Blaster Master (Wastelands) Progress on my hack

[SkyLizardGirl]

https://www.romhacking.net/hacks/4865/ 

Hi, i am Arianna Crystal - which is my middle name. My last name i cannot say here.

Here is the IPS to the game:  http://www.mediafire.com/file/igf4fldv72nhv7d/Blaster_Master_%2528Wastelands%2529.zip/file
 
I wanted to make a hack of one of my favorite games of all time, Blaster Master and the idea for it was to use more of the unused maps and space to build more to the levels and even extend some stuff from the original game. Also some of the exits and entries into levels.

Some the solutions to the bosses are changed. It was very tricky trying to learn how to program the door warps and area entry points using the ReMaster Level Editor.

There aren't very many blaster master hacks i have also noticed, as people tend to be pulled towards Pokemon, Megaman, Metroid or Mario alot more.

I have tested my entire hack and started from beginning to end beating the entire game right after i finished developing the new game.

Here are some screenshots of only the first level.

I had alot of fun making this game, and i am in sorta a need for others to play and even test it out for me and give me feedback of to what they think.

I hope more people look into Blaster Master and the beauty of designing an original new game using the ReMaster Editor. It was very tricky trying to learn how to use this program. 

There are some things that are now different in the game besides tunnel passageways overlay of the worlds.

I made the Gun Power-ups more accessible and giving the player a better chance just before loading up to take down certain bosses.
The difficulty is still there, it is very hard trying to build up the guns power while losing it so easily by getting hit by projectiles.

It is more of a race trying to keep the gun than your life just to be able to conquer  a boss.   

The final level is extended and non linear or short, so it is alot more of a climb getting to the final boss now as same with all the other Area bosses.

Also the overhead areas, alot more thought was put into them, as it takes alot more maneuvering just to walk through some of the passages than just flat out wide open spaces, it's alot more mazey. 

 
 
 
 
 


The Tile Editor was a lot more complicated, i did want to modify and make my own parts, but most of the graphics in the tile modifier are un-identifiable and
un-inteligently impossible to make out shapes, for fear of changing or ruining other graphics in the process.

 

^This program was used to change-up the title screen as it seemed to be all one could make out and do.

-Lastly, i chose the name 'Blaster Master Wastelands' for the very reason i noticed alot of game space went unused by the developers, perhaps of fear of over-packing the game cart's capability, but i maxed it out and everything seems fine as the Data does not eat over itself if you completely pack the rom with level data to the max.
I found this interesting.

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Also Lastly, from the readme file:

This is a complete game hack of Blaster Master with every single level re-arranged and many things extended and changed, where as the original game left short. The world is different, the environment a bit more vast.
Some things were changed to make some things simple yet there still is many things which have been made harder.
You will now pick up full complete Gun power-ups without having to suffer collecting mini gun boosters so you get the full power of the gun in the overhead areas a-lot sooner.
   Some places that were shorter have been extended. The Bosses and levels have all been changed so the usual solutions to the Bosses are all different from the original game.

The Level entries are all also different, so if you try to go to Area-4 for example its in a completely different spot in another level.
A lot of time was spent making this hack like a whole week nonstop.

It uses some of the Metafight Alpha - Mister Xiado's improvements to the title screen, Overhead and menu.
Format for building the entire new game hack in.

There was no permission by him, but loved his work with the graphics. His graphics are already patched inside the new IPS.

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Those who are interested in testing out the game right away,  this is the IPS to the file only.
 
https://www.mediafire.com/file/igf4fldv72nhv7d/Blaster_Master_%28Wastelands%29.zip/file 


-Anyways,Thank you all for hearing me out.*

[Trax]

Dang, I didn't know the Overworld could be larger than it already is. What would be the comparison in size between the original, this hack and the theoretical limit?

As for the tile mappings, which is, what tile goes where, you have to find the information somewhere in the ROM. The placement of the tiles in the graphics banks have no relation to their relative placement in the background matrix or the sprites composition, although most tiles are usually placed in some orderly fashion in the graphics banks. I'm not really familiar with the game, so I can't say where the various tile mappings are, but that's what you would be looking for if you wanted to have, say, different terrain parts, or create different sprites. I presume the editor doesn't have a feature for that.

[SkyLizardGirl]

(Minor updates RECENT FIXES --- have Now been made to the game Ips just recently.)
 

