Slow Mole

Ero

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The free full digital version of Slow Mole is now out! Check out the trailer below.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=roumRR86sUM

Download Slow Mole:
https://slowmoledev.itch.io/slow-mole


The whole game is designed around a unique checkpoint mechanic that will only award a checkpoint when the player proves their mastery of a screen. Since this is a very challenging game that might not appeal to everyone I've decided to release it for free so people can try it and see if it's for them. This game was made in the old NESmaker 4.1.5 and a lot of asm-coding.

There is also going to be a cartridge release and a Slow Mole + -version, with some more secrets, music and additional unlockable challenge levels. (But note that the vanilla version is very much a complete game already and it will take even high skill players hours to beat and even longer to unlock the secret levels.)

We're designing the PCBs ourselves (Kristofer is a professional hardware designer and coder), this is the working prototype of the famicom cartridge:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-MC8aAijz8


Learn more about Slow Mole + and the cartridge release on my Patreon-page: https://www.patreon.com/erikrosenlund

You can also find me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Checkoofilm

Oh yeah, some speedrunners have already taken note of the earlier beta version, and one in particular has been setting records. WR board: https://www.speedrun.com/slow_mole
 

Jonny

Well-known member
I was just about to follow you on twitter then realised I'm already following you haha

Really like the puzzle aspect and jump challenges. I'm stuck on the electricity pilons part so haven't got very far yet.
 
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Jonny

Well-known member
Love the stop motion too. Looks like you've been doing animation for quite a long time?
I remember why I followed you on twitter now, you posted some really awesome photos of your own art on old pc disks.

Also, are you making the custom boards yourself? Interested to know more about that.
 

Ero

New member
I have been doing animation a long time. This was the first time I ever did anything with stop motion or plasticine though. Note, this isn't 100% stop motion, there's also some puppetry that I animated digitally afterwards, that's one of the reasons it's so smooth. I have mostly done drawn animation before.

We are doing the boards ourselves, but I'm only responsible for the illustrations. We are only just getting started though, we have so many ideas for unique hardware features that work together with the game design. For the upcoming cartridge for SlowMole+ we're testing out a few of them. It also looks like we're making a limited run of a board based on the prototype with the current version, I just want to do some touch up on the illustration and maybe refine the board shape a little first.

Yeah my Amiga disks seem to have become quite a hit on Twitter, who would have thought. I shared this one photo first and it got like 27 000 impressions (and that's not even the most shared one now).
 

Basty

Active member
Now I'll have to say, graphically, the background, stage design and everything looks very impressive. Nice to look at.
Very nostalgic too. Has that certain degree of crude isolation.

But man does this game heavily rely on trial and error even if it's only for a one screen at a time and sometimes...
Well, multiple screens since in some cases it helps out more to be patient than rush things out.
Some of the screen designs are so pixel perfect that sometimes challenge ain't exactly fair but plain masochistic.

It also doesn't help that springs and other objects don't always work as intended and there's this one particular room
that introduces the spider webs which could seriously have a better and more clearer introduction about how they work
since at first I thought it was the last screen since there didn't seem to be anything to jump on, till I experimented a little.

This is seriously some Kaizo level of difficulty even on an easier difficulty and with privilege of spamming save states.
 

StarBlades

Active member
MY GOD THIS LOOKS AMAZING. The style gives off some SERIOUS MegaMan vibes (specifically 3, 6 & 10) And by the looks of it, ITS LOOKS REALLY FREAKIN' DIFFICULT. Might i also say that being the music man I am, The music is really cool! And the overall concept is... well... slow but AMAZING! I CANNOT see how THIS is FREE. 8/10
 
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Ero

New member
MY GOD THIS LOOKS AMAZING. The style gives off some SERIOUS MegaMan vibes (specifically 3, 6 & 10) And by the looks of it, ITS LOOKS REALLY FREAKIN' DIFFICULT. Might i also say that being the music man I am, The music is really cool! And the overall concept is... well... slow but AMAZING! I CANNOT see how THIS is FREE. 8/10
This really isn't a game for everyone, so for it to find an audience I chose to release it for free so that many people can try it. I'm hoping enough of them will like it so much that they want to get it on cartridge or upgrade to SlowMole+ when it lands. And I can admit to liking the pixel art in later MegaMan games a lot, so that was surely an inspiration. And thanks for your compliments on the music! In the trailer there are two tracks, but there are currently six in the game (and SlowMole+ will have even more chiptunes.)

As for the difficulty, I think mechanically it's certainly harder than a lot of NES games, but the checkpoint system makes it more managable in a way. The game also breaks with certain game design conventions and that can absloutely throw even experienced retro gamers off their game. Most of the screens can never be learned to perfection because timings aren't the same all the time. Some people certainly don't like that design choice, but for me that's what makes the game interesting and fresh to play even though I probably played trough it more than a hundred times when testing it. Ultimately, as a creator you have to do what you yourself would like to play and not try pleasing everyone. (That's the approach I always had in my filmmaking as well.)
 

StarBlades

Active member
This really isn't a game for everyone, so for it to find an audience I chose to release it for free so that many people can try it. I'm hoping enough of them will like it so much that they want to get it on cartridge or upgrade to SlowMole+ when it lands. And I can admit to liking the pixel art in later MegaMan games a lot, so that was surely an inspiration. And thanks for your compliments on the music! In the trailer there are two tracks, but there are currently six in the game (and SlowMole+ will have even more chiptunes.)

As for the difficulty, I think mechanically it's certainly harder than a lot of NES games, but the checkpoint system makes it more managable in a way. The game also breaks with certain game design conventions and that can absloutely throw even experienced retro gamers off their game. Most of the screens can never be learned to perfection because timings aren't the same all the time. Some people certainly don't like that design choice, but for me that's what makes the game interesting and fresh to play even though I probably played trough it more than a hundred times when testing it. Ultimately, as a creator you have to do what you yourself would like to play and not try pleasing everyone. (That's the approach I always had in my filmmaking as well.)
Trust me, for an NES game, this is INSANELY difficult, but very unique. Right now(outside of Scratch) all i can make is a fancy walking simulator but people gave me positive feedback on that as well! When it comes to my music, if I DON'T like it, its not good. That's how I roll. :) I would definitly say the difficulty ranks JUST above Ninja Gaiden and MegaMan 9.
 
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Ero

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Awesome! But, man, so difficult >_< the hit box is crazy.
I actually did adjust the snake's hitbox some time ago (before the open beta though I think) to make it slightly easier to jump over, by one pixel in width... But you're right, the game doesn't give you much leeway in general. It's all pretty precise. I very much understand if this isn't everyone's cup of tea.

But anyway, I was pleased to see that the first review is in today: https://www.retrorgb.com/new-free-nes-game-slow-mole-released.html
 

Jonny

Well-known member
I like games like slow mole which are intentionally hard by good design, even if they're frustrating. It's easy to make a game hard by making it unfair and random so it's refreshing to hear the level of detail gone into the challenges. I think people are more likely to want to play a game if they know they're figuring things out rather than just getting lucky. One of the best finished games to come out of NM I think.
 

Ero

New member
Some updates on the upcoming Famicom cartridge. Imagine this in gold on a black PCB. We're making a small test run based on this second prototype that will also serve as review copies. The final design might still see some adjustments. Once we're confident everything looks exactly as we want it to, we'll be ready to take orders from those who want to get their hands on one.

SlowMole_FamicomCart_Proto2_sm.jpg
 
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