Xmas Demo and Plans for 2024 - Castlevania: SotN for Sega Mega Drive & Genesis - Dev Diary 25

My Patreon:
/ pigsysretrogamedevtuto...
320 Resolution rom:
www.dropbox.co...
A slightly updated version of the rom I used to film the CRT video. One of the many changes I made from that day to the release of the Xmas rom obviously must have triggered that room transition bug I mentioned in the video, as this one doesn't seem to have it. Please note that there were various other (less serious) bugs that I fixed in the Xmas version, the most important one being where pushing down while jumping stopped you from jumping again (just crouch and you'll be able to jump again!). It might be interesting to play, especially as it seems to be the most stable one:
www.dropbox.co...

[@slashrose3287]

The fact sometimes I cannot understand if this is a 16-bit conversion instead of the OG 32-bit couterpart suggest how fantastically accurate is your work, both on programming and artistic-wise...the final version will be a masterpiece and a real benchmark for any future 16-bit games, keep up the great work!!

[@PigsysRetroGameDevTutorials]

Thanks for the kind words, but the programming side definitely still needs a lot of work until I'm satisfied with it!

[@rustymixer2886]

And no cd load times

[@rustymixer2886]

​@@PigsysRetroGameDevTutorialsKnow be cool, after beat game have option be nes sprite, snes sprite and bloodline and rondo sprite wity the 8 direction whip attack!

[@dacueba-games]

There NEEDS to be an indicator that an enemy was hit. If you can't flash a palette, make it invisible for a frame or something. Same for Alucard.

[@RenegadeC]

Could shake the sprite a few pixels like streets of rage does

[@Bird_Dog2099]

Adding the collision spark sprite should b good enough

[@dacueba-games]

​@@Bird_Dog2099It absolutely shouldn't. In the original game, hitting an enemy and seeing a spark but no palette flash meant you hit its SHIELD and dealt NO DAMAGE. Confusing to make that the hit animation.

[@Bird_Dog2099]

Good point, perhaps a splash of blood then?

[@Holothurion]

@@Bird_Dog2099 Except that several enemies, like the skeletons and axe armors, don't bleed.

[@loutre_retro]

The work you've done is simply incredible - well done!

[@PigsysRetroGameDevTutorials]

Thanks you :)

[@benjibrogames2795]

This gets more impressive each time!!

[@PigsysRetroGameDevTutorials]

I hope there'll be much more to come next year!

[@GimblyGFR]

Pigsy, thank you very much for your work. Your videos inspired me to check SGDK and learn how to make graphics for the Sega Genesis. The demo is fantastic, and the response from everyone that has played it has been incredible. Really great work. Congratulations to you and your collaborators.

[@PigsysRetroGameDevTutorials]

Thanks. I look forward to seeing your graphics in a game someday!

[@rustymixer2886]

​@@PigsysRetroGameDevTutorials Know be cool, after beat game have option be nes sprite, snes sprite and bloodline and rondo sprite wity the 8 direction whip attack!

[@OrdoNekro]

I like the idea of adding the spark hit animation. I like how you explain your reasoning behind things. Can't wait to see the eventual finished project :D YES to specific enemies being vulnerable to certain subweapon types. That would make for more fun strategies for playthroughs.

[@rustymixer2886]

Know be cool, after beat game have option be nes sprite, snes sprite and bloodline and rondo sprite wity the 8 direction whip attack!

[@ViperSnake]

Adding the hit spark for attacks is an absolute must. My own Castlevania game originally had only palette changes for all enemies and felt very unpolished before I added the hit spark.

[@AtariBorn]

The outer wall could have easy Medusa heads until you reach the observation room at the bottom, where you obtain a key. Once the key is obtained, Medusa heads become harder while you climb up to a locked door, that allows access to the roof.

