Homebrew Extra - Retro Gamer 266
- andrewrfisher
- Mar 17
- 14 min read
It’s more than 40 years since most of the hardware we enjoy playing homebrew on was developed. After the success of 2023’s event, MSX2 GOTO 40 in the Netherlands will celebrate the upgraded MSX format – with key speakers including ASCII Corporation co-founder Kasuhiko Nishi and Konami artist Naoki Satoh. Visit https://www.msxgoto40.com/ for more details. Meanwhile, we look at the Next, Game Boy, NES and more in this issue with these great new games and previews.
QUICK LINKS:
SPLENDID SEQUEL
Michael "Flash" Ware on developed Tyvarian 2 - To the Victor the Spoiles
What got you interested in developing for Spectrum Next?
It was a message from Simon Butler. He messaged me out of the blue to ask if I was developing for the next. I had not really heard much about it, so told him I wasn’t. After looking into the machine a bit more, I decided it may be a nice platform to code on and thought a revamp of the C64 Warhawk may be a bit of fun to do. I was not much of a Z80 coder back then, so it took a little while to find my feet. Luckily, Jim Bagley was there to nudge me in the right direction.
What is your development environment, and the major tools used?
I use Sublime Text 4, along with SjasmPlus and CSpect for development. ST4 has a really nice interface and enables you to form code into Projects, similar to working in Visual Studio. SjasmPlus is fast and knows the extra z80n opcodes, so perfect for assembling code for the next, and CSpect is the perfect emulator for testing prior to actual hardware tests. They really create a quick and simple coding workflow.
How did you get involved with Baggers in Space?
Space Fractal wanted me to do a version of Space Taxi (which may still happen) for the Next, and at the time I was still working on Warhawk, so… I decided to make a quick demo to show him gravity and inertia. I used Jetpac as a template and created a simple version of that game. Jim said that perhaps I should do more with it and let the player explore more. This led to the idea of adding dynamite to blast a hole in the ground and venture underground to locate all the fuel cells. And I kind of ran with it, with the help of Lobo and Space Fractal designing levels and coming up with ideas, it became quite a fluid process.
Are you pleased with how Warhawk Next turned out after all these years?
Yes, mostly. When Warhawk was created the next was lacking a few features I take for granted now. There was no tile map (character-based screen mode), max clock speed was 14mhz, and you were limited to 12 sprites on a line, and you could only have 64 sprite images active at a time. So, Warhawk was coded with these (then) limitations, though I still managed to throw a lot at the player in later stages.
I did a version of Warhawk with Ben Baker on the Nintendo DS (It received Game of the Month in this very magazine) and would like to do another Warhawk as some stage on the Next bringing it closer, or even surpassing that version.
What was it like working on the Head Over Heels remake for Next?
It was a pain, ha-ha… I did not want to do it initially. The project was initially given to someone else, but as the date of the ks2 units going out to customers drew nearer, it was clear that this version was far from finished.
Henrique and Mike Cadwallader started messaging and asking if I could do it. In the end I gave in. I was reticent as I had never done an isometric game before, so that was a concern. I did not want to take the project on and then fail, driving the game even further away from release. So, I started fresh and just did a load of tests, just to see what speed I could get (as 60hz was a must) and how to do the collisions etc. After a couple of weeks, I was much more confident that I could pull it off. And hopefully did the game proud, and Jon Ritman.
How did you come up with the Crowley character and his World Tour games?
It all started with “Horace World Tour.” As you may know, I did the 4th Horace game back in 1996 for Psion on the Psion 3a. This was an official game and since then I had always felt quite an affinity with Horace. So, with the first World Tour game, I decided to use him. The game was complete and to be given away for free, but… I then I received an email from a well know IP hoarder. Rather than go to the trouble of a legal battle for a “free” game, or pander to the modification requests, I decided to rebrand it. So, Crowley was born, and it was a good (though forced) decision.
What inspired the RAMS (Rusty Arcade Machines)?
After doing the port of Scramble to the next, I thought I would do Pac Man. I was perhaps 50% through it when Jim showed me an early version of it being run using the arcade roms. So, I stopped my port. We then decided that instead of just doing a single game like this, we could combine it into something bigger and use shared code to run many more games, and RAMS was this venture.
What games and mechanics inspired the original Tyvarian?
I was a big fan of Solar Fox in the arcades and thought a game based on the would be really nice. So, I decided to play with the “ship in a grid” mechanic and see where it went. It was not long before lots of ideas popped up (aided by Space Fractal) and I realised there may be something a little more unique we could do with this basic game. We set a goal to make each level introduce either a new mechanic, or a new enemy, and so on. We wanted to keep the player on their toes and offer and evolving experience. Something we extended much further in the sequel.
