Title: Net-Yaroze-Game-Jam-2022 Author: mgarcia Date: 2022-09-15 13:55 +0200 Tags: Community, Events Comments: Open

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Size: 1.30 MB [Player volume: MAX]

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Below is subject to change, WIP.

Entries

• Instant Death by Noel Rojas Oliveras https://github.com/Aionmagan/PS1_Game_INSTA-DEATH
• Yarmico by gwald https://github.com/gwald/yarmico
• Yarmico 2 by gwald https://github.com/gwald/yarmico2

See Downloads for CDROM image and more information.

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Introduction

Net Yaroze, was an official Sony hobbyist PlayStation development kit, that let members create and share games for the original PlayStation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvazxfL10kE

European promotional video for Sony's Net Yaroze programmable PlayStation. 1997.

It's possible to make a PlayStation game without the need of a Net Yaroze, a normal (or modded) retail PlayStation will do just fine, you will just need a USB to PS Serial transfer cable, which are relatively easy to build with a little soldering.
However, with a few good PlayStation emulators, the actual hardware while ideal for testing, isn't completely necessary, and in fact it can be quicker to develop using emulators, so they are strongly recommended.

I would suggest reading through the Start-up and User Guides, to familiarize yourself with the platform hardware and software.

Next, you will need the Net Yaroze SDK, setup, running and tested working. The toolchain's are C/C++, so you'll need some programming experience, the C language is a relatively small and low level language, but not completely impossible for a novice to create something from scratch with enough motivation and determination.

The game jam is split into two projects, each are one (calendar) month and based on a theme and it's limitations.
So what better place to start, then the beginning of the video gaming industry, we are cyber traveling, way back to the groovy past!

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1st of October: Net Yaroze Game Jam #1.

Theme: Late 1970's Arcade Game.
Limitations: single screen, 4bit palette (16 colours) utilizing only one or two action buttons max.

Backstory:
The year is 1978, Space Invaders is hugely popular in Japan, you being a young (at heart) and keen artist or programmer, have been given the task of creating the next fun and addictive, coin munching, arcade hit, in 4 weeks!

Tip:
Keep it extremely simple, twitch action that gets harder/faster the longer you play.

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1st of November: Net Yaroze Game Jam #2

Theme: 1980's fantasy console prototype game.
Limitations: scrolling map, 8bit palette (255 colours) utilizing one to four action buttons max.

Backstory:
For your next project, you've been promoted to develop a game for an up and coming, home video game console, with a novel video display chip that can output scrolling tiles, 255 colours and a gamepad with 4 face buttons.

Tip:
Focus on making a vertical slice, a single and fun, playable level.

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What you get

• Community support and encouragement.
• All successful submissions will be included in a Net Yaroze yearly demo disc (CDROM image), created by qobol, which can be played in emulators.
• And optionally, make a Bio and project static homepage and it will be hosted at here, more info TBD.
• A big smile, knowing you made a PlayStation game! :D

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Guidelines

These guidelines serve as rules but if you feel strongly about braking them, that's fine, just make sure the Net Yaroze title screen reflects the correct information. However interesting creativity comes from design and technical constraints.

• Because these a relatively small projects and the Net Yaroze community is very small, a maximum of 2 person teams, ie if you have a bigger team, split up to make multiple entries.
• Theme and limitations are flexible, but the game must be 100% 2D, no use of 3D allowed.
• Must use Net Yaroze libraries (DJGP/GCC or Codewarror only) - No other SDK can be used, except for region/display detection, no circumvention of the SDK.
• The game’s source must be available and distributable, ie licensed GPL, BY-NC-ND, etc.
• Game and source code will be archived together.
• Submissions must compile via codeworrior, makefile or batch file, launch via siocons script and run on hardware and emulator.
• Unfinished submissions are fine, but must compile and run.
• Games must be playable with digital controllers, analog controllers must be optional.
• Submissions must have the Net Yaroze title image displayed at the start, for at least 5 seconds.
• Late submitted projects are fine, just have the correct date on the title image.
• 3rd party assets or code is fine, just give correct credit in game, code, or readme etc

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Optional

• CDROM access is allowed but limited only to the data found on the original boot disc, ie TIM, VAB, SEQ etc.
• CD Audio tracks are allowed, but total time limits will be set depending on total entries using CD Audio.
• Extra kudos for including any design doc and art(.xcf, .psd) and audio(midi) source files or blogging, vlogging etc.

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Scoring & Ranking

None, the process of creating something into existence is hard enough, there will be no pressure of scrutiny and judgement here!
You either did a thing, or not... and hopefully enjoyed, learnt and grew from the process. Read the Net Yaroze Ethos section for more information.

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Community

For more information or have any questions, join us in the Net Yaroze chat server:

http://netyaroze.com/chat (discord)

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Some recommended tools

• Tile studio, A free app that does cell pixel art, sprite animation and level maps, and is scriptable.
• Gimp, A free photoshop alternative
• Imagistick, command line image conversion.
• img2tim to PSX format, with VRAM placement.
• Audacity free audio tool.

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General tips

The PlayStation, for it's age, has a large range of 2D/3D features, start by choosing a small subset of these to build your game on, and commit to the limitations, ie:

1. Platform:
   1. Single colour filled boxes and lines.
   2. Sprites: H/V flip, rotation, scale, transparent, RGB brightness.
   3. modulated and sampled sound FX.

And then remove the least important, lines, RGB brightness, rotation, vertical flip, sample audio only. Reducing your platform requirements, will make your game easier and quicker to build.

Next, your game design, should also go through a similar process, ie:

1. Design:
   1. Enemy AI: attack, evade, flock.
   2. Three weapons, pick ups.
   3. splash, intro, select, game, game over, credits, ending.

Simplify to single weapon and replacing pick ups with a score bonus.

For more general advice, read the Net Yaroze Ethos section.

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