Assimilate -- Full ROM now available.

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bigjt_2
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Assimilate -- Full ROM now available.

Post by bigjt_2 »

Image
Updated 8-5-2012
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The full download version of the ROM is now live on my site. It's at the same location where the partial demo previously resided. Thanks to all who try it out.

Updated 3-26-2012
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The partial demo ROM is now live on my site. Click here to visit the download page.

Updated 2-10-2012
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Assimilate Release Announcement with vids - Pre-order begins Feb 16th @ 6:30pm EST on the Nessylum blog. The carts are to ship on or around Mar. 17th, 2012. A ROM download will of the whole game minus an unlockable bonus level exclusive to the carts will be available for free in roughly mid-September.

Updated 1-4-2011
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Nessylum Blog - Assimilate Progress

Latest Videos:
Gameplay Demo 1-3-11

Originally Posted 10-22-2010
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Hey NesDevers. Here is a link to the video displaying the progress on my game up to now, for any who may be interested.

So I've got four levels and a boss fight, along with music and power-up items. These are introductory levels so they are meant to be incredibly easy. The power-ups are what you see falling from the sky. So far there are three in the game:

2X Assimilation - Doubles the assimilation speed of any tool.
3X Assimilation - Triples the assimilation speed of any tool.
EMP Device - Destroys all onscreen enemy projectiles and keeps any new ones from appearing for a short time.

I've got some ideas for a couple more, and I have a pretty good idea on what I want for the rest of the levels in the game. Feel free to ask questions and make suggestions. These levels already in the game are currently being beta tested and I am getting some excellent feedback, but can always use more.
Last edited by bigjt_2 on Sun Aug 05, 2012 1:02 pm, edited 5 times in total.
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clueless
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Post by clueless »

At 1:33 into the video I saw the phrase "anal probe" on the screen. What, exactly, is the game's back story? Is this defender, but in reverse?
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bigjt_2
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Post by bigjt_2 »

It's kind of reverse-defender. You control an alien probe named Ossan, who's mission is to move around the world assimilating humanity for eventual slavery. You have four tools at your disposal to do this. They are, from weakest to strongest, Brainwash, Zombie Virus, Plan 9, and Anal Probe. The stronger the tool you have selected when you abduct someone, the longer it takes to assimilate them (represented by the progress bar you see filling at the top of the screen.) But the stronger tools also fill your Assimilation percentage faster, which is how you pass each level.
tepples
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Post by tepples »

bigjt_2 wrote:You control an alien probe named Ossan, who's mission is to move around the world assimilating humanity for eventual slavery.
Or, with a flick of a graphics hack, to move around the world assimilating animals for uplift. It's a matter of perspective :-)
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clueless
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Post by clueless »

OMG. Hilarious. If you ever fabricate this game I will purchase a copy as a gift for my mother in law. (She does not like emulators, even if played with nifty retrousb controllers, but she loves all kinds of NES, SNES and Wii games).
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bigjt_2
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Post by bigjt_2 »

tepples wrote: Or, with a flick of a graphics hack, to move around the world assimilating animals for uplift. It's a matter of perspective :-)
Funny you should mention that, because one of the stages people have been pining for on NA (and that I will no doubt add toward completion) is a farm level where you abduct and assimilate cows. As soon as someone suggested it, I knew I'd have add that bad boy. I'm going to have it be a bonus level. Also, I followed your link and WTH, I don't remember an Orca being in the final episode of Gunbuster.
clueless wrote:OMG. Hilarious. If you ever fabricate this game I will purchase a copy as a gift for my mother in law. (She does not like emulators, even if played with nifty retrousb controllers, but she loves all kinds of NES, SNES and Wii games).
Dude, that's awesome! You've got a pretty cool mother-in-law! Most mother-in-law's favorite hobbies are sitting around watching Oprah and bitching at you for not making enough to support their daughter. May I be so lucky to one day end up with one similar to yours.
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thefox
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Post by thefox »

Good to see more homebrew stuff!

Maybe ask somebody to help with the music? :) Although there is a cheap kind of charm to it...
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Memblers
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Post by Memblers »

It is hilarious. The main level music definitely has this absurd cheesiness to it which enhances the hilarity, like the aliens are really cheerful and having fun. Different songs for the other levels would be cool.

The bullets coming from only 90 and 45-degree angles looks really plain though (and predictable). It might be interesting to look at a polar coordinate system to move the bullets (like on this video). I learned how to do that from a demo posted by Chris Covell (should be on the main page).

It also looks like adding some kind of physics with inertia/acceleration (like Defender) would change the gameplay in a huge way. I guess whether that would be a good or bad change would depend a lot on the stuff you're trying to dodge.
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bigjt_2
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Post by bigjt_2 »

Memblers wrote: The bullets coming from only 90 and 45-degree angles looks really plain though (and predictable). It might be interesting to look at a polar coordinate system to move the bullets (like on this video). I learned how to do that from a demo posted by Chris Covell (should be on the main page).
Just watched your video and downloaded the Covell .zip. Those are slick as hell! The movement for my projectiles, as you noted, are A LOT more rudimentary than that, but I might try learning from the Covell demos and see if I can get something more sophisticated to happen with their movement. It all depends on the amount of remaining time I'm willing to put into this thing. Thanks for the resources.
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bigjt_2
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Post by bigjt_2 »

I uploaded a new video of the latest progress today, which you can view either here or by looking at the first post in this thread. I also started up a wordpress blog to keep others up to date on the project's progress, which is here.

There's not a lot that's visibly different in this update. I've done a lot of work on the sprite movement to get the enemy and item sprites to snap better to the background and look more natural with the scroll. I've also implemented some 16-bit math on some of the movements to make them more smooth. I have to thank my pal Gradualore for his invaluable guidance on that.

There's also now some sound effects and a title and splash screen. The title screen has a level select feature just to make it easier for my beta testers to quickly get around the game and test out different parts. It will be included in the MAGFest demo but will not included in the final game.

Other stuff was a bunch of re-factoring to improve performance and better utilize memory, which isn't at all visible but it did take up quite a bit of time.

Another reason I wanted to post this vid is because this is footage from the actual demo I'll have at MAGFest next week. I'll have a table set up with two stations to try it out, so if any of you are planning on attending feel free to stop by and try it out/BS with me.
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bigjt_2
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Post by bigjt_2 »

Just made a blog post: http://nessylum.wordpress.com/progress-report/

A few folks have been asking me what the status of the game is, so I thought I better drop a quick line for those who are interested. I'd like to get some newer screen shots sometime, but time keeps getting away from me.
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NESHomebrew
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Post by NESHomebrew »

Is that Russia I see :) Zombie commies ftw!
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bigjt_2
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Post by bigjt_2 »

WhatULive4 wrote:Is that Russia I see :) Zombie commies ftw!
It is the Soviet Union indeed, sir! Cows and zombie commies are now a full-on part of the game. :-)
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bigjt_2
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Post by bigjt_2 »

New blog update. The game is officially drafted and ready to begin fine-tuning as of last night.

http://nessylum.wordpress.com/2011/09/0 ... e-stretch/
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bigjt_2
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Post by bigjt_2 »

annnnnnnd whorish bump.
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