I've occasionally heard about these Columbus Circle games, though I never knew to attach that name to them. But now I do. Thanks for another great video.
A really neat episode. I came back to it today because Columbus Circle just announced another new game, a remake/port of Hienkyo Alien called NEO Hienkyo Alien. It's interesting to see Columbus taking on a game that seems to be more fleshed out gameplay-wise.
I couldn't put myself up to picking up the 8bit power pair of titles, but Kira Kira Star Night DX is fantastic and unlike those it is a game. It's very point, speed, challenge of the pattern based 8bit title rooted well into that 80s era of style with a modern chiptune/demoscene anime art style mix up and it works well for it. The quality of the cart, box, manual are quite high, a real nice effort from Columbus Circle.
What system is this on, only virtual boy? I am really eager to play and record some of my results! Was this video recorded on a working system, modified system, or the other methods? Either way thank you for sharing this.
This video really blew my mind. I just got NEO Heiankyo Alien but had no idea about Columbia Columbus Circle or their homebrews, I have to get a copy of 8bit Music Power Final
Music cartridges would make an awesome ep of Retronauts Radio. btw i bought the castlevania 3 album from the last ep. first LP ive ever bought love it. cheers!
What did you get yours running on if you don't mind me asking? I got 8-bit power music and tried it on an original nes with a honeybee and a retro trio - it didn't work on either :(
If it helps at all, I was able to easily get Kira Kira Star Night DX running on a plain, ordinary Super Famicom with a Famicom-to-SFC converter cartridge.
Oh... well I care about my old consoles deeply. If I had a Famicom I wouldn't want to risk it. But what I have is a nes and I wouldn't risk that. Mmmnope. I was going to ask about a nes version too. Maybe just gonna look into cds or mp3s Man it looks novel though.
@@ocha-time mmh that is pretty extreme. Even the SD2SNES isn't perfect. It draws an extremely large amount of power relative to the SNES power delivery specifications. I mean, official SNES carts already ran into power problems. There are explicit warnings in the development documentation to not use a SNES mouse and a SuperFX chip enabled cart alongside one another. It also demands that developers using a SuperFX cartridge (based on my own observations this warning relates to the second generation 20 mhz version, rather than the slower first gen 10 mhz version) have the code check for the presence of a SNES mouse, and give a warning, and then refuse to run if one is found. Given that the difference between the mouse and a regular controller is the difference between drawing 20 milliamps and 50 milliamps, you can imagine how tight the actual power envelope of the system is. Unfortunately, there's no actual documentation on these limits, since we don't have much in the way of documentation about hardware development for the platform. (few 3rd parties made hardware of course. And officially licenced developers could simply ask Nintendo's opinion directly, as it advises developers to do if they wanted to use the SuperFX alongside some other accessory.). I suspect that past a certain point the only safe way of making certain more extreme cartridge designs (say, one containing an ARM core running at several hundred megahertz) work safely is to give the cartridge an independent power supply. That is I think the primary risk of unlicensed 3rd party cartridges (and accessories) in general. They draw more current than the system was ever intended to supply. And doing that runs the risk of burning out the power delivery components in the system.
Is there any way to download or buy the music on its own? I would very much like to support and listen to it without having to buy a famicom cartridge.
Interesting. I'm always fascinated by homebrew/retro releases (you can't really call modern releases for say a c64 'homebrew' since developing your own stuff has always been a part of the home computer scene). In fact, I've had plans for various things for quite a while in that regard. I wanted to release some SNES games, some work for my Atari 800XL... And... Because I'm apparently a masochist, and nobody else really seems to have attempted it, a Nintendo 64 title... XD Still, I'm not very productive, so this stuff may take many years to show up, if ever. Especially since I see no point in releasing simple, basic games, so for instance I was planning out a new SNES RPG, some kind of 3d action game for the system (think a simplified version of Descent), and a few other things... The n64 projects haven't gotten much thought from me just yet. I mean, the idea to do that at all just comes from the fact that nobody else seems to want to bother... So... That's a thing.
