Author Topic: Mario Bros. Online (Read 9910 times)

CashCrazed · « **on:** July 27, 2005, 11:16:44 PM »

I've got my game back together, and believe me, this is the best Mario fangame you'll ever play! I've worked on it since, well, at least junior high, although only a tiny bit at a time. And now, I've finally got Internet play into a workable state.

You can find the download(only the first link works) and a ton of screenshots here:

http://www.geocities.com/synnethrelmn/download.html

Since I finally got a game server running, I can run this online myself now! I'm planning a time frame where I'll run the game server, and people will join and play me. I already played this online yesterday with my cousin who lives on the other side of the state, and it wasn't too bad. I need people from farther away than that to test how it handles lag, though. I already posted this on another forum, so if you're lucky, you may meet up with one of the people from there.

I've already planned the times. On Friday I'll be running the game server from 3:00 to 5:00 PM central time. For those of you too lazy to convert, it is:

Pacific: 1-3 PM

Mountain: 2-4 PM

Central: 3-5 PM

Eastern: 4-6 PM

INSTRUCTIONS: During this time period, open the game and if you'd like to continue to read the info here, hit Space at the main menu to take it off of fullscreen mode. Then click "Network/Internet Play", and then click "Internet TCP/IP Connection for DirectPlay" on the next menu. Enter your nickname when it asks you, then hit "J" for join. My IP address is 216.74.210.242, so type that in when it asks you, and (hopefully) you'll see my game once it connects. Hit "1" and enter to join it if it's there, otherwise, well, either the server's full with 4 people or you can't connect(hopefully it'll be the former). Once you do that, you'll be in the chatroom with me! I'd suggest reading the readme before you play so you don't complain about other people using manuevers you didn't know were there.

kurtvegita · « **Reply #1 on:** July 28, 2005, 05:44:09 AM »

Hi, I was wondering if you did this game with C++ or something. I can probably make a repleca with Flash if I had the code.

Also I found a weakness to the Boss battle, an experienced player can just stay on his head the whole time

CashCrazed · « **Reply #2 on:** July 28, 2005, 11:45:07 AM »

Nope, this game was done in a game creator called DarkBASIC. If you look at source, "umario.dba", you'll see that it's written in a BASIC-type language.

Yes, if you're good enough, you CAN get 20 consecutive jumps on the *normal* last boss's head. But he's not really meant to be that hard anyway. The last *secret* boss, however, it is nearly impossible to stay on his head the whole time, what with the falling blocks.

kurtvegita · « **Reply #3 on:** July 28, 2005, 03:04:56 PM »

Last boss is bowser right, I'm sure everyone saw the sprite sheet whenever it cuts to a new scene. And you unlock him by never dieing throughout the whole game right?

kurtvegita · « **Reply #4 on:** July 28, 2005, 03:12:18 PM »

Didn't work, the IP address didn't work, I have wireless internet that might be a complication and also for the records I triple checked the IP address, with dots and without dots didn't work : (

CashCrazed · « **Reply #5 on:** July 28, 2005, 03:28:22 PM »

Nope, the last boss is not Bowser, he's the first secret boss. You learn how to get the secret bosses by beating the other bosses within a certain time limit. For the phase 50 boss, you'll have to beat him within about 30 seconds. For Bowser, 45 seconds. And for the very last boss, 50 seconds. Other boss tips can be found here

The reason it didn't work is because I'm not the running game server yet! Try doing it again tomorrow between the times listed above.

Edited by - CashCrazed on 7/28/2005 2:34:59 PM

kurtvegita · « **Reply #6 on:** July 28, 2005, 04:00:41 PM »

One more thing, when I jump on Luigi I sometimes land on his soldiers and die and sometimes when I get hammer and fire suits I fall through the floor.

Do the hammers and fireballs do anything?

If you want I can make this game a forums

Edited by - kurtvegita on 7/28/2005 3:01:25 PM

CashCrazed · « **Reply #7 on:** July 28, 2005, 04:27:56 PM »

"One more thing, when I jump on Luigi I sometimes land on his soldiers and die and sometimes when I get hammer and fire suits I fall through the floor."

If you meant soldiers as in the spinies, you're supposed to die when you land on them. If you meant "shoulders", you'll usually die if you clip him on the side like that. The game may let you have a hit here and there while doing that because of the engine's screwy collision detection, but don't base your strategy on doing that.

The falling through the floor while grabbing some items is one of the two known bugs I left in the game. It's also a product of the bad collision system, but since I have no control over how DarkBASIC does things like that, I'm having trouble fixing it.

