Turbochop [Lexaloffle Blog Feed]

Pico Hunt (Updated 5/12/25)

Fri, 02 May 2025 00:14:45 UTC

I'm proud to announce my latest project:

Pico Hunt!!

Note: Basic gameplay loops currently in place for duck hunting and clay shooting

I wanted to try something much smaller in scope this time around; A game I can finish in a considerably quicker time frame.

Why not Duck Hunt?

Pico Hunt aims to bring the best of the NES and arcade VS. game together into one whole experience!

What I have so far...

All music and sound effects are in
Almost all character art for the vanilla console experience. No VS. stuff just yet
Basic title screen
Basic main menu screen, with a small nod to Duck Hunt Medley from Super Smash Bros. (Thanks go to Nathan Silver and their NES rendition of the song for the inspiration!)
Duck hunting screen with placeholder dev art and early gameplay with basic round loops
Clay shooting screen with placeholder dev art and early gameplay with basic round loops

What is planned...

Full, end-to-end remakes of duck hunting and clay shooting modes, as well as the full VS. arcade gameplay experience, kept separate so the NES-style games can be played, too!
All graphics, hand drawn and higher res than the originals!
- Possibly some extras!

Please give it a go and tell me what you think!

Check below for the change log

Happy Hunting!!

Change log:

Picovania (Version 1.3) Updated: 5/15/25

Fri, 07 Mar 2025 15:24:10 UTC

Picovania v1.3

by Turbochop

[Click to Play]

Reminder:

If you can't find your saves in Appdata when you download the game, Right click on the Picovania cart and select about. Make sure "Sandboxed" isn't checked, or that it is consistent with your preferences.

Sandboxed location: appdata/bbs/picovania

Non-sandboxed location: appdata/picovania

Cart save location is always the same, and lives On The Cart You Downloaded

If you grab a new cart and you have saves on your old one, dont forget to transfer to appdata using Copy mode!

Controls:

Press ⬅️ and ➡️ to move left and right

Press ⬇️ to duck

Press ⬆️ or ⬇️ in front of a stair
railing to ascend or descend stairs
as appropriate

Press ❎ to jump

Press 🅾️ to use your whip

Hold ⬆️ and press 🅾️ to throw a
sub weapon

Instructions:

The goal is to advance in the stages.
Defeat the area boss and collect their orb.
Whip candles to collect sub weapons,
hearts and money bags.
Hearts supply you with ammo for your sub weapon.
- Big hearts are worth 5, small hearts are worth 1.
Money bags award points. Points help you stock up lives!
Collect a porkchop to gain 6 health, up to a maximum of 16
Collect the Multi stone for Multi Shot, which allows you to have more sub weapons on-screen
at once!
- Multi Shot can be upgraded twice, but if you collect a different sub weapon or die you will lose it

A more detailed manual can be found in the spoiler below!

The Instruction Booklet

A Word from the Creators

Hey, all! I'm Turbochop, the programmer for Picovania!

I just wanted to offer my sincere thanks to you, the Player, for trying Picovania! It is the culmination of at least one year of work, beginning first as a proof of concept for Pico-8, followed by a hiatus once that platform quickly reached its limits, all the way to an 8-month-long development binge, leading to the final product.

I have learned SO much while making this game, and it wouldn't have been possible without the support of the Picotron Community.

So, I say once more, Thank You All Sincerely for everything leading up to release day (March 7, 2025).

Enjoy, and I hope you have just as much fun playing the game as Cephaccino and I did creating it!

Happy whipping, Hunter!

--- @Turbochop and @HeyNetters

Introduction

Every One Hundred Years...

Dracula's servants begin the rituals to resurrect their lord.

The people of Wallachia begin to mysteriously grow weaker, and the air takes on an acrid musk, reeking of fetor and decay.

Dracula's power grows stronger...

Every One Hundred Years...

Each time Dracula has risen from his grave, and each time the Belmont clan has answered the call and sent him back!

The cycle continues...

Dracula is alive - stronger than ever, and has begun unleashing his Night Creatures upon the people of Wallachia. His order shows no mercy, commanding to slaughter every man, woman, and Child, cutting them down as if they were threshed wheat....

The streets run Red with the blood of the innocent, the land Transformed into a hellish terror-scape where No one is safe!

The task falls on Simon Belmont, the fifth Belmont of House Belmont, armed with the sacred Vampire Killer whip, to brave the hallways, abominations and crypts of the Creature of Chaos that is Picovania, and put an end to Dracula's designs once again.

Steel thyself, Vampire Hunter, for this is a task most monumental. You will need all of your wits and cunning to emerge Triumphant and save Wallachia - or Die trying.

Setting Up Picotron

If you're reading this, then playing Picovania is as simple as clicking the Play Button at the top of the page!

However, if you wish to play the game outside the BBS, then some Setup is required.

Note:

This explanation will assume you are on a PC running the latest windows, but the general steps should be similar:

Go to your download page in lexaloffle.com and be sure to download the latest version of Picotron for your platform of choice.

Once downloaded, locate the Installer and double click it to begin the Installation Process for Picotron. Once finished it will place an icon on your desktop, which you can then Double-click to Launch Picotron itself.

Once Picotron is open, Right-Click on the Picotron desktop and select Open Host OS Folder.

This will open the Storage Location for Picotron on your PC.

Picotron cartridges are stored as picture files called a PNG. While on the BBS Page for the game, you can click Cart, located in the lower left corner of the game screen to get an up to adte copy of the cart. You can Drag the PNG to your desired location, or Right-Click on the Cart Image and select Save Image As.

Once you have the file on your PC, simply Drag it to the Picotron folder that was opened.

An Icon for the game will then appear on the Picotron Desktop!

Double-Click this icon to play Picovania!

Controls

Note:

These controls assume the Default Control Scheme is used.

In Menus:

The D-Pad
- Press ⬅️ and ➡️ to Choose your preferred Save Location while in File Select mode (See below), or to move your cursor in Name Entry mode (See below).
- Press ⬆️ or ⬇️ to select an Option or File in File Select mode, or to move your cursor in Name Entry mode.
The Start Button (Unused)
The ❎ Button
- Confirm the Selected Choice
The 🅾️ Button
- Move Back to the previous screen.
  Note:
  
  You cannot Back out of Name Entry or Confirmation screens. Instead, the appropriate menu items Must be used to exit these screens.

Hold The 🅾️ Button While on the Title Screen to Exit the game.

Note: You Cannot Exit while playing the game from the BBS

In-Game:

The D-Pad
- Press ⬅️ and ➡️ to move Simon left or right

Press ⬇️ to make Simon Duck

Press ⬆️ or ⬇️ while in front of Stairs...

Simon will begin Climbing

The Start Button
- Pause the game.

While Paused, Press Again to Resume
The Pause screen allows you to Swap the controls for Jumping and Whipping and by pressing ❎

The ❎ Button
- Make Simon Jump

Can be Combined with ⬅️ and ➡️ to make Simon leap to the Left or the Right

The 🅾️ Button
- Unleash Simon's Whip

Simon can also use his Whip while Jumping

And while Ducking!

