VENGEANCE AND VICTORY Michael Monaghan of Nalua Studio interviewed on Vengeance Hunters
When did Nalua Studio form?
Nalua Studio was officially established in May of 2023.
How long have you been working on Vengeance Hunters?
26 months since development started, so December of 2021. We’ve had members join during that time span. I joined in August of 2022 as part of a select few to help test gameplay and I never left!
Why did you choose to target the Neo-Geo for your game?
Alex, the owner of Nalua, loves the Neo-Geo and has a long-standing history with it from childhood through adulthood. Alex is also part owner of TerraOnion. Which is the company that produces a few flash carts and ODEs (Optical Disc Emulator) for various consoles. The first flashcart TO ever released was for the Neo-Geo called the NeoSD. He has had a love for the Neo-Geo platform for many years.
I have my own story for why I love the Neo-Geo platform (home and arcade) as does one of the other artists, Chris Barret. I am not sure if you want those stories or not, so I’ll keep this section brief. Most of the other people working on the game don’t have as much history with the platform.
What older games inspired it?
Quite a few! We’ve taken inspiration from all over the place. There are also a few movie/gaming references in Vengeance Hunters. Originally, a lot of the gameplay was inspired by the Cadillacs and Dinosaurs arcade game. Some of the basic movement, combat mechanics and gunplay (we no longer have that kind of guns).
However, after I came onboard, that system evolved and changed radically. I would describe our gameplay a bit more like a beat ’em up version that goes for Marvel vs. Capcom style combos. A lot of hit, hit, hit into a launcher that allows you even more options in the air or ground.
We also have a bit of Aliens Arcade in there too with the new power-up/gun system.
What is your development system and any major tools used?
The game is written in C. We use a number of tools, some of which were custom-written for the game (conversion tools and build tools especially). The big hitters we use are https://wiki.neogeodev.org , https://github.com/dciabrin/ngdevkit , https://godotengine.org (for wave/enemy placement and in-game cutscene scripting among other things) and Google Sheets (for player/enemy parameter changes). The artists use https://www.aseprite.org heavily.
How were the graphics and sound created?
The Neo-Geo is pretty interesting in how it handles graphics. You can read about it here: https://wiki.neogeodev.org/index.php?title=Sprites if you care for the details. But how it boils down for us on a day-to-day is that a PNG or GIF is created and a conversion tool is used to convert the image to tiles that simply works assuming we didn’t break any hardware limitations. Colour palette restrictions are the biggest offender here.
I am a bit less knowledgeable about how sound creation works. I know that there is a z80 that handles sound/music playback that interfaces with a Yamaha YM2610 sound chip which then works with the main CPU, a Motorola 68k. When we record any sound/music, we have to output it as Mono, 48000Hz and 16-bit PCM. I can talk to Gabor (programmer) Pentadrangle (music) and Bibiki (soundFX) to see if they have more info in this area if you’re interested. I have only recorded a few sounds and voices that get played back in the game. We use the chip tunes and samples. We’ve actually had to bitcrush our voice samples as they sound way too clean for the era.
Are there any new mechanics or gameplay ideas in there, and how different are the three main characters to play?
Now this is my area of expertise as I am the main combat designer in the game. /me rubs hands together. I’ll probably end up over-explaining, so my apologies ahead of time. I’m simply proud of what we’ve pulled off on the Neo-Geo as it was not easy.
One of my big issues with the beat ’em up genre, especially ones from the era, is that a lot of characters were extremely simple with few options and played too much alike. This leads to the dreaded “beat-’em-up fatigue” that some people experience by the time they hit level 2 or 3. So my goal was to help solve that issue as best as I could within the constraints of the 12Mhz 68k processor.
One way to deal with that was to make each character have a unique move that we call their “Signature” move.
Golem, our grappler, can do a variety of throws on the ground and the air. This allows him not only offensive options but also defensive as he can pick up most enemies with a natural shield and stop their attacks. He has Up throw that sends enemies up in the air (more useful in 2-player mode), down throw that slams enemies onto the ground and bounces them in the air for follow-up attacks, a Suplex that knocks enemies over, a forward throw that does mostly the same a the Suplex, a Power Bomb/Pile Driver that takes more time but hits hard and has AoE and an Air throw that he can pull off even after punching enemies in the air multiple times. You get full control of which direction you throw based on input.
