Panel de Pon: of fairies and forgotten franchises

the original Panel de Pon is coming to the Japanese 3DS Virtual Console

like all SFC/SNES titles on the 3DS VC, this is exclusive to the New 3DS

Enjoyment and Excitement!

So I'd like to get you guys's opinion on something...

I was starting work on a fan RPG based on the Panel de Pon setting and characters. Nothing huge, not the next Final Fantasy, just a relatively simple RPG Maker project on the level of a mid-life SNES RPG (although with graphical polish on the level of say, Final Fantasy V). It's still early: a few songs—all remixed from Mario RPGs because turnabout is fair play—a few sprites, a few background objects, most of the plot framework has been figured out. The thing is, though, there have recently been two high-profile fangame C&D's in the space of a week (AM 2 R and Pokemon Uranium), which makes me worried for this project's future. If it gets big enough, who's to say they won't come after me too?

So I thought I'd ask: Is it a good idea to move forward with the game or not?

pearlina brainrot affects millions of people worldwide. if you or a loved one are suffering from pearlina brainrot, call 1-800-GAY-NERDS

I'm going to be honest here and say that Nintendo probably doesn't care enough about Panel de Pon to protect their copyright. As long as you don't try to sell it I can't see it being a problem.

Those two games weren't sold, BTW. They just got too much media attention so Nintendo had to enforce their copyright.

Those two games were not hit by C&D's, BTW, they were hit by DMCA's. Not being C&D basically means the makers can still work on it, sites that got a DMCA just can't distribute it.

To avoid C&D and DMCA you only need to avoid a high profile.

Anyway, regardless of what Nintendo does to your potential game, I think it's a bad idea. You should be making a straight up Panel de Pon fangame, not a turn-based RPG with those characters.

Although, RPG Maker might be able to support the puzzle system if you're willing to code a bit.

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I'll admit I don't know much about the Panel de Pon universe, but what little I've seen of the series seems to lend itself pretty well to an RPG. Maybe if you could implement it in a way that the story progression is like an RPG, but the battles are all the Puzzle League/PDP style. Dunno how you would implement RPG mechanics in there (maybe stats that increase your Stop counter or up your cursor speed or allow you to use items or something?), but I'm sure you'd figure it out.

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Have you ever played a Puzzle Quest game? That might be a nice style. I know you care more about the fairies than the gameplay, but I agree it might be nice and get more attention if you try to stick to the series' roots a bit.

edited 16th Aug '16 9:54:08 AM by IniuriaTalis

I had an idea (although it really lends itself better to an official 3DS game) where half of the screen would be dedicated to a Mario & Luigi-style turn-based battle, and the lower half would be a game of Puzzle League. Scoring combos and chains and such in the Puzzle League game would give you "color points", of which there would be six types each corresponding to a color of panel, which would be used in place of MP for casting spells.

Maybe I could get it to work in RPG Maker since I know for a fact people have gotten Tetris to work, but I'm not sure how easy it would be to just pick up the language... And there's also the fact that the Puzzle League gameplay has a lot of little quirks and idiosyncrasies that I'd have to work to emulate faithfully. It would make the game much more unique to play, though, so maybe it would be worth the effort.

pearlina brainrot affects millions of people worldwide. if you or a loved one are suffering from pearlina brainrot, call 1-800-GAY-NERDS

I said this before, but just look at Henry Hatsworth for inspiration.

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I actually really dig that idea.

(also if you can get the idea off the ground and need someone to do music I'm willing to volunteer)

edited 17th Aug '16 11:56:10 AM by Odd1

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I honestly don't know if I have the skills to get this game off the ground. The vision is definitely there, I've got a decent plot going, I can sprite pretty well, and I can at least arrange some existing songs, but background art is a complete mystery and the art of coding/Ruby scripting is wizardry beyond my level of comprehension. Still, I really want this finished because Panepon is one of my favorite series/universes of all time and I'm dying for it to get more exposure.

I'm not averse to accepting help from outside sources, but given it's Panel de Pon, it's all but guaranteed I'll have to pay money I don't have to get people to work on the game.

edited 19th Aug '16 4:48:07 PM by Midna

pearlina brainrot affects millions of people worldwide. if you or a loved one are suffering from pearlina brainrot, call 1-800-GAY-NERDS

Nintendo just DMCA'd, among very many others, an RPG Maker fan project (completed for over six years, but still). It seems not even those are safe, which bodes very, very poorly for Panepon RPG. I'm once again getting second thoughts about moving forward with this game...

edited 2nd Sep '16 1:58:56 AM by Midna

pearlina brainrot affects millions of people worldwide. if you or a loved one are suffering from pearlina brainrot, call 1-800-GAY-NERDS

That was because developers were getting ad revenue.

