Super Mario Zero (Found Beta Testers!), Details inside.

News Update: 8/27/09

I've made my choices! Three people have gotten acceptance PMs! I chose them because they have some level of experience with game design, and I feel they can be easily trusted. As for the rest of you, thanks for signing up anyway! I'm sorry you couldn't be chosen, but less people keep a better secret than many. And don't worry, your input would still be appreciated for any public demos I release!

Thank you all for your help in making Super Mario Zero a better project!

News Update: 8/25/09

Looking for Beta Testers!

If you want to become a beta tester for Super Mario Zero, you have to meet some minor requirements (nothing big).

- If you use Vista, download the GM6.1 converter from the Main Site! (That's right, it's on MFGG.)
- You have to absolutely NEVER leak information about the game!
- You also CANNOT pass around the beta, or pass the link to the download around!
- You have to provide somewhat detailed reports on any bugs you find.
- Please, also comment on how some things work, so I can either fix it, or continue to use it well!

There you go. It's only five little things, and they're not that hard, anyway. Contact me via PM, please. (I'm also on AIM and MSN, in case you want to chat more about what exactly being a beta tester entails.)

I won't pick everybody, and I won't pick whomever signed up first, either, if they're no good. Beta testers will get credit in the final game for Quality Control, since, well, it's actually some work to be a beta tester!

Beta testers will be selected on the 27th. Betas will then be sent out to all beta testers.

Thanks for entering your name if you do, and for helping to make Super Mario Zero a great project!

Engine Status and News Update: 8/17/09

Hello, everybody! No new engine test or screenshots (sorry!), but, I have been working on this game very, very hard, and at last, I've figured out how to program a singular Mario object, that compiles ALL the Mario forms! And best of all, said object is programmed fully, without any problems whatsoever.

Yeah, I know other people have done it before, but this is the first time I've done it, and I thought it was kind of tough! Come on, it's at least a Level Seven Game Maker skill!

In short, instead of switching to a separate Mario object when grabbing a powerup, which generated massive glitches, it's all compacted into one object. No switching objects, it's all streamlined using blocks and global variables. Speaking of which, it also allows for carrying powerups over into the next level. So if you clear a level as Fire Mario, you can select the next level on the map and still be Fire Mario!

In short, it means less glitches, more control.

It should also cut down on some loading times; there's now five less objects than before, which frees up a lot of space. And they were some pretty big objects. So yeah.

And I'm sure you're wondering what those five objects are. Hmm hmm hmm. I can tell you there's Fire Mario, and an Invincible Mario, but, that's about it.

Unfortunately, I will be gone until Sunday, so that means no progress will be made for about a week. Factor in that Metroid Prime Trilogy comes out Monday and Batman: Arkham Asylum on Tuesday, um, I think I'll be busy with other things.

When I return to work sometime in September (dunno when, school starts and I have a pretty important event to go to as well), I'll probably be looking for beta-testers. Don't sign up yet, though, because that's a big PROBABLY. I've already got one anyway (mayhaps you know him), but I could use more and we'll just have to see. It's not a promise.

Also, I've been thinking about the NCFC this year as well. Thinking, mind. I should definitely have some sort of demo prepared for the NCFC. If not, a cool trailer with the epic music and the screenies and the video and the jell-o and the pokey and the mon and the guy who comes out with the bluhohoho

So yeah. That's all for now I guess. Just wanted you all to know I'm still working on this!

OLD NEWS

Hi, all! It's been a while since I've posted evidence that I still use Game Maker, so here ya go.

It's a Mario fangame (as if that weren't obvious), and my third Mario platformer that I've made, so, yeah. Engine has been in production for... a year and a half, so, yeah.

Here's an engine demo for you guys. (Vista users, use a converter that MFGG so wonderfully is able to provide here.)

http://www.sendspace.com/file/7youau

----- CONTROLS -----

Arrows: Move/Duck/Climb
A: Jump/Swim
S: Run
D: Spin Jump

The following are a buncha screenies I took of my game. (Click on 'em!)

Beginning of the intro level. There's no timer for this level, to ease players into the game.

I finally made a good brick block break animation.

Particle effects for coin collection. Works, if used in moderation.

