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I liked this latest edition. The thing that caught my attention the most was Punk Rocker's article; I think that it was one of the best-written articles I've seen here. :D
Also, there's a few spelling errors that someone should catch.. (Since when has Adam's name been Meddigo?)
I liked this latest edition. The thing that caught my attention the most was Punk Rocker's article; I think that it was one of the best-written articles I've seen here. :D
Also, there's a few spelling errors that someone should catch.. (Since when has Adam's name been Meddigo?)
I have to say, that I completely disagree with the article, but you stated your opinion thoroughly.
I think that the Nintendo formula has worked for years; why change it? I realized I'm probably one of the only ones that likes the "normal" story. Wait a second...oh yeah! A hack like that won hack of the year! Guess I'm not...
That whole "Nintendo formula" brings me to what Thrace said in his review. To sum things up: I COMPLETELY AGREEE! I don't think placing grass sporadically and trees all over the place makes your route look good, no matter how "natural" it looks. Maybe that's just me being OCD? Oh well...
Spelling and grammar errors aside, this was a very nice issue. I just think I'm gonna slap the person that says, "OHhh, well it was kinda short. Wherez the tipss?!11?" =)
I agree, I may have only been here since April, and I too have noticed that hacks are getting boring. What I have also noticed is the number of hacks that have great ideas and stories, but are implemented rather poorly and would be better if created by others (sadly, in the state that it's in, I am also talking about Harvest Moon Edition)
OHhh, well it was kinda short. Wherez the tipss?!11?
It was a good issue, but you put your name as green in a section in the interview, Thrace.
I disagree with Punk Rocker's thing. It's interesting to have aliens, yes, but the generic Pokemon game works so much better, in my opinion. And the opinion of much of the community, I'd think, by the looks of the latest HOTY winners. CBM produces generic Pokemon games with just that extra touch of pure awesomeness. :\
Good work overall, guys, and keep on working with those next ones! xD
I liked the issue, but I'm not sure If I agree with Crashink, Cheesepeow, Visual the man of many names. Sure, it'd be interesting to see aliens trying to take over the world, but how in the hell does it fit in with Pokémon. I think you need to keep the Pokémon feel, but change the story to a more interesting one, while keeping the feel of the Pokémon world.
I liked the issue, but I'm not sure If I agree with Crashink, Cheesepeow, Visual the man of many names. Sure, it'd be interesting to see aliens trying to take over the world, but how in the hell does it fit in with Pokémon. I think you need to keep the Pokémon feel, but change the story to a more interesting one, while keeping the feel of the Pokémon world.
I agree. Although people should try to stick to the orignal format in some aspects, a little deviation from the norm isn't entirely a bad thing. I remember there was a hack a while back (tee hee!) where professor oak was murdered by one of the eight gym leaders and you had to figure out who did it by beating all of them and collecting clues. Something like that where they keep the original format of gameplay but change the reasons would be very fun to play.
Well... i'm sorta in a mid-term here. I agree with the "think outside the box" here... I think the only thing that is essencial is to keep in mind we are creating a story inside the POKEMON world. Not OUR world. Weird and different things might happen... like the frequent-mentioned alien invasion.... if you only remember that people there think different from us... they'd have different theories... different ways of facing the problem.
In the example above... as said... aliens COULD invade the earth.... and people would probably think they are Pokemon too.... like Clefairy is. There could be a fever of "gotta catch the new pokemon!"... trainers from all the world trying to hunt these creatures.... researches trying to get information over them.... Bill trying to decide where to put them in the pokedex..... how would the aliens feel in this situation? Would they believe this is a fellow-world or would they be afraid as hell?
Anyway... Pokemon IS the center of the attention here.... Pokemon IS still the world we are talking about. You just have to learn how to think like them... and everything is possible.
OHhh, well it was kinda short. Wherez the tipss?!11?
It was a good issue, but you put your name as green in a section in the interview, Thrace.
I disagree with Punk Rocker's thing. It's interesting to have aliens, yes, but the generic Pokemon game works so much better, in my opinion. And the opinion of much of the community, I'd think, by the looks of the latest HOTY winners. CBM produces generic Pokemon games with just that extra touch of pure awesomeness. :\
Good work overall, guys, and keep on working with those next ones! xD
Anyway, I just wanted to say that I love the discussion that's come up (that's what I've been trying to get people to do in EVERY one of my articles...).
