I just wanted to give everyone a quick reminder that 8-Bit Adventures 2 is currently featured on the Square Enix Collective! Today's the first of 28 days that the game's SEC page will be online.

Why's this exciting? Well, read on!

https://collective.square-enix.com/projects/475/8-bit-adventures-2/



For anyone that doesn't know about the Collective, it's a curated website (run and maintained by Square Enix) that helps small teams build awareness of their ideas. It's a wonderful opportunity for more exposure, as well as a chance to connect with an audience who loves the same types of games that we do (namely JRPGs). And depending on how positive the response is, there could be more opportunities beyond this as well!

If want to help support 8-Bit Adventures 2, there are two things you can do. First off, please check out the page. If you'd like, you can take the opportunity to vote and provide feedback - always much appreciated! There are also some new screenshots and new tidbits of information to check out.

Secondly, if you're able, then please share the page on social media. Getting the word out there is always very helpful! One way or another, your support would be sincerely appreciated.

Of course, I don't want anyone to feel like they have to do this. Ultimately, being featured on the Collective is about connecting with a new community, gaining additional feedback, and exposing the game to a wider audience. So if you're not able to help, that's a-okay! Just reading this shows that you're interested in the game, and that's a BIG help in itself =)

Anyway, I'm really excited to see what the SEC community thinks of 8-Bit Adventures 2 after all our work. I hope everyone here enjoys the new tidbits as well!

~Josh

As promised in last month's update, I am very excited to announce that 8-Bit Adventures 2 has been selected for this month's Square Enix Collective showcase! It will be visible on their website for 28 days, beginning on July 16th.

https://collective.square-enix.com/projects/



For anyone that doesn't know about the Collective, it's a curated website (run and maintained by Square Enix) that helps small teams build awareness of their ideas. It's a wonderful opportunity for more exposure, as well as a chance to connect with an audience who loves the same types of games that we do (namely JRPGs). And depending on how positive the response is, there could be more opportunities beyond this as well!

If you want to help, then please check the Square Enix Collective website on or after July 16th (up until the 20th of August). There will be some new screenshots and information to check out, and you can take the opportunity to vote and provide feedback if you'd like. Your support would be sincerely appreciated!




Also, despite some troubles, the new Critical Games Creator Page is fully operational! If you want updates on new games and a place to see my entire library of content and news updates, please check it out and click the green 'Follow' button up top!

https://store.steampowered.com/curator/33038547


Finally, I just wanted to remind everyone that the Steam Summer Sale is nearly over. Even I'm honestly not sure when the next sale will be, so if you haven't picked up 8-Bit Adventures or Tales Across Time, make sure to grab 'em before 10:05 AM on July 5th (Pacific Time)!

You can get 8-Bit Adventures at 60% off! That means you can own it for just $4 USD! You can also get the fantastic Remastered Soundtrack 30% off ($3.50 USD), or the Game + Soundtrack bundle 45% off (that’s only $6.60 USD)!

http://store.steampowered.com/app/370300
Additionally, my most recent game Tales Across Time is also participating in the sale, making an already cheap game even cheaper! You can now get it 20% off - that's just $2.39 USD!!

http://store.steampowered.com/app/461710
As I've said before, these discounts won't get any lower in the future, so now's the best time to buy! ;)

And remember, every purchase goes towards 8-Bit Adventures 2's development. As many of you know, I am funding development myself, so any and all support is greatly appreciated!

~Josh

Another year, another E3, and another Steam Summer Sale! But we’ve got much more than discounts in this update – see what went into creating 8-Bit Adventures 2’s brand new Promotional Artwork and Title Screen, as well as some brand new images of the game in action!


I am very excited to finally reveal the 8-Bit Adventures 2 promotional artwork! Due to Steam's size limitations, please right click on the picture and choose 'View Image' to see a much larger version.



While I think the piece speaks for itself, let’s talk about what went into it behind-the-scenes. This wonderful artwork was drawn by Ryan “Jamps” Jampole, a Harvey award nominated comic artist best known for his work on the Mega Man, Sonic, and Dexter’s Lab comic book series’. When I contacted him in March, he very kindly agreed to draw a promotional image for 8-Bit Adventures 2, and I think he did an incredible job capturing the personality of the characters in his own signature style!

The goal was to create a piece that conveyed a sense of personality, character, and family from the main party. Unlikable characters are one of the main issues I’ve had with a lot of JRPGs over the last decade, so this was something I really wanted to communicate about 8-Bit Adventures 2. I always loved the idea of the art showing the party together on an Airship, but getting to this finished state required a lot of work on Ryan’s part!



To start us off, he sketched the scene from a variety of perspectives. In my head, I’d been imagining something like Design A, confirming once and for all that I don’t know anything about art! While they all had pros and cons, Ryan pointed out that conveying personality is pretty tough when you can’t see the characters from the front. So we ended up agreeing on Design D - the most dynamic of the group.



