Discover and read the best of Twitter Threads about #nesdev
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Implementing scrolling on the NES is difficult. Because of that, I've been thinking about what different platformer games have done, and which battles I want to fight with my #nesdev game.
I'll document all the different *types* of scrolling I can think of in this thread.
I'll document all the different *types* of scrolling I can think of in this thread.
::Full 8-Way Scrolling (Blaster Master)::
Levels extend in all directions with a maze-like layout, not favoring any one direction in particular. Levels are much larger than can fit in nametable, and employ level streaming.
Levels extend in all directions with a maze-like layout, not favoring any one direction in particular. Levels are much larger than can fit in nametable, and employ level streaming.
::Limited 8-Way Scrolling (Mario 3)::
SMB 3 has some levels with 8 way scrolling, but are still designed with a bias towards horizontal movement. Up/Down is reserved for "hidden objects" and "secrets".
Camera is designed to only scroll up if player is doing a highjump/flying.
SMB 3 has some levels with 8 way scrolling, but are still designed with a bias towards horizontal movement. Up/Down is reserved for "hidden objects" and "secrets".
Camera is designed to only scroll up if player is doing a highjump/flying.
Did you know: 🤔
The infamous "sprite flicker" you see on the NES, is not actually a built-in hardware feature.
This flicker needed to be hand-coded into every game!
But why!? 🧵👇
The infamous "sprite flicker" you see on the NES, is not actually a built-in hardware feature.
This flicker needed to be hand-coded into every game!
But why!? 🧵👇
The flicker is an attempt to avoid a limitation of the NES:
The NES can only display 8 sprites per horizontal line of the screen.
Source: nesrocks.com/blog/nes-graph…
The NES can only display 8 sprites per horizontal line of the screen.
Source: nesrocks.com/blog/nes-graph…
The NES's default behavior is to *stop drawing sprites* once that 8 sprite limit it reached. This is what *that* looks like.
Notice that the purple character on the left just completely vanishes. You can imagine why games avoided this.
(The 4 skeletons use 8 sprites total)
Notice that the purple character on the left just completely vanishes. You can imagine why games avoided this.
(The 4 skeletons use 8 sprites total)
Here's a fun problem to solve when making NES games, that you might not even realize is a problem! #nesdev
Sprites on the NES are actually drawn in "screen space" and wrap around at the edges. But obviously in many games, this makes no sense! Here's how to solve it 🧵
Sprites on the NES are actually drawn in "screen space" and wrap around at the edges. But obviously in many games, this makes no sense! Here's how to solve it 🧵
The sprites are drawn in a range of 0-255 on the x-axis (0-239 on the y-axis), and have no concept of a "camera", or the level. It is up to the dev to draw them in a location on screen that makes sense, relative to the game's camera. 
It is also up to the dev to make sure that objects that are "off camera" do not get drawn.
But this can be tricky because "objects" are actually multiple 8x8 sprites drawn together to form a larger object.
But this can be tricky because "objects" are actually multiple 8x8 sprites drawn together to form a larger object.
Got the day off work, and kids are in school! Time to go ham on this project, and turn *this* (side scroller) into *this* (top down rpg-like world map). #nesdev
Bringin' in the lil' guy!
Believe it or not, this is actually *progress*! Graphics data for the top down character is being properly swapped in (replacing the side scroller graphics).
Just the animation data hasn't bee updated!👍
Just the animation data hasn't bee updated!👍
(📢) If you haven’t voted in the first open voting period for the NES Homebrew Hall of Fame, now’s the time to weigh in! The voting rules are in the article below; vote in the comment section after the article. I hope you’ll RT this for yr #nesdev friends! retrostack.substack.com/p/the-nes2-hal…
(RETRO) The new Top 500 NES Homebrews is out! With 1,048 NES homebrews, it’s the largest-ever expansion of this project, which seeks to report on the stunning NES2 phenomenon. If you’re a gamer, I hope you’ll share this article widely! #nesdev #neshomebrew retrostack.substack.com/p/the-top-500-…
(🔓) Whether you’re a video game publisher looking for devs to work with; a gamer looking for 700 new NES games to play (and links to each); or a collector collecting the rarest games anywhere—“NES2” games—this historic archive at RETRO is for you. #nesdev retrostack.substack.com/p/the-top-500-…
1/ In between writing about insurrection, inflation, infection and invasion, I’ve been working to catalog the efforts of what I think is one of the most interesting—and fastest-growing—art communities in the world: regular folks who learned to code so they could make video games.
