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Xeno Crisis: a new game for the Sega Genesis / Mega Drive [kickstarter]

celsowmbr

Banned
Xeno Crisis is a new, original title for the Sega Mega Drive / Genesis which will be released both as a physical cartridge and also as a downloadable ROM. At its core, it's an arena shooter that takes inspiration from the likes of Smash TV, Contra, Mercs, Granada, Alien Syndrome, Zombies Ate My Neighbours, Chaos Engine, and Shock Troopers.

fuXV0Zk.png


We want the game to look, feel and sound like the classic Mega Drive games of the '80s and '90s, but also add some new elements that weren't so common in games of that era, particularly procedural map generation and randomisation of gameplay elements. Achieving that classic look and feel is vitally important to us, which is why we've teamed up with legendary pixel artist Henk Nieborg, who previously worked on the Mega Drive title "The Misadventures Of Flink", developed by Psygnosis.

UPDATE: By the way, for anyone that missed out on backing the Kickstarter campaign, we've setup a pre-order system through IndieGogo InDemand, which you'll find here:

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/x...t-and-switch#/

Kickstarter link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1676714319/xeno-crisis-a-new-game-for-the-sega-genesis-mega-d
 
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cireza

Member
This game looks amazing and has some incredibly talented persons behind it.

Going to back it today.

Very impressed by what they presented.
 

Bitmap Bureau

Mike Tucker - Developer
Thanks for the interest in Xeno Crisis - we're now approaching the third stretch goal, which is a new area and also translations into several of the more popular languages. We were lucky enough to achieve full funding for the project within 40 hours of launching the Kickstarter campaign, and we also hit the first two stretch goals which were a 2-player co-op mode and a Dreamcast port.

I don't think much has been said about Xeno Crisis on NeoGAF, so I'll take this opportunity to post a few GIFs to hopefully get a few of you interested!

olPSQz7.gif


zgyiYHU.gif


FD1ItmZ.gif


Oh, and here's the Kickstarter link again in case you missed it:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1676714319/xeno-crisis-a-new-game-for-the-sega-genesis-mega-d

Cheers,

Mike.
 

celsowmbr

Banned
Thanks for your Reply Mike !
As a Brazilian I love Mega Drive thanks to Tectoy's efforts !

Edit: Hope to see soon a video about Xeno Crisis at UColecionador channel !
Edit2: On twitter you asked about what should our next stretch goal be? IMO a Sega CD 32X version would be an amazing version !
 

pramod

Banned
That looks amazing...you guys are awesome!

Great work on that line scrolling effect in the continue screen!
 
This is looking amazing. Kudos to the devs; what a great looking Mega Drive title. Excellent sprite work and fantastic use of the limited colour palette too.

This makes me tempted to hunt down a model 1 Genesis instead of an Amiga CD32 this month. Hmm.
 
The platform selection is quite silly.

How so? There are free Mega Drive emulators available for *everything*. My fridge can run Genesis games. If you were an enthusiast gamer, you'd be well endowed with this knowledge or preferably, actually own a Sega console of this vintage.

Creating content within the creative limitations/confines of older hardware is a fantastic way to produce art and to stand well above the horde of, say, the 6000 other games released on Steam this year and create something unique and noticable. Your comment is quite silly.
 

HarryKS

Member
How so? There are free Mega Drive emulators available for *everything*. My fridge can run Genesis games. If you were an enthusiast gamer, you'd be well endowed with this knowledge or preferably, actually own a Sega console of this vintage.

Creating content within the creative limitations/confines of older hardware is a fantastic way to produce art and to stand well above the horde of, say, the 6000 other games released on Steam this year and create something unique and noticable. Your comment is quite silly.

Trying a bit too hard there.
 

Bitmap Bureau

Mike Tucker - Developer
Thanks for the nice words everyone! Xeno Crisis has now hit its third stretch goal, which was the addition of a whole new area and boss, plus translations into French, Italian, German, Spanish, Portuguese (including Brazilian), Dutch and Japanese. We've since added a fourth stretch goal, which we've cunningly labelled "Blast Processing" - it essentially means we'll be able to add more technical wizardry to the game, and also the following features:


  • Bonus stage
  • Boss rush mode
  • Extra enemies
  • Speed run seeds

We're also excited to announce that we've added two new add-ons to the Kickstarter - the OST can now be purchased on CD by adding £10 to your existing pledge, and you can also get the OST on vinyl by adding £25 to your pledge! Here's an early mockup of how it might look:

qLxyOqb.png


In response to some of your comments / questions:

@celsowmbr - UColecionador's channel looks great - we'll get in touch when the game is closer to being "demoable". :) I'm not sure how much demand there would be for a Sega CD or 32X version; if anything we'd be more likely to try a Saturn port, but for now we just want to concentrate on the Mega Drive and Dreamcast versions.