In battle mode, shooting other people with fireballs will make them jump, or if they're in the middle of a jump, immediately fall, just like they did in SMBDX's VS mode. The hammers are better though. Hit somebody with one of them to reverse their controls and prevent jumping for a few seconds.

I don't think my game is popular enough yet to deserve its own forums. I made some a long time ago, but they never got any more than 10 posts.

Edited by - CashCrazed on 7/28/2005 3:43:56 PM

kurtvegita · « **Reply #8 on:** July 29, 2005, 07:17:33 AM »

Well that explains that. Well anyway you can jump off Luigi's shoulders too (sorry made a typo the first time)

kurtvegita · « **Reply #9 on:** July 29, 2005, 11:29:24 AM »

Is there a way to turn off the coin wins? And I was wondering what do the different color POW blocks do?

CashCrazed · « **Reply #10 on:** July 29, 2005, 11:52:08 AM »

No, you can't turn off coin wins, that's what makes battle mode balanced. Otherwise, what incentive would people have for going out and killing monsters?

As for the POW blocks, the green ones only flip enemies, and the rest also do something to all people on the ground at the time. Blue stuns people, red makes everyone jump, and yellow shakes everyone up(same effect as getting hit with a hammer).

kurtvegita · « **Reply #11 on:** July 30, 2005, 12:08:37 PM »

I killed a computer by throwing him into the edge of the platform (bottom one) and jumped at him. There was no enemy

Glorb · « **Reply #12 on:** July 30, 2005, 01:13:39 PM »

Thank you for making this game! Not only is it fun, but it reminded me of a neat game that I was working on, but abandoned: Mario vs. Sonic World Tour! It's this neat game where you control a squad of either Mario or Sonic characters and you can pick up various power-ups (including different weapons) to use against the other squad. It's about 48% complete, and the only playable characters are Mario, Sonic, Toad, Shadow, Luigi and Knuckles.

Well, this is where the signature goes...

kurtvegita · « **Reply #13 on:** July 30, 2005, 02:42:24 PM »

you wern't on today : (

kurtvegita · « **Reply #14 on:** July 30, 2005, 04:39:17 PM »

Ok, there is something seriously wrong with Shadow Mario's IQ, you can jump on his head and not move and keep on pounding away at him

My record for pounding Shadow Mario is 11 can anyone beat it?

Glorb · « **Reply #15 on:** July 30, 2005, 05:13:51 PM »

Mine is 13, ha ha! Seriously, it is. Shadow Mario has almost no AI.

Well, this is where the signature goes...

kurtvegita · « **Reply #16 on:** July 30, 2005, 05:40:26 PM »

Shadow Mario is easy to beat huh?

CashCrazed · « **Reply #17 on:** July 30, 2005, 09:10:22 PM »

Mine's 16. That trick really takes out the "unbearable difficulty" Parallel Mario was supposed to have. I may revise the AI, once I get Internet Play better sorted out. There was a ton of lag when we tried it on Friday, and it crashed twice.

kurtvegita · « **Reply #18 on:** July 30, 2005, 09:59:23 PM »

When will you be on again?

KevTastic · « **Reply #19 on:** July 31, 2005, 01:45:16 PM »

Hey, nice game. Well made and plays really well. One day i'd like to get into basic video game making. Got any tips on how to start and what sort of software would be good for a begginer?

CashCrazed · « **Reply #20 on:** August 01, 2005, 11:20:20 PM »

Umm, well, I'd recommend Dark Basic as a good starter language. That's what I wrote this game in. I would've done it in C++ if I was starting now, but I would've had to find new multimedia and networking libraries and learn the APIs to get the same functionality as I have in DarkBasic. This was just easier.

About the game, I'll bring it back online after I release the new version. The biggest change is that the game's limitation of 2 enemies at once has been lifted. Now it works like the real Mario Bros. with the number of enemies on-screen at once going up with the phase number. Makes the game harder overall, but hey, it was pretty much a cakewalk before! There's also one more level in Adventure Mode now, which you learn how to access by beating Parallel Mario. I wrote the music to it because I couldn't find anything good for my "final challenge". Hope it doesn't make your ears bleed too much!

Edited by - CashCrazed on 8/1/2005 10:27:11 PM

CashCrazed · « **Reply #21 on:** August 05, 2005, 12:49:35 AM »

Okay, I've FINALLY finished my new version. Go back to the download page to pick it up. The next online game will be on Saturday, same time as before.