Press ⬆️ on the D-Pad and then press 🅾️ to throw a Sub-Weapon (See Below: Sub-Weapons)

Simon can use Sub-Weapons while Jumping**

Note: Simon Cannot throw Sub-Weapons while Ducking

Starting a Game

When the game is launched, you will be greeted with the Title Screen...

Press The ❎ Button to Start the game. This will bring you to the File Select Screen where you may choose your Save file, Copy a Save File or Delete a Save Sile

(See Below to learn more about Copying and Deleting files)

Note:

While on the File Select, Delete a Game or Copy a Game screens, press ⬅️ and ➡️ to select your preferred Save Location, either on the Cart itself, or in the Appdata folder in Picotron.

Important:

Saves on the Cart will remain On That Cart Only. This means that if there is an Update, and you Download a New Cart, The save file Will Not come with it. Be sure to Backup your save games!

Beginning a New Game

To begin a New Game, select the Save Slot you prefer with D-Pad ⬆️ and ⬇️, and press ❎ to Confirm. You will be taken to the Name Entry screen.

Use the D-Pad and ❎ To type in your Name, up to a Maximum of 8 characters. Select End when you have finished typing to Submit the name to your chosen Save Slot.

Note: The name SIMON is provided by default, but if you wish to enter your own simply begin Typing and it will be Cleared automatically.

Loading a Game

To Load a saved game, use ⬆️ and ⬇️ on the D-Pad to highlight a save slot with a Name and press
❎ to Resume play on the last level you reached.

Note: Progress through a Door is Not saved.

Copying a Game

If you wish to Copy a save file to another slot, use ⬆️ and ⬇️ on the D-Pad to highlight the Save Slot you wish to Copy and press ❎ to Select it.

Now select a Destination for the Save Game. If a save Game already Exists in the Destination Slot, you will be prompted to Confirm that you wish to Overwrite It.

Caution:

Once a save file is overwritten it Cannot be recovered!

Deleting a Game

Use ⬆️ and ⬇️ on the D-Pad to highlight a save slot with a Name and press ❎ to Select it. You will be prompted to Confirm that you wish to Delete the File.

WARNING:

Deleting a save file is PERMANENT. Be Careful when Deleting Save games!

How to Play

Note: See above for In game Controls.

The objective of Picovania is to traverse the Six Levels of Dracula's Castle to ultimately face off against the Count himself.

However, this task will Not be Easy...

The castle is Teeming with untold horrors and abominations. That's not to mention that Picovania Itself is in a Dire State of disrepair, with Crumbling Stairways, fallen out floor, and even Bizarre architecture. If that wasn't Enough, Each area of the castle is overseen by a Powerful Guardian who blocks access to the path forward.

Thankfully, Simon is very Resourceful, and the tools to Succeed can easily be located, If one knows where to Look.

But... Will it be Enough?

Note: The game is Saved after collecting the Orb.

If you wish to Quit Playing, be sure this Notification has appeared Before closing Picovania

The Action Screen:

This will serve as your Main View while exploring the innards of Picovania

Player

Simon Belmont himself, and the character the player Controls

Player Health

Simon's Stamina Gauge. Taking hits from Enemies will Decrease this gauge, and if it reaches Zero Simon will Lose a Life!

Time Remaining

Simon has a Limited amount of Time to travel each area of Picovania. If the time reaches Zero, Simon will Lose a Life!

Lives Remaining

The number of Chances Simon has to Complete an Area. When a life is Lost, Simon will be sent back to the Last Door he entered, or the Beginning of the current Level if no doors have yet been found. If Simon's lives reaches Zero and he dies again, The Game is Over** (See Below)

Player Score

Simon's total plundered Riches! Score is earned by defeating Monsters and snapping up Treasure and Money bags. The first **30000 Points* will grant Simon an Extra Life, as well as Every 50000 Points After That, so be sure to grab as much Treasure as you can carry and destroy every Monster** you see!

Ammo Remaining

Simon's reserve of Sub-Weapons (See Below). This is replenished by collecting hearts. Small hearts are worth One while big hearts are worth Five.

Current Stage

The area of Picovania Simon is currently exploring. Each area is separated by a large Door.

Multi Shot

Simon's Shot Multiplier. Collect The Multi-Stones (See Below) to be able to throw two or three Sub_Weapons at the same time!

Boss Health

The Stamina Gauge for the current area's Guardian. This gauge Must be depleted, and the Guardians Orb collected (See Below), before a Level can be cleared.

Game Over

If Simon loses all of his Lives, the Game is Over.

Use ⬆️ and ⬇️ on the D-Pad to move the Cursor and press ❎ to Confirm.

Selecting Continue will reset your Score and place Simon at the Beginning of the last level he reached.
Selecting End will end the game and Return you to the Title screen

Sub-Weapons

A vampire hunter is only as good as his Arsenal, and luckily Simon came Prepared. Collect plenty of Hearts to keep your stock supplied.

Note: Hold ⬆️ on the D-Pad and then press 🅾️ to throw a Sub-Weapon

Knife

Ammo cost: 1

Flies straight when thrown. Low damage and is Destroyed when it hits its mark.

Axe

Ammo cost: 1

Flies in a High Arc, but a short range. Good for taking out enemies that are High Above

Holy Water

Ammo cost: 1

A glass vial that is thrown to the floor in front of Simon, where it will smash and Burn for a moment. Any enemies caught in the flames will take Considerable Damage!

Cross

Ammo cost: 1

Travels in a Straight line across the screen, damaging enemies as it goes before returning to Simon to Hit Them Again!

Stopwatch

Ammo cost: 5

A magical time piece that, when activated, Stops Time for about 3 Seconds and freezes all enemies where they stand, completely at your mercy.

Note: More Powerful enemies are Immune to the effects of the Stopwatch, so use Caution

Items

Picovania is loaded chock full of supplies Simon can utilize. He just needs to Find them...

Destroy Candles To stock up on Supplies

Hearts

Pick them up to replenish your Ammo. Small Hearts are worth one, while Big Hearts are worth Five

Morning Star

Simon's most important weapon. Grab these to Upgrade Simon's whip, the Vampire Killer

The whip can be upgraded twice. The first upgrade transforms the rope to a Chain, and the second extends its Length

The Orb

Dropped by the level's Guardian upon Defeat, collect the Orb to Replenish Simon's health and Finish the Level

Money Bags

Snatch these to increase your Score!

Red Money Bags are worth 100 Points
White Money Bags are worth 500 points
Blue Money Bags are worth 700 Points

Multi Shot

This item will increase your Firepower. The Double Shot (Blue) will allow you to throw Two Sub-Weapons at once, and with the Triple Shot (Red), you can throw up to Three at a Time!

Note: If Simon collects a Different sub-weapon from the one he currently has equipped, his Multi Shot will

be lost as well.

Pork Chop

Simon can eat one to regain Six points of Stamina. They tend to be well hidden, however...

Potion

Collecting one of these will allow Simon to Pass Through enemies unharmed for a short time

Rosary

This sacred artifact is blessed with incredible holy Power. One touch from Simon will Smite all enemies onscreen, instantly Destroying them!

There are many other items and treasures to be found within Picovania. Can you find them All?