So then the sketching process began, and we went through several iterations – although they’re all pretty close to the final version. Jerram (our pixel artist) suggested that the logo be placed on the top right-hand corner rather than in the centre (which was definitely the right decision), and Warrior’s expression was changed (he looked a little too smug). Also, Emma miraculously regained her sight in this first sketch – she’s blind in the actual game, so that was a very important change =P



After the sketches, next came the line art and tone (the latter provides a sense of the lighting that the final image would have). As you can see, we’re very close to the final version now; the biggest change was Emma’s pose and expression, as she didn’t quite feel true to the character. But after a few more tweaks and a coat of paint, the final version was ready to go! Did you notice the glitch-like distortion on the mountains in the background? =)


You may have already seen it on Twitter, but I also wanted to show off the final version of the 8-Bit Adventures 2 Title Screen! Just like the promo art, I really couldn’t be happier with how this turned out. It went through several iterations in the concept phase, but I think Jerram has done an incredible job.



It’s designed to represent both the similarities and contrast between two major characters – Charlie on the right, and the Glitch on the left. Honestly, I’ve spent longer than I’d care to admit just staring at this animation! Hopefully you all agree that it's a great way to greet the player when they start up the game.


It was a bit of a surprise, but this week Steam opened up the beta version of their new Creator Page system. Essentially, it gives Developers and Publishers their own area on Steam to show off their entire catalogue of releases and content. Honestly, I think they’ve done a really great job; looking at my entire body of work (on Steam) in such a stylish form made me feel very professional haha.



And that’s not all! If you click the green “Follow” button at the top of the page, you’ll be alerted by Email and on Steam whenever I release a new game. So if you want to always stay up-to-date with my work, please give that button a click. Given how long it’s taken me to develop 8-Bit Adventures 2, I don’t think I’ll be spamming anyone =P

Please check out the Critical Games Creator page here (there have been some technical problems, so I apologise for any images that don't load - just have to wait for Valve to fix it): https://store.steampowered.com/curator/33038547


I know that updates have been very scarce recently, and I sincerely apologise for that. The longer development takes, the more I’m trying to walk the tightrope of what to show (and spoil), how to show it, and when to do so. Also, whenever I'm working on promoting the game, I'm not working on actually finishing it, so that's been a difficult balance.

I’ve just recently submitted 8-Bit Adventures 2 to the Square Enix Collective, and if the game is picked for their showcase I’ll hopefully be able to reach an entirely new community of people who also love JRPGs. I should know whether or not that’s happening next week, so please keep an eye out for an update post – your support would be sincerely appreciated! Plus there should be a few new images and details.

Speaking of which, here a few new screenshots! First up is another ‘cinematic shot’ from the game’s opening sequence. If you know your NES games, the inspiration for this shot is probably pretty obvious ;)



Next we have a quick trip in the Airship around part of the Anbu region – a new continent on the World Map (the file size was too large for Steam to upload, so I apologise for having to use a link):

https://static.wixstatic.com/media/90c0e5_7757fd34d01e4da6abe6fbf3161f33a0~mv2.gif

This last one’s not animated, but I wanted to show it off all the same! This image is from the Glade of Graphics, one of the four Computer World areas in the game. The architecture here features an Art Deco style; a bit different to your average fantasy environment, isn’t it? This area’s built around the concept of a murder mystery – a ROBOT murder mystery! ...I promise it makes sense =)




Can't forget about these! For the next two weeks only (until 10:05 AM on July 5th Pacific Time), you can get 8-Bit Adventures at 60% off! That means you can own it for just $4 USD! You can also get the fantastic Remastered Soundtrack 30% off ($3.50 USD), or the Game + Soundtrack bundle 45% off (that’s only $6.60 USD)!

http://store.steampowered.com/app/370300
Additionally, my most recent game Tales Across Time is also participating in the sale, making an already cheap game even cheaper! You can now get it 20% off - that's just $2.39 USD!!

http://store.steampowered.com/app/461710
As I've said before, these discounts won't get any lower in the future, so now's the best time to buy! ;)

And remember, every purchase goes towards 8-Bit Adventures 2's development. As many of you know, I am funding development myself, so any and all support is greatly appreciated!


I'm sorry that I still don't have a release date to share, but I won't be announcing that until I'm 100% sure it's going to happen. I don't want to lead anyone on - myself included! I hope you’ll stick with me during this final stretch of development, and I look forward to revealing more of the game as soon as I am able. Please check back late next week to see if there are any updates about 8-Bit Adventures 2 appearing on Square Enix Collective!

Also a BIG thanks to Ryan for his work on the Promo Art - seeing these characters represented in a piece like this was an amazing feeling, and I'm so happy with how it turned out. If you love Mega Man and Chrono Trigger, I highly recommend checking out his Deviant Art page!

