Don't worry, your English isn't bad at all!No need to be saturated to look good. I actually like this pastel-like soft tones more than the saturated Zelda games.
The screenshots look really good. Maybe not saturated enough (compare with Link's Awakening DX and/or the Oracles games), but what you have here looks absolutely fine and you don't need to change a thing.
Remember that Link's Awakening DX took advantage of the transition to a color device to improve the graphics some (trees, grass, the Angler Fish boss, etc.). You could try changing, for example, the 2D-looking trees in the third to be more three-dimensional.
Don't worry, your English isn't bad at all!Thank you! I tried that at first, but I like it more with softer colors. Also, I'm always checking if there is enough contrast on BGB's washed out colors and it doesn't look bad at it is now.
The screenshots look really good. Maybe not saturated enough (compare with Link's Awakening DX and/or the Oracles games), but what you have here looks absolutely fine and you don't need to change a thing.
Remember that Link's Awakening DX took advantage of the transition to a color device to improve the graphics some (trees, grass, the Angler Fish boss, etc.). You could try changing, for example, the 2D-looking trees in the third to be more three-dimensional.
Will this be compatible with the translation patch?No, as I want to insert a VWF hack. Hopefully the translator will grant me permission to use his script.
It looks great. I hope this gets finished.If it doesn't I'll release what I have so anyone else can finish it :)
This project has got me super excited! I'm a huge fan of this game. There seems to be a lot of attention towards this game right now with the translation being re-worked and improved. And now it getting the "DX" treatment with this color hack. I'm all for it!Thank you!
Hope it'll be compatible with the translation to combine for the ultimate experience!
Anyway, everything looks great so far and good luck with the rest of the project. Looking forward to seeing more progress!
No need to be saturated to look good. I actually like this pastel-like soft tones more than the saturated Zelda games.Yep, I agree.
No, as I want to insert a VWF hack. Hopefully the translator will grant me permission to use his script.
I hope so too! And a VWF hack would be great to fix that Sablé problem. I would suggest keeping the borders of the sprites black to be more in line with Link's Awakening DX. It made Link look like he had black hair and it will make the Prince look like he has black hair probably, as well as Richard (he had black hair in Link's Awakening DX). But that's how they've done it in Link's Awakening DX. You should take the same skin tone from Link's Awakening DX I think and have Richard look paler than our main character :) Very awesome!Thank you! Link's Awakening DX took a very different approach because the developers had more limitations (they wanted it to be compatible with GB and didn't have as much ROM as I do), so as long as it looks good, I think it's better to use more colors.
Thank you! Link's Awakening DX took a very different approach because the developers had more limitations (they wanted it to be compatible with GB and didn't have as much ROM as I do), so as long as it looks good, I think it's better to use more colors.
And you're right, I have to make Richard look a bit paler :P
Oh that may be so but I still think a black outline highlights the characters better, they blend into the background a little too much for my liking currently. Better to have them stand out :) I mean think of games like Earthbound and A Link to the Past, even without colour limitation on the Super Nintendo they still had black outlines. I just think it will look nicer, personally. Generally I think if the colour was black in the black and white version you should keep it black. Even for backgrounds. It'll just give everything a bit more contrast and will look nicer overallHmm... I understand where you're coming from, but I tried it and it just doesn't feel right to me. Look at this screenshots:
EDIT: I made a mockup and it definitely looks better with darker outlines. I'll change it.
(http://i.imgur.com/MvldhYX.png)
Fantastic! They look MUCH better. A good compromise I think :)Thanks!
I'm trying to keep the map editing at the minimum, but sometimes there is no other way. In this case I had to remove the tree as it was taking two BG palettes :/
(http://i.imgur.com/YTWxFnk.png)
Do you guys think I should change the map a bit like Link's Awakening DX did? I'm finding it difficult to make it look as good as I'd like without adding some changes, and color adds a dimension that I think should be explored. I'm thinking about something like this:
(http://i.imgur.com/1tMSzux.png)
I would really appreciate your feedback on this one.
Thanks!
Any way to keep that tree, even with a yellow + light green + dark green palette?Actually I figured out a way to fit all the palettes, so I'll keep the tree :)
That's looking really fantastic! If you're doing what you think an official Nintendo version would have done, though, I'm not sure if you'd want to make the cross on the building red. It's a copyrighted symbol and you can actually get in legal trouble for using it. It's why all of the red crosses on the hospitals in Mother 2 were scrubbed when it came over as EarthBound.
Of course, it's not an official "DX version" and the Red Cross can't exactly go after random hackers adding a new twist to a cult game, so do what you will.
(http://i.imgur.com/A0sNDAY.png)
Thank you! I didn't think about that to be honest. I could change the colors or maybe change it for something like this, but it looks kinda worse to me:
(http://i.imgur.com/3w6agRg.png)
I don't know, I think I'll keep it as it is for now.
It did strike me also actually but you're not doing a localisation patch, you're doing a colour patch. The cross itself would be completely removed as you have done but I am not sure what the best thing to do would be, perhaps changing it to a wine bottle? (but then there's also the issue of that being localised due to alcohol) OR a heart?
