in such a short amount of time, shortly after it's release. But to be able to then, further generate that buzz consistently for 7 solid weeks straight afterwards? That's incredible.
So, rather than bitterly blame this curious occurrence, on some faulty RMN site algorithm, on this special edition of "Looking Back"...with special permission from Tau, I’ve decided to "Look Forward", by sitting down and interviewing the creator of "The Huntress of the Hollow” in order to see what I could learn from, what many consider to be the new face of rpgmaker2003 on RMN.
----
Saturday, October 29, 2016
(Reference) The GamingGroundZero Games
Established around 2001, GamingGroundZero was one of the first western Rpgmaker communities to rise up from Don Miguels's unofficial translated version of Rpgmaker2000 - QHeretic's Kindred Saga, being one of the more prominent Rpgmaker2000 games, for creating a custom side-battle-view system in Rpgmaker2000, a year before Enterbrain would release Rpgmaker2003.
Sometime shortly after RPGMaker2003's release and RpgAdvocate unofficially translated RpgMaker2003 into English, Enterbrain pleaded with Rpgmaker fans to stop the illegal distribution of RpgMaker2000 and RpgMaker2003. They felt that the continued circulation of these programs had not only hurt their chances of releasing these Makers to the western market, but that their company would eventually go out of business if this current activity continued.
GamingGroundZero, and other RpgMaker communities, took it upon themselves to disallow any RpgMaker2003 material on their site, in hopes that Enterbrain would eventually release RpgMaker2003 in English.
Enterbrain eventually decided to release Rpgmaker XP, instead.
(from RMN - "Oh, I'm so confused about one of GGZ's rules (which dosen't make sense.)" by alterego - June 6th, 2012)
"...GGZ never let go of [Enterbrain's] promise [to release RpgMaker2003 to the western market] and eventually that took a toll on the community... When XP finally came out none were too impressed by it, and with no official release of rm2k3 in sight, people just started losing interest in rpg maker all together. =(
[GGZ's] "isolation" occurred in part because upon learning of this decision, people from Gaming World [another rpgmaker community,] started posting rm2k3 content, along the overall drama that ensued. And as anyone would have expected some of them got suspended or banned, but only to register again and keep challenging/questioning said decision. This was the last drop in a history of animosity between the two sites that made Wishmoo close the community and allowing inside only those willing to join in good faith. It was something that was never meant to last, but it did, and that too was part of the site's eventual downfall..."
(from RMN - "Does anyone remember GamingGroundZero?" by Kaempfer - January 31st, 2017)
"I only remember having a small number of encounters with the GGZ legends- namely Wishmoo and, once, QHeretic. I was a pretty small, inoffensive fish, and I thought I could swim around freely. I think I may have been on their IRC and then, suddenly, I was banned. Wishmoo seemed totally insane. I think someone deduced that I was from GW and that was that. I have only vague memories of these names.
I do remember they had a couple of pretty solid games that I enjoyed playing, but my enjoyment was somewhat mitigated by the extreme lengths they would go to "protect resources" (mostly minor edits of rips), including threatening legal action. I seem to remember many tales of Wishmoo threatening legal action, actually. This was a time of people going to extreme lengths to protect their mediocre palette swaps of rips, and GGZ were by far the most ill-spirited about it. It was a doubly weird time because it was well before anyone thought about actually making money from RPGMaker games.
These were legendary days where, somehow, a bunch of nerds in the internet diaspora contrived to be constantly embattled in dramatic back and forths in the arena of RPGMaker feuds rather than just being generally pleasant and thinking certain people are complete fuckwhistles like we manage nowadays.
I feel like a lot of the people from GGZ were sort of shackled to their legacy. They made some great games and wanted to continue that legacy at new sites, but their names also made people think of Wishmoo, so instead they withered away into obscurity. Like, extra obscurity, since we're all already pretty obscure.
I wonder what games could have been..."
Links:
-
The GamingGroundZero Games:
I do remember they had a couple of pretty solid games that I enjoyed playing, but my enjoyment was somewhat mitigated by the extreme lengths they would go to "protect resources" (mostly minor edits of rips), including threatening legal action. I seem to remember many tales of Wishmoo threatening legal action, actually. This was a time of people going to extreme lengths to protect their mediocre palette swaps of rips, and GGZ were by far the most ill-spirited about it. It was a doubly weird time because it was well before anyone thought about actually making money from RPGMaker games.
These were legendary days where, somehow, a bunch of nerds in the internet diaspora contrived to be constantly embattled in dramatic back and forths in the arena of RPGMaker feuds rather than just being generally pleasant and thinking certain people are complete fuckwhistles like we manage nowadays.
I feel like a lot of the people from GGZ were sort of shackled to their legacy. They made some great games and wanted to continue that legacy at new sites, but their names also made people think of Wishmoo, so instead they withered away into obscurity. Like, extra obscurity, since we're all already pretty obscure.
I wonder what games could have been..."
Links:
-
The GamingGroundZero Games:
(I noticed a bunch of people are looking for the rpgmaker games from gaminggroundzero.
These aren't all the games - just the ones that I was able to manage before the site was taken down.)
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| A Butterfly's Song - Naritus Rpgmaker Archive Entry |
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Friday, October 28, 2016
(Archive) Final Fantasy VII 2D Remake - Vanit
(from Final Fantasy 7 2D Remake's GamePage Blog on RMN by Vanit - December 6th 2013)
Hey guys, finally submitting a page here so my game is more accessible. TLDR: project is largely on hiatus, but I do plan to finish the bombing mission.