Candy, our evasive speed demon, has a cartwheel that gives her invulnerability frames to avoid incoming damage (she has lower HP to help balance her). Her cartwheel signature also allows her to re-launch airborne enemies back into the air one time. It also is used in conjunction with the other face buttons to perform an instant air launcher, a higher/faster jump and a vicious ground’n’pound move that stabs downed enemies depending on which button you press. She “flows” around the screen easily due to her Signature move.
Loony is our ranged specialist as his signature move is the Fist Missile or Fissile (Fistile? Undecided haha). He fires a rocket that will only do light damage/basic interrupts on standing enemies, but it will do massive damage and launches for airborne enemies or knock downed enemies up into the air for an OTG (off the ground).
These Signature moves allowed us to keep inputs extremely similar between the playable characters in regards to the string-based combos but changed how each plays the field enormously. So you can learn the basic ground combos which are the same for each character, but what you do after that varies wildly.
Another key thing behind gameplay design was to try and make the game fun for somebody who simply wanted to hit one or two buttons (kids, but some adults). So even if you just bash buttons, you’ll run into things. However, there is a Move List we built into the game to let people who want to go deeper know what is available. But it’s up to them to put the pieces together for their own gameplay and combos.
What has been the most challenging part of creating the game?
The big one I can think of is staying within the constraints of the Neo-Geo hardware. Everyone remembers the Neo-Geo being an absolute beast…but compared to most arcade hardware that came out after it, it’s rather tame and full of limitations. It’s a fickle beast and we have sometimes had to get very creative to get things done or simply do the “horrible” thing of discarding ideas entirely that the Neo-Geo simply can’t handle or won’t handle and remain performant during both single and co-op play. Simple scaling is a nope. It can take a big asset and shrink it down to a small asset or deform that asset, but you can’t scale up an asset. There is absolutely no rotation in the hardware. And we can’t do any type of transparency without resorting to meshes…so we avoid those.
How were the cartridges for Neo-Geo created?
Nalua Studio is using hardware and distribution provided by TerraOnion. We are not using basic PCBs with soldered-on ROMs like typical AES/MVS game boards. We, sadly, have to think about protection for our game and TO had a solution we are comfortable with using. This increases cart prices a bit, but we need to ensure for ourselves and our customers that the game isn’t reproduced and sold on certain websites within weeks of release.
How easy was it to get the game onto modern hardware and then publishing on Switch / PS4 / PS5?
It was surprisingly easy. Gabor, our programmer, has years of experience and has done this before. We have a build system that kicks out all the builds we want for the supported platforms. Alex did a wonderful job talking with Sony and Nintendo to secure dev partnership status and we are still in talks with Microsoft and Steam at the time of this writing.
Do you have any other titles in development, and which format would you aim for?
We have some great ideas we have kicked around. But no solid direction yet as we are absolutely focused on finishing Vengeance Hunters. Personally, I would love to stick to the Neo-Geo and make an absolutely banger mascot-type platformer. The Neo-Geo really does not have a great one so I would personally love to attempt to fill that void. But we really have no idea which direction we might go next!
What recent retro-themed titles by other developers have you enjoyed?
I can only answer this for myself, but I can ask other members of the team if you like!
My most recent retro-ish games have been Dark Light and Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth. Both of which are Metroidvania-styled games. I personally also collect/update/repair old gaming hardware and I have been playing on my Sega Saturn a ton lately. I’ve been replaying the somewhat recent English translation of Bulk Slash (played through the JP version a few years ago). I also have been trying out the Shining Force 3 games as they were all translated as well not long ago. However, I tend to bounce off of Strategy genre games despite always wanting to give them a try.
RECENT RUMBLES
Prototypes and releases to shake your fists at.
THE SIMPSONS (NES)
Mario Azevedo’s mock-ups show how Konami’s arcade game could appear on the NES, including this Krustyland view – please finish it!
ANGELS (ZX SPECTRUM)
Zoysa Entertainment combined twin alien females, strange historic paintings, and an Earth-spinning plot with huge sprites and smooth scrolling.
