itch.io

"Emma waited the result with impatience, but not without strong hopes." - Jane Austen

The wait is over - Jane Austen's 8-bit Adventure is now available on NES cartridge! Learn more at https://www.8bitjane.com/

Thanks to everyone who downloaded Jane Austen's 8-bit Adventure! 

FYI - the game is now available on Android too. Get it on Google Play or Amazon Appstore - for phones, tablets, and TVs. Play with a controller or touchscreen.

There's a new update today! Here's what's changed:

Notes for v1.0.546 (update 2)

• Increased boss defeat message minimum display time
• Writer's block decrements hit points from most bosses
• Entering downward stairs is easier
• Credits updated and have longer display time
• Small adjustments to item placements

We've just posted an update! Here's what's changed:

Notes for v1.0.542 (update 1)

• Updates to the ending
• Updates to the credits background
• New boss dialog on subsequent encounters
• Improved interior background art
• Fix bugs where message box hides non-overlapping sprites
• New demo build based on current code

Yes! Still working on the details. I hope to have more to share soon.

Thanks for setting this up! I'm looking forward to seeing what speedruns can be accomplished. 

Note that the game offers 4 levels of difficulty now, so I'd expect that to impact how quickly the game can be completed. For example, there's a "Casual" mode where the player doesn't take damage from enemies, and at the other extreme there's a "Dire" mode where the player only has a max of 1 health point.

I'm glad you like it!

Regarding whether there are differences between the NES version and the PC version... the games are designed to play the same. However, due to hardware differences between a NES and a modern PC, there's going to be some inherent differences in terms of input latency, screen response time, and so forth. For the average player these differences won't be noticeable, but perhaps for a speedrun it could make a difference.

The full release of Jane Austen's 8-bit Adventure is here! This includes versions for NES, Windows, Mac, and Linux.

The game released today both here on itch.io and on Steam!

The full release is out now on itch and Steam. Would love to see a speedrun at various difficulties!

The game released today both here on itch.io and on Steam!

Thanks! That's right - it isn't emulation. The PC version is written in C, and uses a custom NES-like API, which in turn uses SDL2 for cross-platform I/O abstraction. I've been working on the NES and PC versions in parallel from the start.

What's new in demo build 0487?

• Fix memory usage issues in Windows version

What's new in demo build 0486?

• Windows version
• New jump physics
• New graphics
• New animations
• New music
• New player abilities: air dash, fireball
• Updated maps
• Boss life bars
• New music and sound effects
• New sound engine features
• New title screen & ending screen
• Credits
• Options screen
• Fading between screens
• Larger NES cartridge size
• Start with all abilities (demo only)
• A bunch of bug fixes

I know nesdev compo 2022 is long over, but in case you're interested... Jane Austen's 8-bit Adventure is still being worked on under an LLC I created, and so I've moved the game's itch.io home to https://bitwisereprise.itch.io/jane-austens-8-bit-adventure. I just published a new pre-release demo build, this time with a Windows version alongside the NES ROM. There are updates in there that came from the feedback I got from the compo (thank you!). If you want to test out the new demo, please do so! I'm hoping for a full release in the coming months. Thanks!

Hi everyone - thanks for your interest in Jane Austen's 8-bit Adventure! Work on the project is now happening under Bitwise Reprise LLC, so updates to the game will be now be found on this page: https://bitwisereprise.itch.io/jane-austens-8-bit-adventure

There's a new pre-release demo build going up today for both NES and Windows. Check it out and let us know what you think!

Thanks! I'm working on it now!

Thanks - glad you enjoyed it!

Your reasoning about pause makes sense. Maybe you could have a "casual" mode that allows pause, and a normal/speedrun mode that does not allow pause. Or just leave it as-is - the lack of pause isn't a deal breaker!

Thanks for the feedback! I admit that developing the visual aspect is the hardest part for me - I'll absolutely take "unique charm" as a descriptor. Great to hear that the game grew on you over time, and I'm working to make the final product even better!

Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts!

Your comments are about the art style are of particular interest to me, because this is my first real attempt at pixel art, and I'm learning! I wanted an art style that brought the player back to the NES around the time period you mentioned, so I'm glad that's coming through.

Credit to my wife (who is a Jane Austen fan) for the concept and specific references to Jane Austen's works. I agree - I think a whole "8-bit literary figures" series could be fun!

In the end, that's exactly how it played out for me (gradual discovery) - it just took me longer than I'd like to admit to actually try the buttons!

A new record! 4m 39s, nice work.

Understood about the technical limitations for a save feature in the NESDev Compo build - makes sense. I was thinking more about the possibility of a future release (using a different mapper, as you said). Again, great job on this game!

Thanks! I'm working towards a 2023 release of the full game!

I like the feel of this game - it controls very well. Nice animations for the playable character. I like the background graphics too - good use of color. There's a real sense of exploration. The map system is a nice touch. 

Overall, I'm impressed!

Good fun, especially with a second person! I like the ability to crash into an enemy.

I like the cute look of this game! The music is great, although I'd appreciate some more sound effects. Maybe it is just my perception, but sometimes enemy attacks didn't seem to hit when I expected them to. I like the wide stream of "bullets" that come from firing! It seems like firing continues for a little while even after releasing the button - maybe that's intentional. I also like how the player's movement slows while firing - that's a nice detail. Good job!

I like the look! That title screen is excellent. I found it rather difficult, but maybe I just need to practice!

Fun game! I enjoyed the variety of music. Animations are nice. Physics are slippery - it can be tough to control sometimes, but I suspect that's intentional. I'd like to see more positive feedback for completing a screen.

Overall, fun! Nice job.

Impressive to see scrolling in all directions and 8-way movement! I like the ability to strafe. The shaking of the screen when hit by an enemy is a nice touch! I enjoyed the music, but it would be nice to have more sound effects. The meanings of the HUD elements weren't immediately obvious to me, and they are a little hard to see sometimes.

Overall - nice work!

Good 2-player fun! A nice version of classic "Snake". I enjoyed playing this with my family.

Fun game! I enjoyed the music, and the graphics are nice. I like the rewind functionality. Good work!

Cute design, looks and sounds nice! Very original idea - I like the concept.

I did find it somewhat confusing at first - it wasn't clear which team I was supporting.

Overall - nice work!

This game is tough - and yet fair! I feel like my repeated failures were my own fault!  Most importantly, it is fun. The physics are just what I'd expect. The parallax starfield is a nice touch, as is the title screen where you can die before even getting started! A pause feature would be nice to have.

Overall - quite fun! Good work.

I enjoyed the straight-forward challenge. It reminds of an early NES / arcade game (that's a good thing), but with better graphics! I like the style. The music is nice, but I'd prefer a longer, less repetitive loop.

Overall, I enjoyed it. Good job!

Well designed and original! I like the way that movement feels. The music and sound effects are fun. 

At first, I was so focused on the d-pad mechanics that I didn't even notice that you could jump and brake! Probably that's just on me for not trying the buttons, but maybe a simple in-game button explanation would be nice.

Overall, nice job!

Once I got the hang of the rules, this was very fun. The game is well done - it just looks and feels great. My son and I played a long time. Nice job!

Quite unique - I appreciate the originality! Enjoyed the music too.

I really enjoyed this! The music / rhythm aspect kept me hooked. Original idea, nice execution. I kept coming back to it! In fact, I can't stop myself from hearing the music in my head! 

A couple of minor feature requests: (1) the ability to pause, and (2) some kind of indicator that the player is at the edge of the room (I kept accidentally moving out of the room). Maybe the floor tiles at the edge could be a different color? Or maybe that's just on me to be more careful!

Overall - great job!