Working on the new demo

I paused the normal project development this week to start working on the next tech demo. As already mentioned, this updated tech demo will be available for the NCFC.

Changes since V1.0 (so far):
  • New areas to explore. The demo is twice as big as before.
  • New powerups for you to try (Hi-Jump and JumpBall)
  • More hidden missile expansions for the explorer gamers.
  • Engine optimizations. Slowdown is reduced when playing in older PCs.
  • CUSTOMIZABLE CONTROLS with JOYPAD SUPPORT!!! (Finally!!)
  • Options menu. You can customize the screen settings, sound volume and input settings.
  • Ridley is now more balanced. You won´t have to rely so much on the bomb trick.


Before you ask: No, you won´t have that many missiles in the demo, I was just testing the boss battle.

All my free time is focused on this new version, so I hope the finished product can be a nice speedrunnable game, and an oportunity to try more of the engine.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Best news i've heard all day :D
Anonymous said…
You nerfed Ridley?? :(

i liked his hardness...
will there be a hard and easy mode for this demo?
Anonymous said…
nice you doing an awesome job,i like how the ridley level looks like, can't wait.
Namagem said…
Hard/Easy mode would be be a nice feature in this demo, Methinks. Decrease the number of powerups available, make enemies twice as as hard to kill.
DoctorM64 said…
Ok.
Difficulty settings affect how much damage Samus takes, and how much damage she inflicts on enemies. I just have to modify the number of missiles you get on each difficulty.

It´s already implemented (except for the missiles thing), so I´ll add it to the demo.
Anonymous said…
Man that looks awesome. Have any suggestions for the joypad selection?
Anonymous said…
NICE! I just hope that this'll work with my 360 controller.
Anonymous said…
decresing the number of powerups available?

y not just have like... 3 (reg)missiles from an expantion and 1 from a super on hard that way

One.. be less effort on your part

two.. your not taking any findings away from hard mode :D
Anonymous said…
Will there be a metroid fight be there?
Lazure said…
And the JOYPAD buttons will also be customizable? :D
Anonymous said…
Please put a Metroid or 2 in it? I'd like to get a taste of fighting them, at least...
Anonymous said…
Very Nice!!! Lookin foward to that new tech demo :)
Anonymous said…
Can't wait to get my hands on it!
Anonymous said…
awesome news! cant wait for it.
Anonymous said…
This remake should be done really soon
Anonymous said…
i hope we have the chance to see a beam upgrade in this demo :p
Anonymous said…
You never fail to amaze me.

The detail you've put into this really shows. I like how you modified Ridley's sprites (green shade) to add to the atmosphere of the area. It's the little things that count after all.

I do need to ask though...will there be any Alpha metroid in the demo?

After all this is a Metoid II remake. Adding the Metroid into the demo would only serve to boost your games creds even more.

Hope to hear back from you.
PLEASE put at least one beam upgrade into the demo. I do not like relying on the Power Beam and missiles for the whole thing. Also, for Hard Mode, try to make Samus slightly slower and jump slightly lower.
Anonymous said…
I didn't have to use the bomb trick to beat Ridley. Although maybe you should make it an upgrade. That way people can figure out how to do it, and to know it's even their. I didn't even know about it until I watched the video. So I played the demo again to try and do it, but I couldn't.
Anonymous said…
I have always wanted to ask this but why dont you put kraid in the demo instead of ridley.a nice change of boss battle would make the demo more intresting and fun
Anonymous said…
ya a metroid in the demo would be awesome
WiLL said…
"Engine optimizations. Slowdown is reduced when playing in older PCs."

For me, this is the best news. I hated the slowdowns in the first version.
Anonymous said…
i wonder if it is possible to port the final game to wii. i have seen wii ports of quake and doom, and while i dont knwo what engine you use, im positive it could run on that system via homebrew channel. wouldn´t that rock? of course it would... BEST PROJECT EVER!!!
Anonymous said…
whouaaaaaaaaaa!!

