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Aeron's Golden Cookie Quest Part One - 🎭 🎭 New Player Sprite! 🎭 🎭

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WHAT LED ME TO CREATE THIS HACK



For a bit of context, I started in the hacking scene in 2009, but I lost interest mid 2011, because of my lack of experience with things like blocks and sprites. So, after all that time has passed, and after having played some great hacks (in this period that I was inactive), I tried to mess up around with the Lunar Magic. And thus, this hack was born.

There are some hacks that I played while I was inactive: Brutal Mario, The Second Reality Project series, Keytasthrope (Remake), Sicari Remastered, Luigi Misadventures 2 and few other hacks I don't remember very well.

Yeah, I didn't play too much mario hacks, but I played a lot of platforming games like Shovel Knight, Castlevania, Ganbare Goemon, Super Mario All Stars, Sonic (I still have to play Mania); Sparkster, Gargoyle's Quest, Actraiser, Mega Man classic and X, Magical'n Pop, DoReMi Fantasy, Earthworm Jim, Wario Land, Donkey Kong Country, Kirby, Kid Dracula, Getsu Fuuma Den, Aladdin (SNES/MD), Magical Quest (Mickey), Metroid (and IGAvanias too) and a few others. My point here is that I LOVE platformers, but I never risked to do a SMW hack, that is, until this year...

A lot of things that I learned don't come only from the hacks that I played, but from kaizos that I saw other people streaming like Invictus, Not Dracula Castle, Grand Poo World 2 (I even watched it being played at Games Done Quick), Quickie World, Ryu World, Super DGR World. So while I came back recently, I also watched a lot of stuff related to SMW Hacking. It's amazing how the resources, hacks and tools have evolved with the passing of time.

My objective with this hack is to create a challenging game, not kaizo-like, but still rewarding. I want to pay homage to these platforms game that I played. Since this is my first hack (that I'm giving my all), I'm very open to suggestions and constructive critics.

ABOUT THE HACK

Like I said, this is my first real attempt to make a fun challenging very hard hack. But before I talk about the hack and stuff about the level design, I would like to introduce my original characters:



This is Aeron, a goofy mage knight that is very powerful and well-intentioned, but also lazy, sassy and reckless. He loses his magic (also, his grimoire too) when is sent to a strange dimension,. He's attached to details and kinda methodic.



This is Natsumi, a serious hot-blooded shinobi. She always has to deal with all the mess that Aeron does. Act like a older sister figure to him. Carries a dagger that can freeze its enemies.

The story is very simple: Aeron and Natsumi are sent to a strange dimension and now must find a way to return back to their home, Windovastia. I'm not a great storytelling, so I'll be focusing on a more humorous and light narrative.

MAIN OVERWORLD AND SUBMAPS

An adventure won't be complete with a nice looking map, right? Here is the current overworld of my hack.



MAIN MAP: ARCHIPELAGO OF CONFUSION

This mysterious archipelago will make the protagonist confused, since he will have to turn around and try to find his way in this place. With a lot of icebergs in his way, it's very hard to traverse the ocean.



Submap 1: Mt. Mutsu

A japanese submap mixed with snow theme.



Submap 2: The Underworld

A mysterious place with evil energy lurking from it.

SCREENSHOTS

Here are some screenshots from the levels that I made and other things, as well. Do note that they will be updated as long as I make progress in my hack. Please take a look:



















I didn't draw the player sprites (it will use 32 x 32 player patch), but that will take some time. For now, I will focus on the level design itself for now. Sorry for taking so long to make a player sprite, but I'll sure pay off. Cutscenes will be coming in a near future, so stay tuned!

MOST RECENTE DEMO OF MY HACK: DOWNLOAD IT HERE!


So far of what i've tested of this hack, i can say it's a great hack, very challenging and creative.

So, I finished a new boss for the hack. This will be the boss that will be waiting in the end of my Magic Library level. And speaking of the lore of my hack, this will be like a trial, where the main character needs to pass, so he can obtain a powerful artifact.



Inspired by Final Fantasy IV and V. The page numbers and the background itself makes a reference to the Ancient Library location from FFV. There the players must traverse a library filled with magic monsters. Those beasts have page number as names.

The theme of each room and the music are reference to the Four Archfiends. Earth, for example, represents Scarmiglione, and since the boss itself is an undead, I put some dry bones to represent that. Water and Wind are self-explanatory. Fire starts with Mario being healed in reference of Cagnazzo, since he heals the party before fighting the heroes from FFIV.


