[Mr. Business]

Those who weren't following the Dicing Knight thread may have missed a quasi-announcement that Gideon made regarding an up and coming translation patch for the MSX-styled, freeware PC platformer La Mulana! Yep, word on the street is that this is set to drop this weekend. I'm pretty psyched that I'll finally be able to give this a serious playthrough in English.

Anyway, I figured we might as well have a thread to yack about the game once the patch is released and we're all playing it; also, I figured that it might be nice to have a thread with relevant links so that people can go and download files. So:

Anyway, without further ado, here's links to some significant files.
Game and Patch:
The La Mulana Official Site (Japanese) (English)
AGTP's La Mulana Patch Page (also contains alternate download link for the game).

Other Fun:
La Mulana Level Editor (Japanese) (English)
I dunno about you, but I like the idea of playing with this level editor. Guess I could do it now, if I were so inclined.

Anyway, my initial thought when I gave this game 5 minutes of my time the other day is that it seems to be a very hard game. Hell, I go one way and a bunch of birds are pecking the shit out of me; I go another way and I'm getting run over by a gigantic, blue monster!

All the screenshots of this game looks really snazzy. The predominance of dark colored pixels meant to emulate the MSX look gives everything a very nice, foreboding atmosphere. However, I do wonder whether or not the graphics will hinder the popularity of the game with American audiences, who didn't really have a lot of these specialized computers like the MSX back in the day. Then again, I can recall playing games with CGA palettes in my youth, so maybe my fear is unfounded.

Anyway, by all means, let's play this game!

For those not convinced, here are some sexy pictures:



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Taking a break.

[Sketch]

I was sent an early translation patch to review it for Retro Gamer, and though not too far into it, I have to say it is quite possibly both the best, and most difficult indie homebrew game I've ever played.

Not difficult in terms of a tough enemy, or crappy controls, just tough in that there's so much to do, with no real clues, and only riddles; even though I've been using a mapped guide, the sheer size and complexity is quite daunting.

Actually, I lie. It might not be the best, that title still belongs to Cave Story, but it's a close second.

Truth be told, I think it's a lot like Symphony of the Night, except more complicated, and with greater depth. It's very much an Insert Credit game. Or Select Button game, even...

There's a much greater complexity, since you need to collect and combine MSX cartridges, and also solve really wierd riddles and puzzles, involving invisible floors, walls, secrets passages, switches, and other insane puzzles which even involve having to pause the game at certain areas and waiting for the character to fall asleep, while holding a certain item(!).

It's like proper old fashioned gaming where the solution is something convoluted and seeped in archaic game logic. Reminds me of Tower of Druaga a bit, in that sense. But much better.


So yeah, grab it when the patch is out.


EDIT:
It is so TOTALLY an Icebergvania game. I doubt most people will ever see half of what it offers.

[Mr. Business]

[luvcraft]

wow, this sounds awesome. I will consume it as soon as possible.

also: FRONTPAGE THIS.

[Wall of Beef]

I have not delved too far into this game yet, but so far everything has been in English. The opening story at least is. Granted I have not encountered any in-game text. Am I supposed to be able to somehow read the signs that I have come across or will there be text later on that needs to be translated?
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[Mr. Business]

[Mr. Business]

Hey Gideon, if you should happen to read this thread, will there be a translation of the manual that comes with the La Mulana zip file?
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Taking a break.

[Wall of Beef]

Talk to the villagers?! How the hell do you do that? All I can seem to do is Jump, Whip, and enter menus with the F keys. I found some sort of horn in a grave, but I don't have a clue what I use it for.
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[Mr. Business]

[hipkondo]

Holy shit this looks awesome. I have a real soft spot for old Konami and the MSX...I hope the music is warm FM-sythny goodness

[Gideon Zhi]

The translation is now available. You can get it here.
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Aeon Genesis ~ Ambassador Thorman great man! I do anything he say!