A little about me:
I graduated from a Bachelor of Engineering majoring in Software Engineering (2011), and I'm currently working as a developer for a startup (web, Android, iOS).
When I started my degree I decided to experiment on a high level with the programming concepts I was learning in something I was familiar with; RPG Maker 2003. Over the years I've seen many people attempt a 2D remake of FF7 and fail, so I thought I'd try do it right.
Wednesday, October 5, 2016
(Reference) Grandia: Storyboard - "Justin, a boy from Parm" (パームの少年・ジャスティン)
Via Hontani's Grandia Visual Database
(From - grandia.wikia.com)
"Hontani's Grandia Visual Database was a microsite created by co-director of Grandia, Toshiaki Hontani, displaying official concept art, storyboards and other artwork.
The site can be accessed at:
http://www4.plala.or.jp/croh/gvdb/"
source: grandia wikia
Monday, October 3, 2016
(Archive) A Butterfly's Song - RM2k - GamingGroundZero
(From Choin Heap- "RPG Maker oldschool recs" by Darken May-18-2014)
Wednesday, September 21, 2016
(Spotted) The Ledge - RMMV
(Will update with more info; really really slick trailer that goes straight to the point.)
Via RMN
website Beaufort.asia
(Archive) TAUT - RMk23 - Char0n
UPDATE: Current Errors:
- ENG and GER need 2000 RTP. FR needs 2003RTP
- file tautmenu.png needs to be properly extracted
- this problem is present in all versions 1.2, English and French.
(will update with more info; Taut was supposedly quite a popular horror game back in 2007 on gamingw, for it's use of custom chipsets in order to tell a story within a contemporary setting )
(From Indie DB- "Taut Summary" by Char0n)
"Taut is a horror game with elements of Silent Hill (visual presentation of the game) and the movies of David Lynch. It's also a "Drama", too, because the story is more or less about humananity but splitted into pieces of many metaphors which are all very psychological and sometimes abstract. In your home town, but (consciously) it shows no discernible name and has similarities to a few different cultures. Why is the town empty? You travel to the one place you find comfort & memories, your school."
Taut (German)
Taut (French)
Taut (English) Available on indieDB as TautENG
Tuesday, September 20, 2016
(Archive) Shichimenchouken - RM2k - GamingGroundZero
(From Choin Heap- "RPG Maker oldschool recs" by Darken May-18-2014)
"This is no longer hosted on GGZ which shocked me and sent me on a hunt for the download. You can download this here. This was made by someone who REALLY loves japan. Hard to explain the game in its entirety. One thing I remembered was the currency system, there is no “gold” but rather you trade items to get other items. Also an interesting character select system and a story that goes in several different places. Some would say this is less of a classic and more of some anomaly as far as amateur RPGs go.
To me it was what got me into RPG Maker and SNES emulation heavily as the Bahamut Lagoon rips had me mesmerized."
Download
(From Adventure Legends- "Shichimenchouken: Sword of the Seven-Faced Bird" by Old_Schooler)
Shichimenchouken is an RPG made using RPG Maker 2000. It is set in a setting inspired by feudal Japan. Players control Kojitsuke who in attempting to steal medicine to heal his sickly father, is caught and is forced to go on a quest to acquire the ingredients himself. With the aid of numerous allies Kojituske explores the land with the help of numerous allies. Eventually though he discovers that there is something more sinister at work in the land that must be fought. Shichimenchouken among other things is styled as a SNES styled RPG from Japan mixing traditional storytelling with comedy and drama. It also features a unique buying/selling system that utilizes bartering.
"This is no longer hosted on GGZ which shocked me and sent me on a hunt for the download. You can download this here. This was made by someone who REALLY loves japan. Hard to explain the game in its entirety. One thing I remembered was the currency system, there is no “gold” but rather you trade items to get other items. Also an interesting character select system and a story that goes in several different places. Some would say this is less of a classic and more of some anomaly as far as amateur RPGs go.
To me it was what got me into RPG Maker and SNES emulation heavily as the Bahamut Lagoon rips had me mesmerized."
Download
(From Adventure Legends- "Shichimenchouken: Sword of the Seven-Faced Bird" by Old_Schooler)
Shichimenchouken is an RPG made using RPG Maker 2000. It is set in a setting inspired by feudal Japan. Players control Kojitsuke who in attempting to steal medicine to heal his sickly father, is caught and is forced to go on a quest to acquire the ingredients himself. With the aid of numerous allies Kojituske explores the land with the help of numerous allies. Eventually though he discovers that there is something more sinister at work in the land that must be fought. Shichimenchouken among other things is styled as a SNES styled RPG from Japan mixing traditional storytelling with comedy and drama. It also features a unique buying/selling system that utilizes bartering.
Monday, September 19, 2016
(Spotted) YSNE: Hope of a Dream - RM2k3
(You know, you're playing a really classy jrpg, when you have to reconstruct the last supper, as a puzzle. ;) - will update with more info; the version available for download is quite different from the video unfortunately.)
Via wiki.rpgmaker.es
Mirror Download (Spanish)
Monday, September 12, 2016
Saturday, September 10, 2016
(Archive) Ib - RM2k - vgperson translation
A young girl named Ib visits an art gallery with her parents.
And in her search for others, she finds things awry in the gallery...
