Slowly getting back up


I don't usually talk about my personal life, but when I do, I only mention events that affect the development times of AM2R. This has been the case lately. I wasn't able to renovate the rent contract of my studio, so I had to close it down. For the last 2 months I've been tearing apart the place I spent almost a year of work building. All of my equipment is at a warehouse, including my studio PC.
Things can get pretty chaotic in this economy, you never know when the rent can raise all of the sudden, and this can be really harmful if you're caught off guard.

Now the wave beam looks more like in Super Metroid
Pink looks more Super Metroid-ish than lavender
Anyway, progress was pretty scarce these days. Some small details were tweaked, including the color of the Wave Beam. I added many debugging tools to make the weapon/enemy balance much faster, and I managed to fix a couple of bugs involving sand blocks.
Development will be a little slow for a couple of more weeks, the only part that will be completely halted for some time is Music Production (I don't have any physical space to set up my studio rig right now).

"Full Free Time" development will eventually start again, the most difficult part of this phase is over.
Thank you very much for all the support, AM2R wouldn't have come this far if it wasn't for you guys.

Comments

Buena suerte con el estudio, Doc.
Argentina es un país de locos a veces, n_nU
Shiralith said…
Sorry to hear about the trouble you've been having, I hope you can get things worked out soon. Good luck!
Anonymous said…
Well, it's nice to see you're still pressing on even though your life is practically falling apart. I hope you begin to pick up the pieces and continue to prosper, even in these harsh times.

Best regards!
Dudeman said…
That really sucks... i hope you get your studio up and running again soon.

On the flip-side its cool to hear that you'll be getting a lot of free time :D.
Mike said…
I love you man, keep on doing what you do, and don't give up on this! Many Metroid fans will be very pleased for this to be completed, but I feel that we should do more, like donate money to you so you can pay for the rent of the studio and stuff like that. Hang in there buddy :)
ronny14 said…
Amazing job, doc! That color looks way better on the wave beam. However, those spikes seem like the need to fade into the ceiling a little better, but it may just be me. Also, just as a side note, could you change the "Metroid Comical" in your recommended links to "Metroid Father Hunt"?

Anyways, I understand the feeling of stalled work and the such, I look forward to see what you have to offer in the future.
Anonymous said…
ha, i never read so much attitude towards your followers. ^_^ anyways your doing great man, economy could get a little hectic, but its only going to get worse or so ive heard. thanks for keeping us updated on this well made project. awesome that you got the hard stuff out of the way but but don't say that too soon.

Criatzon Phlumist
Anonymous said…
I'm very sorry to hear that about your studio. Life sure does throw us challenges. Keep your head up, and things will turn around! I don't care if it takes you 10 more years to complete the project, as long as you find time here and there to continue work on it. Always take care of your priorities first though. Thanks again for all your hard work!
Anonymous said…
Es una verdadera mierda lo que te esta pasando hermano, vamos que puedes salir adelante, tomate el tiempo que sea necesario,

saludos desde chile
djnforce9 said…
Thank you for filling us all in and an even bigger thank you for wanting to press on with the project despite the situation. Best of wishes getting things back to normal again.
sprong4 said…
cant wait! these monthly updates really put me at ease knowing that you are still focused on this amazing project.
The7thGuest said…
Life goes on, isn't it ?

Im happy you dont give up !
This Project is also important for us :)

Thank you ! Doc.
Herochao said…
Thank you for this great game! It looks so polished, i can't wait to get my hands on it, it's an amazing projekt! (i've been folowing it for the last 3-4 vears? Don't know anymore)
I'm wishing you the best for your studio and your future, your family and your plans!
Ramellan said…
you should start a kickstarter so we can help out. I've been following you for years now and Ive wanted to help so many times.
Steelskin said…
I just want to wish you the best of luck. I know the economy sucks right now and it can really hit you in the face.

I'm lucky to have a semi-stable job right now, and I hope things will get better for you.
Ajay said…
real money
casino

Reading this post reminds me of my old room mate! He always
kept talking about this. I will forward this article to him.
Pretty sure he will have a good read. Thanks for sharing!
Blue Madness said…
Damn, I'm sad to hear that, Doc. =/
I hope things get better soon. I also hope everything's alright with your family.

