Let's play Battle Kid: Fortress of Peril - Commentary by Sivak

[IRTheodor]

we need avgn to make a review of this game!

[alexanderwesterstahl]

Yay, got my battle kid today! Got to the colormancer, and fck, that was hard! x.x

[AndrewsGameDisplay]

Even with all of the video games that come out today with multi-million dollar budgets I still think that Battle Kid is one of the greatest games that I've played in a long time! Can't wait for the second one!

[emojo1990]

they should sell this with every nes system

[SivakD]

@edlikesbrigette If you haven't found it already, check out my website which is linked in the main YT page. There's a button there.

[MaksimA2001]

HOW THE HECK DO YOU SAVE!?!?!?!?

[FibrousAcquiescence]

This game any good? I like the graphics. Always wanted to fight a flower as well..lol.

[LJG612]

@FibrousAcquiescence he made of course he think it good i think it amazing i love da graphics ........ i never wanted to fight a flower though only a ginormisized sea serpent with thew name nagaconda

[sweetnssssssssssss]

this game made me cry and im 29

[retrogamester98]

This game looks so damn cool.

[SivakD]

@MrYummyCherryCoke I tend to go on espernet's #rom-hacking or EFnets #nesdev. But not all the time.

[SivakD]

@MrYummyCherryCoke What are you talking about?  IRC or something else?

[iNils1]

0:35:40

My Very Hard run ended right there because i did it the hard way.

[LanIost]

Also I wanted to note that, in my head I imagine the game being a lot more tense when you have one 'backup' hit. It could at least be an item.

The reason I say this is that, in the current state when you keep dying at the same area you (you being me) tend to just start getting frustrated and dying more and more. It starts cycling into a run, die, restart, run die, restart, etc. If you had one hit you would become super tense knowing you can't screw up AGAIN. The AGAIN being the key.

[LanIost]

Oh yeah, I just wanted to note that I am not going to release the ROM. I don't think anyone has yet and I'm not sure if it's something you are happy about or not. I think I read you had a contract where you COULDN'T release it any other way. I was thinking about hacking in my little two hits mode. I've haven't done anything except x86 assembly and it was a long time ago so I'm not sure if there is a register for the variable or it would take more code changs than that. I don't need to display it

[LanIost]

pt 3. (final)

Anyway, I feel super accomplished getting where I am but I know for a fact that I would feel no less accomplished with one extra hit. Maybe make easy 3 hearts, normal 1 and hard the normal 0.

I've seriously thought about this for a LONG time, as I'm sure you have, and from a game design stand point, it makes the game much more playable while still keeping it super hard. One extra hit honestly doesn't make it much easier, it just reduces the number of "oh damnit, that was stupid."

[LanIost]

would honestly balance the game out more without making it any less 'hard core.' We have IWBTG for that. I've gotten through the whole game, up to guardian 6, with the one hit kill and have had a blast. Not only that, but I have only used save states at the check points (bad mistake, I have a billion files that all look basically the same in the screen shots) so that I can go back to any area without a password. Anyway.. (see pt. 3)

[LanIost]

I also have one suggestion. I just defeated the 6th guardian and thus am almost done with the game (gotta find key IV and the final area. Am not watching this in your play through).

In order to make the game more accessible and for honestly a better experience all all around, I really think you should make the 'hearts' mode from 2 the normal difficulty. I wouldn't make it three though, I would make it one. As in you can get hit twice. This is a nice compromise between 3 and none and

[LanIost]

Sivak, I dumped the game for one reason. I wanted to play it on my Wii. Why you ask? Because I got tired of UP being the feather. What I did was map it to the B button on the back so you have a trigger you can always hit for it. The only thing annoying is that at first you forget that you dont have anything mapped to up anymore. When you are entering a password and have to hit the B button to go up, it's weird. It's also nice to hit the check points with a trigger though.

[arnpoly]

Very entertaining and informative, thank you Sivak! 

[inhumanundead]

Nm. Just saw entire vid. Anyway, would you like to do a relatively short collab w/ me? Basically, you do the code, me and my friends do literally everything else.

[inhumanundead]

What engine allowed you to make the game? I want to make my own.

[nesmario123]

hey sivak send in a spritesheet pls

[DOSBoxMom]

This was pleasant to listen to in the background while working (nice, non-jarring music, and your creator's narration was interesting without being too loud & raucous). Pretty retro arcade game graphics, too!

