Net Yaroze Game Jam 2024

Magic Castle - Comments feedback

January 06, 2021, at 03:30 AM by mgarcia in Images (154 comments)

Title: Magic Castle - Comments feedback Author: mgarcia Date: 2021-01-06 13:30 +1100 Tags: Images Comments: Open


Magic Castle - Comments and feedback page

Size: 9.28 MB[Player volume: MAX]

Comments and feedback from the Magic Castle interview page

Read the instruction manual.

Translation updates and credits posted here: http://netyaroze.com/Media/Magic-Castle-Translations


154 comments on "Magic Castle - Comments feedback"

  • qobol: 2020-03-23 00:45 +1100
    It's so sad how the project was cancelled after all the effort they put into it, but it's good to know they're still active game designers after all. Thanks for sharing your memories.
  • Jeremy: 2020-07-01 19:39 +0200
    Hi there, and sorry about contacting you this way. I was doing some research about the Net Yaroze and stumbled across the wikipedia article. It states that a standard playstation disk was made containing a selection of Net Yaroze games. It was made by SCEE and sent to PAL region Net Yaroze owners. I heard about the free demo disks in magazines but I haven't heard of these. Do you know anything about them? If so, would you be kind enough to answer me. I'll try and pop by the comments section here once in a while to see if you have. Anyways, many thanks in advance.
  • qobol: 2020-07-03 14:17 +0200
    There is a promotional disc with the product code SLED-01340. This may be the one you're looking for.
  • Jeremy: 2020-07-03 17:40 +0200
    Hey qobol, I've found a rom dump of the disc. Thanks a lot for the help.
  • PIROWO: 2020-10-30 15:12 +0100
    Here's the latest version of the video!
    https://youtu.be/7vsuuRCVHr4
  • John: 2021-01-02 19:40 +0100
    Since the game is free, is it possible to see the source code? I'm a hobbyist that really loves to see those stuff.
  • Retro_Fan: 2021-01-02 23:37 +0100
    Thank you so much for releasing this! The game is awesome!

    As John in the comments already said, it would be really useful for hobbyists (and for preservation purposes) to have access to the source code as well. Please consider this.
  • Patrick: 2021-01-03 13:57 +0100
    I am also interested in the source code : )
  • Panacea: 2021-01-03 14:57 +0100
    Hello! I was playing Magic Castle yesterday and found a bug. Not sure if it was because I got 2 items in a row or another reason. I couldn't rotate the items wheel anymore, so the only way to use new items was right after getting one https://clips.twitch.tv/SuspiciousSquareSnailMau5

    Also, I have some feedback to give. Should I post here, twitter or email?
  • mgarcia: 2021-01-04 02:30 +0100
    Thanks for the comments and feed back! : )

    Regarding the source code, unfortunately it's not ours to release that would be something you'd need to ask @SG_matsu and/or @PIROWO directly via twitter.

    @Panacea, cool thanks for that!
    I would prefer all feedback and comments posted on archive.org or here (there's no limits on comment size) :)
  • KoroAkechi: 2021-01-04 16:05 +0100
    Has anyone made a psp Eboot of this? It'd be nice to play it on my psp without the extra step of an emulator.
  • Bombshelboy: 2021-01-04 16:10 +0100
    Excited to try this...I would have totally bought this game if it ever came out. For that matter, if you ever release a PC version on Steam or something like that, I'd buy it in a heartbeat
  • HBG: 2021-01-04 16:32 +0100
    That will be a very nice experience! in 2021 I can play a new game on PS1! Thank you!
  • Jake: 2021-01-04 16:50 +0100
    In retropie it just stuck at Start screen
  • Jake: 2021-01-04 16:52 +0100
    Could you play on retropie?
  • Qobol: 2021-01-04 18:25 +0100
    Thanks @Panacea, I had never seen that. I've tried to reproduce the bug but the equip menu didn't crash. If you're using an emulator and it happens again, a savestate might help us.

    @KoroAkechi. I've seen the game running on a PSVita https://youtu.be/jrBfG8Of9aM
    I'm not sure if that same file would work on psp.

    @Jake. We haven't tested the game on Retropie. I think it uses a modified version of PCSX. In that case, a PS1 bios might be required instead of the hle bios.
  • KoroAkechi: 2021-01-04 18:35 +0100
    Thanks for the video link @Qobol!
  • Panacea: 2021-01-04 19:37 +0100
    Thanks for the answer! I'll be playing it for a while, so I'll come back to comment when I find more stuff.

    These are things that I think that could improve that game:

    -Make clones enemies wait a bit before appearing. Melee characters can get punished by killing an enemy and having another one appearing close to them
    -Make key invincible when appearing, so you don't automatically go to the next floor by killing an enemy with multi-hitting moves
    -Raise a little bit the value of rarer coins, as 3 platinum coins aren't even enough to buy the cheapest item from the shop
    -Make the hitbox for the shop smaller, so you can fight enemies without opening the store for every attack.

