2024 NES Homebrew: 5 Must-Play Picks

[@djachmedd]

Nice video, Data Man rules. There is a snakegame on nes though. A homebrew from years ago called nessnake

[@lordzarak76]

Thank you very much for pointing this out. As I was finishing up development, I did research on other snake genre games, and "NeSnake" never came up. I just learned of it today. I even asked others knowledgeable on NES homebrews if I was first of a kind to avoid this. So my sincere apologies to the "NeSnake" developer... they are the first snake game on the NES. But based on footage I've found, I'm proud that my game is a different experience and not a clone.

[@TheGameBeaters]

Very interesting. Thanks for the added context!

[@djachmedd]

@@lordzarak76 yeah they are probably not offended 😊 I think it was made over 10 years ago, by retroUSB who did the AVS I think. It's a good snake clone though, so check it out!

[@Pixelcraftgames-Panzer]

Thanks for the kind words guys! Glad you got a couple laughs out of my train wreck of a game :)

[@TheGameBeaters]

lol you have big talent imho.

[@ClassicCo-op]

Love these videos! Data man is one of my favorite co-op homebrews!

[@TheGameBeaters]

Thats cool. I need to try it in Co-op cuz I think, like you are saying, that is where it will really shine.

[@MegaArcon]

You're doing the lord's work my friend. Great video! 😀

[@TheGameBeaters]

Thank you so much!

[@DoYouNerd]

I really do enjoy checking out some homebrew games and have been enjoying the love old systems are getting again. Also, I'm not a Rugrats fan at all, BUT, I do enjoy SMB2 so I'd actually give this one a go. Data Man looks pretty fun too! I like the touch of the glitching when things break down. 8BitBrix looks like something that would totally have gone over well back in the NES heyday. Sign me up for Zed and Zee as well--geez guys, what are you doing to me here!

[@TheGameBeaters]

You would like Rugrats as a game then I am sure. I saw enough of the show to know what's up but wasn't a fan and its still a fun game. As far as the other games go.. welcome to the rabbit hole! lol Thanks so much for watching and commenting!

[@retrobeliever]

Fantastic vid! Homebrew and Indie games will keep physical forever and I’m all for supporting that! Love that you guys made this vid, and these are all new to me! I also appreciate the humor in this 😉

[@TheGameBeaters]

Thank you dude! We’re right there with you with keeping that physical media alive, and it’s great to see the community growing around it. Glad you enjoyed the humor too! We are always excited to share the love for creative projects like these. Thanks for watching and for your feedback.

[@retrobeliever]

@@TheGameBeaters you’re welcome! ❤️🎮

[@toxicmanbaby1069]

The art and sprites on that Rugrats game are truly phenomenal. Is this actually an official licensed product?

[@TheGameBeaters]

As far as I know it is officially licensed by Nickelodeon and limited Run games sold real complete in box cartridges.

[@alexfischer7876]

@@TheGameBeaters Then why did you include _Adventures in Gameland_ as "Homebrew"?

[@TheGameBeaters]

@@alexfischer7876 That’s a good point. ‘Homebrew’ often refers to games developed independently without official licensing, even if they feature familiar brands. In the case of this Rugrats game, it was created by an NES homebrew developer who has done other unlicensed projects, though they’ve also managed to get some licensing deals for other games. Importantly, this Rugrats title isn’t officially licensed by Nintendo, which still categorizes it as homebrew. At least in my eyes it is.

[@maxamillion2140]

@@TheGameBeaters It's kind of weird though, because it is licensed officially through Nintendo on the Switch. So it's official in that regard, even the nes game is iincluded in the switch game so the nes game is officially licensed by nintendo. Though the NES version physical copy can't be licensed for the nes because they don't license games for the nes anymore. But it is still technically licensed by nintendo.

[@TheGameBeaters]

@@maxamillion2140 The way I see it is there are plenty of homebrew NES games that go on to find their way on to the Nintendo switch and other console platforms as well. These are usually games made by independent creators. The dev who made Rugrats has made several other really fun homebrew games which is why I would assume that person was commissioned to make this game as well. In a sense its allowing fan games to be licensed.

[@fista1331]

Another fantastic video! Always look forward to these 👊🏻🔥

[@TheGameBeaters]

Thank you! High praise from the legendary Fista! Glad you like them!

[@MalisCash]

8bit Brix is definitely not the first snake game on the NES, nor is it "literally" the only snake game on the machine. In fact, it comes in as being at least the fourth snake game on the console, lol. So I'm not sure what history would be made here, as two professional development studios and a homebrewer all did a snake game first. Anyhoo, there was a snake game called Fire Dragon released in the early 90s for both the NES and Famicom, and it was developed by a commercial company rather than being done by a homebrewer or hobbyist. Then in the early 2000s, a NES homebrew came out, NESnake. Also around 2005 Edacity Snakes was released, yet another game in the snake-genre. That leaves this snake game to be at least the fourth snake game to be developed for this architecture, lol.

[@TheGameBeaters]

You're absolutely right. 8Bit Brix isn’t the first snake game on the NES, and the dev has since acknowledged that after doing some digging and learning about games like NeSnake and Edacity Snakes. What makes 8Bit Brix stand out is how it blends the snake gameplay with a design studio mode and the flexibility of creating your own pixel art. It’s not just another snake clone, but something fresh for the system, which is what keeps things interesting in the homebrew scene!