I can say right now, that I wouldn't play a Pokemon game that lost the feel of the "classic" style. I just don't find interest in that. If you like it, be my guest; I just think a lot of the Pokemon atmosphere would be lost. But what do I know?:
Well, most of the time pokemon games that don't follow Nintendo's format don't get completed, the only ones I know that have been completed are the Ruby destiny series.
And that's most likely because, most of the people who make non-generic stories aren't the best scripters, and they make it hell on themselves to implement their vision into the game, which makes them frustrated and bored so they stop.
There's another side to it xD
Well, most of the time pokemon games that don't follow Nintendo's format don't get completed, the only ones I know that have been completed are the Ruby destiny series.
Well, there are some stuff that are kinda untochable in a good Pokémon games:
There allways will be a young boy/girl that get's it's first Pokémon from a Professor that's interested on a specific aspect of the Pokémon world.
3 of 4 times the protagonist didn't have a father.
There always will be a Evil Team that want to do bad things with Pokémon.
Legendary Pokémon are usually unknown by in-game people. Just as legends or something like that. They don't say the names also.
The main character can't talk.
There always will be 8 gyms and a Pokémon league.
I think that's most of the Pokémon formula so far.
I disagree with most of the topic listed by Kike-Scott, actually. Not all games will have gyms, and I remember playing a hack in which you don't receive your pokemon from a Pokemon Professor (Liquid Ocean to be exactly, in which you receive your first pokemon after helping an old man returning home safe... or something).
And also, some hackers like to give voice to the main characters. (not me, but some.)
The basic formula is still quite common among hacks... but we can't deny it's being broken. And I consider that.. well... satisfying.
So if you haven't noticed yet RHN has unofficially changed the day issues are released from Sunday to Monday (NZ time). Since I live in GMT+12 timezone its still Sunday for most of Monday for me so I guess it won't be much of a difference for most members.
This week we have our first ever non-Pokemon review so make sure you read the review. Hopefully we'll see some more non-Pokemon reviews in the future.
Opening by Thrace
Hacking News
Keep up with the latest in the ROM hacking scene
End of Hack of the Year
I planned on having a whole article for this but theres really not much point. HotY has ended this year with, thankfully, very little drama as opposed to last years. Congratulations once again to Haruki Hanai for winning HotY, I can't think of any other hack that deserved to win it. Next year there will be a different format to this years, hopefully one that'll make it easier for both the voters and the organisers.
Hack Rating System
RHN will follow a standardised rating system similar to that of IGN, ratings and their meanings are described below.
Spoiler:
10.0 to 9.0 - Masterful
Its almost impossible to make a hack that is perfect, but ratings in this range get pretty close. These hacks are flawless in all aspects of hacking, they are innovative and engaging.
8.9 to 8.0 - Impressive
Hacks that we feel are outstanding and are exceptional in at least one aspect will receive ratings in this range. Hacks that we feel are worthwhile and that everyone will find enjoyable. You'd need to put in a lot of effort to get this rating.
7.9 to 7.0 - Good
An excellent hack that is let down by a one or two major problems. Above average in all aspects but just missing a few things it needs to be great. Not amazing but has potential.
6.9 to 6.0 - Passable
Hacks that are just above average. Nothing to really get excited about. Nothing particularly horrible about the hack but nothing all that great either.
5.9 to 5.0 - Mediocre
A hack that provokes no emotion, standard, run-of-the-mill whatever you want to call it, these hacks are as average as they come.
4.9 to 4.0 - Lackluster
Hacks that do not have enough effort put into them. Probably not worth the attention for the time being. Has some potential to be better, but not enough to become something spectacular.
3.9 to 3.0 - Poor
Hacks that are flawed in all areas, most likely caused by inexperience by the author rather than effort. Not worth checking out regularly, will probably be cancelled the next week.
2.9 to 2.0 - Bad
Hacks that we recommend you avoid, not worth playing. Might have a few interesting ideas but ultimately is just very poorly executed. Major flaws in all aspects.
1.9 to 1.0 - Terrible
A hack we believe should not have had its thread accepted. These hacks are not even worth browsing over. These hacks are usually made by people trying to achieve internet stardom.
0.9 to 0.0 - Abysmal
Hacks that are not even truly hacks, more like edits. A few small changes to the original game, achievable in mere minutes.
