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SMW2+3: The Essence Star Remaster?

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Hack in question

In the past, I have considered a remaster of one of my most popular hacks, SMW2+3: The Essence Star. Recently the featured hack thread has started to make me rethink it. Plus the fact that the hack still seems relatively popular after all these years has got me thinking.

While I think doing a full remaster is a swell idea, the thing is I don't really have the time or patience to do a full-length hack. Since there are so many things I would wanna change drastically, it'd end up becoming an entirely new project rather than a remaster. I feel I may start it and then abandon it due to lack of interest as I've done in the past.

A list of things I would wanna change and improve:
-Of course, fix music issues to make it compatible with all emulators
-Revamped overworld
-Improved cutscenes, probably using RPG Hacker's VWF Tool so I won't have to use that plain black background
-Completely redesigned levels, especially the end-of-world dungeons
-New graphics with a more modern and consistent style
-Improved bosses, especially final boss

Probably more stuff I'm forgetting.

The story would probably stay more or less the same but would probably try to make some improvements there as well.

So I wanted to make this thread to open up the possibility of others helping to create a remaster, if they so please and have the time. Recently, my Yoshi's Island hack SMW2+2 was remastered into Golden Yoshi's Island. Several people successfully created it by putting their graphical and technical skills to good use.

So just to set expectations, personally I wouldn't have time to do a full remaster myself. But I would be here for as much guidance as possible for those who would perhaps want to take it on.

Thoughts?
Seems like a neat idea. Can you post the full soundtrack of SMW2+3, as a zip of spcs/a list?
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See that's one of the big challenges. Between the creation of the hack and now I switched computers and I don't have the resources I used back then.

I'm not opposed to a completely new soundtrack though (not saying completely custom tracks just whatever music is available here and would fit in each respective area).
If you still have the script or some base for the dialogues I'm willing to put them into the proper format for RPG Hacker's patch. If needed, I can inject basic ASM into them, like flags for having the sprites that are talking put on different expressions. I always felt like this hack had a good writing but an unfortunately poor environment for its storytelling.
Originally posted by Mathos
If you still have the script or some base for the dialogues I'm willing to put them into the proper format for RPG Hacker's patch. If needed, I can inject basic ASM into them, like flags for having the sprites that are talking put on different expressions. I always felt like this hack had a good writing but an unfortunately poor environment for its storytelling.


Hmm will have to see if I can dig some scripts up though. No guarantees though...those may have been lost in my computer transfer.

EDIT: I found them. It's a start. Woohoo or something.
I'm always for the idea of a remaster. I remastered amhunter's Hunter's Revenge Recharged not long ago and it came out much better than the original.

Also, I always tell people this, but romi's VWF Cutscene Tool is pretty powerful if you know how to use it. You can make some pretty decent looking cutscenes with it. No reason to not combine usage with the VWF Dialogues Patch as a couple hacks have done, including TSRP2R and Hunter and Scorpion's Bet.
Other than the bullet points I mentioned above, what other changes or improvements should a remaster of this hack include?

Do you feel the remaster should have the same progression as the original hack or would that also need an overhaul? The way it looks now the story would be kept mostly the same but levels would need to be completely redone.
Your hack will lose a bit of its original identity if you change too much. Your best bet is to follow the bullet points, when people see "The Essence Star Remastered", they're going to be expecting a remaster of the original game.

That's not to say you can't add a ton of new content, but for the most part people will be expecting a good amount of the original things in (or near) the place they were before, me included.

As far as redoing levels go, you'll have to decide for yourself which ones will need to be scrapped and which ones will stay. I've had to do that for HRRV quite a number of times.
Originally posted by Golden Yoshi
EDIT: I found them. It's a start. Woohoo or something.

Nice 👌 Getting started on this then. I'll post the file in this thread once it's done. For easier edit on your side, I'll use defines.

Also, on the subject of the extent of remastering, I have to agree with Skewer. If it's too different from the original thing, it might confuse those who played it the first time. Not saying that's it'd be bad, just that it might feel a little strange to them.
Thank you kindly. 👍🏻

I hear what you're saying about keeping the levels the same. I just feel the level design was the biggest flaw of the hack and needed to be overhauled. We'll see.
I'd love to see a remaster of this. It was the first hack I remember really liking. With all that we have available nowadays, you probably could improve on the music and graphics, and why not add some completely new levels as well even?

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I'm working on a hack! Check it out here. Progress: 64/95 levels.
How would people feel about a reimagining of the hack instead of a remaster?

It would be significantly different. Same general story and concept but entirely new levels and progression. I feel that may be the better choice of the two option since a lot of the original level design needs drastic improvement.
Would it retain the "shop" system and coin-wallet system found in the original? Like, how you could spend coins to buy powerups like a Feather, or even items like a Starman or even a Key?
well Golden Yoshi, it's about a decade since you released SMW2+3 Essence Star back in 2009. I wonder if you are working on a "remastered" version of it in 2019?

In the meantime, Snes9x version 1.60 came out a few weeks ago, which includes an option to "separate echo buffer from RAM", allowing old SMW hacks w/ custom music like SMW2+3 to run without problems, which would otherwise crash on bsnes & snes9x versions from 1.52 to 1.59.x. I'll play that in snes9x 1.60 until a remastered version comes out.
I think about it every now and then. I don't think I'd do a full remaster but maybe one day I'll at least fix the broken music.

Maybe.
I would definitely love to see this hack remastered, and if said remaster/reimagining ends up being a collab, maybe I can make some levels for it. After all, Essence Star is the hack that lead me down the road to start hacking SMW again after I stopped in the summer of 2007.
Quintesson Judge: Silence, or you will be held in contempt of this court!
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- Transformers the Movie (1986)
Yea, there would be a ton of things I'd wanna change though, so it'd be a pretty ambitious project. It may turn out to be an entirely different hack altogether!
Originally posted by Golden Yoshi
Yea, there would be a ton of things I'd wanna change though, so it'd be a pretty ambitious project. It may turn out to be an entirely different hack altogether!


but then again, if a "remastered" version will not be made, I can still enjoy playing the original SMW2+3 game in snes9x v1.60 or with the newly released bsnes v109 or v110 version as the author of the bsnes emulator has also added "compatibility" options for old SMW ROM hacks (ex. Echo shadow RAM option) in these new releases.
Following almost two years of discussion, do you have any screenshots of the remaster of your hack? Otherwise, a moderator may wish to move this to the SMW Hacking Discussion page or close the thread entirely.
if its going to use one of the few ports of Yume Nikki im on it

This actually needs a remaster! Its one of the most interesting hacks you made i have played along with the HACK series. I wish you good luck on this one...
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