[@PigsysRetroGameDevTutorials]

Good idea! Maybe I could make the number of medusa heads increase/get faster as you make your way down

[@juanjesusligero391]

@@PigsysRetroGameDevTutorials Sounds good! If you do that, maybe it would be also nice to palette swap them to indicate the increase of difficulty, that way the players would understand that it's 100% intentional :)

[@lucasrodrigues4427]

Try add to your level design some time traps and jump traps, maybe adding a level without enemys or few enemys but a lot of traps. Try the moving spikes (10:51 and 15:46), some medusas and a dying hole for example! Add some petrifying medusas! Amazing job pigsy! The final boss of the demo was a fair fight. And don't worry, be fearless with the axe guys! haha

[@PigsysRetroGameDevTutorials]

Thanks. I don't think the SotN veterans will appreciate too many jump traps, but being a classic Castlevania I'm definitely going to need to include some! I hate those petrifying medusa's, but they will probably need to be included, haha

[@Holothurion]

@@PigsysRetroGameDevTutorials As long as you don't go overboard with them, they'll make a fine addition to the game. 😉

[@ThatOldTV]

I love how you used the Shadows and Highlight mode for the last boss. Great work. That's my request for your next tutorial. Show us how to use that mode. For the enemies getting hit, couldn't you just add that flash to the sprite sheet? Make a white or red silhouette from one of the frames to indicate it's getting hit? None the less, you put out a spectacular demo this Christmas.

[@raycastello2532]

The progress is incredible, I thought the idea of ​​changing the intensity of the damage in relation to the enemy's size was great, besides, the game is incredible. Congratulations on the progress and the beautiful work presented at DEMO. I loved playing the Demo! I can't wait to see more phases and the next refinements... I also love playing guitar, classical guitar and flamenco. 🙂 Happy New Year, Pigsy!

[@PigsysRetroGameDevTutorials]

Thanks! I'm practicing classical at the moment and want to start flamenco in 2024, although I don't think my fingers will ever be able to move fast enough, haha!

[@rustymixer2886]

Know be cool, after beat game have option be nes sprite, snes sprite and bloodline and rondo sprite wity the 8 direction whip attack!

[@frankmabo3940]

I think in some areas to allow the game to feel more fluid, the first space of the platform should allow alucard to go through and not bounce the head which allows for a more fluid feel while jumping around these platforms.

[@GreyMatterShades]

Yeah there were definitely a few places that looked like while collision makes sense from an art standpoint, it might be impeding the gameplay a bit. The overhead collision on some of the outdoor platforms where it looks like you're moving through a door was the example that stood out to me.

[@baardbi]

Yes. I agree. Not being able to jump properly is not only challenging. It's also very very annoying.

[@PigsysRetroGameDevTutorials]

Noted! I can experiment with changing the top collision hit boxes to see if it makes it play more smoothly

[@frankmabo3940]

Do you have some email I can send specific suggestions and potential simplified solutions for certain things, I'm a professional ecu calibrator and although I'm not a game coder like yourself I would love to be a small part of this project @@PigsysRetroGameDevTutorials

[@baardbi]

@@PigsysRetroGameDevTutorials Thank you for listening to feedback. However, I think this has more to do with level design than hit boxes. My problem was that I had huge problems jumping over a gap where the ceiling was directly over my head.

[@mattb8075]

I found you through Sega Lord X's shoutout in his latest video. This is exactly what I have been wanting from Konami is a linear Castlevania game again! (Classicvania if you will) Looks great, I wish you well. Subscribed for updates.

[@IuriFiedoruk]

One issue I did noticed while watching videos of the demo (I might be wrong, as I did not play it myself yet) is that once you reach a room door, you can still move and leave, and nothing happens. When reaching the next room loading point, it should stop responding to user input and dark the screen while it loads. Overall, it looks amazing, the only thing I would love to be added, is an option to play as Maria, like in the Saturn version.

[@GreyMatterShades]

I believe he showed an early prototype version of Maria in an older video (it might've been a different character, can't recall). He's definitely talked about having an alternate character and maybe even co-op.

[@PigsysRetroGameDevTutorials]

Maria will be included eventually (you can see her in the 2 Player video and horse level videos I did around a year ago). I forgot to disable player input during loading, but will do it next time for sure

[@PhoticSneezeOne]

The combination of shadow/highlight and solid graphics like for the winged boss has, as far as i know, never been done in any other Genesis game. Makes me wonder why. It could be used for effects like clouds with structures or waterfalls. Your work is outstanding Pigsy!

[@Grandia-bb5co]

thanks you so much for make the impossible real

[@PigsysRetroGameDevTutorials]

You're welcome!

[@NoahNCopeland]

i can't believe how this is shaping up! i must ask why two resolutions? are not adding more work than just picking a resolution?

