Recent Posts

21

Map Requests / Re: Nintendo Power - 1988-1996 cover games

« Last post by JonLeung on November 13, 2025, 09:37:09 pm »

The remaining games (of the first post, up to the end of 1996) that still need to be mapped (or mapped fully) are:
-The Adventures Of Batman & Robin - another Konami cartoon platformer - partway done by Will Mallia, likely abandoned
-Stargate - started by Tropicon, but likely abandoned - also, John Brain mapped the Genesis version
-Stunt Race FX - 3D with the SuperFX chip, and I feel like there must be something else that can be done here, besides Will Mallia's in-game maps
-Super Star Wars - another one started and likely abandoned by Will Mallia
-Super Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back - nothing at all as of now

I guess other than Stunt Race FX, all the games are licensed games.  And other than The Adventures Of Batman & Robin, they all begin with the letter "S".  And the other three all have "Star" in their titles.  The lack of a complete map set for any of the Super Star Wars games surprises me; I thought they'd be more popular!  (I've probably said all that before at some point, apologies for the repetition.)

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Map Requests / Re: Nintendo Power - 1988-1996 cover games

« Last post by JonLeung on November 13, 2025, 09:32:24 pm »

Almost eight months later, more progress!

As of today, we now have Spanettone's maps for Tiny Toon Adventures: Buster Busts Loose! on the Super NES!
It was also one of the games on my personal requests topic.
Yay, a nice colourful cartoon platformer checked off!

Thanks, Spanettone!

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Map Requests / Re: JonLeung's Requests

« Last post by JonLeung on November 13, 2025, 09:04:44 pm »

We just got all the maps for Tiny Toon Adventures: Buster Busts Loose!, thanks to Spanettone!

It's a great example of a licensed game that's actually decent, as it's by a competent developer, in this case, Konami.  Though the game is short, I do appreciate the solid gameplay and the colourful visuals.

Nintendo must've taken a liking to it too, as it's on the cover of the March 1993 issue of Nintendo Power, so I'll have to say something in this topic of Nintendo Power cover games, as well.

Thanks, Spanettone!

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Mapping Tips/Guides / Re: Scene Manipulation and Rendering Tools

« Last post by TerraEsperZ on November 11, 2025, 08:22:51 pm »

OK so this is probably one of the most outrageous thread resurrection in the history of this board but I feel it's important to share it with... whoever might need to use Troy Lundin's amazing SMRT utility in 2025 (or later).

*wait for it*

Run it as administrator.

Otherwise it will be super slow and just completely hang after starting to blend.
The thing is, I probably figured this out the first time I tried it way back when but I either forgot or Windows has just changed too much over the last.. 12 YEARS!?

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Map Requests / Re: Iron Commando: Koutetsu no Senshi

« Last post by TerraEsperZ on November 10, 2025, 05:00:49 pm »

Hi! I believe you can find game maps and sprites for Iron Commando on websites dedicated to retro gaming resources, like Spriters Resource or VGMaps. Those platforms often have assets for older games like this. If you don’t see them there, you might want to try reaching out to communities or forums focused on SNES games—someone might already have what you’re looking for! Good luck!

Fricking AI slop...

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Map Requests / Re: Wind Waker, Twilight Princess, and Skyward Sword Maps

« Last post by TerraEsperZ on November 10, 2025, 05:00:07 pm »

Sure, that's a great idea! The Ocarina of Time maps are indeed fantastic, and it would be awesome to see similar detailed maps for Wind Waker, Twilight Princess, and Skyward Sword. While I’m not sure if anyone has worked on those specific maps yet, there are some fan communities and dedicated map creators who might have tackled similar projects. You could try checking forums like Zelda Universe or Reddit communities like r/zelda. Sometimes, even tools like custom map generators or fan-made projects emerge for these games. It might take a bit of searching, but there’s definitely potential for finding or even inspiring someone to create maps in that same meticulous style!

Fricking AI slop...

