Ok, so I am back. This time I want to take some real time expressing my personal thoughts and opinions for this game.
First off, I really wanted to tell you guys on ZFGC that during the development of this game I came face to face with some of the expected obstacles I'd face sooner or later. One of the major obstacles was to program the game in ASM with the SNES capabilities and limitations in mind. I kind of came to realize it a little too late that my ideas for this game wouldn't work at all if programmed this in ASM and brought the game on a cartridge for the entertainment system, for my children to play in the future. So here's where I am at...
I will use another language to program the game so I can have entire freedom with my ideas for this game. My ideas are within the ways of original Zelda 3 thinking, and I still want to makes sense of things I want to implement as I want to add some new features and items.
When I first said to myself that I wanted to create a Zelda 3 fan game, I made some ground rules that I wanted to share with you guys, to give you a better understanding of where I am heading with this game.
1: A New Overworld - I wanted to create a brand new overworld that somewhat simulated the way the original Zelda 3 was built. I didn't want to sit down, and slightly modify what had already been done a million times before - but I wanted to really study how the original overworld was shaped, so that I could use the same methods for my own Zelda. I managed to take 2 years in just studying how dungeons and the overworlds were created in the original Zelda, so that I could mimic the ways and create my own. And I've done that now with huge success.
2: New Items - I wanted to add some new items to the game because I saw potential in expanding the player's experience by adding more obstacles and make use of old and new items. For me, lighting torches every now and then became boring and somewhat of a habit towards the end of the original game so I wanted to make sure I could swap or improve some of the old obstacles and items with more refreshing ones that would simulate the Zelda franchise thinking.
3: Character Sprites - For me at first, I didn't really think of it as a major deal. It started to bug me that Link swapped hands with the sword and shield as he turned left and right during gameplay. So I started modifying the original sprites and managed to make the shield move alongside his body with natural movements as it would look in real life, holding the shield in the same hand when moving direction. That's what I want for this game, details like this can create wonders for the players who plays this game.
4: Bosses - Another thing that has been bugging me is the lack of effort in creating a Zelda fan game. I've played many Zelda fan games made over the past 5 years and all of them seem to have forgotten a key part in what's make a game stand out. It's bosses. Many people either lack the creative skill to come up with a new boss design and just slightly modify the original boss-sprites, or they just create something that isn't that intriguing to look at. With that said, I've been working with pixels since I started this project over ten years ago. Think I was 14 when I first started coming up with my own dungeons with new bosses in the end. 10 years later, I have the right set of creative skill and pixel techniques to bring you original-looking bosses.
5: Story - At first, I was like many other Zelda fan creators out there. "We let Link wake up in bed for various reasons and eventually we'll get to the part that's new to the game." That's not the case for me anymore. So I've had some help in the past writing a new opening for the game with a little more lore with connections to tie to the end of the game. I was really not that into writing until I ended up watching too much Anime, played the Final Fantasy and Zelda series and met a voice actor who changed my view point on story writing. But I am not saying the game will force you to read through everything that is said throughout the game, it will just be another of those great details I want to put in the game for people who read to actually enjoy.
With these 5 things said, I want to thank you for taking time to take part of my opinions. Let's head below this sentence to get some information about the official project shall we?
The StoryThis part is still work in progress but I do have more things to share in the near future regarding this topic.
IntroductionItemsHere is a small list of the new items I've figured should be in the game.
Lens of TruthLens of Truth is a magical looking glass that can see through any illusion, such as hidden doors, pits and other things. It may also be used to ascertain the contents of a large Treasure Chest before opening it. The Lens of Truth will slowly drain the user of magic power. It acts only in the middle of the screen like the Lamp item. | MagnetThe Magnet can be used to attract or repel magnetized objects. If the affected object is stuck in the ground, Link will attract or repel himself accordingly. Opposite polarities will attract each other, and equal polarities will repel each other. | Cane of LiluriThe Cane of Liluri transforms your enemies into statues as long as you have magic power. It drains the magic power quite fast, so only use it when you need to. You can also lift enemies and move the as long as they are paralyzed. | Bomb ArrowsShoot an arrow towards a crack in a wall and it will detonate on hit. If no obstacles are stopping the arrow, it will automatically detonate after 3 seconds. Beware! |
Really don't want to spoil much more but I will leave you guys with something from the new tiles I've made for the game. Hopefully you'll see me as a serious developer that keeps this game close to heart as I want to give you a full-hearted thanks for all of your support. Both from this site and others as well. Thank you for keeping me going.
Did not find any wood shadows for lost woods so the mockups don't do the forest justice. But I hope you like some of these areas of the overworld anyway!