It's really up to you whether you want to change these things... as people have said, the red cross won't come after you, however that is definitely not the reason people would want it changed. There are two kinds of people on here when it comes to translations. Those that like a localised version so it is more authentic to what Nintendo would do, and those that want an uncensored literal version. I dare say we've gotten into some arguments about it in the other thread too.
If you WANT to make two versions to cater for these two kinds of people, that would be great, but you don't have to :)
The whole thing is looking great though! Very exciting.
I wouldn't bother changing up the cross graphic or the color you originally gave it. It looks perfect as it was.
Holy freaking shit, toruzz.
This is some top notch work!
I can only image the kind of black magic that you have done to make this.
Colourizing games has always been something that amazes me.
How are you doing this stuff?!
I'd love to hear the process of doing such an amazing feat!
The GBC hardware is pretty similar to the original Game Boy hardware. Besides the color graphics, it has the option to run at 8 MHz instead of 4, which doesn't really amount to much except less slowdown when many sprites are on-screen, and has twice the amount of VRAM, which obviously allows for better animated/more sprites and more detailed backgrounds. (Game Boy Color games that are backwards-compatible with the original Game Boy can only use half of the available VRAM, though. It's why the Korean versions of Pokemon Gold and Silver can only be run on the GBC - the graphics used for the hangul poke into the second VRAM bank.) Other than that, the systems are extremely close, if not identical.That's basically the process, yeah. The tricky part is to intercept the code at the correct time and to make sure it runs fast enough, but that's about it.
If I'm remembering right, adding color to a Game Boy game can be done by adding in palette data, adding in code to load the palette data (since why would the original Game Boy ever need that?), and then assigning palette attributes to individual tiles. There's a program called the Game Boy Colorizer that can automate the process to an extent, but it's very limited, and not very good besides that.
Maybe someone else can explain it better than I can, since I've never done it before, but there you go.
Just wanted to chime in and say these screenshots look absolutely terrific. Perhaps the best "colorized" GB hack I've come across. Really impressive.Thank you very much ;)
Looks good! Richard is looking a little like a ghost though I think, I think you need to make his borders darker like we mentioned. Actually the whole thing is looking a little paler but perhaps it is simply the emulator you are usingYep, keep in mind that BGB's colors are washed out on purpose to make it look more like the actual GBC. Most people will play it on an emulator, though.
Yep, keep in mind that BGB's colors are washed out on purpose to make it look more like the actual GBC. Most people will play it on an emulator, though.
In any case I'll receive a flashcart soon and I'll check if the colors have to be tweaked.
Hello everyone!
(http://i.imgur.com/GCYOzjL.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/b04rkxt.png)
Many of you may know that back in the GBC era Nintendo announced a "DX" version of Kaeru no Tame ni Kane wa Naru (For the Frog the Bell Tolls or, as the other thread says, The Frog for Whom the Bell Tolls). I really enjoyed the game and I couldn't help but think that it would have been amazing in color.
Recently I became familiar with GB/C ASM and managed to make a VWF hack for Link's Awakening (http://"http://www.romhacking.net/hacks/2414/"), and now that I'm confident enough to work on a bigger project I think is time to make this hack.
The project is in a really early stage, but in the Screenshots thread it became obvious to me that I could use some feedback :)
I'm also tweaking little things here and there, most notably Sablé's sprite. Also, choosing the correct colors is hard, so I'd appreciate any comments on those matters.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JouJV2MZRA (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JouJV2MZRA)Spoiler:BTW, sorry for my bad English
I know that this is a GB game, but is it really that possible to change its b&w color scheme to full Game Boy Color colors?If one is willing to put in a lot of work on it, then yes it is. :)
Is the level data similar to that of Link's Awakening? I would vote for making changes as long as they don't affect gameplay. I know that LA did some changes, mostly to fix glitches that lead to unwinnable situations.Sorry, I didn't look into Link's Awakening level data, so I can't tell :/
I know that this is a GB game, but is it really that possible to change its b&w color scheme to full Game Boy Color colors?As KingMike said yes, it is possible :)
You can use https://github.com/shonumi/gbe-plus . This way it will be much simpler. You can even make HD tiles for it. You have to wait a bit for the stable release or use this but it's a little old version.I want to make a hack that can be played anywhere, even in the actual GBC.
I want this patch to work on my Supercard DSTwo.Yes, you will be able to play it on GameYob for NDS or any other GBC emulator.
Is it possible that this might work?
Yes, you will be able to play it on GameYob for NDS or any other GBC emulator.Yes! :thumbsup:
No, as I want to insert a VWF hack. Hopefully the translator will grant me permission to use his script.
If it doesn't I'll release what I have so anyone else can finish it :)
The project isn't dead, but I was rewriting the code so there wasn't much to say.I like the bright colors better personally, even at a little cost
I'll show you some progress soon, I just have to fix a couple of things ;)
June 29, 2016, 06:19:41 pm - (Auto Merged - Double Posts are not allowed before 7 days.)
I'm receiving a lot of questions about the hack, so I'll give you guys some updates.
I'm almost finished with the code rewriting and things are going well, I'm happy I went this route. The new code fixes all the speed problems, and the fade in/fade out animation is now completely restored. Also I almost completely removed the artifacts that appeared in the screen transitions.
