May Update

I figured it's been a long time since I posted anything, so here it is.
Latest Download.

This version contains a bunch of smaller bug fixes (including some crash-related ones) and also adds water physics. Samus will now slide around in water unless you get the Gravity Suit. In order to allow for backwards compatibility, this feature has been disabled in acid until I go back through all the levels and make sure the player can escape from the acid if he/she falls in.

The Zebes Depths area has been completed but has not been appended to the map quite yet. If you want to test it out, you'll have to set your SMTC.cfg to start you in Rooms/Dept00.mcl. I worked hard on those levels so at least pretend to appreciate them.

Scripting is in the works at the moment but is only partially functional. To see some examples of what it can do, go to your SMTC.cfg. The cvars on the bottom can be used to edit the properties of water physics in-game. More options will come once I work out the bugs in the parser.

As for the more global picture, Toasty and I have been talking about starting a new project. It won't be a remake, instead it will be a completely original game mixing RPG and Strategy elements. Very few details have been even discussed but you can expect to hear about any betas on this blog at some point.

What's this? A review? Oh my!

After noticing Sudtrap's comment about a month ago in Salty's Useless Update Post:

Sudtrap said...

I've gotten the Gamersnark interested in reviewing the game and game engine, and he'd like to do a interview as well, when you release it!
(A link to one of his better videos)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DO9q9M5Irl0

Otherwise, I look forward to the release! ^_^

I should probably note that Gamersnark has completed his review and it's up on his website and in his YouTube channel. Take a look, let him and us know what you think! It also features a Q&A interview with Mr. SaltyJustice himself. Perhaps we'll contact him for another review in the future if you guys like it.

http://www.gamerzsnark.com/Salty%27s%20Metroid%20Review.htm

Ubuntu Build

I toyed around with SMTC in Ubuntu 9.10 (Karmic Koala) today. Altered the build settings, changed some paths to be compatible, etc. Here's the end result:

SMTC in Ubuntu

Although it's still got some issues to track down (such as not accepting input..), it is compile-able! The libraries are also usable in Mac OSX and other distros, so you may see those as a possibility.

More on this when I decide to work on it further.

Source Release

This is the download link for the existing SMTC Source. I used Codeblocks for this, and Allegro 4.9.x 4.0.3. The Audio library I used was BASS 2.4.

This release is for you amateurs out there, as well as anyone presently interested in helping port the game to other operating systems. I will upgrade the source releases as the RCs come out.

Final RC version

This is the final version of the SMTC RC1 version. It contains fixes for the Mother Brain encounter, as well as all the previous patch versions rolled into one.

The next RC will probably be released next month, or SMTC 1.0 if I think it's polished enough. While I won't be immediately patching any minor bugs until then, feel free to post whatever bugs you do find.

Update: A few fatal errors have been patched, as of April 4.
Elevators should no longer crash the program
Helix beam hitting a corner should no longer crash the program
Transitioning in rooms should no longer crash the program sometimes
Non-standard door positions should no longer cause scrolling

SMTC Release Candidate Mark I Released!

At long last, here it is. SMTC 1.0 (Mark I), a fully playable Metroid Classic game experience.

There are FAR fewer parade floats and flying streamers than I had come to expect.

Anyway, you can download it here.

As always you can get the latest release at www.g0dsoft.com/smtc/Downloads/SMTC_Release_Latest.rar.

For the love of god, read the readme I included. All of it. I'm serious.
And start pimping this to your friends/neighbors/victims/people you don't like. Get the word out people!

Update: Just encountered a crash. Using the elevator from Ridley's Lair to Norfair. Haven't been able to reproduce it yet. SAVE OFTEN. As in, every time you pass a save room.

Also, the list of known bugs is nowhere near up to date. I'll post a new one soon.

Update 2: Patched a crash issue in Tourian. Please download the zip/rar again if you got it earlier this afternoon.

Update 3: If you are experiencing a crash in the Mother Brain's room, please try this patch and leave a comment if it works. If not, back to the drawing board.

Update 4: This patch should solve some minor problems in the Ridley's Lair section (and one major one, yeesh). Replace your old Rooms folder with the new one included. Also contains some other minor bug fixes.

FYI: If you're downloading this for the first time, the package is being updated with the patches, so you won't need them.

Updateless Update

Okay so we're going with the monthly format here.
February doesn't get an update because February was midterms/swine flu month.

The Editor is nearing its final version, barring some unforseen bugs.
Kraid is done (it only took a few hours to build and test him, but you try fucking doing that with swine flu).
Ridley is done as far as I know.
I'm going to work on the Mother Brain now. The Zebetites and Rinkas are already done but they're "harmless" to allow testing unmolested, which you may have seen in the case of Ridley and Kraid. Those two are now fully armed.
Screw Attack has been added and seems to work.
Fixed a massive crash that had to do with doors opening and target lists.

I probably did some other stuff but forgot what I did (I'm like that).

Expect an actual release next week. More importantly, next week's release will be an RC, meaning it might be the finished version (or 1.0. Metroid 2 will be 2.0, but that's getting ahead of myself).

Finally, I'd like to see you people (okay, you two) make a video or somesuch that I can post on youtube to pimp the RC. So if you're interested in doing that you can mail me or post a comment.
I'd do it myself but my system refuses to record sound internally. Also I suck hard at video editing.