Back on track
After some time with "Game-Designer´s Block", I finally started working again.
I focused mainly on what´s remaining of level design. There´s still a lot of boring caves that connect the last areas with the Omega nest and the Queen´s area. But I decided to start with some interesting locations first...
I wonder where this leads to...
And WHAT IS THAT!!
I´m nowhere near finishing the final area, but I´m starting with the tileset and the level layout.
Also, MichaelGabrielR finished his excellent "Super Mod" for Metroid: Confrontation. It replaces the music, tiles, backgrounds, and most importantly, the power suit design with a custom Super Metroid inspired one. This design might be the one to be used in AM2R, so feel free to try the mod out.
Super Mod for Metroid: Confrontation
Rapidshare
MediaFire
MegaUpload
Well, have fun playing the demo again.
Comments
In the original, it sort of blended in - I didn't even see it the first time.
It looks perfect, natural enough to blend in, and not loud and tacky so that it stands out like a sore thumb.
I like the mod MichaelGabrielR but when I was fighting Kraid, the music didn't restart when it finished, so I was fighting with no music. Just pointing that out.
1. Why such a low samplerate (11025Hz) and bitrate (32kbps)? At least they got it half-right and used OGG vorbis and not MP3. :P
2. Other than the song "Sick_Monster", WHY SO MUCH CLIPPING AND DYNAMIC RANGE COMPRESSION?! (it's essentially like shouting and all-caps) The loudness war is already a big-enough problem, but why are you VOLUNTARILY participating in it?! If you want to make a song louder, use the music.ini file.
(minor 3. why aren't the audio files named .ogg :P)
The music was a pain to convert. Not only does the engine use that obscure *.mo3 format, but the whole game freezes for a couple of tedious seconds (to reload the music file) if the file is too big. One way of making the mod playable was to lower the sound quality, with the obvious results. Plus there was only one free program on the entire web for creating *.mo3 files that I am aware of... a console application with barely any documentation (oggenc). Though I was able to use it to some extent, I must admit that I'm not a sound technician, but DoctorM64 is, so it would probably be a good thing to let him be the expert and convert music more efficiently. ;)
I'm not sure why *.ogg files aren't used instead. Perhaps because it's not native to Game Maker, but the Pro version can use dll's to do that.
Take care.
-Michael
P.S. @samus hunter:
The whole point when creating those sprites was to make them compatible with the current engine. The Doc doesn't have to change a line of code to make them work and replacing some images shouldn't be that hard, so take it easy.
gracias!
Teines que descargar el Demo Original y despues reemplazar los archivos viejos con los nuevos.
Hello doc. I have to say that before playing the mod I was a little worried about the new sprites. After playing on the other hand, I do feel much better about them but I think some of the poses, particularly the idle stances need to be tweaked a bit. Some of the body parts on samus seem to blend in when Samus' armor should be split up in between joints. I hope I explained what I meant clearly. They DO look great but they still need just a bit more work. Great job MichaelGabrielR!
Very glad to see that not only is the game getting closer to finish, but it's getting better with the parts that are already done. i'm very comfortable with the super metroid look for the sprites, and it's really cool to see it combined with the zero mission style gun fire (the firing for super metroid was kinda weak to me)
so i'm still on the support side to use these new sprites for samus on the official AM2R game.
I hope you are getting some fun in building this...
Good luck!!
You DO realize WAV, MP3, and OGG vorbis files work natively... right?
...right?
As for the loading lag thing, in my experience that was because my PC isn't that great spec-wise. Does it STILL lag, even on a newer PC?
Also that doesn't explain the high gain levels. :P
btw: the rocket arming sprite in the new mod looks a bit... strange^^
the front part of the arm cannon gets the sprites of the normal suit, when i arm the rockets
it's a pity that i can't add any screenshots here
Of course, that's assuming this comes out 'after' other M. I'd be glad for you to prove me wrong... ;P
Good work Doc, and please keep us updated as you've done so far.
Download Metroid:Confrontation from this blog, download the mod and just replace the old files with the ones from the mod.
Alternatively, you might want to read the mc_super.txt file that comes with the zip file of the same name.
I'm Dutch, so srry for the bad English.
I must say I'm not a fan of indie remakes of games, but you are doing a great job.
If never seen such a good indie remake, it's almost as good as the real thing.
I'm playing the whole metroid serie at the time, almost done with Super Metroid and then I have only one to go, Metroid fusion.
I want to review your Demo with rights and wrongs, like I said I'm already a fan of your work, this is only my opinion, the opinion of a very big metroid fan :P
First I really like the smoothness of the game and the graphics are top notch and feel are perfect. I like all the details, like the way you used things of GBA metroids to keep it a real metroid. Good job at, Shinespark, Shinespark Morph Ball, Wall Jump (even better then the game version because you can make it without salto) and the dying sprite.
Things that didn't really feel metroid'ish are:
the rocket cannon, it looks like a picture upon the other canon, in the real game it's a smooth twist animation.
IMO the explosions are to fancy, the bomb explosion is much more sprite like, I hope you make the normal explosions like the bomb explosions.
If you sit and run, you stop for a second, it'll be cooler if you start running immediately.
I didn't like the Ridley song, because ridley already has the best metroid song :P and why didn't the belly things of kraid stick into the wall, but at the end they did.
for the rest the boss battle were really awesum, especially the Ridley one, with the thousand fire balls (brillant!)
And if you die you keep all your progress, that's real cool, something I really miss in the real games, so it would be cool if you keep that in your finished game.
I really hope you read this review :P
Because I think these little things could make your remake, the best of all.
I'm Checking your site every month to spot updates :D
I wanna play the game soooo bad!!
Success with all the work!
Vriendelijke Groeten,
Sijbren Schenkels
The atmospheric parts were good .. but a little short and repetetive. The menu theme was nice but lacked the iconic Metroid Tune theme. The Boss fight music was terrible, I dont mind trance/dance/techno music but it has no place in a Metroid game.
PS. Guys I am having a vote to change the name of my game over at www.metroid-escape.blogspot.com
Get your votes in quick!
April fools is over, buddy ;P
Not saying the mod is garbage, It's actually pretty cool, but I'm not too fond of the new Samus.
And you're only noticing the demonic look of the Chozo statues NOW? They were like that WAY before the theme change.
I'd be okay with the new style, if it weren't for two standing issues:
1)New Samus falls too fast. Want to mid-air morph? Forget it. Want to use spider ball properly? Come back when you've lost a few hundred pounds and we'll talk.
2)If Samus is shooting forward, why is her arm cannon made to look like it's pointing slightly upwards? The sprite is a small issue, but it bugs me, and I want it fixed if I'm supposed to play through the game with it.
@Zoonyboy You're kidding, right?
One thing I wonder is how your going to kill the Queen? My suggestion is from looking at other boss battles from other Metroid games is you should do some kind of phase battle with her before you get at her main health, the first phase you have to do is weaken the Queen's defences or shell by Missile bombardment. Second Phase you have to lay bombs in her core through her mouth when she's really weaken and has low health. At least something like that I don't know. I'm sure you have a lot of good ideas on how the final battle with the Metroid Queen should be.
Think about the Alien movies the place with the eggs had a haze in the ground, and goo from the eggs scattered trough the place. The graphics in general are too bright because you are using graphics from the GBA games(which needed bright sprites because of visibility issues in the old LCDs), but since this game is coming to computer, the graphics should be more in line with Super Metroid. It's just my opinion though, and the game in general is looking really good and I can't wait to play it.
Treds, Armor, and Noob-Killing.