What inspired the main character being female?
It’s partly because of the back story (revealed in the third game) and because there are few games with a female main character. Even though she is in a space ship in the first 2 games, I always thought of a lady being at the helm with lightning reactions, a nerve of steel, and all that. Plus, even though she is seen a bit as a cat burglar, there’s a bit more too it, no spoilers.
What got you thinking of a trilogy of games?
After the first one, I started thinking about why she was always after these crystals. Is she just a boring old thief? So, I thought I needed to work towards a final reveal and round off the story of her endeavours.
How long has development on the second game taken?
The first game was about 7 months or so. The second… it’s perhaps been over 2 ½ years. The game was 90% complete after 12 months and the rest of the time it’s been tweaking and adjusting. Plus, I was sidetracked by Head over Heels for 7 months. Ok, I am making excuses…
What have been the major changes and additions to this game?
Between the first and the second game, there were a lot of changes. I suppose the main one is the arena’s no longer being single screen affairs. Many still are, though many are vast scrolling maps. Also, many of the elements and enemies from the first were removed and replaced with new challenges in part 2. We did not want to just rehash the game with scrolling. Part 2 also has 2 special game modes to unlock, is much larger, and has many varied ships to select (slightly altering the way they control).
Apart from the third Tyvarian game, are you working on any other Next games?
Currently, I am working on a game called “The Perils of Crowley” which is an action/puzzle game. It has a lot of unique features and is best described as “Sokoban on steroids.” This is also being coded for the next and PC/Switch at the same time.
Would you be interested in developing for other formats, such as the MEGA65 or Evercade?
When the Mega64 was announced, Ben Baker and myself did try and get a development version of the system with the hopes of developing for it. But we never did get a reply to the application. The price of £1000 was just too much to warrant at the time. I would love to get back to some 6502 coding though, so never say never.
I am not really sure about the Evercade, I know it has its followers, and I am sure it is great, but it’s just never appealed.
Is there anyone you would like to work with in the future?
There are hordes of people I would love to work with, too many to name names. Who knows, one day it may happen.
What would be your dream project to create?
I don’t really have a dream project as such. I have genres I enjoy though. For me, a dream project is when you play with code and something happens that makes you think, “Hold on, this could have wings,” and you pursue it. I love a game that is not made by committee, but rather forms from small seeds as you “play.” They are all dream projects for me.
That, or a vast RPG. Ha-ha.
For more of Michael's games and downloads, visit:
NEWS BYTES
AMSTRAD CPC: Roland in Retroalacant sees you control Roland Perry, collecting components to make an Amstrad CPC. https://bit.ly/roland-retro
APPLE-II: Rewrite the US Presidential Election result with Campaign Manager 2024 (also for C64). https://bit.ly/campaign2024-apple
ATARI JAGUAR: Jumping At Shadows was released at the Portland Retro Gaming Expo. https://bit.ly/jumpingatshadows
ATARI ST/STE: Shotgun from Dr Wuro Industries features four-player deathmatch action (requires 1Mb memory). https://bit.ly/shotgun-st
BBC MICRO: Save sheep from alien abduction in Infinite Porridge, Alec Baker’s take on Defender for Model B machines. https://bit.ly/infinite-porridge
COLECOVISION: CollectorVision has four new titles to order – Scramble, Legacy of the Wizard, Fruit Panic, and Parsec. https://collectorvision.com/store/
NES: Lowtek Games released Flea 2, continuing the adventures of Henry the Hyperactive Flea. https://bit.ly/flea2-nes
PC: Check out the remake of Olli & Lissa – The Ghost of Shilmoore Castle by Sunteam. https://bit.ly/olli-pc
PICO-8: Enjoy caravan shooter EX Terra from Loki Striker - https://bit.ly/exterra - and Sebastian Garcia’s scrolling beat ‘em up Backstreet Warriors - https://bit.ly/backstreet-p8
TRS-80: T.H.E.M. (Total Human Eradication Mandate) from Spriteworx requires the MCX32-SD expansion module. https://bit.ly/THEM-trs80
VIC-20: Games That Weren’t and Hewco have preserved and enhanced Matthew Smith’s 1983 release Monster Munch, written in BASIC for unexpanded VIC. https://bit.ly/monster-vic
Hewco also released Blue Meanies from Outer Space Enhanced and Bluevolution (+3K). https://hewco.itch.io/
Steamed Hams by Jeff Daniels (pictured) is a work of genius. https://bit.ly/steamed-vic
CHAMPION CODER - USER0X7F
[Name]
Andreas Winhard (User0x7f)
[Info]
Country: Germany
Website/online links: https://user0x7f.itch.io/
Format: Game Boy
Previous games: Genesis, Black Castle, Genesis II, Gunship DX, G-ZERO World GP
Currently working on: Black Castle II
What got you interested in Game Boy programming?
