Sacred Line: Genesis - thriller/horror game for Sega Genesis/Mega Drive

Sacred Line: Genesis - thriller/horror game for Sega Genesis/Mega Drive - OUT NOW




Title: Sacred Line Genesis
Platform: Sega Genesis / Mega Drive (Region-Free)
Genre: Adventure / Visual Novel
Works on real hardware: Yes (Flashcart-ready)
Status: Finished
Digital Version Release date: 24 October 2013
Cartridge Version Release date: TBD
Game rating: 18+ (Mature)
Official site / Buy Now: http://sashadarko.com/genesis.html
Download Demo: http://www.mediafire.com/?ed6wko04sgafqn7


About:
Sacred Line Genesis is a brand new Adventure / Visual Novel game which was developed exclusively for the Sega Mega Drive / Genesis videogame system.
It tells the story of Ellen, a private detective, who is trying to survive in Eastern Europe. Lately detective business, which she inherited from her missing sister Sarah, almost ceased its existence and one day before she was going to close her office she got an anonymous call. The unknown asked her to find some hidden forest outpost and told her about its position. That was just the beginning.
The game is free of censorship and recommended for Mature audience only (Blood, Intense Violence, Mature Humor, Minor Sexual Violence Reference, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, Violent References).
It's not a port, not a translation, not a rip-off with copyrighted stuff. It is based on my own game Sacred Line, which was released for free for PC/Mac on Desura.


Features:
- High quality 3D graphics (highly recommended to play on CRT TV)
- WAV soundtrack (which sounds like a GBA output, it also won't be slow for PAL users)
- Unique and memorable setting, story and environments
- Text-based dice fighting system (ideally you need a dice...but you can also play without it)
- More than 20 endings: normal, secret and deaths, deaths, deaths
- Don’t be frustrated: if you die, you’ll start from the last checkpoint
- In-game enclyclopedia will help you learn more about characters
- Compatible with Flashcarts like Everdrive
- Any buyer will be added to a special list: it means you will get discounts and special bonuses for all further products. Money is support and support will not be forget.


Not so good features (GINCS-specific things you may not like):
- The game uses GINCS engine, its Visual Studio modification. It means it uses WAV soundtrack and WAV files cannot be stopped immediately there, they will always play to the end. Not everyone will take it as a problem but it must be mentioned.
- Text has no shadows. Somehow, just theoretically, IF you're crazy enough and decided to play any GINCS game via very, very, very bad RF connection on a very, very, very bad, just simply broken LCD screen and there's also a gas all around you, the text will be hard to read. But nobody ever reported that kind of problem since the creation of GINCS (2006 year).
- There is a super exotic GINCS bug which was reported by GenDev user: the game might crash if you will insert gun or mouse to the Port 2

Demo Download:
http://www.mediafire.com/?ed6wko04sgafqn7

It's a final demo which shows all the game features. It will end after a first fight with a skeleton.


Release [Digital]:
http://sashadarko.com/genesis.html


Release [Cartridge Run]:
It's complicated. Current version was going to be published by Watermelon, but in the end it was declined by their programmer/producer because of an upgraded GINCS sound system (see "Not so good features" above). So now the game is in "Purgatory" state for that matter, I must find another publisher (which doesn't exist, because SF Team is releasing only actions and RPGs) or engine must be changed and the whole soundtrack must be redone to tracker format.
If I'll make all the changes and Watermelon's cartridge version will be possible in the end, it will be a special version with a new non-WAV soundtrack and unlockable additional campaign. In this case people who already bought the original version and who will buy the cartridge as well, will also get a bonus third campaign, which will be released exclusively for them.

Screenshots from the Demo:



Screenshots from the Beta (Beta contained some grammar/spelling errors, Final version and Demo are proof-read):



Photos from Alpha 0.2a:

 

On Genesis 1 HD looks and sound thousand times better than on emulators:

Photos (click to enlarge):


If anyone is interested here, will upload ROM with alpha version very soon (it's really must play on hardware). If not...then not. I know that this is a super niche stuff.

 

Very nice project, interested to the finished game sometime!

 

I'd love to play it. Love horror games.

EDIT-I'd also be more than willing to correct your spelling and grammar so that you have a truly polished product. PM me with the script and I can edit it so that you can copy and paste it over your current text.

 

Be interested to try this if you finish it off sometime. And as the guy above said, always a good idea to have someone else proof-read your work, even people who write for a living do so

 

interesting project you have going here. I'd like to check it out when the ROM becomes available.

 

I'll bite and test on real hardware. I have an everdrive MD as well as a region free model 3 Genesis and other models for testing with.

 

ROM with alpha, for private testing only, has about 5 minutes of... "gameplay". It has two bad endings (run away or don't take the flashlight to see them) and one normal (it says "this is the end of current version"). Audio may have some crackling, it's an "official" software bug. Did my best to exterminate all the bugs and grammar errors. If you see some - PM about them.
http://www.mediafire.com/?x23rjcd1pjx5x4a

Yes, spelling/grammar are my weakest points (obviously English is not my native language, there's even some self-ironic easter egg about it in the game). British English teacher is helping me with this aspect and in the final version there will be no such errors. Thanks, though. I think will PM with something.