And please stay tuned for more general updates! I always post 8-Bit Adventures 2 news here on Steam (including on the new 8-Bit Adventures 2 Steam Page!), but I also highly recommend following @CriticalGamesAU on Twitter, as that’s the best way I’ve found to keep up-to-date on news!

You can also check out the 8-Bit Adventures 2 Website for more info and screenshots (including our new Dev Blog), or check Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/CriticalGamesDev

And don't forget the newest addition - the Critical Games Creator Page: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/33038547 Follow that page or wishlist the game to be notified when 8-Bit Adventures 2 is finally released!

Josh

Lots of news this time around, including a brand new content update for the 8-Bit Adventures 2 Demo!

But let's get the business stuff out of the way first:


For this week only (until 10:00 AM on April 16th Pacific Time), you can get 8-Bit Adventures at 60% off! That means you can own it for just $4 USD! You can also get the fantastic Remastered Soundtrack 30% off ($3.50 USD), or the Game + Soundtrack bundle 45% off (that’s only $6.60 USD)!

http://store.steampowered.com/app/370300
Additionally, my most recent game Tales Across Time is also participating in the sale, making an already cheap game even cheaper! You can now get it 20% off - that's just $2.39 USD!!

http://store.steampowered.com/app/461710
These discounts won't get any lower in the future, so get 'em while they're hot! ;)

And remember, every purchase goes towards 8-Bit Adventures 2's development. As many of you know, I am funding development myself, so any and all support is greatly appreciated!


Okay, so let’s tackle the elephant in the room – it’s Early 2018 Josh, so where’s the release? Well, as you might have guessed by this point, 8-Bit Adventures 2 will not be releasing in Early 2018. No excuses; we’re simply not ready and the game is not finished. And I really can’t do anything else but apologise for this.

Honestly, there’s probably no one more eager to release 8-Bit Adventures 2 than I am, because the game is essentially my livelihood. Until that’s released (and hopefully sells well…wink, wink; nudge, nudge =P) I don’t have an income. But, of course, there’s no way I’m going to release an unfinished game – that doesn’t work out well for anyone.



Now, I do think it will be sooner rather than later and I have an estimate of when I think it will release (which is less than 6 months away). But I don’t want to say anything specific until I have an exact, locked-in, unchangeable date to give you. It *will* be released before the end of this year though; that I can promise you unequivocally.

But I am sincerely sorry that I have failed to meet this deadline and can only ask that you continue to support us as we finally (*finally*) approach release.


In lighter news, you guys have definitely been doing that! Over 1000 people have downloaded and played the 8-Bit Adventures 2 First Look Demo, and nearly 1500 people have added the full game to their wishlist! This shows an intention to purchase the game on launch, and it makes me incredibly optimistic about 8-Bit Adventures 2’s chances for success (which in turn will allow me to continue making games in future). So thank you very much to everyone who has played the demo or added the game to their wishlist.

In fact, player feedback has provided lots of valuable information, so I sincerely appreciate all of the responses I’ve received. By far the most common request I’ve seen is for the addition of a ‘Run’ button. Your feedback convinced me that this was the right way to go, and not only has it been implemented in the full game, but I’ve updated the demo to include this as well. The demo also now includes new tweaks to the battle system, a new bonus boss, a new playable character, and a silly alternate ending! So if you’re in the mood, I hope you’ll check it out =D

Note: At the time of writing, the demo has not yet been updated. I’ll remove this note once it has, but Steam should let you know when the update is downloaded. I apologise for the delay; just trying to be thorough and make sure I haven’t accidentally broken anything!


So then, what’s going on behind-the-scenes? Well, I am very happy to announce that I have commissioned a professional comic book artist to draw a piece of promotional art (the “box” art, essentially) for 8-Bit Adventures 2. I won’t say who it is just yet, but the artist and image should be revealed sometime next month, so please stay tuned. Needless to say, I’m very excited to see it!

Beyond that, with enemies, battle backgrounds, and tiles done (among many other things), Jerram Fahey (the artist) is hard at work tackling the remaining Battle Animations – and trust me, that’s a long list! The seven playable characters alone have around 98 abilities in total. And then when you add enemies and items into that mix, well…there are lots of crashes, bangs, booms, and whams that need animating.