Enemies

Dracula has conjured all manner of horrible Creatures and Ghouls to **Thwart* Simon's progress. Here is only a few of them...

Vampire Bats

These little blood suckers will eagerly swoop in to sample the latest cuisine: Simon. Don't let 'em!

Zombies

Slow moving re-animated Corpses. They are dispatched easily, but their Numbers make them a nuisance.

Fishmen

Dwelling in the murky depths, these demons will Erupt from the water to try and Surprise Simon. It's a good thing Simon has a few surprises of his **Own!

Medusa Heads

Fly in a Wave-Like pattern, are hard to hit, and there are a lot of them. Don't get too comfortable when they're around.

Fleamen

Small, Imp-Like beast that jump around erratically and try to Outmaneuver Simon. The sooner they're gone the **Better!

Skeletons

Surprisingly nimble, these guys won't hesitate to clobber Simon with the bones they throw.

Axe Knights

Well fed, Big and Slow. They like to Keep Their Distance as they hurl Axes at Simon. They won't go down easy.

And many, Many More!

Levels

Picovania is host to a rather Diverse spread of interior designs and architectures, Simon must brave them All to reach Dracula's Keep and shove him back into a Coffin where he Belongs.

Level 1: The Castle Entrance

The Main Hall of Picovania, this area is littered with Zombies and Panthers who will easily trip Simon up

Level 2: The Chapel

Don't let the name fool you, as this place is anything But holy. Guarded by Draculas Knights and Medusa Heads. May his whip strike true!

Level 3: Exterior and Castle Walls

The only way through is Around, it seems. Skeletons will make Simon's life Miserable if the local Fauna don't do him in first. Watch your step...

Level 4: The Caves and Courtyard

A long fall down a deep chasm lands Simon here, in the domain of the Fishmen. Suprise encounters, and unsteady footing Abound in this dark, dank abyss. Then, you must cross the Courtyard to reach The Castle Proper. Don't think Simon will just breeze through; Dracula's minion will be expecting him.

Level 5: The Dungeons and Laboratory

Many have perished at the hands of Dracula, and Many of them are now coming for Simon! He must trek through the Bones and Chains to reach the Laboratory, where experiments gone wrong still linger. The very Elite are stationed here, and they will fight Fang and Claw to stop Simon in his tracks!

Level 6: the Aqueducts, Clock Tower and Dracula's Keep

The final stretch! Perilous Pathways guarded by enormous Phantom Bats lead to the inside of the Clock Tower, where machinery in decades of disuse shelter all manner of Wretched Monstrosities make their final stand between Simon and his final goal. Then it's a flight of stairs to Finally put an end to Dracula's Terror... At least for another Hundred Years

Tips

This journey will *Not be an easy one. Everything will fight against you, from Dracula's Armys to the The Castle's Architecture itself. But Don't Give Up! The people of Wallachia are counting on you! Here are some tips and tricks, pulled from the very Belmont Family Library** itself.

Secrets

Picovania has Loads of hidden Nooks and Crannys. If you kneel in the right place, or walk into the right wall, or stand in the right spot and wait, you're Bound to uncover a hidden treasure. Always be ready to sniff them out! Treasure means Points, and points mean Lives**

Breakable walls

Some walls are hollow, and hold much valued treasure, or even a Pork Chop! Be sure to check walls often, as you Never Know when you may stumble onto a Life Saving item!

Sub-Weapons

Every sub-weapon has a Use! The Right Sub-Weapon in the Right Situation can mean the difference between life and **Death!

Bosses

Every boss is Formidable, but they All have certain Weaknesses that can be Exploited. Find them, and Persevere!

Don't Give Up

The Bowels of Picovania are Not for the faint of heart.

You Will die!

But, with every Failure comes valuable Lessons. Learn from them, and Practice!

I will continue to support this game post-release, adding new features, fixing any lingering bugs, etc!

Change log:

(5/15/25)

(Tweaked) Finally fixed Vampire Killer's wrong notes. Credit goes to @abledbody for the diligent investigation.

(4/18/25)

Game

Version 1.3

(Added) Rain patter SFX for Level 3 Expert mode
(Added) Stair homing object to the secret in stage 8, floor 2
(Fixed) Wrong tile graphics in stage 5
(Fixed) Wind buffet would not stop if it was active when defeating the mummies in Level 3 Expert mode

Soundtrack

Version 2

(Tweaked) Monster Dance, Wicked child, Underground, Death and Nothing to Lose, adding cleaner transitions, fixing wrong envelopes, and altering percussion
(Added) Sulking Child

(3/17/25)

Version 1.2

(Added) The portraits in the hallway before Death have been Populated with Lovely artwork, Courtesy of @HeyNetters

(Changed) Stair climbing system has been Completely reworked, and now Simon will home onto the stairs MUCH more reliably.
(Changed) Whip Length has been fixed to be more consistent and offer better gameplay
(Added) You can now hold The 🅾️ Button on the title screen to exit the game if you're playing a downloaded copy of the game

(3/11/25)

Version 1.1

(Added) A death count that persists on the save file
(Added) A "Saved" indicator in the lower right of the screen, shown after clearing a level, or finishing the game
(Added) High score indicator on Game Over
(Added) Graphics to fill the empty space in the file location chooser
Cleaned up some leftover development map tiles
(Fixed) Player couldnt jump if they were up against a wall.
(Fixed) Death would die, but the health bar would remain with one pip, preventing the orb from dropping and sof locking the game
(fixed) Door transitions can be broken if the player presses a direction away from the door on the frame just before the scrolling begins
Tweaked a platform in level 4 that was easy to jump through
Adjusted the level 4 bat spawner so it waits until them player has fallen
Adjusted the orb drop in level 2 to be centered with Medusa's bust
Re-added a missing treasure for level 2 expert mode
Adjusted the flight path of the title bat to be a little less crazy
A few more things I may have forgotten...

(3/7/25)

version 1.0 release

Release is NOT the end... it is only the Beginning!

Gifts!

Happy whipping, Hunters!

Picovania for Picotron (Updated 3/7/25)

Fri, 30 Aug 2024 03:54:59 UTC

Hey all!

Picovania has been released as version 1.0 in the Carts section

Check it out!

Change Log:

(3/7/25)

Picovania release day!

