I've been playing a bit of Elite Dangerous lately. Just got it, and I think I really enjoy it so far. Really immersive game. (This post was originally much larger, but since I lost it in a browser glitch before I could hit submit, well, fuck it.)

Here's a picture though.

Click for larger size.

Eventually I'll put forth the effort into explaining it a bit when I have a few more fucks to give. I think I'll end up streaming it soon, just gotta make sure I have internet that's decent enough...

Sounds really shitty, yeah, I know. But, this isn't "Dick Nazis" all over again.

The other day I asked Setz/Skiffain to link me a game to play. He gave me his Mario 1 hack that he'd been working on where coins kill you. I played through it, and it's been really interesting to try and avoid coins. I actually enjoyed it. The only code changes he'd made was to make the lives counter a death counter and have coins hurt/kill Mario, along with some nice looking graphics.

I'm basically going to do the same thing with SMB3.

To Do:
- Fix random TSA errors (Plains 1 Ground, Underground Cloud Objects)
- Tweak more palettes
- Lay out future world map themes (Worlds 6-8)
- Fortress Lava Graphics re-edit (I suck at them)
- Change contents of the three 1-up giant block
- Minor sound effect changes
- Instrument modifying
- Implement Story; Change text, possible cutscene editing through ASM
- "Commify" most sprites in the game

7-14-15 Update
Changes:
- Fixed more bugs
- Added unique animated graphics sets for each world, as well as the ASM to handle it
- Shuffled around some TSA to better make use of the extra graphics

6-19-15 Update
Changes:
- Fixed more bugs
- Changed Status Bar graphics
- Fixed Hilly 2 TSA
- Changed some map screen tiles to use less graphics to make more room on the graphics page
- Moved around more TSA and graphics to make way for worlds 5-8

4-28-15 Update
Changes:
- Fixed coding bugs
- Fixed a LOT of TSA bugs in tilesets
- Updated graphics, see this post deeper inside this thread for changes.
- Making use of the Plains 2 tileset more throughout the hack, as opposed to just one level.
- More custom world map tiles.

3-29-15 Original Post
Changes thus far are implemented:
- Coins and coin boxes kill Mario.
- Death Counter takes place of Lives Counter.
- Mario starts off with 0 "lives" instead of the normal 4 (for fresh death counter)
- All 1ups are nullified. (1up powerups, goal card 1ups, roulette 1ups)
- Normal and Invisible 1up blocks now have mushrooms in them.
- Card matching game has 1ups and coin bonuses replaced with more stars and mushrooms.

Posted by Lunaria

---

Will there be a way to tell coin blocks from those with powerups in them? Otherwise it may turn into a game of memorisation before you can enjoy the hack.

---

No way whatsoever. In another less-known game, it might have required some form of differentiation, but I think it's acceptable in this case since a lot of people know the game well.

You should give Setz's Communist Mario 1 a try. I was able to get through that without much issue, without many powerups.

Playtesting is going to be fun though. Gotta make sure levels are viable. Man, coin ships are gonna suck... Also, level 5-2 sticks out in my mind as well, if you don't catch the pipe before the long fall.

When I have the Plains graphics set done, I'll post some screenshots.

* KP throws cake at Arisotura!

Also, have this package of Birthday Cake Oreos as well. Happy Birthday!

Well, I don't think it's going to be too difficult. If it is, then maybe it isn't for everyone. It's mostly a toy project, and I'm having fun making it.

Here's a few screens.






Not even remotely done with graphics yet. There are some inconsistencies in the graphics I have to take care of (clouds, bushes) but this is a bit like writing a rough draft; I'll go back and change them later. The title screen is obviously not done; just playing around with some ideas. Mario's not dressed in a red coat, like he should be in this hack, but that'll come later. Progress is still steady though!

Posted by Nicole

---

The title screen reminds me of that old SMB1 bad dump floating around the internet since time immemorial :p

---

Yeah, that's what reminded me of it at first. I posted that screenshot so I could compare that one with the progress I've made with it:

Posted by KP9000

---

The title screen is obviously not done; just playing around with some ideas.

