However it was just a coincidence that Moto happened to be a closer reference to “Miyamoto” ’s name.
I don’t think that one is a coincidence given that Moto is the name of the Asura that created the SAB.
Especially when you concider that Princess Miya IS Moto in a wig, Thus MiyaMoto is one person.
Now for my contribution:
8-bit Theatre, a web comic based on the original Final Fantasy introduces us to the concept of Swordchucks. Two swords held together at the hilt by a rope or chain like nunchucks. This is the weapon that the villian is wielding when he steals the princess.
First, the stick weapon is that similar to the “Wooden Sword” from Zelda series.
Possibly, though it’s too vague to say with certainty. The tradition of adventure games and RPGs starting your hero off with near-joke crappy weapons and armor is well founded and widespread. In fact, the first weapon in Dragon Warrior, which you reference later, is a “Bamboo Pole,” so Zelda is not the exclusive owner of silly wooden weapons. Since there are a ton of Zelda references elsewhere in Super Adventure Box, though, you may be correct — however, I would be more convinced if Moto said something like “It’s dangerous to go alone” when handing it to you.
The name “Moto” is actually a reference of the game “Dragon Warrior/Dragon Quest” with the Hero named “Loto”
Your perspective on this is weird, I have to say.
The name of the prime creative force behind Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda — the two largest influences which inspired the look and feel of Super Adventure Box — is Shigeru Miyamoto. As you know, Moto is the name of the asura who created S.A.B. In the game, you are charged with rescuing Princess Miya, who is clearly just Moto in drag and a blonde wig. Unless they actually named the asuran inventor “Shigeru Miyamoto,” you could not ask for a more obvious reference.
How does that resemble the Dragon Quest shield in any way? If anything, I would say the Zelda and DQ shields resemble each other. Is that what you’re trying to say?
Personally, the Frog King boss with his big amulet instantly made me think of the Frog King who had the hero medal in Chrono Trigger. The visual resemblance is pretty strong. http://chrono.wikia.com/wiki/Frog_King
Am I the only one that noticed upon defeating the Frog King the victory music sounded very similar to the Final Fantasy victory music? At least the beginning of it.
-Fairly obvious, but the Wagon Smashing bonus game is clearly inspired by the Car Crusher mini-Game from Final Fight/ Street Fighter. The dwarf (?) stepping out and saying “Aww, my wagon!” Was a dead giveaway.
oh my god, I had COMPLETELY forgotten about that! I had crazy deja vu in the cart smashing and couldn’t figure out where I had done that before. Thanks for zooming me back to my childhood!
This is a great thread. Really fun to see all these references. I can’t say where all the SAB influences came from since we are a team of people who all have different childhood game experiences. I can say the ones that I particularly was inspired by. The overall FEEL I wanted was a blend of Mario and Zelda. The original LoZ was the game that most inspired me to become a game developer. But I didn’t want to make a Zelda clone. While some of the weapons are the same as LoZ, they are in many many games. We were trying to pull from many sources and blend them. That was one of the most fun parts at the beginning was everyone comparing our memories of our favorite childhood games and finding the common themes, tropes, mechanics, etc.
I’m wondering if the rapids section is a reference to Snake Rattle n Roll for the NES. If it isn’t, then please add references for the next world Josh. Because that game was awesome.
I don’t think anyone mentioned it yet (or at least a quick ctrl+f didn’t find it).
Zone 3 is called Kingdom of Fungus… what’s another name fungus are known as?.
It’s a pile of Elonian protection magic, mixed with a little monk training,
wrapped up in some crazy ritualist hoo-ha from Cantha.
A real grab bag of ‘you can’t hurt me. They’re called Guardians.
Request: Can you put in another bonus level like the cart smashing, but instead make it sorta like the bonus levels in Golden Axe where you have to whack gnomes for baubles?
The last part of the rapids level, where you fight ninjas on top of the raft, may be a reference to Final Fantasy VI.