He’s also working on something that I’ve been hoping to do since before development began – something that will be used to enhance a handful of key cutscenes. Those of you who’ve played Ninja Gaiden on NES might have an inkling of what I’m talking about ;)



The soundtrack surpassed 50 songs last week, and we’re still not done! Carfonu (the composer) has been working very hard, and I really can’t wait for you all to hear his work in full – the variety of sounds and styles he’s managed to create, despite the limitations of the NES (Famicom technically) sound chip, is incredible. Have a listen to some new samples!

https://soundcloud.com/8bitadventures2/bruneus-sample



https://soundcloud.com/8bitadventures2/mystery-theme-sample



https://soundcloud.com/8bitadventures2/anbu-city-sample



As for me (Josh - I design/develop the game), I’ve been making steady progress. Fun fact: I’ve apparently written over 100,000 words of dialogue so far, which is pretty crazy to think! This past week, I’ve been finishing up the continent of Anbu – which is the Japanese-inspired area you might have glimpsed in some trailers and screenshots. The main dungeon here is an old, ruined pagoda (fortress) with a heavily guarded exterior and 8-storey tower. It’s a fairly lengthy dungeon, and has some cool moments (like using Robot to slam through the gates leading up to the tower’s entrance while fighting off undead soldiers and ninja), so it was a lot of fun to design!



I’ve also started putting together the Instruction Manual. While it’s not quite the same as the old days, everyone will have access to a full colour, 25+ page manual when the game is launched – complete with silly jokes, concept artwork, information about the world, and even some useful information!

You can read a ‘Press Release’ that I made in the same style on the 8-Bit Adventures 2 website (www.8bitadventures2.com), but here are a couple of sample pages from the final manual if you’re curious.






But anyway, that’s really all I can say for now. Again, I sincerely apologise that the game is not available yet, but I hope you’ll stick with me in this final stretch.

And please stay tuned for more updates! I always post 8-Bit Adventures 2 news here on Steam (including on the new 8-Bit Adventures 2 Steam Page!), but I also highly recommend following @CriticalGamesAU on Twitter, as that’s the best way I’ve found to keep up-to-date on news! [/b]

You can also check out the 8-Bit Adventures 2 Website for more info and screenshots (including our new Dev Blog), or check Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/CriticalGamesDev

Let me know what you think about the demo updates!~
Josh

Lots of news this time around, including a brand new content update for the 8-Bit Adventures 2 Demo!

But let's get the business stuff out of the way first:


For this week only (until 10:00 AM on April 16th Pacific Time), you can get 8-Bit Adventures at 60% off! That means you can own it for just $4 USD! You can also get the fantastic Remastered Soundtrack 30% off ($3.50 USD), or the Game + Soundtrack bundle 45% off (that’s only $6.60 USD)!

http://store.steampowered.com/app/370300
Additionally, my most recent game Tales Across Time is also participating in the sale, making an already cheap game even cheaper! You can now get it 20% off - that's just $2.39 USD!!

http://store.steampowered.com/app/461710
These discounts won't get any lower in the future, so get 'em while they're hot! ;)

And remember, every purchase goes towards 8-Bit Adventures 2's development. As many of you know, I am funding development myself, so any and all support is greatly appreciated!


Okay, so let’s tackle the elephant in the room – it’s Early 2018 Josh, so where’s the release? Well, as you might have guessed by this point, 8-Bit Adventures 2 will not be releasing in Early 2018. No excuses; we’re simply not ready and the game is not finished. And I really can’t do anything else but apologise for this.

Honestly, there’s probably no one more eager to release 8-Bit Adventures 2 than I am, because the game is essentially my livelihood. Until that’s released (and hopefully sells well…wink, wink; nudge, nudge =P) I don’t have an income. But, of course, there’s no way I’m going to release an unfinished game – that doesn’t work out well for anyone.



Now, I do think it will be sooner rather than later and I have an estimate of when I think it will release (which is less than 6 months away). But I don’t want to say anything specific until I have an exact, locked-in, unchangeable date to give you. It *will* be released before the end of this year though; that I can promise you unequivocally.

But I am sincerely sorry that I have failed to meet this deadline and can only ask that you continue to support us as we finally (*finally*) approach release.


In lighter news, you guys have definitely been doing that! Over 1000 people have downloaded and played the 8-Bit Adventures 2 First Look Demo, and nearly 1500 people have added the full game to their wishlist! This shows an intention to purchase the game on launch, and it makes me incredibly optimistic about 8-Bit Adventures 2’s chances for success (which in turn will allow me to continue making games in future). So thank you very much to everyone who has played the demo or added the game to their wishlist.

In fact, player feedback has provided lots of valuable information, so I sincerely appreciate all of the responses I’ve received. By far the most common request I’ve seen is for the addition of a ‘Run’ button. Your feedback convinced me that this was the right way to go, and not only has it been implemented in the full game, but I’ve updated the demo to include this as well. The demo also now includes new tweaks to the battle system, a new bonus boss, a new playable character, and a silly alternate ending!

The update is available now! So if you’re in the mood, I hope you’ll check it out =D


So then, what’s going on behind-the-scenes? Well, I am very happy to announce that I have commissioned a professional comic book artist to draw a piece of promotional art (the “box” art, essentially) for 8-Bit Adventures 2. I won’t say who it is just yet, but the artist and image should be revealed sometime next month, so please stay tuned. Needless to say, I’m very excited to see it!

