Can the GBA bring back the Adventure Genre?

[Meowster]

I recently downloaded bought a Gameboy Advance, and one of the games I got with it was Broken Sword - The Shadow of the Templars. I knew it was an adventure game that had previously been released for PC, only because I remember seeing pictures of the waitress in one issue of PC Gamer about 1994. I'd never played it.

I completed the entire game for the first time on the Gameboy Advance. I'm not sure if it was originally a point and click, but the engine on the GB was more like Grim Fandango, using the arrow keys to move the character instead of a mouse. It was completely enjoyable.

It led me to wonder.....

I don't believe Adventure Games are dead. I think they're dormant, waiting for somebody to take that risk and release something completely out of this world. The Gameboy or another hand held would seem the perfect system to release Adventure Games on. On long car or train journeys etc., people could see how much farther they could progress, solve a few more puzzles, etc.,

And of course, for all us oldies it would mean we'd be able to play new adventure titles with crappy 256 colours once more! With an adapter to plug the GBA into the TV for a full screen... (or just MAXIMIZE the screen in windows.... coughcough).... Eurythmics blaring in the background and a few 80's posters.... It could almost be like home again.

For all people wondering why I'm obsessed with Life in 256 Colours, I'll have you know it's a psychological problem whereby I crave the security offered when graphics were 320x200 and 256 colours.

No not really, that's just my excuse.

What do you think? Could the GBA be the helping hand that drags Adventure Games out of the murky waters of Dormantopia?

[Minimi]

Well, I do agree with you about what you said... and I like the 256color also... but there you come once again... at the point of taking risk a producer. And history shows, that alot of adventures didn't made much profit for the producers... so, if you ask me... I would say... It's up to the producers.

[Miez]

What do you think? Could the GBA be the helping hand that drags Adventure Games out of the murky waters of Dormantopia?

I've also downl... played Broken Sword on the GBA (and yes, it was originally a p&c). But somehow I think that GBA games developers assume that GBA owners don't want to play adventures. They assume that GBA owners only want to have overweight Italian plumbers frolicking about, or have their Pikachu kick your Jigglypuff's ass... it's a sad, sad world

[Meowster]

But I would have thought that, given a tiny push by the developers, it would be an excellent opportunity. I mean, RPGs sell well on Gameboys, right? They're great because you can turn on your Gameboy during a long journey or boring wait or dreary class... and advance a bit. The potential is there, surely?

Adventure Games used to be the worlds favourite genre. Apart from Japan, who like RPGs first and foremost. They became less popular mostly because the developers could not afford them any more. It was okay when it was all 256 colours and sprites, but they became more expensive to produce. An adventure game would have thousands of lines of dialogue, many well designed locations, loads and loads of testing...

But with the Gameboy Advance, not only would development be cheaper, but it would be a great chance for people like Lucasarts to attempt to sell their old, redundant games like Monkey Island or Zac McKracken all over again! Port them over to the gameboy, change the GUI a bit and Voila!

Sure, it's whoring them as far as they can be whored, but we're talking some serious CPR on Adventure Games! And once the old classics are reabsorbed back into mainstream gaming... THAT is when Lucasarts strike.... AND TAKE BACK WHAT WAS ONCE THERES THEIRS AND RESTORE THEMSELVES TO ADVENTURE GAME GLORY!!!!

HAAAAAAAAAAA HA HA HA HA!

[Miez]

Promising! - and the lot of us can go and make BIG BUCKS working on these adventures! (now there's a sweet dream)

[Sylpher]

I know of no figures but as far as I remember Broken Sword didn't sell to well on GBA. You can find it at marked down prices in most gaming stores in which most people are just trying to get rid of it from there inventory. Charging 10 or so dollars for it..

Developers make games that make money...One attempt at an Adventure game doesn't do well and rest assured you won't be seeing many anytime in the future. Industries suck like that...