(2/28/25)

Soundtrack

Monster Dance has been added

Game

(Fixed) Red skeleton height would change when player collected a whip upgrade
(Fixed) Secret flag isn't reset when going through doors
(Fixed) Curse of Man moves too fast in expert mode
- And many more...
Level 4 final area decorations are in place
Level 5 decorations up until the Hallway before death are in place

(1/30/25 Minor)

Fixed a wall shunting bug when the player wasn't stuck, but was merely inside a two tile high passage.
Fixed being able to throw more subweapons than allowed
Level 4 background palette fixed

(1/29/25)

Level 4 has been decorated up to just before block 12
Player jump has been reworked a bit
- The apex of the jump now has a slight bit of hang time. This should make 3 tile wide gaps just a little more tolerable
Fixed the flutter movement of small hearts

(1/24/25)

Added expert mode files for level 1, 2 and 3 in cart data called "TRY IT". You can try out expert levels!
Added a custom pause feature with sfx
You can now back all the way out to the title screen, if you wish
- Leaving the game idle anywhere on the file select screen, (except the delete/copy confirm screens) after a bit will send you back to the title screen
Interrupting a demo now cuts all sfx

(1/23/25)

Level 3 decorations in place
- Secret moai statue added...somewhere...
Certain candles in every stage have a high chance of dropping a multi shot if you hit them with a subweapon, and enough enemies have been destroyed

(1/20/25)

File select screen has been spruced up with color and better feedback all around
Rain effect has been adjusted, per Discord feedback!
Fishmen spawner should behave properly when stopwatch is active
Phantom bat's buffet now ends if it was defeated while buffeting
If the player dies while phantom bat is buffeting, he roars in triumph
If you manage to defeat the phantom bat while leaving the spike wall intact, if you then destroy it before collecting the orb you get a 2000 point bonus

(1/19/25)

A save file named "TRY IT" has been added to the cart save location, Slot 3
- Use this to try out expert mode without needing to unlock it first
Stage 3 decorating in the works
- added expert mode exclusive super secret
Added weather and rain to stage 3 for expert mode
- New graphics and sfx to accompany this new effect!
- Upper floors have gusts of wind that will disrupt your platforming
- Ravens can't handle the wind, and will go POP!
Point values are now correct for all treasures
- Moai statue added to Block 5, Floor 2 in expert mode (4000 points!)
- easter egg sound effect for this treasure

(1/14/25)

Phantom bat now has a buffeting phase for expert mode
- New graphics and sounds for this content
- Phantom bat also has a pinch mode after this phase
Adjusted hitboxes of some weapons for better balance. No more boomerangs passing through Axe Knight axes...
Control delay for backward jumping has been restored

(1/10/25)
The gate cutscene has had construction props removed, and the castle has been doodled in
- Two bats and a cloud have been added
Frankenstein's monster now has a wall slam for expert mode
- If you don't jump when he slams the wall you will be stunned
- The slam causes ceiling blocks to rain down on you
First art pass for level 2 complete
- Minor enemy and candle placement tuning for level 2 to flow better with the new art
- Minor level 2 layout alterations to flow batter with the new art
Crushers have received some visual polish in the form of placing a cap over the shaft where it flickered

(1/8/25)

Save system has been beefed up:
- You can now choose between saving on the cart or in appdata with ⬅️ and ➡️
- Cart saves are NOT BBS compatible, use appdata while playing on BBS!
- this will become the working folder while playing
Games can be selected, copied and deleted from either location by choosing the desired location
Games can also be copied from one save location to the other

(1/6/25)

3 attract mode demos have been added
Experimenting with on-cart saves

(1/5/25)

First art pass for level 1
Some sprite touch-ups to improve readability against something other than black
Castle entrance rebuilt

(12/27/24)

Bat boss now fires fireballs for expert mode
Medusa now has a stone gaze for expert mode. Don't look at it!
"Weapon error" glitch has been fixed, and the handler is no longer necessary
Landing after taking damage, and then jiggling rapidly has been fixed.

(12/23/24)

Soundtrack

Voyager has had one note extended. Minor, but it was bugging me

Game

Dracula and the Curse of Man have been added
Victory fanfare for completing the game is implemented
End cutscene has been added
Work on Expert mode has begun
- Currently, enemies move faster, and there are more of them in places
- Expert mode badge is applied to the hud while playing an Expert mode game
New wall and ceiling checking code for a better solution
- If you are partly inside a wall, the game will try to push you out
- If there is a ceiling tile directly above simons head he cannot jump

(12/18/24)

Glitchy-looking chunk transitions have been fixed
- Stages 6, 17 and 18 have been added, and have been filled out with candles and enemies
- New entrance for stage 16
- Behavior tweaks to bat boss to allow him to be used as a mook
- Skeleton bone throwing arc has been extended a bit. No more small lobs...
- Final area has been included, but only has a placeholder coffin for now, no boss just yet

(12/14/24)

Soundtrack

Walking on the Edge has been adjusted to let the notes hold for a bit longer
Nothing to Lose adjusted to subdue notes

Game

Level 5 has been filled out with enemies and candles
Death boss battle has been added
Rooms with multiple secrets are now supported
Whip upgrade item drops have been reworked
- Two whip upgrades cannot spawn at the same time
- When a whip upgrade is collected, a cooldown timer is initiated.
  Whip upgrades cannot spawn within this window. Using your whip to
  defeat enemies decreases the cooldown more quickly
Stub for level 6 has been added

(12/11/24)

Soundtrack

Out of time has been slightly reworked for a fuller sound

Game

New cart label is in place
Level 4 has been filled out with candles and enemies
Frankenstein's monster and Igor boss have been added
Eagles have been added. They carry fleamen, and wont hesitate to drop them on you
Skele-dragons have been added. they are surprisingly quick, and like to stay out of reach
Red skeletons have been added. Slow moving enemies that can't be killed, only immobilized for a brief time
Axe Knights have been added. They maintain distance, and throw axes. Their armor is tough.
Stub for level 5 is in place. That's it, though.

(12/5/24)

Soundtrack

Prologue has been filled out with a 4th channel, as well as reworked the other channels to make it fit

Game

Death has been added. His erratic movements make him hard to hit, and his scythes will surround you
First chunk of level 4 has been filled out with candles and enemies
Reworked item collision for more reliable pickups
If you attempt to throw a sub-weapon, but then take a hit before it
flies, your ammo is refunded. Not applicable to the stopwatch.
(12/2/24)
Level 3 has been populated with candles and enemies
- The unreachable secret from the original game is now collectable... or is it?

(11/30/24)

Special super secret has been added... somewhere. Can you find it?
Level 3 has been blocked out. No enemies or candles, yet
Mummy bosses have been added
Fall transition to Level 4 has been added
First chunk of level 4 has been blocked out. No enemies or candles, yet

(11/28/24)

Soundtrack

Walking on the Edge has had some percussion added
Underground has been Changed to be more bassy, and also more harmonious(?)

