I picked up Dezaemon 2 for my Saturn back in March after hearing, and reading about how you can literally create you own shmup in it. It's been sitting on my shelf ever since, until a few days ago when I decided to give it a go. So far, I've just played through the 5 already made shmups that are provided. They're pretty decent. I only enjoyed two of them. But now I'd really like to try creating one with the game editor, and the music editor. The trouble is....I don't understand Japanese. So I have no clue of what Iam doing, or where to even start.
Anybody know where I can find a English translated guide for this game? I can't find one anywhere. And Gamefaqs.com only has half a faq that won't help.
Please help!
Dezaemon 2
-
PC Engine Fan X!
- Posts: 9794
- Joined: Wed Jan 26, 2005 10:32 pm
I do have Dezaemon Plus instead of Dezaemon 2 for Saturn...
For J-Maniac,
I don't have Dezaemon 2 nor do I have Saturn console but I do have the PSX import of Dezaemon Plus + "How to Create in 7 Days" Dezaemon Plus book.
By simply experimenting around with the Music Editor, one can make some cool BGM tunes. I made some cool techno tunes that loop endlessly and can be placed on a sample created stage to see how it would mesh.
The Game Editor is where one creates the actual shmup game. Again by experimenting by trial & error, one can figure out the basics of creating their own shmup game with the Dezaemon Plus or Dezaemon 2 shmup creation engines.
It helps to have a Saturn mouse controller to better make use of the pointer cursor than rather to use a Saturn D-pad. Of course, this hold true for the PSX version of Dezaemon Plus as well. ^_~
There was another Japanese PSX game import by the name of "Dezaemon Kids" game that featured a 100 different user created mini shmup games using the Dezaemon engine.
PC Engine Fan X! ^_~
I don't have Dezaemon 2 nor do I have Saturn console but I do have the PSX import of Dezaemon Plus + "How to Create in 7 Days" Dezaemon Plus book.
By simply experimenting around with the Music Editor, one can make some cool BGM tunes. I made some cool techno tunes that loop endlessly and can be placed on a sample created stage to see how it would mesh.
The Game Editor is where one creates the actual shmup game. Again by experimenting by trial & error, one can figure out the basics of creating their own shmup game with the Dezaemon Plus or Dezaemon 2 shmup creation engines.
It helps to have a Saturn mouse controller to better make use of the pointer cursor than rather to use a Saturn D-pad. Of course, this hold true for the PSX version of Dezaemon Plus as well. ^_~
There was another Japanese PSX game import by the name of "Dezaemon Kids" game that featured a 100 different user created mini shmup games using the Dezaemon engine.
PC Engine Fan X! ^_~
-
raiden
- Posts: 862
- Joined: Tue Jan 25, 2005 11:41 pm
- Location: Cologne
- Contact:
it´s been a long time that I used this editor, but taken from memory:
first of all, if you choose one of the demo games (there are 2 additional secret ones only availlable by letting the demo loop run enough), you can analyze it´s structure by calling up the editor. I´d suggest to start by modifying simple things first, then calling up the test play function to see how it works.
If you want to start from scratch, here´s what you need to do:
- draw background tiles, player, shot and enemy sprites
- define player weapons
- define enemy behaviour, patterns, stats, flightpaths. By default, the game only allows you to define 3 bullet types, but you can work around that limit by using specially defined enemies as bullets. You´ll need that for homing lasers, for example.
- place enemies ("Zako" menu point)
- test how it works, then adapt the game so it works out nicely. This point will take the most time by far, even more than drawing graphics.
- once you got a stage complete, design a boss. The boss can consist of parts that are enemies, extending your design options. Bosses can have destructible parts and multiple attack phases.
- do some music for the game. This part can actually be done at any point during production, the music editor is pretty separate from everything else.
Oh, and don´t ask me on how the 3d editor works, I´ve never bothered to try that one.
One thing you should be aware of is you´ll need a Ram cartridge in order to save any game you created. The projects become 2000-3000 blocks large.
first of all, if you choose one of the demo games (there are 2 additional secret ones only availlable by letting the demo loop run enough), you can analyze it´s structure by calling up the editor. I´d suggest to start by modifying simple things first, then calling up the test play function to see how it works.