@HarryKS - The platform selection is certainly out of the ordinary, but I think we've shown that there's still a demand for new Mega Drive and Dreamcast content. :)
 

goldenpp72

Member
Thanks for the nice words everyone! Xeno Crisis has now hit its third stretch goal, which was the addition of a whole new area and boss, plus translations into French, Italian, German, Spanish, Portuguese (including Brazilian), Dutch and Japanese. We've since added a fourth stretch goal, which we've cunningly labelled "Blast Processing" - it essentially means we'll be able to add more technical wizardry to the game, and also the following features:


  • Bonus stage
  • Boss rush mode
  • Extra enemies
  • Speed run seeds

We're also excited to announce that we've added two new add-ons to the Kickstarter - the OST can now be purchased on CD by adding £10 to your existing pledge, and you can also get the OST on vinyl by adding £25 to your pledge! Here's an early mockup of how it might look:

qLxyOqb.png


In response to some of your comments / questions:

@celsowmbr - UColecionador's channel looks great - we'll get in touch when the game is closer to being "demoable". :) I'm not sure how much demand there would be for a Sega CD or 32X version; if anything we'd be more likely to try a Saturn port, but for now we just want to concentrate on the Mega Drive and Dreamcast versions.

@HarryKS - The platform selection is certainly out of the ordinary, but I think we've shown that there's still a demand for new Mega Drive and Dreamcast content. :)

I had a question myself, and I apologize if this was in the Kickstarter. I collect on a bunch of systems and one thing I try to do is keep my themes on a US theme, will there be any option for a 'themed' genesis release that resembles a game as if it released then, or will it be one generic sku for all?
 

Bitmap Bureau

Mike Tucker - Developer
Hey @goldenpp72, we'll be coming up with several variations for each of the major territories, and you'll be able to choose your preference via the backer survery - I collect Japanese Mega Drive games myself, so I understand your desire for consistent theming!
 

goldenpp72

Member
Hey @goldenpp72, we'll be coming up with several variations for each of the major territories, and you'll be able to choose your preference via the backer survery - I collect Japanese Mega Drive games myself, so I understand your desire for consistent theming!

Awesome, will definitely back then, i'm actually 10 games away from finishing my desired genesis set, so this is greatly timed for me :p
 

Bitmap Bureau

Mike Tucker - Developer
Finally got round to making a couple more very rough GIFs this week, both featuring the new female marine in some 2-player co-op action:

GUr8Xb7.gif


hhDDRS9.gif


Apologies for the lack of skills, but hopefully they'll give you some idea of how the co-op mode is shaping up! ;)
 

cireza

Member
I am baffled by the fact of adding two other versions of the game so late in the Kickstarter campaign. You already added the Dreamcast port, which had me wondering "how much more work did they just add on top of the initial MegaDrive version ?"

And now, both Switch and PC. You are going to get a few more thousands dollars by adding this stretch goal, but will you be able to handle these versions as well with only this added money ? And what about the release date ? Will you be able to deliver on the promised one ? This looks less likely now that you have to make two more ports.

Switch and PC are both going to add a layer of complexity to the publishing that you don't have on MegaDrive and Dreamcast, as well as having to port the game to both platforms of course.
 
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goldenpp72

Member
I am baffled by the fact of adding two other versions of the game so late in the Kickstarter campaign. You already added the Dreamcast port, which had me wondering "how much more work did they just add on top of the initial MegaDrive version ?"

And now, both Switch and PC. You are going to get a few more thousands dollars by adding this stretch goal, but will you be able to handle these versions as well with only this added money ? And what about the release date ? Will you be able to deliver on the promised one ? This looks less likely now that you have to make two more ports.

Switch and PC are both going to add a layer of complexity to the publishing that you don't have on MegaDrive and Dreamcast, as well as having to port the game to both platforms of course.

I c
With our Kickstarter campaign coming to an end in just a few days we've decided to announce our fifth and final stretch goal, which is to bring Xeno Crisis to the Nintendo Switch and Steam!

wtv56GQ.png


If anyone's interested in pledging then you can do so here:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1676714319/xeno-crisis-a-new-game-for-the-sega-genesis-mega-d

Thanks for all of the support, and if you have any questions about Xeno Crisis then do ask. :)

I'm a bit confused, is there a pledge/tier that would net you the physical genesis cart/box/manual, the dreamcast disc/case, and a copy of the Switch version? I put in for a backing of the Genesis physical version with the box/manual so I wasn't sure. I do think adding the platform so late was a missed opportunity though.
 

Sapiens

Member
I was wondering about this as well. With the team you have, you’re going to be on a shoestring budget.
 

Bitmap Bureau

Mike Tucker - Developer
I am baffled by the fact of adding two other versions of the game so late in the Kickstarter campaign. You already added the Dreamcast port, which had me wondering "how much more work did they just add on top of the initial MegaDrive version ?"