Beyond that, with enemies, battle backgrounds, and tiles done (among many other things), Jerram Fahey (the artist) is hard at work tackling the remaining Battle Animations – and trust me, that’s a long list! The seven playable characters alone have around 98 abilities in total. And then when you add enemies and items into that mix, well…there are lots of crashes, bangs, booms, and whams that need animating.

He’s also working on something that I’ve been hoping to do since before development began – something that will be used to enhance a handful of key cutscenes. Those of you who’ve played Ninja Gaiden on NES might have an inkling of what I’m talking about ;)



The soundtrack surpassed 50 songs last week, and we’re still not done! Carfonu (the composer) has been working very hard, and I really can’t wait for you all to hear his work in full – the variety of sounds and styles he’s managed to create, despite the limitations of the NES (Famicom technically) sound chip, is incredible. Have a listen to some new samples!

https://soundcloud.com/8bitadventures2/bruneus-sample



https://soundcloud.com/8bitadventures2/mystery-theme-sample



https://soundcloud.com/8bitadventures2/anbu-city-sample



As for me (Josh - I design/develop the game), I’ve been making steady progress. Fun fact: I’ve apparently written over 100,000 words of dialogue so far, which is pretty crazy to think! This past week, I’ve been finishing up the continent of Anbu – which is the Japanese-inspired area you might have glimpsed in some trailers and screenshots. The main dungeon here is an old, ruined pagoda (fortress) with a heavily guarded exterior and 8-storey tower. It’s a fairly lengthy dungeon, and has some cool moments (like using Robot to slam through the gates leading up to the tower’s entrance while fighting off undead soldiers and ninja), so it was a lot of fun to design!



I’ve also started putting together the Instruction Manual. While it’s not quite the same as the old days, everyone will have access to a full colour, 25+ page manual when the game is launched – complete with silly jokes, concept artwork, information about the world, and even some useful information!

You can read a ‘Press Release’ that I made in the same style on the 8-Bit Adventures 2 website (www.8bitadventures2.com), but here are a couple of sample pages from the final manual if you’re curious.






But anyway, that’s really all I can say for now. Again, I sincerely apologise that the game is not available yet, but I hope you’ll stick with me in this final stretch.

And please stay tuned for more updates! I always post 8-Bit Adventures 2 news here on Steam (including on the new 8-Bit Adventures 2 Steam Page!), but I also highly recommend following @CriticalGamesAU on Twitter, as that’s the best way I’ve found to keep up-to-date on news! [/b]

You can also check out the 8-Bit Adventures 2 Website for more info and screenshots (including our new Dev Blog), or check Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/CriticalGamesDev

Let me know what you think about the demo updates!~
Josh

Another year, another update post – I hope you’ve all had a fantastic start to 2018! Today I come bearing discounts, music samples, and a brand new Dev Blog! Not quite a Monster’s Inc world reveal, but it’s not bad ;)


For four days only (until 10:05 AM on February 19th Pacific Time), you can get 8-Bit Adventures at 60% off! That means you can own it for just $4 USD! You can also get the fantastic Remastered Soundtrack 30% off ($3.50 USD), or the Game + Soundtrack bundle 45% off (that’s only $6.60 USD)!

http://store.steampowered.com/app/370300
Additionally, my most recent game Tales Across Time is also participating in the sale, making an already cheap game even cheaper! You can now get it 20% off - that's just $2.39 USD!!

http://store.steampowered.com/app/461710
These discounts won't get any lower in the future, so get 'em while they're hot! ;)

And remember, every purchase goes towards 8-Bit Adventures 2's development. As many of you know, I am funding development myself, so any and all support is greatly appreciated!


With the release getting closer, I wanted to write some articles about the process of developing 8-Bit Adventures 2. I don’t know how regular this will be (as you all know, first and foremost, I need to get the game finished!), but I hope you’ll enjoy them.

Right now there are two articles – an properly formatted version of my Battle System Overview from last year (explaining the battle system of 8-Bit Adventures 2), and a brand new article called ‘Inspiring an Adventure’ where I discuss some of the games (and other media) that inspire me and how they’ve influenced 8-Bit Adventures 2.



The reason I wanted to write about this is because when I make a game, it’s always a game that I want to play myself. So if you and I like similar things, there’s a pretty good chance you’ll like 8-Bit Adventures 2, as well! …At least, that’s my hope haha.

https://www.8bitadventures2.com/blog/

If you want to keep up to date with future articles and news, you can now join the 8-Bit Adventures 2 Mailing List! No spam – just new articles and major announcements. Just scroll to the bottom of the page listed above!


