FireRed hack: [NEW RELEASE] Spectrobes GBA ~ Sci-Fi Space Pokemon ~ Something a little different :)

[Asith]

This looks incredible!
I saw the title and wasn't expecting to see much but maybe the concept but what you have already looks so polished and clean! Can't wait to try it out myself! Awesome work!
Loved playing the first spectrobes on my old DS lite!

Thanks a lot for the super kind words!
I'm glad it looks polished :) The actual content currently in the demo is certainly short (< 2 hours), but I definitely made the conscious effort to focus on polishing up what we have as much as possible instead of rushing through development. Now it's just a matter of time till we get the whole game in there!
Hope you enjoy the demo and it gives you the same feelings as the original DS game :D

 

[.hack]

Thanks a lot for the super kind words!
I'm glad it looks polished :) The actual content currently in the demo is certainly short (< 2 hours), but I definitely made the conscious effort to focus on polishing up what we have as much as possible instead of rushing through development. Now it's just a matter of time till we get the whole game in there!
Hope you enjoy the demo and it gives you the same feelings as the original DS game :D

Honestly with all the designs from a foreign game/series it would be easy for things to stick out and not look quite right but everything looks like it fits really nicely so I'm sure you made an effort to make sure everything looks so polished and it shows!
I will definitely return to this thread after I have played the demo! :))
ahh I hope so too, super excited to play it!

 

[Asith]

Honestly with all the designs from a foreign game/series it would be easy for things to stick out and not look quite right but everything looks like it fits really nicely so I'm sure you made an effort to make sure everything looks so polished and it shows!
I will definitely return to this thread after I have played the demo! :))
ahh I hope so too, super excited to play it!

That means a lot!! Definitely excited to hear what you have to say after playing the demo :))

On the topic of mixing in things from a foreign game, this seems like a good opportunity to post a development update that was on the discord a while ago (definitely more frequent updates over there than here).

I've decided on a way to fill the equipment void! It didn't feel right to not even mention these fairly iconic weapons:

Spoiler:

Equipment will now be appearing as a very minor and optional mechanic based on the badge boosts present in vanilla Pokemon FireRed :)
When equipped, each one will slightly boost a certain stat in battle. The Sword will boost Attack, the Glove will boost Defense, and the Blaster will boost Speed. You'll probably only be able to have one piece equipped at any time based on which stat you want to prioritize.
You'll get the equipment from Dave at NPP headquarters before Genshi just like in Spec1, though you won't be forced to. Players continuing from the previous save can just speak to Dave whenever they want to collect them. You can then equip them whenever you want from the Case.
While this whole thing is just a neat nod to Spec1, I think that's another gimmick crossed off the list :D

 

[.hack]

I joined the discord so will definitely keep up with the project there too! Although I'm not super active usually on discord!
The way you're implementing the equipment looks great too btw!

 

[bleedpark]

I am so excited for this! I had completely forgot about Spectrobes. My little brother bought them but could never beat them and would give them to me to beat them for him when I was in 10th grade. They were amazing games. Found this thread and immediately sent it to him and he is also excited. Going back and replaying them now. Cant wait to see the progress. This will be amazing!

 

[Asith]

I am so excited for this! I had completely forgot about Spectrobes. My little brother bought them but could never beat them and would give them to me to beat them for him when I was in 10th grade. They were amazing games. Found this thread and immediately sent it to him and he is also excited. Going back and replaying them now. Cant wait to see the progress. This will be amazing!

Awesome! I'm really really happy this project sparked some nostalgia and reintroduced you two to a forgotten gem :D
Enjoy diving into Spec again, and hope you get a chance to play this demo!

 

[Extralink]

Oh man, Spectrobes is so nostalgic for me. I played it before I played Pokemon- In fact, it was the first video game I played. I'm excited to see this turn out

 

[Asith]

Oh man, Spectrobes is so nostalgic for me. I played it before I played Pokemon- In fact, it was the first video game I played. I'm excited to see this turn out

And it was such a good video game as a kid too! Hope you enjoyed the demo :)

 

[goodperson25]

So I just finished my first play-through of the Spectrobes series and I wanted to thank this rom hack for providing the impetus for that very enjoyable experience.

