Homebrew Extra Retro Gamer 275
- andrewrfisher
- 5 minutes ago
- 14 min read
Turning your game into a physical product can be difficult. That’s where the Homebrew Factory could help, as our main feature describes. There are great conversions between formats and an interesting handheld release in the reviews. Jaguar fans will be enjoying a classic arcade fighting game soon, courtesy of our Champion Coder, and there’s a Candy Quest imminent for Game Boy Color. Whether you buy physically or digitally, check out these great games soon.
QUICK LINKS
FRENCH FACTORY - interview with the Broke Studio/Homebrew Factory team
FRENCH FACTORY
Interview with Antoine and Julien from Homebrew Factory/Broke Studios
How did Broke Studio start?
Antoine: Broke Studio was created in 2017 for the Twin Dragons’ Kickstarter campaign. Twin Dragons was a game originally made for the NESdev compo 2016 using open-source graphics made by Surt. After winning the competition, I wanted to make a full game from it and release it in physical format. My friends Matt and Martin helped me in the process. Matt composed the soundtrack and designed the sound effects and Martin made all the pixel art based on Surt’s original work, and a lot of the level design too. I did all the code, the PCB design and pretty much everything else regarding manufacturing.
After the game's release, a website was created to continue selling the game. Also, having all the “production line” in place to manufacture NES games, I thought that it would be interesting to offer my services to help other developers manufacture and sell their games. That’s how Broke Studio became a publisher, with Micro Mages and Nebs ‘n Debs being added to the catalogue in 2019.
A lot of games have joined the adventure since, and we are proud to have helped many developers for the last 8 years!
How many people are now involved, and what are their roles?
Antoine: Although I worked with Matt and Martin on Twin Dragons, Broke Studio in itself remained a solo adventure for many years.
I had to learn and manage a lot of things, such as finding suppliers for the various parts needed to make the games, learning how to design a PCB, assembling the games, preparing packages and shipping the games, dealing with customer service, finding new games to publish, doing some community management, attending to events to promote the games…
In February 2023, Julien joined the team and is now in charge of social media, communication with developers, customer service, QA testing and packaging design.
Finally, Thomas joined us in January 2025 and is in charge of assembling the games.
How many homebrew titles have you published as physical editions so far?
26 games published by Broke Studio:
- L’Abbaye des Morts (NES + FC)
- Arkagis Revolution (MD)
- Basse Def Adventures (NES)
- Changeable Guardian Estique (NES + FC)
- The Cursed Knight (MD)
- The Cursed Legacy (MD)
- Data Man (NES)
- Flea! (NES)
- Fortified Zone 2 (GB)
- Inspector Waffles: Early Days (GB)
- Lizard (NES + FC)
- Lost Treasure of Lima (GB)
- Micro Mages (NES + FC)
- Nebs 'n Debs (NES + FC)
- NORDLE (NES + FC)
- Papi Commando Second Blood (MD)
- Pizza Pop! (NES)
- Pelusa Saga: Kaji's Trials (NES + FC)
- Pokettohiro! (GBC)
- Project Blue (NES)
- Steel Legion (NES)
- Super Bat Puncher Demo 10th anniversary (FC)
- Super Tilt Bro. (NES)
- Tapeworm (NES)
- Traumatarium (GB)
- Twin Dragons (NES + FC)
8 Kickstarter campaigns handled by Broke Studio:
- The Cursed Knight
- The Cursed Legacy
- The Fallen Crown
- Inspector Waffles: Early Days
- Steel Legion
- Super Tilt Bro.