DEVIL’S TEMPLE (AMIGA)
Earning a Sizzler in RG241, McGeezer cleverly combined two Irem classics – Kung-Fu Master and Vigilante – into a huge ten-level extravaganza.
FINAL FIGHT ENHANCED (AMIGA)
The original port was problematic, so this update improved graphics and enemy AI and made Maki from Final Fight 2 playable.
FINAL FIGHT ULTIMATE (MEGA DRIVE)
Mauro Xavier and the team are still hard at work on this conversion, with the promise of simultaneous two-player action.
NEWS BYTES
AMSTRAD CPC: Either type in Pirka (by Crazy Piri) from the PDF - or load the free DSK image. https://bit.ly/pirka-cpc
AQUARIUS: Roy Templeman’s Paqu Deluxe (16K) will get a physical cassette soon (containing a bonus game). https://bit.ly/paqu-aquarius
ATARI 2600: Champ Games release Tutankham Arcade in September – free demo at https://champ.games/downloads
C64: Carleton Handley’s Spinning Image (inspired by Guru Logic Champ) comes with 50 levels. https://bit.ly/spinning-image
GAME BOY: GBStudio celebrated its 5th anniversary with an interactive history lesson. https://bit.ly/gbstudio-5th
GnomeKIng Games released The Train Part 2 digitally for £5, after the physical Kickstarter. https://bit.ly/thetrain2
MASTER SYSTEM: The latest SMS Power coding competition produced great new titles. https://bit.ly/smspower2024
MSX: Fishing game Trucho resembles classic Konami games. Digital edition is €5 / €8 at https://bit.ly/trucho-msx and physical cartridges (€35) ordered via https://msxcartridgeshop.com/
NES: The Nexxt graphic studio – based on NES Screen Tool - is free but tips are welcome. https://bit.ly/nexxt-nes
PC: Sk1ds is developing Turbo Outrun Reimagined. Demo in the browser at https://bit.ly/outrun-clone
PICO-8: Check out Vicente Romero’s GOAT (Goat on a Tower). https://bit.ly/goat-pico8
VIC-20: Prince of Persia leaps onto another format (PAL only, +35K expansion) thanks to Pedro Bermejo - https://bit.ly/persia-vic20
ZX SPECTRUM: Luca Bordoni’s The 8-Bit Wars has been released digitally, in tribute to the late Andy Remic. https://bit.ly/8bitwars-spectrum
VARIOUS: Inufuto’s AntiAir (a twist on Space Invaders) plays on 50+ different machines. https://bit.ly/antiair-various
CHAMPION CODER
[Name] Robert Wilson (RWX Designs)
[Info]
From: Oldham, England
Website: rwxdesigns.co.uk
Format: C64
Previous game: Quasimodo’s Christmas Caper
Working on: System X, Tiki, Quasimodo’s Jungle Jeopardy
Robert is reviving designs he made in the 1980s and revisiting some classic characters.
What got you into C64 programming?
Curiosity, I think. Ever since I was a kid, I wanted to know how things worked. When I first got my Atari VCS as an 8-year-old, I wanted to know how did they make those Space Invaders move across the screen? How do they make the tanks fire a bullet? How did those sounds work? That curiosity continued until I got my C64.
Some of the first games I played on it, left me wanting to create my own game. I got myself an Action Replay V cartridge and started learning to code with the monitor and disassembler. I would freeze games and demos looking at the code and learned how things worked, writing my own small demos I would probably find myself coding late at night until the early hours of the morning as a teenager.
I studied games like Starlifter and IO and started to build up my own library of graphics as I bought myself a copy of Silverbird's Graphic Editor and started to work on sprites and character graphics and used Advanced Art Studio for working on bitmap graphics.
I had lots of ideas for games, but then I threw myself in the deep end and started to work on my first game.
Why did you decide to start creating new C64 games?
A few years ago I started thinking about all the bits of code and graphics I had done in the 80s and was worried that all that work was going to be lost if I didn't archive it into a newer format. I'd seen YouTube videos of some modern retro game like Bear Essentials and thought how simple that was I should be able to write something myself.
I bought an Ultimate64e and started to archive my old work on disk and tape and convert it into a more accessible format. That process re-awakened my interest and started me on the path again to writing a new game.