Level-6 Was left open to those who just finished Level-Area 3 too early.
A right-facing 'Lock' has now been placed in front of 6's Entry. 

Level-4 was open ended for those to go back through and skip Area-5.
This has been fixed by making it very difficult to hover back to Area-4's entrance.

Level-Area 7's entry was open too early for those who just finish Area-3 and then Skip to 6.

Not only do you now need a Key to enter Area 6 but now you can't skip to Area 7 without 6's Vehicle Power-up. The Entry is held in by a thin wall you must climb up.


-----Other Fixes-----

A Room in Area-6 Overhead Level, Was not working and the player would get stuck inside a wall.
This has now been closed off and cannot be fixed for some odd reason even though i did things correctly in the rom, to get to the room, it still would not allow the player to pan to the next room screen.

Also a false Non working entry has been removed from Area-8's Overhead level.


----Minor fixes: -----
Some enemies were stuck in the game's tiles.

Also Area -5 had two cellar entry's to the Level-5 Boss. This has now been repaired so there is now only One solution.

Also a block preventing people entering Area-4 has been adjusted again one last time.

Level-Area 8 Had Wall spikes where the player would fall through and get trapped into a screen.

I just beat and finished the game for the third time to catch this very last error.
Everything else seems good. It is now version 9.1

(This should be the very last update to the rom in quite a long time.)



January 07, 2020, 05:19:32 PM - (Auto Merged - Double Posts are not allowed before 7 days.)
A location in Area-8 Was left open way to early causing players to skip half of the last level. This has now been fixed in the IPS.

I just submitted through an update to the rom IPS.

[SkyLizardGirl]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqxkhXuEiyc 
 
Demo Video Playthrough Of the first level in the game.
January 16, 2020, 08:37:15 AM - (Auto Merged - Double Posts are not allowed before 7 days.)


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I have recently decided that I will be working on a sequel game soon called

Blaster Master (Savanna)

It will be completely different, I will make another separate post soon for the purpose of this next project in progress.
January 19, 2020, 07:43:30 AM - (Auto Merged - Double Posts are not allowed before 7 days.)



https://youtu.be/YKIRhN3gk3k

Another video playthrough of someone testing out Blaster Master Wastelands.*

[dstryr712]

looks really great so far! I'm enjoying it!

Please, if I can ask for a hint (forgive me if this is not the right place): When I enter level 5 after level 4, I am stuck. Am I missing something or entering wrong, etc?

Thanks!

[SkyLizardGirl]

Oh, you have to completely abandon your vehicle tank when you enter Area-5.

You must pretty much swim the entire level.

When you find the Boss's lair all the way at the bottom you swim back up to the top to retrieve your vehicle and then the vehicle can swim with the New upgrade you got from Defeating the Boss of the Level.

It's kinda odd, but you must always pretty much scuba Dive with the player outside of the tank with this one level.

While diving, you must take it slow with patience cause other scuba guys 'you have to swim up and down' while shooting them to miss their gun shots till you defeat each diver.

The big monsters can be shot, but it's best skipping or ignoring the large dangerous monsters underwater swimming or sneaking past them.

They will take out your hp fast is why is best avoiding them all.

[dstryr712]

Thanks!

I ditched the vehicle already, but I thought I couldn't go any farther, which is why I asked. Since then I've been able to go farther down and find a couple of rooms- but no boss yet! I'll have to take a break to go to work then pick it up again tomorrow.

Thanks again for the hack and for the tips!
January 27, 2020, 09:12:08 PM - (Auto Merged - Double Posts are not allowed before 7 days.)
Can i bother you again for a bit of direction after obtaining the Dive mechanism? I've searched everywhere for Level 6, but I can't find it at all...


January 31, 2020, 02:20:37 PM - (Auto Merged - Double Posts are not allowed before 7 days.)
ok, sorry to bother you again, but ive been looking for the entrance to area 7 for days with no luck.. can you please give me an idea of which area to look?

thanks!

[SkyLizardGirl]

Update: 
I made my first ever video of me playing wastelands, i will make more videos later on.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCIeig-oK6I 

I did ok, I took long break and a bit rusty at first but am doing good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSkvu8qfyZQ 
Also Second video.

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Just today.

Here is somebody else also playing the hack.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWcQLNtgetE&lc=UgxrYlpnq9UyKnCnIlN4AaABAg.9BaDB2qX13Y9BaFDAFlTcF