- Traumatarium
- Twin Dragons
We also manufactured 29 games for other developers (for Kickstarter campaigns or not):
- The Adventures of Panzer (KS/NES)
- The Adventures of Panzer 2 (KS/NES)
- Courier (KS/NES)
- Crabbie Attack (NES)
- Flea! (KS/NES + DC)
- Flea! 2 (KS/NES + DC)
- From Below (NES)
- From Below Pocket (GB)
- Gema Boy Zero (DC)
- Hexproof (NES)
- The House in the Cemetery (KS/NES)
- Jane Austen's 8-bit Adventure (NES)
- Jim & Dill 3 (NES)
- Kubo 1+2 (NES + FC)
- Kubo 3 (NES + FC)
- L.S.D. (KS/NES)
- The Legend of Cheb Hasni (NES)
- The Magnilo Case (NES)
- Mauri Mursu's Hangover (NES)
- Mauvet Mauve (NES)
- Mawthorne (KS/NES + DC)
- Saturday Man (NES)
- Save the Kuin (KS/NES)
- Shera and the 40 thieves (KS/NES)
- Shera and the 40 thieves definitive edition (KS/NES)
- SkateCat (NES + FC)
- Super Cambur Origins (DC)
- Super Cambur 2 (DC)
- Tapeworm (KS/NES)
- Tortoises Unshelled Edition (NES)
- Tryptic (KS/NES)
- Turtle Paint (KS/NES)
What have been the most difficult parts of making new physical games?
Antoine: Unlike digital releases, physical games require manufacturing, packaging, logistics, and often dealing with unpredictable delays or minimum order quantities from suppliers. Another major challenge is ensuring quality and consistency, particularly when working across different regions and production partners. Finally, estimating demand is always tricky: producing too many copies can be a financial risk, while not producing enough can leave potential players empty-handed. Balancing all of this while supporting developers and staying true to their vision is a complex, but ultimately rewarding, process.
How is the artwork produced?
Julien: Developers usually already have their artwork done. But, if necessary, we can put them in touch with artists (the right one for every project) to work on a cover, and we can handle the packaging design too.
Roughly how long does it take from the idea to producing the finished product?
Julien: For a full game project, and if you take the development time into account, it usually takes around 2 years. It really depends on the project size, the developer’s experience, and the free time available to work on it. Sometimes it can be less than 2 years, sometimes (most of the time?) it’s more than that.
The physical production takes about 1 to 3 months once we have all the print files and data files. It includes proofreading the print files, ordering the print materials, ordering PCBs if we don’t have them in stock, flashing the boards, assembling and testing the cartridges, putting everything in the game box, and finally, shrink-wrapping.
What has been your favourite console to work with?
Antoine: I’d say the NES, but I’m a bit biased since that’s where it all started :)
The community around this console is great, very helpful and supportive, I really felt welcomed when I started my journey in this homebrew rabbit hole.
What have been your five favourite games Broke has published?
Antoine: Micro Mages, Data Man, Inspector Waffles Early Days, Changeable Guardian Estique and The Cursed Knight.
Julien: Micro Mages, Twin Dragons, Pokettohiro!, Inspector Waffles Early Days, and Chouyoku Senki Estique.
What gave you the idea for the Homebrew Factory?
Antoine: Homebrew Factory came from the frustration of not being able to publish and manufacture every game for different reasons. The main idea behind Broke Studio was to help developers release their games in physical format, just like I did for Twin Dragons.
Homebrew Factory is a two-in-one platform: on one side, it’s a store where gamers can discover and purchase homebrew games; on the other, it’s a powerful online tool for creators. They can set up a product page and submit what we call a configuration request—a form that includes all the details needed to manufacture their game. They can also choose whether they want to launch a pre-order campaign or go straight into production.
It’s a simple way for creators to self-publish their games with no financial risk when running a pre-order campaign, or with minimal risk when producing a (very) small batch.
They can even let us take care of the fulfilment if they have already assembled copies of their game. They can send us copies, set up their product page, and we’ll take care of everything else.
The difference between a game published by Broke Studio and a game sold independently by a creator on Homebrew Factory lies in the level of support and commitment. When a game is published by Broke Studio, we ensure it remains available by restocking it as needed, promoting it, and showcasing it at events. In contrast, for games sold independently through Homebrew Factory, once the stock runs out, it’s up to the creator to decide whether or not to produce more copies, and it’s up to them to promote their game.