"Ib is the story of a girl of the same name going with her family to an Art Museum where displays by a famous artist known as Guertena are on exhibition. However, while wandering the art museum, Ib soon finds herself alone and, shortly, is lead to enter into a painting. On the other side, she finds a whole world of abstract and strange rooms and puzzles that she seems trapped in. Wielding a rose that seems to represent her life, she must survive the trials of this strange painting world and try to find an escape, soon with allies that also seem trapped in the painting, slightly flamboyant and courageous coward Garry, and fun-loving but slightly needy little girl Mary. The game has a tense atmosphere at the beginning, but becomes more interesting and puzzle-focused the deeper you get into it. With multiple endings and a rather short length, this free game is worth it for those who like exploration or puzzle based horror games, or an interesting 2D adventure game. The creator seems to want to expand more on this universe in the future."
Ib's HomePage and English translation by vgperson
(---Please consult the usage guide on vgperson's webpage before downloading---)
Mirror Download
Monday, August 29, 2016
(Spotted) Aberrant2 - RM2K3
Idle Animation: @01:04
Via: http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm21010081 (playthrough)
(Will update with more info)
Sunday, August 28, 2016
Tuesday, August 9, 2016
(Spotted) LiEat - WOLF RPG editor
(...Will update this once I have more info)
http://lieat.ifdef.jp/
Saturday, June 18, 2016
A Look at the Japanese Game Preservation Society - [HG101]
"A look at the Japanese Game Preservation Society's laboratory in Tokyo, as guided by Joseph Redon. This organization works to preserve Japan's software, which, like software from all over the globe, was initially distributed on rather fragile medium."
This is an excerpt from John Szczepaniak's DVD "The Untold History of Japanese Game Developers"
In 2014, HG101, launched a kickstarter that would attempt to tackle the untold history of japanese game developers. As John put it:
...While the endeavour turned out to be a bit of disaster with a particular associate, the end result is an incredibly rare and unique look at the game industry overseas.
If you grew up, playing any of the famous 16-bit jrpgs of the 90s, this is definitely worth a look.
http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/books.htm
http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/books.htm
Sunday, June 12, 2016
(Archive) Duplicity - RM2k - GamingGroundZero
(From Choin Heap - "RPG Maker oldschool recs" by Darken May-18-2014)
"This… isn’t even a game! It’s a movie of sorts. The story follows an operative battling the corporations and conspiracies that follow him. Lots of twists and turns. Takes place in a cyberpunk future where robots and hacking are the centerpiece. Very Ghost in the Shell, It does actually have an ending but hints at a possible game based off of this. Overall I really enjoyed the effective cutscene direction and planning. There’s a lot of well done parts."
Thursday, June 2, 2016
(Spotted) Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap - Reveal Trailer
(from Polygon by Allegra Frank - Jun 02, 2016)
"Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap is now in development from developer Lizardcube and publisher DotEmu. The adventure game is a current-gen spin on the classic Wonder Boy 3: The Dragon's Trap, originally released for Sega Master System in 1989.
While Sega and original developer Westone isn't involved in the remake, Lizardcube said that it's working closely with the Wonder Boy series' creators on the project. The French studio's take on The Dragon's Trap features a decidedly different look from its 27-year-old predecessor, as seen in the teaser above. The graphics are hand-drawn, and the soundtrack has also been reimagined, the developer said.
Like the original, though, players will spend the Metroidvania-esque action-platformer as the shape-shifting Lizard-Man, who changes between six different forms, from a mouse to a piranha. There's no release date yet for Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap, but Lizardcube is planning to bring it to Windows PC and consoles."
Wednesday, May 18, 2016
(Spotted) Alone - RM2K - RMN
"ALONE is a short 20~ minute game created on June 7th (2015), in only 8 hours, by iddalai for the "RMN Birthday 2015" event held at 'rpgmaker.net'.
It deals with frustrations you may find in internet forums, click here for a more detailed explanation, though I'd advise you try the game first.
While using many RPG characteristics, it plays more like a puzzle game with trial & error and a bit of metroidvania-ish exploration.
The game actually wasn't supposed to have a name, but became known as ALONE..."
Via RMN
Mirror Download
Wednesday, May 11, 2016
(Spotted) Actual SunLight - RMVXAce - Will O'Neill
(from HG101 Article by Jonathan Kaharl - May 1st, 2016)
"CONTENT WARNING: The following article discusses depression and suicide.
Indie gaming has been involving for a good while, and one of its most popular subgenres in the western world has become the narrative game. Many of these developers are more interested in telling a story than presenting a traditional game for a player to have fun with, and it's been met with mixed responses, mainly due to how so few of these developers understand how interactivity with their chosen medium can change the experience. But it's unclear all these developers even think things that far through. Some are so focused on capturing an idea or feeling that all the flaws in their title can't take away the sheer impact.
Actual Sunlight is one of those games. It is also not a happy game by any stretch of the imagination.
The designer, Will O'Neill, grew up in Toronto, Canada all his life, working not in any sort of videogame related field, but a creative director at a communications agency that had no real reach outside his home city. His real dream and passion was not in gaming, but in writing, creating a very darkly comedic and biting style founded in his own depression and self-loathing. To this day, subtly is not his strength, but sheer, unrelenting honesty at the cruel realities that surround us and his own many shortcomings, or at least as he sees them. His weight, a sense of lacking skill or talent, no significant others. These qualities, mixed with his crippling depression, made his twenties, as he describes them, a "black hole." Sometime in his early thirties, his issues finally piled up, and he ended up nearly killing himself, though didn't go through with it in the end.
Actual Sunlight was O'Neill's attempt to capture something beautiful about life in one of the ugliest times of his life. Picking up a copy of RPG Maker and playing with it for a bit, he eventually found a way to make the medium he's been familiar with as a player work for him as a storytelling tool."
