Topic: Mega Man Maps

[TerraEsperZ]

Sure thing. I'd personally go with the smooth one because the palette change just don't look good on a continuous map considering the limitations of the NES. I tried to make one with dithered transitions for a more pixelated look but it still didn't look good.



Since I'm at it, I'll go ahead and map the ending for Mega Man III and IV. III's is pretty straight and I'll include Dr Light's notes for the Robot Masters; as for IV, I'll have to be creative since while the skyline scrolls by, the train on the bottom doesn't so expanding it to cover the whole map might not be perfect but I'll come up with something.



I like mapping things that are out of the ordinary



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"With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censored, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably." [...] The first time any man's freedom is trodden on, we're all damaged. - Captain Jean-Luc Picard



Current projects: Mega Man V (GB), Mega Man Zero (GBA), Battletoads (NES), Sonic CD (Sega CD)

[marioman]

Updated list to include the two Mega Man Zero 3 maps that were put up this weekend.  Thanks Geminiman.



I added Mega Man Soccer to the list.  It is a simple set of 12 maps, so it should be an easy rip for someone who knows what they are doing.



Those "maps" look good Terra.  Personally, I like the non-transitioned map the best.  The gradients (especially the blue/red one) look a little weird to me.  But, that's just my opinion.  Good job!

[Rew]

Yeah, I actually like the first map you did of MM1's ending, Terra. It looks more "NES-esque," whereas the second one, with the blended colors, looks a bit more artificially contrived. In other words, the "fingerprints" of the mapper are more evident in the second one than the first, so I prefer the first even though you don't think it looks as good. =0)

[RT 55J]

imo the gradients should be less wide.

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Dot? Dot. Dot!

[JonLeung]

Maybe you could try different dithering techniques?  I imagine there must be some way for dithering to look good.

[TerraEsperZ]

In the map with gradients, each transition from one palette to another is 256 pixels wide because that's the pixel width of the NES' display and it accounts for how, at the exact moment the colors change, you basically get to see the whole screen with two color sets. But since some color changes happen after much less scrolling than 256 pixels, they overlap a lot.



I'm still not sure how to do the final presentations, but if people are interested, I can post the raw captures for both Mega Man and Mega Man IV. I'm not too hot on sharing these for the obvious reason that deep down, I don't really want someone else to come up with better finished products than me but that would be selfish so what the heck ?



Mega Man:





Mega Man IV:

(this one is messy because the bottom also has the finished map with and without gradients, as well as my solution to extend the train across the whole map and create divisions between train cars without making up new tiles. The poles or whatever those things are spaced according to my calculations of how fast they went by; they loop after 1408 pixels and I'm 95% confident in that estimate)





Anyway, that's all I'll say tonight. My brain is shutting down as I speak...



*thump*



*snores*



---

"With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censored, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably." [...] The first time any man's freedom is trodden on, we're all damaged. - Captain Jean-Luc Picard



Current projects: Mega Man V (GB), Mega Man Zero (GBA), Battletoads (NES), Sonic CD (Sega CD)

[marioman]

The gradients in the MM4 ending are much better.  They are not as wide, and do not go from light blue->dark blue->red like the MM1 one.  Maybe a little reworking on the MM1 one will help fix it.

[TerraEsperZ]

The neat thing with Mega Man 4's ending is that the color changes are spaced equally (first occuring every 64 pixels, and later every 128 pixels).



I'll try doing some more dithering with the MM1 ending. Although I didn't post it, I tried using a 16 pixels wide 50/50 dithering for every palette transition but the colors change so much that it really doesn't help much. Perhaps a larger dithering zone with a more gradual transition might work... Anyway, I'll keep you posted.



---

"With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censored, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably." [...] The first time any man's freedom is trodden on, we're all damaged. - Captain Jean-Luc Picard



Current projects: Mega Man V (GB), Mega Man Zero (GBA), Battletoads (NES), Sonic CD (Sega CD)

[marioman]

OK, I guess this weekend's update is finished.  Will Mallia ripped some more Battle Network maps.  I would update the list with those, but I have no clue how many there are total.



Also, Will ripped about 1/3 of the maps from Mega Man: The Power Fighters.  I am sure that my number up there is wrong, so I will have to do some recalculating here in a little while.



Thanks for the maps Will.

[Rew]

Not too bad, not too bad. Bah, I just wish the maps for X1 and X2 would be completed already! =P



But I guess that's all up to Geminiman. It's just hard with them being the only incomplete ones so far (well, except the BN maps of course). ;0)

[marioman]

Update 2/18/08:



OK, this weekend Will Malia put up some more Power Fighters and Battle Network maps.  He is about 2/3 of the way through the Power Fighters.  Hopefully he will finish them next weekend.



Additionally, Geminiman finished the map for the Abandoned Research Lab from Mega Man Zero 3.



Thanks to you both.

[DarkWolf]

I kind of wish I had never done fighting game backgrounds as "maps", myself.  I beginning to think they're kind of lame... =/

[JonLeung]

I'm surprised marioman didn't comment on my update.



This past weekend, I put up the remaining third of the Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters (Arcade) maps.

[marioman]

Yep, I'm a little late - been busy.  Sorry about that.



One point of significance about Will's maps is that the Mega Man Anniversary Collection is now fully mapped.  Additionally, all of the non-BN Mega Man arcade games have been mapped.



Thanks Will.

[TerraEsperZ]

I'll try to get it finished by the end of the upcoming weekend. Work and family have been hell for the last few weeks (not in a bad way, but in a "kept me busy" way), but I should have the next weekend or two to myself at last.



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"With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censored, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably." [...] The first time any man's freedom is trodden on, we're all damaged. - Captain Jean-Luc Picard



Current projects: Mega Man V (GB), Mega Man Zero (GBA), Battletoads (NES), Sonic CD (Sega CD)