    And things that I think could improve the game, but may change the experience devs intended:

    -Make coins slowly go towards the player or stay in place, so it's easier to pick them
    -Make clone enemies slight weaker than the original (less damage and hp), skeleton rooms are a problem to deal with because they are always following the player, never stop appearing and red skeletons have a lot of HP. (You can deal with these rooms using scrolls, this change would make easier to deal with these rooms without scrolls, but it's hard mode so it's okay to be hard)
  • Donkhan: 2021-01-04 20:22 +0100
    Hi!
    Someone knew if can b'played in PSP?
  • kevums: 2021-01-04 20:36 +0100
    PS3 CECHA01 reporting! Works/plays OK so far, analog support!
  • KingLich: 2021-01-04 20:48 +0100
    Congratulations to you!
  • Hidro: 2021-01-04 21:00 +0100
    Can I help you with Italian translation?
    How can I contact you?
  • Twitch: 2021-01-04 22:06 +0100
    Is the game in Japanese or is there an English translated version?
  • Panacea: 2021-01-04 23:04 +0100
    @Twitch it's english only for now
  • FedePG: 2021-01-04 23:28 +0100
    Does this game have an ending?
  • mgarcia: 2021-01-05 04:30 +0100
    @Panacea, thanks for the great feedback.

    @FedePG, Characters have endings and unlockables, the game... hmmm I don't know sorry.

    @Hidro, There's a great Spanish (and English) translation, Japanese is WIP, I don't know how many language MC can support, but I don't think adding more should be a problem, it's probably something that should be crowd sourced though, so check back in a few days.
  • Frankcis: 2021-01-05 04:55 +0100
    I love your work, i'm testing an EBOOT.PBP file i made from your iso on my PSP FAT, there are 2 main things which are messing things up.

    1: It might be hard, but i need an id for the game, (like SLPS-00587) i tried to come up with a code searching for the most approximate from alphabetical id's but no results. I'm still figuring out what to do, it only displays "damaged data"

    2: I can't get PSX2PSP to compress it, so it's heavier than any psp game ever.

    If you can help me with one or none it's ok, as i said, i absolutely love your work , i'll try to do mine the best.
  • Jeff Sousa @lordeilluminati: 2021-01-05 05:05 +0100
    I think it is really cool a new game for the PlayStation for quite a while and it looks pretty fun, my advice is that I am seeing that select and start key combo go back to the menu and on some emulators, especially using Retroarch, it is used to bring the emulator menu if you are using a controller. It would be cool if it could be changed to another button combination. You can change it to something else, yes, but start and select together are rarely used in games and is an easy way to bring the emulator menu. Start Select L1 L2 R1 R2 is supposed to be a good option but it is used in many games like ones made by Square, or all face buttons are used in fighting games...
  • Panacea: 2021-01-05 06:38 +0100
    I found another glitch. Not sure if the level up was related or just specific position.
    https://clips.twitch.tv/MiniatureUnusualClipsmomGrammarKing

    And I also want to congratulate you for the amazing UI! It's nice to be able to quickly use a potion you just found or easily equip items!
  • tthousand: 2021-01-05 08:42 +0100
    Thank you Kaiga! Congratulations on releasing your game! I have tried various method of playing the game, and I have shared my results below. I hope this helps. Feel free to ask questions I will try to respond.

    Tested:
    - DuckStation (PS1 emulator): Working!
    - XEBRA (PS1 emulator): Working!
    - PCSX2 (PS2 emulator): boots, but has graphical errors.
    - RPCS3 (PS3 emulator): converted to EBOOT.PBP then converted to PKG. Working!
    - PPSSPP (PSP emulator): converted to EBOOT.PBP. PPSSPP does not support PS1 games.
    - PS Vita 1000 using Adrenaline: converted to EBOOT.PBP. Does not boot.
    - PS Vita 1000 using RetroArch: Working!
  • Дмитро Борода: 2021-01-05 11:44 +0100
    Щиро вас вітаю з релізом!
    Всіх вам благ, і чекаю ваші нові ігри у 2042му році!
  • Jake: 2021-01-05 13:06 +0100
    Hi its me again I will try to make it work on retropie but I just want to say it works like charm on epsxe with hle bios.
  • Jake: 2021-01-05 14:52 +0100
    @Qobol Yes you were right! with scph1001.bin it works on retropie too without any problems. Just send the bin file to \\retropie\bios folder! thanks again for such a great game! and I won't pass without saying the ability to change place of health bar is a really good idea! Have a nice day!
  • Neto: 2021-01-05 18:08 +0100
    sensational!! 20 years later and we have this wonderful game .. Psone the best of games! s2
  • Clément: 2021-01-05 20:13 +0100
    I try to play this on retroarch (on a retroid pocket2), it looks to run perfectly but I can't input any command, so I can't even start the game, any idea how to make it work=
  • Qobol: 2021-01-05 20:58 +0100
    Thanks to all the people who are testing the game in different systems and sharing the results. We need to gather all the info and put it together for future reference.

    @Panacea. Hard difficulty is meant to be very hard but maybe we can improve the key and shop collision. At least that glitch didn't corrupt the game like the previous one. Those are very hard to reproduce and debug.

    @Hidro. The program can't display accents or special characters like Ç or Ñ. That's why French and Portuguese translations are unlikely to happen. In Spanish, uppercase letters without accents are acceptable. If it's fine to write Italian without accents we could add that translation.

    @Jeff Sousa. I've never used retroarch, but I've read that button combination can be customized in the emulator configuration.

