Hasslevania

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Pater Alf
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Hasslevania

Post by Pater Alf »

The long awaited Castlevania parody is finally out:

"Poor Rovert Bellhump! He just bought a new house on the cheap and can't figure out just why. But all is revealed to him as soon as he lays his head upon his pillow- for his new neighbors are causing quite a ruckus! And his new neighbors are Count Dracula and Castle Hasslevania!! You see tonight marks the 100th year from the last time Drac was defeated and now he's up to his noisy shenaneghans again. Rovert sets out to go and tell Drac to keep it down or he's calling the cops!" (from the homepage)

I don't really know if I like this game. The controls feel kind of sluggish, it is frustrating to look for money bags over and over again to get the "High Heels" in the beginning of the game and the 120 MB voice acting is in fact unnecessary (because it's not that good).

Strange thing that it is still fun to play this game (I have no idea why). Probably playing this you can just feel that the developer loved making the game.

Developer: DXF Games (David Fillion)

Download: http://curlysworldoffreeware.com/game_i ... gameid=168

Download size: 140 MB

Year: 2007

Status: We have permission to host it...
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Hasslevania1.jpg
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Last edited by Pater Alf on Sat Jan 05, 2008 1:20, edited 1 time in total.
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Scythe
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Post by Scythe »

Does it feature David "Hassle"hoff? :D
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Pater Alf
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Post by Pater Alf »

No, but as I read somewhere many fans hoped for it and so there are some jokes/hints about him in the game...
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Del_Duio
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Post by Del_Duio »

Thanks for showcasing my game that's awesome!

But I'd suggest that to get people in to eat you show 'em some turkey n' pie instead of the bread n' peas:



[img]http://del_duio.sitesled.com/Hastlevania/gala-moth.PNG[/img]

[img]http://del_duio.sitesled.com/Hastlevania/NS6.PNG[/img]

[img]http://del_duio.sitesled.com/Hastlevania/ACAB-CASINO-MOCKUP2.PNG[/img]

[img]http://del_duio.sitesled.com/Hastlevania/TOMB-MOCKUP.PNG[/img]

The game has had some mixed reviews, but a lot of people think it's fun even if they can't figure out why. The voiceovers are intentionally bad (I wanted to emulate SOTN's bad voiceovers if it were possible). The game is also pretty hard from what I've heard. Save points are few and they don't heal you up at all. Items are purchased from the shop and for big prices. There's invisible pits, lots of dangerous obstacles, semi-invunerable enemies, hidden rooms, walk-through walls, areas of complete darkness, and 7 boss enemies. There's also my original story and brand of comedy which is definitely not for everyone.

About 95% of people seem to all get stuck at the same place however, and unfortunately it's towards the beginning. I kind of went a wee bit too "old school" this time around as far as lack of obvious hints but what I'm telling people now is that there's something to the hint book that says "A DRAFT!?" in the 1st save room you find. That's a good enough hint.

Any other questions, ask away that's why I made the thing. :)
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Chroelle
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Post by Chroelle »

I will give it a playover one of these days. I have a long TO-DO list currently, but I will get to it.

Thanks for the very kind answer to my mail. I will make sure that Hasslevania is getting in line for playtesting.
Currently testing Life version 2.9 (With added second child)
(Beta testing in progress)

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Pater Alf
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Post by Pater Alf »

Thank you for dropping by and posting the screenshots which are much better than the ones I took. But as you said yourself "Hasslevania" is quite hard and it seems I'm stuck at the same place than the rest of the people and so I was just able to take screenshots from the beginning of the game (and I didn't want to "steal" from your own site).

Will see if I can go on with the hint you gave. If not I will get on your nerves with more questions... ;)
Last edited by Pater Alf on Sat Nov 24, 2007 19:46, edited 1 time in total.
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Del_Duio
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Post by Del_Duio »

No problem, I've seriously answered almost 10 e-mails all about that first snag already counting today.

I will be glad to answer any questions you have, and thanks for actually requesting permission to use images from my site. Now only if everyone would follow suit!
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Chroelle
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Post by Chroelle »

Well we do make a lot of fuzz about it being the developers games, and not ours. We are kindly allowed to play them and sometimes host them. We also go along way to get our own screenshots of the games since that is also a way of showing interest in a game instead of just nicking them from the dev site.
If you look at the screenies we have for Duck Blitz Hunting, then you will know what I mean. I took pictures with my phone of the screen to get CWF-screenies instead of just the developers screenies. :D
I am hoping to get time to start up on Hasslevania today. I have an idea that we wont be alcking Game hunters wanting to play this one. :D
Currently testing Life version 2.9 (With added second child)
(Beta testing in progress)

www.paed-it.dk - My blog in Danish

Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society.
--Mark Twain
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Pater Alf
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Post by Pater Alf »

Chroelle wrote:If you look at the screenies we have for Duck Blitz Hunting, then you will know what I mean. I took pictures with my phone of the screen to get CWF-screenies instead of just the developers screenies. :D
Well, we should be honest and tell that for "Duck Blitz Hunting" developers screenies (or a homepage) not even existed. But I can see your point.
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Chroelle
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Post by Chroelle »

True, but there were screenshots about. But we wanted our own. :D
Currently testing Life version 2.9 (With added second child)
(Beta testing in progress)

www.paed-it.dk - My blog in Danish

Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society.
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eMTe
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Post by eMTe »

I like your game so far. The only thing I really dont like is movement speed. Game is much too slow for my tastes.

Apart from this looks like :goodjob: has been done.

