Which companies makes/made the best quality Homebrew/Reproduction SNES games?

There are so many repro releases of the same games from different companies that it's very hard to choose from, I am only planning on buying a single version of each games and I am typically looking for japanese SNES games that were either never released outside Japan officially or that were released officially but had a crappy localization.



So which companies offers or offered the highest quality Homebrew/Repro games?

Comments

  • RetroUSB is a solid company
  • RetroUSB, Timewalk, RCG, etc.

    There are several very skilled brewers on this site.
  • There have been many topics on this in the past. If the NA search is letting you down, try going to google and performing a search as follows:

    site:nintendoage.com (query)



    Anyway, this (locked) thread hasn't been updated since Feb., though a lot of the information is spot-on:

    http://nintendoage.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=5&threadid=57823



    My vote goes to Kody (OCD). I've always been very pleased with his work.
  • Kon or Con, whatever his name is, guy that made that robot box moving simulator, he makes good games.
  • First, it is good to know the difference between homebrews and repros. They often get lumped in together, but they couldn't be more different.



    Homebrew = Game built from the ground up.

    Repro = Hack or straight copy of a game already existing, put onto a cart.



    Anyways, here's the new thread for current homebrew/repro (Look! Lumped together again!) companies and their sites: http://nintendoage.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=6&threadid=163721. I would think the ones listed are going to be of a decent enough quality.
  • I make boxes and manuals. Check out my website



    Thisroomisanillusion.com



    I'm also on Instagram @thisroomisanillusion

    I post all my most recent stuff there.
  • Second Dimension, though I may be biased  
  • Originally posted by: dra600n



    Second Dimension, though I may be biased  

    I was on your website last night and I am not sure what the website is about... I didn't see it offering much of a catalogue in terms of games just a few hardwares and stuff?



     
    Originally posted by: mattbep



    First, it is good to know the difference between homebrews and repros. They often get lumped in together, but they couldn't be more different.



    Homebrew = Game built from the ground up.

    Repro = Hack or straight copy of a game already existing, put onto a cart.



    Anyways, here's the new thread for current homebrew/repro (Look! Lumped together again!) companies and their sites: http://nintendoage.com/forum/mess.... I would think the ones listed are going to be of a decent enough quality.



    Where does one start and one ends? I mean, I know that a title such as "Legend" from Pinko Interactive is basically a straight Reproduction of the original release.



    But then where do all the Metroid Reproduction SNES games stands? Hyper Metroid? Metroid Redesign? Metroid Super Zero Mission? Super Metroid Eris? Which ones are hacks and which ones are homebrew?

     
    Originally posted by: mattbep



    Anyways, here's the new thread for current homebrew/repro (Look! Lumped together again!) companies and their sites: http://nintendoage.com/forum/mess.... I would think the ones listed are going to be of a decent enough quality.

    Well I wasn't looking for "decent enough", I was looking for the best. It seems that Rose Colored Gaming is pretty high grade hence the reason why they charge a higher price than all the competition (cartridges built from the ground up using layers of acrilic and laser cut). Timewalk Games used to be pretty up there back in 2014, but I dunno if any of the competition managed to reach that quality since then.
  • Originally posted by: Galen

     
    Originally posted by: dra600n



    Second Dimension, though I may be biased  

    I was on your website last night and I am not sure what the website is about... I didn't see it offering much of a catalogue in terms of games just a few hardwares and stuff?

    It's hardware for homebrew/repro purposes, and more games are on the way (Get'em Gary, Handy Harvy, and Socks the Cat). Current there's Bomb on Basic City (Genesis) and AO (NES) available, as well as the hardware components, and the programming language I use to make Genesis games  
  • Go with OCD reproductions for NES/GBA/SNES/Genesis/Gameboy games. He does a great trade-in deal for donors, and his quality has always been good for the few things I've gotten from him.



    If you're after the "cheapest" option, there's a guy on here who owns a store in North Carolina that sells reproduction carts for 30-35$ a piece, which is the cheapest you're going to find them.
  • Originally posted by: Galen

     
    Originally posted by: mattbep



    First, it is good to know the difference between homebrews and repros. They often get lumped in together, but they couldn't be more different.



    Homebrew = Game built from the ground up.

    Repro = Hack or straight copy of a game already existing, put onto a cart.



    Where does one start and one ends? I mean, I know that a title such as "Legend" from Pinko Interactive is basically a straight Reproduction of the original release.



    But then where do all the Metroid Reproduction SNES games stands? Hyper Metroid? Metroid Redesign? Metroid Super Zero Mission? Super Metroid Eris? Which ones are hacks and which ones are homebrew?