[@PigsysRetroGameDevTutorials]

256 is to be close to the OG, and 320 is because it would add a "widescreen" option, which I think is cool. Compared to making the entire game, adding an extra resolution will only add a little bit more work

[@deano72]

Brilliant to see the quality and new ideas that have been put into this great game. Great start to the new year. 🤩great work

[@PigsysRetroGameDevTutorials]

Thanks and a happy new year to you too!

[@dacueba-games]

My favourite easter egg in the game is the confessionary. It always reminds me of how a game series about vampires and magic made by Japanese people treats my religion with more respect than most western media. (well, that and the beginning of Akumajou Densetsu.) I hope you'll include it.

[@duxzu]

Maybe flames on top of the moving spikes would be more readable and look cool

[@PigsysRetroGameDevTutorials]

Thanks for the suggestion!

[@slightlytwistedagain]

Regarding enemy impacts when hitting them, I'll list off some of the effects that developers have done in action and fighting games. 1. When your attack hits in the attack frames, program the animation to pause for a frame or two as that gives the visual look of resistance. You are at the end of the day cutting through a piece of meat, not fog. 2. Same goes for enemies. When your attack hits one, pause their animations for a frame or two and add a tiny shake as if the enemy is getting a tiny bit of knock back. 3. Sound effect swap out. Because the Mega Drive has limited channels for audio samples, create a bunch of unique samples where Alucard's sword slash overlaps the impact of the enemy's armor or flesh, then program those unique sound when your attacks make contact. As a side note, watching how impacts work in the 16bit Castlevania games like Rondo of Blood/Dracula X/Super Castlevania/Bloodlines will give you all the references you need to make your port feel like a Castlevania game without having to flash the enemy in different colours. Hope this all helps.

[@airic21]

Loving the demo great work, cant wait to see more original ideas you may have down the line..... I think it be cool to add some super secret area almost like that roof top that you can only access by glitching the game in some unique way... Everyone likes the ability to break games maybe you can predict it and plant easter eggs. :)

[@PigsysRetroGameDevTutorials]

I really like the little secrets in the original, so definitely want to include a few easter eggs here and there :)

[@Myako]

This is simply superb, thank you so much! 😊 By the way, the second link is broken.

[@Myako]

​@@rafaelantonio6765well, when I try it says "wrong url".

[@PigsysRetroGameDevTutorials]

It seems to be working now.

[@zabustifu]

You mention sub-weapons might be too weak. I feel like maybe axes could do the same damage as the regular weapon. It seems fair to me that axes would hurt more than the daggers. Also, having higher damage and HP values for everything would allow you to have finer damage output for each weapon type (I'm looking at a Castlevania IV wiki page now, which says daggers do 32 damage, and axes 48).

[@GreyMatterShades]

I think it would be cool if some of the sub-weapons did more or less damage depending on how they were used. The dagger should just be straightforward low damage, but the holy water could hit multiple times in the same spot, making it more effective against stationary or slow enemies. And the axe could do less damage when its near the top of its arc (since gravity is killing its momentum), but more damage at the beginning and also after it's started falling again.

[@PigsysRetroGameDevTutorials]

In the og SotN is seems that the level of damage each sub-wepean does is determined by who is using it (Alucard, Maria etc). In mine, I'm a little worried about making them too OP. I don't think it's something that can be considered in isolation, so I want to get a few more levels and enemies in place before I try to adjust it too much.

[@zabustifu]

@@rafaelantonio6765 Haha, that topic again! You mean the sky, right?

[@AngelicDirt]

I got the best gift for xmas... I got sick. SO I missed that video between long naps, I guess. ^^; It all looks so good tho. Gonna pick up the demo, for sure. I will say that those flame skelles spawning in that one hall _look_ like there's too many, but they cluster really well. One thing I always liked about those enemies is when you could jump two or so at the same time and you could just slip past them. Always fun doin' a sneaky when they probably wanted you to actually fight. That vertical bit after, tho? I agree, they need spacing out. :T Hope your holidays were nice. Oh, and Happy New Years! :3

[@PigsysRetroGameDevTutorials]

I think a max of 6 can spawn, which is maybe one or two too many! Happy new year to you too!