    And for those trying to run the game on systems I can't test, sorry but I can't think of anything else. We'll have to wait until someone else shares a solution.
  • The Opponent: 2021-01-05 21:39 +0100
    I can't get this game to boot on real PlayStation SCPH-5501 with MODE.
  • Filipe cruz: 2021-01-05 22:44 +0100
    Olha o Brasil aqui pessoal parabéns
  • Filipe cruz: 2021-01-06 00:39 +0100
    Como funciona o salve caso morra volta do niv 1 msm?
    Não entendi.
  • Hidro: 2021-01-06 01:14 +0100
    @Qobol. There's no need to use special letters for Italian. I'm already working on the Italian translation on my own, I really want to make it happen. I am using a hex editor (Translhextion 16c) to edit the texts found in the BIN file, and it works! I can send you some screenshots! However, it is more difficult not having the source code, or other ways to work easily on it.
    If I can help you with the translation in any way, I'm available! Can I give you my email?
  • The Opponent: 2021-01-06 03:32 +0100
    I have been told that removing every track after the first one in the cuesheet allows it to run in MODE, but there's no music except in-game.

    Would it be possible to give the key some invincibility after it spawns? I keep hitting it by accident when it happens to come out of a thick mob.

    I also found that the demo sequence has no programming and the character in it can be controlled by the player. It will cause the game to crash if the character dies.
  • Panacea: 2021-01-06 13:25 +0100
    @Filipe cruz
    Você salva para gravar as configurações, modos habilitados e pontuações. As próximas versões podem ter mais motivos para salvar
  • Clément: 2021-01-06 14:06 +0100
    @tthousand:

    don't you have any issue with the command on retroarch, that's really weird for me because the other game i tried (THPS2) on the same console (retroidpocket2) and same configuration, the controls works perfectly.
  • Qobol: 2021-01-06 18:18 +0100
    @Hidro. Please, if you're going to post your email address, encode it using this online tool to prevent spam: https://www.base64encode.org
    I will remove it then.

    I'll see what can be done to prevent hitting the key right after it's been produced.
  • Hidro: 2021-01-06 21:37 +0100
    @qobol
    Thank you! Done!
    (deleted)
  • tthousand: 2021-01-06 23:39 +0100
    @Clément

    I did not have any issues with the controls, except that the analog stick was disabled by default on the version of RetroArch for Vita that I was using. I was easily able to go into RetroArch's setting and enable the analog stick. Also, it is worth mentioning that I am using the latest nightly build of RetroArch.
  • qobol: 2021-01-07 00:24 +0100
    @Hidro. Thanks I have sent the file.

    If anybody thinks the game could be translated to French or Portuguese without using the Ç character we could try adding more languages. We could use alternate words.

    I've written a workaround to avoid hitting the key the moment it's dropped. Now I'm testing how long should it be disabled. Maybe 2 seconds, or 1.5?
  • mgarcia: 2021-01-07 02:12 +0100
    @Jeff Sousa and Retroarch users.
    Sorry but the "Start and Select" combination probably wont change.
    That combination is used a lot in Net Yaroze games/demos and I *think* some OPSM disc demo's also use that combination, but I'm not 100% on that, but I wouldn't be surprised. I'm not sure as to it's origin to be honest, but it predates Net Yaroze, at least from a SCEE NY point of view.
  • Clément: 2021-01-07 10:09 +0100
    Anybody else have issue with retroarch? or is it only me : )
    I tried to switch some conrols but it doesn't seems to work.
    For retroarch users, what core do you use?

    Thanks again!
  • aT: 2021-01-07 12:26 +0100
    Will the source code be released?
  • Panacea: 2021-01-07 14:41 +0100
    Is it just me or some commands don't work?
    I can't move the camera with the right stick (fairy+semi-manual), it works with L1 and R1 during fairy birdview.
    The reset combination (Select+L2+R2) also doesn't work.
  • Panacea: 2021-01-08 01:57 +0100
    Today I got every task and (I believe) every item! Thank you so much for making such an awesome game!
    I'll still stream to beat the game with other character and do the bonus modes
  • qobol: 2021-01-08 14:33 +0100
    @Panacea. That's great. The game wasn't that hard after all. I don't know what system you're playing on but we performed a few tests on different consoles and emulators and those key combinations worked fine. I'm sorry, we can't test the game on many of the systems people are trying to play the game.
  • Panacea: 2021-01-08 20:09 +0100
    @qobol It's okay!
    I'm playing on epsxe, I'll try another emulator to see if the problem continues
  • RicardoBonfim: 2021-01-09 12:45 +0100
    Hello @qobol, I'm really interested in translating Magic Castle into Portuguese, if I can help in any way, please contact me.

    my email: (deleted)
    twitter: @RicardoBonfim13
  • qobol: 2021-01-09 17:23 +0100
    @Panacea. I've tested the game on epsxe using a psx to usb adapter. Remember you have to turn analog mode on pressing F5 if you're using the default plugin.

    @RicardoBonfim. I've sent you an email.
  • Panacea: 2021-01-10 21:00 +0100
    @qobol Thank you! Turning the analog on fixed it and changing a config with the gamepad fixed the reset command!
  • UltraStars3000: 2021-01-13 01:10 +0100
    Hello @qobol !
    I've been really interested in this project and would like to help for a possible French translation.
    If I can help in any way, feel free to contact me by email:
    (deleted)
    (I didn't know if I should have shared my email directly so I used a Base64 encode for it)
  • qobol: 2021-01-13 13:45 +0100
    @UltraStars3000. Thanks for your help. I've sent you an email.
  • Hbg: 2021-01-13 17:03 +0100
    I can translate to turkish if you wish : )
    You can mail me too
    (removed)
  • mgarcia: 2021-01-13 22:35 +0100
    @Hbg, thanks I've forwarded to qobol.
  • Elsiz: 2021-01-15 15:48 +0100
    Do you plan to release the game in physical form?
  • crush-zombie: 2021-01-16 05:00 +0100
    Sometimes while playing with the Wizard as second player (not sure if that's specific) she'll hit the floor and stay there, making it impossible to proceed. It happened once when the Wizard hit the key, but again when she checked an NPC.