I've had a persistent childhood memory of watching my older cousin playing an interesting DS Pokemon like game that involved reviving fossils and fighting with them, and a few months before I settled on thinking it might have been Fossil Fighters (and played through the first two games) as how many games with that concept could there be on the DS? Well a couple weeks ago I ended up browsing the Pokemon Rom Hack Reddit because of a different Pokemon rom hack and saw a description of a game that far more matched my memory. As soon as I saw that black vortex in the first few minutes I remembered that aspect and that it was definitely Spectrobes that I watched being played.

So thank you very much for reintroducing me to Spectrobes after more than a decade of not being able to remember enough to find it. I'll be following this project and playing the demo for sure.

 

[Asith]

So I just finished my first play-through of the Spectrobes series and I wanted to thank this rom hack for providing the impetus for that very enjoyable experience.

I've had a persistent childhood memory of watching my older cousin playing an interesting DS Pokemon like game that involved reviving fossils and fighting with them, and a few months before I settled on thinking it might have been Fossil Fighters (and played through the first two games) as how many games with that concept could there be on the DS? Well a couple weeks ago I ended up browsing the Pokemon Rom Hack Reddit because of a different Pokemon rom hack and saw a description of a game that far more matched my memory. As soon as I saw that black vortex in the first few minutes I remembered that aspect and that it was definitely Spectrobes that I watched being played.

So thank you very much for reintroducing me to Spectrobes after more than a decade of not being able to remember enough to find it. I'll be following this project and playing the demo for sure.

This warms my heart more than you can possibly know :)
I made this hack specifically to try my hand at introducing some more people to a game franchise that is very close to my heart, and to hopefully reintroduce it to people like you who just forgot about it over time. The fact that this project actually got you all the way to your first play-through of the series is genuinely a huge achievement for me and I couldn't be happier!
You're very welcome for the memory-jog, and I'm glad you enjoyed Spectrobes! Hope you enjoy the demo and the future of this rom hack just as much :)

 

[Asith]

Hello to any Spectrobes fans following this hack on pokecommunity! The new update, V0.2.3 - Genshi Redux, of Spectrobes GBA was recently released! The first post has been updated and you can find the download link for the hack's update there or here: https://www.mediafire.com/file/nxq7tjcqpobmgyn/SpectrobesV0.2.3.zip/file
As usual, the best place for frequent development news is the Discord Server for anyone really interested, I post much more for the community over there than on pokecommunity since it's just much more convenient. I hope everyone here enjoys the update and it keeps hitting that sweet sweet Spectrobes nostalgia :D

Here's some info and the changelog for the new update:

The V0.2.3 update is dubbed the Genshi-redux update: the definitive experience of the game up to Genshi! A lot has changed since the last Genshi version, including of a lot polish on old features and sprinklings of bonus content too (like cooler text boxes, equipment, and a new Spectrobe line!), but the most important change is in the compatibility of save files! Due to a large overhaul, save files from V0.22 and older will no longer be supported. This change will allow a lot of freedom for cool future development. This overhaul includes future-proofing though, so the new save files in V0.2.3 are planned to keep compatibility for the foreseeable future. Save files were reset now so that they wouldn't have to be reset again later. This update was released as a stepping-stone update: a chance to replay the improved version of the Genshi demo, take a look at the new features, and rebuild your new save files before the Nessa update is done. Check out the changelog for further details, and if you do happen to find any bugs in this update, let me know! Have fun rebuilding your teams and experiencing the Spec1 story in GBA form again! I hope you enjoy playing the Genshi-redux demo and exploring its new content!

Changelog:

Spoiler:

V0.2.3 CHANGELOG:
----------
- New rare deposit added to Daichi
Appears only after Genshi story is complete.

- 1 new Spectrobe line - Hapapod [Child and Adult form]
Hapacha -> Hapazoa.
No synergy combo.
Custom colours added.
Secret Spectrobe Fossil from BtP, found in Rare Deposit on Daichi.
Total obtainable Spectrobe count now 24.

- 2 new moves for new Spectrobe line
Fake out [Clear]
Camoflank [Aurora] [Signature]

- 1 new Synergy combo for Naguryu + Grilden
(Grilden still unobtainable)

- Added obtainable Equipment that grant stat boosts when equipped
Sword [Attack]
Power Glove [Defense]
Blaster [Speed]
Only equip one piece at a time.
Obtained in new event at NPP HQ before travelling to Genshi.