     
    Originally posted by: mattbep



    Anyways, here's the new thread for current homebrew/repro (Look! Lumped together again!) companies and their sites: http://nintendoage.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=6&thr... . I would think the ones listed are going to be of a decent enough quality.

    Well I wasn't looking for "decent enough", I was looking for the best. It seems that Rose Colored Gaming is pretty high grade hence the reason why they charge a higher price than all the competition (cartridges built from the ground up using layers of acrilic and laser cut). Timewalk Games used to be pretty up there back in 2014, but I dunno if any of the competition managed to reach that quality since then.



    I'm willing to bet that anything involving Metroid, Mario, Mega Man, Zelda, etc. is a reproduction. It's unlikely someone is going to rebuild a game that exists in order to make a change to the levels, mechanics, or graphics. It's easier and takes less time to hack your change into an existing game where all the hard work has been done. 



    Begin and end is: Did someone type every letter of code in that game? If yes, homebrew.



    Sorry if I sound preachy. Just spreading the word. 



    And for repros, my thought has been that RCG did the highest quality stuff. I'm sure you won't be disappointed. 
  • Flashback make the best reproductions I've seen for both NES and SNES. The stuff I've got from them is even better than the old Timewalk stuff.
  • Originally posted by: Galen

     
    Originally posted by: dra600n



    Second Dimension, though I may be biased  

    I was on your website last night and I am not sure what the website is about... I didn't see it offering much of a catalogue in terms of games just a few hardwares and stuff?



     
    Originally posted by: mattbep



    First, it is good to know the difference between homebrews and repros. They often get lumped in together, but they couldn't be more different.



    Homebrew = Game built from the ground up.

    Repro = Hack or straight copy of a game already existing, put onto a cart.



    Anyways, here's the new thread for current homebrew/repro (Look! Lumped together again!) companies and their sites: http://nintendoage.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=6&thr... . I would think the ones listed are going to be of a decent enough quality.



    Where does one start and one ends? I mean, I know that a title such as "Legend" from Pinko Interactive is basically a straight Reproduction of the original release.



    But then where do all the Metroid Reproduction SNES games stands? Hyper Metroid? Metroid Redesign? Metroid Super Zero Mission? Super Metroid Eris? Which ones are hacks and which ones are homebrew?

     
    Originally posted by: mattbep



    Anyways, here's the new thread for current homebrew/repro (Look! Lumped together again!) companies and their sites: http://nintendoage.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=6&thr... . I would think the ones listed are going to be of a decent enough quality.

    Well I wasn't looking for "decent enough", I was looking for the best. It seems that Rose Colored Gaming is pretty high grade hence the reason why they charge a higher price than all the competition (cartridges built from the ground up using layers of acrilic and laser cut). Timewalk Games used to be pretty up there back in 2014, but I dunno if any of the competition managed to reach that quality since then.





    Highest price =\= Best. 





    That being said, don't own any of RCGs stuff, but it looks really nice and I know his process is intensive. 





    As far as "most innovative" repros I would go with AaronE  
  • Originally posted by: MrWunderful



    As far as "most innovative" repros I would go with AaronE  



    Any website or something?

     
  • Originally posted by: Galen

     
    Originally posted by: MrWunderful



    As far as "most innovative" repros I would go with AaronE  



    Any website or something?

     





    Nope, just gotta be lucky enough to grab one when he does them!
  • Originally posted by: MrWunderful

     
    Originally posted by: Galen

     
    Originally posted by: MrWunderful



    As far as "most innovative" repros I would go with AaronE  



    Any website or something?

     





    Nope, just gotta be lucky enough to grab one when he does them!

    Okay, but how can one grab them when he does make'em?
  • Originally posted by: dra600n

     
    Originally posted by: Galen

     
    Originally posted by: dra600n



    Second Dimension, though I may be biased  

    I was on your website last night and I am not sure what the website is about... I didn't see it offering much of a catalogue in terms of games just a few hardwares and stuff?

    It's hardware for homebrew/repro purposes, and more games are on the way (Get'em Gary, Handy Harvy, and Socks the Cat). Current there's Bomb on Basic City (Genesis) and AO (NES) available, as well as the hardware components, and the programming language I use to make Genesis games  

    It would probably serve you well to divide the "shop" section, at the top-level, into "shop parts" and "shop games", since right now the games you have listed show up at the bottom of the list, and when the first handful of selections are development hardware, somebody may not realize you even offer games directly on the site.



     
  • Originally posted by: Galen






    But then where do all the Metroid Reproduction SNES games stands? Hyper Metroid? Metroid Redesign? Metroid Super Zero Mission? Super Metroid Eris? Which ones are hacks and which ones are homebrew?