sa dechire

Best news i've heard all day too
Anonymous said…
hmm I think a good beam for the demo would be the wide beam because it wouldn't give you any advantages for puzzles but at the same time it gives your shot more of a bite
Anonymous said…
i think the ice beam would be good enough for the demo, and yes a metroid fight would be awesome too.
Anonymous said…
The screenshots have 57 metroids in the HUD! Does hat mean a fight?
Anonymous said…
if you were to add metroid's in the game, than that means you should have Ice beam. you should also have wave beam... I dont know, I just helps with finding items sometimes...... and its effective. just try to add 2 beams In the demo at least. wish you luck! (I am making a metroid fangame also :D)
Anonymous said…
Wait. It will be in NFGC. Does that mean it will be out in october. I hate waiting.
Anonymous said…
oh hey ronny! october eh....... cant wait!
Anonymous said…
It´s a great game, but the music of the DEMO is very different to the music of Metroid 2 Return of Samus
I think that you must remake the original music, anything so like Metroid Zero Mission, it have the music of Classic Metroid, but with anyone changes.

I wait your mind about I did say.
Anonymous said…
I think that your game would be much better with the original music of the game Metroid 2 Return of Samus, the music of the Demo is excellent, however is very far of the original and I seat it like extraneous to the game; it does not happen me the same when I listen the music of the Preview of AM2R that you went up to youtube, it does not last more of one or two minutes, but it carries the original music of the Metroid 2 and this is the most magnificent that you have created... I, as fans of all my life of the game metroid, Recommend you that no you do not do differences in the music of your new game with the one of the metroid 2 classical, because I think that like this as I saw it, can have others that seat that it is an extraneous version to the metroid 2 (although I am critical, also soil be constructivo) greetings
Anonymous said…
Ridley is looking good an all, but theres just one thing: There is no Ridley in Metroid 2. Are you not going to respect the Metroid storyline?
Anonymous said…
this is just a tech demo showing the technology and the game engine that the actual game will use. it does not, however, have any of the levels that will appear in the final game. i repeat-this is not part of the final game, only a tech demo.
Anonymous said…
Fool! Dr.M64 allready said that Ridley wont be in the final game!
Anonymous said…
Whoa, great news! I'm really looking forward to the demo!!
Anonymous said…
I love what your doing, really looking forward to the demo and the full product as well.

Will ridley be "less" fast in the new demo? cuz i think it feelt like he was tooooo fast.
Anonymous said…
I have a question. Are there going to be any hatches in the demo, or at least in the final version of the game? I recall that there weren't any hatches at all in the previous demo. It would be nice to see some hatches that could only be opened by missiles, super missiles, and power bombs, and possibly even some hatches that could only be opened by defeating a boss (you could use that in the demo for Ridley). I hope my suggestion helps!
Anonymous said…
SR388 is supposed to be deserted of life that can make technology. The hatches either were never there or rotted away. Eccept in upgrade rooms. They have hatches.
Anonymous said…
@ronny14 yes, the chozo had constructed those doors to guard their most "sacred treasures". so they are just a blockade and the items inside were specifically for chozo use only. at least when the chozo lived there.
Unknown said…
Someone asked earlier if this would be able to be ported to the Wii via the Homebrew channel. I agree - that would be incredibly awesome. Would it be possible?
Anonymous said…
I's so want the spazer/wide beam could you please put that in the demo?
Anonymous said…
Idk... If the demo is big enough, then maby there should be a beam upgrade, or maby you could get it after Ridley. Just to test it out on maby 1 or 2 rooms.
Dylan French said…
Homebrew Channel!
Homebrew Channel!
homebrew Channel!
Anonymous said…
I don´t know why you say: "All your comments are really appreciated (Yes, I read them all)"
if you are not reading our comments. you have your game´s steriotipe maked... why?
Dr.M64 if you are not answers our cuestions... why you like anymore?
I´m confused ;)
Anonymous said…
one thing I would like to see is...

like in final fantasy, add the optional hardcore boss to provide a challenge for those hardcore gamers.

...like SA-X or something?

just a suggestion ^^
DoctorM64 said…
I´m sorry I confused you.
I DO read all the comments. But that doesn´t mean that all the ideas are suitable for this project.

There are comments that didn´t suggest anything good, like the one that suggested a storyline about Queen Metroid being acutally Mother Brain (it doesn´t fit the official story), and there are great ideas also, like the post that suggested a retrospective intro.

The project is what it is because most of the concepts are already defined, and the game follows them so far, adding or subtracting some of the things that you people like or dislike.

About the questions, I rarely have free time at work, and I don´t have internet at home right now. Almost all my free time goes into AM2R.

