| Posted By
C64Mark
on 2022-10-01
08:11:25
|  Hercules Redux
Hi all,
A new redux version of Hercules is released today and can be downloaded for free from my itch page here:
https://c64mark.itch.io/hercules
I will be streaming the game on twitch (twitch.tv/c64_mark) at 18:00 BST, 19:00 CEST today.
The redux version includes all new music and sound fx by dmx87
Additional graphics - including the option to play as Yolanda
A complete re-write of the game, including a fix on the controls and raster
Three additional 'Hades' levels after the initial 12
A new scoring system to reward speedy completion
... and much, much more!
Kindly tested on real hardware by Luca, and also on YAPE and Vice.
Enjoy!
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Posted By
Csabo
on 2022-10-01
09:00:41
| Re: Hercules Redux
Oh gosh this game?! I always thought of it as unrepairable. (The somewhat unkind words on the Game Endings for this entry are from me.) Your version certainly breathes new life into it... On one hand, kudos for releasing this, on the other hand, I'm genuinely weirded out 
"ESC - Rage quit" -- Hah, that was perfect
One issue in the description: "With each of the first 11 levels appearing in random order, [...]" Isn't there 12? (Or perhaps in your version there's only 11.) On that note, to me this was one of the biggest issues with the gameplay. If I would have made a deluxe version, this probably would have been the first thing I would have fixed: a hub screen is needed with all 12 levels listed, and using that as a menu-system to allow the player to practice each level until they can complete it.
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Posted By
C64Mark
on 2022-10-01
09:17:42
| Re: Hercules Redux
Thanks for the kind words Csabo - although I do agree that the game has a certain level of frustration to it, which I wanted to try and retain 
There are still 12 levels, I have just fixed the 'Entrance to Hades' level so it always appears at the 12th level (followed by the 3 new Hades levels). The first 11 still appear randomly though.
To me, part of the main feature of this game (and the primary challenge) is the random way the levels appear - the C64 version is similar. I didn't want to remove this as it feels like the essence of the game.
One of the testers has already completed it (apart from the new levels) - so it is possible. Just
Oh, and I've also given an extra life every 3 completed screens, just to help a little....
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Posted By
Luca
on 2022-10-01
09:20:36
 | Re: Hercules Redux
Ok Hercules, I always, always hated your pointless gameplay in every aspect... But now I see a real challenge to fight for. Several triggers had to be moved in order to transform you, bad useless frog, in a pretty prince, but C64Mark and his friends did it.
Very well done, C64Mark, also owner of the very first Twitch channel dedicated to the C16!
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Posted By
C64Mark
on 2022-10-01
09:24:32
| Re: Hercules Redux
Now to get that high score challenge going!
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Posted By
Luca
on 2022-10-01
09:32:53
| Re: Hercules Redux
@C64Mark my first attempts are in now.
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Posted By
MIK
on 2022-10-03
02:09:20
 | Re: Hercules Redux
Cool I will try it out asap, thanks!
The screen shots alone alway said there was more to the game yet it controlled like a sack of potatoes and as if it was made in Basic! Very clunky and trying to find the perfect route was almost impossible, made worse by the fact the screen kept changing every new game. I loaded this game more times than I will admit as I so wanted to get more out of it but sadly I always failed. Years later I gave the original game a score of just 2!
On a slightly different note, Joey which was a bit like this crossed with Chuckie Egg was great compared to Hercules, more smoother gameplay would of been nice but I actually have a soft spot for it.
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Posted By
Csabo
on 2022-10-01
12:24:07
| Re: Hercules Redux
controlled like a sack of potatoes
LOL, spot on!
@C64Mark: the hub-world approach could be optional of course, or the first entry could simply be "random". However, seeing all of the tasks on one screen, and seeing a completion percentage would go a long way towards giving players an incentive to keep at it.
What the game does at the stable of Augeius for example (hidden insta-death tiles right in front of you) is just fundamentally broken, un-fun game design. There's literally no hints at the danger, the game is forcing the player to keep re-trying the same levels until all these nonsensical tricks are learned (the hard way). That's already bad, but the "now you're forced to play another completely random" level makes it another level of worse.
Anyway... it's still nice to have this updated version than the original
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Posted By
MMS
on 2022-10-02
14:55:24
 | Re: Hercules Redux
This game is new for me. I watched the video on the channel and i was highly annoyed by those insta-death tiles! This is unfair, to say the least. I know the new version wanted to keep the main elements of the original game, but have you ever seen a more unfair game?
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Posted By
MIK
on 2022-10-03
09:02:13
| Re: Hercules Redux
Ha yeah it should of been called "The Exploits of Mr Suicide".
I like this updated version! More polished, quicker & smoother game play, the bats don't flicker any more, nicer looking platforms, neat music and better presentation. With the original you would dread the next screen but now with more polish I was happy to die and learn from my mistakes and managed to complete a screen.
Knowing you have to clear two screens if not more to get on the new highscore table sounds painful but it feels like you have a better chance of doing that than the original. A very good improvement! Thanks for allowing us to take a second look at the game and one I will try and do better, cheers C64Mark!
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Posted By
Csabo
on 2022-10-03
10:43:54
| Re: Hercules Redux
I dunno how you guys managed that (getting on the High Score list). As a dutiful Plus/4 World citizen I took the time and played many rounds with the new version, but I was unable to complete a single level... After more than half an hour of playing, my "reward" was a big fat zero for score. (A couple of times I did think... "Hey, if I could try this level again, maybe I would get further..." but that of course is not meant to be.)
The more I think about it, the more it looks like this game is a niche genre - I don't know if has an official name - but something like "Trap Adventure 2". No-one can finish any levels without a lot of grinding (a definitely not on the first try).
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Posted By
C64Mark
on 2022-10-03
14:19:40
| Re: Hercules Redux
Thanks for comments everyone.
It is a challenging game, absolutely... and I would say the genre is "troll game"
I did put cheat modes in, including invincibility and level skip, if you just want to play it and learn the levels. I will say that one of my testers completed the original 12 levels - even when I added a couple of extra fires to cut out some new shortcuts that had appeared as a result of tweaks to the jump mechanic. The Jolie Jones is adept at these kind of troll games though, if you've ever caught one of her C64/Speccy streams.
Once you have learned the levels it does become considerably easier. And once you hit that high score table, I think it hooks you in on the "one more go" trick (like the original did, save for the controls).
But it is definitely a game that rewards perseverance. Not one for the modern gamer
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Posted By
MIK
on 2022-10-04
13:32:37
| Re: Hercules Redux
If you were to sub-genre this game it would come under, Platform - Donkey Kong. Getting really picky you could go as far as to say it' s a Puzzle game, like Lemming or Humans.
And this was a funny thought..., It's ok to kill 98 Lemmings but only get 1 to the exit? And once you master a level that too becomes easy. Now look at Hercules. 
But yeah the attraction is that you die quickly and try and learn from your mistakes, but it will bite you if you forget. Looking at the posts on Lemon64 for the original game, (look on the game page) half the guys hate it and half the guys get it! It might be worth a read as it helped me understand why people might come back for more punishment.
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Posted By
aNdy/Cosine
on 2022-10-04
16:25:12
 | Re: Hercules Redux
Great stuff! I actually enjoyed the challenge of the C64 version and this Redux version gives me something nice to play! Best not mention 'Yolanda' on Amiga though! That was beyond a challenge! Maybe someone should redux that!
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Posted By
MMS
on 2022-10-05
15:24:43
| Re: Hercules Redux
Actually, congrats for the polished version!
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