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[ithamore]

This is a Demake (by Paul Villapiano a.k.a. ithamore) of Metroid for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It is simulating playing on an imaginary, pre-NES, 8-bit console. The whites squares are doors.

Update 7-1-13: The current downloadable and playable copy of Retroid: https://www.dropbox.com/s/tv89mppe99y9lxa/Retroid.zip

Downloads:
Prototype04
Prototype03
Prototype02
Prototype01

System Requirements (They might be lower than this):
P III
256 MB of RAM
4 MB of Graphical RAM
Windows 2000 (How to get it to work for Linux or OS X)

General Directions:

The Left and Right arrows move the green square.
Up shoots up.
Z and 1 jump.
X and 2 shoot.
Esc or Alt+F4 to quit.

Editing the text files of the layout of the corridors:

The number of letters/spaces need to remain the same. Also, the spawn points for the player are predetermined in the code but that might change, and the player will fall forever for now if there is no floor.

A  walls
B  non-solid walls
I  Invisible walls
2, 3  doors to the respective corridors
E  Energy
Space  empty space

f  the horizontally moving enemy
v  the vertically moving enemy
q  the zigzagging enemy
b  the "boss"

This is still being worked on.


Since I used my entry for the last competition to force myself to learn how to use Game Maker, I figured I would take a similar approach this time and learn how to use ZGameEditor instead.



Download the prototype from here. It has the executable, the ZGE file, and a text file for the level's layout. Jump and shoot with Z and X (or 1 and 2), and the left and right arrows move.

It's not bug free, there's no sound, and the level is just a small test level.

[laserghost]

Great name. The jumping feels a little strange, and it's hard to tell when I get hurt, but otherwise it has a good metroid feel.

[ithamore]

I must thank Rafe for the name. I was going to call it Asteroid Explorer (to have a name that was not a variation of the original source of inspiration but a descriptor of it), but when I was showing it to some coworkers, he called it Retroid. I decided the name was too perfect and kept it.

The jumping works more as a limited anti-gravity ability with the way I was able to get it to work. Also, the ability to stick to ceilings is a feature thanks to this method.

I had tried to have the player pushed away upon damage, but that made it too easy for the player to get stuck into structures. A temporary invisibility feature after taking damage similar to the NES Metroid might be useful, but I have large parts to work on before that.

The collision detection is a bit too perfect (or imperfect) in ZGE and doesn't have enough options or easy corrections to fix it for some game designs. The creator has stated that it doesn't work well at small sizes and high speeds (I think he might have meant and/or since English isn't his first language). Because of this, I've had to do a bit of tinkering with some of the game's collisions.

I've added some sound (and an extra enemy) to the game through ZGE's Sound and Play generative components (currently, ZGE can only generate sounds or import limited midi files). This is all I have so far. Next, I want to work on corridor transitions and items.

[Pacian]

Weird how little squares can do such a good job of calling to mind Metroid...

Not sure if you're supposed to be able to stick to the ceiling, but it's a nifty effect anyway.   

[ithamore]

Prototype03 is up. A vertical corridor has been added and some life squares. After I add a couple more enemies, items, and a boss, I'll move this on to a beta. Also, I found out the sound is too soft to hear without headphones, so I'll have to get around to fixing that, too.

Update: I forgot to mention you can now shoot up by pressing the up key.

[ithamore]

This is as finished as it's going to get for now: Retroid Prototype04. Maybe I'll just keep working on this and not enter it into the voting.

I'll add some more info after I get back from work and maybe tweak the game some more, since most of the new additions haven't been finished yet.

I don't think the jumping is ever going to change, because I like the way it works in this game. I probably could fix it without effecting the head sticking.

[sergiocornaga]

Not bad for something so unfinished... I really like how the sounds of the bullets replicate the Metroid title screen music.

[ithamore]

I'm still working on this, and I've made a little progress. I'm going to play around with the sound more and work more on the "boss." If you want to follow the process during the competition or if you can't wait until the voting is over to experience such upgrades as lava, you can follow this link to Retroid's thread at the ZGameEditor's forums.

This is a ss of one of the bad versions of the "boss" failing to shoot at the player:



Thanks.

[Melly]

Tried playing the last prototype. Pretty interesting, though I can't get past the vertical corridor. One of the platforms is too high for me to reach.

[ithamore]

Melly,

You should be able to use sticky head jumping to climb up. The sticky head tricks were bugs I decided to keep and design around, but I didn't make that clear enough. Especially, since it must be known about and mastered to get through the game.

I've finished working on the boss (except for its sounds), and there are enough other features that have been added to move this on to alpha, which I will soon put the latest version online.