Monday, May 9, 2016
The Final Fantasist: A Conversation With Yoshitaka Amano - [USGAMER]
 |
| Amano's rendition of FFVI's world revealed a far grander and more fantastic vista than the humble Super NES was capable of rendering. |
"... It stood out from shelves by avoiding the hypertrophic musclemen and garish explosions typical to 16-bit American game packaging. In their place instead appeared a delicate, almost impressionistic rendition of a young woman with flowing hair reclining in the cockpit of a gnarled, angular machine. Despite the cover illustration being largely obscured by a huge red block from which the book's title screamed in shiny gold letters, I recognized the subject of the painting immediately: This was Terra perched atop a Magitek Armor, an artistic take on Final Fantasy VI's stunning introduction in which we meet the story's central character as a brainwashed servant storming through a mining town atop powerful armor in service of an imperial army. "
Via USGAMER
Wednesday, May 4, 2016
(Archive) Space Funeral - RM2k3 - catmitts
(From RockPaperShotgun- "My Favourite Art Style: Space Funeral" by Brittany Vincent March 27th, 2016)
"Space Funeral stars a crying miscreant named Phillip who faffs about in striped pajamas while beating up bloody dogs. We aren’t talking a few stray tears, either. He’s full-on ugly crying, grimacing in pain and shuffling through life looking as though his mother hates him. It kind of seems like she does, and his dad too.
 |
| by SirRailgun via DeviantArt |
It’s not immediately apparent why Phillip is sad when you start up the game, whose options are “BLOOD, BLOOD and BLOOD” at the main menu. Maybe it’s because there’s a coffin with someone in it who looks just like Phillip. Maybe Phillip exists in a state of existential torment and anguish that reaches into his very soul because he lives in a world where a creature known as a Leg Horse can amble up to him and verbally berate him, a contorted mass of bloody stumps with no real regard for anything other than itself. Perhaps it’s because he knows there are no other games like Space Funeral; nothing to rival the attitude or the aesthetic, which I harbor an intense and passionate love for.
From the clashing color schemes to the flat 2D Frankenstein monster-esque heads that seem as though they’ve been scribbled on in MS Paint, Space Funeral is like an acid flashback filtered through RPG Maker and set to Ruth White’s bizarre spoken-word “Spleen,” and is beautifully corrupt and broken in every single way, down to the surreal landscapes, creatures, and ideals that permeate the land. What seems to exist totally at random is explained ever so succinctly by the end of the journey, which makes the ugliness of it all feel even more special. It’s grotesque, terrifying, and crude. And that’s why I love it so much, misshapen heroes, enemies, and all."
"A surrealistic turn-based RPG that is just strange. With a weird artstyle and sloppy animation, but surprisingly interesting setting and soundtrack, it isn't very long (lasting about an hour or two) and is quite a different experience for those who seek it."
Via RMN
Mirror Download
(Will up date this entry with a video I have in the works
There were a couple of other places that mentioned Space Funeral during it's time of release, which i'll also include later on)
Mirror Download
(Will up date this entry with a video I have in the works
There were a couple of other places that mentioned Space Funeral during it's time of release, which i'll also include later on)
 |
| by Momogirl via DeviantArt |
Monday, May 2, 2016
Interview with Rom Hack Translator Bobby Vandiver (Red Comet) - [HG101]
(Really cool interview on Rom Hack Translator Bobby Vandiver (Red Comet) posted on HG101 by Andrew Quemere)
The Interview itself is not all that interesting, but what makes it worth reading is how he briefly touches upon the hostility of early online internet communities - which is not all that unsimilar to what rpgmaker communities went through seven years ago...)
(from HG101 Article by Andrew Quemere - April 26, 2016)
"...Finally, the biggest factor is the amount of time that the people involved with a translation are able to commit. Most of the really prolific people in the scene are at least in their late 20s or older and have many other real-life responsibilities to worry about. I've had the translated script for Spider-Man: Lethal Foes since December of 2006, and I still haven't released the patch. I began making headway a few years ago with the more invasive hacks I wanted to implement but got sidetracked by real life.
I was wondering what you can tell me about the ROM hacking community in general. When did fans first start to hack video game ROM images? What do you know about different hacking communities, especially older, defunct ones that might not be very well documented? What do you consider to be the community's major milestones?
I joined the scene just after the end of what some might call the golden era of ROM hacking, so I don’t know much about the older, defunct groups as some of the older guys in the scene might.
As I recall, the MSX translations released by Oasis were some of the earliest translations created and released. A few years later came the Final Fantasy wars where multiple groups sprang up, each competing to be the first to release a translation for the Japan-only Final Fantasy games. From what I’ve heard, this period had a really hostile, juvenile atmosphere which has fortunately gone away after everyone involved got older and/or left the scene.
I remember in my early days in the community, it felt like I had missed out on something really incredible, which is one of the reasons why I jumped at the opportunity to help [founder] Nightcrawler get ROMhacking.net off the ground.
When ROMhacking.net first launched, it was a much needed breath of fresh air for the community. For the first time since I came on the scene, there was activity in a central place with active contributors. It seemed like every week, someone released something new or a new thread popped up on the forum showing off a new project someone was working on. This lasted for a couple years and then kind of settled down to a steady flow of updates. I haven’t kept up with the scene for a few years now, but it seems like it’s still a very vibrant, active community that shows no signs of dying any time soon..."
Continued on Hardcore Gaming 101
I was wondering what you can tell me about the ROM hacking community in general. When did fans first start to hack video game ROM images? What do you know about different hacking communities, especially older, defunct ones that might not be very well documented? What do you consider to be the community's major milestones?
I joined the scene just after the end of what some might call the golden era of ROM hacking, so I don’t know much about the older, defunct groups as some of the older guys in the scene might.
