Cave Story - Extra Episode (made with Game Maker)

The Story:
An Extra Episode of Cave Story which takes place between Cave Story 1 after playing the good ending, and Cave Story 2 if there be one.
While Balrog, Quote and Curly are flying to the island, they get their flight interrupted by surprise..

NOTE: This game was made with GAME MAKER 8. do not expect this game to work exactly as the original Cave Story.
I did my best to make this game work as the original CS's functions and movements.



Screenshot: (Fixed Graphics)

coming soon..


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Cave Story Game Maker test:
http://youtu.be/K4l4CKcLRk4


Here's the Cave Story Game Maker test:
Cave Story [Medium Graphics and text quality] v1.00
Cave Story [High Graphics and low text quality] v1.00

Cave Story High Graphics and text quality v1.01

Post here a comment to tell what you think about it, thanks.

(Tip1: press + button to level up your weapon.
Tip2: press F4 to switch between screen modes.)

 

It looks pretty good, although the HP bar looks a bit .. shaky.

 

Thanks, I know. I'm still trying to fix the Display screen (it's doubled by 2 from 320x240 pixels to 640x480)

 

Cool, if you're looking for feedback on how to make it more like Cave Story the main thing I noticed from the video was that the missiles move quite slowly, I would speed them up a bit.
Good job on this though looks promising.

 

...
- Maybe you could insert 2x2 pixeled version sprites instead of the original graphics scaled to greater height.
- The Saving device goes through it's animation much more fast.
- The Missles mess with my sense of speed, little to slow.
- 60 or 50 FPS at once? The original went at 50 FPS, although it may act less chunky with 60 FPS.

(Good work though... it looks quite impressive.)

 

Why use Game Maker when you can just use Cave Editor and Assembly?

 

1. I can do that, but the data size will be increased by 2. (for example 8mb instead of 4mb) I'm trying to fix the blurred Graphics, and If I won't manage to fix it, I will go with your idea.

2. Sorry about the way it looks on the video, but the saving animation is exactly as the original Cave Story.
The problem is in my video. (I forgot to edit the recording settings) Fixed, thanks.

3.Sure, I'll fix it.

4.I started making it wth 60FPS, but then I realized the orignial CS went at 50FPS. In the video, the game runs on 50FPS althought it doesn't look like. (again video problem)

Thank you for your feedback!

Why use Game Maker when you can just use Cave Editor and Assembly?

I have no idea how to use Assembly, and I'm experienced in Game Maker, it's also fun to make games with it.

 

I suggest you put up a download link, like the other CS GameMaker project. It allows people to get a better feel so they can locate more problems, it works better than releasing a video and avoids confusion.

EDIT:

I have uploaded the Cave Story engine test for those who want to test it. look for it on the first post.
(2 versions. one is medium graphics & text quality. second is high graphics & low text quality)

Cool, thanks.

 

There's a problem with the Graphics in the game. I can set up the game with 2 options:

1. Medium Graphics, and Medium text quality (as the screenshot in the first post)
2. High Graphics (as the original CS) , and very low text quality.

I have no idea how to fix it. I might go with ChineApple's idea to double the sprites's pixels by 2.

I suggest you put up a download link, like the other CS GameMaker project. It allows people to get a better feel so they can locate more problems, it works better than releasing a video and avoids confusion.

I have uploaded the Cave Story engine test for those who want to test it. look for it on the first post.
(2 versions. one is medium graphics & text quality. second is high graphics & low text quality)

Cave Story Extra Episode coming soon..

 

Why use Game Maker when you can just use Cave Editor and Assembly?

There are so many reasons why you would not use assembly.

 

There are so many reasons why you would not use assembly.

Hehe, don't forget I can make a multiplayer version of this project with Game Maker.

 

I think I know what your problem is with the weird blurriness that is being described. If your game is 320x240, then you have to change the window resolution to the same number. It's a bit sacrificial, but then you can just play it in full-screen. Looks better that way anyway

 

SCRIPT: ScreenMode



if argument[0] = 0 {window_set_fullscreen(true); window_set_region_scale(-1, true);} //fullscreen proportional
if argument[0] = 1 {window_set_fullscreen(true); window_set_region_scale(0, true);} //fullscreen fit screen
if argument[0] = 2 {window_set_fullscreen(true); window_set_region_scale(floor(display_get_height()/room_height)/2, true);} //fullscreen square scale
if argument[0] = 3 {window_set_fullscreen(false); window_set_region_scale(1, true); window_center();} //windowed x2
if argument[0] = 4 {window_set_fullscreen(false); window_set_region_scale(1.5, true); window_center();} //windowed x3
if argument[0] = 5 {window_set_fullscreen(false); window_set_region_scale(2, true); window_center();} //windowed x4
if argument[0] = 6 {window_set_fullscreen(false); window_set_region_scale(2.5, true); window_center();} //windowed x5
if argument[0] = 7 { window_set_size(320,240)
view_enabled=0
view_visible[0]=0
view_wport=640 view_hport=480 window_set_region_scale(1, 0); window_center()
view_enabled=1
view_visible[0]=1
window_set_region_size(320,240,1) window_center()
//with (oFilter) instance_destroy()
} //windowed x0.5




Make sure all the hports and wports in all the rooms are 640x480

Use the script in the create event of your main controller object, as ScreenMode(3)

Make another object, oFilter, -999999999 depth, persistent, created as soon as the game begins.