[@GreyMatterShades]

Awesome video. Love the game plan for this year. Really looking forward to the return of the video tutorials especially. I still haven't had a chance to play the demo yet, but I might as well offer up my feedback on some of the stuff covered in the video, based on the gameplay shown in the video itself. First off, IMO different attacks from different enemies should do different amounts of damage. While it would mean a little bit of extra work, it would add a lot to the game, especially when it comes to making those big attacks feel more threatening. As for sub-weapon damage, having them be more or less effective against different enemies could be cool, but might also not be super obvious to the player. A different idea would be to change the way they do damage to some degree to make them more unique, like: - Make the holy water hit multiple times in the same spot, making it more effective against stationary enemies - Make the axe hit for less damage near the apex of its arc, but more near the beginning and end (could be tough to implement, but the idea being it loses momentum near the top of its trajectory then regains it after it starts falling again). This might also slightly disincentivize players from cheesing enemies on higher platforms by throwing the axe up through the platform from a safe location. - The dagger could just be a bit weaker, as its utility is straightforward range When it comes to the bosses, I think the last one looks excellent, while the others show different amounts of promise (which makes sense based on the amount of time you've given them). As a general rule I think bosses are most compelling when their attack patterns force the player to deal with them in different ways. So attacks might require the player to duck, jump, move left or right to dodge an attack/get to a safe area, hit an object/projectile to deflect/destroy it, hit the boss to interrupt their action, etc. Attacks could also require a combination of two or more elements. I think the last boss looked like it would be so fun because it required a wide variety of these player responses. Some of the less fully implemented bosses seemed like they needed an extra attack or two to force a more diverse range of player responses. The worst case is when the player can just find a relatively safe spot and remain still for most of the boss attacks (especially when they can still damage the boss from this spot via sub-weapons or worse, regular attacks). For particular examples (and forgive me if you have these suggestions planned already), the wolf rider boss looked like you could beat their first stage by simply standing in the corner and attacking when it lunged. Maybe it could have a high lunge attack (with a clearly different wind-up for the rider) that would reach all the way to the wall, but could be ducked? Another idea would be if the rider threw their javelin up off the screen and it came back down where the player was standing forcing them to reposition. The second phase looked a lot more engaging, though more broken glass would help (maybe the number of panes that break would increase as the boss' HP gets lower?). As for the rolling creature boss, I like the suggestions you mentioned from other members of the community. Another option for an attack would be if he had an alternate hammer attack that was charged briefly and produced a shockwave that the player would need to jump. Also, it looks like the player can currently hit him from outside of the hammer attack's range, which significantly reduces how threatening it is. Requiring the players to backdash or run back to avoid being hit would limit how fast they can do damage to the boss (since they need to take breaks to dodge) and make the encounter more dynamic and challenging. The two character boss looked good overall, but it seemed like crouching might make you a little too safe during the first phase. Maybe the flying enemy could swoop down low at the player (partially below the floor) in a way that would force the player to jump? One bonus is that it wouldn't necessarily require any new animation, just a movement pattern. Second phase looked good, but if you implemented the swoop in the first phase, you could also use it in the second, while maybe making it a little faster. Medusa looked cool and I like the ideas I'm seeing (plus the stone attack you mentioned), but it's too early to give useful feedback. As an idea for an attack though: you could have a bunch of medusa head enemies flying above, and the main medusa could use her stone gaze to turn them to stone, causing them to fall out of the sky potentially hitting the player. That might be more elaborate/complicated to set up than it's worth though! And I already mentioned I really like the way the last boss of the demo looked. The only possible suggestion I'd make is maybe having a second phase where certain elements of the attacks are changed up. Like the bird attack could be faster and in a different order (with maybe one extra wave). The feather attack where you stand below them could have a second wave (after a short delay) that specifically hits below the boss so the player has to reposition twice. As for the orb attack, I think the way it is now might be better for the second phase, with the first phase being a little easier to dodge (maybe it doesn't loop around for the second pass until the second phase?). Anyway, hope this helped a bit. Thanks for all your hard work, man. The game really looks like its shaping up well! Congrats, enjoy your break, and I can't wait to see what next year holds!

