Battle Kid: Fortress of Peril
| Battle Kid: Fortress of Peril | |
|---|---|
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Battle Kid: Fortress of Peril (Ver 1.100) cover art | |
| Developer(s) | Sivak Games |
| Publisher(s) | Retrozone (NES) |
| Series | Battle Kid |
| Platform(s) | Nintendo Entertainment System |
| Release date(s) |
NES:
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| Genre(s) | Platform, Metroidvania[1] |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Battle Kid: Fortress Of Peril[2] is a homebrew 2D platform video game, released in February 2010 for the Nintendo Entertainment System, created by Sivak Games,[3][4] and published through Retrozone with the cover art designed by Larry Bundy Jr. Unlike most games in the modern era, Battle Kid is available for purchase only on a physical NES cartridge. While there has been a demand for a downloadable version, the developer has stated that the game is currently not planned to be released on any other formats due to a contract with Retrozone.
Gameplay
Battle Kid is very similar to I Wanna Be the Guy, an indie freeware game for the PC, in terms of the design of the main character and the projectile weapon he possesses, the trial-and-error difficulty, and instant death mechanics of all enemies and hazards. However, the similarities end here as the actual gameplay and control is much more in the likeness of Mega Man games on the NES and the boss fights at the end of each major stage. The main character, Timmy, can only be hit once before the player is greeted with a 'game over' screen; however, there are infinite continues and the player will start over from the last save point. There are also keys which unlock different areas of the fortress and enhancement cards which give the player a number of different abilities to overcome obstacles. There are over 500 individual rooms, over 30 different enemy types, and multiple difficulty settings.
Plot
Mysterious shadowy figures speak of a "supermech" being built. A week later, Dr. Tina Byers, a scientist at Disch Corp, receives an alarming transmission from a long-abandoned place known as Fortress Il'Akab (nicknamed the Fortress of Peril). A race of wizards once lived there and filled the place with traps and dangerous creatures. An unknown group has assumed command there and is developing a supermech weapon. Dr. Byers calls in Timmy to infiltrate the fortress and put a stop to the group's plans. Armed with a prototype battle suit and magic gloves, Timmy flies off in his ship and heads into the action.
Releases
There have been three releases of Battle Kid: Fortress of Peril. The original was a limited edition run of 33 copies for early pre-orders, game play testers and production staff, with each copy being uniquely numbered. February 2010's version 1.000 was the second, main, and currently most common release. A third release of version 1.100 was released on July 2, 2010.
The main differences between the 1.000 and 1.100 releases of Battle Kid was the fixing of a glitch discovered in the 1.000 version of the game. This allowed the player to become invincible, therefore being able to beat the game with ease. Also fixed was a sound effect and the letters "D" and "V" of the game's font, which were sometimes confused with "O" and "U" respectively. Exclusive to the 1.100 release as well is an extra level originally showcased at the 2010 ScrewAttack Gaming Convention which can be accessed by typing "SGCLEVEL" into the password screen.
The cover art and cartridge label for 1.100 were also totally redesigned and re-colored by "Guru Larry" Bundy Jr. He had made a pencil sketch of the original cover, but didn't have enough time to finish off the piece personally, and therefore it was handled by Sivak.
Sequel
Battle Kid 2: Mountain of Torment was announced on May 12, 2010 and released on December 15, 2012 by developer Sivak Games. New features have been covered, such as the following: new block types of ice, conveyors, and sludge; Wall Grip upgrade;[5] the in-game death counter;[6] and the intro stage.[7] Though it is unlicensed, it is notable for being the last game published for the NES, 17 years after the console's discontinuation in North America and nine years after its discontinuation in Japan.
See also
References
- ↑ Johnson, Jason (August 31, 2011). "Interview: Talking NES Homebrew With Battle Kid 2's Sivak". Gamasutra. Retrieved July 13, 2016.
When Battle Kid: Fortress of Peril released for the NES last year, it was hailed as one of the finest (though, admittedly, one of the very few) homebrew titles put out for the system. / It's also a very hard Metroidvania-style platformer...
- ↑ http://www.retrousb.com/product_info.php?products_id=86
- ↑ Agnello, Anthony John (November 19, 2013). "Back from the dead: 9 modern games for obsolete consoles". The A.V. Club. Retrieved December 4, 2013.
- ↑ http://sivak.nintendoage.com/
- ↑ Battle Kid 2 - First gameplay demo, YouTube video
- ↑ Battle Kid 2 - demo video #3 - New features and another area, YouTube video
- ↑ Battle Kid 2 - demo video #4 - Intro stage, cutscenes, and status , YouTube video.