Interesting! How many levels will your hack have?
- Current game playing: Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (PS5)
- Last game completed: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (GC)

Currently working on The Mario's Greatest Adventure, Mario & Stitch: Part I and Super Mario World Re: Master Quest 1. My next projects will be Mario & Stitch: Part II, Mario & Stitch: Part III (MSU-1 only)
List Graphics. OLDC 2021.Online BG Ripper.
Originally posted by Brutapode89
Interesting! How many levels will your hack have?


Around 20 levels. Each level will have a gimmick and a different theme. I will also make homage to some of my favorite games in some of them. Currently, I'm still writing the story / lore / cutscenes and drawing the player sprites, but very soon, I'll make the first playable demo. My aim is to make a very hard hack with a good amount of challenge and platforming.


I'll give you one thing: this has a lot of personality. I love the style of the graphics so far, it's nothing like the hacks you see usually nowadays.

Keep it up, and since you're striving for something hard, make sure to keep the outside testing in check, so you don't end up with a moster of unfairness and annoyances.
It's easily the best thing I've done
So why the empty numb?
Well, thanks for the feedback, Koopster. Sorry for the late response, I was very busy that I even forgot to reply in the thread.



Here's a small update. I changed the palette and background of the Seaside Resort. And I started the creation of the first level of the hack : Moody Blues. Will be a more calm level with a bit of exploration and puzzle-solving. I was testing more the tileset of Demon's Crest with the background, so the level design in the final version may change drastically.

Well, that's it for now. I'm too busy with C3 stuff and studying hard in EAD, so I'll have to freeze the hack for now. #smrpg{ohno}


Interesting, your hack is pretty unique, it's impressive how you used many GFX on Football Wasteland, what an unfortunate you can't work on your hack for now, really want to see the final result and play it, great work #smw{:peace:}
Just some Ys fan lol
Sorry for not posting too much about my hack, I was very busy with a lot of stuff, and that includes moderating stuff, but believe me, the Graphics Section now is good, so I can focus better in my hack.

Here's a sneak peak of my character Aeron, drawn by my friend Crywolfe. He does some amazing pixel art, so if you can, be sure to follow him on twitter. So far, he made five frames : small Mario walking, idle and two running frames. Colors are not final.






Good taste in tilesets and I like the improvement you made to the Seaside Resort. Much more atmospheric. Those submaps are also mighty fine. The boss battle is a great homage to one of the more overlooked Final Fantasies.

Now, I am always glad for OCs in SMW hacks. I don't believe I have seen a colored version of your concept art, but looking at the details on the sprite, the mask looks perfect in large form. The hat does deviate a bit from the source in that it is larger, but looks great regardless; suiting of a magician. The emblem on his hat can probably be done in 4 pixels: if it appears chunky, making one row or both rows "redder" than they appear to be in the concept image will soften it considerably and leave it seeming round. As minor of a detail as it is, I feel that the hat is probably as important for defining your mascot as his face (or in this case, mask.) I do think the mantle should appear more relaxed and just drape down in the standing pose, but form like that is good for running.

I do not like the body, because it is solid blue and does not carry over any characteristics of his costume such as the striped pants (with a light shade, probably one stripe per leg can neatly fit in) and as small as the boots are, it still should be possible to create a buckle-like strap with a few dark, perhaps anti-aliased pixels. The shape of big Mario is a fine base, but the torso is not going to be expressed in many frames with his arms up. (Admitably, it is not my favorite idle posture, but I digress.) I feel the small Mario base doesn't work at all for Aeron since it's legless. What is fortunate is that this character is so early in the art stages that if it is desired to further detail the body, it is still possible and convenient to detail a frame that is intended as a base or reference for the rest of them to come out easier.

This is a ton of work and your friend is doing a wonderful favor. He has a great portfolio, though I assume these forced size constraints are a new sort of challenge for him. He does pretty well with limited colors so I think he can pull this off!

Just look above you...
If it's something that can be stopped, then just try to stop it!
Thanks for the feedback, Counterfeit. I was very busy lately, so I didn't made any level progress or something like that. But your suggestions about the player sprite were sent to my friend. I already talked with him, but he's a tad busy right now. But yeah, I'll talk for him to add a bit more of details to the Big Mario sprites. As for the small Mario one, I prefer it to stay SMW-like. I'll define the colors once all the poses are finished. Thanks for the compliments and critiques,really appreciated. #smrpg{:3}


I made a small update in my hack. While my friend finishes the model of my OC / player sprites, I'll focus in polishing my levels. Here's a sneak peek of the first level : Gargoyle Cliffs. A night-time sad level that features gargoyles and spinies, for now. It will not feature puzzles anymore, but instead, I'm thinking in making a very simple level. I still have to decide the other types of enemies.