However, this comes at a cost - now I'm forced to tweak the palettes so the transitions aren't so abrupt. For example, the colors in Saltwater would look like this while the screen is moving:
(http://i.imgur.com/9PIdpCb.png)
So that's the downside, in certain points I won't be able to use bright colors as before. I've tried different formulas and I think this is the best way to go, but if you guys prefer brighter colors in exchange of some artifacts I'm open to changes.
By the way, I've finished the intro scene:
(http://i.imgur.com/sFLBCB5.png)
As you can see there is a SGB border, but it is just a mockup. I definitely want to insert a SGB border, but I wanted to know your opinion on this one first. If someone comes up with a better one maybe I'll use it.
It's kinda funny that you would add a SGB border to a GBC only game. Or does it still have a GB mode? I understand why you would still include one as I've played Zelda DX on a emulator. You can have colors and SGB Border on at the same time.It looks completely broken in GB mode, so yes, the SGB border is only meant to be used on emulators.
I like the bright colors better personally, even at a little costI'll try and make a comparison video so you can judge it better.
I also think brighter colours are better. I understand the want for smoother transitions but I don't think the colours should suffer for it. The box art shows it to be a bright, colourful and cartoony game and otherwise it's going to end up looking like Gears of War which is most definitely the wrong mood for the game. Personally I would like to see you sticking as close to the Link's Awakening palette as possible :)That's pretty much what everybody is saying to me, so I suppose that's the only way to go. I've been exploring several ways to avoid the artifacts and keep the colors bright, and I think I've finally found a satisfactory solution.
Why not crop the original cover art and use that for the border (after heavy dithering, of course)?I love the idea, but I think it would require an artist to redraw the background or to remove the characters in order to look good.
TLOZ:LA DX did something similar with some concept art from the manual.Spoiler:(http://i.imgur.com/rj057F9.png)
But with this:
(http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/14/149200/2267150-kaeru_no_tame_ni_kane_wa_naru.gif)
I'm honestly surprised that there's such opposition to the palette choices. The muted palette is what I find so very visually appealing about this project. Having a subtle palette has nothing to do with grit, realism or anything else alluded to by previous posters. These screenshots are all well-keyed in terms of both value and saturation.
Quite honestly, LoZ DX has an abhorrently garish palette, (possibly so to compensate for the GBC's weak lighting?) and I don't think anyone should want to follow that.
I think the character (NPC) sprites should have a black outline. I've said this before. But comparing these characters to the houses you can really see the problem. These characters should stand out. Perhaps it's just the grey that you should make black. If you look at Link's Awakening you can see that everything has a strong cartoony black outline with the exception of ground tiles. Basically anything interactive has strong blacks. It's a good way to tell the player what they can touch so I really think you should consider it from a gameplay perspective.
I'm still not sure why you don't just use the same palettes as Link's Awakening considering the game runs on the same engine. I think it would be cool to have that connection. But hey, it's up to you I guess
Edit: I personally don't see the need for the black outlines....
I agree, the palette choice on the left looks very nice! The variation on the right looks obnoxiously vibrant. Your original palette concept is very easy on the eyes and just feels right. :thumbsup:
Edit: I personally don't see the need for the black outlines....
(https://i.imgur.com/A0sNDAY.png)
It felt so perfect... and balanced.
If he wants gritty and realistic then why is he using the squiggly grass outline from zelda dx?
(http://i.imgur.com/6cWoKoT.png)
If this thread has proved anything, you can't please everyone.Yeah, that's absolutely right. I appreciate the feedback and all, but right now I'm wasting a lot of time just because of other people preferences. From now on I'll just make what I feel right or I'll never complete the hack.
If you're going to try to please someone, it might as well be yourself. Otherwise you're going to put months of effort into something you aren't completely pleased with, and that's a recipe for burning out and not completing it in the end.
Yeah, that's absolutely right. I appreciate the feedback and all, but right now I'm wasting a lot of time just because of other people preferences. From now on I'll just make what I feel right or I'll never complete the hack.I love the palette!
Speaking of which, I think I'm going to go with this colors:
(http://i.imgur.com/DO2UMK6.png)
Maybe I'll tweak them a bit, but you can see what I'm trying to do - I want the colors to be the same I used from the start after emulating them. So yeah, I'm going to use saturated colors but definitely not the same palette as LA.
Thanks guys :beer:Oh my!
Here is some progress: https://youtu.be/ZSlSSWtEm0g (https://youtu.be/ZSlSSWtEm0g)
(http://i.imgur.com/6cWoKoT.png)How about this? Make two patches. One for left side version you made. One for right side for LA version color.
Yeah, that's absolutely right. I appreciate the feedback and all, but right now I'm wasting a lot of time just because of other people preferences. From now on I'll just make what I feel right or I'll never complete the hack.
Speaking of which, I think I'm going to go with this colors:
(http://i.imgur.com/DO2UMK6.png)
Maybe I'll tweak them a bit, but you can see what I'm trying to do - I want the colors to be the same I used from the start after emulating them. So yeah, I'm going to use saturated colors but definitely not the same palette as LA.
