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This jam doesn't specify it, but many jams allow you to make some base code beforehand and re-use basic utility code, i.e., a game engine. Just as long as you don't make the game itself before the jam starts. If I make a game it'll be with this framework: https://github.com/morph-games/owls16

This jam doesn't explicitly mention it, but most jams say you can use anything that you legally have the right to use -- which means no sounds directly from existing, copyrighted games. If you do make a "fan game" that uses graphics, sounds, or characters from an existing NES games, you're in a legal gray area. Likely it'll be fine, but you do open yourself to Nintendo and other copyright holders complaining via a DMCA request, and taking your game down.

Since the NES controller actually has the buttons in the order B, A...

...it's best if Z = B, and X = A. 

This also matches what Pico-8 does, with X being the primary/Yes/confirmation button (similar to NES's "A"), and Z (labeled as "O") is the secondary/No button. In Pico-8, you can also use N and M for secondary and primary respectively. This would be useful if people also allow WASD keys for movement -- which is ideal from my perspective.

My preference is also to have the Tab key used for Select. But I do like Enter for Start.

I was excited until I saw the theme. "one button" makes it hard to make anything besides a boring clicker game, and I already did that with a game called "Mortal".

Here's what I did recently: https://github.com/morph-games/owls16/blob/main/src/console.js#L26

The idea is that if you're constrained to an NES controller, then you can map a whole bunch of keys to the controller buttons, so that players can just pick and choose which they like. 

• WASD and arrow keys for the D-pad
• "A" button: E, X, M, ".", "]"
• "B" button: Q, Z, N, ",", "["
• Start: F, J, B, Enter
• Select: R, H, V, Tab

Would anyone be interested in making a game using a prototype fantasy console that runs in the web? It has an API and concepts similar to Pico-8, but the games are written in JavaScript.

https://deathray.itch.io/owls16 -- I could adjust the resolution and palette to fit the NES, and help with any issues you might have.

I only used a few utility functions from LittleJs. The rendering is all done with Xem's W.

Great feedback, thanks! 

The curve of the shots is an oddity caused by the max velocity, but they probably should be allowed to go faster. A crosshair is a good idea, as is the idea of a cone-shaped weapon. I considered autoaim, but didn't know how to implement it without it looking weird.

The shield and power were added in the last days so they didn't get much love (due to lack of bytes mostly). As it is, the shield is meant to be a reactive block, used only in desperation. This is counterintuitive since shields in most scifi and video games don't work like that.

Very satisfying animation and sounds for a clicker game. I like the idea of having branching choices rather than just letting the player get all upgrades. Calling the dialog an "NPC" is a bit of a stretch, but it was amusing. Good length for a jam game.

It does take some practice to get good at the aiming (which is probably not great for a jam game). The tips I can give: try to limit your speed while trying to fire, and lining up with the enemy (like for a joust) will make sure they're easier to hit.

This is a lot of fun! love it.

The card game was a blast! I enjoyed it a lot. The decisions were typically fairly simple, but it was still engaging. The dungeon exploration is sort of non-existent once you realize everything can be seen on the map (my own game had this problem too), but the movement felt good, and the gray dungeon looked fine.

Like others said, the story went by too quickly, but it seemed very appropriately creepy for the theme. I liked the design of everything, even if they didn't all fit together. The first encounter with something otherworldly in the basement was a thrill. 

The rock-paper-scissors combat has potential, but not in it's current state which is just entirely random. Maybe if you only had a limited number of each action, and you could see some hints about what the enemy might do.

The good: Nice use of three dimensions and multiple levels; nice, theme-appropriate story; a good amount of detail to the levels.

The bad: Falling through the floor; lots of empty space (needs more small enemies, and a better way to understand the grid); no sound?

The music was good, and the art style was interesting ... but I could not figure out what "square" I was on in the grid, so movement was very difficult. I got killed by a spike trap on the first run, and an enemy on the second run (on easy).

The web version took a long time to load and then went unresponsive. 😟

The game was very well balanced: mazes, the right amount of difficulty, the right amount of ammo. It was fun learning how to shoot through trees, and tactically withdraw in order to kill the bugs. I enjoyed the graphics and the sounds. A great entry!

A few things I'd like to see added: strafe movement; some additional graphics to make the world feel more intimidating (maybe a green sky so it feels like a radioactive wasteland?); some minor variation in graphics (trees, grass, dirt, stones) to help with navigation; some sounds for the bugs once they're aggro'd. The view angle seems a little off because I was frequently thinking I was further ahead, and would turn too soon.

Lots of fun!

