Phantom Gear for the Sega Genesis / Mega Drive

Game Development Status
3 months ago – Tue, Jan 23, 2024 at 09:15:05 AM

Hey everyone, it’s Agustin.
 

I hope this message finds you guys well. I want to address the primary concern on everyone's minds regarding the game's release date. As the main programmer, I feel compelled to take responsibility for the repeated delays in the project. It’s because I am the reason for the delay, and I’m doing my best day in and day out to move the project forward without sacrificing quality or quantity of content for what is our biggest game to date, and something I’ve been working on for 6+ years.

From the inception of Phantom Gear, back when the game was just a nebulous concept without a name, I made the bold decision to program it in Motorola 68k assembly, the "old school" way. This decision was driven by a desire to embrace the challenge of learning assembly for the first time, leading to the creation of the initial Phantom Gear demo. Along the way, I grappled with hardware limitations and overcame various challenges.

Post the debut of the first demo, it became evident that my core engine fell short of the demands of our promised project. Since then, the in-game engine has undergone continuous evolution and improvement. Right now, my focus lies on the final piece of the puzzle: the boss fights for the last levels.

These bosses present new challenges as we aim to deliver awe-inspiring, giant characters. However, my engine requires adjustments to meet these demands, and this is the primary reason for the prolonged development time; I find myself as the bottleneck of the development process. Personal challenges related to the economic situation in my country and my health have also contributed to the struggle to complete the project.

We’ve had team members full time from Mega Cat to support the project for over a year now any time it’s possible. The reality is with the size of the code base, lack of documentation, and architecture being built as it stands, it’s now up to me to finish the pending sections of the game. 

However, as the need to complete in-game elements arose, the decision to use assembly presented a major challenge. The lack of documentation in my code has resulted in a situation where only I can understand and complete the missing components.

I earnestly hope for your understanding as we need to extend the release date due to the factors mentioned above. I take full responsibility for this situation and express my gratitude to Mega Cat Studios for their unwavering support in completing the project. I am dedicated to finishing our project at Bit Rules along with Mega Cat and I’m most grateful for your patience.

We do have more to show, and play on the horizon. In February, we’ll have a new target build that will show five levels and the new bosses we've implemented for backers. It’s hundreds of hours of work since the last demo, and I think many of you will love what we have to show.

Now, let me offer you a sneak peek into what we're currently working on. We have animations of the final boss running in-game, but unfortunately, attempting to attack him results in a game crash. We’re currently working on remedying this issue.

Despite these challenges, we are making progress on various fronts. As a glimpse into our audio development, here is a sound effects test for the final boss:

Additionally, here is a work-in-progress shot of the chamber's gate:

Your understanding and continued support mean the world to us and we remain dedicated to delivering a game that lives up to your expectations. If anyone has any questions or concerns, please reach out to to the team via DM or to [email protected]

Sincerely,

Agustin Garcia

Phantom Gear Progress Report: Boss Battle Revamps and Exclusive Teasers!
6 months ago – Fri, Nov 03, 2023 at 08:41:01 AM

Hey Phantom Gear Champions,

Greetings from the adventure-filled, slightly chaotic world of game development! We hope you're all armed with a dose of patience and a barrel of excitement because it's update time, and oh boy, have we got tales to share.

Now, we won't beat around the bush. Yes, we've hit another one of those pesky speedbumps on our road to gaming glory. We know, we know... cue the collective sigh. But fear not, intrepid supporters, for we’re diving headfirst into battle to bring you the best darn game we can! 

Boss Bugs, Fixes and Makeovers

Bosses. Oh, those magnificent, game-defining behemoths! We're knee-deep in perfecting these epic showdowns. Picture this: the Aircraft Boss fight. It had a minor hiccup - its body decided to take a spontaneous vacation to the wrong end of the screen. An identity crisis, you might say. But our dedicated knight in shining armor, Augustin, vanquished this little problem, wrangling that rogue body part back into place.

But wait, there's more! The Aircraft Boss fight choreography is getting a makeover. We're talking more moves than a dance-off at a robot rave. Our devs are crafting a showdown that'll have you on the edge of your seat (or gaming chair) - a battle worth every nail you might accidentally bite in anticipation.

Final Boss Reveal

Now, brace yourselves, brave souls, for a treat: an exclusive sneak peek at the big cheese, the grand poobah, the final boss—Ultimate Titano! This monstrosity is shaping up to be the 'boss' of bosses, and we can't wait for you to take on this titan of a challenge.

We get it; delays aren't the most fun news. But your support, understanding, and unwavering excitement are the fuel to our gaming engine. Augustin’s current plan targets a February release. Rest assured, we'll be keeping up the monthly status updates with objective progress. We're committed to quality over anything, and we’re eternally grateful for your patience and promise to make this wait worth every virtual sword swing and joystick wiggle. 

Thanks for being the wind beneath our pixelated wings. We'll keep you posted as we battle through these hiccups and gear up to deliver the gaming gem you deserve. In the meantime, check out some of Mega Cat Studios' other projects coming this holiday season to a console near you : Kudzu , Sacred Line 2 and The Meating.  

Stay awesome and game on!

🚀 Phantom Gear Kickstarter Update: Our Sincere Apologies, Exciting Timeline News, and Kamikaze Progress! 💥
7 months ago – Tue, Sep 19, 2023 at 08:29:02 AM

Hey, Amazing Phantom Gear Supporters!