If you want to start from scratch, here´s what you need to do:
- draw background tiles, player, shot and enemy sprites
- define player weapons
- define enemy behaviour, patterns, stats, flightpaths. By default, the game only allows you to define 3 bullet types, but you can work around that limit by using specially defined enemies as bullets. You´ll need that for homing lasers, for example.
- place enemies ("Zako" menu point)
- test how it works, then adapt the game so it works out nicely. This point will take the most time by far, even more than drawing graphics.
- once you got a stage complete, design a boss. The boss can consist of parts that are enemies, extending your design options. Bosses can have destructible parts and multiple attack phases.
- do some music for the game. This part can actually be done at any point during production, the music editor is pretty separate from everything else.
Oh, and don´t ask me on how the 3d editor works, I´ve never bothered to try that one.
One thing you should be aware of is you´ll need a Ram cartridge in order to save any game you created. The projects become 2000-3000 blocks large.
-
J-Manic
- Posts: 761
- Joined: Thu Jan 12, 2006 10:17 pm
- Location: Bay Area
Thanks for the help guys. I'll keep in mind everything that you mentioned. But For now, I'm just playing around with the editors, figuring out what does what. It shouldn't be too hard to figure this game out. Still, I should've taken a Japanese class in H.S. or Community College. 
I was hoping to find a English translated guide to the game. That would make things much more easier for me to navigate through the editors. I guess this game wasn't popular enough for that sort of attention. Oh well.
BTW, I'm pretty sure there was a Dezaemon game for the Super Famicom as well, IIRC. I don't know if it's any good though.
I was hoping to find a English translated guide to the game. That would make things much more easier for me to navigate through the editors. I guess this game wasn't popular enough for that sort of attention. Oh well.
BTW, I'm pretty sure there was a Dezaemon game for the Super Famicom as well, IIRC. I don't know if it's any good though.
-
MattC
- Posts: 13
- Joined: Fri Nov 03, 2006 8:11 am
- Location: East Prospect, PA
- Contact:
As an owner of Dezaemon 2 and future owner of Plus for the PSX, I wish that there would be a decent English guide to those games.
On a semirelated note, I almost won a Saturn FDD drive on ebay in 2004 but I had to be at the freaking SuperBowl at my aunt's house. Heck I logged into ebay but thought that nobody in the right mind would pay more than $75 for a Saturn FDD. I was wrong. The reason why I wanted the FDD so I can save Dezaemon 2 designed games while backing them up on a PC.
At least all I need for the PSX is a Dex drive and I am good to go (I already have a JPN PS2 and a PSX Mouse).
PC Engine Fan X!, where did you get that Plus book from because it may be a sweet read, mainly for the pixel art stuff.
On a semirelated note, I almost won a Saturn FDD drive on ebay in 2004 but I had to be at the freaking SuperBowl at my aunt's house. Heck I logged into ebay but thought that nobody in the right mind would pay more than $75 for a Saturn FDD. I was wrong. The reason why I wanted the FDD so I can save Dezaemon 2 designed games while backing them up on a PC.
At least all I need for the PSX is a Dex drive and I am good to go (I already have a JPN PS2 and a PSX Mouse).
PC Engine Fan X!, where did you get that Plus book from because it may be a sweet read, mainly for the pixel art stuff.
-
PC Engine Fan X!
- Posts: 9794
- Joined: Wed Jan 26, 2005 10:32 pm
For MattC,MattC wrote:PC Engine Fan X!, where did you get that Plus book from because it may be a sweet read, mainly for the pixel art stuff.
I got that cool Dezaemon Plus "How to Make a Shooter in 7 Days" Book off of eBay from a Japanese seller back in 2002. It has heavy Japanese text but provides a bunch of pictures for the do-it-yourself (DIY) BGM portion of Dezaemon Plus program which is "a plus in my book". ^_~
The custom BGM tunes that I've composed with the built-in Dezaemon Plus music editor sounds better than the usual BGM tunes that are included with the sample Dezaemon Plus shmup titles to show what can be done.
However, it takes an entire PSX 1MB memory card to save just one custom "user" created Dezaemon Plus game...so please keep that in mind if and when you do get a copy of Dezaemon Plus for the Japanese Bios PSX or a modded PSX.
PC Engine Fan X! ^_~