Thanks guys :beer:
Here is some progress: https://youtu.be/ZSlSSWtEm0g (https://youtu.be/ZSlSSWtEm0g)
I still don't get why that characters eyes are pure white. Is he a god or something?Please, make a mockup and enlighten me.
Woops, I missed a huge argument that I potentially started... sorry about that! But I do think this looks MUCH better. Switching the doors and the npc blacks makes it look great. I guess that was the problem :) It looks so much better now and I am very happy. The only thing I will say (please don't kill me), in the video, Richard looks kind of spectral.. like a ghost, perhaps a darker shade of blue is in order? So much better now though, very happy :)Yeah I know, I still have to tweak Richard's colors :)
I checked out your video on YouTube, your color hack is coming out great.Sorry, I'm not making any alternate patches - I'd never end. I haven't decided on Richard's hair though.
In my opinion you should make a alternate patch that would keep the original sprites of the main characters intact like this edit I made:
(http://www.bwass.org/bucket/FBDX.png)
Really liking the look of everything. The colour looks great and everything seems to work very well together in my opinion.Hmm... you've got a point there. It's a pain in the ass to tweak that, but I'll look into it.
One little thing I noticed that I figured I'd mention though. You added that little spike/cow lick to Prince Sable's hair, which I actually like as its a little touch which makes the sprite just a little more accurate to original artwork of the character. But I noticed that the cow lick is most commonly shown on the the right side of his hair (our left) and figured it could be changed to reflect that. I also noticed the cow lick is not present when seeing the sprite from behind which could be added as well. Just a minor suggestion I though I'd point out.
(http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p191/BaddyChaddy/Sable_zpsib5kzpaw.png) (http://s128.photobucket.com/user/BaddyChaddy/media/Sable_zpsib5kzpaw.png.html) (http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p191/BaddyChaddy/Spike_zps1copkplk.png) (http://s128.photobucket.com/user/BaddyChaddy/media/Spike_zps1copkplk.png.html)
Sorry, I'm not making any alternate patches - I'd never end. I haven't decided on Richard's hair though.
In any case, if that really bothers you it would be really easy to make your own addendum.
It's not bothering me, I just though it would be a neat idea. Sorry about that.I'm sorry if that came out wrong, I didn't mean to sound like an asshole. I just meant that it would take me quite a long time to make alternate patches as people have been suggesting me, so I think it's best to just finish the hack the best I can and if someone doesn't like a particular thing he or she can change it later.
I'm sorry if that came out wrong, I didn't mean to sound like an asshole. I just meant that it would take me quite a long time to make alternate patches as people have been suggesting me, so I think it's best to just finish the hack the best I can and if someone doesn't like a particular thing he or she can change it later.
I understand that purists may be unhappy with the changes/additions, so it wouldn't surprise me if an addendum come up later.
I still don't get why that characters eyes are pure white. Is he a god or something?
(http://i1320.photobucket.com/albums/u533/MathUser2929/2UULRZ6_zpsd7uh9kbf.png)That's not compliant with GBC's resolution.
Like this?
I copied his picture tho.I mean your edit, you draw between pixels.
I suggest you stop talking about this project and posting updates, until you're done, in the way you like it. The entitled little children here will never stop pestering you with insane claims and demands. That's the way of the internet these days, alas. The dominant age group is a very toxic one, that must be ingored and never tended to.
Looks nice. I do find the rock graphics to be ... off. For one ... the rock ledges don't have explicit graphics for where the end. Also the ... cracks ... in the ground look odd to me. What are they..? I assume this is the original game's fault?This is the original game's overworld so you can compare it: http://www.spriters-resource.com/fullview/61133/ (http://www.spriters-resource.com/fullview/61133/)
Ah-ha ... there's the issue. The corner's of the ledges are not as explicit with the the new color palette. There's no easy way to improve it unfortunately...
August 08, 2016, 12:20:41 am - (Auto Merged - Double Posts are not allowed before 7 days.)
Here's a crazy suggestion ... make the dirt grass. The method to do this: assign the palette for the dirt to be the one's of the trees. Once this is done change the color for the dirt to be green ... but don't modify the palette. Once this is done ... change the brown color to the light green color without changing the palette. Of course you are free to do what you want but I feel that there is too much dirt for the overworld.
August 08, 2016, 12:57:08 am - (Auto Merged - Double Posts are not allowed before 7 days.)
Here's a mockup of what I'm talking about (the rock graphics can easily be adjusted to fit the new palette)
http://www.tiikoni.com/tis/view/?id=548e0a3
I've made a lot of progress lately, fixing and implementing a lot of stuff. I'll upload an an update video showing everything eventually.
Projects such as this give me hope that someday there will be color versions of the Megamans, Wario Land, The Kirbys and perhaps some obscure gems like Konami's parody RPG God Medicine.I would love to see both Dream land and Dream Land 2 getting a proper DX hack.
In BGB's options, go to the Graphics tab. There's an option labeled "GBC LCD colors". Uncheck the enable box. Looks good then. :3
Out of curiosity, any idea how much larger than the original the colorized ROM would be?Oops, sorry, I forgot to answer this question. I expanded the ROM to 1MB (the original was 512KB).