Your video playthrough and feedback was great! Thanks so much for doing that. I was impressed at how you figured out the mechanics and beat the game on the first try.

Thanks for playing, and for the feedback. I had a heal/repair functionality planned, but didn't have time for it. And didn't know how to implement it without spoiling the reveal that you are actually a robot (of sorts). This health is high enough to make the game beatable, but it probably requires two playthroughs -- which is bad design for a jam game.

Your web implementation works great (curious how you got a C++ custom engine to run in the web). I think you'd be better off keeping it web-based, and spending your effort on the engine and game, rather than bothering trying to work around Windows scanning and signing.

There are definitely game-breaking graphical glitches in Chrome and Firefox in Windows for me. Another game I played that was made with Construct had the same problem. (If not everyone is seeing them, maybe it's video card dependent?)

That said, the graphics I did see looked really cool. The hand is nice, the fire is gorgeous, and it all fits together nice. The sound is also good. There's some talent here; I hope you can use a different engine for next time.

In Chrome in Windows I can see all the cubes of the world, including the blackness of the other spaces across the whole map, piled on each other. It's like weird psychedelic x-ray vision.

The sounds were superb! (Did you make them or find them?) I liked how your god and the enemies were all abstract - it added some mystery, uniqueness, and otherworldliness. The atmosphere and graphics were also nice, and the combat was a really interesting mechanic.

Some things that could be improved: More than one texture for the walls to make areas feel more unique. Some kind of health system so you don't lose the first battle you mess up on. (Jam rules require "some basic stats".) Slightly less bobbing when standing still would be nice; I thought I was drunk at first.

You could add some additional rooms with enemies that also move in a regular, repeatable pattern. The gameplay is just how well you can recognize the pattern and avoid each enemy.

I love the homemade-looking drawings (something I also did), and the music, and the refreshing outdoor town environment. Combat was simple but very satisfying due to the sounds and animation.

Yes, I drank all potions and disturbed anything I found. 😊 This is one of the few games that I beat. A really great entry.

Like others have said, the movement was satisfying. Also the wall texture was nice; I just wish there was a little variety so I could tell some hallways and rooms apart from each other. I liked the somber background music, but the combat music clashed too much in comparison.

Sadly, I got lost, and the music and lack of keyboard support made me eventually drained my sanity away. I like the basic core of this. If you keep working on it, please add keyboard support and a mini-map.

I would not advise people to add an exclusion to their virus protection! I ran this in the browser, and following your instructions I was able to move around. I like the graphical style and movement. Maybe next year (or the in the time between) this can become a game.

Graphical issues make the dungeon seem like a fun-house mirror hallucination, which is mostly unplayable. The cut scene dialog is a nice touch, but is so slow that I wanted to skip it. The themes are entirely missing.

That's most games.

I was definitely missing the ability to move backwards and strafe whenever I saw the spiders coming towards me. It's a neat game, although once I figured out the gameplay, the challenge was mostly just that my visibility wasn't great. I definitely enjoyed the simple, retro graphics.

Thanks for the kind words. How would improve the UI?

It is possible to beat (by me at least), but maybe requires knowing the route with the least enemies. It you want help, press "m" and you can see the map which allows some looking around corners.

Sorry, no way to gain health -- just didn't have time to implement something for that. My last game had healing on every wait, which had the complaint of being too easy. I may have swung too hard the other way. 

The tip I can give is that you don't need to kill every monster, so stay out of dead ends on a second run-thru.

Thank you so much for the thorough analysis write-up, and the video. I couldn't hear the sound though?

Your feedback hit a lot of things that I was also concerned about.

• Dying randomly by one hit -- that's definitely no fun. I thought: At least the game is quick to restart.
• Commanding only the leader was an early decision I made in hopes to make it feel more roguelike (and to satisfy a Berlin low value factor). If it was just a 4X, and not a 4XRL, I would definitely have you control any unit.
• The resources don't spawn until the game gets going. I think that means the initial world feels bare, and makes it harder to get started.
• I can't reliably reproduce that bug, but I have seen it. Work-around is to stay still for a few turns. Edit: I (think I) fixed this bug in v1.0.2.
• Those verbs are totally confusing! I don't know why I insisted in keeping them there.

Thanks again!

Yes, this is all true! It's open source though, so anyone is welcome to improve it.

Thanks for playing and recording that. Glad you persevered and got into space!

This is a great rendition of the game and good way to preserve history. I can't imagine how much paper would be wasted playing this IRL.

The mobile version's keyboard gets cut off on most narrow screen widths.

This game is gorgeous!

Great game!