Got some climbing action going on here. You can go up, down, side-to-side, and jump off.

Spin jump comes into play, to break these blocks here.

Goomba go squish

A piece of health missing. Also, Koopas get knocked into their shells...

... can be shot into other enemies...

... and then spin jumped on to defeat. Note another chunk missing of the health meter.

Oh, boy, water.

Translucent and animated! There's no water surface object; it's all the same object repeated.

Wait, something seems off here. Is that an... air meter?

If you run low on air, jumping out restores it completely.

It's a bit aesthetically bland but that'll be fixed later.

The plot is still being made, but I can guarantee that it doesn't involve Bowser kidnapping Peach. In fact, I don't think they're in the game at all so far... so then who do you fight? That's a little secret for now.

If you want to suggest names go right on ahead. I won't stop ya.

EDIT: Just thought of Super Mario Zero all by myself. Kinda fits the plot I have in mind so far, but if you've got something good just suggest it!

This post has been edited by Zero Kirby on Aug 27 2009, 03:17 PM

Super Mario Zero also fits your username ;D

Nice to see this here; looks great!

(btw I'm back)

Downloading the converter right now, but just wondering, are thos eall/mostly custom graphics?
Will edit I guess ( if nobody else posts ) with what I think

Dex made the Marios, and I'm pretty sure everything except the background (New Super Mario Bros) and the Koopa Troopas (Super Princess Peach) are custom, but not by me (except that sexy health meter).

I made those Mario sprites way back when, haha, so much nostalgia.

I should remake them sometime.

Alright then, nice.
I guess i'll just review as I go now that I have it open...
Bomberman Music <3, and the engine seems very smooth...
Controls bothering me, seems like Jump and Spin jump would be together, and the ASD might take some getting used to but whatever...Goomba seems... Really out of style or something... Maybe it just looks wierd but you didn't make the sprites so meh. Jumping on the shell is... Messed up, I don't know how to explain it but I don't think I need to since all you do is jump on it...
You seem to swim at the speed in which you were before hitting the water so I went really fast.
****, I just hit the spin key instead of the jump and died. Eh, I guess thats enough, i'm not doing that again.
Anyways, this looks promising X3

I've fixed a lot of things since that engine build (except your shell complaint, because that's the first time I've gotten it), so when I get around to making a new engine demo or just level demo, it should work a lot smoother.

That was really amazing. 2 complaints:

Firstly, if I do a running jump, as I'm falling, I sometimes can't grab onto fences.

And when starting to run on ice, walking animation shouldn't slow down; it should be just as fast, if not faster.

This was great, your best ever. Mario gets stuck in blocks sometimes though, look into that.

Fez: Your first complaint doesn't make any sense, because I did it several times in a row and it works fine for me. Second complaint, makes sense, I should be able to fix it quickly.

Gh0st: Unfortunately, I can't figure out what's doing that. The code seems fine to me. I'll try switching some things around to see if I can't make it work.

Really nice! But you might want to make it so Mario changes to his stand sprite when he runs into a wall since he has the sprite he had when he crashed into it.

Nice engine.

Koopa shell needs a little work though, because jumping on it doesn't always put it in motion and may sometimes hurt you.

I don't exactly have a whole lot of experience making Koopa shells though (this is like... the first game I've made with them working as they do), so I probably can't fix that problem myself.

And for the rest of the topic, game's running along smoothly, glitches have been fixed and I've made a custom particle effect engine that'll be used to replace that ring effect when you pick up a coin, and for various other things.

Just noting your particle effects for when you collect coins, look really off from the rest of the graphic-style, may want to change that.

I'm getting around to that eventually, don't worry.

EDIT: I've gotten around to it. I've got a custom particle system now, should look more less off-setting.

This post has been edited by Zero Kirby on Jul 11 2009, 11:58 PM

Really smooth engine and I like it.

This isn't a complaint, more like a nitpick. Black Squirrel 07 tiles

At least they're recolored.

Deceleration in the air should be larger
And you should probably deactivate objects far away from the view(I can hear the koopa shells bounce from the end of the level)

Yeah I now.

I already do deactivate distant objects, I just keep the shells activated for some reason. I'll fix that soon enough.