^ This, to everyone suggesting two different patches. No$ also has an option to simulate real GBC colors, and a lot of other emulators at least have options to change brightness/gamma.Yep, that was what I concluded (http://www.romhacking.net/forum/index.php/topic,21642.msg313371.html#msg313371). I suppose I could make two palettes and select the correct one depending on the system, but it's a huge task and I don't really think it's worth the time.
Although, as someone else mentioned, there were a few games that did adjust the brightness of the palette if you were playing on a GBA. The Zelda Oracle games and Shantae did.
l had multiple light orgasms while reading through this topic so had to constantly changing pants. :crazy:My first time at this forum in weeks and this is what I come back to...
I suppose I could make two palettes and select the correct one depending on the system, but it's a huge task and I don't really think it's worth the time.
This is getting stupidly laborious!
(http://i.imgur.com/PC4iTx3.png)
Here is another update video: https://youtu.be/YDQPOaCMCl4 (https://youtu.be/YDQPOaCMCl4)
Progress is looking great! Do make sure that the characters colours are accurate to the instruction manual etc. though. Mandola for example I believe is meant to have black hair. She looks a little odd with the blonde you have there :)
Edit: Noticed you're calling it For the Frog the Bell Tolls DX which is the name of the fan translation... might I suggest calling it The Frog For Whom the Bell Tolls DX as it is now translated by Nintendo officially (source: https://miiverse.nintendo.net/posts/AYMHAAACAABnUYoByIR5hQ ) and to better parody the title of the novel by Ernest Hemingway https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/For_Whom_the_Bell_Tolls
Thank you! Rest assured, I'm using the Instruction Manual as a source and Mandola is blonde (http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2FOoyPnMPCU/VP-9sAcDwTI/AAAAAAAAO2I/Vetal9gIRC0/s1600/For_the_Frog_GameBoy_manual_1617.jpg).
Oh is that hair? My bad, and I just checked the original black and white version too, definitely not black. Hmm... it does still look a little odd though... but I can't put my finger on it, maybe she would look better with a paler skin tone, for the contrast. This is the thing I guess, they knew it would be black and white so they didn't have to think about things like that, I think they even changed the princess' hair colour in the game compared with the cover art? You may have to take some creative liberties here, also to work with the storyKeep in mind that there are a lot of color limitations. I used the same color for the skin shadow and the hair, and the skin can't be very different or it would look weird.
Yeah, Tiramisu is blonde on the box art. I'm not sure why they changed that in-game.It is weird to have a brunette Tiramisu and a blonde Madeline and the opposite on the manual, but I have to be coherent with the game. It almost looks like they swapped the graphics by mistake...
I'd also need help with the SGB border, ideally a drawing of the island in the same fashion as Link's Awakening. Worst case scenario I can use the one I made:
(http://i.imgur.com/sFLBCB5.png)
Edit: Noticed you're calling it For the Frog the Bell Tolls DX which is the name of the fan translation... might I suggest calling it The Frog For Whom the Bell Tolls DX as it is now translated by Nintendo officially (source: https://miiverse.nintendo.net/posts/AYMHAAACAABnUYoByIR5hQ ) and to better parody the title of the novel by Ernest Hemingway https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/For_Whom_the_Bell_Tolls
What! I asked about this in the general hacking forum and was told adding a SGB border is not possible.Of course it's possible, but you can only take advantage of that feature with an emulator. Here is all the info you may need:
I don't mean to hijack this thread but how is that possible?
Of course it's possible, but you can only take advantage of that feature with an emulator. Here is all the info you may need:
http://bgb.bircd.org/pandocs.htm#sgbborderandobjcommands (http://bgb.bircd.org/pandocs.htm#sgbborderandobjcommands)
Just make sure the header has the correct values and inject the code shortly after the game boots up. I haven't done it yet for this hack, but I'd try first to read all the packets of a random game with BGB and try to replicate them.
What about on a flash cart with a real super game boy
Say, have you considered making the backgrounds of the side-view areas a bit darker? It's what was done for the Seashell Mansion in Link's Awakening DX: bright white on the original GB, dark blue on the GBC.Actually I recently made them a bit darker. Not as dark as Link's Awakening, as I think it kinda breaks the atmosphere -at least in the inside of the castle. Also, I have to make sure that the background and the foreground have a good contrast.
This project keeps getting better, keep up the great work.
Wow. That looks great,I'm glad that this game is getting some well deserved attention. I was charmed immediately by this game when I played it. Can't wait to see the finished product. Keep up the good work.Thank you very much, guys :beer:
Can we get the colorful English edition ?This question has already been answered before. Yes, you will be able to play this in English.
You can play Link's Awakening on the Super Game Boy, though, can't you? It just looks like it would on a Game Boy except with one green palette throughout the entire game, meaning no unique grass graphics and you can't play the color dungeon.That's right, but I was talking about GBC-only games and Link's Awakening isn't one. You can add a SGB border to GB, GB/GBC and GBC-only games, but to take advantage of the latter you have to use an emulator.
For the border I think maybe the cover art would look better than the island? Also, you can use that same frog from the fan artwork but posed as he is on the cover art (looks like he based it off that anyway), then you won't have to worry about using that guy's work http://imgur.com/a/T7vboI don't want to meddle that much with the game's style to be honest. It would be like fixing Link's pink hair in ALttP - something that shouldn't be done. But I don't know, if the betatesters think it's a major issue I'll reconsider.