    I made a save state: https://www.mediafire.com/file/3al0367ly7kob0k/sstates.7z/file
  • qobol: 2021-01-16 16:58 +0100
    @Elsiz. That's very unlikely. There's no way we can make a PS1 disc with the required license for running on retail consoles.

    @crush-zombie. Thanks. I've seen you can control the wizard again if she gets hit by the bat, but of course, this is not a normal behavior. Can you provide more information? How did she fall into that state, was she hit by an enemy? And while I perform some tests, can you please confirm if this happens using a different emulator?
  • crush-zombie: 2021-01-17 03:20 +0100
    @qobol - We got the same result on another emulator, too (pSX), and once again it happened after the Wizard (second player) checked a wounded NPC (it may have been the second check). Just checking the NPC put her on the floor (like the knocked out state, but without stars and without recovering).
  • qobol: 2021-01-17 19:11 +0100
    @crush-zombie. You're absolutely right. The npc archer routine was wrongfully putting the second wizard in a wounded state. It's been fixed for the next version. Thanks for reporting this bug.
  • Edward: 2021-01-19 14:18 +0100
    Please could you say what the QR code is for in the QR.txt file. I can't seem to decode it.
  • mgarcia: 2021-01-19 23:01 +0100
    @Edward, it's the URL "http://netyaroze.com/magiccastle"
    When scanned, it automatically launches the browser on that page, which is a redirect to the interview page.
  • Elsiz: 2021-01-20 21:58 +0100
    I'm working on a ps1 cover, I would like to know if I could get the logo of the game in better resolution, I have no intention of selling it, it is a personal project to add it to my collection of ps1 games since it will not have a physical version :(
  • mgarcia: 2021-01-21 00:35 +0100
    @Elsiz The game logo image was created by K.Matsunami.
    I don't think they would mind people making covers for their game... I'd guess they would probably like to see what you can make : )

    Edit: I've asked K.M directly.
  • Elsiz: 2021-01-21 11:00 +0100
    @mgarcia Thank you :D
  • OnePointZero: 2021-01-21 11:01 +0100
    Thanks for releasing this lost game, what a great way to start the year!
    I made an Eboot for my PSP and, even though is perfectly playable, it's missing both analog sticks, L2, R2, L3 and R3 buttons.

    What this means is, basically, you can't control the camera (except when hitting the fairy). If there was some way to address this issue, it would be wonderful!

    Thanks for releasing the game, it's so solid and fun and miles ahead from other Netyaroze releases. I'm sure it would have been a fantastic full scale roguelite.
  • Anon_Cypher: 2021-01-21 18:47 +0100
    Here's a fanmade coverart I made: https://imgur.com/gallery/oeVxxhP

    I've been also testing the game out. From what I found out, it doesn't work on PS3. Neither the bin/cue nor the PKG work. Trying to load them up will hard-freeze the console forcing you to hardboot the console to turn it off.
  • szero: 2021-01-24 16:11 +0100
    Not sure if its the right place but I wanted to report a bug related to buying items at the fountain when the fountain spawns submerged into the map. Sometimes bought item spawns at the corner of the fountain and falls down, preventing it from you picking it up, fix for this would be adding jumping routine to the item (similar to what the next level key does) but with only upward motion. Graphical explanation: https://imgur.com/a/DFNkSew
  • OnePointZero: 2021-01-25 11:20 +0100
    @szero Page 25 in the manual:
    "Like in actual vending machines, items may sometimes get stuck in unreachable comers.
    There must be a magic item somewhere for fixing these situations."
    https://archive.org/details/mcmanual/page/n24/mode/1up

    Happened to me quite a few times, still don't know which magic item is refering to. Alas, still don't know what the candles, white paper and blue leaf (fake item?) are for.
  • qobol: 2021-01-25 13:46 +0100
    I know, I considered the idea when it happened to me but discarded it. I could write different workarounds to prevent items getting stuck in corners, like making them bounce on the border, changing the angle at which items are thrown or just producing the items right over characters. I created a rare item instead. I wanted to enhance replayability and this serves as a motivation for players to find all the secrets by themselves.
  • qobol: 2021-01-29 13:30 +0100
    We have been discusing this subject and we will include another way for retrieving items out of reach in the next version.
  • HBG: 2021-01-30 09:54 +0100
    Hi I translated and replied your mail. Should I send you with another way?
  • qobol: 2021-01-30 13:26 +0100
    Thanks. I have read your message and I'm implementing your translation for the next version.
  • darkman425: 2021-02-02 22:47 +0100
    Tried out the 2021 Feb 01 build and I have a big issue with one of the difficulty changes.

    The difficulty changes regarding how enemies scale defense to the player level is not a fun change. The defense scaling is too much and makes some runs almost unwinnable without item abuse. This is most noticeable on the final boss where he can heal up faster than the player can damage him. Either the defense scaling has to be drastically reduced or removed.