If anyone's having any trouble beating the bosses, there's a tip sheet here. I also need input on what people think of my final challenge. Too easy? Too hard? Keep in mind that it's supposed to be the optional super-battle, comparable to the Pit of 100 Trials in PM2.

Edited by - CashCrazed on 8/4/2005 11:49:41 PM

Kuroneko · « **Reply #22 on:** August 05, 2005, 10:34:38 PM »

This is an excellent game. I am addicted XD

One pet peeve though: The pipes are set up wrong. In the original Mario Bros., when the enemies would go into a pipe at the bottom, they would go to the pipe directly above them, making it so that they could alternate directions. In this, though, the enemies come out the pipe they started at. I don't know if this is intentional, but it annoyed the heck out of me in the first few levels. Also, I noticed that when you jump fairly close to a ledge, you hit an invisible block. You can also stand on this invisible block sometimes.

That aside, I love this game, though I think it would be even more awesome with unlockable characters for multiplayer mode, like Luigi, etc. XD

kurtvegita · « **Reply #23 on:** August 06, 2005, 10:11:19 AM »

It says error 10 on the new version when I try to play adventure mode

kurtvegita · « **Reply #24 on:** August 06, 2005, 10:46:31 AM »

nevermind, I just needed to redownload it

CashCrazed · « **Reply #25 on:** August 06, 2005, 12:26:49 PM »

The pipes are something I fixed in the new version! Now, INSTEAD of always coming out in the pipe they started out in, it's random. Maybe you just got really unlucky.

About the extra characters, I honestly had thought about making a skin feature for multiplayer. You could make your own character, and even use him in internet play!

Kuroneko · « **Reply #26 on:** August 06, 2005, 12:47:46 PM »

Yeah, that skin feature would be awesome XD

Oh yeah I got the new version and I like how 500 enemies come out at you at once XD. Also, it seems like a lot of throwing bugs were fixed in the latest version.

BTW when is the server going to be on next?

kurtvegita · « **Reply #27 on:** August 06, 2005, 12:59:45 PM »

I can make an opening movie with flash mx 2004 professional

kurtvegita · « **Reply #28 on:** August 06, 2005, 03:03:23 PM »

No one was on :(

CashCrazed · « **Reply #29 on:** August 06, 2005, 04:21:50 PM »

Well, crap! I didn't get anyone! Maybe there was a problem connecting to me or something! It should have worked fine!

Edited by - CashCrazed on 8/6/2005 3:22:27 PM

CashCrazed · « **Reply #30 on:** August 07, 2005, 02:34:16 AM »

Found the problem. Dang router! Sorry, but I can't host any more matches till I figure out what's actually causing the problem. Until then, however, I'm working on the next version...with custom skin support! With this, you can play as whoever you want in multiplayer! Right now I'm only using it to make the four Marios different colors, but I'll expand it so that you can use custom ones. Even on the internet! If whoever you're playing doesn't have the skin, they'll download it before the match starts. Now then, since the format's already figured out, you could go ahead and design a skin now.

This is the template for a skin. It's 144x112, enlarged here so you can see it. It's separated into 16x16 blocks, so it would be a good idea to use a grid in your paint program so you don't overwrite the boundaries. Other than that, just write your own graphics frames over Mario's matching frames in the template. Pure black(RGB 0,0,0) is considered transparent in the image reader, so if you do need black to show up, do as I've done with Mario's outline there and make it very very dark, but not completely black.

Keep in mind that no matter what you design the skin to be, it will still handle exactly like Mario. That means you can pretty much play as anyone or anything you want. Also, it has to be in BMP format for it to work in the game. Not the PNG format that Imageshack converted this to.

Edited by - CashCrazed on 8/7/2005 1:49:13 AM

CashCrazed · « **Reply #31 on:** August 13, 2005, 10:50:42 PM »

Alright, I'm reviving this because I updated it, and there's some guys to try it out with. The new version is out(download page, go get it) with multiplayer skin support, adventure mode boss tweaks(made them harder, mostly), and the usual bug fixes.

Some people here are holding a tournament, so you can try out the game with them. Unfortunately, I'm leaving until Thursday to my grandparents, so I won't be able to join you. Have fun, and don't hesitate to report any new bugs!

Ultima Shadow · « **Reply #32 on:** August 15, 2005, 01:12:49 AM »

CashCrazed, where did you get the music for the final normal boss? I think that's the best music in the whoe game- it rocks!

Suffix · « **Reply #33 on:** August 15, 2005, 10:03:40 AM »

Rats, I missed this whole thing! This has got to be one of the most impressive works of DarkBASIC I've ever seen. DarkBASIC... I remember seeing that program somewhere...