2/ Gaming is the biggest entertainment industry in the world; Nintendo is the biggest name in that industry; the Nintendo Entertainment System is literally the foundation upon which the video game industry was built; and now *anyone can easily learn to make games for it*. Crazy!
(🔓) RETRO UNLOCKED: The RETRO Top 250 NES Homebrews
This is the largest, most comprehensive assessment of video gaming’s fastest-growing retro subculture ever done.
That said, it’s a dynamic work-in-progress still seeking—and taking seriously—all input. retrostack.substack.com/p/the-retro-to…
This is the largest, most comprehensive assessment of video gaming’s fastest-growing retro subculture ever done.
That said, it’s a dynamic work-in-progress still seeking—and taking seriously—all input. retrostack.substack.com/p/the-retro-to…
1/ The purpose of this research is to honor the art of some of the most talented creators working in America today. They’ve revitalized and expanded upon the historic influence of (IMO) the greatest video game console in history—the console that made modern video gaming possible.
My NES game has a kickstarter and it's live! kickstarter.com/projects/lange…
woah 2/3rds funded in under 24 hours!!
Hey, folks, I'm gonna be streaming NES playing for the next few hours on my twitch if you want to stop by and chat about GunTneR!!
twitch.tv/puke7
twitch.tv/puke7
You misread me, my intentions, how I see myself, and what I was trying to achieve.
My aim was to help and not hurt.
You should feel good about having ended this attempt by a journalist to draw attention to #nesdev.
I’ve removed the article and will end the project immediately.
My aim was to help and not hurt.
You should feel good about having ended this attempt by a journalist to draw attention to #nesdev.
I’ve removed the article and will end the project immediately.
(PS) The methodology article preceding the rankings—which everyone skipped—made clear that I'm not perfect and that mistakes would be made and that I would try to continually improve the work. I made countless edits in response to suggestions.
All of that good faith was ignored.
All of that good faith was ignored.
(PS2) I really hope the NES homebrew scene thrives. That the first time a journalist with a large audience tried to take an expansive view of it—with an explicit statement that all rankings are *subjective*—he was met with claims that it was “dangerous.” That does not auger well.
(🔓) RETRO UNLOCKED: Here it is—free to the public and open to comment from anyone. This research on the thriving NES homebrew scene (tag: #nesdev) took months, scores of hours, and (I'll add) much more money than I expected. I hope you'll share it widely! retrostack.substack.com/p/the-retro-to…
1/ As a cultural theorist as well as someone who teaches video games at the university level and has been a video game journalist for many years, I find the ever-evolving "homebrew" scene—which started in the 2000s but has blown up over the last few years—endlessly enthralling.
2/ Like many reading this, I grew up on games for the original NES.
After the Video Game Crash of 1983, it seemed as though Atari had sunk the concept of "video games" forever. Nintendo changed history with the NES; video games are now the world's largest entertainment industry.
After the Video Game Crash of 1983, it seemed as though Atari had sunk the concept of "video games" forever. Nintendo changed history with the NES; video games are now the world's largest entertainment industry.
(RETRO) The RETRO Top 100 NES Homebrew Games ranking is coming Tuesday. Tell your friends!
This'll be a good chance for folks who didn't realize it to discover that the Nintendo of their youth is back—and in a surprising number of cases, better than ever. retrostack.substack.com
This'll be a good chance for folks who didn't realize it to discover that the Nintendo of their youth is back—and in a surprising number of cases, better than ever. retrostack.substack.com
(PS) RETRO has play-tested, assessed and curated so many NES homebrew games that tomorrow's debut Top 100 will include *fifty* honorable mentions. So the total number of gamers and game development studios that I think will take an interest in tomorrow's reveal is...considerable.
