Breath of the NES Fan Game Makes Progress, Plans to Survive Potential Nintendo Takedown

Good luck to them. I don't see the harm in fan projects like this. Nintendo of course will see differently. I can hear their ninja's quietly sharpening their blades.

Just turn it into your own IP if Nintendo says no no. Change the characters, items and locations to that of your own creation and bam, you can release it no problems whether it be free or you decide to make money off of it.

Make your own game, make your own game, make your own game.

Well, that's one way to do it- get that "Nintendo C&D" attention, then just carry on with the project as you would have anyway as stand alone!

How hard would it be to not ape Zelda to make your game? If Nintendo back hands you, that would be on his head. But everyone here will cry...

Although the mistrusting side of me things he used zelda stuff to get coverage.....

That's the right attitude to have. When you create your own project modeled after another's IP, you create something new when the IP owner declines your usage of it and make something nicer, not immediately give up, throw a fit and try to make yourself a martyr for a dead-end cause.

I don't understand why people can't just make their own games. And I also can't understand this obsession with retro game styles as of the last couple of years. These things are retro for a reason people bring back the originals, but brand new IP's made with old art styles are getting excessive.

Yeah, just do what No Mario's Sky/ DMCA'S Sky did. Just change it up enough to not infringe on copyright.

If he already has original characters to put in, why didn't he just start with them and avoid the Nintendo C&D possibility from the start? He could've just named it "Breath of the NES" and left it at that. Sad that someone with this much creativity couldn't think of that....

@Nintendoforlife

1. Because often, people want to pay homage to or put their own touch on a series they love. This is the reason for romhacks and fan games. It's also undeniably easier to start from something instead of nothing.

2. The retro game obsession is probably because people have that level of nostalgia for the old games and want to create something similar. The new games being made with old art styles are also easier to make and they look pretty good. It reminds me of my dads explanation for the rise of comic book movies: the people who grew up reading these comics, are now the people making movies. IMO, its the same way with video games, the people who grew up with 8 and 16 bit games are making the games now, so they want to pay homage to that era.

You know Nintendo will pull this down! Make the game with original characters like you said and see if you can get up on the eshop maybe?

As long as he's just doing it as a hobby project and not distributing it in a playable fashion, he should be in the clear.

Breath of the NES, SERIOUSLY?

Gex was originally a Yoshi game.
Donkey Kong was originally a Popeye game.
Super Mario Bros 2 USA was originally Dokidoki Panic.
Starfox Adventure was not supposed to star Star Fox characters nor was Super Smash Bros designed with Nintendo IP characters from the get go.
They became what they are due to individual reasons, but there is nothing wrong with taking someone's ideas and doing your own thing with them. I wish this project luck in whatever form it takes in the end.
Edit: replace Gex with Croc.

Step 1: Start a low budget retro styled indie game nobody would notice.

Step 2: Attach the imagery, naming, and assets of very popular game to it publicly to gain attention and fast press.

Step 3: After IP owner issues C&D change to your original low quality generic assets much to the support of your new "fans".

Step 4: ...

PROFIT!

@ThanosReXXX After all that blowing, there's a lot of breath stored in those NESes!

@RedMageLanakyn free publicity.

Well, as long as he has no trouble flipping from the Nintendo sprites over to original assets, then more power to him. At least his game engine's built, I guess...

Good luck to him

Where do these creative types get their ideas from...oh...wait. Make yer own game...you're obviously skilled enough to do it.

@HDXylophone You see the thing is I feel like it's moving over from an "homage" to a "trend". People aren't doing it because it means so much to them, they're doing it because it's the "popular" thing to do right now. Which is where I have a problem because I know so many other creative ideas can be made. But everyone wants to fall back on the 8-bit platformer idea. It's sort of like how a bunch of well-known musicians performing a Prince song together would be fine, but making it into an Instagram challenge would cheapen it.

@subpopz True, that's a fair reason why someone might do something like this. But profiting off someone's brand seems like a cheap move.

I suppose he figured more attention from using famous ip.

@Nintendoforlife: "You see the thing is I feel like it's moving over from an "homage" to a "trend". People aren't doing it because it means so much to them, they're doing it because it's the "popular" thing to do right now. Which is where I have a problem because I know so many other creative ideas can be made. But everyone wants to fall back on the 8-bit platformer idea."

• I agree; it's more trendy/popular now. The problem now, is that it's hard to tell when a game dev really is nostalgic for that 8-bit aesthetic, as opposed to just using it, since it's currently popular. Next style that will come to popularity is 16/32-bits, & so-on.