CashCrazed · « **Reply #34 on:** August 18, 2005, 05:17:33 PM »

The final normal boss music is the final Smithy battle from SMRPG.

Anyway, this isn't working. The people holding that tournament couldn't connect, and you need special ports open to even host a game! Not to mention the severe lag we got while playing the game online for the first time. So here's what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna make a dedicated server program. And then, once I get my second computer back, I'll reopen the ports and run it on that full-time. This means no more server-side connection problems, hopefully. The host will no longer have a special advantage because his game runs perfectly while the rest lag, since the host will not be playing. Finally, I'll try out a special measure that should reduce lag a little.

Also, if anyone has designed any working skins by the time I get the next version, I can include them in the package.

Kuroneko · « **Reply #35 on:** August 18, 2005, 09:43:50 PM »

Uhh... I made a 8bit Luigi based off of your 8bit Mario... XD

I plan on doing a Super Mario World skin sometime, though.

CashCrazed · « **Reply #36 on:** August 18, 2005, 10:40:56 PM »

I think I can handle the recolors, thanks. That's what practically all my skins are.

The problem with using the SMW Mario is that small Mario is taller than 16x16 pixels. That seems to be a limitation for a lot of skins, and it's a pretty bad one. So now, the skin template is reformed. Add an extra row of 16 pixels to the top of my current template. You can draw small Mario to be up to 32x32 pixels now.

I'll be doing an SMA Mario skin now, with the new template. I'll also try to squash the last major bug; one that's been plaguing the game since the very first version, and that is the strange throwing behavior. If you throw a guy in the right spot, he'll go up half the screen. It doesn't work right in some other areas too.

kurtvegita · « **Reply #37 on:** August 19, 2005, 08:20:47 AM »

I made some funny skins, I made an MJ one, very funny. Want me to e-mail it to you?

Kuroneko · « **Reply #38 on:** August 19, 2005, 10:41:33 AM »

There is an error in your 8-bit Mario skin. In the Hammer Mario row, you placed the holding-item sprite too far to the left. Also, don't you mean that little Mario can be 16x32, not 32x32?

BTW I am working on SMW Mario right now :)

CashCrazed · « **Reply #39 on:** August 20, 2005, 10:38:24 PM »

Uhh, yeah, 16x32, that's what I meant. The sideways Mario(used for the backflip) also takes up 32x16 now(baseline at the bottom of his feet, as always). And lastly, at the very last 16x32 space on the small Mario row, put a death frame. I may be needing it.

EDIT: Well, enemies can be thrown different ways after a hit from below now, like the original. This modification coincidentally fixed a bug that caused the Fighterflies to get stuck in "up" mode after being flipped over right before taking off again.

Edited by - CashCrazed on 8/20/2005 10:27:29 PM

MEGAß¥TE · « **Reply #40 on:** August 20, 2005, 10:47:49 PM »

If you can make the server program compile on Linux, I can host it on KTN.

CashCrazed · « **Reply #41 on:** August 20, 2005, 11:30:57 PM »

Dang, your server runs Linux? Dark Basic programs run exclusively under Windows, and I checked their site, and they explicitly said they'll never do a Linux compiler, even though lots of people have asked. Also, my network code uses DirectPlay, and I think that's exclusive to Windows too, so I don't think that would run if they tried.

EDIT: Yep, it's impossible. Took me 30 seconds to find an article that said:

"The other major stumbling block for Linux porting is networking. Microsoft has done a good job making DirectPlay very easy fro the Windows developers, and utterly useless on Linux. As a closed API that uses encrypted data streams, there is little or no chance that Windows games ported to Linux will ever be network compatible with their Windows counterparts."

Edited by - CashCrazed on 8/20/2005 11:29:08 PM

kurtvegita · « **Reply #42 on:** August 22, 2005, 01:52:31 PM »

This is getting big, I'm gonna make a forums for it

Ultimate Mario Brothers Forums

Edited by - kurtvegita on 8/22/2005 12:59:43 PM

CashCrazed · « **Reply #43 on:** September 20, 2005, 02:22:47 PM »

I'm back on this now, and about to release V1.50! I'm still working a few bugs out of multiplayer classic, but I'll have it done by the time I get my server running. I need to do a little test first though, to see if my router's back up. Click this link:

http://216.74.210.242:8080/

That page is hosted directly on my machine, and if you can see it, then that means you can connect directly to me, and you should be able to access a DirectPlay game server as well after I unblock the corresponding ports.