Compiled by Thrace
Hack of the Week Review
Spotlight on the HOTW winner
Pokémon Moonshine[Link]Hack Author: Ninja Caterpie
Reviewed By: Thrace
Even though I have little to no interest in hacks or Pokemon anymore there are a few hacks that I watch keenly and Pokemon Moonshine is one of them.
Mapping is what appeals to me most in this hack. Everything just looks really clean. Tile errors are pretty much non-existant (I haven't tried looking properly but I haven't been able to spot any so far) and it seems that Ninja Caterpie has a very good knowledge of the Dos and Don'ts of mapping. There are a couple of problems here and there with tree shading but its largely unnoticeable.
The maps aren't extraordinary, in fact sometimes there are some pretty glaring problems. What I enjoy about the mapping is the amount of space that Ninja Caterpie has given the player to roam. The trees are also nicely aligned. There are little quirks in the maps that Ninja Caterpie will be able to fix in time. Perhaps there will be a complete overhaul later when his mapping improves. A completely new set of buildings for each town would be nice too. I love the placing of grass too. I know its probably just random dragging but (for me anyway) its hard to make it look good.
Theres really nothing to say about scripting. Theres really nothing special to it. I guess since its pretty early on in the development theres not much need for any amazing scripts. And as Ninja Caterpie learns more about scripting I'm sure we can expect some pretty cool events.
Basically this hack is one with a lot of potential. At the moment theres really not much there. Its got the makings of a great hack and it's definitely one of the few I'll looking forward to seeing in the future.
Article by Thrace
Hack Review
Hacks in review
Sonic 2 Lost ParadiseHack Author: .hack//zero
Reviewed By: Marxville
Reviewer's Rating: 8.5
Sonic 2 Lost Paradise is a hack of… well… Sonic 2. It has new tiles and new level layouts. It doesn't have many new features after that. It has a different order of levels, and many of the new tiles are quite good to look at.
Obviously, the story is the same as Sonic 2's. Get all the Chaos Emeralds. It has the same bosses, and little is changed script wise. In fact, only monster data in levels have changed.
I quite like this hack. It has parts in it that make you think, and aren't always obvious when you look at it. It has truly stunning new (or palette edited, like Wood Zone) tiles at certain parts and it's levels are laid out superbly, as it isn't about running to the right all of the time in some of the levels.
Also, the design of the levels are really thought out. Playing this is better than the original at certain parts. It surprises you with the layout and how good it is. Most of the levels are changed, for the better for a lot of them, with the unique layouts and some maze-like or jump up parts. It challenges you to try something new.
Even though this hack is a great one, it has it's flaws. For example, some of the levels are glitches (such as Genocide City), so you cannot finish at all, unless you use Level Select. Even Debug can't save you from Genocide City Act 2. Some tiles aren't used correctly (like conveyer belts in Wood Zone). Also, there isn't any music.
Article by Marxville
Pokémon Twilight: Road to DreamsHack Author: Kaizer-X
Reviewed By: demonparia
Reviewer's Rating: 6.5
As soon as I opened up Twilight - Road to Dreams in Visual Boy Advance, I felt a certain charm when I saw the Old English 5 font backdrop on the shooting star intro. "Rom Tempest Crew," it read. It was nice enough, but now it was time to dive into the actual game. The title screen was nice, but a little on the sloppy side. The custom Charizard was a nice addition, however. The game had the default Firered Professor Oak introduction, and that turned me off to the game a bit. The grammar leaves a lot to be desired, and the red female/blue male text color isn't always used in the game. It was rather disappointing to see that the Fame Checker was turned into cell phone entitled the "Fame M.Phone." The scripting is done rather well, but the movement of walking for people had no steps. It just looked like they were gliding. The tileset looks a little drab, like some paint dripped over the map. The trees don't have a lot of bright color, but the buildings and water do, which really causes the game to have really conflicting graphics. You start off on a small island community, and after a few discussions with your mother and the Day Care Couple, you obtain a ticket to go to Agern Harbor. The boat animation was fine, but you appear in a glitched space for three seconds... and then you appear in Agern Harbor! There wasn't a lot of editing done sprite-wise, and I'm sure it would have been better if more effort had been put forth. Once again, the grammar was disappointing, but I'm sure if the tiles matched more, and the grammar problems were fixed, this game would be much more enjoyable. All in all, I give this game a 6.5 out of 10. Keep trying hard, Kaizer-X!