---

Pretty much done with the title screen now. I haven't decided what else I'm going to do with this. Maybe change the floor, put down some rubble or something on the floor, and some clouds up top? I think it looks great, but I see more potential for polish.

Posted by Nicole

---

The cave with the bright green lines is maybe a bit eye-searing, though?

---

Yeah, I'm going to change that. The editor is using a strange palette so I'm going to use something a little more subdued.

Posted by Squiddy

---

Looks nice so far. If I were interested in SMB3 hacking, maybe I would have modified the wooden tanks to resemble Soviet tanks and replace the finishing roulette block with a flagpole where grabbing it produces the Soviet flag.
As with the SMB2 hack, maybe I'll play it.

---

The tanks will look much more Soviet-like. Think Metal. Lots of metal. And the SMB1 version has a Soviet flag coming up out of the castle. This version will be laced with copious amounts of propaganda!

Posted by Emuz

---

Awesome so far for sure!
Are you going to do a few minor enemy sprite mods as well?

Heh Remember Kids, P Block is not as friendly was it once was!

---

Sprites will likely have some changes in them. I'm going to tackle spriting after all of the graphics sets are done for levels and miscellaneous stuff.

I'm actually quite enjoying this!

Here's an updated title screen!


And here's a video of it in action:


Note: The tapestries have a year underneath them; the one on the right has been changed since those were made, and now reads "1912". Both years denote the year each was founded.

I did introduce what I thought was a large bug in the sound while implementing this title screen, but I did fix it. ASM can be really screwy...

I'm working on graphics tile management and TSA adjustments for the world map tiles. I want to add some extra animated tiles for each map to help fit the theme a bit better.

I'll continue to post screenshots!

Alright, here's the next slew of screenshots! I'm mostly finished with World 1's graphics. Made some tweaks to World 1 level colors to make them fit better with the world map.






Level 4 has a pretty tricky jump, but it can be done (even while big) without getting hit. Level 6 also has a tricky jump with those coins above the koopa near the beginning of the level.

Things to do for W1 still: Edit lava graphics, fix clouds with jaggy edges, finish W1 airship palettes, edit Sky level bush graphics, finish airship tileset.

So last night was kind of strange... I didn't really get much quality sleep, and didn't dream much last night, until about an hour before I was supposed to wake up for work. (Figures.) But, the dreams that I did end up having were pretty interesting. I've been playing this game called Elite: Dangerous that involves flying around the galaxy doing things like trading, bounty hunting, mining, exploring, and stuff like that. I have to say that I don't doubt this is what influenced my dreams.

In the first dream, I was exploring different types of planets and stars, when all of a sudden my ship just drops all power and a gigantic crimson-colored capital ship drops out of hyperspace. This thing was massive; large enough to house an entire planet's populace AND its ecosystem. As the massive ship's systems pulled me into one of its myriad docking bays, I could do nothing but stare in awe at the type of knowledge required to build something like this. (How does the brain come up with stuff like this?)

As I exited, I realized that the people who lived here were a unified race, but also the cultural melting pot of the entire galaxy over the course of what was supposed were eons of civilizations. The area of the ship I was taken to was no accident; I was in a type of marketplace where cultural information, about, in this time, ancient Earth's existence was being traded and shared. To them, it must have seemed like a sort of library or museum. I saw one of them watching a television program; ironically it was Star Trek Voyager. I was eventually intercepted by an unknown figure as I wandered the enigmatic, ornate halls on the ship I called the "Knife in the Wind".

This figure was like myself in appearance, and explained to me the origins of this crimson obelisk of wonders that I was aboard. He told me of the collection of knowledge and level of evolution it has brought them to. The way of life was whatever they wanted it to be, so long as it was under the pretense of self-preservation, individually and as a species. Every type of government was present in some form or fashion, in various places in the ship; each of them being a nation. All of the governments were governed by a singular entity, a perfect and all-encompassing AI driven by the infinite entropy of the ship's power source: a singularity.

Before I could have the thought to ask a question, I was told to continue to generate the knowledge that their species' insatiable desire for diversity can assimilate. It was their way of life. Everything else had been mastered; all they could do was watch. Observe. Drift through space like a "knife in the wind".