No sprite.


CREATE:


image_single = 0;
set_automatic_draw(false);
x = 0;
y = 0;

//screen base scaled x2 to fit a 640x480 resolution
screen_x = 0;
screen_y = 0;
screen_w = 320;
screen_h = 240;
screen_scale = 2;
//"screen" controls the game image, "tv" the tv overlay
screen = surface_create(screen_w,screen_h);
tv = surface_create(screen_w*2,screen_h*2);
//this will destroy the screen object if surfaces are not supported on the graphics card, reverting to the viewport method
if screen = -1 or tv = -1 {instance_destroy(); game_end();}


Begin step:


//draws the "screen" surface on the screen
if surface_exists(screen) = true and surface_exists(tv) = true {
surface_reset_target();
draw_clear_alpha(c_black, 0);
set_automatic_draw(true);
draw_surface_stretched(screen,screen_x,screen_y,screen_w*screen_scale,screen_h*screen_scale);
draw_surface(tv,screen_x,screen_y);
} else {
instance_destroy();
instance_create(x, y, object_index);
}


End step: NOTE: sTV should be a huge 640x480 sprite, origin at 0,0, with horizontal scanlines on one frame, and nothing on the other, both transparent, scanlines at about 100 alpha. You can switch the scanlines frame to the front image so that it will show the scanlines, vice versa.


//prepare and draw the surface "tv" with the overlay
surface_set_target(tv);
//draw_clear_alpha(c_white, 0);
//draw_set_blend_mode_ext(bm_one, bm_zero);
draw_sprite(sTV,0, 0, 0);
//draw_set_blend_mode(bm_normal);
//prepare the surface "screen" to be painted
surface_set_target(screen);


GAME END:


surface_free(screen);
surface_free(tv);
surface_reset_target();


DRAW

// empty, commented line of code here, just to make it not draw anything unneeded

 

Thanks The Core, I willl try it later when I work on my project.

I have noticed you also make a Cave Story mod with Game Maker.
If you need any help with TextBox or weapons or something else, I can help you.

____

EDIT: I was testing your scripts on my project. The Graphics were high (as the original CS), the only problem is the TEXT, which I won't able to fix
as long as the screen resolution is 320x240 and the screen view port is 640x480.

I was testing the text in a new project:

http://youtu.be/EiatOjSWMZA
*Use 720P for better quality


As you can see in the video, the screen view is set to 320x240, and the screen port is set to 640x480.

At first, I drawed a text without scaling it (xscale=1,yscale=1) - result: text's size is scaled x2 because of the screen port.
On second try, I drawed a text with scailing it /2 (xscale=0.5,yscale=0.5) - result: text's size is perfect, but the text's quality is blurred.
On third try, I enabled the option to "Interpolate colors between pixels" - result: text's size is perfect, text's quality is normal, but the text's transparency is high.

Since the main problem is with the text's quality, I will have to double each of the sprite's pixels.
Thank you anyway for trying to help.

 

Why not use a SPRITE FONT like in the original Cave Story? That way it will scale just fine no matter what, acting just like your other sprites. Using an actual font can lead to lots of those problems when changing screen resolutions, as you have found out.

Doubling the all the sprites pixels is simply not optimal.

Check out the font_add_sprite command. You should be able to take the font directly from Cave Story and use it

EDIT: Btw, this is a very cool project. Nice work so far!

 

What are you talking about, Cave Story uses an actual font
You can actually change its font to anything you want using a hex editor

 

What are you talking about, Cave Story uses an actual font
You can actually change its font to anything you want using a hex editor

Oops, I got mixed up. I thought I remembered seeing a whole font in sprites, but it was just the numbers as sprites in the TextBox.pbm. Sorry about that. But still, the fact remains that a sprite font will fix his problem, I was just wrong about Cave Story using one. A lot of pixel art games do though.

 

Hey, that's not a bad idea FrozenFire.
Although MagicDoors is right and Cave Story uses an actual font,
The text's quality might improve if I use the font_add_sprite command.
Thank you.


EDIT: I have tried anything to fix the text's quality and nothing seems to work.
The only thing I can do is to remake my project with x2 sprites size, normal screen view with no port, and new movement variables to all objects.

 

Wait.... The link does not work for me...

Is it that it did not come out or what....

Other than that the game looks cool. Kinda like after Quote defeated Ballos. I WANNA PLAY IT SO BAD!!! And have a mirror link(Media fire does not work on my PC)

 

Wait.... The link does not work for me...

Works fine for me.

Is it that it did not come out or what....

Yes there is a released demo.

Other than that the game looks cool. Kinda like after Quote defeated Ballos. I WANNA PLAY IT SO BAD!!! And have a mirror link(Media fire does not work on my PC)

Both links link to box.com, mediafire has nothing to do with it