SoR Collection for V5 - Bare Knuckle Mobile? Yes!!!

I've finished upgrading SoR for V5, with proper rips, all pixel perfect with maximum frames.
I even have a fully functional Throne Room that can only let you Fight to the Death if there are 2 players, and then CHECKS if you actually fought to the death or not, and if you didn't you get booted back. I even have a working trapdoor to go back to Stage 6.

But hey, let's keep going, let's make this bigger. Let's put in the Game Gear version!
I'm attemping to rebuild stages from the 16 bit resources, for example, here's Stage 1...





Yeah these aren't for public use right now, blame the asshats out there for me having to do this.
Just have to look but no touchie for now.

I've completed the animation layer, the foreground, added R128 for the extra flashy parts in the GG version, and made the windows shiny.
Now all I've gotta do is fill it and carry on.

here's the complete video development log with comments of the creator herself, having details how the new changes are looking at and the new Game Gear route as well.

OG Genesis/Megadrive SOR1.

Fighting Street.


"Sunny Gardens" (Inner City).


Moon Beach.


Groovy Bridge in Construction.


Ferryboat.


Stealthy Factory.


Violent Elevator (with extra scene included).


The Last Syndicate Headquarters.

Game Gear SOR1 Route. Now notice the Game Gear version has only 5 stages, but it is crammed with enemies! The swarms are huge and dangerous... so yeah, basically this is your Chihuahua version of SOR1: pretty small but full of hate!
Notice it will include custom palette from the GG version, which has a couple of new cool colors added (you're gonna love the lemon-lime Jugglers or the Tony Montana X).

Fighting Street.


Groovy Bridge in Construction.


Ferryboat.


Stealthy Factory.


The Last Syndicate Headquarters.

Who knew that X was an Elvis impersonator?

Updated the GG post with the last video. :3

Coming up next: ....

I have several question here, not sure to understand. You are planning to update SoR for v5.1 (this is cool) but will it features GG layers only or will it features both Genesis and GG layers ?

I ask because the v2.3 feature not very good rip quality regarding layers (I know you know, no offense here) and I really hope that the update will feature good Genesis layers.

On the others hand, I totally miss the lack of cutscenes for SoR1 and SoR2 for v5. I know that the vanilla games doesn't but it still something that I think can be add to make transition between the stage, even if it's pretty basic; -it can foreshadow stuff of SoR3/SoR3 adam story and all that 'fanonicity' or just flesh out SoR1 plot-. Games like golden axe (1989) and ninja gaiden (1988) features basic cutscenes and I really do think SoR just understand too late (SoR3 1994) the overall value of cutscenes.

Like DV said in another topic regarding tribute, trying to be the most faithfull while adding few creativity can make top notch mods (such as Double Dragon II and Rushing beat which are both faithfull and add extra features to highlight the mod).

Just saying. Keep doing good work people.

I think you skipped the post where Vecta spammed all my Megadrive version update videos.
Properly ripped, pixel perfect, etc. They're the rips I used to make the GG versions with.

The MD parts are actually all 100% done, just being held because I was encouraged to extend the mod to include more versions.

Probably not adding in script where there doesn't need to be any, but nothing's certain until I'm finished.

As for what I'm doing at this moment: SMS Stage 1. The only unique SMS stage (others are copypasta shenanigans of their MD counterparts) so I took time to work it in.
Now I just need to fill it with stuff.

Any chance you'll use the different themes used in the gg/sms stages? like SoR2 7-1 on the beach for example?

Mr.Din wrote:Any chance you'll use the different themes used in the gg/sms stages? like SoR2 7-1 on the beach for example?

I'm not downgrading the music to 8-bit versions of the exact same music. I'm especially not killing Moon Beach.
I will use the unique Stage 6 theme for the SMS Factory, though, sure.

CajNatalie wrote:

Mr.Din wrote:Any chance you'll use the different themes used in the gg/sms stages? like SoR2 7-1 on the beach for example?

I'm not downgrading the music to 8-bit versions of the exact same music. I'm especially not killing Moon Beach.
I will use the unique Stage 6 theme for the SMS Factory, though, sure.

downgrading no but if iirc there were some 16-bit remakes of them (they actually aren't the same btw). I actually have a 16-bit version of GG's stage one theme. I do agree about Moon Beach, very strange choice using "back to the industry" for it. Maybe Super Threc (Three) instead?

Just thought maybe some variety in themes would help the other paths a bit, Yuzo released some sort of fusion of Up&Up and Violent breathing some time ago, a few suggestions.

Mr.Din wrote:

CajNatalie wrote:

Mr.Din wrote:Any chance you'll use the different themes used in the gg/sms stages? like SoR2 7-1 on the beach for example?