After this encounter, I was returned to my ship in an instant, and I found myself with more questions than stars in the cosmos. As I watched the ship's systems whisk me away silently from their docking area, all I could do was ponder the nature of the future of man. Soon, the ship slipped away into hyperspace, disappearing without a trace.

---

The second part of my dream came, as I continued along my trade route among the sea of stars. I was headed to a remote corner of the galaxy, exploring the planets of systems as I jumped from star to star. One of them, an orange gas giant, caught my eye as I scanned it. My curiosity grew as anomalous as the puzzle that was to be the subject of my attention. I drew closer to the celestial body, and dropped out of faster-than-light travel.

I should have been more careful. The anomalies that stole my attention had me drop out of FTL directly beneath the upper layers of the rusty cloud banks of the gas giant. I could not gain altitude. No matter my efforts, I was losing control. As my ship no longer responded, I realized that it was also not violently shaking or spinning as I would expect. It was as if I was being guided, or conveyed by some unknown force. Again, I found myself in a situation where all I could do was observe. Usually, there wasn't much to look at but through my ship's canopy into an orange haze. Occasionally, as I descended, I would break away from opaque cells of clouds to catch a glimpse of another layer of clouds below me. The scale of it all was vast; as if it had been another world. These layers of clouds were thousands of miles thick, and the descent seemed like hours. Eventually, layer after layer, I descended low enough that lightning had become a constant observance. The lower I descended, the more intense and frequent the lightning, until it was a constant brightness; without any flicker or even sound.

I passed through this layer harmlessly. It was then that I realized that this was the last layer. I was astonished to discover that beneath all of the majestic clouds through which I had traversed was a planet. Above me was a white void, lit by the power of the perpetual lightning in the gas giant's atmosphere. If there was anything else happening within this white void, it was imperceptible to the naked eye. The planet below was still several hundred miles beneath; yet I descended, down into the planet's own independent atmosphere. The white void gained a blue hue as I neared the surface; a sign of a nitrogen/oxygen atmosphere.

Suddenly, my ship jolted and control was restored. A message flashed on my HUD that simply read "Welcome to the Jupiter Brain."

I never thought about trying to escape. My curiosity was too great. I spotted an outcropping of trees and decided to set down in a clearing there for a closer look at this "Jupiter Brain".

As I completed terrestrial landing procedures, I confirmed that my sensors were reading out a breathable, healthy atmosphere. I grabbed my expedition gear from the utility closet behind my seat and punched the airlock decontamination code into the keypad. I heard the sterilizing emitters whirring as the inner door of the airlock opened. As it closed, I sat down on the bare metal bench. I could not sit still as I began the decontamination process within the airlock. Finally, the process ended, and the pressure began to equalize with the outside air. I could smell the sweet scent of blossoms and other aromatic flora and fauna native to this wondrous world. As the emitters powered down, a green indicator light signaled the go-ahead to open the door. Again, I entered the decontamination code, and the door opened with an ungraceful clank and screech.

I stepped onto the soil, gazing at my surroundings. I took in a deep breath, chasing after some notion of proof of reality I had suddenly found myself. There was a deep, azure blue sky above the greenest field of grass that covered the hills with such uniformity that made it impossible to believe wasn't tended to in some way. After realizing that I had been standing there for nearly five minutes without taking a step, I snapped out of my blissful daydream and picked a destination to which I should journey. After walking a few hundred feet across the field of grass, I became aware that someone had been walking beside me. I felt a knowledge that suddenly came into my mind. I was not startled, because the Jupiter Brain had implanted some kind of memory and awareness that he was there.

Another traveler. He was also discovering new things. An entire encyclopedia about this place had been instantly transferred to my consciousness. The traveler was an avatar of the Jupiter Brain entity. The planet itself was a means of self-identity for the entire galaxy. I recounted the words of a great man, speaking from the dust-- "We are a way for the cosmos to know itself."