[@PigsysRetroGameDevTutorials]

Thanks for the suggestions! Although the subweapons stuff has good ideas, I fear it may be a little complex, as I want the mechanics to be easily understandable to the players. Don't worry about the bosses, none of them have a safe place where you won't get hit (even the wolf boss will eventually get you in the second phase with the fireballs). If you keep ducking the Alch Lab bosses then they will eventually corner you and really mess up your day! You'll know when you get the chance top play the demo :) aAl going to plan, the tutorials should start in February.

[@elantiyoutuber5940]

excelent work

[@PigsysRetroGameDevTutorials]

Thanks!

[@pixeldiscoveries]

Amazing work! It’s fun to think of how enjoyable this game would have been in 1994 or so.

[@euphorik3120]

really really really REALLY glad youre balancing out the challenge by making parts that were so weak in the original more meaningful as a game in this version. when you first mentioned that slow axe and then mentioned other adjustments such as spawning and so on, i was like ok kool this guys doing really good to make this a game rather than a 'wheres the game?' (decent challenge).

[@Genesis814]

Great! Thank you so much.

[@PigsysRetroGameDevTutorials]

You're welcome!

[@aliceinmansonland448]

I got a copyright warning, but I loved testing it! I'll make another video (Sans Music!) once you get the link fixed. AWESOME WORK!!

[@PigsysRetroGameDevTutorials]

Probably just Dracula's Castle, right?

[@igodreamer7096]

2024 looks very promising, Pigsy man. Keep up the great work, brother and Happy New Year! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[@backlogpanic7967]

Really cool to see this much progress of the game, even though it is early~ I think some of the sections with tight jumps as well as some of the repetitive platforming in the tower-rooms in Entrance, Alchemy, & Marble Gallery could be improved by timed jumps, with some classic level-gimmicks. Currently the challenge comes from placed large gaps & enemies, but I think it shouldn't ONLY be from enemies. The kind of traps/gimmicks I am referring to are: -Vertical/Horizontal moving platforms -Crumbling single-use platforms -Rotating dropping platforms But I get that these things are not in the game yet, and the current design is made with what is available for demonstration. Anyway~ keep up the good work! You guys are really making something special! Happy holidays!

[@BendingInTheWind]

This looks more and more amazing all the time!

[@timvangenechten5258]

Just some ideas regarding the roof scene. Maybe you could add some gargoyles on the roof. Especially around the boss fight. And maybe you could make the wooden cross beams pattern in the roof more natural. Right now the thickness of the roof is very thin, adding a wooden beam right underneath would look better. Then have a look at how roofs are supported and mimic that patern. But the idea of a roof fight is a very nice one. If you have an options screen then you could add the option to make an enemy flicker shortly when hit. It doesn't need to be a red flicker, just turning the sprite on and off rapidly would do. Overal I think you are doing a great job. Looking forward to the next update.

[@VezukiCh]

Love what we got here so far! Keep up the great work! 👍

[@albertoluna4302]

Fantástico trabajo Pigsy, has pensado en añadirle el doble salto? La animación del doble salto es maravillosa en el original.

[@dirkvandijk6112]

Absolute banger of a release for xmas, thank you so much! The 320 version is astounding and WOW that smooth alpha on the crow Boss's wings is amazing! Same comment as others for enemy hit feedback but man, what a treat!

[@guillaumenunes9319]

I finally played the demo, and whaouh ! This is SOTN but with genesis vibes, outstanding work.

[@GusPagan]

Thank you so much and have a nice break!

[@lancelnce]

Very good. Happy new years Pigsy

[@ThomasSerruques]

informative when you like game design!

[@PigsysRetroGameDevTutorials]

Thanks!

[@whopoder]

Está tudo tão incrível, que fica difícil opinar. O ataque de Karasuman ficou muito bom! - Na "Entrance" , percebo que as árvores médias são montadas dentro do espaço visível. Surgindo de uma vez (repentinamente). Assim, também, são as pequenas escadas, tochas. - Vejo que você consertou a sala da grande rocha. A gente não pode mais cair do lado esquerdo (fora da tela). - Situação engraçada: Em Alchemy Laboratory, quando Alucard morre, sai "voando" e cai entre dois mobs (vermelhos). Então, ele fica voando e girando (animação da morte) entre os dois, rebatendo como um jogo de Ping-Pong kkkkk E é eterno! - Ainda no Alchemy Laboratory, depois de jogar bastante, Alucard e todos os Mobs ficaram invisíveis. Sofriam danos, mas não apareciam. - Após Dracula dizer "SEGA", se pressionar START mais de duas vezes, rapidamente, gera uma tela "Illegal Instruction" e vários dados referentes.