    I do like how the final boss has a more interesting attack pattern though. It makes for a more intense fight.
  • qobol: 2021-02-03 14:12 +0100
    @darkman425 Thanks for trying the new version. Which difficulty mode are you playing?
  • darkman425: 2021-02-05 02:23 +0100
    @qobol I tried out both easy and normal difficulty but didn't bother finishing off either run when I got to the final boss at level 20 but was only doing 1 damage per hit on the boss. Since the boss was healing up that damage more than I could deal that meant it was essentially unwinnable without having to rely on items. That isn't what I'd consider fun, since it made levelling up feel useless or potentially actively detrimental.
  • qobol: 2021-02-05 15:46 +0100
    @darkman425 That's actually a common situation in some RPGs and it already happened in the first version. There's a warning in the manual on page 59.

    We tested the game before releasing it and we could defeat the golden knight. If your character isn't strong enough, you have different options:

    - Keep playing beyond floor 20 and gain more experience points.
    - Gain more experience points and better weapons before reaching floor 20.
    - Save your strongest spells for the boss fight.

    The final boss is harder in this version to prevent monotonous and unchallenging boss fights like this: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/872599935?t=1h52m48s
  • K.matsunami: 2021-02-05 17:28 +0100
    @darkman425 Thank you for your comment,
    I have been enjoying the RTA play you have posted.
    I'm amazed at your great technique, darkman425.
    It is true that the bosses may be too hard in the current version.
    I would like to do some more test play and consult with qobol to make some adjustments.
  • qobol: 2021-02-06 02:30 +0100
    Can somebody please download and test if this iso still has defense problems on bosses?

    https://www.mediafire.com/file/9hxjnutmv6vkqge/Magic_Castle_2021_06_feb.zip/file

    I have removed the link to the iso from the downloads section until this issue has been fixed.
  • K.matsunami: 2021-02-06 13:35 +0100
    Thanks for releasing the preview version,
    I'm amazed at how fast you work, qobol.

    I tried to play Easy with my knight for about 3 hours.
    Unfortunately, I couldn't get to the boss in 3 hours of gameplay.
    In my opinion, I found the whole game difficult even in Easy mode.
    I felt that the player takes a lot of damage from enemy attacks.
    I think that Easy mode could be made easier.
    darkman425 and other players are welcome to play it and give us feedback.
  • kalimag: 2021-02-06 14:17 +0100
    I haven't properly played the new versions yet so I can't really comment on the balancing, but I have to wonder if some of the different experiences here come from the randomized stat gains?

    Presumably for this reason the difficulty of enemies on a floor (meaning which type of enemies spawn) is determined by the sum of max HP/SP/AT/DF rather than the floor or level. This can still lead to situations were the player has high HP, SP and DF values but low AT values so strong enemies spawn and take forever to kill, but at least in theory it's balanced.

    But in version 2 the defense increase of enemies seems to be determined by the player's level alone, so players can experience vastly different difficulty at the same level, and gaining more levels doesn't necessarily help if the player's random AT gains are low and enemies keep getting more DF.

    I haven't noticed the same behavior in the latest preview version, so I don't know if the scaling logic was changed or completely removed.
  • PS1Fanatic: 2021-02-06 23:31 +0100
    @Qobol I have been playing your game since January and have been enjoying my time finding the mysteries within the castle. I have solved some, but more remain.

    I have been playing the latest version you have released, and I agree with some of the comments on difficulty.

    I have noticed that it can be somewhat tedious to kill big rats when you begin the game do to the low level of the player's attacks. Another issue I have noticed at the beginning of a new game is that ghosts are very common, and can end a new game rather quickly. This problem becomes worse if you happen to be in a small room with a ghost and a rat, as you may die from one hit of the ghost as you try to kill the rat. I think ghosts would be better after a certain floor (floor 5 maybe) to ensure quick deaths like this aren't common. Finally, I can understand the treasure room not having all the items it once did, but I'm not sure putting a ghost and various golems in it are worthwhile, in the manual it says to use a warp scroll to escape many enemies, but the basement seems less of solitude and more of a trap. The basement may benefit from a combination of treasure and health potions, rather than just the former. I am excited to see what the purpose of the coins is, as it seemed you stressed more importance on them in Version 2.

    Thank you for the hard work you have put into this game and for considering our feedback. This game has become one of my favorites.
  • qobol: 2021-02-07 03:01 +0100
    Thanks for testing. Please, try this new one and let me know if it's better now:
    https://www.mediafire.com/file/b1w2t5laqivcauz/Magic_Castle_2021_07_feb.zip/file

    Easy mode is now the same as normal in the first version with no changes in parameters. Normal and hard use the same formula as easy in yesterday's version. I can see no difference except in stronger bosses. I could finish the game playing as the knight. I also fought the black golem and the big rat. It's slightly harder but pretty much the same. Or maybe I was lucky and found many useful items in treasure chests.

