Dezaemon - build your own shoot 'em up software.

I just won the N64 version on ebay and am bidding on one for Super Famicom. I don't have an import N64 yet and it is my understanding that unless you posses one of them jobbiy add-ons that allows you to play games on disk/CD and has added mem, you can't make a game of any reasonable sized games.
I really want to know if this would be possible - if I where to acquire such an add on - and how it could be accomplished.

I will probably fail to get the best out of this software, I only wish there where a tutorial made in english. anyone ever translate japanese manuals (this one will surely be ridiculously long) - how much is the going rate for translation work?

I'm very much intruiged by this game series. I have no programming skills to speak of but given the tools, I'd put some serious effort into making a full game. I'm naive. this does sound like an interesting project though.

anyone ever make anything interesting with this line of software?

 

Get the Saturn version and a floppy disk unit. Oh and while you're at it; my guide's at GameFAQS


http://www.segadatabase.com/C2000/fzremix.htm (my Fantasy Zone port I made with it)

 

awesome dude!

I'm strting on these for now though. as the SFC version is supposed to be simpler than the others and the N64 one is 3D which sounds interesting. will check it out though.

 

There's a guide to modifying your N64 so it can take Japanese carts.

http://ign64.ign.com/articles/075/075325p1.html

You do need one of those fucked up nintendo screwdrivers, though...

 

i believe you can save into 64DD disk if you have 64DD unit?

 

64DD? those darn expensive devices.. if its possible so be it, but if it could be done on a backup device then even better. fat chance right?

 

The best way to go with Daezemon is to buy the Saturn version with the FDU as SegaFreal NL said. Probably the only worthwile use for the FDU.

Yakumo

 

hold on a minute...there was a floppy drive for the saturn?..........does any one have a pic of it?

 

Here it is mate There's also a keyboard and mouse which are very easy to find.


Yakumo

 

And the mouse is a MUST for Dezaemon 2. (See the pics on the link above) I used a drawing tablet and a mouse, works the best.

 

But floppy used on the FDD for Saturn are NOT compatible with PC FDD (formated differently). That's too bad

 

Well I guess you can h4xx0r something up using INT13 ;-)
And I think the chance of a (licensed) Nintendo game actually supporting a backup unit is zero - though you might have better luck with a backup unit that 'emulates' on-cart saving on a HD/Zip.

BTW, I have the Saturn version, and it looks quite nifty and powerful judging from the example games (of which there are 5 by the way, 2 of them are hidden!)

 

The N64 version of dezaemon still has 64DD support as it asks you for a disk when you first power it up if you have a 64DD connected.

However no disks were ever released to save onto.

 

maybe we can format the common doshin 1 disk for save?

 

darn.. so that Dezeamon I bought for N64 is of no real use? I mean there is no save function - you turn off the system and the stuff you made dissapears? is this the same with the Super Famicom version? sad little me....

 

Review of Dezaemon 3D - check out the info on the backup device:

http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/n64/review/R18979.html

"Introduction

The concept is simple and highly original: design your own 3D shooting game, complete with the ability to modify everything from music to animation. This is such a great idea that I have to ask, why didn't someone think of this before? Well, someone did: Dezaemon 3D is the latest entry in a long-running series that began on the Super Famicom and made its way to the Playstation before ending up on the N64. Sadly, the games have received little attention in the States. I hope this review will change that (if only for a few people), as well as offering some buying advice to would-be shooter designers. The game, after all, will be expensive to import and may require some searching.

First Thoughts

The initial reaction upon seeing the game's bevy of options is pretty much overwhelming. There are so many details to play around with: 3D enemy design (the graphics, not the levels, are 3D), level maps, item placement, music composition, timing this, position that - thankfully, the game comes with a think manual and a series of in-game tutorials to help prod you along. None of this, of course, will be useful to you unless you know Japanese, but even if you don't, you'll probably be able to feel your way through by trial and error. In any case, prepare to spend some serious time with this game.

Investigating the Options

To fully enjoy Dezaemon 3D, you'll need lots of creativity and just as much free time. Once you become accustomed to the way the various editors function, you'll find them to be very usable, but never simplistic; the great attention to detail is both a blessing and a curse. It is impossible to simply dive right in, but on the other hand those who want to start from the ground up may do so.

