Dwarves Manager, NES Game by Khopa

[raw]
made by Khopa for LD29 (COMPO)
Hey guys !

This is my first NES game, and i made it for LD, that's something \o/

Langage&Libs : C language + 6502 Asm + Shiru's neslib
Tools Used : CA65 compiler, Tile Layer Pro, NES Screen Tool, NES Space Checker, Sublime Text 3

So what is Dwarves Manager 2 ?
As it's name suggest, there is indeed a Dwarves Manager 1. It's in fact my own game, freely available on the Play Store for Android. It's a game about managing a Dwarven mine, so when i saw the jam theme, and knowing that a couple week ago there was also a mini-ld themed as "Demake", i couldn't resist the envy to create a NES version of this game.
Of course, this NES version is really different from the original, and really less complex, but take place in the same universe.

HOW TO PLAY :
- Load the .nes ROM in your favorite NES emulator !

COMMANDS :
- Use the arrows key to move the selected dwarf
- Press A to dig gold (you can't do it when moving)
- Maintain B to run
- Press Select to switch through the available dwarves.

Instructions :
- Avoid the fireballs
- Get as much gold as you can

KNOWN ISSUES :
- Collision issues with dwarves and fireballs
- Glitching fireballs
- Currently no sound working
- Dirty code


You may load the .nes Rom on Nesbox if you are too lazy to download an emulator (http://nesbox.com/own)

Ratings

Coolness 75% 2
Overall 3.17 574
Audio 2.35 757
Fun 2.64 886
Graphics 3.11 600
Humor 2.48 515
Innovation 3.87 106
Mood 2.97 570
Theme 3.00 774

Feedback

alvarop
28. Apr 2014 路 07:02 UTC
Really cool idea to make it a ROM. You'd be able to put it on a physical cartridge, though?
馃帳 Khopa
28. Apr 2014 路 08:10 UTC
No, i don't have all the hardware to do that :)
Nnnnneeeedddd
28. Apr 2014 路 18:31 UTC
Couldn't really rate this. Because i dont have a nes ;(
bucketh3ad
28. Apr 2014 路 18:36 UTC
http://nesbox.com/own

For anybody too lazy to look for an emulator.

Really fun game, man!
loxo
28. Apr 2014 路 18:42 UTC
Good start, I like the idea and the use of technology.
trueyomic
28. Apr 2014 路 18:44 UTC
Very cool that you made an NES rom! Though I wish the gameplay consisted of more than pressing A to get gold (a la cookie clicker). Very neat though!
skymen
28. Apr 2014 路 18:44 UTC
Nice idea to make a NES game, but it's really difficult to play if you DON'T have a nes simulator. Hopefully, this site exists: http://nesbox.com/own Put it in your description.
The game is not really explained In Game (I didn't read your description first) We don't really understand what is happening and the all game makes no sense... Firebals in a cave beneath the surface that goes through the wall?.
Not the worst game I played, but could be a lot better.
馃帳 Khopa
28. Apr 2014 路 18:58 UTC
Thanks for your comments, i'll put the nesbox link in the description, i didn't knew it.

Yeah, the game is a mess and glitchy, but it was kind of a personnal challenge :)
Jason Lay
28. Apr 2014 路 19:02 UTC
Ok, ok! This was the coolest thing ever! I think you're limiting your audience by making it a NES ROM. However that is a cool concept. Luckily I have an emulator! After I play some more games, I'm gonna check out the code, never seen any one build a ROM before. Shit I'm tweeting this!
GlowingSnail
28. Apr 2014 路 19:19 UTC
Kudos for picking an unusual and retro-hipsty plateform.

The gameplay is original, but unwieldy and not fun. All three dwarfs are getting bombarded by a DoDonPachiesque amount of fireballs, but to move one you have first to cycle to him. When digging, the only feedback is the gold counter increasing. I distinctly remember NES having more colors than bronze, maroon and black: run on a NES emulator, but looks like a Gameboy game.
馃帳 Khopa
28. Apr 2014 路 19:47 UTC
@Jason
I started learning NES assembly last week, but found a C library and tutorial this week-end, that was much easier with C though i managed to have moving sprites with assembly. If you want to get into NES programming, you should check this website, there are cool resources, tools, and examples projects : http://shiru.untergrund.net/articles/programming_nes_games_in_c.htm
I remember someone did a Commodore 64 game two LD ago, and i don't think i'm the first to go for a NES Rom.