(Not to be a dick on the subject but perhaps if more people purchased rather then barrow/download/check out/whatever...it may be a different story)

[m0ds]

You want to ask JetXL about this. I do believe he bought BS GBA at Mittens last year, and played it for most of the time there

m0ds

[juncmodule]

Hey! I love my overweight Italian plumbers and all of that frolicking they do!!

First off GBA rocks!

Second. I don't think adventure games will make their comeback in the commercial world. If they ever do make their comeback it will be through the work of people like us. As Sylpher pointed out, people like free stuff. I must admit though, I don't really see things moving much beyond where they are now.

Third: HAM!! There is a development system called HAM for the GBA and it is pretty easy to use. I was displaying a bitmap on the screen after playing with the language for about five minutes. (Which is more than I can do in C++ and I've been messing with that for a year). I think it is much more likely that CJ could port a AGS interpeter to GBA (via HAM). With a ROM/cartridge Flasher thingy we could start selling adventure games.

Fourth: GBA Doesn't support 320x200...it's 240 x 160...

later,
-junc

[undergroundling]

You know what I think?

I think Yufster gets a little wayyy too happy with that strikethrough code.



But I love ya anyways.

[Meowster]

YOU FUCKING PUSSY,

Uh, wrong thread. Does that HAM thing work for Emulators? Just wondering. Because that information is useless to me anyway, seeing as I don't endorse ROMs or Emulations, and I legally own a solid gameboy advance. Nonetheless, it is interesting general knowledge.

[juncmodule]

HAM is a programming language for the PC. Flashing a game you make to a ROM and testing it in a emulator is perfectly legal. Some would claim that is what emulators are REALLY for :

HAM is also free. Just search for GBA development on google. There are lots of sites about it.

-junc

[|Alky|]

The AGS to GBA interpreter thing would be a damn good idea...
GBAs could prob'bly handle most AGS games, and while publishers might flinch at paying for developers to start a conversion/game from scratch, they might be willing to publish games which are already done...

[Matt Brown]

but how would we get the AGS games into the cartridge form? I dont think there is a homemade way to do that is there?

[Privateer Puddin']

you can buy kits to make cartridges, they are rewritable, my friend does it with gba roms

[Matt Brown]

awsome. can you do that for other systems? I think we talked about this before, with the ps2 being able to run linux, so, there was an outside chance it could run an AGS game..do they sell blank ps2 disks too?

[Privateer Puddin']

dvds

[Jimi]

Wouldn't it be cool if masses of people from the ags comminty made one game that was brilliant. I know...stupid idea, but I just thought i'd share with you all how cool that would be. It could like...bring back agames.

[juncmodule]

I think you are a little confused there Mr. Panda . Playstation games are on standard discs. Most of the programming and burning is probably done in Windows for PS2.

Cartridges work sort of like a Flashable BIOS in your computer (that is probably the WORST example ever...hopefully you know what I'm talking about...)

There are linker/flasher kits that allow you to write to a cartridge via USB usually. They exist for other older systems but I think they are very expensive and hard to come by. The GBA one is only $100 but I think Nintendo is trying to stop them from being produced. People pirate games with them.

I know that Brian Provinciano has been working on a AGI Interpreter for GBA. He told me that my donation to SCI Studio went toward his Flasher. At the time that meant nothing to me but now that I have my GBA SP I am really excited about him finishing that.

As far as AGS running on the PS2...it already can. With Linux anyway. I don't know much about Linux PS2 but as far as I know it is a standard Linux port that should be able to run any Linux software. Problem is...where do you find it, how much does it cost, and how do you install it. It would probably be expensive to set up the PS2 for it.

later,
-junc

[Matt Brown]

ahhh, thanks junc. I understand now

yeah, I think I remember seeing the linux kit on slashdot. it was something like 200 bucks, and when you add the trouble of setting it up, AGS would just be an interesting novelty.

[SSH]

I mentioned a while ago that the free SCUMM interpreter was available for Windows CE and PalmOS computers. I guess that WindowsCE would be the easiest port. It would be so cool if you could play AGS games on a palmtop of any variety.