Back when I owned a Gameboy as a child, I always wondered how these games worked. I dreamed of developing a game myself one day and imagined all the things I could incorporate.
What is your development environment and what major tools do you use?
I actually only use the Gameboy Development Kit (GBDK), the Gameboy Tile Designer and the Gameboy Map Builder. To draw the Backgrounds and sprites I just use Windows Paint. I like how easy it is to use, and I don't need a tool with more functions.
What inspired the Genesis shmups?
The Genesis games are of course primarily inspired by Solar Striker. I'm a big fan of the game, precisely because of its simplicity. But I always missed more power-up options. It was also inspired by the Nemesis games. You can see that from the name alone.
How did you come up with the idea for Gunship?
While looking for new game ideas, I came across Operation Yabuka by chance. Unfortunately, the game was never finished and only an alpha version is available on itch.io. I wondered whether it would be possible to make a game like this for the Gameboy. During my research, I discovered that there are hardly any railway shooters for the Gameboy. This is probably because the classic Gameboy cannot process sprite priorities.
How difficult was adding the rumble to Gunship?
That wasn't very difficult. At first, I didn't even know that there were cartridges with rumble function until I came across the cartridge from Inside Gadgets. I thought that this feature would be perfect for Gunship and simply searched the Internet for specifications and found what I was looking for relatively quickly.
What is your current project?
I'm currently working on Black Castle II, which is one of my favourite games and I've been working on it for a while. At the moment there is only a prototype, and the game engine is not yet fully developed.
When do you think it will be finished?
There is no deadline. I work on the project when I enjoy it. If I lose interest in it, I don't do anything more. A few days or weeks later, I might come up with something new and then I continue. The whole thing is just a hobby and the fun comes first.
Is it good to get your games onto a physical cartridge?
Definitely! The feeling of holding the game you've put so much work into in your hands is indescribable. Every now and then I put one of my games in the Gameboy, even though I've played them hundreds of times.
What recent Game Boy homebrew has impressed you?
Dangan 1 & 2 by Snorpung are pretty impressive. The games not only have excellent graphics and sound, but also push the Gameboy to its limits.
What would be your dream project, or someone you would like to work with?
To be honest, I enjoy developing my games myself. I'm not dependent on anyone and can design the games exactly as I see fit. I can also take as much time as I want.
DATABURST - REVIEWS
Spelunky64
Format: Commodore 64
Credits: Paul Koller (code, graphics), (sound & music)
Price: $2.99 digital download
"With the blessing of Derek Yu and Mossmouth, this official conversion is superbly done. Every run feels different, and you gradually learn tactics like pulling diagonally down to hang from ledges. Minor omissions and niggles with the controls (especially getting off ladders) are forgiven as you experience a C64 classic."
[Score] 91% - RETRO GAMER SIZZLER
Soko-Banana
Format: NES
Credits: Flip For Fate (Marcus Calmfors, Stefan Kratz)
Price: $8.99 digital download / physical editions from $49.99
"Cute graphics, excellent music, and hidden secrets make this a great variation of the classic Soko-Ban (hence the title). With its brain-stretching gameplay and a lovely physical edition available, this is another great NES homebrew to add to your collection."
[Score] 88%
MicroVaders
Format: Atari Lynx
Credits: Songbird Productions (Carl Forhan, Dave Dies, anderlex)
Price: physical cartridge
"This is an old-school shoot ‘em up which can be frustrating but fun for a quick blast on the go."
[Score] 81%
PROCESSING - SABOTEUR (NES) PREVIEW
Christian Dinse of EASTPIXEL interview:
What inspired you to convert Saboteur to the NES?
In 1990 a Schneider CPC 464 came into our house, originally as a workstation for my older sister, but over time I came to like it more than she did. In our small town there was an electronics shop where you could still order games for the CPC at that time. SABOTEUR by Clive Townsend was the first game I bought for the CPC and I was immediately fascinated by it.
Have you been in contact with Clive Townsend, the original author?
Shortly after publishing my idea for the game, I came into contact with Clive, something my 12-year-old self from the early 90s could never have imagined.
Clive gave me the green light to work on the game and also offered his help.
Will it be a direct conversion of the map, or are you planning something different?