[Intentionally Wrong]

Hey, awesome! People must be too busy playing to respond, right? I guess I'll download this, now!
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JSNLV is frequently and intentionally wrong.

[Mr. Business]

I got distracted talking about things on IRC, but HOT DAMN! Downloading!

Edit: anyone got some advice on how to make enough money to purchase a hand-scanner? Killing snakes doesn't seem to cut the mustard. Edit: nevermind, I'm a dang moron. Turns out, multiple whippings break the red pots that are scattered in the areas near the town.

Also A Word of Advice:
you need to purchase the green MSX cartridge (costs 10 coins), in order to save your game! It can be found in the tent to the left of where you start, along with a very convenient pot that can be broken for a tidy 10-coin sum. However, in order to save, you have to go back to the village and talk to the Elder, who is in the upper-left house on the very first screen of the game.

Update, I found not only the money to buy a hand scanner, but also my first dungeon, as well as a snazzy little Shell Horn that plays a decidedly Zelda-esque tune when I solve a puzzle. So far, I've only heard it once, which was when I found an ancient ruin! Man, now that I'm starting to understand how this works, I'm really getting into it! This is good stuff!

Okay, now, question time from me: does anyone know how to specify which slot you want to save to? The old guy in the village always wants to just overwrite the first file, but there are something like 5-6 save slots.

Also, did you know that if you press F5 you can go to the options screen? There are a lot of things worth playing with on there. The game has two different instrument sets for playing the music, and you can also configure a game pad! Playing this game with a PS2 controller is might fine, I tell you what!
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Taking a break.

[Intentionally Wrong]

The patch ALSO translates the manual, which is extensive! I recommend reading it; one thing it points out is that with better versions of the MSX, you'll be able to save to more than one file!

Too bad I suck at videogames. I've explored enough of the ruins to find the second Area, and I've walked overland between Algol and the waterfall, but I have yet to accrue enough money to get the Hand Scanner. I *did* pick up a life capsule, though. More health is NICE.

And holy shit, but experience is slow to accrue.
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JSNLV is frequently and intentionally wrong.

[Mr. Business]

[Intentionally Wrong]

[Clueless Gamer]

[Mr. Business]

[professor_scissors]

There's another 10-coin in a pot a few screens left of the village. That plus grinding snakes for healing netted me the 20 coins I needed to buy the Hand Scanner.

Haven't gone into the ruins yet, though. I'm afraid.

[professor_scissors]

Saving, quitting, and loading your game seems to reset EXP to zero and restore VIT.

Finally saved up and got a Glyph Reader, but I still don't seem capable of solving even the really simple puzzles. Can't figure out how to open the chest in the "Make three sacrifices to the heavens" room, and there's still boatloads of places in the Gate of Guidance that I don't seem to have access to. I've found the entrances to three other fields, but I don't trust my skill to be enough to take them on yet.

[Clueless Gamer]

[Mr. Business]

Jeez, the glyph reader is stupid expensive, and I've even been exploring the ruins.

Also, the shuriken sub-weapon has revolutionized my life.
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Taking a break.

[professor_scissors]

[Mr. Business]

So, I got an idea for an amusing little trick, tried it, and it worked. I call this trick the "La Mulana Jukebox."

Simply go into your music folder, and move m00.midi to another folder. Now, replace it with your own .midi of choice. When you start La Mulana with SC88 sound mode activated, you will hear your midi. However, the tempo might be extremely different. It was on my test song. Either way, it sounds pretty interesting. I'd advise everyone to try it, if only to have a good laugh.
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Taking a break.

[Wall of Beef]

Why is it that after I patched the game, it has all sorts of slow down and other odd issues? Like the screen is smaller than it was pre-patched, and also seems to "load" areas. I tried to enter the bottom tent on the initial screen, and gameplay froze for like 10 seconds and then I was able to enter the tent., and after that the music was slower until I went to the next screen (which also paused before letting me enter). Anyone else having issues?
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[Wall of Beef]

Cancel that, my computer is just fucking up in general and has nothing to do with the patch.
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[sync-swim]

Wow, I am tragically bad at this game; compounded with my short patience for video games, i'll be putting this one aside for now.