In the game, you get on top of a very similar raft, going down the rapids, fighting some random battles, among the enemies you can encounter there are some ninjas or fighters-like enemies (the whole zone is actually a mountain where one of the main characters went to train in martial arts, you encounter plenty of these ninja-like enemies throughout the zone).
Marcus Ironforge ~ Norn Ranger
Alianza Argentina [ARG] @ Sorrow’s Furnace
Request: Can you put in another bonus level like the cart smashing, but instead make it sorta like the bonus levels in Golden Axe where you have to whack gnomes for baubles?
=D
This.
Gnome kicking was hands down the single most memorable thing about golden axe.
AND THEY NEVER STOPPED STEALING THE POTIONS!
Since we’re rambunctious after world 1, I feel like we’ll be pretty tired by the end of world 2. Also, PCs already have sleep and kick animations to re-use like you sdid with the scripting for the other bits.
I’m wondering if the rapids section is a reference to Snake Rattle n Roll for the NES.
I totally forgot about that game. Yeah, it does have a similar looking part. I think waterfall walls with little rock platforms is just one of those very common tropes that is too good to pass up.
Request: Can you put in another bonus level like the cart smashing, but instead make it sorta like the bonus levels in Golden Axe where you have to whack gnomes for baubles?
We had three different bonus levels planned. And that was one of them. You’ll definitely see it.
The last part of the rapids level, where you fight ninjas on top of the raft, may be a reference to Final Fantasy VI.
Hmm… I don’t think I played that one. The raft level was really just an experiment to see if we could do it. The ninjas were a last minute addition. Fun coincidence though!
This is a great thread. Really fun to see all these references. I can’t say where all the SAB influences came from since we are a team of people who all have different childhood game experiences. I can say the ones that I particularly was inspired by. The overall FEEL I wanted was a blend of Mario and Zelda. The original LoZ was the game that most inspired me to become a game developer. But I didn’t want to make a Zelda clone. While some of the weapons are the same as LoZ, they are in many many games. We were trying to pull from many sources and blend them. That was one of the most fun parts at the beginning was everyone comparing our memories of our favorite childhood games and finding the common themes, tropes, mechanics, etc.
That’s pretty much what I got from it Josh, it felt like Mario and Zelda. Although, some of the zone 3 music reminds me of Metroid or those underground bonus levels in Mario. lol
8-bit Theatre, a web comic based on the original Final Fantasy introduces us to the concept of Swordchucks. Two swords held together at the hilt by a rope or chain like nunchucks. This is the weapon that the villian is wielding when he steals the princess.
Glad im not the only one who noticed this. Also, I now want swordchucks, and I want to dual-wield them.
Minion Master of Apex of Tyria
Warrior of GOLD
(Whiteside Ridge)
8-bit Theatre, a web comic based on the original Final Fantasy introduces us to the concept of Swordchucks. Two swords held together at the hilt by a rope or chain like nunchucks. This is the weapon that the villian is wielding when he steals the princess.
Glad im not the only one who noticed this. Also, I now want swordchucks, and I want to dual-wield them.
The fact that shopkeepers ENCOURAGE you to smash their pots and furniture! Well played parody of people in Link’s Awakening complaining about you breaking their stuff.
“Yes! Smash it! I always hated that thing!”
and Josh you definitely got the Mario/Zelda mix down, I’ve actually been wondering if there are retro games that get that mix like that that have been released for systems.
Josh you think in future worlds we’ll get a better primary weapon than the stick?
The fact that shopkeepers ENCOURAGE you to smash their pots and furniture! Well played parody of people in Link’s Awakening complaining about you breaking their stuff.
“Yes! Smash it! I always hated that thing!”
and Josh you definitely got the Mario/Zelda mix down, I’ve actually been wondering if there are retro games that get that mix like that that have been released for systems.
Josh you think in future worlds we’ll get a better primary weapon than the stick?