The game is loosely based on the 1985 classic of the same name by Clive Townsend. The world will consist of individual rooms (no scrolling) that are freely interconnected. There will be barriers, enemies and collectable items that can be used as keys or weapons. One of the biggest enemies is time. Randomly distributed terminals are planned, which the player can use to reset the constantly ticking clock or to unlock certain doors remotely.
Some rooms will not be linearly accessible, but will be randomly connected.
Even though the idea of bringing the original SABOTEUR game to the Nintendo Entertainment System is appealing, I have to say that my motivation for the project is based more on my own ideas. It would be great to have another port of the original game for the retro scene, but there are already a lot of good conversions for different devices, so my upcoming game will be more loosely based on the title and will be something independent.
What is similar is the structure, consisting of individual screens in the rough form of a maze and a ninja, but the story is different (adapted to modern times) and the use of collectables and objects within the game world is different. The graphical presentation is also unique.
How long have you been working on it, and what have you got left to do?
The idea was born in May 2024 and a first prototype (game physics, game logic, player sprite and player animations) was created in the same month. The publication of a first screenshot and the idea for the creation of the game took place on 24 May 2024.
Due to some work-related issues and my wedding in summer 2024, work on the game has recently been put on hold for a while. However, the game is already in active development again. I cannot currently give a time frame for the release of a demo version or the final game.
For the latest on the game, visit:
TECHNICAL DETAILS:
EASTPIXEL's Saboteur: An espionage game for NES
Story:
An unnamed dictator has planted mercenaries as sleepers in governments and strategic locations around the world.
The mercenaries are aware of their activities, but not of their respective targets.
In order to activate the mercenaries and assign them their respective tasks and time periods (attacks, espionage), certain news texts are published in the media.
The information about these news texts, times, locations, ... are stored in an encrypted database.
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Aim of the game:
To find the digital key to the database and obtain information about the mercenary orders in order to prevent them.
The digital key is stored in a blockchain wallet.
The 12-word phrase (access to the wallet) must be found.
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Player:
unnamed player, client unknown
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Game universe:
Real world in the year 203x
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Location of the game:
Bunker complex / manor house, location unknown
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Goal of the games:
- find six pieces of paper with two words each (this results in a 12-word phrase)
- the 12-word phrase enables access to a blockchain wallet in which a password for decrypting documents is stored
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Elements of the game:
The player:
- the character wears a dark suit with a ski mask
- the character can move left and right, jump and duck
- the character can climb up and down ladders, ropes or other objects
- the player can hurt himself by kicking, punching or throwing knives
Timer (not yet finalised/balanced):
- a continuous seconds counter runs backwards (from XXX -not yet finalised- seconds to 0, when it reaches 0 the game is over and must be restarted)
- the timer can be reset to XXX seconds by using terminals found inside some rooms or collecting time reset objects (a maximum of two are kept in the player's inventory to use them if no terminal is around when the time runs out)
Inventory bar (not yet finalised/balanced):
- the inventory bar is divided into different sections
- 1. energy indicator of the player (100 to 0, when reaching 0 the game is over and must be restarted)
- 2. timer (in seconds, always counting backward from XXX - 0)
- 3. collectibles
- Collection objects #1: number of the pieces of paper found (0 to 6, represented by 2 x 3 stack symbols)
- Collectibles #2: Display of collected objects, for interaction with the world (e.g. key cards for lifts or doors and others) - max. 4 objects in the inventory
- Collectibles #3: "Hourglasses" to reset the timer back to XXX seconds - a maximum of two objects in the inventory
- 4. throwable knifes (missing in the current development screenshots)
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The game technology:
The game is in development for the Nintendo Entertainment System / Nintendo Famicom and will run on original hardware (NTSC + PAL) and emulators. The option to publish the game on original cartridges is available to me, but this is not planned from the outset. However, I am already testing all development versions as Cartridge on an original console.
The game world is divided into a total of 400+ (non-scrolling) individual screens. Each screen offers individual options for entering it. Individual screens can form a larger, coherent space.
It is planned to work with randomisation in places, which means that passing through a door on the left in room A leads to room B, but the door there does not necessarily lead back to room A.
I found the idea of a platform game that works without scrolling appealing, which is why I chose this type of presentation.
The choice of colours for the game has been deliberately kept to a minimum and should generally consist of black, light/dark grey and white at most. Nevertheless, there should be some signal colours (used in a very reduced way) that highlight certain game elements.
If it turns out during the development process that individual colours should be added if it serves the atmosphere (night sky, natural elements outside the building), then more can be added.
Fun fact: Lately I find myself calling it a espionage-MAZE-game.
Christian Dinse (EASTPIXEL)
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