As I recall, the MSX translations released by Oasis were some of the earliest translations created and released. A few years later came the Final Fantasy wars where multiple groups sprang up, each competing to be the first to release a translation for the Japan-only Final Fantasy games. From what I’ve heard, this period had a really hostile, juvenile atmosphere which has fortunately gone away after everyone involved got older and/or left the scene.
I remember in my early days in the community, it felt like I had missed out on something really incredible, which is one of the reasons why I jumped at the opportunity to help [founder] Nightcrawler get ROMhacking.net off the ground.
When ROMhacking.net first launched, it was a much needed breath of fresh air for the community. For the first time since I came on the scene, there was activity in a central place with active contributors. It seemed like every week, someone released something new or a new thread popped up on the forum showing off a new project someone was working on. This lasted for a couple years and then kind of settled down to a steady flow of updates. I haven’t kept up with the scene for a few years now, but it seems like it’s still a very vibrant, active community that shows no signs of dying any time soon..."
Continued on Hardcore Gaming 101
Thursday, April 28, 2016
(Archive) Super Columbine Massacre RPG - RM2k
"While I've never played it, I heard that Super Columbine Massacre RPG!, despite the morbid subject matter, is good from both a strictly gaming point and as a satire on the events and media hype surrounding them." - (from HG101 Forums - "Good/Underrated RPG Maker Games" by Woody Alien - January 18, 2016)
(Will probably post more, once more information becomes available)
Mirror Download
Tuesday, April 26, 2016
Nintendo Game Boy ‘Kaeru no Tame ni Kane wa Naru’ DX Color ROM Hack In Development - [Retro Collect]
(from RetroCollect.com by Cauterize- April 26, 2016)
"In 1992 a Japanese exclusive adventure for the Nintendo Game Boy known as Kaeru no Tame ni Kane wa Naruhit Japan. Although remaining an exclusive release to the Far East, many would soon experience what the game had to offer as its engine was reused to create The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening. A decade later Nintendo began work on updating the title and colourising it for the Game Boy Color - only it was soon shelved in favour of the upcoming Game Boy Advance line up.
Fast forward to today and retro gamers have already begun picking up where Nintendo left off. This has seen a fan translation of the game released (with the newly translated title of For the Frog the Bell Tolls), and now ROM hackers are working on a DX version of the game in a similar vein to Nintendo’s Link’s Awakening DX.
Taking to the ROMHacking.net forums, toruzz recently revealed screenshots of his work in progress and also a quick video detailing the hack in action. Needless to say the game looks fantastic in colour and already has plenty of fans lining up to play it.
A release date is yet to be set for this DX upgrade, but until then, here’s a few quick samples of the game in action."
Via RetroCollect
Thursday, April 21, 2016
Cherry Tree High Comedy Club - RMXP - CAPCOM
(from HG101 Article by Jonathan Kaharl - December 12, 2015)
"The rise of Steam has lead to a lot of obscure Japanese games finding new audiences in the west. While Recettear is the most notable name among these, another that tends to pop up in conversation is Cherry Tree High Comedy Club! It's a sort of adventure game/visual novel that's modest in scope, but charming in its simplicity. It's also about subject matter not normally explored in games at all; stand-up comedy. Well, sort of. The game uses that as a jumping off point for its real themes, resulting in a game oozing with personality. It's also a great example of how different comedic sensibilities between western and eastern tastes are.
The story starts at the beginning of Japanese spring break, as Mairu Hibisu returns to town and her high school, fresh off some unseen adventure. She wants to resurrect the school's old comedy club, which gave birth to a popular comedic duo many years ago, but her rich rival Chitose has other plans. Now a member of the student council, she's not willing to let Mairu bypass the rules to establish a club, stating that she has until the end of April to gather together three more members besides herself and her best friend Hoemi, or else the club won't be officially established or funded by the school. So, the goal now is to scout out possible club members across town, then convince them to join..."
"...Like many low budget Japanese games brought over to the west, Cherry Tree High suffered some translation problems on first release. As usual for Capcom (who helped publish it), the game was originally released in the vain of Phoenix Wright. Japanese words, names, and concepts were brushed aside and called by American names, even when it's obvious that the game doesn't take place in America. There's a Shinto shrine with a shrine priestess and a man who lives at a Japanese mansion in a kimono, it couldn't possibly be anywhere else than Japan. Even the names of the characters were different, such as Mairu being called 'Miley.'
After enough complaints, the translation was fixed to use proper Japanese terminology, causing several of the cultural jokes to suddenly make sense. Playing the game in Steam allows you to switch between the proper localization and the westernized version whenever you start back up, an admirable attempt to please those who liked the original translation regardless. However, a few lines here and there still read as the westernized version while playing the proper translation, such as Hoemi calling Mairu 'Miley' when you talk to her in the dorm room. Thankfully, these moments are only in basic dialog when you start talking with someone."
(From NeoGaf- "RPG Maker Games: Underlooked Gems" by Dust Golem 12-26-2012)
"Comedy fanatic and high school student Miley Verisse has decided to set up a comedy club in her school, but her nemesis and the head of the student council, Octavia Richmond, isn’t about to make things easy… The school rules require a minimum of 5 students to set up a new club and Miley is 3 people short! Spring break has just started and Miley has until the end of April to recruit the 3 new members she needs to start the club or Octavia will have the last laugh!
The game takes on a very Persona-esque look and feel of the social linking done in that series, but with a style that's completely surrounded around that. Published by Capcom, the translation was helped on by part of the Team that did the translations for the Ace Attorney series, and the tone they bring fits the game perfectly. This game isn't free, but worth checking out for people who are particularly interested in visual novels as most of what you do is explore, interact, and manage your time.