Now the fun part! I’ve uploaded lots of screenshots, but it’s very rare that I get to show off the game’s soundtrack. So today, I wanted to give you guys a sneak peek with five new music samples! They are significantly trimmed down and occasionally different sections have been edited together to fit within the sample size, but I think they give you a good idea of the chiptune goodness that Carfonu’s been working on!

https://soundcloud.com/8bitadventures2/driftwood-sample



https://soundcloud.com/8bitadventures2/world-map-theme-sample



https://soundcloud.com/8bitadventures2/glitch-battle-theme-sample



https://soundcloud.com/8bitadventures2/city-of-sounds-part-2-sample



https://soundcloud.com/8bitadventures2/desert-ruins-sample



And if you want to give the composer some love, please check out his SoundCloud and send him some support – like Jerram and I, he’s working hard =) https://soundcloud.com/carfonu


That’s all for now, but please stay tuned for more updates (and the release)! I always post 8-Bit Adventures 2 news here on Steam (including on the new 8-Bit Adventures 2 Steam Page!), but I also highly recommend following @CriticalGamesAU on Twitter, as that’s the best way I’ve found to keep up-to-date on news! Or now you can join the 8-Bit Adventures 2 Mailing List to receive updates to your inbox!

You can also check out the 8-Bit Adventures 2 Website for more info and screenshots (including our new Dev Blog), or check Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/CriticalGamesDev

We’re getting closer and closer to the finish line, everyone!~
Josh

Another year, another update post – I hope you’ve all had a fantastic start to 2018! Today I come bearing discounts, music samples, and a brand new Dev Blog! Not quite a Monster’s Inc world reveal, but it’s not bad ;)


For four days only (until 10:05 AM on February 19th Pacific Time), you can get 8-Bit Adventures at 60% off! That means you can own it for just $4 USD! You can also get the fantastic Remastered Soundtrack 30% off ($3.50 USD), or the Game + Soundtrack bundle 45% off (that’s only $6.60 USD)!

http://store.steampowered.com/app/370300
Additionally, my most recent game Tales Across Time is also participating in the sale, making an already cheap game even cheaper! You can now get it 20% off - that's just $2.39 USD!!

http://store.steampowered.com/app/461710
These discounts won't get any lower in the future, so get 'em while they're hot! ;)

And remember, every purchase goes towards 8-Bit Adventures 2's development. As many of you know, I am funding development myself, so any and all support is greatly appreciated!


With the release getting closer, I wanted to write some articles about the process of developing 8-Bit Adventures 2. I don’t know how regular this will be (as you all know, first and foremost, I need to get the game finished!), but I hope you’ll enjoy them.

Right now there are two articles – an properly formatted version of my Battle System Overview from last year (explaining the battle system of 8-Bit Adventures 2), and a brand new article called ‘Inspiring an Adventure’ where I discuss some of the games (and other media) that inspire me and how they’ve influenced 8-Bit Adventures 2.



The reason I wanted to write about this is because when I make a game, it’s always a game that I want to play myself. So if you and I like similar things, there’s a pretty good chance you’ll like 8-Bit Adventures 2, as well! …At least, that’s my hope haha.

https://www.8bitadventures2.com/blog/

If you want to keep up to date with future articles and news, you can now join the 8-Bit Adventures 2 Mailing List! No spam – just new articles and major announcements. Just scroll to the bottom of the page listed above!


Now the fun part! I’ve uploaded lots of screenshots, but it’s very rare that I get to show off the game’s soundtrack. So today, I wanted to give you guys a sneak peek with five new music samples! They are significantly trimmed down and occasionally different sections have been edited together to fit within the sample size, but I think they give you a good idea of the chiptune goodness that Carfonu’s been working on!

https://soundcloud.com/8bitadventures2/driftwood-sample



https://soundcloud.com/8bitadventures2/world-map-theme-sample



https://soundcloud.com/8bitadventures2/glitch-battle-theme-sample



https://soundcloud.com/8bitadventures2/city-of-sounds-part-2-sample



https://soundcloud.com/8bitadventures2/desert-ruins-sample



And if you want to give the composer some love, please check out his SoundCloud and send him some support – like Jerram and I, he’s working hard =) https://soundcloud.com/carfonu


That’s all for now, but please stay tuned for more updates (and the release)! I always post 8-Bit Adventures 2 news here on Steam (including on the new 8-Bit Adventures 2 Steam Page!), but I also highly recommend following @CriticalGamesAU on Twitter, as that’s the best way I’ve found to keep up-to-date on news! Or now you can join the 8-Bit Adventures 2 Mailing List to receive updates to your inbox!

You can also check out the 8-Bit Adventures 2 Website for more info and screenshots (including our new Dev Blog), or check Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/CriticalGamesDev

We’re getting closer and closer to the finish line, everyone!~
Josh

Looking for some RPG goodness this Christmas? Well, you’ve come to the right place!

All marketing aside, I sincerely want to wish everyone (yes, even you!) a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! As much as I wish I’d been able to finish 8-Bit Adventures 2, 2017 has been a year filled with progress and I am extremely happy with how the game is shaping up. I still have a…genuinely terrifying amount to do haha, but I know we’ll get it done. And hopefully it’ll end up being something very special!