(PS2) A few tags for the RETRO Top 100: #nesdev @NESHomebrew @ParisoftGames @morphcat @6502Collective @atonofglaciers @mojon_twins @LowtekGames @johnblueriggs @MetalJesusRocks @RetroHangover @megacatstudios and anyone else y'all want to bring over to RETRO tomorrow (Tuesday PM).
First, decide on a manual format. Take into consideration available printing methods (professional printing, local copyshop, or DIY desktop printing for instance), run size, and intended price / audience.
There are four formats I usually choose among depending on these factors:
There are four formats I usually choose among depending on these factors:
My fav? Foldout posters. A normal manual is 5.25 x 4". An 11x17 sheet folds to 5.5 x 4.25" (A3 to 5.85 x 4.125). I use an accordion fold followed by a bifold.
Pros: Easy layout, many printshops offer machine folding. Is a poster.
Cons: Creased artwork.
(a53 pic by @bbbradsmith)
Pros: Easy layout, many printshops offer machine folding. Is a poster.
Cons: Creased artwork.
(a53 pic by @bbbradsmith)
ファミコンのレースゲーム制作進捗。
たまには実機で。
仕込んでいた仕組みをやっと使えた。
仕組み作りよりデータ作りの方がメンドウだよね、こういうのは。
タイトルは「F-θ」にした。シータだよ。ゼロじゃないよw
カタカナを書く事で日本製をアピールw
#nesdev
たまには実機で。
仕込んでいた仕組みをやっと使えた。
仕組み作りよりデータ作りの方がメンドウだよね、こういうのは。
タイトルは「F-θ」にした。シータだよ。ゼロじゃないよw
カタカナを書く事で日本製をアピールw
#nesdev
なんか、レースゲーがメインみたいになってるけど、一応こっちのＡＤＶをメインとして作ってます。
こっちは９割方出来ていて、あとは音楽とデバッグと調整といった所。
スケジュールの都合上ちょっと空いたので、レースゲーを作り始めたという流れです。
こっちは９割方出来ていて、あとは音楽とデバッグと調整といった所。
スケジュールの都合上ちょっと空いたので、レースゲーを作り始めたという流れです。
で、ＡＤＶの元ネタの自主制作アニメがこれ。
『うたかたシノプシス；』
声１人音楽１人、それ以外俺って感じで作りました。
ＳＦ風味の姉萌え系です。
YouTube
ニコニコ動画
nicovideo.jp/watch/sm363000…
DVDも売ってるよ！
#indie_anime
『うたかたシノプシス；』
声１人音楽１人、それ以外俺って感じで作りました。
ＳＦ風味の姉萌え系です。
YouTube
ニコニコ動画
nicovideo.jp/watch/sm363000…
DVDも売ってるよ！
#indie_anime
You can play @mojontwins' entry for Nesdev compo 2019 right now! Nin Nin is a simpler, easier version of Ninjajar I made for my 5 y.o. kid. He loves it, maybe you do too! Grab it @ #nesdev #NES #homebrew #compo #8bit forums.nesdev.com/viewtopic.php?…
Source code github.com/mojontwins/nin…
A cambio el churum me ha hecho este coche super chulo para que vaya a trabajar. Y ojo, que trae un ninja.
🍊~We have an official date set for our @Kickstarter launch!~🍊
Please help retweet this so our community can grow more leading up to our campaign. We want to be in the best position possible to make this a success and deliver on our vision!
#gamedev #indiedev #nesdev #pixelart
Please help retweet this so our community can grow more leading up to our campaign. We want to be in the best position possible to make this a success and deliver on our vision!
#gamedev #indiedev #nesdev #pixelart
We'll be announcing the date any day now so stay tuned!
Since this is blowing up a little (THANK YOU!!) can we also ask y'all to join our newsletter? We've given out exclusive little goodies and dev notes to the mailing list every month for over 6 months now! :) The next one is coming the day our KS starts.
orangeislandgame.com
orangeislandgame.com