Also, I think you should change the princess' hair from brunette to blonde, I understand respecting the game but I'm pretty sure Nintendo would change it too as that is how she is everywhere else officially and of course on the main cover art. It just seems weird otherwise
Regarding the splash screen, I actually did just that :P The author never replied, so I used some artwork from the manual (http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-segGb9Umkg0/VP-9sWTfOMI/AAAAAAAAO2M/NA77TGsTmYo/s1600/For_the_Frog_GameBoy_manual_1819.jpg) instead. I don't like it as much as the previous one, so maybe I'll give it another try in the future. It looks like this:
(http://i.imgur.com/OaZathQ.png)
I can only hope that someday, other GB games like Kirby's Dreamland, Wario Land 1 and the Megaman games will get this kind of treatment.
Well, priorities. Let's pipedream about games that color would greatly enhance over what the SGB alone can do. Mole Mania works pretty well as a SGB title as it is and Of Myths & Monsters isn't an especially great game. Not suggesting that it wouldn't be great to see them, but I'd put other projects like Mario Land 2, Megaman V or any of the Kirby games ahead of those.
It's great they mentioned you, but it bothers me they just glossed over the fact that you're taking on the enormous task yourself. How many previous GB to GBC conversion projects have been done? Like 2, 3? This effort is not wasted on me or other romhacking.net users. Kudos to you. I can only hope that someday, other GB games like Kirby's Dreamland, Wario Land 1 and the Megaman games will get this kind of treatment.Thank you! I really hope this project encourage other people to make other colorization projects.
I'd do the colorization if someone else would do the hacking and give me direction on what guidelines to use.Actually, this is something I considered - I can write the code for another game and let somebody else choose and apply the colors, which is really tedious. But maybe it's better to teach a man to fish instead of giving him a fish, I don't know. We'll see.
You mean turning into a green frog I hope you get to keep it. It looks great.Not that, the change in color of the Frog when it goes in the water.
Not that, the change in color of the Frog when it goes in the water.Thanks! Also thank you for the explanation :P
Notice when he jumps out of the water, you see a more vibrant shade of green, but when the frog goes back into the water, the green turns into a darker shade of green.
Really neat work toruzz!
Can't wait to see what else you have in store! :D
If the palette change is subtle enough that people can't tell what's added, I think it needs to be more drastic.I think it's not that perceptible precisely because it's working.
One thing worth noting:Thanks for the feedback :thumbsup:
(http://i.imgur.com/5v6k4bK.png)
Check the stalactites on the cave, the tips have some sort of purple squares.
This ones could be avoided by using the white colour of the stalactites in place of the purple, or maybe even use the transparent background instead of the purple.
Small little thing, but hope it helps as feedback!
EDIT: Forget about what I just said. I think it looks better without the gray background:
(http://i.imgur.com/Pro7A4g.png)
What do you think?
A compromise between the gray background and the new background would be good I think as our prince kind of blends in too much now. Just a BIT more contrast.. because the background is almost as dark as his hair now. It is better though for sure, just perhaps a little TOO dark now (only by a tiny bit, I'm a perfectionist).Hmm... I think you are right, it needed some contrast - specially after inserting the darker palettes for sprites in caves. I tweaked the background a bit:
Also I disagree with people about the underwater colour needing to be more drastic... (I noticed it before) You don't really want people to go "OOH he changed colour" when it happens. A subtle effect is much better; like in most 3D games the colours change when you go underwater and it's not an "OH" moment... you don't even notice it! Though I do think you have it okay now, I'm just saying, I disagree with the others here :P
And yeah, definitely like the palette changes throughout. Great work as per usual!
I think the VWF doesn't improve much as it is, but it would be useful if you adapted the text to fit the whole text box (eventually using less text boxes to scroll through dialog). The font is actually better in my opinion, as it is easier to read in bigger screens. But no italics please :PI thought that it was obvious it worked that way, but maybe I should have used a better example (http://i.imgur.com/llIBWV1.png).
Damn, I came late to the discussion.Thanks! You're literally the first one to say something nice about it.
I personally loved the VWF rendition you made, toruzz, fits very well and looks easy on the eyes.
I would encourage you to go for it as an Optional or Additional Patch to your already amazing DX hack, but that's up to you.
Can't freaking wait to try this game :D
I thought that it was obvious it worked that way, but maybe I should have used a better example (http://i.imgur.com/llIBWV1.png).
Thanks! You're literally the first one to say something nice about it.
I'll just forget about the VWF for the time being, but I'm a bit headstrong so I don't completely rule out coming back to it again.
If there's one thing I learned about hacking so far is that, unfortunately, you cannot please everyone.Thank you! :beer: I certainly enjoy making this hack and I want it to be the best it can be, but I know I have to find some balance to finish it in a reasonable time. In any case it won't be finished until I'm satisfied.
My only suggestion would be to do what you like and, if you do it with passion and care, and you enjoy it, others will :P
I'll only say that I really like the work you have put in this project so far, every aspect of it.
