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System Specific Boards >> Nintendo Entertainment System >> What is Homebrew?
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Message started by Dutch nes gamer on 23. Jun 2008 at 11:48

Title: What is Homebrew?
Post by Dutch nes gamer on 23. Jun 2008 at 11:48
Just read the Game Spotlight -Glider (great job Martin ;))
But i have 1 comment!
I dissagree with the term homebrew,i dont consider Glider to be new homebrew.
Its a hack reproduction from my point of view.(from old mac game)
Same goes for the nwc/airball/sara parker's pool challenge etc.

I hate the fact that everything is called homebrew these days.
What is homebrew ? Good question,i consider games that where made from scratch/nothing at home homebrew.
So no graphics or other parts from other games are used.
Just the makers idea's
Making his own graphics and program etc.

I just feel i had to stand up and defend these real homebrew games against reproduction hacks.

Like to hear how other members think about this.


Title: Re: What is Homebrew?
Post by Martin on 23. Jun 2008 at 12:18
I wouldn't call Glider a hack, it a NES version (port) of an old Mac game, but that doesn't make it a hack... I think it's fair to call it homebrew. I don't see anything wrong with calling a port of a game for homebrew... it's surely not a hack job.

Airball, Pool Challenge and such are hack jobs, correct, and they have absolutely nothing to do with homebrew, which is why you won't find them on nesworld's homebrew page either

Title: Re: What is Homebrew?
Post by Dutch nes gamer on 23. Jun 2008 at 12:35
your right,port is a better name for glider.

Airball etc could even be called edited reproductions.sounds more friendly then hacked ;D

But my point is that: some people made real great games from nothing and did everything them selves.
These games are real homebrew games and deserve more credit then ports and edited reproductions.(even if there lower in quality)
These games do not deserve the term homebrew.
At least thats how i think about it.

Title: Re: What is Homebrew?
Post by Martin on 23. Jun 2008 at 16:40
Maybe it's just me... but Glider is far better than Siamond and the similar...

Title: Re: What is Homebrew?
Post by bunnyboy on 23. Jun 2008 at 20:58
Port usually implies a shared code source, with small changes for system specific information.  A good example of a port would be Firefox where the majority of the code is the same for all systems.  Because Glider was written entirely from scratch (I have never seen any of the Mac code) I wouldn't consider it a port.  If a copy of a game type is a port then Sudoku (Sudoku), Siamond (Simon), NeSnake (Nibbles), Geminim (Nim), Bombsweeper (Bombsweeper), Mystic Pillars (Columns), Solar Wars (Scorched Earth), etc etc etc are all ports too.  There are few actually 100% original homebrew games but that doesn't make the others less significant.  

NWC and Airball should not be considered homebrew unless you are talking cart production instead of game programming.  Typically they are just considered reproductions.  Nothing is significantly changed so they don't really fit the hack category.

Pool Challenge would either be a repro or a hack, since the graphics are changed.  Not sure if enough is changed for it to be a real hack.  Would need something like the pool balls replaced with dice.  Still not a homebrew tho.

Which games do you think are superior homebrews if a port can't deserve that title?

Title: Re: What is Homebrew?
Post by Dutch nes gamer on 23. Jun 2008 at 21:13
ok,that clears that.
Thougt that you just ported the source code for glider.

i dont consider games like solar wars ports that would be insulting for that great game.
I think that you can call them clones :-? like street racer was a mario kart clone.

And sudoku was already made when it came to the nes.

So that brings homebrew in A ;nother light :-? good comment bunnyboy

Now im confused ;D Whats homebrew people?

Title: Re: What is Homebrew?
Post by Martin on 23. Jun 2008 at 21:32
even though it exists on other platforms it would still make it original for the NES...

Title: Re: What is Homebrew?
Post by Dutch nes gamer on 23. Jun 2008 at 21:39
yeah,i think so.

If you didnt ported it/hacked it or made a reproduction
its homebrew :)

I think thats it.

And it doesnt matter if its a clone or already made for another system

Title: Re: What is Homebrew?
Post by bunnyboy on 23. Jun 2008 at 23:21
If you wrote it at home, its a homebrew.

If you modified existing source code, its a port (never likely to happen on NES).

If you modified an existing rom, its a hack.

If you put an existing rom on a cart, its a repro.

Title: Re: What is Homebrew?
Post by albailey on 24. Jun 2008 at 23:07
I like the new homebrew page Martin.  One thing to note, it looks like the main page require a separate login account to post comments, which is why I'm posting them here rather than there.

Al

Title: Re: What is Homebrew?
Post by Martin on 25. Jun 2008 at 08:29
Hi

Thanks :-)
And yeah the news comment sucks as a seperate login is required. I'll be removing the option shortly.

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