I'll be looking forward to the next update. Nintendo should be paying you. =/
mirahsan2 said…
Take your time Doc, everything will work out somehow. I'm sure of it. Good luck!
Anonymous said…
I'm sorry to hear about that Doc but don't worry. Take your time and hope everything gets back to normal. Doesn't matter how long AM2R takes, we will wait. :) Good Luck! :)
Anonymous said…
you should try getting a little funding for this on kickstarter. I bet a lot of people would donate for a game like this, just hope nintendo doesnt catch on to this, but kickstarter is quite a new thing so i dont think they would be looking there. hopefully. its just an idea. and keep up the good work and hang in there.
Anonymous said…
I wish you the best of luck in these hard times.
I really hope i have a job when this is done cause i really want to pay for all the hard work you are putting into this.

Keep it up and greetings from Sweden!
Anonymous said…
¡Animo! ¡Eres lo más grande!
Anonymous said…
dont worry doc..things will get better, life is full of ups and downs, it doesnt matter if you cannot work on am2r during the circumstances. as long as you update the website every month to let us know how things are, even if its to tell us that you couldnt work on the project, then im sure you will continue to get the support from your fans....i hope evrythings works out ok for you...not only for the sake of
am2r, but for you and your family..you are a great and very talented person, so keep that in mind...i have been following this project since its first year. and will continue to do so...my greatest regards

terra
Yonathan said…
Mucho animo amigo mio hemos llegado muy lejos y mucho esfuerzo de tu parte se que no ah sido fácil pero se que las cosas a veces no salen color "rosa" pero por algo dice el dicho: "por algo pasan las cosas" aunque no siempre se esta seguro, estés en la situación que estés siempre te apoyaremos por que se que no es fácil hacer que las cosas salgan bien sin tener algún inconveniente y como te sigo diciendo no importa cuanto te tome siempre estaremos hay esperando :D

saludos desde Venezuela hermano!
Unknown said…
New color for the Wave Beam! Screenshot of area 3 exit! Updates on life! Good Monday.
the/thGuest said…
I read all that stuff about Kickstarter from you Guys, this Project, (if it needs Money) should Stay "Free" in Anyway, without harming Rights ect.
As a "Fan-Project" should be.
Im not sure what could be in "Private" i would also support Doc with a Gift of 5 bucks ^_^, so i kind of feel you.
We could also use the Forums,...
Jokerwolf said…
You need to move to Canada my friend, far more opportunity here. They also give immigration loans for people looking to start small businesses. Also rent doesn't change, it is illegal to randomly change rent without sufficient notification.
Kysafen said…
I wish there was a way I could back this project on Kickstarter like Chasm, WITHOUT Nintendo getting butthurt that someone shows more interest and passion in Metroid than the actual rights holders, and can make a better game than their embarrassing Other M.
Martin Bodger said…
Damn sorry to hear about your studio dude, I eagerly await this game and I'll happily pay for offer a donation for it, sure a lot of the fans will do.

You've put a lot of your life into this game and I you deserve something out of it, you're going to be a legend :)
Unknown said…
Don't give up man, you're doing an awesome work!

¡Saludos desde México, sigue así!
Anonymous said…
However dire the situation appears to be, always remember the ones who support you and your goal, then you'll never feel insecure.
Anonymous said…
For what it's worth, your work on AMR2 is an amazing portfolio piece. I am sorry for the loss of your studio, but I have great faith you will find other contract work somehow. I really am in love with the music and sound.
Anonymous said…
Looks great so far, but why are there super missiles?
Unknown said…
mis mejores deseos amigo... que todo mejore pronto... sigue adelante, que mucha gente sigue tu proyecto de cerca... saludos y espero que todo mejore...
brandino said…
Oh my Gosh Doc, I am so sorry.

I can only imagine whats that like that must suck.

I hope things eventually work out for you.
Anonymous said…
fuerzas y a seguir!! keep going! good luck! desde argentina :)

Roberto Montesano
Dan Blanco said…
I've had my eye on this project since as far as I can remember it being in development. Seeing things come as far as they have is one of the very few things keeping the community really alive and breathing. Even as I have a few caveats with your design choices, this project truly is remarkable and worthy of only the highest respect.
Unknown said…
[quote]you should try getting a little funding for this on kickstarter. I bet a lot of people would donate for a game like this, just hope nintendo doesnt catch on to this, but kickstarter is quite a new thing so i dont think they would be looking there. hopefully. its just an idea. and keep up the good work and hang in there.[/quote]

This would raise more of a question to Nintendo whether they should or not let this slide, Since the game has a copyright on it, Any remakes of the game by a third party, not licensed by Nintendo would be breaking that.