[SivakD]

@edlikesbrigette My very best is 4.

[ProkoLokor]

Don't tell me that even game's creator can't beat it on unfair. It there even some kind of reward for beating it?

[iNils1]

Everything he does is harder than it looks.

[CBN0]

Doesn't he want to be the guy?

[iNils1]

Sivak Games, Battle Kid has to be the best NES game ever made! Thanks a lot! Maybe Battle Kid 2 will be even better!

[avengah]

Incidentally, after getting the terminal clue, I found the area by starting to draw a map, and I was going to work out where that hole in the ceiling came from. I went up first, obviously, and it didn't take me long to find it just by trying each wall. I didn't see anything odd; I just jumped into it and found it.

[avengah]

You said that at the entrance to the Gauntlet of Evil, the illusion tile was backwards or something, but I can't see it. It looks perfectly normal to me!

[SivakD]

@avengah Not the gold wall tile, but the pale green pattern in the BG. It's divided into 3 columns, the leftmost of which is backwards.

[Gigaminx11122]

why is there that silent hallway between each zone? due to limitations do you need to have a room dedicated to stopping music so that it can't be started correctly once you enter the new zone?

[SivakD]

@Gigaminx11122 It's to signify a transition between areas. You'll always know some different setting lies on the other side of the hallway.

[Stafy]

Thanks very much for Battle Kid, Sivak. Cleared it just recently, and I haven't been this enthusiastic about a game in a long long time.

It was really a modern take on challenge and fair level design with the heart of an NES game. I was never frustrated with the game, but only myself. And it just incensed a guy to keep going. It's a fine line, really, and it shows great ability not to cross it.

Also probably the cutest frogs on the NES, I loved those little dudes.

[DaVince21]

You can really see that this is difficult by design - I had many edge-of-seat moments while watching this even though you're a REALLY experienced player. Good job.

[lor00GH]

I've played the demo 4357834 times, and the rest up to Cleo, and I must say, this is my favorite video game. The only thing I don't like about it is that I don't own a NES. The controls, level designs, difficulty...everything...is beyond amazing. Thank you!

[Marstead]

My girlfriend bought this for me for Christmas and I just beat it last week. I was a fan of I Wanna Be The Guy but the brutal, trick-the-player stuff made it hard to play seriously. I think you balanced challenge with fairness really well; great job! Then again, I spent a whole Saturday on the Gauntlet of Evil. Definitely one of the most satisfying games I've played.

You mentioned variable speeds in this video; in BK2 will starting/stopping be smoother? It's pretty abrupt in BK1.

[MkidTrigun]

Really great playthough of the game, Sivak! It was also really insightful as you gave so much info about the game that we wouldn't have figured out on our own.

It was really awesome that you left in the Owlbot exploit that I found in V1.0, as it's a neat trick to pull off when you're going through the Boss Rush mode. :D

Can't wait for BK2 to be released! I was one of the first 100 to buy the first one that morning, and I'll be sure to be one of the first 100 to buy BK2!

[BattleZedd]

Was really nice to watch and I didnt knew about that glitch at owlbot! :D Do you planning a commentary about your special areas? I would like to know what you were thinking about that fake checkpoint at petuniax... "now you can feel the PAIN! buhaha" ..something like that I guess. :> And in BK2 I want a ShadowSivak as endboss in Petuniax2.

[panzarw]

Kinda interesting to see a 8 bit game released in 2010 :D

8-bit is still alive!!!

[pikmin257]

The fake nonagram taking your items was a majour "fuck you" to the player. And by saying "That's right," was basically the same as giving a big flaming middle finger to the player. Oh, Sivak, you're almost as cruel as Kayin himself :D

[Marstead]

@pikmin257 I loved the "That's right.' One of the most IWBTG moments in the game

[Levirules]

great commentary! This made me want to go back and play it again. Also making me more excited for Burger King 2.

[explod2A03]

This game looks awesome. Like Mega Man meets Solomon's Key. I'm kicking myself for not having purchased this yet, but regardless you definitely have a customer for Battle Kid 2.

[miroku888]

What were you recording this video with?

[TitanAura]

The B in Dr. B should stand for Bauer because that last scene... whew.... that's pretty harsh interrogation. Truth serum? Damn man. That's fucked up.

