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retrodotcards.com

@retrodotcards.com

1.3K followers 1K following 810 posts

he/him Making new games for the Nintendo GBA E-Reader. I post updates on the games I'm working on, and also little facts/findings on this unique peripheral. https://retrodotcards.com email [email protected] Alt account @drawing.retrodotcards.com

retrodotcards.com

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retrodotcards.com @retrodotcards.com · May 31

New games for the #Nintendo E-Reader! Available July 27th at retrodotcards.com

(reposts appreciated!)

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retrodotcards.com @retrodotcards.com · 18h

Thanks! I'm a little gun shy on action games, at least for now. But I'm sure I'll make more in the future.

retrodotcards.com @retrodotcards.com · 18h

New blog post on how I'm making improvements due to the bugs in the Series One games

www.mattgreer.dev/blog/ensurin...

Ensuring an E-Reader Game Has (Hopefully) No Bugs

Additional steps I am taking to make my next E-Reader game more robust

www.mattgreer.dev

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retrodotcards.com @retrodotcards.com · 21h

Welp, another bug in the series one games :(

I'm doing many things to ensure this doesn't happen to Pixel Pup. I have a blog post coming about it soon.

www.retrodotcards.com/series-one/b...

retrodotcards.com @retrodotcards.com · 1d

Wow, thank you!

retrodotcards.com @retrodotcards.com · 1d

Another thing I am planning to do this time is test sizing the strips to the same size as Nintendo's cards 🤞

Sadly I doubt this will work, but I'm still going to try. Nintendo/Olympus printed the official strips at a strange resolution that I've yet to find a printer be able to duplicate.

The Pixel Pup e-Reader card laid over top an official Excitebike e-Reader card. The photo is showing the size difference between the data strips. The data strip on the Excitebike card is about 1/2 cm shorter than the one on Pixel Pup.

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retrodotcards.com @retrodotcards.com · 1d

That makes sense. And I think the problem is amplified here because these inkjet cards are so hard to scan. I think most of the time, people will scan in a puzzle card correctly the first time and it won't be an issue.

retrodotcards.com @retrodotcards.com · 1d

Quick lil poll while I'm here: if the puzzle pack card fails to scan, do you prefer having to press A to try again (like the US E-Reader does), or just immediately try again (like the JPN E-Reader does)?

I'm leaning towards just immediately try again.

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retrodotcards.com @retrodotcards.com · 1d

The first physical Pixel Pup cards! These were printed on my inkjet and I forgot how hard it is to scan in these cards. But it can be done. Simple fix, I'll just get a printing press and stick it in the basement :P

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retrodotcards.com @retrodotcards.com · 2d

Pixel Pup now has a (spartan) web page

www.retrodotcards.com/pixel-pup

Pixel Pup

Pixel Pup, a nonogram game for the Nintendo E-Reader

www.retrodotcards.com

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retrodotcards.com @retrodotcards.com · 3d

God that logo being down a bit is really bugging me. This is, uh, not the final version :)

retrodotcards.com @retrodotcards.com · 3d

I agree. I consider Breath of the Wild and TOTK "cozy", because I just explore and avoid fighting. I mostly just look for koroks.

retrodotcards.com @retrodotcards.com · 3d

Thanks!

retrodotcards.com @retrodotcards.com · 3d

About what I'm thinking for the card art for Pixel Pup, a nonogram game coming out for the Nintendo E-Reader.

#indiedev #gamedev

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retrodotcards.com @retrodotcards.com · 4d

Thanks for the report, I've added it to the bugs page. For my next game I am taking several steps to ensure this doesn't happen again. I'm writing a blog post on one of those steps right now.

www.retrodotcards.com/series-one/b...

Bugs

Bugs in Series One games

www.retrodotcards.com

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retrodotcards.com @retrodotcards.com · 4d

doh, that's a new one. sorry about that :(

retrodotcards.com @retrodotcards.com · 5d

A compromise I am considering.

retrodotcards.com @retrodotcards.com · 5d

The E-Reader's DrawLine takes a duration parameter, leading to this neat little intro where the grid lines spread across.

But if any DrawLine has a duration, then the system can only manage up to 16 simultaneous DrawLines. So this effect doesn't work on bigger boards, it instead locks the system.

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Reposted by retrodotcards.com

SarahLynne @sarahlynne.bsky.social · 6d

I’ve been working on packaging for Dizzy Sheep Disaster lately, here’s a prototype of the e-reader booster pack design!

The label art is a mockup pending final design from @mteegfx.com, who I know is gonna make it look amazing!

#screenshotsaturday #gamedev

Booster pack for Dizzy Sheep Disaster: Ex

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retrodotcards.com @retrodotcards.com · 6d

One goal I have for the next release is to make the card art better. So I'm practicing! I will try to post a new drawing every day to keep me accountable, and I'll do that at this alt count so I don't flood this main account.

RetroDotCards.com draws daily (alt account) @drawing.retrodotcards.com · 6d

Drawing for October 4th, my first one!

I will try to post a new drawing every day. I am using this account to motivate me to practice and get better.

My main account is @retrodotcards.com , I make games for the Nintendo E-Reader. Stop on by!

Three sketches of Franny the dog. The left is her head with a collar on. The collar has a medallion that says "RDC" on it (retro dot cards). The upper right is a line ink drawing of her entire body, and the lower right is a drawing of her holding up a sign that says "pixel pup".

retrodotcards.com @retrodotcards.com · 7d

Hey nonogram/picross fans, I was just made aware of this cool Game Boy nonogram by @objetdiscret.itch.io
that has a story, characters and exploring. Great GB art too!

So cool to see this style of puzzle getting so much love

objetdiscret.itch.io/tai-fab-museum

Taiyaki Fabulous Museum of Fish by objetdiscret

Nonogram Exploration Adventure

objetdiscret.itch.io

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retrodotcards.com @retrodotcards.com · 7d

I was able to rework PixelPup so it never uses SpriteFree, but hoo that was challenging and I kinda got lucky. It also stole a lot of the free space I had :(

I hope to figure out how to truly free a sprite, as without it e-reader games will be tough to make :-/

retrodotcards.com @retrodotcards.com · 8d

The bug that crashes Franny Answers is now totally confirmed, as I hit the same bug in PixelPup.

SpriteFree does not truly deallocate sprites. Or maybe it does with an added parameter, who knows? The pitfalls of developing for a proprietary system that has to be reverse engineered to be understood.

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retrodotcards.com @retrodotcards.com · 10d

The puzzles are fun to make too. I'm having fun with the themes. Like I think one will be plumbing. Why? Why not? :)

retrodotcards.com @retrodotcards.com · 10d

When the e-Reader first came out I was really excited for it. But ultimately, It was kind of a let down. I hope I can finally do this bizarre contraption some justice.

Oh and the ominous music matches the tail wag by pure coincidence. It's kinda creepy. The real game will have lighter music :)

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retrodotcards.com @retrodotcards.com · 10d

The engine fits on a single card, and then from there puzzles are loaded by scanning in a card. So three scans to play a fun game of Picross.

I don't think Nintendo pushed the e-Reader much to be honest. You can really fit a lot of game onto these cards. This is mostly due to the vpk compression.

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