Keep up the hard work, Can't wait for the finished product.
Sam said…
I wish nothing but the best for you Doc and hope that you continue to persevere depite the hurdles. Know that we are with you 100%
Unknown said…
Oye guey, como te puedo mandar veinte dolares para ayudarte?
Anonymous said…
I wish Nintendo would allow us to pay you for all your hard work. Oh well.
Anonymous said…
You should def get a kickstarter running, I know there's many really dedicated metroid fans following your project.
Frysning said…
I am following you for a few years now and I never made a comment.

I wish you good luck that you will have your studio running agian soon and that you will not have any problems financial or personal. Good luck!
Anonymous said…
buena suerte doc espero que te valla bien con el estudio y con metroid 2 :) juge el demo y estaba buenisimo Buen trabajo :D
Anonymous said…
Doc, do you have any co-workers? I would suggest that if it gets really bad, you could always hand the work to someone else. I'll still always remember you for making this game, even if you stop.
Anonymous said…
That's terrible :(

Good luck, take your time, we'll be here when its finished :)
Terrence said…
Sorry to here about your recent difficulties. Start a Kickstarter campaign so we can donate to help you out!

Game looks great. Metroid II will always be my favorite due to the atmosphere created by the creepy music and ambient noises. Also, nothing beats finding the Varia suit each time I play. For some reason, it is my favorite part!

Is there any way you could tone down the orange on the Varia suit so it looks more bronze? I've done palette edits for Super Metroid, and it looks fantastic in that shade.

Also, when Samus runs, she seems to be covering too short a distance for legs that move that fast. It's almost as if she is running a bit in place. It looked strange in Zero Mission as well. You might want to work on that so it looks less weird.

This looks fantastic. I've been waiting for years! Keep up the great work! I know how difficult all this can be. I can't even finish my color edits for Super Metroid because I'm a perfectionist and the heat glow and speed booster palettes drive me nutty.



Keep up the
Matt Wetz said…
I am sorry to hear that, Being a renter is always a paine at times.

Out here in Texas the oil business is booming and places are jacking up rent left and right and it's ridiculous, I had a coworker live with me for a month because they went from 700 a month to 2100 a month and told him to pay or get out.
But anyway keep up the awesome work with the project I can't wait to play the 3rd zone.

Side note awesome job on the AI for the metroides when I think I got them figured out they do something different and surprise me.

Matt
Exerion said…
Bueno mi consulta es la siguiente el demo es compatible en sistemas android ? Y si no. Habrá una versión del juego para android ?
Anonymous said…
I never saw someone like you, you are working on this game even in situations like this, thanks man thanks.
You are just great and I wish you the best for the rest of your life and this project.
count on us doc.
Anonymous said…
If you can get a semblance of a studio set up you could do a kickstarter for an album.
Fraöt said…
Que te vaya bien. La prioridad es tu vida personal y familia. Dale duro al desarrollo del juego cuando puedas.

No se puede hacer todo en esta vida.
pyr0mrcow said…
I think it'd be ok to take donations just to make up for time you've put into this...
Steve said…
Hurry up and finish it, set up a Paypal, and watch the donations start flooding in.

You'd definitely get some of my money for a finished game, that's for sure.
Stuey said…
Start up a kickstarter or a donations page! So many people would pay to see this finished.
Anonymous said…
It's sucks to hear about your studio, but it's awesome to hear you still got the fire to continue with this project despite what's happened. If only Nintendo would stumble upon this Metroid Nugget of Epicness and see how talented you are. As always I'll be anxiously awaiting the next update and hopefully a chance to help out if you get a kickstarter or something going.
Anonymous said…
On the bright side...

I saw that you said "the worst part of the phase is over." This excites me a lot, knowing that this project isn't dead. So many other great projects has dropped dead, and I would be very unhappy if this on did to. AM2R has gone a long ways! This gives me hope that this project will hopefully survive the Studio Apocalypse!
Unknown said…
I love your work; I've been playing these demos to death for years now. I really feel bad that your studio was taken from you like that all of a sudden, dude. But as the wise Dalai Lama says, "Reason well from the beginning and then there will never be any need to look back with confusion and doubt."