    @PS1Fanatic Finding ghosts at the beginning is just a coincidence. They're random. We saw players overexploiting the basement, it was a mistake having that many treasure chests filled with powerful items, but you're right about the enemies on that floor. They should be there only after abuse has been detected. Sadly, I hadn't read your message before uploading the updated iso, but I'll do it for the next one.
  • qobol: 2021-02-08 02:42 +0100
    This version is even easier. Strongest enemies don't get their strength increased at all:
    https://www.mediafire.com/file/4q017i4n5e5ynyk/Magic_Castle_2021_08_feb.zip/file

    Differences between easy and normal difficulty are minimal. The treasure chamber has been remodeled again.
  • PS1Fanatic: 2021-02-08 03:15 +0100
    The devil works hard, by @qobol works harder!
  • PS1Fanatic: 2021-02-09 08:26 +0100
    @Qobol would you be able to release a bin/cue version of the iso you just released? Or recommend a converter? I would like to try your update, but unfortunately I’m not adept with technology most times.
  • qobol: 2021-02-10 00:09 +0100
    There's no need to convert it. You can just rename it to .bin and create a .cue file with the following text:

    FILE "Magic_Castle_2021_08_feb.bin" BINARY
    TRACK 01 MODE2/2352
    INDEX 01 00:00:00
  • K.matsunami: 2021-02-11 11:45 +0100
    Thank you, Qobol, for working on the upgrade.
    I played and cleared Magic_Castle_2021_08_feb.zip in EASY mode.
    I found the balance of game difficulty in EASY mode to be good in the 08_feb version.
    It was easy to beat the bosses by using scrolls, but fighting them with no items makes for a tense battle.
    I'd also like to hear what people who play EASY mode RTA think about it.
  • DiogoBrSouza: 2021-02-11 15:35 +0100
    I have played this version with the fighter, it is more easy than 4-feb version, that i didn't even reach the 10th floor in normal mode.
    In this preview an item have stuck behind a bookshelf. I will try to beat the game later : )
    I loved this game <3

    Sorry my bad english.
  • PS1Fanatic: 2021-02-12 08:58 +0100
    @Qobol I got the Feb 8 rom working. I would say this version is much more balanced, and I was able to get to the 20th floor as the knight on normal mode. This was a tough feat, but it felt much more deserved. I think this version is a substantial upgrade to the Feb 4th release.
  • DiogoBrSouza: 2021-02-13 15:59 +0100
    Hi, i beat the game in normal game with the fighter on 8-feb preview version, achieving all tasks (normal and hidden), i not had seen the master key yet, it is awesome, arrived the 101 floor using it. I think the ring of life should be most dificult to get it, you become praticaly imortal with this. I suggest put it exclusive in the "shop", or make it very rare drop, or yet put only in basement chests. ( :
  • PS1Fanatic: 2021-02-13 20:35 +0100
    @Qobol I recently beat normal mode while playing as the night, I did so by saving my scrolls and I did not use the warp scroll at all in this run.

    2 Issues I wanted to highlight with the 8-feb preview version in an Imgur post (link below)
    https://imgur.com/a/FUhQIG4
    The first is a glitch in the wall art that makes it not appear.
    The second was a treasure chest that appeared in an awkward spot that made it impossible to open the chest.

    @DiogoBrSouze Interesting a master key, I have not seen that item yet.
  • qobol: 2021-02-13 21:22 +0100
    Thank you.

    @DiogoBrSouza Sorry, I forgot about book shelves. I have fixed it for the next version using the same workaround as with the chests. I agree with you, some items make the game too easy, but some people still think the game is quite hard.

    @PS1Fanatic You can keep playing beyond floor 20 and find more secrets. I have to check those issues. The first one might be a missing texture or polygon and the problem with the chest can be fixed by checking the height of all four surrounding blocks and raising it, but it's very hard to debug since the maps are random. I have to find a specific map style with that issue and work on it.
  • PS1Fanatic: 2021-02-16 01:51 +0100
    I actually have a question for the Kaiga team, what made you guys decide to work on this game again and then ultimately release it?
  • K.matsunami: 2021-02-18 17:01 +0100
    @PS1Fanatic, thanks for the question.

    The decision to release Magic Castle was an accidental one.
    PIROWO found the source code by accident, and in an email exchange with mgarcia, misunderstood and sent the source code.

    Qobol started touching the Magic Castle source code on a whim.
    This chain of wonderful coincidences led to the release of Magic Castle.

    mgarcia and Qobol are heroes for us.
  • Kla: 2021-02-19 20:38 +0100
    What games that were actually release for the ps1 and ps2 would you guys consider the closest to magic castle? Thank you.
  • K.matsunami: 2021-02-22 19:44 +0100
    @Kla,Thanks for the question.

    I've played a lot of games, and I've bought games with similar concepts,
    but I don't think I've ever found one that I felt was very similar to Magic Castle.

    There are only a limited number of 3D auto-generated dungeons, and few titles seem to be able to make it work as an action game.
  • Kla: 2021-02-27 20:55 +0100
    @ K.matsunami would you mind telling us a few of those that have similar concepts or that use the 3D auto-generated dungeons feature? Would you consider these games as “inspirations” or precursors of what Magic Castle became to be?