Then I knew that the gracefulness of everything around me was by design. It had remained that way for several solar lifetimes. An Eden for Eternity. Why was I now permitted to arrive? Under what manner of luck or influence did I fall to deserve to be brought to such an astonishing place?

The traveler answered without saying a word. My gratitude and presence was but a simple byproduct of the Jupiter Brain's curiosity. Interesting, I thought. Curiosity attracting curiosity, and now, here I am. This gleam of understanding I had just received was exactly the subject matter of the Jupiter Brain's education. The intelligent brain has within it, by nature, a specific and infinitely complex language to subconsciously prod and test the structure of reality. Connections that are made are a lesson, victory, and success for the Jupiter Brain.

As I continued to walk with the traveler for several hours, we spoke, through this newly formed connection, or language, of the brain. Each connection drew us closer. Each communication exponentially and mutually increased our understanding of the collective infinity that is the universe.

--------

Then my alarm went off.....

Fixed a lot of graphical bugs, and world 1 and 2 are both done. Removed the desert theme and replaced it with a Tetris-y theme. (I need the music still...)

Changed World 3 around a bit. Stole palette from Warp Zone and modified it. Previously, the hammer bros. pointers that were on land/water wasn't reflected by the world map design. That's been fixed.


Adjusted the Plains 1 tileset a bit more. I think I'm more happy with this than my last set.


More Plains 1 Tileset


Plains 2 Tileset. Normally, in vanilla SMB3, this tileset was only used in a single level; 3-7 (see next image), with the Spike enemies that throw up balls of spikey things and throw them at you. This tileset has been modified and will appear more regularly throughout the game.


Plains 2 Tileset in 3-7. Note the bright sherbet palette style! (Is this not too terribly eye-searing?)


More Plains 2 Tileset. Bushes! And they're winking at you!


Fortress Tileset. This shows no background here; it's 1-F, and has the black background coverer on it.


More Fortress Tileset. This time with the background and pillars. So far, this is my favorite fortress in the game.


A subdued sky level palette. It's a water level, but it uses the sky tileset. Probably going to use a few of these to balance out how bright my palettes are.


Water tileset. Instead of the super-drab objects in this tileset, they all have new graphics here. Looks so much better now!

Axiom Verge came out on May 14th for PC, and Saturday was open for me to play it all day. This game is freaking amazing. The places that this game takes you is well worth the $20 price. I streamed it for about 13.5 hours. I recommend this game to anyone who has ever played any Metroid game, Contra, Blaster Master, Castlevania, Rygar, Bionic Commando, etc..

I am also making a request of Trelior to give it a shot. I can only hope!

Posted by Squiddy

---

Do I look like I even care? Go ahead and ban me, see if I care. I had some future plans to do on here, which involves expanding the ROM hacking section but I guess those plans will never be carried out and I guess Acmlmboard 2 will go back to rotting since I will no longer be working on it.

Kafuka is a shitboard anyway, especially with all of you pro-abortion communist-leaning liberals/socialists. Ugh, I fucking hate communists. I'll go make my own board and it'll be much better than Kafuka.

---

Not gonna play my hack, then?

Posted by MIGHTY-BLACKDRAGON-

---

I really don't think you understand what your saying.
Nicole has shown that, luna has proven that, even I have shown this.
You can look at it from your point of view but thats not how things work in life. :/
Notice to staff: please go ahead and lock it, this discussion is becoming ridiculos.

---

The point of this thread is to peacefully debate ideas about a given subject; in this case, it's abortion. The difference between your post and others' posts (for the most part) is that you're retarding further discussion. You don't see a point in continuing because you don't see the value and perspective that can come from such a discussion.

Thread will stay open as it seems to be staying productive for the moment.

Hey, this looks pretty awesome. I might have to give this a shot when it comes out. Good to see a less-popular Mario game being hacked.

Had to go to work today, then I came home, made dinner, and some marinade for my London broil tomorrow, then I'm headed to a friend's house to fix their shitty minivan.

Man, couldn't we just mix the two and have a happy medium? Or perhaps just euthanize everyone with egregious imperfections. (EHEHEHEHE)

Or, you know, just remove safety labels from everything and let the moron problem take care of itself.