 

I just played through the game. Aside from the aforementioned spelling errors and the "music bugs" everything seems solid. I really like the distorted art style of the pictures. Makes it that much creepier. One thing I'd like to suggest is a change to either the controls or the title screen. Game say "Press any button to start". If most people are like me they will press the start button first. It doesn't function. Only A, B, and C start the game. Might be confusing for some. Otherwise the controls are solid. I'll come back when it isn't midnight and go over it with a fine eye.

On a side note I tested this on this setup:

Model 2 revision 2.3 Genesis
32X attached
Model 2 CD attached
Everdrive MD with 2GB Sandisk micro SD going through Chinese full size SD adapter that also has USB reader built in.

I had no errors or any sort of glitches in the game play.

Good solid work man.

 

Nice project!
I hope I can get the hardware some day to play it.

 

Thanks. I'll replace title screen, was going to do it anyway (I don't like how "Genesis" word looks on it after compression).

Front artwork (click to enlarge):

 

New alpha version 0.2a (forgot to change the header though):
http://www.mediafire.com/download/k4vwpwf4wj01y6r/sacred_line_genesis_0.2_alpha.bin
A little bit more of a story, improved graphics, grammar/spelling errors fixed, audio files renamed to "z_" which should prevent crackling.
I hope it's working fine, my Everdrive is out of order so it wasn't tested on hardware. It is the last alpha for public share, the next upload will be a demo for the release version.

I'll send the final version for test to two Assembler users chosen from those who posted here, I hope you won't mind.

 

looking forward to checking this out tonight when i get home.

 

Been gone all day and I need to sit back for a while and relax. What better way than to play and review alpha versions of new games? :triumphant:

I'll be back a little later with my review of the new revision. Side note: I'll be using a set of decent quality headphones to test the quality of the audio since I have real good ears. Wish me luck! :highly_amused: (Not really since I won't post this until I've written my review.)

Review time:

The screen says "Press any button to start". Where's the any button? (har har...) Start still doesn't do anything. I suggest either making start work or changing the title to say "Press A, B, or C to start".

The music is good but I did notice a strange buzzing noise in the background quite similar to my Power Joy Chinese Famiclone. Testing of other games on my Everdrive MD revealed they have the same sound too so it's nothing to worry about. Could be a number of things ranging from the Genesis hardware, the Everdrive, or even my TV set since my headphones go through that. I think it's Genesis side since it's only there when the Genesis is playing audio. When no audio is present while the console is on the sound is gone.

The art work is still awesome.

A few of the scenes repeat after doing certain actions like getting the flashlight. Might be a good idea to get rid of that and add a short section of story before giving further options.

Lastly the grammar still needs work. I will be happy to take a stab at it since I do editor work for a famous fan fiction site and am at this time editing 3 or 4 stories with another 4 or 5 that I've done in the past. (Don't ask. Brony junk. I can give link to my profile if you need proof but no flaming because I'm a brony.) You can send me a script of the game and I can fix all the issues I've found in it if you like. There's too many to list here. Not saying you HAVE to let me do it but I have experience there and can put it to use here if wanted.

Is the game going to be larger than 4 MB? If so it might be a good idea to split it into parts so flashcarts like mine can read it since I believe I'm limited to games that are 5MB in size. Also, I don't know if you know this or not but games over the 4 MB (or 4096 k) mark need to have bank switching in them. That's why I suggest limiting the size to 4096 k or less and splitting it into parts so you won't have to add that in.

Good progress. I await to see the finished product.

EDIT: Forgot to add that pretty much everything I said in my review of the alpha 0.1 version still stands. (Only thing different is the music has been fixed in this revision.)

 

I remember that I need to change the screen, it's just not possible now.
There was a big work of correction (about a week or something and it's still not finished) and it's very sad if there are any grammar mistakes. I'll send you a script excerpt in 30 minutes, very interested in seeing what's wrong.
Alpha 0.2 is kinda for people who haven't played the previous one (to see more polished version of it).

 

The game is finished and I'll try to release it before Halloween. First post and site are now heavily upgraded. If you're interested to buy, download the demo and decide for yourself. If you're in, write me a message.
It actually was going to be released by Watermelon (Pier Solar developers) on cartridges, they also helped with grammar/spelling mistakes to make it more polished, but in the end their programmer/producer declined it because of the WAV system.
If someone here knows how to stop playback of WAVs immediately and can talk about it with GINCS Visual Studio developer, your help will help to release this game on carts.

 

I'll certainly hold out in case of a cartridge release

 

I remember this,awesome look forward to trying it out.

 

Out now.
Press Buy Now button on the site or make it old school - paypal is earth_incubator@yahoo.com, the same mail can be used for contact.
Additional proofreading was made by Zebastian from Watermelon, I implemented his corrections to Demo and Release version.

 

ah, the MDs unprepossessing color palette comes to light once again.