Also, there's a lot more knowledge around today with the internet. You can speak to someone on the other side of the world and share ideas or fix issues a lot quicker than the time it took you to work it out in the 80s. With advances in coding techniques and hardware as time has progressed games writing has probably never been easier.
There's a great community of C64 users out there and I think people still writing new games for it proves how popular this 42-year-old 8-bit computer really is. I just wanted to be a part of that. I've also gained a few extra friends in the process which is not a bad thing with all which goes in the world.
What is your development environment and any major tools you use?
I use a desktop PC, not the quickest by today's standards, but it's a PC with an AMD Ryzen 5 2600 3.4Ghz, 16Gb RAM, 2Gb Nvidia Geforce GT710 Silent Video card running Windows 10. It's in a silent case, silent PSU, silent everything. I hate noise from fans whirring away. Also, it's better when recording videos for YouTube.
I use WinVICE and C64Debugger for developing, with Sublime Text, KickAssembler for coding and testing. I use Charpad and Spritepad for graphics, Goattracker for all the sound and music, Multipaint for bitmaps.
I use my Ultimate64e for additional testing, which also forms part of cross-development as you can run code directly from Kickassember/Sublime, which is really useful. As you learn, you realise that the code/game you are writing runs better on the hardware than in an emulator most of the time. This can save you a lot of time debugging, if you are thinking because a scroll isn't smooth in VICE it's down to your bad code and your logic, when in fact your logic is fine, it's down to the emulator not giving 100% smooth feedback all of the time. I spent a lot of time reworking things thinking it's down to my logic or inefficient code, but in reality, it was okay.
System X is a game you started developing in 1989, how has it changed and what are you hoping to improve on?
The ideas I had for System X in 1989 are pretty much the same as the ideas I have now, however, given the game never got finished back then I've evolved the game quite a bit in how I see it working. The main protagonist is your drone with the jetpack you control through this unexplored region of space, referred to as System X. Since 1989, I've updated the drone sprite and added an overlay. I've improved the jetpack animation. I've added a lot of other animation frames to him, so he can shoot diagonally if required ( a bit like Forgotten Worlds - if you remember that game ). If he gets knocked backwards then his feet change position ( a bit like the character in Zybex ).
The drone is integral to the game, so he was never going to change that much. You start the game with several drones available to you to explore System X and complete your mission. As it stands, I have four main themes for the levels. There's a rocky planetoid like level, an organic level, an ice-themed world (which may change as it's too close to a level in Armalyte) and a very colourful crystalline world to explore. There may be a volcanic world, but the exact number of themed levels so far has not been finalised. I hope to have a different approach to aliens in the game, I don't necessarily want big end of level bosses, it's not really that type of formulaic shoot ‘em-up. I think the aliens will have overlays as well, I think the multiplexor for the game will handle it okay. I also think that aliens will be unique to each level, you won't see the same alien in a different theme setting.
There will be some parallax in the background I would think, plus music and sound in game, all the usual stuff you will find in a C64 shoot ‘em-up. The game design is progressing and a lot of the graphics I'm creating today are superior to what I was doing back in 1989, although there's still a lot from back then I'm quite proud of. How long each level will last again is not determined just yet. I want either to have really long levels with an end or point, or shorter levels that wrap around which allows you to carry on to eliminate everything you need to, should you miss something on the first 1 or 2 passes until you complete your objective. The latter was my original idea back in 1989 - so I could go with that. It will all depend how the game evolves over the next few months.
The game itself today is completely re-written from scratch. I did manage to convert my original Action Replay V code into KickAssembler, but in comparison to code I would write today, it's extremely basic stuff and I wouldn't use any of it from what I've learned in the last couple of years.
What attracted to you the character of Quasimodo and creating several titles featuring him in different situations?
I thought about what game would be a good game to write. I looked through past C64 games and decided on which one today could be updated and brought into the 21st Century. There were quite a few I could list.