Anyway, I´ll answer your questions now.

>Have any suggestions for the joypad selection?
- The game will be able to use the first two devices detected by windows. By default, the first one is used. If you need to use the second one instead, you can edit the .ini file that stores the control settings.

>decresing the number of powerups available?
- Nope. Decreasing the number of ammo that every powerup gives. This way all the difficulties can reach 100% completion the same way.

>Will there be a metroid fight be there?
- No, sorry. Metroids are being tweaked all the time. Whatever I throw into the demo right now will be better in the next build.

>And the JOYPAD buttons will also be customizable?
- Yes.

>PLEASE put at least one beam upgrade into the demo.
- Ok. How about Spazer beam? It´ll help shooting Ridley´s fireballs.

>Also, for Hard Mode, try to make Samus slightly slower and jump slightly lower.
- No. Changing the gameplay would require additional adaptation, since the enemies behave already more aggresively.

>I have always wanted to ask this but why dont you put kraid in the demo instead of ridley.
- Why not both? Oops, I guess I spoiled the surprise.

>i wonder if it is possible to port the final game to wii.
This depends on the protability of Game Maker. If I were a real programmer and worked on C++, that would be possible. There´s a project called ENIGMA too, but it´s very basic right now.

>Will ridley be "less" fast in the new demo?
I can make it slower in the easier difficulty setting.

>Are there going to be any hatches in the demo, or at least in the final version of the game?
Right now only red hatches, the ones in the item rooms. There are no blue or green hatches in the original, but I could add a few green ones to give Super Missiles some use.

If there´s anything else that you need to ask me, drop me a line at doctorm64@live.com
Anonymous said…
You did'nt say if it would be out in october or not.
Anonymous said…
First, I'd like to compliment you on what you are doing here. This truly stays faithful to the original vision of the game and looks and sounds fantastic so far.

Now, I'd like to submit a suggestion for the final battle against the Queen Metroid. A small deviation from the original game, you could turn this into a real s###-your-pants moment...

When Samus is about to encounter the Queen Metroid right after she takes out all the originals, build up the anticipation to the moment with the music like the original game does. However, when Samus enters the Queen's room...well, it's empty, save for the Queen's decaying corpse. Hmmm, seems as if she's lived out her proper life cycle and died all on her own, all the better. A small cutscene where Samus is recalibrating her obviously off-by-one Metroid counter could help here. Now, start the victory music and allow Samus to move on from this point. Bear with me, this is going somewhere...

Samus walks through the hall towards a lone egg, which hatches into the baby Metroid and imprints onto Samus thinking it's his mother. Samus leaves with the Metroid as usual and heads toward her ship. She is about to enter her ship, when totally unexpectedly, out of the left side of the screen, the OTHER Queen appears and lunges right at Saums, striking her, and the music goes totally horrific. The baby Metroid flies away in fright, and you are left to fend off the Queen by yourself.

This unexpected little move should be enough to scare the bejesus out of any gamer not expecting such!

Thanks for considering my suggestion in advance and good luck with the completion of this project. I look forward to playing this. Take care.
DoctorM64 said…
>You did'nt say if it would be out in october or not.
- I´ll release the demo on October 13th, IF it´s ready by then. Otherwise it´ll be released a week later at NCFC.

>Now, I'd like to submit a suggestion for the final battle against the Queen Metroid... ...
- That would be really cool. Instead of two Queen Metroids, it could be the same, that somehow survived. I guess things like this might be implemented once the game is done.
Anonymous said…
You said that there won't be any metroid to 'battle' but have you considered inserting a cinematic/secret ending to the demo? Say perhaps that the player gathers 100% of the items, or finishes the demo in a certain amount of time. You could have a brief cinematic scene similar to the ones in Fusion, Super, and even Zero Mission, in which the player enters a cavern and stumbles across a Beta metoid that is undergoing an evolutionary change to an Alpha. The creature molts it's old shell, lets out a ghastly scream, and then proceeds to attack...ONLY FOR THE SCREEN TO CUT TO BLACK, and display the endgame messages.

This would give the player a glimpse of what's to come without having to actually insert uncompleted metoid into the demo.

Only a suggestion though.