And now, both Switch and PC. You are going to get a few more thousands dollars by adding this stretch goal, but will you be able to handle these versions as well with only this added money ? And what about the release date ? Will you be able to deliver on the promised one ? This looks less likely now that you have to make two more ports.

Switch and PC are both going to add a layer of complexity to the publishing that you don't have on MegaDrive and Dreamcast, as well as having to port the game to both platforms of course.

We're currently not anticipating any impact on our initial timeline estimates and we intend to keep backers well informed throughout development. The ports for Dreamcast/Switch/PC all come after the key Mega Drive release so they don't have a direct knock-on to that. (We also have downtime for PCB/Cart manufacturing once the Mega Drive gold master is produced to ramp up efforts on the ports). We're very used to multi-territory/cross platform releases, we also have various in-house engine technologies and tools to simplify the porting processes.
 

cireza

Member
Ok, I hope that it goes smoothly for you.

I probably already said this somewhere (maybe directly on Kickstarter), but for the Dreamcast version, you should output at 240p for RGB and 480p through VGA with a scanline filter available (can be enabled or disabled, or even adjust the dark level). Same for PC and Switch : game must run in an exact multiple of the MegaDrive resolution with a proper scanline filter.

For handheld Switch, that's x3 with a filter, or in a 1080p screen (TV or PC) , that's x4 with a different filter. I remember that I made a post about this, some time ago, concerning the Hamster Neo Geo games on Switch because they have pretty bad scanline options... I will try to find out the post.
 
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Bitmap Bureau

Mike Tucker - Developer
I c


I'm a bit confused, is there a pledge/tier that would net you the physical genesis cart/box/manual, the dreamcast disc/case, and a copy of the Switch version? I put in for a backing of the Genesis physical version with the box/manual so I wasn't sure. I do think adding the platform so late was a missed opportunity though.

To get the Dreamcast CD and Switch versions you'll need to add £30 to your existing pledge.
 

Bitmap Bureau

Mike Tucker - Developer
Ok, I hope that it goes smoothly for you.

I probably already said this somewhere (maybe directly on Kickstarter), but for the Dreamcast version, you should output at 240p or 480p through VGA with a scanline filter available (can be enabled or disabled, or even adjust the dark level). Same for PC and Switch : game must run in a multiple of the MegaDrive resolution with a proper scanline filter.

For handheld Switch, that's x3 with a filter, or in a 1080p screen, that's x4 with a different filter. I remember that I made a post about this, some time ago, concerning the Hamster Neo Geo games on Switch because they have pretty bad scanline options... I will try to find out the post.

I think my colleague Matt mentioned somewhere in the Kickstarter comments that we will only be looking to do non-fractional scaling, so your x3 / x4 scale is exactly correct for the Switch as we don't want to compromise the quality of Henk Nieborg's pixel art! :) We'll certainly be looking at scanline options as it would be a nice addition.
 

Bitmap Bureau

Mike Tucker - Developer
This morning we hit the final stretch goal for Xeno Crisis (£65k), which means that we'll be bringing the game to the Switch and Steam! :) We're now into the final 24 hours, so any likes or shares would be very welcome right now, but thanks for all of the support so far. :) I'll leave you with a quick preview of the next track from the amazing Savaged Regime:
 

goldenpp72

Member
To get the Dreamcast CD and Switch versions you'll need to add £30 to your existing pledge.
To get the Dreamcast CD and Switch versions you'll need to add £30 to your existing pledge.

Alright, I changed my pledge to the kickstarter edition, and also added 30 on top of that, so that will allow me to get a physical genesis game/box/manual kickstarter edition, along with a DC/Switch version?

if so i'm good, a bit pricey at 150 US but I don't go into these often :p
 

Bitmap Bureau

Mike Tucker - Developer
Alright, I changed my pledge to the kickstarter edition, and also added 30 on top of that, so that will allow me to get a physical genesis game/box/manual kickstarter edition, along with a DC/Switch version?

if so i'm good, a bit pricey at 150 US but I don't go into these often :p

Yes that's right, thank you! :)
 

TaurezAG

Member
This morning we hit the final stretch goal for Xeno Crisis (£65k), which means that we'll be bringing the game to the Switch and Steam! :) We're now into the final 24 hours, so any likes or shares would be very welcome right now, but thanks for all of the support so far. :) I'll leave you with a quick preview of the next track from the amazing Savaged Regime:
Savaged Regime is doing the OST?
Opens Kickstarter
 

Nikodemos

Member
Ha ha, is is that bad? I've yet to hear a direct comparsion, but we will of course be test Xeno Crisis on every Mega Drive variant. :)
It's a sadly well-known fact that Sega did a lot of design changes to their boards, many of which were for the worse. The only Model 2 boards with good sound are the VA3 and VA4 revisions.
There are some Youtube videos displaying the difference between revisions.
 
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