Many replies, wow. Let's get through them all, then!
Originally posted by FPIQuite a shame to see this one canceled, though.
It puts icegoom's work to very good use and there are quite a bit of very impressive additions on the graphics-department.
Like the title screen especially, and your take on Peach's castle.
I always loved SMWR/MLW style and it always kind of frustrated me to see it getting a little... "hate", for lack of better wording. Probably this was not due to icegoom's graphics being dated - rather people not being able to use them consistently with other assets. Glad to know my graphics stood well, as well. Never been an artist myself so you can imagine the pain of drawing entire tilesets and cutscenes by hand lol
Originally posted by SF - The Dark WarriorIt is such a shame to see this project be cancelled. I wish this was continued because really liked the fact that this remake was looking to be more structured like what you see out of Metroid (and with a hint of zelda 2) with its interconnected pathways. It is that structure I feel it benefits a hack like that the most when compared to the original release of Under Crimson Skies.
I also like just how well the level and enemy visuals fit with the Mario I and various other spriters have made.
I am also mad at myself for not being able to finish the remake, as I dreamed with a working ambitious version of it. It's just that I couldn't grasp all the bugs and tons of other info I had to track and note in order to have things organized... coming up with new ideas that engage the player at the same time difficulty is more forgiving, and so on. Deep inside, I wish we still were in 2017, but with today's knowledge.
Originally posted by RingoThe original MKUCS is one of my favorite hacks, and when I learned that you were remaking it not only to use redrawn graphics but also to be in metroidvania-style I was so hooked with the progress you'd been making! It's really unfortunate that you weren't able to see it to the end, but at least the lot of progress made is still seeing the light of day. Despite being incomplete, it's a wonderful experience!
I didn't expect the soundtrack to be released though, and I'm really glad you decided to do it. It's easily the best original soundtrack I've heard in a SMW hack!
I appreciate it a lot! And it's only fair to release what I've had in store, as well as share as much as possible of its content. I've always been a little reluctant at first, I admit it. After all, originality and uniqueness is something people usually praise in works in general. But it's not a rule that applies forever - and MKUCS is no official game, either, so, let's be humble and share stuff if it's meant to make people happier and it's not going to do harm at all.
Originally posted by edgarI played this a few years ago, and it's a shame to see this one get cancelled, this could have been your magnum opus and your final contribution to this community. But I don't blame you, the effort you put into this must have been really tiring and time consuming.
If this was completed at some point, it would have served a lot as my main inspiration for my other ambitious hack I had.
My final contribution resulted in temporary death - SMWCP2 revival. But I revived later to redo MKUCS and then my revival caused its very death as well-- okay I'll stop trying to be funny.
At the time of its original release, though, I did consider MKUCS my little masterpiece despite all flaws. That's because I managed to do so much stuff I couldn't think of - most notably the Bowser battle. Bowser was my first custom sprite
ever, and it was a matter of necessity for me to do it, since it's hard to get other people to do something and then become dependent of them to finish a product. I mean, no disrespect, because there are so many capable people around, and I just wanted to be capable as well. So even if this remake isn't finished, it's still special for what it's got in my opinion.
Originally posted by NewPointlessLots of really cool stuff in here! Graphics are good and it has some really cool ASM. I like the way the hack is structured, even if it's kind of front-loaded with possibilities.
Not a fan of the camera and some stuff is blind still anyway.
Maybe you can resurrect it as a short hack?
Thanks! Unlikely that this will happen, though, but I don't mean it's impossible. Things change. I could even go nuts and remake the remake all over again for even better control and polishing.
tho I wish I don't need to, it's unbearable pain
Originally posted by Mariotag1Really neat ideas! I'd heard of a sequel though, not a remake?
Hope you're doing better!
The remake was going on behind the scenes. The sequel was supposed to be MK2TDS - a.k.a. the Wario collab, which also met its doom due to unoptimization and all focus turned on SMWCP2 back then. Yet another reason for me to feel mad at myself as contributions from many people ended up going to waste. And I feel better, yes! Thanks!
Originally posted by HammererI'm not a really fan of exploration hacks like your one, but it's a really ambicious and advanced project and it's really sad to see it canceled. I knew about the first MKUCS and tried it, but I didn't manage to finish it.