I'm going to draw a tail in the gargoyle because it's a reskinned Giant Eerie and to make the hitbox looks good, also I think I can enhance its visual a little more. The cement blocks in the last screenshot are placeholder. That's it for today.


Gargoyles! #tb{^V^} The deep blues and columns in the tileset really fit their character. The foreground's strong glow and textureless black fill, despite everything else being dark blue, work really well to help you distinguish your surroundings. In still screenshots, blocks appear to recede into the background except the screenshot where there are so many that it is clearly solid - maybe brightening the top shade a little will bring it forward without making it look mucky. While the gargoyle sprite on its own looks good, you make a good point about the hitbox. If a tail still doesn't help it seem right and 32x32 is desirable, drawing the gargoyle 3/4 profile angle similar to Mario's or the original Eerie sprite's might help you fill up more of the space without silly proportions and give it the perfect interaction.

What I am thinking goes well with gargoyles, if you are considering more graphics outside SMW, are behemoths (maybe as a Chargin' Chuck replacement? Chuck's tiles are funny to work with, but I think it's the only sprite that seems naturally intimidating enough to fit the bill) and either crows or post-Special World Pidgits.

Just look above you...
If it's something that can be stopped, then just try to stop it!
Seeing Touhou & Castlevania vibes the theme is really interesting


You are challenged by Champion Daisy!

LAYOUT FOOTER:
Thanks for the feedback! Sorry for the lack of updates, I've been busy with real life affairs and moderating graphics. Here's some small updates. #smrpg{sick}

I changed the shading of the blocks so they don't mix up with the background and a friend of mine decided redrew the Gargoyle / Flying Skeleton for me. Here's some new screenshots too:



New graphics for the spinies. Ripped from No-Body The Dragon's spritesheet.



Flying Skeleton is more menacing than ever.



Flying Skeleton in action. Now with more resemblance to Castlevania III.





Made some small changes in the second half of Midnight Glacier, now renamed to Black Ice Athletics. This time, I revamped these areas to be more challenging.



Football Wastelands became Qusara Sport Field. This time, I want to make a homage to Ganbare Goemon 4. The level will have sport thematics on it. The first half is the desert.





Once again, thanks for No-Body the Dragon for the soccer and basketball sprites.



The second half will be in a stadium, filled with more dangerous hazards and challenges. I know that the aesthetics of my hack won't be that consistent, but it's a price I want to pay to make homage to some games I really love.

That's it for today. Steady and slow, but I'm still making progress.
Double post.



Here's a sneak peak for the second half of my second level. It will feature "new enemies" like mouses in kart, once again, drawn by No-Body The Dragon. The main gimmick of this stadium will be these on-off blocks.

I'll be very busy in the next weeks, but I'll try to finish the 3 levels and deliver a demo until the end of October. Can't say if I'm going to manage to do that, because of the online classes and stuff I have to do, but anyway, that's it for today.

I accept suggestions of music for this stadium part.


TRIPLE POST

Here's more setups with ON-OFF switches. I'm having so much fun creating this level.



Also, featuring, the Amazing Flying Judge Bro. He throws yellow cards at the player. Once again, No-Body the Dragon created the graphics, I just ripped them. #smrpg{:3}


I like how this hack looks to be going so far! The various rips of graphics from other games make for a neat style, I feel. That ON/OFF switch level in particular seems like it's coming along nicely too, the setups look fun and I could tell that you have in fact had fun making it. Those referee graphics that replace the Amazing Flyin' Hammer Bro are great as well, with the yellow cards being a nice touch.

Aside from that, I really like the designs of your original characters! I think that a goofy knight and serious ninja fosters an interesting dynamic. I look forward to seeing how your hack progresses and grows over time.
What is a Lunar Magic, and can I eat it?
Thanks for the compliment, E-man. I appreciate it very much! #smrpg{:3}



The final part of the second half of Qusara Sport Field. That's it for today.




The boss that awaits the player in the end of the stage. Yeah. It's baseball time!

Took me a entire day to configure the Reznors. Originally, the arena would have spikes and Punch (from Wario Land 2) in it, but I discarded that idea.


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