[@skRapKlan]

Awesome stuff! So many cool new games coming out these days.. I'm loving every minute of it!! Thanks for the great video!

[@TheGameBeaters]

Thank you for watching and taking the time to leave a thoughtful comment. Much appreciated.

[@skRapKlan]

@@TheGameBeaters Ahh gosh darnit - you are the one doing the work gathering all the info and making the video for us to watch! All thanks to the creators, is what I always say..!!

[@UltimateGamerCC]

Homebrew/Indie Gaming needs all the spotlight it can get.

[@L09ANA]

Real

[@TheGameBeaters]

Agreed! We do what we can here.

[@vanishedcinemassacrevideos9580]

Are you guys going to (P)review Christmas Crisis 2 ? It's on Kickstarter right now .

[@TheGameBeaters]

When we can get our hands on it we most likely will.

[@gablepine18]

What is the game at the end of the video with the star ship !???

[@TheGameBeaters]

Its a game in development called Rick Starfield Hero of Space and Time

[@gablepine18]

Thank you ❤​@@TheGameBeaters

[@BdR76]

10:17 "This is literally the only snake game on the NES" Ackchyually!! 🤓 There's a game called Wit's by Athena Co. from 1990. It's a lightcycle game and even has 4 player support. And several homebrew snake games also do exist for NES already.

[@TheGameBeaters]

Right, after publishing the video we found out there was more to the story than we knew. See the pinned comment for an explanation from the creator of the game.

[@snoredizzle]

Great job, always love NES homebrews

[@TheGameBeaters]

Thank you, that makes 2 of us! :)

[@magvs_mæstro216]

Blows Home Alone for the NES out of the water

[@TheGameBeaters]

Agreed

[@victorkuruk238]

Hopefully next month I can get a fresh new NES with that Rugrats game 😁👏🏿

[@TheGameBeaters]

That would be cool!

[@AFFL1CTED1]

Steel Legion was another good one. You should check that one out, Dan.

[@TheGameBeaters]

Yes! That is a fun one. Franks did a live stream playing it on this channel a few months back but definitely needs a proper review.

[@MattisCarlgren]

Rugrats rocķs! Its extremely polished. Hope a sequal comes❤

[@TheGameBeaters]

Agreed!

[@Bibvock]

I absolutely love the Rugrats nes game! I was so surprised to see it included in the steam purchase of the game.❤

[@TheGameBeaters]

Glad you enjoyed it! It's a little gem, isn't it? You’re in for a treat with the rest of the collection too! 😊

[@yeolemillinial8295]

lol i never cared for rugrats even though i was the right age. would still play this game though lol

[@TheGameBeaters]

You certainly don't need to be a fan to enjoy the game. Its just a solid platformer with a Rugrats skin.

[@LumbyMcGumby]

Rugrats game looks amazing

[@TheGameBeaters]

Its pretty cool!

[@ultramaximusreviews]

The 1st 2 look the absolute best to me.

[@TheGameBeaters]

Heck yeah!

[@hanselmanryanjames]

Where do you get these games? Are they for sale somewhere?

[@lordzarak76]

I can't post links but "8Bit Brix" and "Zed and Zee" are at Dalyen Games. "Panzer 3" will likely be there soon. "Data Man" is at Broke Studio. "Crater Song" is at Premium Edition Games. "Rugrats" was Limited Edition Games. Not sure how future copies can be obtained.

[@TheGameBeaters]

I've added some relevant links pinned to the top of the comments here and in the video description as well.

[@overwhelmed-gamer]

Nice video man!! All great games. 😊

[@TheGameBeaters]

Glad you enjoyed! Thank you!

[@popixel]

8-bit blocks is more like pearler beads

[@TheGameBeaters]

Haha, who doesn’t love some pearler bead vibes?

[@curtisnewton895]

can't use chapters hey

[@TheGameBeaters]

Doh! Perhaps it just took some time?

[@paxhumana2015]

...and yet this Rugrats game is better not only than the actual Rugrats licensed, and official, games, but also better than the Nickelodeon reboot of the series.

[@TheGameBeaters]

Haven't seen the reboot but its probably the best Rugrats game I have played. Not that I was a huge fan of the show but I saw it enough to know whats up. Also I think this does have an official license from Nickelodeon.

[@paxhumana2015]

I hate saying this about 8-Bit Bricks, but, as clever as it is to make a video game with an accompanying LEGO-like series of sets, this sort of thing honestly a. is unnecessary, b. we literally have a crap ton of Picross games, c Minecraft exists, d. a bunch of Minecraft clones also exist, e. you can also literally do things like this in LEGO Worlds, and f. even though LEGO, or anyone else could have done this clever tie-in, honestly, LEGO should have already done this over two decades ago for the Nintendo Game Boy Color, or Nintendo Game Boy Advance, instead of being ruled by complete and utter m o r o n s ...in short, it's a day late, and a dollar short, of an idea overall.

[@lordzarak76]

I thrive on making unnecessary stuff!

[@TheGameBeaters]

I think the magic of 8-Bit Brix isn't necessarily about competing with Picross or Minecraft, it’s about bringing a creative and novel experience to the NES. There's really nothing else like it on this console. Sure, you can do pixel art in modern games, but part of the appeal here is seeing what new and fun experiences can still be made for the NES!