- Upgraded text box varieties during cutscenes - Blue, Green, Red, Grey

- Upgraded mugshots.

- Slight changes to Genshi's map
New fossil and mineral spots.
New vortex.

- 'Fainting' replaced with being 'knocked out' in battle and in summary screens.

- No longer rains inside first battle on Daichi.

- JetPack is automatically registered to SELECT when recieved.

- Slight graphical improvements.

- Slight balancing changes to stats.

- Various bugfixes.

----------
Save files from V0.22 are not compatible. They can still be loaded, but will have numerous oddities and issues. Recommended to delete old save files and start the game fresh. Bugs arising from using an old save file cannot be fixed and need not be reported.
Save files from V0.2.3 will remain compatible for the Nessa update, and for the foreseable future after that.
----------
Additionally, a new minor version number has been added to the version naming convention (it should have been there to begin with)
----------
V0.2.3 SHA-1: D0C53681D4E6252A90A1D2D8361C1A072B20EFFB
V0.2.3 MD5: 6A5E651193B50C605CBCAE96E7BBE666
----------

 

[Cuprite (Kyu)]

I don't really know anything about Spectrobes other than it exists, but this looks REALLY good so far! Definitely keeping an eye on this.

 

[Asith]

I don't really know anything about Spectrobes other than it exists, but this looks REALLY good so far! Definitely keeping an eye on this.

That's great! It's been amazing to know that this hack is being played outside the spectrobes fanbase and is showing off a neat hidden gem of a franchise. Enjoy!

 

[pokemonbelch]

Probably going to wait until a longer version is complete but this is definitely on my watch list! It took me about a minute or two to register this being a thing though. I've played a bit of the original and am more familiar with Origins myself. I can never remember the names by side of the Shakin line though.

 

[Asith]

Probably going to wait until a longer version is complete but this is definitely on my watch list! It took me about a minute or two to register this being a thing though. I've played a bit of the original and am more familiar with Origins myself. I can never remember the names by side of the Shakin line though.

Cool! Glad to hear spectrobes is still somewhat present in the back of your mind haha. Updates are a-coming

 

[Asith]

Hello to anyone following this project on pokecommunity! I'm posting because... well because I forget to post updates here :P
If you want constant progress updates, consider following my twitter! https://twitter.com/AsithDevs

I can confirm that the next update of Spectrobes GBA - The Nessa Update - is just around the corner! It is currently in testing and will likely be released in just about 1 week! Savefiles that you already have can be continued directly too!
The update will add an entire story chapter to the game as well as MANY new custom features, including these:

Freely switching up to 4 unique custom colours for any spectrobe!

Custom planet navigation menu!

I hope you are ready to play!

 

[Asith]

Hello to any Spectrobes fans following this hack on pokecommunity! The new update, V0.3 - Nessa, of Spectrobes GBA was recently released! The first post has been updated and you can find the download link for the hack's update there or here: https://www.mediafire.com/file/wpjwchuzuq25k4u/SpectrobesV0.3.zip/file or https://as1th.github.io/SpectrobesGBA-RomPatcher/
As usual, the best place for frequent development news is the Twitter or Discord Server for anyone really interested, I post much more for the community over there than on pokecommunity since it's just much more convenient. I hope everyone here enjoys the update and it keeps hitting that sweet sweet Spectrobes nostalgia :D

Here's some info and the changelog for the new update:

This version is the Nessa Update: the full game up to the Nessa chapter! That's all of Cyrus and the Ancient Ruins story! There's a lot of brand new content in this, especially if you really explore everything! Check out the changelog for all the details, and if you do happen to find any bugs, let me know! Patch downloads are on the first post or here: https://www.mediafire.com/file/wpjwchuzuq25k4u/SpectrobesV0.3.zip/file
I hope you enjoy playing the Nessa demo and exploring its new content!
Remember that save files from V0.2.3 can be continued!