Game

Brand new sprites for Simon have been added, drawn by @Retro_Pup_Pico_8. Many thanks go to them for their
fantastic work!
Collisions have been retooled for the whip and weapons against enemies. Hits should be MUCH more sensible now
Ravens have been added. They swoop down, and attempt to collide with you
My first home made Power up, the infinite shot, has been added. Collect it to get unlimited simultaneous weapons
onscreen for about 10 seconds. Beware... after the time is up, not only do you bust back to single shot, all on
screen subweapons are destroyed, including the one you have equipped

(11/25/24)

New powerup has been added: The infinite shot. Once collected, you can throw an unlimited number of sub-weapons while your ammo holds out, for ten seconds. Afterward, you're left with single shot, and no sub-weapon, and all onscreen sub-weapons are destroyed
Level loading bug has been fixed!
Skeleton collision has been tweaked to allow for more interesting gameplay
ammo economy has been adjusted

(11/23/24)

Rest of level 2 has been blocked out, and missing enemies have been placed
Medusa boss has been added
Swooping bat has been added
Ghost spawners have been added
Beginnings of level 3 in place. No more than that, though

(11/19/24)

Lingering issue with File select screen have been fixed
An enemy drop system has been added. How many enemies you've destroyed will determine what you MIGHT get
Some polish to the Phantom Bat's animation
Proper points awarded for the different enemies,
as well as for weapon combos (sincere thanks go to @Retro_Pup_Pico_8 for the research!)
Ghosts have been added
Fleamen have been tweaked (I just can't leave those dudes alone...)
1ups have been added. They currently have a 1% chance to drop instead of a multishot

(11/17/24)

Soundtrack

Whole soundtrack was re-recorded to up the volume a bit
Underground has been filled out more
Gate has been renamed to Prologue
Vampire killer received small tweaks to fades
Stalker now has even more oomph in the bass
Wicked Child has had a pass to bring more balance, and make some notes more distinct
Walking on the Edge has had a few cuts added to many notes
Out of time has had cuts added to notes. It sounded kinda "Whiney" to me before...
Nothing to lose has had minor alterations to the drum line
Voyager has been cleaned up a bit

(11/15/24)

Game

Underground song has been made more accurate
File select "Copy Mode" has been added
- Progress should be properly recorded in all instances
You can now skip the map cutscene if you get there by loading a saved game.
Beginning of some code TLC. Let me know if anything gets caught sideways
Skeletons have been added. Very nimble for what they are. Don't underestimate them!
Fleamen have been tweaked, and new mechanics added
- Now, if you are invincible, they run away...
- They're a bit faster now
- small tweaks to map

Soundtrack

Track 1 has been given its proper name (Underground) as well as been trimmed properly
Bonus guest album Castlevania III No Densetsu or Whatever has been added

(11/11/24)

Game

A File select screen has been added.
- Choose New game to enter your name in a slot (No blank names allowed, unless you use space...hmm)
- Choose a slot with an existing name to load
- Use Delete a file to clear a slot, but be careful as it is permanent!
level 2 has been built out a bit. It is still incomplete, buts we're getting there!
Flying Medusa heads, have been added. Their sinusoidal pattern can make them tricky...
Fleamen have been added. They hop around like crazy, and are a general nuisance.

Soundtrack

The File select tune has been added

(10/31/24)

Player animation and control polish
Full Soundtrack is in! This will be the beginning of change logs for it.
Knight has been added. He will give chase if he sees you
Fishmen have been polished
Bats have been tweaked
Slight map changes, some enemies and candles added
Map Screen has been added, showing where the player will start, and where to find the boss
First area of level 2 has been added. Nothing more... Plenty of messages, though.
The bat boss now has hitstun
Slight rework of stopwatch mechanics all around
(10/9/24)
Nothing to Lose has been added
Heart of Fire has been added
Bat has been added to the title screen. He's just a placeholder until I can get one of my very own
Panther has been added. A fast moving cat that can sneak up if you aren't careful
Fishmen have been added. They burst from the murky waters and belch fire. Tread lightly
Reworked the map a bit to utilize the new enemies
Simon can now jump backwards if you tap the rear direction, and press jump at the same time
Made a pass over some animations

(9/30/24)

This release was me taking a small break from coding to work on some music
- Stalker has been added
- Wicked Child has been added
- Walking on the Edge has been added
Made a pass over gameplay and visuals to be a little more polished and readable,
Crushers have been added, but wont be used in the first level
Dialed in the boss' behavior

(9/22/24)

Moved some stuff around on the map...
Polish on the boss
Fixed Multishot getting broken
Simon now has a moment of hitstun
Tweaked the axe hitbox a bit
Adjusted Simon's walking speed

(9/20/24)

More work has been done on scoring. There are now multi hit combos and more money bags
Secret areas and breakable walls have been added! Can you find them all?
Bats have been added
The boss has arrived! He is pretty tough... I may have to nerf him... like, a lot.
First stage now has just about everything to be considered a complete first draft!

(9/17/24)

Level loading issue has been fixed!
Tweaked a few sound effects
Added a more dynamic health bar

(9/16/24)

Map has been expanded. Only rough dev art for now
Castle entrance has been added
Zombies have been added. They're numerous, but slow and weak
Initial work on a scoring system has begun
Brazier candles have been added

(9/15/24)

Added door transitions
A new area is in place, That boss position is vacant...

(9/13/24)

Porkchop has been added. Collect it to gain 6 health
Bone towers have been added. Watch out for their fireballs!
Map layout has...changed? Castlevania itself is a creature of chaos, after all
Damage functions are enabled
Tweaked a few hit boxes for some balance
Intro is in... Mind the construction, and wear your hard hat. Don't lose it...

(9/12/24)

Work on title screen has begun. Artwork by the ever talented Cephaccino!
A stub has been added for the intro. It's left disabled for now

(9/11/24)

Added HUD to Game Over screen
Added a few more platforms to play with, and rearranged some candles
Revisited Vampire Killer to sound a little less harsh (I'll get it eventually...)

(9/10/24)

Floating platforms have been added
Initial map loading is implemented. Use the stairs to traverse the different levels
- Lower level added to try it out
Still tuning the stairs. They're still not quite perfect, but getting there...
Made another pass over music and SFX, to balance audio and to prevent clobbering

(9/5/24)

Alright, peeps. I need to do some research on map manipulation and loading.

Let's see what I can learn, then I can continue! In the meantime, let me know how

the current features feel.

Made another pass on the stage one music, and rebalanced the audio

(9/5/24)

Added stage one music
tweaked a few sfx and instruments

I'll have to make another pass to try and eliminate sfx clobbering

(9/2/24)

Added a victory state, it currently just sends you back to the title screen
Added some more music, victory and game over

(9/1/24)

Game is now fullscreen, gameplay and hud adjusted accordingly
Axe now has a new feature: when throwing an axe, hold the movement arrow in the direction you're facing
to throw it farther
boomerang now goes faster to cover the screen

(8/31/24)

Candle contents take some context
took a crack at fixing the stairs
You can now travel up and down on the stairs,
it's the same area, but im testing transitions
Fixed subweapons not throwable after dying
Tweaked small heart to drift to the left first
Continuing from game over resets score

(8/30/24)

Adjusted some sfx
Tweaked hitboxes for whip and all subweapons
Fixed stopwatch not honoring the ammo cost
Added initial multishot
Stopwatch tuned so you can only throw it once
Multishot added. Collect a II to double your shots, collect a III to triple!
if you have no subweapon or a stopwatch, they give points instead
small score graphics added

(8/29/24)

Added in some SFX
Adjusted hit boxes to more closely
match visual feedback
New playground map with candles to
whip

(8/23/24)

Initial release on Picotron!

LEGACY

(8/9/23)

Several powerups have been added, as well as all sub-weapons
- Stopwatch: Freezes time to give you some room to breath, but it costs quite a few hearts to use
- Cross: Emits a blinding holy light, destroying all enemies on screen! One use on pickup only.
- Invisibility potion: Makes you invincible for about ten seconds.
The whip upgrade is now fully working. Grab 1 to get a chain whip. Grab another to make it longer!
I've sprinkled candles throughout the level to play with. Every available item and sub-weapon should be attainable, but some of the more valuable stuff is placed in harder to reach areas. Can you find them all?
First Enemy has been added; The Bone Tower! (Thanks again for the art @HeyNetters. I saw your Bone tower and
was inspired for my first enemy!)
- Acts more like a sentry than anything, but where it lacks in mobility it makes up for in toughness. Recommend at
  least a chain to deal with these guys. Watch your footing...