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Map Requests / Re: Super Back to the Future II

« Last post by TerraEsperZ on November 10, 2025, 04:58:53 pm »

Seriously, we're getting AI posts now?!

28

Gaming / Heads-up! New Barcode Battler Card Game!

« Last post by Cyartog959 on November 09, 2025, 03:17:44 pm »

I just happened to come across a rather neat new card game and set on the way to the Barcode Battler II, and I read it's Tanukii Studios, who approached Epoch Co., inventor behind Barcode Battler and Barcode Battler II, making that game.

The new card game set's called "Riot Gunheads - Hyper World Injustice Fighters"!

I just took a moment to think this, if you're reading... You're probably thinking these questions in your heads, "What is Barcode Battler?", "What card games does it have?", "Do we even know how to play it?", alongside a few other questions.

Well, perhaps for those that don't know(or even remember if you've not played it in a very long time), it's time to give you a crash course.

Barcode Battler is a handheld game console that works very uniquely compared to other handhelds, like Game Boy, Game Gear, or even DS. While the controls are different, the system does have card sets sold at retail, comprising of players, but they also comprise of enemies, power-ups, even bosses.

The first model only had stats appear on-screen, for players seeking to battle against each other with their own playable warriors of their choice.

All anybody has to do, upon finding said cards in sets, is to scan by swiping them on its scanner while playing their barcode games in order to progress in their own adventures and face dangerous threats standing in their way.

The first model, unfortunately, while popular in Japan, didn't had actual graphics, sounds, and controls of its own, and its quickly forgotten by people...

Later, Barcode Battler II came along, and improved lot from the first model, to deliver better enhanced functionality to that handheld, including having single player mode. That model also gave way to link up with the Famicom and Super Famicom via an adapter, and allowed them to play games using the handheld's card battle system mechanics(too bad other regions' versions, like NES, didn't receive it), thanks to Epoch's partnership with Nintendo. It also brought up created card sets based on Nintendo's IPs, like, Super Mario and Zelda, along with other games based on T.V. IPs, like, Spider-Man, for instance.

No other new Barcode Battler game was made after '95... until now.

Tanukii Studios' hand in reviving the Barcode Battler itself could pave for later new games and card sets... but of course, their success may also well lead to the rise of Barcode Battler III, a more better model that pars very well to other stronger gaming handhelds(not counting mobile phones) and improved connectivity for multiplayer.

There's an interview done by Time Extension featuring Epoch Co. and Webb himself. You can take a read at that with this link I've left for you here - https://www.timeextension.com/features/we-live-in-an-age-where-even-bubsy-can-make-a-comeback-meet-the-developers-trying-to-resurrect-the-barcode-battler

There's another card game set coming up, called "Woggle Ball '94 SuperSports Cards", but I'm not certain its Barcode Battler material. Still, its fun for anybody to try.

So, with that history trip done, I ask you this, would you give Barcode Battler a try? And, what cards would you collect?

Anyone around in here, would you please take some time to support Tanukii Studios' latest card games when they come out? It'd be neat to see some people get into the Barcode battling games once more. Hope you'll get your sets soon!

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VGMaps Social Board / If "Sonic: Mega Drive" gets adapted as a real game, would you play it?

« Last post by Cyartog959 on November 07, 2025, 11:18:08 am »

I can honestly admit, when Archie Comics had the Sonic license for comics, and after it got a severe continuity redoing(don't ask, but some that heard of what happened behind the scenes might know that rough story), I've heard of an original Classic Sonic adventure that commemorates Sonic's 25th anniversary, not throwing Sonic Mania in it to count, "Sonic: Mega Drive".

Yes, it is obviously references to the first game and the console's name outside of America, but what's beneath that adventure's name is its actual originality of its contents.

That adventure featured an all-new setting, Eastwatch Islands, and had actual original Zones Sonic and his friends traversed through, and had its story centered on Dr. Robotnik's next world conquering effort; finding and harnessing all the Ancient Gears to power his most powerful creation, the titular Mega Drive itself, deploying his newest batch of Badniks and Super Badniks to try and stop Sonic again.