[frauber]

Have you ever thought of porting it to another platform (ie, portable ones) ? Sure ASM can't be ported, but since you created the engine yourself perhaps you could as well remake it. Congrats for the game, seems like you made the most out of the NES limitations, it's better than most commercial games for it.

[Dwedit]

Yep, I fell for the right-side area of the waterfall level. It never led anywhere good.

[MuggyOne]

Subterranean Sea Theme reminds me of Wonder Boy III. Good Job.

[pelletier1986]

Sivak, you just gave me the will to go through the game again!

51 deaths and almost up to the 2nd boss... damn i suck :(

[starsoldier1]

It's cool to see even the creator can die a few times in their own game. I can't wait for the sequel.

[nesguide]

Great job, man!

[mllarson]

Wow, you make it look so easy!

[3GenGames]

Hey Sivak, nice speedrun! I broke and watched all of it, cool points and stuff. So picking this up now.

[Kryppuk]

I was amazed when you said that you could only have three enemies on each screen. I didn't eve notice! It's pretty surprising to see what can be done with such simplistic conditions.

[SivakD]

@Kryppuk Yeah, it was a restriction built into the map format that I made. I think I read games like the old Mega Man ones used something like this. BK2, however, can have up to 16, though I never spawn that many in one enemy party. I usually stop at 6. I might mod it so it just stops at 8. There's never a reason to have THAT many, heh.

[Me126546]

@SivakD Years from now, would you consider a SNES remake?

[SivakD]

@Me126546 If it's ever remade, it'll be on something less-restricted.

[i64fanatic]

When me and my friend got the the Tyrant final boss, the flashing white screen made us scream in agony cause it was 4am and we wanted to finish it, so funny.

Great game can't wait for 2.

[GenericRubbishName]

Fantastic work on the game, one of the most impressive demos I have played.

[NixonRichardNixon]

I didn't even notice the cracks on the seahorse turrets when I played this. I just counted my shots.

[pelletier1986]

@NixonRichardNixon

hahaha me too! I guess it's easier to keep track of their HP that way...

[GleeSongsOfTheSeries]

you should like say 19 continues on those modes, then you know how much continues you have up above there, the top bar.

[SivakD]

@GleeSongsOfTheSeries In BK2, it'll tell your continue count at any save point in place of the password. BK2 also shows a death count on the game over screen. Maybe it'd just do: Death count and Death limit.

[LJG612]

@SivakD you should totally make the 3rd one for n64 and the 4th for the wii and maybe a portible one over all i loved this lets play id never took time to watch the full game until now i watched the full hour watching you beat the game.......

[jobocan]

I loved playing the game when it came out, I was one of the first to actually order it and I wrote a very positive review on my website. It's nice seeing you play through, there's actually a few things you mention/do that I didn't know. It's quite interesting. I did know about Owlbot, though I found it out at complete random the first time I faced him.

Can't wait for the sequel, hearing you talk about it here hyped me up.

[blinkstock182]

Hey thanks for posting Sivak! Rock it out G1 style!

[LJG612]

i saw the guy who got the glitch on boss two i loled and was thinking you knew....

[vinnieblacklodge]

lol great vid man ! ive played this game so much the retro love is prefect ! cant wait for part 2 ! !

[bigun89]

I have one of the 1.00 carts and I remember it being a lot harder than this.... I may pick up a newer copy. I'm a wuss. :(

[SivakD]

@bigun89 Sorry I missed this. 1.100 has absolutely NO change to ANY of the rooms whatsoever.

[border205]

The transport room fucked me up at the end of the game, I only went into 3 of the rooms and had to go the long way around near the end of the game :(

[wolfman11983]

The owl boss was it me that showed that exploit or someone before me? I am definatly noticing few differences between my 1.0 version. This was a really fun video to watch, I love the commentary, and insight.

[GamingHole]

I have the game my self (v1.1) and I like it allot even though it's damn hard.

And after watching this, I just don't look forward to playing through that O_O

But I eventually will.

I don't buy a game and a console and don't play the game to the fullest.

I had to buy an NES to play this game XD.

[CapitanPingas]

i love your work!!!!! good game :D

[border205]

I finished the game a few weeks ago, it was frustrating but fun, when is part 2 going to be released?

[shadowVDP1]

Damn! I watched the whole thing...

THIS is NES hard!!!

[daisuke587]

this looks like a fun game im looking forword to playing it as soon as i get a nes.