You can check out the games Steam page here.
You can check out the games official website here."
Monday, April 18, 2016
(Unrelated) Compiled Memories Vol.1 - RM2k, RMVX, Wolf RPG Editor
(2014 April Fools Animated Short, featuring Rpgmaker Games Ib, Witch's House and Mad Father)
(Will eventually provide downloads/website links here)
How a Private Video Game Collection Turned Into a Museum - [Motherboard]
"There’s a treasure trove of video game history deep in the heart of Texas.
Packed into an unassuming building, nestled between a community theater and an art gallery, I spent a quiet afternoon watching families explore the past. A father and his two young children fiddled with Rubik's Cubes while Wang Chung blasted over a sound system, telling us about their dance hall days.
A ten year old boy sat on a bed made up with Pac Man sheets and blasted away atDuck Hunt on a small TV. Playboy magazines peekedout from under the bed, leering up at a Super Punch Out trash can and a Pole Position poster.
This is Frisco’s National Video Game Museum and the bedroom, mocked up to look like the typical gamer’s bedroom from 1987, is one of many exhibits..."
Continued on Motherboard
Packed into an unassuming building, nestled between a community theater and an art gallery, I spent a quiet afternoon watching families explore the past. A father and his two young children fiddled with Rubik's Cubes while Wang Chung blasted over a sound system, telling us about their dance hall days.
A ten year old boy sat on a bed made up with Pac Man sheets and blasted away atDuck Hunt on a small TV. Playboy magazines peekedout from under the bed, leering up at a Super Punch Out trash can and a Pole Position poster.
This is Frisco’s National Video Game Museum and the bedroom, mocked up to look like the typical gamer’s bedroom from 1987, is one of many exhibits..."
Continued on Motherboard
Wednesday, April 13, 2016
(Archive) OFF - RM2k3
"Communities centered around RPG Maker used to be very active a few years ago. The French-speaking scene was no exception; some might say it was a little world in itself. It's no surprise Enterbrain's legendary tool attracted so many people, mainly beginners who had no knowledge of game design at all, but really wanted to make their own game. Of course, game design is difficult, so only the most determined of those makers managed to complete their projects. In spite of the flow of games that were ultimately cancelled or sometimes not even started, what could be nowadays called cult classics ended up marking their era. It's not rare to find French gamers that didn't really follow the development scene but know about games like Dark Soul, Aëdemphia or Mystery of Solarus nonetheless.
And it's been two years now since a certain game born from this background started garnering popularity in English-speaking forums: OFF, which was initially released in May 2008 exclusively in French after a year-long development with RPG Maker 2003. It was granted several "Alex d'Or" awards at the time, but its popularity remained confined to a somewhat private audience within the French-speaking web.
It was a ground-breaking success from a critical standpoint, though, and dedicated fans collectively known as the "Reconstructed Game Team" would go on to make an English translation of the game in the hope that it would help it achieve much deserved international success. And their hard work paid off. OFF ended up becoming a cult hit in foreign niches.
The team behind OFF, called Unproductive Fun Time, is actually a collaborative effort between two twenty-something Belgian guys who had been friends since high school: Mortis Ghost and Alias Conrald Coldwood. Mortis first and foremost a comics artist, but he was also fiddling with RPG Maker since his early teens, and he decided to initiate a more serious project around 2006. He produced a draft, which he showed to his friend ACC, who was interested enough not only to offer his help as a programmer, but also to propose to compose a soundtrack. One of the main concepts behind the production was the use of purely "custom" assets, in opposition to the frequent reuse of the software's stock libraries in such productions.
Besides, you'll need to forget your potential prejudice towards RPG Maker-made Western amateur games. Not that you could really be blamed for it, though. Cliché'd plotlines, generic backgrounds and overall lack of depth are rife in these productions. But then again, if you thought two unknown guys couldn't possibly make a difference, you'll see how you'll have been mistaken..."
(...need to find a better trailer)
(From NeoGaf- "RPG Maker Games: Underlooked Gems" by Dust Golem 12-26-2012)
"OFF is a free French RPG where you take control of a mysterious person called “The Batter”, who is described to be on an important mission. The Batter, and yourself as his controller, are dropped off in zone 0, the first of 4 zones in a perplexing, unknown world about which you slowly find out more and more in the process of the game.
Known for its amazing characters, original soundtrack, and a twisted yet entertaining journey into the depths of this strange world, it is worth it for fans of RPGs, especially those that like Mother 3, which it draws some inspiration from. It is very off-beat, but very well made."
Via Oniromancie (French)
(From NeoGaf- "RPG Maker Games: Underlooked Gems" by Dust Golem 12-26-2012)
"OFF is a free French RPG where you take control of a mysterious person called “The Batter”, who is described to be on an important mission. The Batter, and yourself as his controller, are dropped off in zone 0, the first of 4 zones in a perplexing, unknown world about which you slowly find out more and more in the process of the game.
Known for its amazing characters, original soundtrack, and a twisted yet entertaining journey into the depths of this strange world, it is worth it for fans of RPGs, especially those that like Mother 3, which it draws some inspiration from. It is very off-beat, but very well made."