Do you need to see a fully finished game, or would you accept based on a demo?
Antoine: For Homebrew Factory, a creator cannot have their game for sale if it’s not finished. They have to submit a final ROM and final print files.
Julien: For Broke Studio, it depends on the game. We usually prefer to play the full game before making any decision, but there can be exceptions, like The Fallen Crown, for which we had only played a demo.
How many titles do you already have in production?
Julien: We currently have 26 titles, 9 of them having a Famicom version too. And of course, more to come :)
Are there any different consoles or computers you would like to publish for?
Antoine: The Super Nintendo would be the next logical step for us, but I’d really like to see what can be done for the Neo Geo. Also, I’d love to make a game again… life’s too short ha-ha.
Julien: Yeah, Super Nintendo and Neo Geo! But secretly, the WonderSwan!
What has been the most unusual game or extra in the box that someone has suggested?
Antoine: I like it when developers get creative with the game package content. I know Alastair Low made a paper 3D diorama insert to replace the Styrofoam block, very nice stuff. I also remember Joe Sherman asking me to print Crabbie Attack’s instructions on a very thin paper so it looked like an old piece of newspaper, or a page of an old book. The result was pretty neat.
NEWS BYTES
Amiga: Retream released its latest, Gemdalus, mixing a maze game with Oil’s Well. bit.ly/gemdalus
(Note: review below in the Databurst section)
Atari STE: Matt Lacey converted Rob Caporetto’s ZX Next game Invasion of the Emerald Saucers (the latter is available via the same link). bit.ly/emerald-ste
C64: Tyrian’s Towers is ICON64’s take on the isometric arcade game Crystal Castles, with tape and cartridge versions also on sale from Psytronik. bit.ly/tyrian-c64
Game Boy: Castle of Terror is the latest title from PCNONO Games at bit.ly/castleofterror-gb - with the physical cartridge to preorder at www.pcnono.es/
Jaguar: Ricco59 converted the Atari ST shmup Space Zot (see RG240’s preview). bit.ly/zot-jaguar
PC: Space-Time Games released their remake of the Spectrum classic Batty, with 15 levels from the Spectrum game and 64 recreated C64 levels. bit.ly/batty-pc
PICO-8: Tom Mulgrew’s Air Pico is a flight simulator, where you fly charter flights, make deliveries and even spray crops. bit.ly/air-pico
QL: Check out a great conversion of the classic isometric Batman game. bit.ly/batman-ql
Saturn: Zhamul’s multiplayer PlayStation game Silkasaurus has been converted for 2-12 players with multitap. bit.ly/silkasaurus
ZX Spectrum: The latest PuttyCAD and 100TinSoldiers release is Baby-Man vs Terminatots part 1. bit.ly/terminatots1
Various: Adventure game Echoes from the Future by Dareint is available for a wide range of formats at just $2. bit.ly/echoes-various
Mazy2 is the latest multi-format outing from Japanese coder Inufuto. bit.ly/mazy2-various
CHAMPION CODER - CHRIS BRYANT
[Info]
From: Dallas, Texas
Website: patreon.com/TRUFUNGames
Format: Jaguar
Previous games: Super Rad Raygun (PC, Mac, Linux), Rad Raygun (Xbox 360 Indie Game), Bop N' Pop! (Xbox 360 Indie Game)
Working on: Mortal Kombat
Chris is a lifelong Atari fan and was 11 when Mortal Kombat was originally released.
What got you into Jaguar programming?
I've been a fan of all-things Atari since I was a kid. My earliest video game memories are my older brother and I playing games like Asteroids, Pac-Man, and Kaboom! on the Atari 2600. During the Nintendo vs. Sega era, I was the weird kid that was rooting for Atari. I still had Nintendo and Sega consoles, but the Atari Lynx and Atari Jaguar were my guilty pleasures and will always have a special place in my heart. When I was 14, I got into computer programming, because I wanted to make my own video games. So, my love for Atari and computer programming goes way back.