Also have you sonsidered a different name for this tet? Or will it be called AM2R for the NCFC?
Anonymous said…
Maybe you could make the end of the game similar to the rest of the metroid games and add a selfdestruct timer. Not the whole planet exploding but say that mountain/volcano that the game takes place in. You could also make the path between the metroid queen's lair and your ship longer and more intricate. Maybe throw in some extra metroids or puzzles. This would make it more like super metroid and metroid fusion, plus it would be much more exciting than the original ending.
Anonymous said…
I'am gonig to make this as short as possible. First I like to say great job and keep up the good work. I have three simple questions.
1.Have you and your team suggest this idea to Nintendo?
2.How long until the intire project is finished?
3.Have you ever consider working with other indi developers such vonrichter?
Perhaps the last question is a no on the count of vonricher's over sized ego might get in the way of production.
Anonymous said…
I just cant't wait for you to finish the demo so I can kick ridley or kraid's(whichever one you decide to put in)ass and please make it a bigger challenge so other people can learn how powerfull ridley or kraid is.thanks
Anonymous said…
Nice, both are going to be in the game. However, it does suck that the suprise was ruined. I would of loved to have been expecting Ridley, and having to fight Kraid, then ending up with Ridley again. you could make Ridley's entrence unexpected, like there 2 or 3 rooms, and you have to fight him in one of them, but you dont know which one, and it changes every time you play. The rooms could also be different, like you would have to use different techniques for each room. Also, about the metroid evolving at the end of the game if you have all items, is awsome!!

4 is the new 9
Anonymous said…
have any of you guys been to the ncfc forms? some of the designers have posted their games already. And some of them seem to be very interesting. However i did not see any game out there that will top This one.

http://ncfc.taloncrossing.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=2&sid=3efcc873bc567e2aedfcc969ad91d209
Anonymous said…
Do you have any idea on how you are going to do the veria suit? Maybe you can use the game sprite that is found in Metroid zero mission, you know the one that shows up right after you beat the Chozo ghost. I was thinking that you can use that color scheme to over lap the gravity suit sprite in zero mission. Also do you have any clue as to what in the world could that webby stringy stuff is or that wired water substance is in the original? Are you considering bringing back the sand and the acidic liquid that covers the lower levels? Mabey you can use the liquid that was left behind in Tourain after Mother brain was defeted.
Anonymous said…
I could rip that acid stuff.....
Anonymous said…
Psst. Just lay low until you can release or people will try and close it down, the project looks too good and I don't want that to happen
Anonymous said…
Wow this looks realy great I sincerly hope that no offcials, come in on their high horse and dismantle your entire project before completion. If in an event of misfortune I send my condolence.
Anonymous said…
maybe you talk to some wii homebrewers. they did quake for wii, too^^

anyway, here is a suggestion. i like the idea with the green hatches, for the chozo did act on sr388. the manga goes into even more detail, showing them having cameras and stuff installed there, so coloured hatches should not be that much of a problem. i´d also like to suggest beams tacking instead of beam swapping like in the original. beam stacking just adds a little bit. i also agree that a retrospective intro might be a cool idea. even an ingame animated intro like in fusion would be a good idea. you could also show off some GF troops or a damaged GF ship somewhere because they did land on sr388 before samus was hired. she was hired because the GF troops died. i could whip up some images (like fusion) for an intro, if you like (just answer, i read those comments too XD).
also, i liked the hold on/grab feature in fusion and zero mission, good to see hat back too.
i wonder how saving will look. i guess zeru mission style, since this is the chozo way of saving (instead of having particles surrounding you like the GF save in fusion/prime 3).
how bout something that shows how many metroids are left in that particular era, like a metroid scanner (dots on map, maybe?)?
also, i´m for minibosses, or bosses, liek in zero mission. there were some strange creatures in fusions sr388 sector, you could size them up as boss, like that rolling thing for example. also, you could show a metroid eating an X or something like this...
oh well, ill let you do your stuff, im happy anyway^^

sincerly spike
Anonymous said…
lol i just read your first few posts and realized you already did half the stuff i was hoping you are doing.. great! more than great!!!
mfg spike^^
Anonymous said…
DoctorM64, can you upload anymore screenshot of the new Demo?
I´m collecting your screen
Thank you
DoctorM64 = Master
Anonymous said…
I diagree with Spike i just rather keep the game like the original.
Btw
Awesome work can't wait for the demo.

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