Although my hacks preferences doesn't matching totally with your project, Blind Devil, I have to say how it's very well done and means a gift for the community, even more for those who use redrawn graphics! The hack effort and asm stuff is really great to see and play, even more with the cutscenes to explain the story, that looks just like a new Mario game cutscene system. I'm still trying to realize the stuff necessary to make so advanced cutscenes like yours and some other hacks I've even seem, for now I only can make cutscenes by that Cutscene Mode uberasm you made
(and I only got your name on my head because of this uberasm I used a lot )
Even I don't being on SMWCentral when you were active here, great to see you back! And it's very great to see you freeing your stuff from the hack, I'm producing a redrawn styled one and it will be really useful. The ost is totally catchy as well, it brings a gloom vibe that will fit well to my work too!
Thanks for the kind words! Cutscenes to tell a story are always nicer when there's some motion involved, in my opinion, but from what I see nowadays, things are moving forward quite well in that regards, with more inclusive and easier to use resources. You will eventually find all you need and get to the point you can set them up exactly as you imagine!
Also glad to know that some of the content from the remake will help. Have fun!
Originally posted by MarioFanGamerAh, yeah, that hack of yours. Brutal and unforgiving (though admittingly not completely bad, at least up until Sub-Zero Stronghold) but also one of the hacks with almost completely original content (from almost the entire graphics to its own soundtrack), unique progress (down to having a situation soundtrack and a postgame where the individual changes after the final boss) and advanced cutscenes which makes it standout on a technical level.
I assume the remake would have, for example,
preserved the silver rupees in Bowser's Castle which you'd otherwise have to get in one go as in the original?
git gud bro Nah, I agree. At some point I couldn't afford toning down the difficulty for later levels as then the curve would not exist and I didn't want to go through all of the hack again to rebalance the curve. But guess what happened? I had to do it for the remake anyways. Big brains Blind Devil.
And you assumed right - not only those silver rupees, but every other collectible would get saved according to everything you had collected to the point you hit a save block. Got keys in a dungeon and unlocked a few doors but felt like leaving for some reason, even if it's just to save? Well, then you won't be losing that progress. If you die you don't lose, either - even if you just got a key and killed yourself on purpose to get to another location faster. The only way to lose progress is via game over/quit without saving.
and i may as well do it not only for the reason you mentioned but the exact same reason i decided to release mkucs ost and assets
Originally posted by AnorakunI know we never talked at all, but welcome back, Blind Devil. I do have some memories with Mushroom Kingdom: Under Crimson Skies. While the endgame was pretty brutal, I had a good time with the hack, most of the time, except for replaying the dungeons to collect tears of light. Seeing that you were working on a remake is something new to me. Unfortunate that it got cancelled, but I appreciate that you're sharing your hack and the OST. Really magnific work there, friend.
The Power Realms just had to be "a little frustrating" as to mimic how it felt for me in Zelda Skyward Sword. Yeah, it's terrifying. Now add a time limit to it - okay. Now I went overboard. All those challenges were about to be greatly revised for the remake, and you can even notice I put some hints in places where the portals would appear - something the original didn't have, enforcing the player another round of painful exploration before tackling the Power Realms themselves.
Kill me.
Originally posted by RPG HackerThis is looking really good! I was never even a huge fan of the original SMW Redrawn. This feels like it's only taking the best parts of that and turning it into something that actually looks pleasent!
Yay! As I said, SMWR is just misjudged lol. It's not bad at all, trust me!
Originally posted by PepsiLover22I really liked the first mkucs, maybe some People dont like it but everyone has their opinión, the truth is i wouldnt mind if there was a remake of this hack since i feel that it is as perfect as it is
Originally posted by lo fang 123I remember playing one of your hacks and saw that you were inactive and wanted to know why... until I found out that you had very serious problems and retired... but anyway, welcome back, comrade. (maybe)
Now talking about MKUCS, I really liked, maybe some People dont like it but everyone has their opinion, the hack is seeing the light of day, although it is incomplete... I don't care if there will be a remake, it's already good either way.
Thanks, guys, for the welcoming! I'm hopefully much better than I was during my previous departure. It also means a lot to me to know so many people who liked the original project regardless of issues.
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And that's a wrap! Spent a couple hours writing this post since I'm at work at the time of posting as well. But I did it! Thanks everyone once again.