*Merry Christmas from the 8-Bit Adventures 2 Party!*

Speaking of 'special', I wanted to quickly highlight a game called Persona 5. This was my favourite JRPG in a very long time, for a wide range of reasons. But more than anything, I loved how, despite dealing with very dark and often sad topics, Persona 5 was such an uplifting experience! Every action you took in that world made someone’s life better, and the ending left me with a genuine sense of wanting to be more proactive, improve myself and help others.
If you haven’t checked it out yet, I highly recommend it. In my opinion, *this* is the kind of game we need at the moment =)

And on the development side of things, Persona 5 made me reaffirm that I want 8-Bit Adventures 2 to be a game which inspires a sense of fun, hope, and joy in its players!

But what if you’ve already finished Persona 5? Or are just looking for something a bit more retro (or an experience that doesn’t take 6 months to finish =P)? Well, there are some great deals on my previous games: 8-Bit Adventures 1 and Tales Across Time!

So if you're interested in 8-Bit Adventures 2 and want to check out the original,
now's the time to buy!


For two weeks only (until 10:05 AM on January 4th Pacific Time), you can get 8-Bit Adventures at 60% off! That means you can own it for just $4 USD! You can also get the fantastic Remastered Soundtrack 30% off ($3.50 USD), or the Game + Soundtrack bundle 45% off (that’s only $6.60 USD)!

http://store.steampowered.com/app/370300
Additionally, my most recent game Tales Across Time is also participating in the sale, making an already cheap game even cheaper! You can now get it 20% off - that's just $2.39 USD!!

http://store.steampowered.com/app/461710
These discounts won't get any lower in the future, so get 'em while they're hot! ;)

And remember, every purchase goes towards 8-Bit Adventures 2's development. As many of you know, I am funding development myself, so any and all support is greatly appreciated!


Just in case anyone missed it, 8-Bit Adventures 2 received several big updates last month! A brand new trailer, an official website, the Steam page launch, a special First Look Demo, and even a 13 Page SNES Manual! And you can check all of that out at the links below:

www.8bitadventures2.com

http://store.steampowered.com/app/733110/8Bit_Adventures_2/

8-Bit Adventures 2 has also popped up on a number of great media websites (such as Siliconera: http://www.siliconera.com/2017/10/24/8-bit-adventures-2-pits-rpg-heroes-dangerous-glitch/)!

You can also check out a brand new interview about my work conducted by Pierre on Chalgyr's Game Room! It was a fun chat, with lots of great questions. So if you've ever wanted to know more about the Behind-the-Scenes development of 8-Bit Adventures 1, 8-Bit Adventures 2 or Tales Across Time, it's well worth your time: http://www.chalgyr.com/2017/12/critical-games-josh-hallaran-on-8-bit.html


That’s all for now, but please stay tuned for more updates (and the release) in 2018! I always post 8-Bit Adventures 2 news here on Steam (including on the new 8-Bit Adventures 2 Steam Page!), but I also highly recommend following @CriticalGamesAU on Twitter, as that’s the best way I’ve found to keep up-to-date on news!

You can also check out the 8-Bit Adventures 2 Website for more info and screenshots (including some animated GIFs), or check Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/CriticalGamesDev

Thank you, everyone, so much for your support in 2017. The response to the demo and trailer/screenshots has been phenomenal, and it's honestly given me a lot more confidence going forward.

I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year~
Josh

Looking for some RPG goodness this Christmas? Well, you’ve come to the right place!

All marketing aside, I sincerely want to wish everyone (yes, even you!) a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! As much as I wish I’d been able to finish 8-Bit Adventures 2, 2017 has been a year filled with progress and I am extremely happy with how the game is shaping up. I still have a…genuinely terrifying amount to do haha, but I know we’ll get it done. And hopefully it’ll end up being something very special!


*Merry Christmas from the 8-Bit Adventures 2 Party!*

Speaking of 'special', I wanted to quickly highlight a game called Persona 5. This was my favourite JRPG in a very long time, for a wide range of reasons. But more than anything, I loved how, despite dealing with very dark and often sad topics, Persona 5 was such an uplifting experience! Every action you took in that world made someone’s life better, and the ending left me with a genuine sense of wanting to be more proactive, improve myself and help others.
If you haven’t checked it out yet, I highly recommend it. In my opinion, *this* is the kind of game we need at the moment =)

And on the development side of things, Persona 5 made me reaffirm that I want 8-Bit Adventures 2 to be a game which inspires a sense of fun, hope, and joy in its players!

But what if you’ve already finished Persona 5? Or are just looking for something a bit more retro (or an experience that doesn’t take 6 months to finish =P)? Well, there are some great deals on my previous games: 8-Bit Adventures 1 and Tales Across Time!

