Oki…let’s talk about faceball.

Well, actually lets not even talk about the faceball prototype yet..I’ll take a step back and talk about Danb’s ‘faceball’. When videos of faceball started to pop-up on planet vb ( http://www.youtube.com/user/VBNikoChanBattle (video isn’t the greatest)). Danb and I both wanted to bring this game to the masses. But, wet went about it two different ways. I went about ..trying to buy and release the prototype..and Danb (being smart) starting CODING the game. We were both doing these projects in secret. When I announced that I was going to release the prototype..without knowing it..i squared up and kicked Dan right in the groin. He returned the favor a few days ago when he released a demo of his game :). After promptly removing my testicle from my liver..I realized that it’s a good thing. Danb’s an incredible coder and he’s going to be taking his project in a slightly different direction. To show my support of his project..Dan now has a copy of the faceball prototype to help him in his development. While my faceball release will have more polish (as of now) and will be essentially stuck in the same ‘game’ mode (you go into a maze and kill stuff before they kill you). Dan’s will be totally open ended and I can’t wait to see where he goes with his project.

Now…the prototype faceball.

About me getting the game.

Some emails/Pm’s

Can I get the rom and play it ? -> yes I will release it in a few months for free

How much did you spend ? -> that’s private i spend 1X,xxx..that’s all you need to know. Please don’t guess/speculate at how much i spent…it’s private. It’s between me and who I bought it from.

Why did you spend so much ? -> vboy prototypes are expensive and rare. I wanted to. I knew I would lose money/my collection going into this

Can you send me the rom so i can play it ? ->no, I will release it in a few months for free

You lost your collection ? -> i kept most of my games. I sold my collection to pay for the prototype. I can’t write a check like that without getting shot by my wife..i’m in Kentucky..she can do it

Can you send me the rom so i can fiddle with it? -> dude..really ?

Who sold you the rom ? -> He’s Japanese. He’s name is private. He doesnt’ have any more. I didn’t get a rom. I got an official eprom board with the chips. I had to extract the rom.

I’d like to play the rom now..can you send it to me ? -> Sure, wait here..let me get my gun

Can I donate money ?..you’re a super good dude -> AHHZ see below

Donations/plans

Yea. I’d like to get some money back. I don’t think that’s a bad thing. Most times people would run fundraisers to release the rom. And that’s cool. But, if people give me money..I’d like to give something back. Luckly I’m part of a team of people that started the process of releasing homebrew games on carts for people to enjoy. We’re going to use uncletusk’s website..and if you donate a min of 100 dollars. We’ll send you a cib copy of the prototype. We’re going to make you a manual..hand make a cart..and send it with a box and inserts.

The guys that are helping me out with this project were going to get a special edition of it for all of their hard work. Looks like I will be giving out (6) of these carts. When I mentioned this to people..they wanted some special edition carts also. SOOO..we’ll be making a limited number of ‘donators edition’ CIB copies. If you donate 200 dollars or more..we’ll send you this edition.

What’s special about this edition ?

It will be a smaller run. (confirmed)
The copies will be numbered (first 6 are taken for people working on this project). (confirmed)
There will have to be a pre-order/payment (chances are good..need to know how many to make)
There will be different artwork. (confirmed)
There will be a poster. (confirmed)
There will be a hintbook. (confirmed)
There will be a mini-disk with game music. (maybe)
These copies will be sent out before the others. (maybe)
There might be other stuff (good chance..i might be able to fit more in the box)
The (2) different copies will contain different roms. (confirmed) wait..What ??? *see below

About the prototype gameplay:

The game wasn’t finished. The ‘arena’ mode wasn’t done, but it’s selectable from the main menu. The main game you can say is done..maybe. It’s playable and fun..a bit to easy..running around a 3-d maze and shooting stuff is pretty freakin cool. The enemies are different from previous versions of the game. I’d like to see more enemies on each level and make it a bit harder..and more mazes. Right now you can sit down and finish the game in a night. There are typos and grammer stuff that’s wrong..and there’s a high score at the end that’s post as 123456789 (or something can’t remember).

I’ve given out copies of the game for people to playtest and work on. They can post more if they want.

Oh..and I said something about differnt roms…

It’s nice to have smart friends. Thunderstruck just finished up his ‘fishbone’ homebrew game..and he was on vacation. Wanted something to do..so off went the rom to him. BTW did I say he was smart ? He hasn’t had it long..but he can change mazes..change enemies (he found an additional one programmed in the rom that wasn’t in the game)..change enemy behaviors ect ect. He’ll prob start his own post today about his progress..but a level editor isn’t far off (I think). He’s done a great deal on the rom already..one of the editions we release will be his..and we’ll call it ‘Faceball: remastered’. I don’t post much..he can post more about it.

Which release will have what rom ? PUUH not sure yet.

Now..money….just to be open

yea 100 is a lot to donate for a game..but

For every 100 dollar donation..i have to get the game and mail it to you (well tusk does)..after all is said and done..i’ll actually get 45 dollars towards the release for every 100 dollar donation

For the 200 dollar donation (min)..I’ll prob wind up with 120 ish (?). Maybe I’ll auction a few of the numbered carts off on Nintendo age (great site btw)

My goal

If i don’t make a dime..rom will be released..lesson learned no hard feelings (from me..not the wife)
If i make 1k back..I’ll be fine..but my wife will be angry = sleeping on the couch prob.
If i make 3k back..I’ll be fine..wife will be disapointed = sleep in the bed, relations with the wife..prob..maybe
If i make 5k back..I’ll be fine..wife will be fine
If i make 7k back..I’ll be fine..wife and I will get a vacation this year
If i make 10k back..I’ll be amazed..wife will be amazed..I’ll take some money and do something for the vboy community..not sure what
If i make 50k..I’ll be dead..wife will get money and hide the gun in the lake (search the lake!!)