Funny thing, I'm doing a similar 5th gen project on the sega saturn (despite how hellish the compilers can be). Though thats on backburner as well since my current project is on gameboy. Hopefully though once I can print my gameboy game physically. I'll be able to move on to sega saturn.
I don't believe so. "Kira kira" is just a Japanese onomatopoeia for "glittering," like "twinkle twinkle" or something. Pretty sure there's no relation.
So, you can't create your own music? I thought that was the whole point of these titles. Now I'm failing to SEE the point. I came to this video when I found out that this trilogy is being released physically on Switch.
Astro Ninja Man by Riki (NES 2020) is a lot of fun too!
This is my fave gaiden. Makes me miss Demoscene.
"Riki got his start working on adult oriented comics."
-ふたけっと5
Hmmm...
Just beautiful. This is gorgeous poptech art. Great Friday night beers 'n take away fodder.
Thank you so much for covering this.
I've occasionally heard about these Columbus Circle games, though I never knew to attach that name to them. But now I do. Thanks for another great video.
Imagine how good it would sound on the disc system
Or maybe they could use one of Konami's chips?
These games look absolutely beautiful
A really neat episode. I came back to it today because Columbus Circle just announced another new game, a remake/port of Hienkyo Alien called NEO Hienkyo Alien. It's interesting to see Columbus taking on a game that seems to be more fleshed out gameplay-wise.
Oh, and I guess this comment is why this video pops up under a "Hienkyo Alien" search lol
I couldn't put myself up to picking up the 8bit power pair of titles, but Kira Kira Star Night DX is fantastic and unlike those it is a game. It's very point, speed, challenge of the pattern based 8bit title rooted well into that 80s era of style with a modern chiptune/demoscene anime art style mix up and it works well for it. The quality of the cart, box, manual are quite high, a real nice effort from Columbus Circle.
Thank you for always giving us great content
Solid review, very good production. Been watching your series for a while now and I've been loving every single video you uploaded!
Nice! I've heard about the first one of these, but not the rest. I'm tempted to track down a copy for myself
This reminds me, does the NES have a demoscene or something similar you can cover?
Check Pouet :P
@@AxelDragani I have, lol
As someone who loved to keep their Nintendo systems on to listen to game music, this would have blown my mind if it was released back in the day. 😂
This goes way beyond what i expected. It's so cool.
Well done! I've subscribed :)
Sweet Jesus those are some awesome tunes.
Have you tried to make any?
What system is this on, only virtual boy? I am really eager to play and record some of my results!
Was this video recorded on a working system, modified system, or the other methods? Either way thank you for sharing this.
This video really blew my mind. I just got NEO Heiankyo Alien but had no idea about Columbia Columbus Circle or their homebrews, I have to get a copy of 8bit Music Power Final
Well, if this helps... Limited Run Games is doing a US release of the 3 titles.
so what r the other two games?
I kind of thought 3d printing would enable more of this kinda thing.
Print resolution leaves something to be desired.
still waiting on a video about unlicensed famicom carts!
Music cartridges would make an awesome ep of Retronauts Radio.
btw i bought the castlevania 3 album from the last ep. first LP ive ever bought love it. cheers!
hey, nice vid!
What did you get yours running on if you don't mind me asking? I got 8-bit power music and tried it on an original nes with a honeybee and a retro trio - it didn't work on either :(
Analogue Nt Mini.
Aw nuts...there go my chances of ever running it ;)
If it helps at all, I was able to easily get Kira Kira Star Night DX running on a plain, ordinary Super Famicom with a Famicom-to-SFC converter cartridge.
Very amused that TH-cam has decided this video is about Fire Emblem Gaiden.
Is it true that the cartidges FRY some console models?
It's very possible, yes.
That's... worrying.
Oh... well I care about my old consoles deeply. If I had a Famicom I wouldn't want to risk it. But what I have is a nes and I wouldn't risk that. Mmmnope.
I was going to ask about a nes version too.
Maybe just gonna look into cds or mp3s
Man it looks novel though.
@@ocha-time mmh that is pretty extreme.
Even the SD2SNES isn't perfect. It draws an extremely large amount of power relative to the SNES power delivery specifications.