Link

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Guess what's a part of the Animal Crossing: New Leaf update...

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this is what Panepon has been reduced to

a mini-game in an Animal Crossing title

an add-on update for a game released in 2012-2013

that villager dressed as Lip was a nice touch though

edited 2nd Nov '16 10:06:36 AM by Aflac

Enjoyment and Excitement!

Well, I don't imagine that the minigame would have much modes beyond Line Clear. They didn't show off any modes besides that. Particularly Vs.

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that's incredibly disappointing

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I heard someone on GameFAQs say it has multiple modes, but I can't verify that for myself.

🏳️‍⚧️she/her | Vio Rhyse Alberia

I don't care enough about Animal Crossing to want to buy that game just for a new version of Puzzle League, though. Unless I can just access that game right away without having to unlock it and it has the same modes as in every Puzzle League game, I would prefer they just made a new game.

That being said, if I CAN access it basically right away and it isn't crippled compared to the rest of the series, I might actually look into getting a copy of New Leaf. EDIT: so apparently scanning a Tom Nook amiibo gives you the 3DS item you need to play it, so that's good then.

edited 2nd Nov '16 7:46:20 PM by Odd1

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They should just make it an independent eShop download if anything.

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Well $16 used isn't bad, but I doubt they will think ACNL was bought because of Puzzle League even if bought bnew at $24-29.

Side note: I actually bought Sega Classics Collection for the 3DS to support Puyo Puyo 2. Not that Sega will think I bought it for Puyo Puyo, or that it's ultimately a waste since I don't play any of its other games.

edited 2nd Nov '16 8:26:59 PM by Malco

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Maybe better to import Puyo Puyo Tetris to send that message.

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Gameplay footage

So it apparently does have multiple modes, but you have to do Story Mode (Line Clear) first.

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Hm. Well, that's acceptable.

Is there a menu in the video anywhere that shows the modes? I arrowed through the video and couldn't find it. Do they mention it in commentary? I was watching with the sound off. EDIT: Ah, I see. Didn't see any mention of a Garbage mode, though. Hope that's in it, because that's basically all I ever play in these games.

edited 3rd Nov '16 8:02:52 PM by Odd1

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I think a Panel De Pon RPG is a good idea, by the way. When you said that, the first thing that came to mind was something in the vein of Five Nights at Freddy's World, Xenoblade or The Last Story, with the Super Famicom Fairies primarily specializing in close quarters and defensive tricks while the Game Cube fairies specialize in range combat and attack modifiers. I imagined a Golden Sun deal where Lip gathers one party but runs into a figurative dead end while Furil gathers another and then comes across Lip's.I can see why that sort of thing would turn fans who just wanted match three games off, and I'd definitely have nothing against an over world exploration game where "battles" were done match 3 style, but thinking about the various genres the fairies could fit into is fun for me.

Side scrolling platform games in the vein of Wario Land or Donkey Kong Jungle Beat, with Lip's floating flower as a power up, or perhaps a different style level? A multiman beat em up game like Gauntlet or Marvel Ultimate Alliance? A mostly text based adventure game like Ace Attorney or Professor Layton where you mostly observe the wacky antics of fairies? 3D collection platform games like the DS version of Super Mario 64 or Donkey Kong 64 where the different characters get their own challenges towards 100% completion?

Another way to add new gameplay styles while keeping the match three would be to have mini games, again be like the DS Super Mario 64 or New Super Mario Bros., where each character has their own set of themed mini games and you gain access to more by accomplishing more with them more in match 3 modes. Lip and Furil would have a flower themed mini game section, Thiana and Rinze nature, Windy and Sophia the sky, Elias and Cecil water,Sharbet and Think ice, Nathia and Neris the sea, Ruby and Pure jewels, Flare and Rayea fire, Seren and Sala the moon, Kain the sun...maybe Lip's team will get a sun fairy too, to even them out?

edited 5th Nov '16 9:21:50 AM by IndirectActiveTransport

That's why he wants you to have the money. Not so you can buy 14 Cadillacs but so you can help build up the wastes

Given how popular puzzle/RPG hybrids are right now, the basics of the gameplay could easily be preserved, too.

I sure said that!