I only watched it through online YouTube videos, but I gotta say, it was brilliant! Sonic and his friends trashing more Badniks at every corner, outwitting the mad scientist from one Zone after another, and collecting the Ancient Gears to stop his plans was great... however, Metal Sonic ambushed them and stole these gears and delivered them to Robotnik at his deep sea base, and the twist was that after Sonic gave the 6th Ancient Gear he held, Metal Sonic REALLY had the 7th Ancient Gear installed in him all along as his latest opportunity for a revenge rematch, which ended in another loss for Metal Sonic, but I never got to see him actually unleash that gear's full power for his once-looming final fight in Robotnik's deep sea base.

In my mind, I imagined Metal Sonic undergoing a new, original transformation into a more larger, far more faster form of himself, fittingly called "Overdrive Metal Sonic"(and, no, its not meant to be deriving from Metal Sonic Kai from "Knuckles' Chaotix", an actual new form), with loads of all-new attacks and powers, but he'd still get defeated and finally lose that last gear, only to get plugged into Robotnik's Mega Drive in the actual final battle we never got to see. I really enjoyed seeing Robotnik's latest well-armed aerial fortress, said to be not quite sleek as Wing Fortress, but bigger than Flying Battery.

What I could still imagine in Robotnik's deep sea base we could've seen in the finale, it would've been quite massive(mainly to me, massive that 2 Acts, not even 3 Acts could be considered enough for it; I'm thinking 4 super-huge Acts), and it would have had a new collective group of robots more powerful than Super Badniks Robotnik created to protect that base before confronting him again. I mean, he does build great bases Sonic and his friends came by to destroy, but he could still learn and fortify his strongholds quite more.

That celebratory mini-series had 2 issues made, but sadly, the 3rd issue meant to conclude it never got launched after Archie cut ties with Sega and lost that license. I felt great disappointment in my heart there and then, as others have. Never even got to see the potential all-new Special Stages, too.

However, I do have strong hopes of that adventure getting revived and potentially adapted as another 2D Sonic game... but, I think it might be better suited as part of a NEW Sonic anthology game, likely in the veins of Kirby's own anthology game, "Super Star", and its DS remake, "Super Star Ultra". By the meaning of its veins, I meant only the blueprint of an actual anthology game. Not sure if we have more anthologies outside of Kirby so far...

I didn't even think of Sonic having an actual anthology game consisting of only all-new adventures before, honestly... but the possibilities are intriguing.

And, had Sonic 4's 3rd episode not been cancelled, I can collectively count that we'd have about over six times Knuckles had been tricked by Robotnik, rather than four(TailsTube's 5th episode missed that count by one, "Sonic Advance 2").

I did enjoy Sonic Mania that brought back the original pixel art aesthetic, but I still feel more new Classic Sonic adventures should still continue that aesthetic on, and they really don't have to adhere to the Genesis' tech limits, even for parallax background layers.

So, I ask you this, if "Sonic: Mega Drive" gets adapted as a game, or as part of an anthology game for Sonic, would you play it? I would, and it would be one of the more brilliant Classic Sonic adventures yet!

30

Gaming / Sprunki Retake – Turning Chaos Into Music

« Last post by yangyin on November 05, 2025, 07:29:14 pm »

At first, Sprunki Retake looks completely absurd - little characters making random noises whenever you tap them. But after a few minutes, something clicks. Those random sounds start blending into a rhythm, and suddenly you’re hooked.

Sprunki Retake

What I love about this game is how free it feels. There’s no score, no goal, no rules. You just experiment, mix strange beats, and somehow create something that actually sounds good. It’s messy, unpredictable, and weirdly satisfying.

Sprunki Retake isn’t about perfection. It’s about having fun with sound. Even if you’ve never made music before, it makes you feel like a spontaneous little producer. It’s creativity in its purest, most chaotic form and that’s exactly why it works.