But there's more! This time I also made an Automatic Patcher for the hack for anyone unfamiliar with playing rom hacks. With this, you only have to provide your original copy of the Firered Rom and SpectrobesGBA will be patched to play immediately! Manual patches will still be available as usual too if you prefer!
https://as1th.github.io/SpectrobesGBA-RomPatcher/

Changelog:

Spoiler:

V0.3 CHANGELOG:
----------
- Nessa story chapter added
Roughly 3+ hours of new content

- 4 new maps complete and explorable
Nessa Area 1, Nessa Area 2, Nessa Area 3, Ancient Ruins

- 5 new Spectrobe lines [Child and Adult form]
Dongopod
Grilpod
Danapod
Kubapod
Anupod
Hanepod

- 8 new Krawl species
Bagrax
Greech
Mulnoot
Cree
Cacswar
Petrova
Grisbon
Swatwig

- New moves for all new Spectrobes and Krawl
Second signature move for every Spectrobe available

- 4 New Synergy Combos
Draconic (Naguryu + Grilden)
The Ancients (Danapix + Anubos)
Tectonic (Dongora + Pagani) [unobtainable]
War Machines (Kuganon + Korogeki) [unobtainable]

- New key items
Mission Log - recalls current story objective
EV Checker - displays Spectrobe EVs/IVs
CYRUS Light - Lights up dark areas

- New field move
Shine - Lights up dark areas

- New Custom Colour system
4 unique colours for every Spectrobe
Custom colours switching menu

- New Planet Navigation System
Custom menu

- New music tracks for all new areas

- 4 new Rare Deposits added on Nessa

- Rare Deposits now show an attribute icon that can be checked in the Database

- All fossil spots now scale level based on story progression

- Fossil spots and Rare Deposits now check spectrobes storage server for available space

- Fossil Value (replaces IVs) and Mineral Value (replaces EVs) system introduced

- Negative MV Minerals added and obtainable

- MV Minerals now use sprites from Spec1 instead of Seeds from BtP

- 5 New cubes
Including the MV system tutorial and tool

- New battle functions
Evade - immediately exist any battle after completing sufficient story progression
Doubles clause - When starting a battle with only 1 Spectrobe alive, a second Spectrobe will be revived with 1 HP

- New status effect
Baffle (replaces confusion)

- New battle UI / HUD

- New battle backgrounds for Nessa areas

- Krawl property identifiers changed from text to icons

- Simplified move animations

- Weight data added to Krawl

- Database now correcty sorts by Size, Weight, Type, and Alphabet

- Added habitat data for new Spectrobes in Database

- Summary screen nature-affeccted stat colours changed from red (+) and blue (-) to green (+) and red (-)

- Summary screen IV display colours changed to a scale of green -> gray -> red

- New overworld sprites for Cyrus and Nessa colonists

- New conversation mugshots for Cyrus, Rallen, Grant, Jeena

- Lab System and various other machines play a new Lab System music track when used

- Map tile improvements

- Some story events reworked to begin without player trigger

- Reduced unnecessary text

- Game intro sequence slightly adjusted

- Slight graphical improvements.

- Slight balancing changes to stats.

- Various bugfixes.

----------
Save files from V0.2.3 are compatible.
----------
V0.3 SHA-1:
V0.3 MD5:
----------

 

[Asith]

Hello to any Spectrobes fans following this hack on pokecommunity! The new update, V0.4 - Kollin Invasion, of Spectrobes GBA was recently released! The first post has been updated and you can find the download link for the hack's update there or here or at the automatic patcher.

As usual, the best place for frequent development news is the Twitter or Discord Server for anyone really interested, I post much more for the community over there than on pokecommunity since it's just much more convenient. I hope everyone here enjoys the update and it keeps hitting that sweet sweet Spectrobes nostalgia :D

This version is the Kollin Invasion Update: the full game up to the Invasion chapter! That's all of the Evolved Forms unlocked and our first true Boss Battle too! There's a lot of brand new content in this, especially if you really explore everything! Check out the changelog for all the details, and if you do happen to find any bugs, let me know!

Changelog: https://pastebin.com/zFd44CJ4

I hope you enjoy playing the demo and exploring its new content!
Remember that save files from previous versions can be continued!

 

[Solo_the_Nerd]

Can't wait to see what this game looks like when it's done.

 

[Minecraft_pe.lite]

Hey mann this looks like an absolute romhack, I've tried it and the gameplay and it's mechanics are unique asl, and the art style and tile sets are stunning, I hope the bestest years to come. Cuz of ur dedication on this romhack, like you've been working on this for like 4 years? Maybe? Still ur a one tough guy. Goodluck on anything you would do in the future!