Today, I work as a software engineer in the corporate world, but my passion for gaming and game development have never faded. As a hobbyist, I've released games on Xbox Live Indies for the 360, on Steam for PC/Mac/Linux, and on mobile for iOS/Android. As you can see, I like to tinker with all sorts of programming languages and platforms. So, two years ago, I decided to dip my toe in homebrew development for a retro console -- and of course, I chose the Atari Jaguar!
What is your development environment?
I'm writing Mortal Kombat in C using JagStudio and the Raptor API. I test the game on my laptop using the Virtual Jaguar and BigPEmu emulators, and I use the GameDrive to test the game on real hardware.
Why did you choose to convert Mortal Kombat?
I was 11 when Mortal Kombat was released in the arcades. Never before had I played a game that looked and sounded so realistic. I distinctly remember seeing Raiden for the first time, with lightning circling his body. My jaw dropped to the floor -- and the blood and the violence were just icing on the cake! I was instantly hooked. Months later, I was super excited to hear that Mortal Kombat was coming to home consoles! On September 13th, 1993, aka "Mortal Monday", I got the Sega Genesis version. My buddy down the street got the Super Nintendo version. Both of us were disappointed... The Genesis version had all of the blood and violence of the arcade, but the graphics and sound left a lot to be desired. The Super Nintendo version looked and sounded great, but the blood was missing, and the controls were sluggish.
Around that same time, Atari announced their next home console, the 64-bit Jaguar. I remember scouring through magazines soaking up any-and-all information I could on the console. After seeing some screenshots and the technical specs, Mortal Kombat was the first game I thought of! Surely Acclaim would bring home an arcade-perfect port of Mortal Kombat to the Jaguar, right?! Nope...sadly, that day never came. So that's why I'm here - to give the Atari Jaguar the Mortal Kombat port it has always deserved.
Do you think Atari should have made a Jaguar conversion back in the day?
Of course! There were rumours of MK3 being ported to the Jaguar, but that never saw the light of day either...
What have been the toughest parts so far?
The toughest part is fitting all of the assets onto a 6MB cartridge. Also, the Jaguar only has 2MB of RAM. When I first started on the port, I was using the arcade graphics for the fighters; however, a spritesheet for one fighter took up 1MB of RAM. So, with two fighters on screen, I've already maxed out the RAM, and that doesn't include the stage graphics, music, and sound effects. I ended up using the MS-DOS graphics instead, which are about 25% smaller than the arcade.
How are you converting graphics and sound/music?
The graphics are taken from several different versions of Mortal Kombat - including the arcade, MS-DOS, and Super Nintendo. It's a balancing act to see what the Jaguar can handle performance-wise and still look as close to the arcade as possible. The sound effects are straight from the arcade, but they are trimmed and reduced to 8000Hz to save space. For music, I am currently using songs from the Amiga ports of MK1 and MK2, but these are placeholders for now. I've reached out to a few different chiptune artists to see if we can come up with songs that sound closer to the arcade. I know the Jaguar can handle it!
What remains to be done?
Currently, the game has nine playable fighters - Johnny Cage, Kano, Raiden, Liu Kang, Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Sonya, Reptile, and Kasumi (a Jaguar-exclusive). Each of these fighters have a base moveset, special moves, and a finisher. I still need to add endurance matches, Goro, Shang Tsung, and "Test Your Might". Once these are done, it's just a matter of fixing bugs, improving performance, and polishing the game.
How can people play the current demo/alpha?
Currently, the game is only playable on an actual Atari Jaguar using a GameDrive. I have a Patreon page (patreon.com/TRUFUNGames) where folks can sign up to be testers and download the game ROM. (Testers will also get their names in the credits!)
How will you be distributing the final game?