So if you're interested in 8-Bit Adventures 2 and want to check out the original,
now's the time to buy!


For two weeks only (until 10:05 AM on January 4th Pacific Time), you can get 8-Bit Adventures at 60% off! That means you can own it for just $4 USD! You can also get the fantastic Remastered Soundtrack 30% off ($3.50 USD), or the Game + Soundtrack bundle 45% off (that’s only $6.60 USD)!

http://store.steampowered.com/app/370300
Additionally, my most recent game Tales Across Time is also participating in the sale, making an already cheap game even cheaper! You can now get it 20% off - that's just $2.39 USD!!

http://store.steampowered.com/app/461710
These discounts won't get any lower in the future, so get 'em while they're hot! ;)

And remember, every purchase goes towards 8-Bit Adventures 2's development. As many of you know, I am funding development myself, so any and all support is greatly appreciated!


Just in case anyone missed it, 8-Bit Adventures 2 received several big updates last month! A brand new trailer, an official website, the Steam page launch, a special First Look Demo, and even a 13 Page SNES Manual! And you can check all of that out at the links below:

www.8bitadventures2.com

http://store.steampowered.com/app/733110/8Bit_Adventures_2/

8-Bit Adventures 2 has also popped up on a number of great media websites (such as Siliconera: http://www.siliconera.com/2017/10/24/8-bit-adventures-2-pits-rpg-heroes-dangerous-glitch/)!

You can also check out a brand new interview about my work conducted by Pierre on Chalgyr's Game Room! It was a fun chat, with lots of great questions. So if you've ever wanted to know more about the Behind-the-Scenes development of 8-Bit Adventures 1, 8-Bit Adventures 2 or Tales Across Time, it's well worth your time: http://www.chalgyr.com/2017/12/critical-games-josh-hallaran-on-8-bit.html


That’s all for now, but please stay tuned for more updates (and the release) in 2018! I always post 8-Bit Adventures 2 news here on Steam (including on the new 8-Bit Adventures 2 Steam Page!), but I also highly recommend following @CriticalGamesAU on Twitter, as that’s the best way I’ve found to keep up-to-date on news!

You can also check out the 8-Bit Adventures 2 Website for more info and screenshots (including some animated GIFs), or check Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/CriticalGamesDev

Thank you, everyone, so much for your support in 2017. The response to the demo and trailer/screenshots has been phenomenal, and it's honestly given me a lot more confidence going forward.

I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year~
Josh

Hard to believe it's almost the end of 2017, isn't it? But thankfully there are plenty of deals and discounts to keep us busy over the holiday season! ...Although in my case, I've got a sequel to finish =P

But if you're interested in 8-Bit Adventures 2 and want to check out the original, now's the time to buy!


For this week only (until 10:05 AM PST on November 28th), you can get 8-Bit Adventures at 60% off! That means you can own it for just $4 USD! You can also get the fantastic Remastered Soundtrack 30% off ($3.50 USD), or the Game + Soundtrack bundle 45% off (that’s only $6.60 USD)!

http://store.steampowered.com/app/370300
Additionally, my most recent game Tales Across Time is also participating in the sale, making an already cheap game even cheaper! You can now get it 20% off - that's just $2.39 USD!!

http://store.steampowered.com/app/461710
These discounts won't get any lower in the future, so get 'em while they're hot! ;)

And remember, every purchase goes towards 8-Bit Adventures 2's development. As many of you know, I am funding development myself, so any and all support is greatly appreciated!


Just in case anyone missed it, 8-Bit Adventures 2 received several big updates last month! A brand new trailer, an official website, the Steam page launch, a special First Look Demo, and even a 13 Page SNES Manual! And you can check all of that out at the links below:

www.8bitadventures2.com

http://store.steampowered.com/app/733110/8Bit_Adventures_2/

But seeing as this is an update post, I wanted to leave you with a little something extra - a new screenshot! And this one might look very familiar to players of 8-Bit Adventures 1 ;)



Almost every location from the original game is present in 8-Bit Adventures 2; albeit rebuilt and much nicer looking this time. The Castle Ruins pictured above are an optional dungeon that you can visit to uncover hidden treasures. And it's not the only one!

As you can probably tell from the trailer, though, there are *plenty* of new areas to discover as well =)


That’s all for now, but please stay tuned for more updates! I always post 8-Bit Adventures 2 news here on Steam (including on the new 8-Bit Adventures 2 Steam Page!), but I also highly recommend following @CriticalGamesAU on Twitter, as that’s the best way I’ve found to keep up-to-date on news!

You can also check out the 8-Bit Adventures 2 Website for more info and screenshots (including some animated GIFs), or check Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/CriticalGamesDev

Thank you very much for looking and I hope you enjoy the new demo and discounts!

'Till next time!~
Josh