Via Oniromancie (French)
Friday, April 8, 2016
(Spotted) OneShot - RM2k3 - RMN
Via RMN
Steam Page
(teaser trailer of OneShot, pax east etc. - will revise this entry once I have a bit more info)
Wednesday, March 30, 2016
(Archive) Alter A.I.L.A Genesis - RM2k3 - RMN
(from PC Gamer by Chris Thursten - February 25, 2011)
"One of the most celebrated games on the network, Alter A.I.L.A Genesis is a side-scrolling cyberpunk epic offering a thorough reworking of traditional JRPG gameplay. Genesis builds upon the existing RPG Maker 2003 combat system, adding an extensive resistance/damage-type system along with a escalating series of EX attacks and 'Field Effects' (environmental conditions) – all of which must be taken into account when building a team. Experienced JRPG players will recognise most if not all of these from other games; but in the context of a lengthy, free adventure built by a single creator it's impressive stuff.
The plot, while familiar, is sufficiently well-told to pass without incident. There are highs and lows – while the game's hand-drawn artwork can be ropey, there's some accomplished spritecraft on display and the soundtrack is punchy without becoming overbearing. Perhaps thanks to its unique perspective, Alter A.I.L.A Genesis doesn't really feel like anything else on RPG Maker – no small feat, given the swap-and-trade nature of the community.
When it comes down to it, though, the combat system is the reason to give Genesis your time. If you're looking to sink a few hours into honing a squad, rooting out hidden areas and working on your boss strategies, this is your game."
(...Will update with a better source that better summarizes this game)
Sunday, March 27, 2016
Thursday, March 24, 2016
(Spotted) Aëdemphia - RM2k3 - Oniromancie
Via Oniromancie (Aëdemphia's Creator, Community Site)
Aëdemphia's Website (French)
Aëdemphia (English Demo) (very old)
(Will update this entry if I can find any interviews/english version for download)
Tuesday, March 22, 2016
(Reference) GameCenter CX:Pokémon Interview & Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels
(I mentioned awhile back I was going to upload this privately...
Sunday, October 4, 2015
"...One of the more interesting episodes being Part 2, of the Super Mario Bros Lost Levels, episode:
In that episode, (which I’ll try to eventually upload here, privately) Arino sits down and interviews Satoshi Tajiri; the creator of Pokemon. It’s here where we learn of Satoshi’s incredible passion and fascination to track down various arcade games seen throughout Japan, that eventually lead to the creation of his self-published fanzine GameFreak... that eventually lead to a position within the game industry....That eventually lead to the creation of Pokemon itself. (really interesting stuff and a great episode to boot!)
...which I finally got around to! Enjoy! ; I'll probably edit this entry later with timestamps.)
*please don't spread this around, I'm simply uploading the video here, solely for posterity's sake. (...thank you.)
*please don't spread this around, I'm simply uploading the video here, solely for posterity's sake. (...thank you.)
(Alternative Download - GamingCX Pokemon Special)
(CrunkGames.com write up)
(Another great Satoshi Tajiri interview from BulpediaGarden.Net)
(GameCenterCX/RetroGameMaster on Amazon)
(Another great Satoshi Tajiri interview from BulpediaGarden.Net)
(GameCenterCX/RetroGameMaster on Amazon)
"First Aired: 2004-05-30
In the closing episode of this first season, Arino visits one of the most famous and yet reclusive developers in the world, Game Freak. Arino discusses their history with company founder Satoshi Tajiri as well as their most famous creation, Pokémon.
This week's challenge is a continuation of last week's and finds Arino attempting to finish Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels. Just as it looks as though Arino is no chance, Tojima presents him with a gift that could change the tides in this challenge.
Lastly there is an extended travelogue centered around visiting arcades in hot springs located in the tourist town of Hakone. When he isn't indulging in the hot springs themselves he's playing impossible prize games, broken shmups or leaving his mark with his trademark high score name."
In the closing episode of this first season, Arino visits one of the most famous and yet reclusive developers in the world, Game Freak. Arino discusses their history with company founder Satoshi Tajiri as well as their most famous creation, Pokémon.
This week's challenge is a continuation of last week's and finds Arino attempting to finish Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels. Just as it looks as though Arino is no chance, Tojima presents him with a gift that could change the tides in this challenge.
Lastly there is an extended travelogue centered around visiting arcades in hot springs located in the tourist town of Hakone. When he isn't indulging in the hot springs themselves he's playing impossible prize games, broken shmups or leaving his mark with his trademark high score name."
Friday, March 18, 2016
Wednesday, March 16, 2016
(Spotted) Shinobiya - RMVX
(from Nocturne: Rebirth's GamePage Blog on RMN by eplipswich - February 4th 2015)
Hi everyone!
So, I was just reading Enu's latest blog (Enu is the creator of Hat World), and I stumbled onto this game called Shinobiya (忍屋) by Nanabuluku. It's being made in RPG Maker VX and hasn't been released yet, but a release date has been announced: Winter 2017. If we take that date from the Japanese point of view, it's some time between end 2016 and early 2017. Anyway, here's a preview video of the game by Nanabuluku herself:
No videos of actual fights yet, but the game certainly looks promising. I'll certainly be keeping an eye on this. And if I'm impressed enough after playing this when it's released, I might even translate it!
Oh, and before I forget, here's the official website of this game.
Well, that's all from me then. Just wanted to post this to let people know of another one of great Japanese RPG Maker games out there. Till next time!
-eplipswich"
"Blog 10: Shinobiya: A new future game that I may translate in the future
Hi everyone!
So, I was just reading Enu's latest blog (Enu is the creator of Hat World), and I stumbled onto this game called Shinobiya (忍屋) by Nanabuluku. It's being made in RPG Maker VX and hasn't been released yet, but a release date has been announced: Winter 2017. If we take that date from the Japanese point of view, it's some time between end 2016 and early 2017. Anyway, here's a preview video of the game by Nanabuluku herself:
Oh, and before I forget, here's the official website of this game.