Warner Bros. owns the rights to the Mortal Kombat IP. I would LOVE to obtain a license from them to distribute the game physically. But the chances of that happening are pretty slim. In all likelihood, the game will be released as a free ROM that can be played on an emulator or real hardware using a GameDrive.
Do you have any other projects in development?
Haha, well...I have a wife, two kids, and a full-time job, so Mortal Kombat is plenty to keep me busy for right now! But I do plan on making another game for the Jaguar once Mortal Kombat is done. I have some ideas - MK2 would be an obvious choice, but I want to keep my options open. :)
DATABURST - REVIEWS
NOTE: the initial version of this column featured a review of Hoffman's Mega Drive conversion of Metal Gear. This was replaced with the Gemdalus review found below.
Gemdalus
Format: Amiga AGA/CD32 (PAL display, 1.6 Mb Chip RAM)
Credits: Retream (Simone Bevilacqua)
Price: $5 or more (digital download as ADF, LHA, ISO)
Web: bit.ly/gemdalus
The Sierra classic Oil’s Well inspired this colourful maze game. The graphics have a great metallic sheen, and the presentation throughout is excellent. Beating your high score will draw you back, although it also needed the randomly created mazes for boosting the longevity. This is a very enjoyable release from Retream.
[Score] 84%
Dangerous Demolition
Format: Game Gear
Credits: Dr Ludos (design, code), Jaden H (music), 2Minds (publisher)
Price: Physical preorder from €39
Web: bit.ly/demolition-gg
This quirky game combines shooting with Breakout, featuring four distinct modes. Dangerous Demolition is fun and tries something different, but it may not have the depth for the long haul.
[Score] 79%
Yoomp!
Format: Atari ST/STE
Credits: Dekadence (Britelite – code, Bracket – graphics, Ricky Martin – sound)
Price: Name your own price (digital download)
Web: bit.ly/yoomp-st
The brilliant Atari 8-bit game has finally made the jump to the ST. The levels get more challenging as you progress, and this version adds a new Rush mode, where you try to complete all 22 levels as a continuous sequence with just one life! An excellent conversion with smooth graphics and a great soundtrack, so don’t miss it.
[Score] 87%
PROCESSING - CANDY QUEST (GAME BOY COLOR)
Interview with MaxBeforeTheOne:
What inspired you to write a Game Boy game?
Ever since high school, when a friend of mine properly reintroduced me to the Game Boy line of handhelds and their games, I’ve always had a deep admiration for how such relatively simple games were capable of providing many hours of entertainment. It was also around this time that I also got into making pixel art. Putting one and two together, I started off with making texture ROM hacks for Super Mario Land and The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening as simple side projects. Then, I eventually discovered GB Studio, a program that lets you actually make your own Game Boy games with (relative) ease, and the rest is history.
What is your development environment?
I have a pretty simple gaming PC setup that I do all of my work on. Candy Quest is being made with the latest version of GB Studio, and I use Aseprite for all of the background and sprite work.
How did you come up with the main character?
The designs for the playable characters, the Pumpkids, are inspired by these pumpkin mask items you could obtain in Animal Crossing: New Leaf. Originally, Candy Quest was going to be an Animal Crossing-themed platformer. Jack would have been the original "Pumpking," the Pumpkids were going to be 1-1 copies of those masks, and other characters from the series would have appeared as well.
Are you planning a physical cartridge?
Eventually, yes. Although I’m not entirely sure what route I’ll take to get cartridges made, they’ve always been a part of the plan with Candy Quest.
What is left to finish the game, and when do you plan to release?
The game still has a decent chunk of content left to be worked on. This includes the entire fourth world, which is what I’m currently tackling, a final, shorter fifth world, some story-centred content such as the multiple endings I’m planning on having, and some fun unlockables to reward players for their efforts in the game. I still can’t say for certain when the game will be released or if the game will be finished this year, since I’m pretty bad at estimating how long things take to make, but I promise that no matter how long it takes, the wait will be worth it!
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