I'm not downgrading the music to 8-bit versions of the exact same music. I'm especially not killing Moon Beach.
I will use the unique Stage 6 theme for the SMS Factory, though, sure.

downgrading no but if iirc there were some 16-bit remakes of them (they actually aren't the same btw). I actually have a 16-bit version of GG's stage one theme. I do agree about Moon Beach, very strange choice using "back to the industry" for it. Maybe Super Threc (Three) instead?

Just thought maybe some variety in themes would help the other paths a bit, Yuzo released some sort of fusion of Up&Up and Violent breathing some time ago, a few suggestions.

The 8-bit themes have all parts and layers recognisable from the 16-bit version.
The whole stage 1 thing is just a cut down version that gets straight to the chase with a more audible base line, because SMS/GG aren't capable of bass. I'm listening to it and the 16-bit one after the other right now, and have been for over an hour as I go through and place enemies.

And no Super Threc. Moon Beach is Moon Beach is Moon Beach uses Moon Beach. It uses that and Stage 2 uses Player Select because the SMS hardware is garbage tier, which limited options in all levels of design at painfully huge levels. The only good thing about the SMS version is the graphics. I would say how well they fit the music into 8-bit but it's the GG music so it's a + for the GG really.

CajNatalie wrote:

Mr.Din wrote:

CajNatalie wrote:

Mr.Din wrote:Any chance you'll use the different themes used in the gg/sms stages? like SoR2 7-1 on the beach for example?

I'm not downgrading the music to 8-bit versions of the exact same music. I'm especially not killing Moon Beach.
I will use the unique Stage 6 theme for the SMS Factory, though, sure.

downgrading no but if iirc there were some 16-bit remakes of them (they actually aren't the same btw). I actually have a 16-bit version of GG's stage one theme. I do agree about Moon Beach, very strange choice using "back to the industry" for it. Maybe Super Threc (Three) instead?

Just thought maybe some variety in themes would help the other paths a bit, Yuzo released some sort of fusion of Up&Up and Violent breathing some time ago, a few suggestions.

The 8-bit themes have all parts and layers recognisable from the 16-bit version.
The whole stage 1 thing is just a cut down version that gets straight to the chase with a more audible base line, because SMS/GG aren't capable of bass. I'm listening to it and the 16-bit one after the other right now, and have been for over an hour as I go through and place enemies.

And no Super Threc. Moon Beach is Moon Beach is Moon Beach uses Moon Beach. It uses that and Stage 2 uses Player Select because the SMS hardware is garbage tier, which limited options in all levels of design at painfully huge levels. The only good thing about the SMS version is the graphics. I would say how well they fit the music into 8-bit but it's the GG music so it's a + for the GG really.

Stage 1 is more akin to the arranged version of fighting in the streets, there isn't a huge difference between the 3 but it's there. However I do understand it would only hold the mod further looking for 16-bit remakes of such, the sms factory would be a nice one though the only one I had of that was a high quality remake as opposed to a 16-bit. Fair enough, just thought I'd throw the idea out there.

Mr.Din wrote:Stage 1 is more akin to the arranged version of fighting in the streets, there isn't a huge difference between the 3 but it's there. However I do understand it would only hold the mod further looking for 16-bit remakes of such, the sms factory would be a nice one though the only one I had of that was a high quality remake as opposed to a 16-bit. Fair enough, just thought I'd throw the idea out there.

I'm tired enough to make a clarification that ended up as a sleepy incohesive rant.

Should help get across my point, if you can understand WTF I'm saying.

I did put in the 8-bit Streets theme when I started GG, but it just seemed so massively out of place with the whole 'let's make this stage in 16 bit mode' thing I did, so I made the big decision there and stuck with it.
Yeah the mod isn't immediately replayable re-replayable like Adam's or Rage. Instead it's gonna be a 'play it, put it down, then play it again in the future with a different layout' type of replayable.

I think I get your point regarding the project and the way you work on it by watching the video. Trying to "remake" sms/gg in order to make them fits 16bits visual/music.

I don't know if you know Halo but they released a remake of the first game on the 360. It features a filter that you can toggle anytime for turning previous visual render on (the one of the original xbox) on the 360. While this idea sounds good (nostalgia and all) it is not that great actually since hardware are not the same and it just don't work.

The way you work on this mod is to bypass this kind of "unfortunate effect". I was not really hyped  with this update (just curious). Now I am.

Heh, I was reading a lot about using creative stuff in homage mods, and trust me, I was the very first to point out some new or fresh concepts to liven up the mod, and while I still got approved by few ideas, like 70% of them were rejected: Nat wanted to work with the most faithful recreation possible and with absolutely native layering and style (i.e., asked to separate the water layer from the Ferryboat into two or three smaller layers to work in a perfect 3D scrolling visual, got rejected, lol )

Regardless, as for the music choice, I agree we should keep iconic music in (yes, Moon Beach is for MOON BEACH ONLY!), but some few official remixes wouldn't be bad after all. In the end, it's Nat's choice (and trust me, she can be quite... caustic and adamant in decisions, but hey, nothing to worry about as the final product is still quality).