As for difficulty level your game can probably rival Soldexus, another Castlevania-inspired game.
"As you have noticed over the years, we are not angry people." (itebygur)
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Pater Alf
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Post by Pater Alf »

Del_Duio wrote: About 95% of people seem to all get stuck at the same place however, and unfortunately it's towards the beginning. I kind of went a wee bit too "old school" this time around as far as lack of obvious hints but what I'm telling people now is that there's something to the hint book that says "A DRAFT!?" in the 1st save room you find. That's a good enough hint.
Ok, I finally found the secret passage! But I'm not sure if it was such a good idea in level design to put such a hard to find place right in the beginning of the game. I really didn't expected to find a hidden passage Spoiler!!! in the ceiling and was searching the walls of the room (and many other rooms ) instead all the time. Spoiler!!!
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Del_Duio
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Post by Del_Duio »

Yep, I agree if there's one thing I would change is I'd make some sort of flowing grass near that ceiling hole. I don't mind if people get stumped but so early on- it wasn't really fair to expect people to figure out something like that so soon.

About the game's speed (Rovert's walking speed mostly): There is a weapon you can get later on that doubles your walking speed. It's a huge boost and it'll also let you make long-distance jumps as well.

I'll have to check out that other game as soon as I get a chance!
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eMTe
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Post by eMTe »

How to save the progress?
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Pater Alf
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Post by Pater Alf »

There are some save points in the games. Look for coffins and open them by hitting them with the sword. Then step inside them and the game will be saved.
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Del_Duio
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Post by Del_Duio »

Guys, I hate to say it but there's been a bug that's been discovered that I have to fix right away. I'm going to be making the Version 2 Hasslevania and uploading it for the public hopefully as early as sometime tomorrow.

The bug is very far into the game, during the 2nd encounter with Me Sued Ya in the LCD Tower. If you didn't kill one of the brittles (the red skeletons) with the fmaily whip before triggering the cutscene with MSY, he WON'T pause like he's supposed to and rise up from his little smashed pile and eventually walk over and injure or even outright KILL Rovert while the cutscene is playing. I had always had the whip for that part and never caught the bug myself, and nobody else who playtested the game saw it either, but I would consider this a game-breaking bug. Or at least a real sh*tty bug.

I didn't want to have to make any fixes to the game after release but feel obligated to make this correction. There's 1 or 2 other minor things I'll work on too, including making that first secret ceiling more obvious to players, since everybody gets stuck at that part in the beginning still.

I'll keep you posted, but like I said I want to act quickly and fix this.
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Post by Chroelle »

Then it is a good thing that I haven't gotten started on this yet. :D
Currently testing Life version 2.9 (With added second child)
(Beta testing in progress)

www.paed-it.dk - My blog in Danish

Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society.
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Del_Duio
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Post by Del_Duio »

It sure is!

Okay, the new Hasslevania Version 2 has been successfully added to the mirrors and is ready to go!

Changes:
------------

New game mode, "Wussy Schoolgirl", that replaces the original "Vanilla" from Version 1. Specially designed to help new players, Rovert will now actually heal up to 50% of his life whenever he saves in a coffin. This is incredibly useful, as every other game mode requires that you either find or buy food in order to heal yourself at all. The drawback for this mode is that you can't get the "good" ending while playing it. It's all about the balance!

Bug fixes- There were 2 little bugs I fixed and that one major one that are completely gone now!

Slight graphical updates- Took down the "TROOP" posters I had up before and replaced them with new "NEIL HURT 4 BEST DRUMS" posters instead. I was working on a new game called Troop, but the project might now not get done with Hasslevania 2 on the docket next. :) Also added some extra poop to the Offensive Altar rooms. Sorry, but it had to be done!

Made things easier for everybody- I made it so that the one place that EVERYBODY always got stuck at is much easier to find now. Also, I removed a set of spikes near Oldie's that makes this area easier to avoid taking uneccessary damage. One hint book had a better hint put to it because "JUMP QUICKLY" made a few players think that they had just acquired some sort of faster jump powers instead of getting that the message meant that Rovert had to jump quickly or get hit by the spikes. It now says "AXE VS ARMOR" which is very helpful in telling the players that they'll need the axe in order to damage enemies who wear armor, uncluding Black n' Dookie, a boss enemy.

Added a new screen to the ePay jumbo tron to convey my great delight of having thousands of downloads and then having to go and fix anything on this at all :D

One of the metal lifts in Drac's Quarters now goes up a lot higher to help people if they somehow ran out of skill hearts and couldn't make the high jump out.

* * *

All in all, THIS is much better and I hope nothing else comes up that makes me change anything else. Hooray!
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Chroelle
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Post by Chroelle »

And so I will go download and play it. :D
Currently testing Life version 2.9 (With added second child)
(Beta testing in progress)

www.paed-it.dk - My blog in Danish

Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society.
--Mark Twain
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Chroelle
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Post by Chroelle »

I have run onto serious problems regarding the high jump. I bought the heels, and got past the "draft" and after getting one jump right in the next screen, then I fell down to the lowest level of that screen again (next to the frog) and I cant seem to highjump anymore. I did 4-5 highjumps before not being able to do it anymore. I am playing the wuzzy schoolgirl difficulty, so I could see more of the game in a hurry.
This would not annoy me if I didn't have fun playing the game so far.
Currently testing Life version 2.9 (With added second child)
(Beta testing in progress)

www.paed-it.dk - My blog in Danish

Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society.
--Mark Twain
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