[@guillaumenunes9319]

Thank you very much, I'm very grateful.

[@giand.s6638]

Hello Pigsy, great video as always, I have been following the development of your project for some time and I would like to congratulate your work and that of everyone involved, following the evolution of this project is inspiring, the dedication of those involved is shown in the quality of the game that is taking shape. I had sent you an email a few days ago congratulating and sharing a suggestion to bring variety to gameplay, but I don't know if you use your channel's email, as I also sent some sprites to exemplify the idea, I thought it would be better to send it to you by email. , my suggestion would be to place a shop on the stage transition screens so that the player can change weapons or subweapons. Regardless, I wish the project success next year and I look forward to the day the final version is released.

[@GetLostGames1]

This is all very exciting!

[@ConsoleCombat]

With all of the rondo influence you should call this symphony of blood. Or rondo of the night.

[@PigsysRetroGameDevTutorials]

I think that might get a little confusing, haha

[@euphorik3120]

22:06 🤔 you could make that ledge break off right when he jumps across onto it. heck, add that here an there throughout this version. steps could disintegrate where you can show when a fine mesh is a good fx.

[@AtariBorn]

What about powered up versions of the sub weapons at 4HP? A slowly regenerating powerup that would give meaning to the MP bar and the health could be represented by a percentage, where health is normally represented.

[@PigsysRetroGameDevTutorials]

I've been thinking about doing something like in Bloodlines maybe

[@entertainmentwizard2703]

Amazing Work!

[@DumDoDoor]

Amazing demo I must say!

[@MetallicOrwell]

I had a lot of fun playing this demo. I think it would be great if you included some kind of visual indication that an enemy's been hurt-it feels really weird when it's just a sound effect. If it can't be a palette-swap, I think a small animated sprited would be great, like you said. Happy holidays.

[@sergey_nyase]

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! 💙

[@mariajosemota1050]

Thank you very much for this port, Lord Pigsy! Your work and that of those involved in this “project” is becoming incredible. Some questions: if you maintain the 256 x 224 resolution, the same as the Sony Playstation version, which defined the game, do you have more processing time, facilitating optimization, number of simultaneous sprites, fluidity, visual effects and good artificial intelligence? Setting 320 x 224, the Sega Mega Drive's default resolution, would affect processing, but make textures easier; transparency, gradient effect and printing of more colors in dithering, more definition, less irregular edges?

[@PigsysRetroGameDevTutorials]

Yes, it'll be fine. The Outer Wall boss pretty much goes to the 60 sprite limit of 256 mode, but I managed to get it working

[@junglejym1248]

this is amazing AF

[@xMando7833]

I think what might help the sub weapon thing may be adding possibly a item crash attack with certain sub weapons maybe

[@elvisborges4524]

AMAZING

[@PigsysRetroGameDevTutorials]

👍

[@dtcharo]

If you decide to have difficulty options then I think the respawn rate of the ghosts at around 15:55 would be appropriate for a higher difficulty. I also think incorporating a multi-bomb toss as a death animation would be a cool feature if you made it exclusive to a higher difficulty option. You guys are doing fantastic work!

[@Alianger]

7:10 Considering Rondo makes them flash white individually maybe you can find a way to do that through it or other games. Idk some people find it important to see exactly when they hit the enemy and how many times. If an enemy has some invincibility time after a hit maybe they could just flash on and off for a bit, I've seen that done in some MD games. Although that little lame effect also sounds good. I agree that a between Bloodlines and RoB difficulty is just about right! For the axe I just found it a bit weak compared to what I'm used to, maybe the water is as well but I didn't use it as much. I like the idea of combining the two castles a lot, should help variety be on par with other Classicvanias. The ghost spawning timing was on point, and I agree with them spawning a little sooner in the next room. It might be cool if you could revert the bombs towards the bomber knight if that's possible, otherwise he could be weak to the water maybe which isn't as easy to use against him. Outer wall plans sound great. I personally like the idea of a sub weapon inventory but if you have the chance to switch in the same level before important parts like the knight and the rifleman then that's ok. Going back and forth during combat works but it's not as fun to me. What do you think about making death pits do something like 40% of HP damage and having you respawn where you jumped from rather than killing you outright, kinda like in Zelda? Perhaps for an easy mode. I also think it would be cool to incorporate some of the gained moves (double or super jump, hover jump unless I'm misremembering), spells and weapons in the original, not just as traversal tools but to make overall gameplay grow more complex over the course of a playthrough. I've noticed some on YT have complained about the back dash a bit, I suppose it could be cancelable. More enemies and hazards could require using it later on as well. As a side note I showed it to my 7yo nephew the other day. He thought it was really cool, if a bit too hard. He thought there should be more secret paths with goodies... and that hearts should give hit points (first Castlevania he's played) :D Thanks again for all your work and happy new year man!