Article by demonparia
Tips and Trick
An interesting Tip or Trick that you may not know
Hi everyone. Many of use use Advance Map as our mapping tool for advanced gen. hacks.
Well, some of you, as I've noticed, encounter some problems during resizing or editing your maps.
Here's how to avoid such troubles in your hacks.
Yah, like the picture shows above, disable the 'Automatically look for Offsets'.
Now that it's disabled, you are then gonna manually give A-Map free space to use. To change the default value in the textbox you need to edit one of Advance-Map's .ini files. Open the "Ini" folder and open AdvanceMap.ini in a Notepad. Find the version you hack most (BPR - FireRed, BPG - LeafGreen, BPE - Emerald, AXV - Ruby, AXP - Sapphire). Find "suchbeginn" and edit the value to whatever offset you want.
Hope that'll help you guys~
Tip donated by destinedjagold
Interview
An in-depth chat with...
Spoiler:
Disturbed:
Thanks for sacrificing some time of yours for this interview Thrace.
I'll start off generically, what got you into hacking?
Thrace:
I was searching for a ROM of Emerald when I ran into a website that had links to hacks like ChaosBlack and ShinyGold
I got stuck in ShinyGold (at the Ice Cave) so I searched for a way to get through it and found myself at PC
I didn't register until about 2 months later
Disturbed:
I see..
So, what first introduced you to ROMs in the first place?
Thrace:
I think I first discovered ROMs when I was 10 or 11
the first ROM I played was called DBZ: Hyper Dimension
people should be familiar with it
Disturbed:
Wow, that was quite some time ago.
So, is your hack, Genesis, your first?
Thrace:
Publicly, yes
I was working on an Emerald hack for a while about Dragons
I can't remember exactly why I quit
Needless to say it wasn't very good
Disturbed:
Well, we all needed to start at one point.
Anyways, what about your hack, Dragon Lineage, that we all heard about once or twice from you?
Thrace:
Dragons have always been my favourite type of Pokemon so naturally making a hack about them was quite appealing to me
Disturbed:
Of course
Thrace:
I also liked the idea of following Lance's journey to becoming Champion
Unfortunately finishing one hack it hard enough so I had to give up on it
I doubt I'll start on it again
I might donate the titlescreen though
since I got a really positive reception from it
Disturbed:
Good to hear
Now, let's move on to the topic of Hack of the Year. Were the results what you were expected, and are you a little disappointed you didn't come out at the top in the end?
Thrace:
I was surprised by the results of the first round
there were a lot of good hacks that weren't placed in the Top 10
Disturbed:
As was I =)
Thrace:
I was shocked when I saw how much Genesis was leading the competition by
I honestly never expected to win the fan favourite award
Disturbed:
What about the second round? You think the awards you were handed you deserved to win?
Thrace:
It may sound conceited but I expected to win Best Storyline
I was shocked at winning Best Mapping though
I though for sure you would win
or perhaps Legend of Fenju
Disturbed:
*woots*
Now, what about the final results, about who was declared Hack of the Year?
How did hearing you got second make you feel?
Thrace:
Well I didn't actually hear it since I was the one who calculated the results
It was the result I expected though
I wouldn't have liked to win HotY last year
Disturbed:
Only naturally, you were disappointed, though, right?
Thrace:
Not really
I didn't expect to win
So I couldn't be disappointed
Disturbed:
I see.
Now, do you have any tips to give to new hackers?
Thrace:
Develop a story that interests YOU
You'll have a much easier time finding motivation to hack if you are working on a hack that excites you
Also, don't make comprimises when you are making your hack
Never do a half-ass job on anything
Disturbed:
Interesting
Thrace:
Its your failures that people concentrate on, not your sucesses
Thats what I find anyway
>:
Disturbed:
Great!
I could even use that information to my advantage =)
Now, as we wrap this up, would you be interested in recommending a hack?
Thrace:
Theres only really two hacks that interest me now
Liquid Ocean and Black&White
Both hacks are just incredible, in my mind theres no other hacks at PC that can compete with them
Disturbed:
Well, thanks for your time Thrace, it's been an honour!
:\ It's almost midnight Sunday here, so it doesn't matter. :\
Nice issue, Thrace, I didn't see many typos. Well, none at all, actually. :\ Thanks for liking my mapping (:D) and is it "hacks" or "hacking" that you're uninterested in?