    Thank you.
  • DiogoBrSouza: 2021-03-01 03:38 +0100
    Hi @Kla, i think Ergheiz from PS1, in quest mode is a little similar to Magic castle. I like to much, its a good game ( :
  • PS1Fanatic: 2021-03-12 20:54 +0100
    So now that the Magic Castle soundtrack has been released in Japan, can we expect an update with new music? 4-player support? New features?
  • qobol: 2021-03-13 20:18 +0100
    @PS1Fanatic Yes, there's a new version coming up with new music and new features but no 4 player support yet. That will hopefully be implemented next time.
  • SubE: 2021-03-20 13:54 +0100
    Hey, any update on the date of the next release? : )
  • qobol: 2021-03-21 16:51 +0100
    Probably just a few days more unless we find some serious issue among the new features.
  • SubE: 2021-04-01 17:09 +0200
    Any further updates? : )
  • mgarcia: 2021-04-02 13:52 +0200
    @SubE I think qobol is working on 4 player multitap support now, mostlikely to work on hardware only tho.
  • qobol: 2021-04-02 14:30 +0200
    @SubE This upcoming version features additional dialogs and improved translations. We're just testing them to confirm no corrections are required. We have added new characters to the font set so the program can now display accents and other special western characters. A French translation would be doable now as you can use accents, cedilla and dieresis, in case anyone wants to help us translating the game.

    Four player support requires more testing and would delay the release date even more, so we're leaving that feature for the next version.
  • PS1Fanatic: 2021-04-19 22:49 +0200
    Do you guys have a timeline you can provide for when the next update will come out? I am looking forward to it.
  • qobol: 2021-04-22 00:43 +0200
    @PS1Fanatic Sorry, I don't want to make the same mistake I made in February and have to release a patched version shortly after. Right now there's a glitch in one of the new features. It has to be fixed or completely removed.
  • PS1Fanatic: 2021-04-27 22:11 +0200
    @qobol I appreciate the update, Thanks for your hard work!
  • qobol: 2021-05-09 17:35 +0200
    The new version is ready and available at the downloads page. We'll now focus on 4 player support.
  • PS1Fanatic: 2021-05-13 09:07 +0200
    Managed to get to the 31st floor on the newest update. Very cool as I’ve been focused on unlockables, I got a new item, the magic stone. Never seen it before. I’m enjoying the update!
  • PS1Fanatic: 2021-05-13 19:43 +0200
    @Qobol What happened to the fairy? Is there some other way to activate her? The manual includes new controls for her.
  • qobol: 2021-05-14 00:50 +0200
    @PS1Fanatic Now you have to rescue her first. Once she's free you can hide or show her using the right analog stick.
  • SubE: 2021-05-16 05:44 +0200
    Hello! Thank you for releasing the update version. Would it be possible to re-release this version or make a note for the next version to master the ISO with SYSTEM.CNF with the executable being NYMC_020.20 instead of PSX.EXE? This was done in the pulled Feb release and helps when playing on a real PSX with PS1 Digital, xStation and MemCard Pro. It'll send the Game ID to these devices allowing per game video settings on the PS1 Digital and a unique Memory Card made on the MemCard Pro.
  • qobol: 2021-05-16 14:13 +0200
    Thanks. I can only test the game on a regular playstation and emulators so your feedback is very useful.
    I switched to the system.cnf boot method in February because some people said it was required for playing on a PSP, but since it didn't seem to solve anything I went back to the psx.exe file. I'll restore the system.cnf file for the next version. Let's just wait a little longer and see if someone else finds more issues. It's confusing having a new version every few days.
  • SubE: 2021-05-16 15:39 +0200
    Thanks qobol, it's very much appreciated. : )
  • FreelancerMerc: 2021-08-09 19:12 +0200
    Hey Qobol, I was told to contact you for helping translate the game to Greek. Let me know if you're interested/how you want to proceed in case you are.