(11/22/22)

I've decorated the map a bit, using assets and ideas provided by @HeyNetters. Many thanks go to them for the art! This is all preliminary for now, but these just looked too good to not include them.
Chain upgrade has been added. The chain graphics reflect the first upgrade, and the added length reflect the second. Collect the whip powerup to upgrade.
Gameplay pause added upon collection of the whip powerup.
Whip has been fixed so that you can no longer hit things behind you. Still need to look into that janky
animation...
Thanks to suggestions from @dw817, Simon's walk speed has been increased a bit, with matching animation. The whip also stays out for just a bit longer.
Minor changes to small heart to keep it from flying around so much.

Tweaking pass on SFX.

(8/26/22)

Sorry for the long delay, guys. I recently started a new job, and I have less time to work on this project now. I do, however, fully intend to see this project to completion. I need to work on some systems that can cut down on repeated code in here, as the token count is getting dangerously high. Despite that, I'm happy with where it is at so far. Let me know how you guys like it!

Candles have been added. Until I can work out a feasible spawning system, these are hard coded. Whip them to make
items come out.
I have mocked up a status bar along the top of the screen. This is all subject to change as I figure out what will
fit and what will not.
A game clock is in place. It ticks down in seconds, and once it reaches zero, you're dead. There isn't much you
can do about it at the moment, but I thought it would be fun to add, and it was really simple to implement. The
clock will even start to beep after awhile, just to give you some unnecessary stress.
Hearts have been added. You now have a limited stock of ammunition. Whip candles to find more.

(7/21/22)

Boomerang can now be caught. Small reason to post an update, but I thought it was important.
Boomerang graphics rearranged so it animates like in the original game.

This may be the last update for a little bit. The code for climbing stairs MUST be rewritten before I will
continue. While it works great as it is, the code is just too darned bloated right now.

(7/20/22)

All throwable weapons have been added. Hold ❎ and press ⬆️ or ⬇️ to cycle through them,
and press ⬆️ and 🅾️ to throw one. Like before, you can throw 3 at a time!
Holy water was redrawn to not be so huge.

(7/19/22)

Holy water has been added, press ⬆️ and 🅾️ to throw it. You can throw 3 at a time.
Simon's sprite has been redrawn to make him more detailed and look a lot less scrawny. Many thanks go to the
Discord community for their feedback on this matter!

(7/18/22)

Stairs now work in all 4 directions.
Plenty of stairs have been added to the map, so play around and let me know if anything breaks horrifically.
It is no longer possible to jump when a block is directly above the player.

(7/16/22)

Commented out the code and formatted it so anybody could take a look and decipher it all...
Taking a hit will now interrupt your attack.
Player can no longer warp through the ceiling when hurt.

(7/15/22)

Player health, hurt state and death are implemented. There aren't any enemies yet, so for now you
can press ⬆️ and ❎ to beat yourself up. These are disabled while on stairs...
Continue screen has been added
Made a pass on music and sound effects. I feel like the music instrumentation is way better now, and many of the
sound effects are improving as well!
Initial HUD elements added. There are here only for a visual to pair with testing health and lives for now.

(7/12/22)

Changes to walk and stair climbing movement and animation speed. It felt just a tad sluggish before...

(7/11/22)

Stairs are in progress. Right now there is only up-right and down-left movement, but this is a pretty good proof of concept. Whip is disabled for now while climbing them until I flesh out that aspect.
The bottom of the screen is now a bottomless pit, and you will die and be reset.
A small map to test out the mechanics and play around in.
Preliminary artwork has been added to make the view a little more interesting

(7/10/22)

Jump physics have been reworked and the jank is now gone for the most part. I feel like the jumping is in a pretty good spot now.
Initial work on the whip has been started. The animation is just a little janky, but I'm working on that :)
I am currently prototyping ideas for stairs. I haven't added stairs yet, so don't try...

(6/26/22):

Basic movement is implemented; Walking, ducking, jumping and hard landing are in. There is one little niggle
with collision and platforming. I'm sure you guys will know when you find it. (Edit) I've created a temporary workaround
for this. Please let me know if you like how it handles. Collision is still not perfect, and you might still get
hung up, but I'm working on that.
First draft of music has been created. Let me know how you like it! I might need to shift things around a bit
before I release: I've not included everything I'd like to, and I've run out of room due to some initial (less
than optimal) SFX layout choices.

(6/27/22):

I've tweaked the jump physics to more closely match the original game.
Invisible walls have been added. I wanted a way to create impassible areas without changing the collision.
You can test this out near the lone block on the right.

Now is the time where I sit down and take a class on Picomap by @JadeLombax. I may as well get this figured out
and implemented now, since stairs will likely rely on it...

Happy whipping, Hunters!

Contra 3 The Alien Wars intro

Wed, 27 Mar 2024 05:57:51 UTC

I was getting to grips with SSPR(), and whipped up something resembling a title screen for a...game???

I had so much fun just THRASHING that SSPR() command here! I'm aware SSPR() existed on Pico-8
as well, but this was just me messing with it, and since I made something resembling Contra on
Pico-8, I figured why not tease "something what could be..." while I'm at it?

Let me know what you think!

contra3

by Turbochop

[Click to Play]

Graveyard theme (Updated 9/5/24)

Mon, 04 Mar 2024 04:49:35 UTC

Here is my cover of a spooky graveyard theme from computer games of yore!

Click the spoiler for changes...

I've actually had this song kicking around for a bit. I finally decided to to add some artwork and unleash it upon the community!

Have a listen and let me know what you think.

First one to guess where this song is from gets a virtual cookie!

Graveyard

by Turbochop

[Click to Play]

TMNT the Arcade Game. Stage 1 Music

Sat, 20 May 2023 10:08:00 UTC

To commemorate the release of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Arcade core on MiSTerFPGA, I decided to whip up this little cover. I was so excited to get it done, but ended up throwing it out and starting over, missing my mark...

Anyway, Here it is for everyone to listen to.

tmnt

by Turbochop

[Click to Play]

Please let me know what you think!

P.S.

Logos are really hard to draw with a trackpad... :)

Updated 09/12/24

Revisited this track for better flow. I suppose its true what they say: Projects are only abandoned, never finished.

Sweet Home Lobby Music

Fri, 06 Jan 2023 06:46:28 UTC

Het all!

It seems I'm on a cover kick.

Here is the lobby theme from Sweet Home by Capcom!

sweethome

by Turbochop

[Click to Play]

This is one of my favorites. It's a real shame this game never saw a release outside Japan, until fans translated it years later.

As always, let me know how you like it!

Updated 03/03/24

Slight formatting change for compatibility with latest version of Pico-8

Super C Boss Music

Thu, 10 Nov 2022 03:21:00 UTC

I was playing around with Pico-8's music editor, and put this song together from memory.