    Anything that is on the original console that obviously uses the original game engine (i.e. identical gameplay, but changed levels/enemies/graphics) is almost always a hack.



    If something like that shows up on PC or an alternate platform (i.e. AM2R, for instance) then those are generally made from the ground up as a homebrew.

     
  • Originally posted by: arch_8ngel

     
    Originally posted by: Galen






    But then where do all the Metroid Reproduction SNES games stands? Hyper Metroid? Metroid Redesign? Metroid Super Zero Mission? Super Metroid Eris? Which ones are hacks and which ones are homebrew?




    Anything that is on the original console that obviously uses the original game engine (i.e. identical gameplay, but changed levels/enemies/graphics) is almost always a hack.



    If something like that shows up on PC or an alternate platform (i.e. AM2R, for instance) then those are generally made from the ground up as a homebrew.

     

    Are any of the fan-made games on SNES based on japanese IPs homebrews>? Or is it safe to say that 100% of them are hacks?
  • Originally posted by: Galen

     
    Originally posted by: arch_8ngel

     
    Originally posted by: Galen






    But then where do all the Metroid Reproduction SNES games stands? Hyper Metroid? Metroid Redesign? Metroid Super Zero Mission? Super Metroid Eris? Which ones are hacks and which ones are homebrew?




    Anything that is on the original console that obviously uses the original game engine (i.e. identical gameplay, but changed levels/enemies/graphics) is almost always a hack.



    If something like that shows up on PC or an alternate platform (i.e. AM2R, for instance) then those are generally made from the ground up as a homebrew.

     

    Are any of the fan-made games on SNES based on japanese IPs homebrews>? Or is it safe to say that 100% of them are hacks?

    I have yet to see an actual homebrew, on NES or SNES, that uses Mario, Metroid/Samus, Link/Zelda, Megaman, or Castlevania IPs in games that appear to use the original style of gameplay and physics.

    Essentially ALL of those are hacks.  (very easily cross-referenced at romhacking.net or zophar's domain)



    There are many PC-based and web-based homebrew that bootleg those IPs, though. 

    But the console stuff is essentially all hacks.





    That said, there are chinese/asian-origin bootlegs that DO use some of those IPs on the original consoles, but they are generally VERY easily distinguished by how crappy the game engines are compared to the original games.







    There are relatively few classic console HOMEBREW games that use pirated/bootlegged IP.

    And generally speaking, they are bootlegging that IP from a different platform and "de-making" it on NES, etc.
  • Originally posted by: arch_8ngel

     
    Originally posted by: dra600n

     
    Originally posted by: Galen

     
    Originally posted by: dra600n



    Second Dimension, though I may be biased  

    I was on your website last night and I am not sure what the website is about... I didn't see it offering much of a catalogue in terms of games just a few hardwares and stuff?

    It's hardware for homebrew/repro purposes, and more games are on the way (Get'em Gary, Handy Harvy, and Socks the Cat). Current there's Bomb on Basic City (Genesis) and AO (NES) available, as well as the hardware components, and the programming language I use to make Genesis games  

    It would probably serve you well to divide the "shop" section, at the top-level, into "shop parts" and "shop games", since right now the games you have listed show up at the bottom of the list, and when the first handful of selections are development hardware, somebody may not realize you even offer games directly on the site.



     



    Agreed 100% once I'm finished with Einstein, the eShol is getting an upgrade to do exactly that, amongst other things. 

     
  • Originally posted by: dra600n

     
     



    Agreed 100% once I'm finished with Einstein, the eShol is getting an upgrade to do exactly that, amongst other things. 

     

    Is that like a digital version of Hebrew afterlife/hell/purgatory?



     
  • Originally posted by: arch_8ngel

     
    Originally posted by: dra600n

     
     



    Agreed 100% once I'm finished with Einstein, the eShol is getting an upgrade to do exactly that, amongst other things. 

     

    Is that like a digital version of Hebrew afterlife/hell/purgatory?



     



    Dammit, curse of the autocorrect again. eShop lol

     
  • Which companies use brand new cartridges and boards rather than old repurposed ones? The only two I know of is Rose Colored Gaming and RetroUSB/Zone. Any others?
  • Originally posted by: Galen



    Which companies use brand new cartridges and boards rather than old repurposed ones? The only two I know of is Rose Colored Gaming and RetroUSB/Zone. Any others?

    I know Second Dimension carries Sega Genesis PCBs and Black cart shells, and clear purple cart shells for Genesis as well. They also have NES NROM 256 PCBs too. In my experience, they're really good quality, and the PCBs seemed to be properaly chamfered to fit in the cartridge slots much like originals do very nicely.



    As for anything else, I'm not sure other than the ones you've mentioned.



     
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