[@harrymason9358]

awesome demo, keep it up

[@grandmasterthefuriousfive7487]

Nice work

[@nintendo4life132]

Nice presentation. I guess you'll work on damage effects on the enemies so the player knows their taking damage. The enemy Sword lord swing effects need to move fast

[@SCIN]

1:12 Alucard bate a cabeça em algo invisível no teto ao pular, pode corrigir isso? Atrapalha muito pular quando está nessa altura

[@PigsysRetroGameDevTutorials]

Ah yes, don't worry, in that section I added a "ceiling" by mistake, I'll fix it later!

[@retrogames8678]

It would be cool if you could make branching path like in Rondo of blood. For example in the outer wall level if you go up and defeat the boss the next level could be the library or clock tower and if you go down the next level could be the caverns.

[@armandillo26]

Feliz navidad y año nuevo❤

[@ronaldvanmierlo9744]

Looks stunning ..... but the D/L links are broken...and a happy new year

[@rustymixer2886]

Thank you

[@weltgeist013thomas6]

I'm goina play 🎮 it tonight 👍 😎 & i'd love to see the full 🏰 version, with the intro. 💀 🌳 at the start ✨ 🌛

[@arioca]

The demo is looking and sounding great but I have a couple of questions: Why do we have to press start in order to move to the next room? I know that we can skip levels by pressing start in this demo but I'd rather play through the stages as if it was a finished product. Is it possible to make the animation to switch from right to left (and vice versa) faster? The animation is taking too long and needs to be snappier in order to hit enemies coming from behind. Amazing work so far! 👍

[@PigsysRetroGameDevTutorials]

This is just a demo version which is why the pressing start system has been used. You can just press start whenever you reach the end of a section to simulate playing in a normal way. I'm going to completely re-do the animation and controls at some point, so will see if I can make it quicker then. Thanks for the suggestions!

[@matiasd.7755]

Intermitent sprites (fastly toggling the visibility for 60 frames) should be enough to indicate that the enemy was hit...

[@rustymixer2886]

Know be cool, after beat game have option be nes sprite, snes sprite and bloodline and rondo sprite wity the 8 direction whip attack!

[@anjodaharpa8757]

There some points where jumping it's so hard, because Alucard head sometimes colides with a invisible ceiling, making some areas very frustrating to pass. Can you reduce the life bar to improve the game challenge? Superb use of shadow and highlight effects.

[@Wesleyrpg]

Looking good, after it's finished will you plan on using the extra resolution of the Sega Megadrive PAL Edition for even more detail?

[@exoria-x]

Master pigsys llegarán a hacer el castillo invertido y si lo hacen estaría bueno que aya que descubrir algun secreto para acceder

[@panzerdragonlegend6664]

Yo pensaba también eso@exoria-x

[@exoria-x]

@@panzerdragonlegend6664 si estaría bueno 👍

[@PigsysRetroGameDevTutorials]

I have an idea for an inverted castle level, but it's a little too early to think about it too much

[@exoria-x]

@@PigsysRetroGameDevTutorials y cual es la parte en la cual nesesitas pensar o solucionar en la que estas trabado , quisas pueda aportar alguna idea o conosca a alguien que te pueda ayudar

[@enigmaticons]

I was wondering if you’d be interested or should I say capable using the colour palette of Gargoyles , genesis game . I think that way this version would truly become its own beast , as good looking as this looks , it’s to similar to the PS1 version we’ve all played to death . Plus I don’t know if you can include the lost levels from the Saturn version. As grand undertaking as this all sounds , I think , if you were able to implement all of what I just mentioned , that would truly elevate your version of the game as something truly special. I’ve just had an idea when I saw you fighting the Axe Knight. Can you program the game that instead of destroying the axe he throws maybe we can deflect it back at him , that would be so cool. Thanks for all your hard work.

