Lunar Assault 64: Difference between revisions
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== Making the Game == |
== Making the Game == |
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=== Before the Jam === |
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I didn't have much of an interest in homebrew game development until I watched Rachel Simone Weil's [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjGFkYRf8UI talk from MAGFest 2019]. In the talk, Rachel puts forward the idea that a game console is a cultural artifact that can be examined and expanded on. Her words really resonated with me, as I felt like some of my feelings on the Nintendo 64 weren't shared with the public consciousness. This inspired me to attempt to develop a homebrew game that broadened the Nintendo 64's library. |
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Going in, I knew that I didn't want my jam submission to be like a typical Nintendo 64 game. Many of the best-selling and well-remembered Nintendo 64 games took advantage of the console's unique hardware features such as antialiasing, z-buffering, and texture filtering. The cartridge medium of the console also put a higher price on storage and production compared to discs. I think that pushed a lot of Nintendo 64 games to be big-budget works that appealed to general audiences. It's easy to see how the reduced production costs of CDs on the Sony PlayStation enabled more esoteric titles with smaller print runs. Making a quirky and personal game for the jam seemed like a really good idea. |
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I think the Sony PlayStation appealed to a lot of Gen-X players who grew up with Nintendo and Super Nintendo games. As those audiences got older, they appreciated the themes and experiences found in titles like ''Final Fantasy VII'', ''Metal Gear Solid'', or ''LSD: Dream Emulator''. The Nintendo 64, meanwhile had games like ''Mario Kart 64'' or ''Pokemon Stadium'' which were rather geared for me when I was a young child. I wanted to inject some of my personal experiences as an adult into a console I played before I came of age. |
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Visually, I knew I could turn off a lot of the Nintendo 64's trademark features. It was possible (and more performant!) to render triangles without z-buffering, antialiasing, and texture filtering. The SDK included the <code>gspF3DLP.Rej</code> microcode, which improved triangle-processing speed while skipping perspective correction. <code>gspF3DLP.Rej</code> also yielded a larger vertex buffer for 3D models. These features appealed to me, as a PlayStation-looking game might help distance my submission from something like ''Super Mario 64'' or ''Banjo-Kazooie''. |
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I had also been inspired how games like ''Crime Crackers'' and ''Bulk Slash'' showcase a character's portrait alongside the 3D action. It can help inject a protagonist into something otherwise very gameplay-oriented. |
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[[File:Bulk Slash gameplay.gif]] |
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== External Links == |
== External Links == |
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Revision as of 01:35, 18 December 2020
About
Media
Making the Game
Before the Jam
I didn't have much of an interest in homebrew game development until I watched Rachel Simone Weil's talk from MAGFest 2019. In the talk, Rachel puts forward the idea that a game console is a cultural artifact that can be examined and expanded on. Her words really resonated with me, as I felt like some of my feelings on the Nintendo 64 weren't shared with the public consciousness. This inspired me to attempt to develop a homebrew game that broadened the Nintendo 64's library.
Going in, I knew that I didn't want my jam submission to be like a typical Nintendo 64 game. Many of the best-selling and well-remembered Nintendo 64 games took advantage of the console's unique hardware features such as antialiasing, z-buffering, and texture filtering. The cartridge medium of the console also put a higher price on storage and production compared to discs. I think that pushed a lot of Nintendo 64 games to be big-budget works that appealed to general audiences. It's easy to see how the reduced production costs of CDs on the Sony PlayStation enabled more esoteric titles with smaller print runs. Making a quirky and personal game for the jam seemed like a really good idea.
I think the Sony PlayStation appealed to a lot of Gen-X players who grew up with Nintendo and Super Nintendo games. As those audiences got older, they appreciated the themes and experiences found in titles like Final Fantasy VII, Metal Gear Solid, or LSD: Dream Emulator. The Nintendo 64, meanwhile had games like Mario Kart 64 or Pokemon Stadium which were rather geared for me when I was a young child. I wanted to inject some of my personal experiences as an adult into a console I played before I came of age.
Visually, I knew I could turn off a lot of the Nintendo 64's trademark features. It was possible (and more performant!) to render triangles without z-buffering, antialiasing, and texture filtering. The SDK included the gspF3DLP.Rej microcode, which improved triangle-processing speed while skipping perspective correction. gspF3DLP.Rej also yielded a larger vertex buffer for 3D models. These features appealed to me, as a PlayStation-looking game might help distance my submission from something like Super Mario 64 or Banjo-Kazooie.
I had also been inspired how games like Crime Crackers and Bulk Slash showcase a character's portrait alongside the 3D action. It can help inject a protagonist into something otherwise very gameplay-oriented.