[Deets]

I climed down a ladder in an area connected to the Guidance Gate and it disappeared behind me. There was a stone tablet at the bottom, but I had no way of reading it at the time. I imagine it was some kind of ancient veiled insult towards my n00bersc00berosity.

[Intentionally Wrong]

I've gotten further on my own, although I appreciate the advice. Got the shuriken, the hand scanner, half a dozen MSX chips and a mental workout as I try to mentally map the ruins while exploring in three different directions simultaneously.

I think I want to buy a Glyph Reader next; I was tempted to skip it in favor of the MSX 2, there are a couple chests I think I might be able to get into if only I could read the accompanying tablets.

Got myself locked into a four-screen oubliette in the next area down from the Guidance Gate. After weighting one button, whipping another, and activating a third I STILL couldn't get out. I'm not going to go that way yet this time.
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JSNLV is frequently and intentionally wrong.

[professor_scissors]

New avatar to honor the only man who can stop in mid-jump to eat ramen.

[DJ]

Breaking my no-intertron-until-move-to-Cali-is-complete rule to vote:

This game is fucking excellent.

I am almost done with it. I've pretty much played it nonstop for a few days now. Oi.

To people who are having problems, stick with it. This is probably the longest I've gone just chewing through a game since Symphony of the Night (and yeah, it is a lot like that game. Very cool).

But yeah. Really, really, good. Different vibe than Cave Story entirely, and while I hesitate to say it's better, it's certainly as good, and a fair bit longer from what I can tell.

For those a bit impugned by the difficulty, check the manual. It helped me get into the creator's heads a bit, and their advice is sound. The game was designed to punish wanton actions and test platformer skills. The latter you basically just need practice at, but the former? Just be careful. If you see something that's out of place, immediately assume it's a trap; it is.

This flies in the face of Commercial Game Design, where you're given training periods to test something out (think Super Metroid and Half-Life 2) then put to a live demonstration. Here, there is no test period, so bouncing around willy-nilly to get a "feel" for things will get you killed. Save often, move cautiously, assume everything is going to kill you; the game becomes much easier once you're suitably paranoid.

Also. I tried this with an Xbox 360 gamepad. Don't. Use the keyboard. The jumping mechanics get all fucked up if you use a gamepad due to lack of anything resembling analogue support, i.e. no diagonal jumping. Even the "second jump" didn't seem to alleviate this much. Sucks, but I didn't care after a while. The keyboard's not hard to use for this game.
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[Mr. Business]

From what I've seen, the d-pad of a dual shock works extremely well with this game. I've been using one, and it has yet to steer me wrong.
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Taking a break.

[DJ]

[Intentionally Wrong]

Uh... shit. The game's fine on my parents' computer, but on mine--the graphics are wrong. The top half of the screen works normally. The bottom half of the screen is an impenetrable black rectangle of emptiness.

Help.
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JSNLV is frequently and intentionally wrong.

[Balzac]

This game encompasses just about everything that Igarashi's titles lack. Its so nice to have a metroid style game where making progress actually feels like an accomplishment rather than an immediate expectation.

Here's hoping that the difficultly doesn't curve backwards later on. It would be a shame if the enemies were reduced to popcorn fodder by the end game because you have a million shuriken or a super shield.
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It wasn't homoerotic, but a girl did ask me how much metamphetamines cost, and if they were a powerup in any of the Super Mario Land games.

[Deets]

[professor_scissors]

[Deets]

Yep.

[Gideon Zhi]

[professor_scissors]

[Sketch]

You realise, there are decent maps online?

Those are what I've been using, and they don't make the game any easier. If anything, they make it more difficult, since I keep trying to reach places I shouldn't, and the game is stupidly massive. It might even be bigger than Super Metroid. It mean, it's HUGE.