However, I liked the idea of re-working the arcade game Hunchback (I remember playing the arcade game as 10-year-old), so I started to create my own re-imagined version of Quasimodo as a test in Spritemate. I then converted that into Spritepad having bought a copy with Charpad. However, as I started to work on the game code, I realised I was 30+ years out of practice. I thought about creating a simple platform game. It was only going to be 4 levels, however, as time went on it expanded beyond that. I liked the idea of using my re-imagined Quasimodo character and as it was approaching Christmas at the time, I thought I would put him in a Christmas outfit. It looked good and Quasimodo's Christmas Caper was born, my first ever C64 game. It took longer than I envisaged about 14 months in the end, but I reached my goal.
As I had put him in the Christmas outfit, I thought I could easily put him in different outfits, and he would slot into many other types of games. I decided on an Indiana Jones style outfit for Jungle Jeopardy, which is a reworking of Pitfall! I put him in a goth type outfit for Halloween Horror, so he's a bit a mix between rock star Alice Cooper and Professor Snape from Harry Potter. I could easily put him in a Chef's hat and have him in a burger game, the options are endless really, it's just down to my imagination and what I would like to do with him. He's pretty flexible as it stands and he looks kind of jolly similar to the design on the original arcade game, which was another reason for the redesign. I wasn't happy with the green outfit of the original character, but that's because the arcade game was originally going to be Robin Hood, but that's a story for another time.
Hunchback Redux will be the big game, the biggest game I've ever written. It will be good to see him dodging arrows and cannonballs on the battlements trying to rescue Esmeralda.
Tiki is another character being revived, what are you hoping to add?
Ok, so I was not a fan of the C64 conversion of The New Zealand Story, sorry to say. I'm not sure whatever happened to Tiki when Steve Wahid of Ocean drew it back in the 80s, but it was the only conversion of the arcade game where Tiki didn't look like Tiki.
I set about recreating a new reworked version as a test in Spritepad. I studied the arcade version for reference and despite colour and resolution limitations on the C64, I got pretty close in looks. A lot closer than the Ocean version. I put out a few pics of it and got some good feedback.
If you play the C64 game, you'll notice the jumping mechanics are completely wrong and Tiki moves around like he's stuck in treacle. So, I started writing a new platform game which fixed all those issues previously.
Tiki is a brand-new game and is only based on elements from the original. Naturally the original game (TNZS) is a Taito game which still has its IP fully active, so the game will probably have to be free, but if there's any problem from Taito, then there's a backup plan to change the sprites and the game name, leaving Tiki just playable by me and I will issue another similar game - just to stop any Katakis / Giana Sisters type goings-on.
The story has advanced since the original New Zealand Story. Tiki and Phee Phee got married and had a daughter Tui, unfortunately got herself kidnapped by Whiro, an evil penguin - who was an agent of the Grey Leopard Seal which captured Phee Phee and other kiwis years ago. For the safe return of Tui - Tiki must find treasured eggs across several islands and deliver them to Whiro before a final show-down.
Several familiar characters will make an appearance. Boomerang boy, the horseshoe crabs and mollusc type creatures are present. The majority of other characters will be new ones I have created. The game will be a single-screen platform affair, but with some scrolling bonus stages. Tiki will be able to fire arrows and throw bombs like the original game - so there's that familiarity with the original that people will instantly recognise.
The exact number of levels is still not decided and timescale for release also keeps moving as I switch between projects quite a bit. This happens more to keep things fresh in my head when writing - it can be tough focussing on one single project for a long time. However, the little side projects I have are all beneficial as I will use routines from them in a game like Tiki or Hunchback Redux further down the line, which will help to make the final game a better overall experience.
Would you ever work on other machines or work with someone to convert your titles?
I have asked the author of TRSE to add support for the Tandy Colour Computer 2 and Dragon 32/64. He's working on it at the moment. I asked because I got a Tandy before my C64, so I would love to write a game for it in TRSE. I did Pascal and Modula-2 in college and university so I should be able to write something. However, I thought the Tandy didn't get many decent games, like I'm sure many Atari 800 or Commodore Plus 4 owners felt the same with their machines. They are redressing that now in the homebrew scene, but back then there was very little choice. I always wanted to convert a game like Exolon or Cybernoid to the Tandy, as I think it would be a perfect game for it. It may still happen one day.
