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Post by Sketcz-1000 on Jul 2, 2012 1:59:28 GMT -5
Do you like Super Metroid? Then you'll love Talos V. It borrows the weapons, bosses, general style and design structure of Super Metroid. In fact, I'm pretty sure some background tiles are sprite-rips direct from Super Metroid. It's a little rough in places, but still good fun. Special thanks for Jorpho for the scans, and arranging to have it dumped. When you download it off the internet, it's probably thanks to his efforts and those of HOTU. www.hardcoregaming101.net/talosv/talosv.htm
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Post by Gendo Ikari on Jul 3, 2012 8:14:23 GMT -5
It's thanks to some posts here that I discovered this game (even if I was around HOTU from its foundation to the mid-2000s, it got past my radar). I haven't played much of it but what I found is interesting. It's evident the author really loved Super Metroid. The graphics are sometimes cheesy, mostly the coloring, but they mostly do their job.
As a side note, there's another clone from those days called Sinaria: Lost in Space. As far as I remember it's even more shameless, although its graphics are really amateurish.
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Post by Sketcz-1000 on Jul 3, 2012 9:24:27 GMT -5
It's also by John Pollard and seems to be re-use a lot of sprites and maybe the entire engine from Talos V. I'll add that to my list of games to play - it could probably do with coverage alongside Talos V, despite them not really forming a series.
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Post by Gendo Ikari on Jul 4, 2012 11:57:59 GMT -5
Really? That explains a lot. It's the opposite however - it's Sinaria the predecessor, and Talos the more refined successor. HOTU credits one Joe Hillman as co-designer of Sinaria - this name also figures in the credits of Talos as co-programmer. By the way, the year of publication is wrong. The box back (good job putting that and booklet) says it's 1996. So Mobygames is right while HOTU and Abandonia list the year as 1997. Also, Sinaria is apparently from 1994 - did Pollard and Hillman quickly make it in a few months after playing Super Metroid? Anyway, just a look at two screenshots shows it's from when they where less experienced. Would be good to make the article really complete. Did you try to contact Pollard again sending him a link to the article?
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Post by Sketcz-1000 on Jul 4, 2012 12:21:35 GMT -5
Just emailed him again.
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Post by Sac (a.k.a Icaras) on Jul 4, 2012 21:19:54 GMT -5
The menu in that last screenshot (in this thread) looks really similar to the one in Jill of the Jungle. Further borrowed material maybe?
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Post by Gendo Ikari on Jul 5, 2012 2:05:01 GMT -5
I recall seeing menus like that in several DOS games of the early 1990s, like there was some template among amateur programmers; and honestly, Jill's menu is a bit nicer to look at, mostly thanks to the font. Also, while Sinaria's spritework is mediocre (and that's generous), the background tiles are decent compared to other games of the era, although the ones in the second screenshot definitely look ripped from Super Metroid.
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