    Cheers
  • qobol: 2021-08-11 13:57 +0200
    @FreelancerMerc Thank you. Please, use this online tool to encode your e-mail address to prevent spam: https://www.base64encode.org
    Post the result here and I will send you all the details.
  • FreelancerMerc: 2021-08-13 23:39 +0200
    This is it (removed)
  • mgarcia: 2021-08-14 08:23 +0200
    I've forwarded it to qobol.
  • FreelancerMerc: 2021-08-18 07:01 +0200
    Appreciate it, thanks Mike!
  • SubE: 2021-09-04 12:21 +0200
    Any new on an update fam? : )
  • qobol: 2021-09-06 12:01 +0200
    Thanks for your interest in Magic Castle. You may have already seen it but the soundtrack on vinyl is available for pre-order. As for the game, we're still working on it. I don't want to announce new features until they're fully tested and confirmed to be working without errors. Last time, I had to remove a new feature while fighting the secret boss because it crashed the game.
  • qobol: 2021-12-23 23:52 +0100
    I have uploaded a new trial version for testing. There's a text file explaining some of the new features. It can be downloaded from:
    https://www.mediafire.com/file/9sa0nxga654v1zf/MC_2021_23_dec.zip/file
  • SubE: 2021-12-26 14:34 +0100
    Thank you qobol, working well so far. My only feedback is what I posted on 16/05/2021 in regards, for the next version to master the ISO with SYSTEM.CNF with the executable being NYMC_020.20 instead of PSX.EXE.
  • qobol: 2021-12-28 13:50 +0100
    This last version has a SYSTEM.CNF file. Does it make any difference if the executable has a different name? Sorry, I don't have a PSP for testing it.
  • SubE: 2021-12-29 09:38 +0100
    Hello QBol, thanks for asking. Yes, the executable should be named NYMC_020.20 as it was previously. This is the Game ID that the PS1 Digital, XStation and Memory Card Pro is looking at for. Let me know if you need any help testing a new build. : )
  • No_Name: 2022-03-24 21:55 +0100
    I'm excited to see what comes next with this game. It seems like a great title to play with friends (reminds me of the Gauntlet games), so I'm looking forward to multi-player being implemented.
  • SubE: 2022-09-10 05:33 +0200
    So, is there an update on this update?
  • qobol: 2022-09-14 17:18 +0200
    Sorry, I'll upload a new version in the next few months. I have found several bugs that went unnoticed until now. Also, I'm going to need feedback on the difficulty of the multiplayer mode. We need to find a balance on how the experience is distributed among more than one player.
  • SubE: 2022-09-18 14:23 +0200
    No problems, thank you for the update. : )
  • timenoe: 2022-11-10 00:02 +0100
    What an absolutely amazing game. I would like to thank everyone who is involved in working on this game; truly astounding work.
    I am making an achievement set over at retroachievements.org, which will include all content that the game has to offer.
    I have a question for qobol, which I would greatly appreciate if you are able to answer this: There is a message in the game (with the ID of 0x33), that mentions invincibility being enabled. How is this done in the game, or at what location in memory enables this? This is something that I would need to protect against. I really appreciate any help!
  • qobol: 2022-11-10 14:00 +0100
    Thank you. That message is shown when the debug mode is enabled. We use it to quickly test the game at certain point when someone reports a bug. It also lets us skip levels and create any desired item which helps us testing the different translations without having to play the whole game. I didn't explain how to enable it because I wanted players to experience the game the old way, without cheating or using strategy guides and find every secret by themselves, but I'll reveal everything once the game is complete. We are still improving the game fixing bugs and adding new features.
  • timenoe: 2022-11-10 18:21 +0100
    Ok, great! I just wanted to make sure it wasn't enabled with a button combination or something like that. Thank you!
  • qobol: 2022-11-11 17:44 +0100
    Well, actually, it is enabled with a button combination. However, a message is displayed on top while debug mode is active and in case you cheat to beat the game, there's an alert on the statisticss screen.
  • timenoe: 2022-11-15 20:53 +0100
    Oh, thanks! I found the address to enable it, which really helps with testing. I had previous found the address for the "Test Item" menu, but didn't realize it was a feature of debug mode. I'm looking forward to the next official release! : )
  • nico: 2023-03-07 21:06 +0100
    Hi! Is this game still beign updated?
  • qobol: 2023-03-08 20:44 +0100
    Sorry. Yes, this game is still in development. I wanted the next version to include 4 player support but the multitap code we want to use only works on real hardware. I'm still trying to find a way to make it also compatible with emulators. That's what's causing the delay. Here's an updated version which mostly fixes bugs and also implements a few new features: https://www.mediafire.com/file/qfxujvc8usat6uq/MagicCastle_2023MAR08.zip/file
  • timenoe: 2023-03-24 04:40 +0100
    I have finally completed the achievement set and it can be found here: https://retroachievements.org/game/9018. I hopefully covered everything the game has to offer. Nothing is hinted, so players can discover everything everything on their own. Thank you for your work qobol, I love this game! I will update it with any future updates that you make : )
  • qobol: 2023-03-25 20:21 +0100
    Nice job. I have to mention it in the manual once it's updated. Also, if you want to add another achievement, there's a locked chest in the treasure chamber. A key is required to unlock it.
  • timenoe: 2023-03-26 19:06 +0200
    Ahhh yes, that's a great idea! I will definitely add that one
  • timenoe: 2023-04-05 02:28 +0200
    https://retroachievements.org/achievement/306733. I didn't realize before that opening that chest was recorded as a bitflag, which made that a very easy achievement to add hahah
  • zoukambada: 2023-10-29 21:46 +0100
    Great homebrew, qobol!
    Is there another update after this WIP one => https://www.mediafire.com/file/qfxujvc8usat6uq/MagicCastle_2023MAR08.zip/file ???

    As someone asked before, did you rename the executable to NYMC_020.20 instead of PSX.EXE ?

    It makes a difference for PS3 users, because it needs an unique id so we can apply compatibility patches, show the cover art (etc).
  • qobol: 2023-11-04 13:40 +0100
    Not yet, that was the last public release. I will rename the executable next time I upload a full version with music tracks and all missing stuff. We're also working on different games which will be released within a few months.
  • Tairach6: 2024-01-03 16:45 +0100
    Hello , i really appreciate this game and had 2 questions about it : my first one is where can i get the most recent public version of it. My second question is can we hope for an update , if so , around when ? I really don't want to stress any person working on this , i just think it's a great game that has potential , and i would be saddened to learn that it is not worked on
  • qobol: 2024-01-05 17:20 +0100
    Hi. The last public release is the one from a couple of posts above. I don't want to announce when the next update will be available because I can't usually keep my promise and it is sadly delayed longer than I expected. But the game is not yet finished, so there will be a new version.
  • Agu: 2024-04-08 07:43 +0200
    hi! any news?
  • qobol: 2024-04-08 17:53 +0200
    Yes, I'm adding a rumble function for dual shock controllers. This causes the controller to shake when players are hit or when using magic.



Comments are open.


Your name or alias (required):

Your plain text comment (required):


Your entered name and comment will be displayed above this form.
There is no reply notifications or editing of comments.
Spam, swearing or off topic comments will be removed.

 Enter value: 2084  

Page last modified on April 08, 2024, at 05:53 PM and visited 5082 times.

Powered by PmWiki. No cookies used.