First and foremost, we want to express our deepest apologies for the delays in Phantom Gear's development. 🙏 Your patience and unwavering support are truly appreciated, and we're here to address the hiccups and share some exciting updates. The Bit Rules team are giving us their best, and we’re in touch with them once per week again now via Agustin, the lead developer, to close the project out. 

Addressing the Unexpected Delays

Let's get straight to it – we've faced some unexpected bumps on this adventure. We know these delays have been frustrating, and for that, we're truly sorry. We share your disappointment and understand your concerns, and are working around the clock to get the game into your hands. We’re committed to finishing it to the end, and we are expecting to close it out before the end of the year, including the rounds of feedback and bug testing to make it great. 

Agustin's Dedication and the Updated Timeline

Now, let's talk about our renewed commitment and some exciting news regarding our development timeline. Agustin, lead developer on Phantom Gear, is putting in the extra hours to ensure we deliver a content-complete build by end of October. This means we're back on track to ship the final game by the end of the year! 🚀

Agustin's dedication and hard work are driving us closer to the finish line, and we're incredibly grateful for his commitment to delivering an exceptional gaming experience. In the meantime, Mega Cat dev Mikhail is there early to late to assist and support anything outside of core engine work. 

The Kamikaze Brings The Fight!

But wait, there's more! We're sure you've been eagerly awaiting updates on some of the new enemies and bosses, and we're here to deliver! You may remember our sneak peek at the Kamikaze. Well,this explosive new enemy is set to make its grand entrance in the Thrasher boss fight and will also spice up other levels in the game.

A Behind-the-Scenes Peek: Animations and Pixel Art

We're all about transparency, and we want you to be part of the creative process. So, we're thrilled to share with you the animations and pixel art versions of the Kamikaze enemy. 🎨✨ Your feedback has been instrumental in shaping this character, and we can't wait for you to see our progress.

Here's a sneak peek:

Moving Forward with Gratitude

As we navigate through these challenges, please know that we're deeply grateful for your steadfast support. We can't wait for you to experience the game in action, and we're confident that Phantom Gear is shaping up to be something truly special. As always, thank you for your incredible support and patience.

Stay tuned for more updates, surprises, and the game release that's just around the corner!

🎮 Phantom Gear Kickstarter Update: Bosses, Blasts, and...Boom! 💥
10 months ago – Mon, Jul 03, 2023 at 02:15:31 PM

Hey there, Phantom Gear Superfans! 👋

We hope this message finds you in high spirits and ready for some juicy Phantom Gear updates. We know you've been waiting with bated breath, but we promise it's worth the wait!

First off, let's have a round of virtual applause 👏 because all cutscenes and menus for the game are now complete! That's right, we've been burning the midnight oil, chugging coffee, and occasionally confusing our keyboards for waffles... but we did it! We can't wait for you to dive into the Phantom Gear universe and experience the fruits of our labor (and caffeine overdoses).

Now, onto the bosses. We're currently wrestling with the final few levels of the game, specifically the boss battles. We've run into a few bugs, but fear not! We're on a bug-squashing mission, armed with digital fly swatters and a can-do attitude. To whet your appetite, we've included a gif of the Scorpikon boss fight. He might look a bit aggressive now, but we're fine-tuning his manners as we speak.

During our playtesting, we noticed some of our enemies were a tad trigger-happy, shooting faster than caffeinated squirrels. So, we're adding a charging animation before they attack. This way, you'll have a bit more time to duck and dodge! 🏃‍♂️💨

And now, drumroll please... 🥁 We're introducing a new enemy to the game - a kamikaze unit! This little guy has one simple mission: to jump on you and go BOOM! 💥 We've included some concept art and an animation gif to give you a glimpse of this explosive new addition.

We're working our joysticks off to bring Phantom Gear to life, and we're super grateful for your support and patience. We'll keep you updated on our progress and look forward to sharing more exciting news soon.

Until next time, keep those gaming thumbs limber and stay awesome! 🎮👾

Brand New Roadmap and Progress Update
12 months ago – Tue, May 09, 2023 at 03:50:34 PM

Hey Gearheads,

I know you all have patiently awaited a new update, and I’m here to bring you the news! As you know, we hit a stumbling block regarding the skeletal animator, so we brought in Mega Cat Studios devs to lend a helping hand. The team has been working around the clock to bring Phantom Gear to life these last few months, and we are pleased to say we’ve made some progress and have a brand-new roadmap to share with you!

The biggest item on our list is the missing bosses - which are directly tied to the skeletal animator issue. With some cat help, we received and implemented new code into the game and have begun the process of implementing the boss bodies using one of the scroll panels. The next step is tackling the boss AIs.  You can see some of the progress below:

The team is also working on the ending’s last sequence and checking all the color palettes. It came to our attention that some hand sprites contained 16 colors- which is one more than possible - so some adjustments needed to be made. A new palette was created, and several assets were recolored, including this fix to the first scene's background! 

Earlier this week, the ending for Rooms 1 and  3 were partially completed, and we’re chugging along to get the rest knocked out of the park.  We also had an "aha" moment with the level selector scene being off-center by 4 pixels, and developer Mikhail Nikishin came in clutch with a workaround that resolved that nicely. 

We're committed to bringing you the best possible game we can, and appreciate the continued support and patience you guys have shown us during this journey to bring Phantom Gear into reality. We'll be back with more updates so stay tuned!