I'm really happy with how it turned out, and decided to make some art for a release!

Let me know what you think.

Updated 03/03/24

Slight formatting change for compatibility with latest version of Pico-8

Updated 12/22/22

I was always somewhat dissatisfied with the song's composition, so I did another pass: Making some parts less shrill, adding some reverb, and re-arranging the transition into the second part of the song. I also cleaned up the logo a bit. I feel like it sounds and looks way better now! Let me know what you think.

(No, I'm not working on Super C. This song has just been bouncing around in my head, begging to be covered, so here we are. I still need to finish Castlevania, if and when I find time to allocate to it.)

supercboss

by Turbochop

[Click to Play]

Picovania (Updated 8/9/23)

Tue, 21 Jun 2022 15:30:12 UTC

Good news - I was able to bring the game over to Picotron! Check it out Here

Hey all!

It's been awhile, hasn't it?

I have a new Pico-8 project brewing. Anyone care to guess what it could be? (Edit: people guessed quick! It's a Castlevania Demake)

Picovania

by Turbochop

[Click to Play]

I will update this post to keep everyone up to speed when I upload a new cart. Check out the spoiler below if you're interested!

Change Log:

(8/9/23)

Apologies for the long gap between releases once again. My job makes it difficult to sit down and work on the game these days. I got a good chunk of me time, recently, and I was able to add all kinds of stuff!

Several powerups have been added, as well as all sub-weapons
- Stopwatch: Freezes time to give you some room to breath, but it costs quite a few hearts to use
- Cross: Emits a blinding holy light, destroying all enemies on screen! One use on pickup only.
- Invisibility potion: Makes you invincible for about ten seconds.
The whip upgrade is now fully working. Grab 1 to get a chain whip. Grab another to make it longer!
I've sprinkled candles throughout the level to play with. Every available item and sub-weapon should be attainable, but some of the more valuable stuff is placed in harder to reach areas. Can you find them all?
First Enemy has been added; The Bone Tower! (Thanks again for the art @HeyNetters. I saw your Bone tower and was inspired for my first enemy!)
- Acts more like a sentry than anything, but where it lacks in mobility it makes up for in toughness. Recommend at
  least a chain to deal with these guys. Watch your footing...

(11/22/22)

I've decorated the map a bit, using assets and ideas provided by @HeyNetters. Many thanks go to them for the art! This is all preliminary for now, but these just looked too good to not include them.
Chain upgrade has been added. The chain graphics reflect the first upgrade, and the added length reflect the second. Collect the whip powerup to upgrade.
Gameplay pause added upon collection of the whip powerup.
Whip has been fixed so that you can no longer hit things behind you. Still need to look into that janky
animation...
Thanks to suggestions from @dw817, Simon's walk speed has been increased a bit, with matching animation. The whip also stays out for just a bit longer.
Minor changes to small heart to keep it from flying around so much.

Tweaking pass on SFX.

(8/26/22)

Sorry for the long delay, guys. I recently started a new job, and I have less time to work on this project now. I do, however, fully intend to see this project to completion. I need to work on some systems that can cut down on repeated code in here, as the token count is getting dangerously high. Despite that, I'm happy with where it is at so far. Let me know how you guys like it!

Candles have been added. Until I can work out a feasible spawning system, these are hard coded. Whip them to make
items come out.
I have mocked up a status bar along the top of the screen. This is all subject to change as I figure out what will
fit and what will not.
A game clock is in place. It ticks down in seconds, and once it reaches zero, you're dead. There isn't much you
can do about it at the moment, but I thought it would be fun to add, and it was really simple to implement. The
clock will even start to beep after awhile, just to give you some unnecessary stress.
Hearts have been added. You now have a limited stock of ammunition. Whip candles to find more.

(7/21/22)

Boomerang can now be caught. Small reason to post an update, but I thought it was important.
Boomerang graphics rearranged so it animates like in the original game.

This may be the last update for a little bit. The code for climbing stairs MUST be rewritten before I will
continue. While it works great as it is, the code is just too darned bloated right now.

(7/20/22)

All throwable weapons have been added. Hold ❎ and press ⬆️ or ⬇️ to cycle through them,
and press ⬆️ and 🅾️ to throw one. Like before, you can throw 3 at a time!
Holy water was redrawn to not be so huge.

(7/19/22)

Holy water has been added, press ⬆️ and 🅾️ to throw it. You can throw 3 at a time.
Simon's sprite has been redrawn to make him more detailed and look a lot less scrawny. Many thanks go to the
Discord community for their feedback on this matter!

(7/18/22)

Stairs now work in all 4 directions.
Plenty of stairs have been added to the map, so play around and let me know if anything breaks horrifically.
It is no longer possible to jump when a block is directly above the player.

(7/16/22)

Commented out the code and formatted it so anybody could take a look and decipher it all...
Taking a hit will now interrupt your attack.
Player can no longer warp through the ceiling when hurt.

(7/15/22)

Player health, hurt state and death are implemented. There aren't any enemies yet, so for now you
can press ⬆️ and ❎ to beat yourself up. These are disabled while on stairs...
Continue screen has been added
Made a pass on music and sound effects. I feel like the music instrumentation is way better now, and many of the
sound effects are improving as well!
Initial HUD elements added. There are here only for a visual to pair with testing health and lives for now.

(7/12/22)

Changes to walk and stair climbing movement and animation speed. It felt just a tad sluggish before...

(7/11/22)

Stairs are in progress. Right now there is only up-right and down-left movement, but this is a pretty good proof of concept. Whip is disabled for now while climbing them until I flesh out that aspect.
The bottom of the screen is now a bottomless pit, and you will die and be reset.
A small map to test out the mechanics and play around in.
Preliminary artwork has been added to make the view a little more interesting

(7/10/22)

Jump physics have been reworked and the jank is now gone for the most part. I feel like the jumping is in a pretty good spot now.
Initial work on the whip has been started. The animation is just a little janky, but I'm working on that :)
I am currently prototyping ideas for stairs. I haven't added stairs yet, so don't try...

(6/26/22):

Basic movement is implemented; Walking, ducking, jumping and hard landing are in. There is one little niggle
with collision and platforming. I'm sure you guys will know when you find it. (Edit) I've created a temporary workaround
for this. Please let me know if you like how it handles. Collision is still not perfect, and you might still get
hung up, but I'm working on that.
First draft of music has been created. Let me know how you like it! I might need to shift things around a bit
before I release: I've not included everything I'd like to, and I've run out of room due to some initial (less
than optimal) SFX layout choices.

(6/27/22):

I've tweaked the jump physics to more closely match the original game.
Invisible walls have been added. I wanted a way to create impassible areas without changing the collision.
You can test this out near the lone block on the right.

Now is the time where I sit down and take a class on Picomap by @JadeLombax. I may as well get this figured out
and implemented now, since stairs will likely rely on it...

Contra Demake (Version .73 fixed) Updated 2/11/23

Tue, 29 Jun 2021 15:30:01 UTC

Contra version .73

by Turbochop

[Click to Play]

Be sure to check the change log to see what's new!