I mean, official SNES carts already ran into power problems. There are explicit warnings in the development documentation to not use a SNES mouse and a SuperFX chip enabled cart alongside one another.
It also demands that developers using a SuperFX cartridge (based on my own observations this warning relates to the second generation 20 mhz version, rather than the slower first gen 10 mhz version) have the code check for the presence of a SNES mouse, and give a warning, and then refuse to run if one is found.
Given that the difference between the mouse and a regular controller is the difference between drawing 20 milliamps and 50 milliamps, you can imagine how tight the actual power envelope of the system is.
Unfortunately, there's no actual documentation on these limits, since we don't have much in the way of documentation about hardware development for the platform. (few 3rd parties made hardware of course. And officially licenced developers could simply ask Nintendo's opinion directly, as it advises developers to do if they wanted to use the SuperFX alongside some other accessory.).
I suspect that past a certain point the only safe way of making certain more extreme cartridge designs (say, one containing an ARM core running at several hundred megahertz) work safely is to give the cartridge an independent power supply.
That is I think the primary risk of unlicensed 3rd party cartridges (and accessories) in general.
They draw more current than the system was ever intended to supply.
And doing that runs the risk of burning out the power delivery components in the system.
No mention of 8 bit music power encore?
Which only exists on a CD-ROM in a book sold only in Japan? That’s correct.
Is there any way to download or buy the music on its own? I would very much like to support and listen to it without having to buy a famicom cartridge.
jamminjelly117 Yep, there are CD releases for all of them.
10:00 oh hey that's the ever-remixed Amen break on the drum track
The amen break is so pervasive that it's even in an NES game now!
I'm wondering if such chiptune artists like YMCK and Sexy-Synthesizer would contribute to this kind of release. It would be great if they did.
Sexy-Synthesizer is in it. They composed 8BMPF's 5th song "POP TRACK"
YMCK def should get in this type of stuff
Interesting. I'm always fascinated by homebrew/retro releases (you can't really call modern releases for say a c64 'homebrew' since developing your own stuff has always been a part of the home computer scene).
In fact, I've had plans for various things for quite a while in that regard.
I wanted to release some SNES games, some work for my Atari 800XL...
And... Because I'm apparently a masochist, and nobody else really seems to have attempted it, a Nintendo 64 title... XD
Still, I'm not very productive, so this stuff may take many years to show up, if ever.
Especially since I see no point in releasing simple, basic games, so for instance I was planning out a new SNES RPG, some kind of 3d action game for the system (think a simplified version of Descent), and a few other things...
The n64 projects haven't gotten much thought from me just yet. I mean, the idea to do that at all just comes from the fact that nobody else seems to want to bother...
So... That's a thing.
Funny thing, I'm doing a similar 5th gen project on the sega saturn (despite how hellish the compilers can be). Though thats on backburner as well since my current project is on gameboy. Hopefully though once I can print my gameboy game physically. I'll be able to move on to sega saturn.
I guess they are from the same people of kira kira games for ds or something?
I don't believe so. "Kira kira" is just a Japanese onomatopoeia for "glittering," like "twinkle twinkle" or something. Pretty sure there's no relation.
Yeah, i know. But the art style, and the musical theme are pretty similar.
I've heard some of Columbus Circle's releases (Like these games) can display garbled graphics, or even worse...fry a console! Can you confirm, Jeremy?
They're pretty risky. We took care to release the Limited Run versions on safe boards.
This game is like Loli In The Sky With Diamonds.
...huh.
@@JeremyParish It was the first phrase that popped into my head when I saw Kira Kira Star Night's magical-moe-sparkly-star-collecting protagonist.
Odd, this isn't about Kaettekita Mario Bros.
Cute anime girls and awesome chiptunes, you have my attention :D
So, you can't create your own music? I thought that was the whole point of these titles. Now I'm failing to SEE the point. I came to this video when I found out that this trilogy is being released physically on Switch.
It's an interactive chiptune album that plays on original hardware rather than being released as a CD. It's cool!
well, "european demoscene" and NES hardware don't go together...last "serious" demo was released like 11 years ago