There is a running joke in our community mumble about how the shopkeeper is going to end up being the actual final boss because of all these adventurers coming threw and breaking their stuff. xD
Did nobody else feel an original sonic reference? The springs and even the blocks (where you have to active springs from) look like a downward pointing spring (which was typical in sonic games to include if you were unable to go up to a certain area). Also the general scenery in w1z1 reminds me of the typical scenery from a sonic game (trees/flowers/hillsides/etc)
The last part of the rapids level, where you fight ninjas on top of the raft, may be a reference to Final Fantasy VI.
Hmm… I don’t think I played that one. The raft level was really just an experiment to see if we could do it. The ninjas were a last minute addition. Fun coincidence though!
FF6 is the disc release (for PS1). The ‘original’ name to us in the ’States is FF3 (cartridge release for SNES).
“The Meta Game does not stop at the game. Ever.” — Me
I like to view MMOs through the lazy eye of a Systems Admin, and the critical eye of a
Project Manager. You’ve been warned. ;-)
8-bit Theatre, a web comic based on the original Final Fantasy introduces us to the concept of Swordchucks. Two swords held together at the hilt by a rope or chain like nunchucks. This is the weapon that the villian is wielding when he steals the princess.
Glad im not the only one who noticed this. Also, I now want swordchucks, and I want to dual-wield them.
Darn! I was hoping nobody would have noticed so that I could mention this. I love Fighter and his swordchucks!
I think they would work if you kept the hilt and guard of the swords, they would basically just be bladed nunchucks. The way the boss in here wields them is nonsensical. :P Who grabs the blade? Sheesh!
Those are some sweet raft rides. The FF one looks amazing too. Jeff showed me a video of the Genesis Jurassic Park game rapids section when I first started doing rapids. That’s another cool one. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsgOS8jCVjo
The introductionary lunch with the princess could be a hint to the Snes game Super Mario RPG (which was an awesome game in itself).
OMG, wow.. how didn’t I notice this? It appears in other Mario’s too.
Mario 64…
“Dear Mario, plox come to teh castle cuz I baked a caek for you…” much? cept no castle and it’s a picnic, so.. still probably SM RPG.
Oh that is awesome. I wonder if something with those mechanics would be possible in GW2? Like with every player having a tube of their own, and adjusted movement, and then traversing all these rapids, collecting baubles along the way. I would love to play that!
Pitfall: The alligators are definitely reminiscent of the old Atari 2600 game. All that’s missing is something to swing over them with.
Congo Bongo: Having monkeys throw coconuts at you while you jump on big blocks reminded me of the old arcade game Congo Bongo that I played in my youth.
I was already wondering what game these enemies were a reference to (obviously the turtles refer to Koopa Troopas) and I have to slap myself for not remembering seeing as I’m 34 and played Pitfall to bits on the MSX 1 and 2 platforms.
I never played Congo Bongo but that explanation eludicated to me the reference of the monkeys in the SAB, so cheers for that
Personally I feel that the final boss of world 1 is more likely to be a tribute to the final boss in Super Mario Bros 2 than some other game but maybe that’s just me being biased as I loved that game to bits and still consider it the best in the Super Marios Bros. series for being utterly revolutionary (multiple characters to choose from (each with their own abilites), no time limit (lovely as I hate time constrained gaming) etc.
Personally I feel that the final boss of world 1 is more likely to be a tribute to the final boss in Super Mario Bros 2 than some other game but maybe that’s just me being biased as I loved that game to bits and still consider it the best in the Super Marios Bros. series for being utterly revolutionary (multiple characters to choose from (each with their own abilites), no time limit (lovely as I hate time constrained gaming) etc.
For the most part we were not directly referencing any specific characters or enemies from specific games. Just pulling the most obvious tropes from the genre. It’s very common for forest levels to have frog bosses. That being said, I agree with you about SMB2. It’s my favorite as well, and I was very happy that we included a similar mechanic to killing its boss.
