NESmaker Wiki:Bare Bones

This tutorial will show you how to create a "bare bones" NES game, consisting of a player that can move around and jump. It's intended for those who want to get a basic idea of the process before checking out other tutorials and more information.

Create a new project

 * 1) Create a new project using blank tilesets.  Choose a folder name (I chose "robojerk").  Use the Starting Module "BASE_SimplePlatformer.MOD".

Setting up background palette
select Palettes -> All Palettes -> Palette 0. Right-click it and select "Rename". Rename it to "red brick".
 * 1) In the tree, select Palettes -> Palette Groups.  Right-click Palette Groups, and select "Add Palette Group".
 * 2) Expand "Palette Groups" and select the newly created "User Palette Group".  Right Click it and select "Rename".  Rename it to "blocks".
 * 1) Right click the newly renamed "red brick" and select "Assign to Group" > "blocks".
 * 2) In the main window pane, there are 4 "Day Palettes", and 4 "Night Palettes" below them.  Change the colors of Day Palette, Palette Group 0, by clicking each rectangle, and selecting the color.  From left to right, use the colors "0F", "06", "16", "28".

Creating sky and bricks

 * 1) In the tree, Select Project -> Graphics -> Graphic Banks -> Graphics Bank 1 -> Assets.
 * 2) In the main window pane, change the text in the textbox from "New Asset" to "sky".
 * 3) In the dropdown below the "Save NEW" button, select "Null - Walkable 0".
 * 4) In the "Palette Group" dropdown, select "blocks".
 * 5) In the "Palette" dropdown, select "red brick".
 * 6) In the small tileset box at the top, select the first tile (the upper left corner).
 * 7) Click "Save NEW".
 * 8) In the tree, Select Project -> Graphics -> Graphic Banks -> Graphics Bank 1 -> Assets.
 * 9) In the main window pane, change the text in the textbox from "New Asset" to "brick".
 * 10) In the dropdown below the "Save NEW" button, select "1 - Solid".
 * 11) In the "Palette Group" dropdown, select "blocks".
 * 12) In the "Palette" dropdown, select "red brick".
 * 13) In the small tileset box at the top, select the second tile (the area just to the right of the upper left corner.).
 * 14) Click the "Edit" button.
 * 15) Left-Click anywhere on the edit area once (and only once).
 * 16) Click the "Enable Palette Translation" button on the toolbar.  It's the third item (hover for tooltips).  The toolbar palette colors (the fifth to eighth items on the toolbar)  have now changed to our brick colors.  Use them to draw a square brick (or just a simple square for now, as long as it's not all black).
 * 17) Click the save icon on the toolbar (the first item on toolbar).
 * 18) Close the "Quick Monster Edit" window.
 * 19) Click "Save NEW".

Placing some bricks on the screen

 * 1) In the tree, select "Overworld"
 * 2) In the main window pane, choose a location on the map (one of the green squares), and double-click it.
 * 3) Click the "screen info" button.
 * 4) Click the "Screen Uses Gravity" checkbox so it has a checkmark.
 * 5) Click the "OK" button.
 * 6) Select "brick" by left-clicking it, and draw some bricks on the screen with the left-mouse button to make a floor.  If you want to "Erase" a brick, select "sky" and place it instead.

Creating a player

 * 1) In the tree, select "Game Objects" -> "Player".
 * 2) On the topmost palette labeled "Sub 1", select "MonsterPalette 0" from the dropdown.
 * 3) Change the text "MonsterPalette 0" in the text box to "Player" and click "Rename".
 * 4) right-click to edit the colors.  From left to right, top to bottom, choose the colors "0F", "29", "06", "00".  I'm using this to make a robot zombie hybrid with green skin, a red eye, and a grey body.
 * 5) Select the second tile in the small rectangle at the top (just right of the top-left corner).
 * 6) Click Edit, and create graphics for a player the same way you did with the brick.  Don't forget to click the save icon.
 * 7) Select the third tile in the small rectangle at the top.
 * 8) Create a walking frame for the player.  To keep it simple for the tutorial, I just had the player dip his legs 1 pixel lower.
 * 9) Once again, select the second tile (We have been changing the "DefaultAnimation" graphics, so this will set it back to a standing frame).
 * 10) Click the "Manage Animations" button.
 * 11) Select "DefaultAnimation", and click "Duplicate".
 * 12) Select the newly created "DefaultAnimation Copy", then change the text in the textbox to "stand left".
 * 13) Select "DefaultAnimation", and click "Duplicate".
 * 14) Select the newly created "DefaultAnimation Copy", then change the text in the textbox to "walk right".
 * 15) Close the "Manage Animations" dialog.
 * 16) In the main window pane, from the "Animation" dropdown, select "stand left".  Click the "Flip Animation" button.
 * 17) From the "Animation" dropdown, select "walk right".
 * 18) Set the "Frame Count" to 2.
 * 19) From the "Frame" dropdown, select "Frame 2".
 * 20) In the small rectangle at the top, select the third tile (the player's walk frame).
 * 21) Once again, click the "Manage Animations" button.
 * 22) Select "walk right", and click "Duplicate".
 * 23) Select the newly created "walk right Copy", then change the text in the textbox to "walk left".
 * 24) Close the "Manage Animations" dialog.
 * 25) In the main window pane, from the "Animation" dropdown, select "walk left".  Click the "Flip Animation" button.
 * 26) Click the "Object Details" button to open the "Monster Animation Info" dialog for the player.
 * 27) Click the "Animations" tab, then click the "Add" button.
 * 28) In the "Enter Name" dialog that appears, enter "walk" then press "OK".
 * 29) In the "Animation Types" list, select "Default".
 * 30) Change the "Up Left", "Left", and "Down Left" dropdowns to "left".
 * 31) In the "Animation Types" list, select "walk".
 * 32) Change the "Right" dropdown to "walk right".
 * 33) Change the "Up Left", "Left", and "Down Left" dropdowns to "walk left".
 * 34) Click the "Details" tab.
 * 35) Set "PERSISTENT" to on (checked).
 * 36) Set "player" to on (checked).
 * 37) Set "Normal Max Speed" to 30.
 * 38) Set "Acceleration Speed" to 255.
 * 39) Set "Jump Speed" to 16.
 * 40) Click the "Actions" tab.
 * 41) From the "Action Step" list, select "1".
 * 42) Change the "Animation Type" dropdown to "walk".
 * 43) Set the "Animation Speed" to 2.
 * 44) Click the "Bounding Box" tab.
 * 45) Select a region that covers most of the player, but leave the very bottom row of pixels so the box doesn't cover it.  For a single tile 8x8 character, I have Left = 0, Top = 0, Width = 8, Height = 7.
 * 46) Close the "Monster Animation Info" dialog.
 * 47) Save your project if you haven't already (From the File menu or the toolbar icon).
 * 48) Click the "Export and Test asm" icon from the toolbar.  It's the first NES icon.
 * 49) A window will appear, asking to press a key to continue.  Press a key, and the game will run!
 * 50) Use "A" and "D" to move left and right, and "L" to jump.