Breath of the NES, LOL

sighs
These kids never learn...

@Nintendoforlife OK, that's definitely a fair point. Before, making retro inspired games was a bit of a niche thing, but now anyone and everyone does it. So yeah, it's probably trending and I think that's for two reasons. Aspiring game developers look to indie titles like Shovel Knight, they see that people like it for the retro feel and they try to recreate that. The other reason is, as stated previously, ease. I'd assume that 2D, pixelated characters are easier to make than 3D ones, so people who don't have a lot of resources will go for the retro aesthetic, just because it's easier for them.

@Alikan Gex was never supposed to be a Yoshi game, but the game Croc was originally going to be about Yoshi.

I would absolutely love to play a full finished version of this. I hope Nintendo releases their version, makes a retail version available or let's this live on in its own right.

Or just capitalize on the resurgent Zelda interest and come out with Zelda maker already!

@Nintendoforlife It's not like he's a big AAA developer. Maybe even a first time developer. So is it really that hard to understand why someone would prefer to use someone else's world as a starting point? He's probably also a huge Zelda fan. Retro stylized games are also much quicker and easier to develop, especially when you're talking about a single person doing the entire game alone.

I've been dabbling in game design lately. I've never released anything, but I have done a few horrible games just for learning's sake. The idea of releasing a nice, 3D game, or even a hi-res 2D game, is absolutely daunting. Even going from something like 16x16 sprites to 64x64 spites is an enormous task, especially if you are more into the programming aspect like I am, rather than the artistic side.

TLDR Version: Yes, "retro" style games are happening more frequently now, but I don't think it's just because it's trendy. It's a combination of nostalgic game developers and the fact that it is much easier for solo developers/small dev teams.

So they saw the 8 bit version that the Zelda team used while making Breath of the Wild and decided to rip it off, but make it worse.

If you're looking for exposure and support, and eventually money, try making your own game.

Why is everyone so salty about this?

Waste of time, make your own game you loser.

@PurinPuff woops, mixed up my obscure facts. Thanks for catching that!

@roadrunner343

1. Actually yes, it is hard to understand why you would make a clone of a zelda game. It's one thing to just make a clone and maybe have friends try it out, or just play it and hone your skills privately. It's another to release it to the public as your "project", and name it "Breath of the NES" I mean really.

2. Just because it's easy to do doesn't mean it's not a trend. That's probably why it's a trend in the first place, because people found out how easy it is to do. And are now capitalizing on free money oppurtunities. Besides I am seeing companies with larger dev teams who are going this route as well. So I don't think because people are "forced" to do it is a reason for everyone to do it.

@HDXylophone Pretty much agree, but I don't agree with people with resources doing it. Especially in this day and age with Kickstarter, GofundMe etc.

@Nintendoforlife I'm not disagreeing that it's a trend. I said it's not just because it's trendy, meaning there's more to it than simply doing it for artistic reasoning. So yes, I agree, it's likely a trend due to being simple to implement, but that was my point originally.

As for releasing publicly, rather than privately doing it as a learning project, I see it as similar to releasing fan art, or covers of video game songs. Some people just want to show off their passion projects. As long as he's not selling it, there's no real harm done. As for the name? No arguments from me there, that's a terrible name =)

@roadrunner343 Hmm yeah sorry, I misread that. Meh it still irks me, but to each their own I guess.

It's easier to start by making ROMhacks and fan games than original games. Several developers (like Toby Fox, who made Undertale) got their start this way. ROMhacks are easier to justify legally than fangames, though. So maybe this guy should take some hints from other classics like Crystalis, instead.

@Fazermint Because Nintendo is utterly defenseless against even the smallest fan project, and must be protected from itself by their own fan base at all times for anything approaching "copyright infringement." Otherwise, Nintendo could lose IP exclusivity, stop making games, and make every fan cry themselves to sleep on their damp pillows.

I think people ARE doing it because it means so much to them. A lot of people like the retro style better. That's the concept you are missing.

@NEStalgia I believe step 4 in that case would formally be known as "Prostrate yourself and beg for money on Patreon, etc."

@Alikan Ah, but the difference is that corporations created those projects. And everyone knows corporations have more rights than people!

