Messages

420000 screenshots is no so scary as it might seem at first glance. All images was captured, distributed to folders, imported in Photoshop automatic and compressed too, then their manual stitching took about 1 second per image

Finally I was able to run this game with Camera Mod. This allowed to see full levels without the need to use my glitchy scripts for free movement on levels. Also this allowed to captured full foreground blocks from game screen without reconstructions. I want to update some maps later by using it, but it the meantime, I recorded one interesting video: how will view this vertical-looped sections on maximum zoom out? It looks like there's actually more unreachabled rings + duplicate of spikes and enemies
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BN1HSMEHPxk

At 1811 maps to go

J2ME maps ripped very easy, it need just set true resolutions of levels and captured 1-4 screenshots from emulator. I think this value could well be achieved by ripping all Java 2D-platformers

[Standart games:O Dream LandO Dream Land 2O Dream Land 3O AdventureO Super Star / UltraO Squeak SquadO Amazing MirrorX Crystal ShardsO Return to Dream Land / DeluxeO Triple DeluxeO Planet RobobotO Star Allies- Forgotten LandNon-standart games:O Canvas CurseO Rainbow CurseO Mass AttackO Epic Yarn / Extra]

We're probably running out of Kirby games left to map, aren't we?  That's a good thing.

I checked Kirby's games (only adventure platformers exclude fightings, racing and other mini games and spinoffs) and we actually haven't only three two mapsets: Crystal Shards (probably, can be mapped only be mappable by reconstruction method), Forgotten Land (can be ripped by using Cheat Engine - it just need to create a table to free movement on levels) and Canvas Curse (can be ripped without any problems, it just need takes a lot of time on this).

Standart games:
O Dream Land
O Dream Land 2
O Dream Land 3
O Adventure
O Super Star / Ultra
O Squeak Squad
O Amazing Mirror
X Crystal Shards
O Return to Dream Land / Deluxe
O Triple Deluxe
O Planet Robobot
O Star Allies
- Forgotten Land

Non-standart games:
O Canvas Curse
O Rainbow Curse
O Mass Attack
O Epic Yarn / Extra

It wasn't so difficult due to use emulator with the possibility of manage layers (visible/invisible), game genie codes (invincibility player) and free moving around some levels.
There was small sized levels or small levels count in most this games.

I was compared every map (my and exist) before saving and there are minor discrepancies between them. Some images coincided almost 100%, but some maps have differences (colors, walls, block structure, sea plants). Apparently, due to various emulators or ripping method.

One interesting that I found: Machine levels (with autoscrolling) has a looping maps like Sonic 3 & Knuckles. This has no practical significance, but if you break autoscrolling and try to move freely around the level, the right edge of the map will continued seamless to the left edge, and bottom edge to top edge.
Ecco Jr have has more levels than maps: there can be 2-5 levels on one map with the possibility of way between them.

I actually don't know how many maps should be, all videos that I found were for SNES/MS and other platforms. There really have a lot of levels (=scenarios/scripts), but all Genesis levels, that I checked, was only this 4 themes: grass, desert, snow and volcanic.

Actually we already have Ecco's CD maps:
Ecco the Dolphin include 5 extra levels (exclusive for SCD), the Tides of Time include some objects (exclusive video-glyphs) on the same maps. But don't fix anything now, I'll send new maps with objects and waythrought lines for all games tomorrow and I'll tell you what need to fix.

I think it's possible to speed up the our NES-mapping process by using Cheat Engine codes, this is my method which I use rip 2D-maps (usually).
First need to find values for X/Y player position and set hotkeys somethink like this:

Code Select Expand

[i]Presskey "DEL" decreased X_pos value by 160 pixels
Presskey "PG DOWN" increased X_pos value by 160 pixels
Presskey "HOME" decreased Y_pos value by 100 pixels
Presskey "END" increased Y_pos value by 100 pixels
Presskey "INS" freeze X_pos and Y_pos
Presskey "PG UP" unfreeze X_pos and Y_pos[/i]
Then find values for player health/weapon ect and freeze them. This will give free movement on levels without player hit.
Maybe it can be usefull for some difficulties/problem games?

A robofish in one expocenter of robotics in Moscow, it look like enemy from forest-theme zones.

It was unexpected to saw this game on a passenger tablet on the plane (Airbus A350-941). Not playable due to lack of gamepad

I think this quick-way gameplay can may have a bad influence on people and lead to excessive haste in the live. I noticed one strange feature when I explore a tourist object or go through a forest route as soon as quickly not clear why. This is useful when it need to pass the distance in 16+16km from a bus stop through the forest to cave, exploring this cave and come back and 'finish' within 6 hours to catch the bus, but I noticed that in this mounth I thied to explore castles or river valley quickly/as soon as possible (is not clear why).

By a strange coincidence I bought two books about Genesis / Mega Drive games, in this month (May 2002) and their authors recommended to draw level schemes (maps) manually, on paper

I understand that you didn't understand what it this theme about.
This theme titled "Soniс 3 Competition the my fan-game" and this means that this theme about unofficial game, in which I tried to recreate full-fledged playable levels based on official STH3 Competition mode maps.
This theme is not about another unofficial games and engines.

I asked specific question - what needs to be fixed, changed, improved or implemented? I don't asked what engines or fan games are there. I don't searc information about them, I just asked "what needs to fixed?". This means that no need to write long articles about other games, this theme non for it.

I sold my NES console in 2016 and I was very surprised by people's reaction on my announcement. I thought that all retro consoles no one needs them anymore because everyone play on old games by emulators on laptop/notebook/smartphones. In fact, I receive 2 calls and 4 text messages within an hour after filing the announcement, people were ready to transfer money so that I send console to another city.

As for "1.36 NES games per day", this not unreal because some games consist of one-screen "maps" or have non-platforming structure. Another platform levels may be mappable half-automatic: GameGenie codes for invisibility, freeze objects, record AVI and using Screenshot Autostitcher