I really thought version .51 would be the last major version, but somehow I managed to scrape out every last token and add a few new features! That said, this WILL be the last major version, though I will still support the game post release.

Change log

Contra version .73 (fixed)

The latest Pico-8 update evidently changed the way the (--[[) switch works, breaking the game! XD
This is fixed.

Contra version .73

This version could be considered a bug fix/polish release...

Tweaked the machine gun sound to give a more "auto-fire" feel to it.
fixed underwater behavior so that your gun Actually won't fire. Somehow I missed that the feature was broken
all this time...
Changed the behavior of the continue cursor. Now it will only make a sound if you switch to the other option
Tweaked the runner enemy so that they cannot kill you when they fly back after being shot.

Contra version .72

This version has been sitting on my computer for some time now, And I figured it has enough changes to warrant a release.

More sprite edits by ReeceGames.
Machine gun sprites changed to better set it apart from the Pea shooter
Boss bullets will now fall straight to the ground, making him a little more difficult.
Fire sounds have been changed to more closely match what is happening.

Contra version .70

Special thanks go to ReeceGames for their contribution to the graphics work!

Sprite edits to player, enemy, turret and shutter graphics to improve quality.

Contra version .68

Thanks to the PICO-8 Discord community for offering suggestions on how to trim down my code and how to improve the graphics, this update would not have been possible without them!

Turrets were completely rewritten, and can now track you in all 8 directions. They are still quick, but they have a limited range of motion...
Fire Weapon fully implemented! It's not the greatest for crowd control, but it is highly effective against
emplacements.
Soldier drones have been reworked. Only 3 drones can spawn at a time now (usually), they run a little slower, and any drone that goes for a dip will instantly drown...
Another pass on map and object graphics to improve detail and readability.
It is no longer possible to soft lock the game by taking damage from two things at the same time.

Contra version .63

Detail pass on map graphics

Contra version .62

Tweaks to sound effects playback to reduce clobbering
New explosion sound for turrets, shutters and cannons to help them stand out a little more and make blowing them up
just a little more satisfying.
Adjusted collision so you can't scale the Base exterior

Contra version .61

fixed cannons not clearing out after a game over.

Contra version .60

Turrets have been added. They have pretty good servos, so don't think you can slip past them so
easily. A healthy dose of gunfire ought to short their circuits.
The boss now has some defenses in two cannons. They just kind of spew bullets on the ground, but they are still
lethal. Blow them up if they are bugging you.

Contra version .51

Changed powerup collision so they pass through semi-solid platforms correctly
The first Rapid and Machine Gun powerups have switched places.

Contra version .50

Boss has been added. There are no defenses for it, but he did finally show up.
Runner enemy type has been added. They move fast, so you have to be on your toes. At least they are easy to kill...
Powerup shutters fully implemented. Shoot them to receive an item!
Victory state implemented.

Contra version .30

Capsules are fully implemented! they can be shot for a powerup, and I have sprinkled a few through the level
Powerup behavior is implemented. Available powerups are: Machine gun, Spread, Fire, Laser and Rapid Shot
Machine gun fires in full auto, like a Machine gun should!
Collect Rapid Shot to nearly double the speed of your bullets!
Sound and partial graphics in place for all weapons
Adjustments made to some sound effects
Minor changes to title music

Contra version .25

Phase one of capsules added. You can't shoot them yet, but if you press ⬆️ and 🅾️ one will spawn from Bill's location.
I also have one capsule setup to spawn in as a script
Initial work on items started
Initial work on spread gun started.
Small explosions added. Press ⬆️ and ❎ to make a capsule go boom!

Contra Version .22

Adjusted wipe speed to more closely match the NES version
Map filled out with initial artwork
Player spawn delay now consistent
Code commented out a little more, and formatting changes
Minor alterations to music

Contra version .2

Submitted to BBS

Here is my "One Level Concept" Demake of Contra for PICO-8!

Enough about that! Let's get down to the nitty gritty...

Controls:

Press ⬅️ to move left
Press ➡️ to move right
Press ⬇️ to go prone
❎ will make you jump
🅾️ will fire your weapon

More detailed controls in the spoiler...

Game Details

Known Bugs

Final Words and Thanks!

I'd like to thank Lexaloffle for this fantastic program, and Konami for my childhood memories and this inspiration. Also, mad props to the PICO-8 community, you guys are amazing!

Turbochop [Lexaloffle Blog Feed]

Pico Hunt (Updated 5/12/25)

I'm proud to announce my latest project:

Pico Hunt!!

Note: Basic gameplay loops currently in place for duck hunting and clay shooting

What I have so far...

What is planned...

Please give it a go and tell me what you think!

Check below for the change log

Happy Hunting!!

Change log:

Picovania (Version 1.3) Updated: 5/15/25

Reminder:

Controls:

Instructions:

A more detailed manual can be found in the spoiler below!

The Instruction Booklet

A Word from the Creators

--- @Turbochop and @HeyNetters

Introduction

Every One Hundred Years...

Every One Hundred Years...

The cycle continues...

Steel thyself, Vampire Hunter, for this is a task most monumental. You will need all of your wits and cunning to emerge Triumphant and save Wallachia - or Die trying.

Setting Up Picotron

Note:

This explanation will assume you are on a PC running the latest windows, but the general steps should be similar:

Controls

Note:

These controls assume the Default Control Scheme is used.

In Menus:

Note:

You cannot Back out of Name Entry or Confirmation screens. Instead, the appropriate menu items Must be used to exit these screens.

Note: You Cannot Exit while playing the game from the BBS

In-Game:

Note: Simon Cannot throw Sub-Weapons while Ducking

Starting a Game

Note:

Important:

Beginning a New Game

Note: The name SIMON is provided by default, but if you wish to enter your own simply begin Typing and it will be Cleared automatically.

Loading a Game

Note: Progress through a Door is Not saved.

Copying a Game

Caution:

Once a save file is overwritten it Cannot be recovered!

Deleting a Game

WARNING:

Deleting a save file is PERMANENT. Be Careful when Deleting Save games!

How to Play

Note: The game is Saved after collecting the Orb.

If you wish to Quit Playing, be sure this Notification has appeared Before closing Picovania

The Action Screen:

Player

Player Health

Time Remaining

Lives Remaining

Player Score

Ammo Remaining

Current Stage

Multi Shot

Boss Health

Game Over

Sub-Weapons

A vampire hunter is only as good as his Arsenal, and luckily Simon came Prepared. Collect plenty of Hearts to keep your stock supplied.

Note: Hold ⬆️ on the D-Pad and then press 🅾️ to throw a Sub-Weapon

Knife

Axe

Holy Water

Cross

Stopwatch

Note: More Powerful enemies are Immune to the effects of the Stopwatch, so use Caution

Items

Picovania is loaded chock full of supplies Simon can utilize. He just needs to Find them...

Hearts

Morning Star

The Orb

Money Bags

Multi Shot

Note: If Simon collects a Different sub-weapon from the one he currently has equipped, his Multi Shot will

Dracula has conjured all manner of horrible Creatures and Ghouls to **Thwart* Simon's progress. Here is only a few of them...