[SpiderDave]

I'm making a Super Mario Bros. 2 hack. This is still mostly the idea phase, but I've got some concepts down.  The look of the game will be a minimalist background with a macabre feel.  Play as Lamross, an ambitious minor demon.  Fight your way deeper into the underworld to increase your power.  I think I'd like his ultimate goal to be a surprise on the ending, but basically you accumulate power and status as a goal, with possible new abilities over time.

A few goals and possible ideas:
* Remove multiple players.
    -- Done (removed select screen).  The code for multiple players is still there, and made it so all characters are the same.  I can make these power suits or something.
* Remove or replace select screen.
    -- Done, but needs work to load the correct palette and tiles.
* Remove the basic gameplay of picking up roots and throwing them.
* Add a projectile attack, possibly a pitchfork or various weapons like Castlevania.
* Remove locked doors or change the way keys work.
    -- Made it so locked doors now spawn as unlocked doors instead.
* Remove charge jump.
    -- Done.
* Add new abilities, possibly: double jump, "rage" mode.
* Redesign levels
* Remove all music (possibly add new music later)
    -- Mostly done, a few left.
* Change the way you ride enemies, giving you more direct control, like with Yoshi.
    -- Here is something I made with Lua to work on the concept before putting it in the rom:
   
* Remove small character state.
    -- Done.
* Make maximum life carry over through all stages.
* Change phanto to a familiar that attacks for you.
* Create stage names or messages in place of the normal title card before each level.
    -- Replaced title card stuff and made full font available, but need to add code for it to change every level.
* Remove lives and continues, possibly start at start of stage if you die.
* Remove Sub-Space.
    -- It's easy to remove access to sub-space, just remove all the potions.  What I want is to remove it alltogether, and repurpose all the code and memory, or change it into something else.

WIP Title card (placeholder graphics):


I've created an ASM hack to require holding a specific item for floating, thinking of making an umbrella item to use it.

[NiO]

Cool idea, what about insted of multiple players you just let the player decide a color palette of the character?

[SpiderDave]

Cool idea, what about insted of multiple players you just let the player decide a color palette of the character?

Yeah, this is doable though I'd like something more ambitious.  I already have code to switch characters using select though I could also go the route of having it switch automatically based on something like your hp.  Better stats with more life etc.  I could even use that palette idea along with changed graphics just for when you get a star (instead of flashing).  Maybe even a shadow version that's just invincible for a short time (but doesn't kill things by touching them).

[SpiderDave]

Just a few new things to show off.

Cherries are now souls:

I'm not sure exactly how I'll do this, but the count continues through stages, and it'll make you more powerful.  I also want it to show the souls collected on the ending or somewhere else.

"Death Scarab" enemy:


"Eye Hop" and "Fleshling" enemies:

I think I want the eyes to follow you and be immortal (unless they go in a pit).
The fleshlings ideally will spit out something gross on the ground that stays for a bit.

[Teeporage777]

this is really cool man

[Googie]

The screens look really cool, I should get off my ass and hack my two SMB2 hacks... 

[SpiderDave]

One is Googie Toons, what is the other one?  What do you need to do on them?

[RetroRain]

Interesting hack.  I like all of the concepts you listed.

If you don't mind me asking, what level editor are you using to do your levels?

I have played around with SMB2 Discombobulator in the past, but I just don't like that editor.  I feel like it's restricted, like making levels is a pain to do.  I think that is why I've never really did any level hacks of this game.

[Googie]

@Spider Dave: With Googie Toons pacnsacdave gotta finish editing some of the enemies, but I have to draw them first. I also wanna have the spitting speed of Snifit and Birdo back to the original speed, since it's very fast. And the other SMB2 hack with the one Icegoom gave me years ago, with that hack just the levels need to be edited.

Here's a video of the other SMB2 hack icegoom gave me in case you wanna check it out.

@RetroRain: This is the most advance SMB2 level editor around, I used this to edit the first level of Googie Toons and it's pretty sweet.

[SpiderDave]

Googie: If you need it, the shooting speed table is at 0x543b (+0x10 for header), the second entry is 0x20 for right speed and third entry is 0xe0 for left speed of birdo and snifit shots.

Interesting hack.  I like all of the concepts you listed.

If you don't mind me asking, what level editor are you using to do your levels?

I have played around with SMB2 Discombobulator in the past, but I just don't like that editor.  I feel like it's restricted, like making levels is a pain to do.  I think that is why I've never really did any level hacks of this game.

I don't plan on making any levels until I get the core gameplay all hacked in, in part because the changes to the gameplay will greatly affect how the levels need to be done.  I don't like the level editors either, they are a bit restricting.  I might make my own custom thing to build the levels, at least make a "tile squareoid assembler".

BTW, here's some general rules of level design I like:
* Challenging, but never in an unfair way.
* Not just pits, not just spikes.
* Stages should look good and play well.  This is not always an even balance, but keep both in mind.
* Levels should be distinct and have a theme.  Someone should be able to tell you what level it is by saying "the one with ___".

[salvadorc17]

More weird that anything i ever seen for SMB hack, but good work.

[FCandChill]

Hey SpiderDave, I volunteer my graphic ability to your hack ... interested?

[SpiderDave]

Sure, I'll send you a PM.

[FCandChill]

Think this turned out okay... Obvious inspriation from Gargoyle's Quest.

[Googie]

So how is the progress coming along? I like the sprites that FCandChill made for you.