I'm not one to speak to people I'm fans of (not even egoraptor), but I just want to help support your work and make you understand that we're cheering you on, man.
Anonymous said…
Where can I donate? Your work on this project is truly amazing, and I know many of us would love to help!
Forcedsim said…
I still have trouble running this game on Win7. It just locks up at the loading screen.
Anonymous said…
Doc,
There are so many people who have been following this project over the past years and would love to have an opportunity to help support you and the project. If you go to http://www.kickstarter.com/
and set up an account, people would be able to donate for rent of a studio for a few months so you could get back on your feet. Don't kill yourself trying to put in some time on the project. Take care, and I hope to see that kickstarter page!.
dontcare said…
Glad you haven't given up. If you accept donations I'd be glad to help.
Anonymous said…
Know how it goes with rent man. was paying only $500 for about six years, then suddenly it went up to $900, plus an additional $180 for electricity, because the landlord decided to no longer bundle utilities. The fact that you still update this project in spite of everything, shows an amazing amount of dedication that "thank you" doesn't do justice.
or said…
It sad read about that inconvenient, in Argentina, where i live, we got some inconvenients too but always work for try to find one new way, i suppose that you will too find one. Regards and we wait for your great game....
Goatbert said…
I'd donate, please setup something so we can!
Keller said…
Pls dont give up man! Keep doing that excelent work!

Cheers from Brazil, wish u good luck with the project!
MoriyaMug said…
I think it's time to donate. I hated the AM2R demo...



's end. I wanted it to keep going. I was almost in tears.
sylux102 said…
Hey! I'm sure I'm not speaking out of line when I say this, but all of us guys at the Merritt coven project send our love and regards. It's always a bummer to see another great project get put on the shelf, fortunately this one didn't last too long on the shelf. It's personally my 2nd favorite game in the series and love to see what you've done to it. I hope this project never dies and you continue until it's finished. I think it may be the first complete m2 remake on the web at the rate your going. Keep it up and don't get discouraged! Nothing is worse than seeing a project you've started that you can't ever complete.

Have fun with your development.

PS as regards the music... Ask around. I'm sure someone would be mire than willing to help you out.
RavenJar said…
Sounds good. One thing I'm curious though, it's that, is there a way or are you planning on releasing it on consoles? i.e. GBA/SNES, so the people who used to play these great games on consoles would have a great sense of reminiscence of their childhood, and which would be Really Cool.
MegaGEN50 said…
I..........am..........itching..........for..........an.......*cough*UPDATE*cough*...........................
jorge said…
hey man awesome good wiht the project X3
Robin Ek said…
I´ve been In the very same spot myself. But just as yourself, I just pushed on.

So you got my support mate =) I will spread the word about Project AM2R!

Btw, coulden´t you do a Kickstarter project for AM2R? Im quite sure that every Metroid fan In the whole world, would support you and your game.

Have a nice day, and take care. Robin Ek, The Gaming Ground
Anonymous said…
I just finished playing the demo, and WOW! I was completely blown away! From the graphics, music and presentation to the in-game physics and level design, everything is just about perfect! This is Metroid done right! This team deserves all the praise it can possibly get!

I understand that this project must also be a great burden on your shoulders. When you have the correct vision and the proper programming knowledge and tools, the greatest challenge (once the project is on the rails) is pushing ahead to see the project to its logical conclusion. I can't thank you enough for working to succeed where Nintendo has failed.

One small note though: I get error messages when I access the map screen: 'ERROR in action number 1 of Draw Event for object OoOo11IIIO: Trying to use non-existing surface.'. Also, the game sometimes slows down (even to a crawl) or speeds up when I enter any area. This happens at random. I hope you can fix this...
Unknown said…
I'm not sure how long i've been following this blog (a year or two? Not sure ahaa) but it's nice to see you still try to finish this game, regardless of all the obstacles you've encountered.
I've been looking forward to this for a very long time! Hope all goes well for you, and i'll continue to pop in every once and a while to see your progress in the game :)
Andre V1 said…
Good Luck man!!!! I wish the best for you!!!!
Unknown said…
Is there a download for mac?!?!?! I'm really excited about this and would love to play it!!

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