We’ll look to take donations and send out games in med Feb/early March (still working on artwork..need to make more carts ect ect)..maybe wait a month/month and a half then release all the roms i got.

Think i covered a lot..prob missed some stuff..

-Eric

Don’t email me asking for the rom..i can reload this gun fast

Cool, I look forward to Mid-Febuary/March when you’ll start taking donations.

Hmmm, Donator’s edition $200? That is a lot. I would rather buy the $100 version, but if I can beat it in a night, then I am not sure yet.

Any idea if Thunderstruck’s rom will be a different game, or the donator’s edition.

Good luck with the release!

-Paul

Wow. Thanks for being awesome! Looks like I’ll need to start saving!

Sweet! I’ll be sure to get me a copy of the $100 version :thumpup:

Awesome! Buying a copy for sure.

Any idea when we’ll be able to donate?

I can donate maybe $20 when it’s possible… I don’t want a cartridge though, so it can go direct to bigmak (I hope).
Can’t wait for the rom though, I will make a video review of it as soon as I can.

Protoman85 wrote:
I can donate maybe $20 when it’s possible… I don’t want a cartridge though, so it can go direct to bigmak (I hope).
Can’t wait for the rom though, I will make a video review of it as soon as I can.

Yeah, could we donate a little bit on money each time, working our way up to a copy of the game, or do we have to donate a payment of $100 or $200?

Hi Eric, I am in for a $200 cart for sure, can send funds as soon as you are set up for it.
Grant

Nice one Eric, really looking forward to this. Hope your wife isn’t giving you to much s**t about this. Lol.

As its my birthday tomorrow ill be asking my wife for the extra money to get the donations edition. Hope she doesn’t give me to much s**t. Lol.

Thanks again Eric.

You are a saint, sir 🙂 Looking forward to the release and I’ll do what I feel I can when you have your donation page up.

With 2 ROMs for release, will both be on their own physical cart or are you going to combine both the proto and the “remastered” hack onto one cart?

Your plan is to eventually release both the original and remastered versions as downloadable ROMs?

I’m definitely in for this, as well. Just say the word when the gears are in motion. 🙂

I love the sudden surge in VB energy!

Sweet Eric, I’m down for both versions and then some. You’re my hero 🙂

Lester Knight wrote:
With 2 ROMs for release, will both be on their own physical cart or are you going to combine both the proto and the “remastered” hack onto one cart?

Your plan is to eventually release both the original and remastered versions as downloadable ROMs?

Both ROMs are going to be released for free. I don’t see any way to fit both on one card. However, the remastered edition will still include the original levels (+ hopefully 42 new ones). One ROM will come with the ‘normal edition’ while the other comes with the ‘donators edition’. It is not decided yet which version of the ROM comes with which package.

Personally, I feel that if the regular edition is the $200 edition, I won’t be able to buy it. 14 stages, no 2 player, and no arena mode can’t justify $200, even if it comes with other extras.

Here are my ideas

Plan A: release the regular prototype as the $200, as it is the purest version, no alterations, and owning the actual prototype instead of a rom hack should be the higher priced.

Plan B: Let the buyer pick which cart he wants and which edition, $100 or $200. There are a lot of people that want both roms, so giving people a choice is a very nice option. Especially for those less financially stable to afford the donator’s edition, but still want the most complete game possible.

Just my two cents. 🙂

I think i will be up for a 200$ edition. But i didn’t get all your message (i’m french) so i have some questions :
With the 200$’s edition, we will get the cartridge with Faceball proto, fine. But the rom? Is it gonna be on another cartridge?
And if there will be a different box and artwork for the two editions, I think we should see both boxes before doing our choice.

I’ll be in for one of them, not sure which at the moment.

I really want the boxed cart but I would much prefer the remastered version over the standard ROM version. I don’t care so much for the extras of the 200 version, to the point where I’d rather get a standard boxed version twice – one remastered and one regular ROM version. Just throwing ideas around while this is undecided! 🙂

bigmak wrote:
My goal

If i don’t make a dime..rom will be released..lesson learned no hard feelings (from me..not the wife)
If i make 1k back..I’ll be fine..but my wife will be angry = sleeping on the couch prob.
If i make 3k back..I’ll be fine..wife will be disapointed = sleep in the bed, relations with the wife..prob..maybe
If i make 5k back..I’ll be fine..wife will be fine
If i make 7k back..I’ll be fine..wife and I will get a vacation this year
If i make 10k back..I’ll be amazed..wife will be amazed..I’ll take some money and do something for the vboy community..not sure what
If i make 50k..I’ll be dead..wife will get money and hide the gun in the lake (search the lake!!)

It’s been brought to my attention that bigmak has declined multiple offers from multiple members of the community to pull together resources from other connections and fundraisers to help him recoup the cost of acquiring the Faceball prototype.

That is to say, bigmak has specifically declined people giving him his money back.

If you want to purchase a Faceball cartridge, that’s fine, but there’s more going on behind the scenes than just getting cash back into bigmak’s pocket.