So whatever the final product ends up being, I know for a fact that I'll enjoy it :D
To chime in, I also like your new font, and also hate Link's Awakening's approach of Italics everything. VWF is a bit redundant in my opinion, but it isn't bad. Whatever you do, this hack is still amazing.It's definitely not a must, but I think it helps with really long texts. In any case it's obviously a subjective matter.
The font is italic in Link's Awakening because SPOILER ALERT Link is dreaming/in a dream - and in dreams, as everybody knows, everything is written in italics...Hah, that's a wild theory (a GAME theory). But I agree that LA's font doesn't fit well in this game.
That's my conclusion anyway and I think it is a neat feature - for THAT game.
/dACE
The one one the right looks great and is far easier to read :thumbsup:. What font is that?It's the same VWF I showed you before, I made it based on the one I made for Link's Awakening.
toruzz, your new font suits the game better. This is coming from an actual fine artist if it means anything. Trust your gut because you have a great grasp on color and composition.I'm always doubting myself, so that actually means a lot coming from an artist. Thank you!
Just have to say that I've been following your hack since the beginning and it's people like you who make me want to get into making hacks and homebrews. I am very much looking forward to this release. So far, so good, dude!
I've asked a few people and they all think the same as you. It isn't very encouraging to be honest, and I also want to move on to other projects, so I'll ditch the VWF altogether.
That being said, I'll probably have one final addition before focusing on finishing the hack, and that's to increase the number of characters for the player's name from 4 to at least 6, and also remove the spaces after his name.
I'll just have a custom font (http://i.imgur.com/HMwRV6H.png) and logo (http://i.imgur.com/PPVZoMv.png) for personal use.
And I think it looks fine to be honest, however I can't help but think that the gap between the lines is HUGE. I'm considering doing some crazy stuff to implement a 16px height VWF with two different fonts that looks like this:
(http://i.imgur.com/ULoJyoN.png)
I'm re-reading what I wrote, and it sounds a bit harsher than I meant it to. Sorry about that.Don't worry, I asked you guys for feedback and you provided me with an honest one - that's always okay!
So we don't have to name him "SABL" anymore??? =)Yes and yes. I'll send ryanbgstl the code for doing this.
Could you add that feature to the straight translation patch too, or would that be too much work?
The logo looks nice it would be cool if we could have that!Hmm, I don't know. My initial idea was to reinsert the translation -if permission was granted- or retranslate it -if it wasn't-, but if I'm leaving the translation as a complete separate thing I think it would be a bit arrogant to just change its logo. We'll see.
But I am still adamant the title of this game is The Frog For Whom the Bell Tolls :P I'll keep arguing that forever! ahaWell, I don't want to revive your battle, but I think this is a tough one :P IMHO I wouldn't say Sakurai's translator has an official status, especially when it's obvious he wanted to point out the literary reference. Also, the book's title in Japanese is "Taga Tame ni Kane wa Naru", so it makes sense to just change one word in English too -granted, Japanese is very different from English, but it still applies. In any case, both titles work for me.
It's like how everyone got used to Earthbound Zero but Nintendo later officially called it Earthbound Beginnings
I think you have a massive amount of instinct, talent of reworking everything so far, bending the gbc to do your will. And from your page description of Zelda DX Spanish, you show a deeper understanding of intent and themes.Wow! Thank you very much for those kind, encouraging words.
It's beyond safe to say many of us trust your decisions, seeing as you know how to make good ones.
Don't forget that although you want a very high quality 1st release, it's okay to come back with maintenance updates while sneaking in some dishes of post-polish. Besides, as you work on new future projects (with predictable fortunate success), you'll likely discover some new methods you'll want to add back into your older projects.
tl;dr
Color choices are outstanding. Invisible asm hacking is probably even more exceptional.
Please don't burn out over small details - keep your passion and drive going, even if it means focusing on fresh new game material for awhile.
You clearly enjoy this field. And for a first "experimental" project, you churn out material like a champ, while still having so much more vertical height to learn and grow.
Thank you for not abandoning this dx hack!! Let's all stay happy. :mrgreen:
I liked this one the best, although it sounds like it might be more trouble than it's worth. Otherwise the non-16px font you created looks really nice, too. Well, that's my opinion thanks for reading.Thanks for the feedback :) I probably won't be adding the VWF in this release, but I might do it in the future. We'll see.
I thought that it was obvious it worked that way, but maybe I should have used a better example (http://i.imgur.com/llIBWV1.png).
Thanks! You're literally the first one to say something nice about it.
How can I help you?
For the time being what I need the most is a good illustration of the Mille-feuille Kingdom map (http://i.imgur.com/5syJLlb.png) to make a Super GameBoy border similar to the one in Link's Awakening (http://i.imgur.com/j1BncZ1.png).
I know I am a bit late, but I just wanted to say the bigger font looks great!
Your new one looks great!
Your new one looks great!Thank you!
What's the source of that map image? Did it come from the game's original manual, or was there a guide released in Japan that had this?It's from the original manual (http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Qa7atjgeL9k/VP-9rOBT9oI/AAAAAAAAO18/YS0Oi-2yV2w/s1600/For_the_Frog_GameBoy_manual_1011.jpg), yeah. That being said, the SGB border thing has already been solved, I posted it before. I'll update the first message again to reflect this :beer:
Thank you guys :thumbsup:AMAZING!