@GlowingSnails

Yep, it really lacks sounds for feedback, and i could have made some color palette switch as the game goes on. My mistake is that i used nearly the same palette for each dwarves sprites, and fireballs are using a color palette that is the same as the backgrounds tiles, in the end i have 3 unused palette and 5 palette that are pretty much the same. So yeah, it's almost a 4-color game.
DrMelon
28. Apr 2014 路 20:43 UTC
Awesome idea! Really novel of you to make it for NES. Good job!
Turnipnose
28. Apr 2014 路 20:45 UTC
WHAAAT a NES ROM?! oh my god, haven't seen those in a while... the gameplay is kinda simple, but still its pretty fun considering the plattform. (good to know thath they could have done game jams back then :D)
fluidvolt
28. Apr 2014 路 20:48 UTC
Very cool of you to make a NES game! The art style is slick (I love the palette you chose) and it controls smooth. And I like those fossilized tetrominos in the walls!
Snicklodocus
28. Apr 2014 路 21:27 UTC
Very impressive to make an actual NES game. Worked fine in my emulator. It is very glitchy but but charming. Only issue was at first I didn't understand that I could mine gold anywhere (was expecting ore to pop up or something!) Good job!
matt_j
29. Apr 2014 路 04:41 UTC
An NES ROM? That's dedication.
pinkmonkeyhead
29. Apr 2014 路 04:42 UTC
wow! this must be the smallest game of this LD, only 32kb
I wonder how difficult is to make a NES game
I found some bugs but overall good job!
Druid
29. Apr 2014 路 07:59 UTC
Right in childhood ! :D Nice one!
parDal
29. Apr 2014 路 08:02 UTC
Fantastic premise, but the execution was really bad.

The gameplay is pretty basic and confusing, the fireballs kinda glitched a little (so sometimes I didn't know how and where to dodge) and the motivation to keep playing is real low, you should've invested some time in giving that gold some value.

But, well, I can't criticize too much, I ought to praise your initiative in coding at low-level and for NES in a 48-hour solo jam, that is pretty risky and is commendable that you made something this solid, amazing.

Also, I checked some screenshots of the original game on the play store, it looks pretty neat, it's a shame I don't have a smartphone to test it out.

Congratulations for participating.
rnlf
29. Apr 2014 路 08:03 UTC
Runs smoothly in bsnes. I like it that it's a real NES game. I think the art is appropriate for the limitiations posed by a NES.

Good work!
sirikan
29. Apr 2014 路 08:03 UTC
Wow you were not kidding when you said you are doing 8bit. :) Awesome work :).
Sergraz
29. Apr 2014 路 10:23 UTC
Wow, real NES game on ludum dare, in 48 hours? Well done. Looking good and authentic, nice and intresting mechanics. Glithches ruin it a little, looks like fireballs don't do anything? Still it feels nice and once again - very impressive. I wish sound would work, that would make atmosphere even better.
Lacaranian
29. Apr 2014 路 22:15 UTC
Cool art! And nice work with making it for the NES. Not a lot of those these days.
Jupiter_Hadley
01. May 2014 路 01:36 UTC
I cannot play this game because I do not have a NES... :(
petey123567
02. May 2014 路 04:56 UTC
5 stars for innovation!
SyBen
03. May 2014 路 23:46 UTC
Well, the choice of the platform rocks, when I saw the links it drew me a smile ! Game runs nicely, except that some time I didn't get the physics of the fireball which seemed to disappear. Nice dedication though
shasharala
04. May 2014 路 00:12 UTC
That was interesting. It has been a while since I played a NES ROM. In regards to the game, it is not difficult at all, dodging the fireballs is relatively easy till later in the game, but managing three dwarves was annoying. I actually managed one dwarf and made him do all the work while his comrades stood idly. I got pretty far doing that, but I do not imagine it was intended.

Regardless, it was fun to play with the NES again. (Or an emulator, rather.)
Konrad Zegis
04. May 2014 路 08:50 UTC
It'd be great to see how many fireballs I can take, one time I abandoned 2 dwarfes, and run with one, and I'm pretty shure he didn't recieve any fireball, but died anyway. Either way I left with single dwarf, but not the one I was moving ;)

And as someone noticed I expected something to pop-up to dig. At first I was convinced that those 2 other dwarfs ARE some sort of gold chest, lol.

And for comments, I wonder if someone ever said "Too bad it's a web game I don't have web browser :(" it's weird to see statements like that, when we have at leat 25 nes emus (wiki list + nesbox) these days. Heck there also nes emulators for smartphones!