[@damin9913]

Sega genesis forever sega should have stayed with this console when they had it this console still bring the joy in gaming

[@Bloodyshinta1]

I'm curious how the on-hit sprite works. It sounded like you need to code it individually for every enemy instead of having a parent class that passes a generic hit effects down to every enemy type that could later be modified down the relationship chain per enemy.

[@united_virusX]

So far you are addressing everything I had issues with as for the bombknight I thought he was easy maybe have another enemy supporting him as for the damage you take I think each enemy should make u take different damage like tougher enemies do more while easy enemies do little amounts

[@aibada6594]

Wonder if there will be an expansion or enhancements for MegaCD Amazing work!!

[@RenegadeC]

I'd like Alicards diagonal down slash back

[@rustymixer2886]

I saw aomebody making a master system version !

[@briankeels5368]

Great work! When you are all finished with the game, would you consider making a slightly harder version (more nuisance enemies) with a time counter for people to speed run? I could see this game being very popular with the speed running community.

[@OrdoNekro]

Curious if you plan to add any extra playable characters in the future? Aside from Richter and Maria, I always liked being able to play as the axe knight lol

[@ChrisC-vr9mp]

Instead of changing the palette to red, are you able to just quickly draw another sprite (with red colors) over the character?

[@demensdeum_live]

I am wondering, is it possible to make background blue-shadow-animation as in original game? I think I saw something like this in Sonic games, sorry if it was already answered,.

[@GoTiKYT]

Hi!. Congratulations for creating this amazing game. I'd like to ask you ¿what do you think of PC-ENGINE hardware? and ¿will you be willing to make a new game for PC- Engine?. Thanks

[@mlodszyczapnik7684]

How will the cross subweapon work? Is it going to be like Richter's Item Crash? If so, is it going to be as expensive as in the vanilla game? 🤔🤔

[@Sheepy007]

I have a mega everdrive x3. If the final rom size of the game exceeds 56mbit, would it be possible to release a version of the game split among multiple rom files?

[@GreyMatterShades]

I asked about this a few videos ago and he said he was planning on doing something like that, specifically for people with more limited flash carts like the older everdrives.

[@PigsysRetroGameDevTutorials]

For now I just plan to keep releasing 32 megabit roms. I won't put everything together into a single rom until the very end, so don't worry, you'll get a chance to experience all levels in some way

[@RedLP5000S]

The difficulty is way up on this one. It feels like Alucard's weapon reach isn't as far as on the PS1. Still, this is impressive.....MOST impressive.

[@hardkoregamer1981]

Will destruction animations of objects like the candles be in the final build?

[@48hourrecordsteam45]

Hit indicator is needed at all times.in every game Just how no game needed to be one hit kill. ever .!!!

[@a2lan123]

Is it possible to make it so a single sprite can have its palette set to highlight/shadow mode?

[@DasTarD]

Great work !!! I have a question...is there a reason why you deviate from SOTN with the position of the enenies?

[@fishactivation5087]

This is meant to be more like a classic Castlevania game with SotN's map.

[@DasTarD]

@@fishactivation5087 ah...I see so it will never be a one on one copy of the original?

[@enricosalerno3621]

Have you decided if you are going to keep it metroidvania style or like a linear game?

[@JEY74]

Do you are planning port all game? it is beautiful

[@85bitsdeveloper]

Any chance of sword upgrades during the game?

[@SergioJogosMegadrive]

incrível

[@PigsysRetroGameDevTutorials]

Thanks!

[@ronch550]

Hi. Are you doing this game on your own? When do you plan to release it?

[@niviruu]

Gracias por aser de esta obra de arte un cartucho de 16 bits para cuando sale esta maravilla?

[@yoster39]

More difficult than bloodlines and easier than rondo? Isn't rondo way easier than bloodlines?

[@PigsysRetroGameDevTutorials]

I personally think Rondo is much harder. It seems to me that you can take more hits in Bloodlines without dying