To craft a good game using Dezaemon 3D requires a lot of perseverance. You're also limited, of course, by the game's engine, and your level of comfort with it will make or break your enjoyment of the game. A good way to test out what the editor can do is to play through one of the two included sample games. One of these is entitled Solid Gear and is a fairly conventional and straightforward shooter. The other is called Usagi-chan and is crazy and fruity in a uniquely Japanese way (references such as Gun Nac and Panic! come to mind). I'd like to be able to say that these two games alone are worth the price of admission, but they're not. I consider myself a seasoned shooter fan, and to me the controls feel a little clunky. The level design is also pretty boring, but that's something you can fix on your own. These two games, if not spectacular in their own right, are at least fun diversions when you get tired of designing your own.

Diving In

Because the game's options can be so overwhelming, you'll want to take things slowly and learn a step at a time. Creating an entire original shooter, even an entire level, seems like an impossibly huge task, so the best way to approach is it is to break it up. Work on creating a good song, or a good series of enemy skins to go over your 3D designs. The individual editors can be fun to work even outside of the context of creating an original game; it's wonderful, for example, to hear a song you just composed coming out of your TV speakers via the game's four-track sound composer. Most games enable players to gloss over such details, taking everything for granted. In fact, that's generally how good games should function. Dezaemon 3D, however, forces the player to slow down - way, way down. Plowing your way through ''option'' this and ''option'' that when all you really want to do is play through the finished product can be agony. Like any creative effort, designing a successful shooter takes patience and time. But for those with the motivation, Dezaemon 3D makes all the necessary tools available.

Annoying Stuff

This game, like any other, is not without its flaws. For example, why was the ability to save to a controller pak not included? As it is, you can only copy your game if you own expensive backup equipment, and therefore the only people who will be able to enjoy it are those who have direct access to your Dezaemon 3D cartridge. If controller pak saves were enabled, we might be seeing a proliferation of homemade shooting games online (via the Dex Drive and other devices), similar to the tide of homemade RPGs made with RPG Maker. It's rather frustrating to be confined in this way, and it's a big reason not to seriously pursue designing your own game.

The SRAM space on the cartridge also seems to fill up very fast. I'd be surprised if anyone could actually cram a full, commercial-quality shooting game into the N64's on-cart save slot. You'll probably be exhausted and satisfied after creating only one level, but it still seems like a shame to have the effort wasted. Unless you have a backup device to extract the SRAM files you create, you may want to consider not taking on the frustration that will come with these concerns.

The Final Analysis

Is Dezaemon 3D deserving of your time and money? Well, unlike the latest Mario or Zelda game, it's simply not for everyone. In this game, the goals are completely self-defined, and therefore it's easy to lose motivation. Once you commit yourself, it's also easy to get so frustrated you want to throw the game in the ocean. But if you're willing to put in the effort, you may just find it rewarded.

This game is a highly original offering with its own unique pros and cons. How many games do you know of that can claim to offer creative satisfaction to the player? It's sad that efforts such as this, upon which such care has obviously been lavished, are relegated to back shelves in Japan, with slim hopes of ever reaching Western shores. It takes a certain kind of gamer to appreciate Dezaemon 3D, but for those with the drive, ''playing'' this game can be a unique and rewarding"

Segafreak_NL - how do you use a tablet with this software exactly?

and would the snes mouse possibly work with the SFC version?

I might have to look into the Saturn version. thanks alot for the info guys! it's very much appretiated.

 

Just to clear up some of the misconceptions on Dezaemon 3D and the 64DD. There was never going to be a straightforward 'save disk', but instead a full-featured expansion game, adding more options to the original, a few new demo games showing off the 64DD version's new features, and the much-wanted ability to save creations to the FDD. Things like formatting Doshin wouldn't work - the fact that the program areas of 64DD disks are write-protected and you'd have to get your hands on a dev disk writer notwithstanding, of course.

 

hmm BTW the 64dd dev disk sold on ebay is completely useless because the game will NEVER boot i think

Even if you have the 64dd dev, you need the at least a gamepak, the correct IPL ROM ( (which wasn't included in the auction) and the device to plug both gamepak and IPL ROM.

If you have a partner 64 the gamepack is not required as the game can boot with PC function calling.

It's really a pity to see a possible beta game not playable

 

I meant a drawing board, sorry. I put on a stool next to my bed for the ultimate relaxed drawing experience

 

Neither are discs for the SFC copiers. They can format a disc to 1.6 Meg ! If you load a program in to your PC called FD READ then your PC can also read these 1.6 formated discs.

For those who wanted to know how to get the 2 hidden games up on the Saturn version of Dazemon 2 . Thanks to GameFaqs, the home of the kiddy forums.

Yakumo