I'm pretty fluent in "tired as fuck" dialogue so I understood.

very first theme to play after the select screen is what I'm referring to.

I'm liking how everything is looking so far!

I also got a message on Skype mentioning this and they understood my stance quickly so I didn't have to put it like this, but I'll say it here about remixes.

No, no, no, no... and no.
Original themes or GTFO.
Now I'm reaching the end of the SMS route I can clearly see where the 8-bit themes are going to go, and that's the SMS route, and I'm using the original 8-bit renditions not remixes.
That's the whole point this time.

No. Remixes.

Biiiiiiiiig video of SMS route and how the GG route will use the 16-bit music with shifted loops to the 8-bit starts.

I'll just leave this here.

CajNatalie wrote:
I'll just leave this here.

Exactly as the video screenshot says: YEAH! THAT'S IT!!!

It took me a while to mount the whole stage up by using the tileset (you know, 64x64 tile puzzle), but here it is: Bare Knuckle Mobile as part of the SOR1 Complete Mod Collection. I though also that going through the original mobile game to rip positioning and details would be a chore due of the phone controls (no idea that could be emulated perfectly on PC thanks to KEmulator) and the awful midi tracks, but in fact, I rediscovered this game and I have to say I've been enjoying A LOT replaying it again.

Now, there's some technical advantages BKM has over the other renditions of SOR1:

• The height of the native resolution is exactly 240, which matches perfectly with the SORR settings. So, no more makeshift extensions, no more horrible resizing, nothing. Mod will be in perfect replica size-wise.
  
• The mod features many SOR2 characters making roles of SOR1 ones, which means instead of the G-men1, we're gonna be using Galsia-2 as basic mooks, Electra instead of Nora, Signal-2 as Signal-1 and Big Ben (named Isao in BKM) replacing Bongo-1, just to see some examples. This is to add a more diverse gameplay experience instead of keep using the original SOR1 cast like in the other 3 renditions.
  
• The amount of detail and style in BKM stages is amazing (maybe highly remarkable in Fighting Street, Moon Beach and the Syndicate HQ's), so that's another treat players will get. However, also had few tiles that were smudged and didn't look so great (like the cityscape in the construction bridge) that will use original MD rips instead, just to keep the higher standards established from the first stages.
  
• Endings are slightly different from their original version, so yes, something fresh as well to discover... in both endings.
  

In fact, the interface of BKM could have been the perfect official SOR1 remake (while still keeping it 2D in sprite form), shame they never pushed it forward as the game sure had great potential, but I'm rambling.

Stay tuned since me thinks this is the star branch of this mod. Not only a tribute but a whole collection.

Regarding Isao, you can't throw him so TBH I'll still use Bongo1 for him. They used some of Bongo1's poses just painted over in the baseball-cap wearing style.
Bongo3 just isn't boss material.

But otherwise Vecta has covered most of the plans.

And just to clarify non-mook enemy issues...
Electra will be one per palette per level at most.
Abadede will be one per palette for the whole game.
So don't worry, no million Abadedes and Electras mixed in with the mooks, their position as sub-boss and boss will be respected in the gameplay aspect.

Looks great so far, love those graphics.

That's really an ass-kicking project now ! Using BKM to introduce new mooks/bosses, that's way more interresting than a regular visual update. Can't wait.

Now, how about let's take a look how this baby will look fully populated with the syndicate pets.
EDIT: Here I'll post all the vlog updates of the project.

Round 1: Fighting Street

Round 2: Moon Beach

Round 3: Groovy Bridge Under Construction

Round 4: Beatnik on the Ferryboat

Round 5: Stealthy Factory
<coming up soon>
Round 6: Violent Elevator
<coming up soon>
Round 7: The Last Syndicate HQ's
<coming up soon>


Now, attention... if you want to see the progress of the original MD SOR1, look this video, but... will be in the spoilers, if you really want to wait until you play it, then skip it.

Spoiler:

Haven't had the chance to comment, this mod is looking beautiful. I admittedly didn't play the original as much, as accurate as it was something felt missing, I'm glad this mod is getting the makeover it deserves.

SoR1's only downfall was that the gameplay didn't age well like it's successor. The atmosphere, roster, character/stage design, music and mechanics introduced like the grappling system, team moves etc all made the game a complete package. BKM was also a missed opportunity so I'm very happy to see it included in the mod, also honored to work with the team. the attention to detail is extraordinary!