The Atari VCS also came to mind, but I respect anyone who writes a game for it, as it's a complete pain to code for and would put off most people to tell you the truth. So, I don't see that happening at the moment.
However, as for my titles, I could possibly write a version of Christmas Caper for the Plus 4 in the future, I do plan a version for the Commodore 128. An NTSC C64 version is on my list but may not be achievable in its current form and would need a complete rewrite for those systems. Similarly an Amiga version again is possible, but the C64 is my main focus.
As for working with someone else. Well, so far, I've worked with Søren Trautner Madsen on Awesome Slam Siblings Infinite. I've provided background graphics for the REU Ghost 'N Goblins level and for his Turrican level in the game. It's looking really good I will say.
I've spoken a lot with Silvan Reinhold who wrote Polar Bear in Space about working on a project at some future point, there's nothing definite, but it may happen. We met at ZZAP! Live and spoke a lot about projects, so who knows - a case of watch this space.
I'm not really opposed to working with other people. If there are people out there who like my graphics or want me to work with them on something, happy to consider it. I do have a lot on my list though, so it's a case of just working around that and everything else that life throws at me.
DATABURST REVIEWS
Cecconoid
Format: All Amiga models (minimum 1Mb memory)
Credits: Hoffman for Thalamus Digital
Price: digital TBC / physical currently sold out
[Score] 95% - RETRO GAMER SIZZLER
Kien
Format: Game Boy Advance
Credits: AgeOfGames for Incube8
Price: $59.99 physical cartridge
[Score] 83%
Dr. Acula
Format: ZX Spectrum
Credits: Colin Stewart
Price: Free
[Score] 86%
PROCESSING - ATIC-ATAC (PICO-8) PREVIEW
Adam Nightingale aka Minion (@M1N10N on X/Twitter) is bringing Ultimate’s Spectrum classic Atic Atac to PICO-8.
What got you into programming PICO-8?
A mate of mine gifted it to me, so not wanting to seem ungrateful I started to code in it just to shut him up and stop him from nagging me into coding again !
Seriously though, Pico-8 is a marvellous package. It feels like an old system, with its brutal limitations (minimal resolution, sprites, and sound, as well as an 8000 token limit (tokens are basically instructions) ). Yet it is so much fun to use on modern hardware. You don't have to worry about who's got what hardware and will it run on it; it’s all set to a standard from the start.
Why did you choose Atic Atac to remake?
This is my 2nd attempt at an Atic Atac remake. The first was back in 2002 and while it was a remake it wasn't that good (I think the title screen is probably the best bit of it). I've made all sorts recently, shoot-em-ups mostly, but I really wanted to do a multi-screen adventure game, and as I love this game back from my BBC/Spectrum days I thought it was time for a revisit (a remake of a remake ?). Hopefully, this is a lot better than my first attempt way back when ;)
How close is it to the original in terms of map/enemies/items?
Considering all the limitations of Pico8, I think it’s pretty close. The map is complete, all doors, trapdoors, warps, objects, food etc are there. I've made a few minor changes though - moving one set of warps to fit into my code easier, changing Dracula so he will vanish if he's in the room you're in and carrying the crucifix etc. All changes I hope that improve the game and don't distracting from it. Considering how limited I am with sprite memory, I've managed to get all the enemies in there (albeit with limited animations). Yeah, I think it’s pretty close when all is said and done ;)
Are you working on anything else?
Yes, lots. I have more plates spinning than I care to mention. I tend to start a lot of games (in certain circles I'm known as the W.I.P.master). I've recently picked up 1942 again so this may be my next offering, as well as Gyruss and Galaga partial games so they could be imminent releases too. As for the future, I have a w.i.p. list as long as my arm so there could be any number of Spectrum/BBC/Arcade remakes coming.
Incidentally, this will be my 4th appearance in Retro Gamer magazine ;) I was on the cover disk of the first ever issue with 5 or 6 games (3 of which appear on the DVD box art :) ). I was in an addition around 2008 (can’t remember which atm though) when you covered the Retro Remakes competition (I won that year with my Empire Strikes Back remake) and then in issue 79 with a collection of BBC Micro games I wrote in the 80s that I had managed to transfer from old tapes.
The game is now released at: https://minionsoft.itch.io/pico8-atic-atac
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