@PlywoodStick very much so! If Bungie wanted to make an online game using nearly the same game mechanics as Borderlands, everyone is cool with that.
If Bethesda wanted to give their combat in Fallout 4 a Destiny feel, everyone is cool with that.
Make your own free zelda or pokemon game and you're an unoriginal scumbag who is profitting off the blood, sweat, and tears of artists. He'll pop the Zelda label off eventually, but a good chunk of people will be more bitter with him than they would if a corporation did this.

@Alikan Nearly, but your view is heavily biased. It's not like Ubisoft would release a top down shmup and call it Halo Sprite Wars. You are making out like the gameplay in Destiny is a unique genre?

@GrailUK not at all. My point is every idea is a "hopeful" improvement or inspiration of someone else's idea. If Ubisoft designed a Halo inspired schmup, they could certainly pitch a near finished product to Microsoft and Bungie. If it gets rejected, they can just reskin the whole thing and rename it Ubisoft Wars, then talk to magazines about how it would've been so nice if only the IP holders had played ball. An example of this would be Croc which originally starred Yoshi before Nintendo refused their original product.

Breath of the NES? Out of Breath NES would make more sense; who knows how many cartridges had people wheezing back in the day.

I did boot up the demo for a few, and it's fun in a retro sense. Probably the best moment was when an Octorok caused a ton of bushes to burn down by spitting a rock right through an open fire. XD

@Alikan Oh alright I get your point

@Kid_Sickarus I think we're definitely seeing this emerge as a real strategy to stand out in a sea of 8-bit lookalikes. Rip off some game; get the C&D; release the game you had in your pocket all along; profit!

The Zelda Maker guy at least sort of said as much when he made an original game with his own tool after getting the C&D.

Micropig Gaming?

Well, at least there's no "ninja" in sight. We wouldn't want that, now would we?

Terrible developers from the past aside, this looks great. Props to him.

@SLIGEACH_EIRE You'd see the potential harm if you owned any intellectual property you wished to protect.

Journalists should stop writing about fangames because not only does it increase the chance of a C&D/DMCA but reading through these deliberately ignorant comments is frustrating.

Please just release the actual prototype.

Hurry up and send that C&D and end this farce.

This doesn't look that great. Should have waited till it was more polished.

Nintendo shows off the NES style prototype for BotW
"OMG they should release it I would love to play this!"

Fan begins work to recreate it since Nintendo will probably never let us play it anyway
"OH MY GOD MAKE YOUR OWN GAME YOU DIRTY THIEF HOW DARE YOU SOIL THE HOLY NINTENDO NAME!"

Nintendo should really just release it..

I see this being another Ocarina 2D situation...

I don't get all the hatred for this. Obviously this isn't going to be a commercial release, and never should be. But this is just a guy taking his first steps in video game design. We learn by imitating those who have gone before us and borrowing their ideas. Guitar players learn all the Nirvana and Metallica riffs before they start coming up with their own material. Science fiction writers usually write reams of Star Trek stories before inventing a unique starship crew. Comic book artists almost always draw a million pages of Batman and Spider-Man sketches in their youth. So this guy is using Zelda sprites and concepts. It's a fan-fic video game in progress. Clearly Nintendo will C'n'D him, because they have to, and he will change it. But why the hate from the fan community?

@JasmineDragon So you're saying if someone blatantly copied something you made. You would have zero problem with it?

If someone copied my work and was trying to pass it off as his own idea and profit from it, of course I would object. This is not that, unless I'm totally missing something in this story. This is a guy making a fangame. He's not pretending he invented Zelda. He's making an homage.

This is part of fan culture. We do this all the time. You've never stopped to listen to a busker playing the music from Ocarina of Time? You don't have any appreciation for cosplayers dressed up as Princess Leia or Chun-Li? You think it's morally wrong for a modder to make Skyrim skins that make your characters look like Na'vi or Tolkien elves? Every one of those things is technically copyright infringement, and legally they can all be shut down if the copyright holders care enough. The reason they don't go after the buskers and cosplayers and modders is they understand that this is how fandom works. That busker isn't trying to pass off the Zelda music as his own creation. He's hoping to get paid because you KNOW the music isn't his, but appreciate the skill he shows in playing it. This dude seems to be doing the same thing, and I can't hate him for doing it.

I'm a Sony fanboy pretending to be a Nintendo fanboy (for this site) who had never play a Mega Man game in my life (even though I use his avatar) and even I know this won't last.

Nice.

I'm sure Nintend0's attorneys do read NL every morning. Please, repeat after me: C&D.

//
I don't think there is anything bad about this. Someone made the 8bit version that Nintendon't. That's it. But if it's taken down, it can be finished with other name, but the same spirit.