Well, that's all from me then. Just wanted to post this to let people know of another one of great Japanese RPG Maker games out there. Till next time!
-eplipswich"
Friday, March 11, 2016
(Reference) Making of Lunar:SSSC - Wind's Nocturne - Playstation (PSone)
"...When we originally started translating the games, I use to try and stick as closely as possible to the translated lyrics of the songs.
...But somewhere along the way I figured out that, that really didn't convey the emotion of the song as well. So, I decided that, if I took into account the author's original intent, plus the feeling that I got from the scenes and just rewrote the lyrics entirely...
...We ended up with a much better overall song, which is true in the case of Lunar with the Boat Song (Wind's Nocrtune), of which, the English version turned out to be a much more melancholy and reflective song than the Japanese one." - Victor Ireland
Excerpt from "The Making of Lunar: The Silver Star Story COMPLETE"
Lunar: The Silver Star Story COMPLETE
Platform: Playstation (Psone)
Release: May 28 1999
Translation: Working Designs (Victor Ireland)
Wednesday, March 9, 2016
(Reference) Alundra 2: A New Adventure Begins -Trailer-
Alundra 2: A New Adventure Begins (Trailer) - Playstation (PSone)
(US) Official Playstation Magazine vol.30 Demo Disc March 2000
Activision Translation Team/Jeremey Blaustein
Friday, February 12, 2016
Redeeming Big Red Button After Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric - [Polygon]
"After the release of Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric, Bob Rafei, co-founder of development studio Big Red Button, got letters from fans telling him that he ruined their childhood.
During his long career, Rafei has worked on numerous critically acclaimed games. He had his hands on the Crash Bandicoot, Jak and Daxter and Uncharted series — all smash hits. But since breaking away from those, his career has gone down a bumpier road, with his independent studio having trouble getting its early projects to see the light of day, and the aforementionedRise of Lyric receiving ridicule from critics and fans.
But Rafei hasn’t lost faith in his studio, and right now he says he’s looking at a potentially great comeback story. Polygon recently spoke to Rafei about his career in the game industry and how his team is moving on from Rise of Lyric..."
But Rafei hasn’t lost faith in his studio, and right now he says he’s looking at a potentially great comeback story. Polygon recently spoke to Rafei about his career in the game industry and how his team is moving on from Rise of Lyric..."
(Will probably transpose at a later date - definitely worth reading though)
Wednesday, February 10, 2016
Friday, February 5, 2016
Yume Nikki - RM2k3
(from HG101 Article by Ryan McSwain - January 22, 2011)
"I was eighteen years old when I first watched David Lynch's Eraserhead. I found a beat-up VHS cassette at the library and decided to give it a try. Little did I know how lucky I was--at that point in time, it was out of print and extremely rare, so most rental and library copies of the film had been stolen. The cassette was in my car when a group of us were hanging out and looking for something to do. I mentioned I had this crazy movie that none of us knew anything about, and we ended up watching it.
Minds were blown and lives were changed.
With each increasingly bizarre scene, confusion and frustration ran more and more rampant. My friends yelled at the screen, "What is that thing? What's happening?" People were already heatedly arguing over the symbolism of the film before it was even over. Even as the movie ended, I knew that certain scenes would continue to haunt me.
And that was how I felt when I first discovered Yume Nikki. Here was a game that was unashamedly ambiguous, making no real attempt to explain itself yet begging to be explored. It was a bottomless rabbit hole disguised as the simplest of adventure games, and its depths were full of pale creatures with rows of jagged teeth. If you are a gamer seeking something truly bizarre, experiential and full of psychological horror, Yume Nikki is the game for you..."
(Continued on HG101)
(From NeoGaf- "RPG Maker Games: Underlooked Gems" by Dust Golem 12-26-2012)
"Yume Nikki is a free adventure game about dreams. This game is still -technically- unfinished, but has a high level of quality in its current version (version 0.10) and can be played from beginning to end (the creator apparently wants to one day add more to the game). It originally came out in 2005, but it only started to get a lot of attention in 2008, when the game was picked up by the most popular Japanese gaming board, which helped spread it to even English-speaking audiences. The game has become big enough to inspire a ton of fan-made content, and official merchandise in Japan.
In the game, you play as a girl named Madotsuki. The game takes a lot of visual inspirations from Mother 3, but has a completely open style of design. Initially to new players, there may be no clear goal. You start off in a room, unable to leave, but can fiddle around with things, or play a Super Nintendo game about eggplants, and eventually go off to sleep. When you sleep is when the game really begins, soon you'll find yourself in a room full of doors, each of which leading to completely different surreal area. You can explore freely, with a surprisingly large amount of deeper areas and doors hidden away to go even deeper into your dreams. Each area has its own train of logic you have to crack and figure out, like a dream. Soon you'll probably interact with a strange object or character and gain something called an 'effect'. Going to your menu, you can equip the effect and transform Madotsuki in some sort of way. Some of these effects give you special powers, some are completely aesthetic, but the goal is to collect all 24. However, not all is safe here in the world of dreams, as there are nightmare areas and stalkers of sorts who will try to catch you, and will wake you up from your dream the moment you're caught.
The game has a lot of symbolism and does a great job capturing the feeling of a dream. It has inspired a TON of fan games and works, and remains one of the most popular RPG Maker games. It has a lot of secrets hidden away in the game, and lots of surprises for those who decide to travel to Madotsuki's dreamscae. Worth checking out if you're a fan of exploring in games, surreal or 'experience' games, or if the whole concept just sounds intriguing. You can read up more on the game and download it from here."
Mirror Download (English)
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