Just so you know, I started working on Super Mario Land 2 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqH13Nh61Uo) as a side project (but don't worry, I'm still working on this one!), so I'll probably repurpose this thread to host both projects.
Super Mario Land... Never played the series before. I might try it out after you've finished this work.I wasn't even planning on hacking SML2 a few days ago :P
Are you planning to make a colourised version of Mario Land 1 as well?
Your Super Mario Land 2 hack looks pretty sharp (changing the 1-Up Heart back into a mushroom is a nice touch). I'd love to see it finished someday!I sure hope my hacks encourage someone else to make more DX hacks! I'm releasing the source code of this one for what it's worth.
Maybe once I know more about graphics decompression and ASM hacking and the like, I can create a "DX" version of the Game Boy Tetris Attack (after I hack it back into Panel de Pon, of course).
I like the super mario land 2 hack alot. I think Luigi should be fun to play. You should consider giving him different physics. Also, the sky color is too near grey, you should change it.I already considered giving him different physics, but I haven't looked into it too much - if it's not that difficult, I'll probably change it. Regarding the sky color it isn't so gray anymore (http://i.imgur.com/xAn2upY.png).
This is looking pretty good already. I wonder if you have considered making some small edits to the sprites to make it more similar to the canceled DX version? Some screenshots can be found at http://www.geocities.co.jp/Bookend-Soseki/4279/dematu3.htmlThis was mentioned in this thread, and as it turns out those screenshots are actually mockups made by fans - they don't even comply with GBC's technical limitations. No official screenshot of the cancelled game was shown.
Wow, I've never seen something like this, ever before.
First, you almost demand a progress report. Next, you almost demand to be a beta tester.
I think the creator of this hack should decide for himself whether progress reports are necessary for the public to see.
I think it sounds pretty rude and disrespectful towards Toruzz, to ask for these things like they are supposed to happen.
I definitely want to beta test this on the real hardware and be able to report any issues.
Isn't there a risk of damaging real hardware with this kind of hacks? At least there is one case that I know of (https://hax.iimarckus.org/post/26275/#p26275), but I'm not sure if it's even relevant to this one.
Isn't there a risk of damaging real hardware with this kind of hacks? At least there is one case that I know of (https://hax.iimarckus.org/post/26275/#p26275), but I'm not sure if it's even relevant to this one.Rest assured, I don't write to that register at all. It is compatible with real hardware.
Wow, I've never seen something like this, ever before.
First, you almost demand a progress report. Next, you almost demand to be a beta tester.
I think the creator of this hack should decide for himself whether progress reports are necessary for the public to see.
I think it sounds pretty rude and disrespectful towards Toruzz, to ask for these things like they are supposed to happen.
Thanks Thirteen 1355, but as Vortiene said I don't think he meant it in a rude manner :beer:
I explained a bit about the current status in previous posts, but there is a reason for the apparent lack of progress. On the one hand, I wasted a lot of time trying to gather and make sense of the code -to finally decide on not releasing it at all-, and on the other hand I made some artistic decisions that requires me to rework a lot of what I've done up until now. I also want to add a couple of unannounced things and I'm considering the best way to do so, maybe even starting again from scratch. Keep in mind that I've been learning as I've been making this hack.
Regarding SML2 DX, it's progressing at a very good pace. Apart from a few bugs, most of the code is done.
Rest assured, I don't write to that register at all. It is compatible with real hardware.
PS.- I forgot to say that I already chose the betatesters for my hacks. Sorry guys.
PS.- I forgot to say that I already chose the betatesters for my hacks. Sorry guys.Can I be a gamma tester then?
Really great work Toruzz. Can't wait for this to be complete, whenever that is. I just finished the game as it was and i'd be really keen to play a colorized version.Thank you! But PLEASE don't open that can of worms here :P
Would you be interested in a customized title screen, I mean i'm sure you're more then capable but I mean to match in with the more accurate version of the title. I made a custom boxart for this on the SNES mini and thought maybe you'd be interested in an altered title screen whether from me or just as an idea in general.
This is the boxart I made but I can lift just the title logo for you if you like
(https://i.imgur.com/DJHrwKn.png)
Thank you! But PLEASE don't open that can of worms here :PNo probs man, I must have missed that discussion. With translation a lot gets glossed over and much is open to interpretation so it could really be either (as i'm sure you know) I was just offering to save you any additional hassle if you were interested.
BTW, this hack (and by extension this thread) will receive the love it deserves soon enough. It's about time!
Always thought this looked better than the font used in the final version of the English translation.I also think that one looks way better, but choosing that font is not up to me. I'm rethinking everything related to this hack, so I'm still unsure about what I'll do to maintain compatibility with the English translation.
(http://www.n-sider.com/images/inline_images/inline-4-4178-3.jpg)
Any chance of an optional patch after/with the release of the colour hack?
Thanks guys, I'm really glad to see that you are still interested in this.
What Shade Aurion said is absolutely correct. I'm currently finishing my finals and working full time, so as you may expect I don't have a lot of free time. I know it's taking me forever, but I never stopped working on this project and I'll definitely work on it until it's done.