A Homebrew Draws Near!

A blog series by @Scrobins

Episode 45: The Trial of Kharzoid

Introduction:

I’ve written a lot about homebrew and innovation. To be fair, that’s what homebrew is all about, but I have caught myself checking my old posts to see if I’m repeating myself. Developers push at the boundaries of what their hardware can handle, or incorporate modern gaming mechanics and sensibilities to retro games. We’ve even seen a few games that defy genre. But have we had a game that combined two distinct genres to create a new hybrid, one which clearly manifested both? That is a rarer sight for sure!

For this entry, I’m covering the arkanoidvania The Trial of Kharzoid for the NES by Pascal Bélisle. As of the time of this writing, the Kickstarter campaign for the game has concluded and backers eagerly await their copies of the game.

I’d ping that around my console any day, what?

 

Development Team:

@Pascal Belisle: Programmer, Pixel Artist, Musician

Felix LaFlamme: Cover Artist

 

Game Evolution:

The Trial of Kharzoid began as an NESmaker project, evidenced by a March 5, 2021 post to the NESmakers Facebook group page. As the game progressed and became more complicated, Pascal ultimately started again, developing a new engine in C. Development continued, with a teaser for the game presented on Twitter for the first time on February 18, 2022.

Momentum picked up speed with the launch of the game’s Kickstarter campaign on May 24, 2024. The initial funding goal sought $25,703, but by campaign’s end had received nearly $30,000 from 442 backers. Among the tiers supporters could choose from, backers could elect to receive the game’s rom, a regular-edition CIB, or a limited-edition CIB with purple cart, poster, trading cards, and your name in the credits. All tiers included a download of the game’s soundtrack, and a premium tier allowed backers to get both editions of the CIB.

Screenshot from an early NESmaker build of The Trial of Kharzoid

 

Gameplay:

The Trial of Kharzoid describes itself as an arkanoidvania, bringing together the classic action-adventure elements of a metroidvania (including wall chicken) with the block-breaking mechanics of Arkanoid. You play as the rising hero of Xyleria, a land in ruins since it was conquered by the dark wizard Kharzoid. You must navigate Kharzoid’s labyrinth, a game in which a new prisoner is taken each month to have their soul transferred into a magical skull and sent through a maze of monsters and traps.

Controls are simple: use the D-pad to move the paddles along the screen, and press the A & B buttons to use whichever abilities/powerups you designate for that button in the HUD.

Some of Kharzoid’s Khast…er, I mean Cast of Characters

 

Review:

The Trial of Kharzoid is an innovative hybrid that makes the most of its constituent genres to create something greater with the power of creative gameplay and atmosphere. Even more than an arkanoidvania, The Trial of Kharzoid has elements of Smash TV with room selection/navigation after you clear each room/challenge. This isn’t just a straightforward block breaking game with spooky graphics framing the puzzle either, with several blocks containing a variety of helps & hazards to make each round more interesting. Furthermore, the items you gain over the course of the game, starting with the magnet, add additional layers of skill that offer new challenges to those Arkanoid veterans.

Screenshot from The Trial of Kharzoid

Graphically, the game is a tableau of 8-bit macabre, something Tim Burton himself might have concocted. There is a sense of a world lived-in, rotting away, and in desperate need of saving as you struggle to pass each trial. Meanwhile the mini cutscenes are a cute break that propel you along while the adventure unfolds. Wrapping the game up in a playfully eerie bow, the soundtrack provides a simple, light set of tracks which convey a gothic sense of concentration. It’s an appropriate melody that lends itself well to focus, that in any other medium of spookiness would make me suspect a jump scare is around the corner, but in this context isn’t so distracting that I lose sight of the precision necessary to beat each level.

 

Interviews:

Mazes are tricky, but I navigated through a couple of conversations to discover the interesting stories behind The Trial of Kharzoid. Read on to learn which topics we covered as we broke the ice (blocks) and discussed their respective backgrounds…

 

Pascale Bélisle

@pascal_belisle

-Before we dive into The Trial of Kharzoid, I would love to talk about you and your background. What first inspired you to become a game developer, pixel artist, and chiptune composer? What is your origin story?

My first console was the ColecoVision. Yes, I’m that old! There was a Smurf Paint game where you could draw a level and move a Smurf around. I had so much fun with it. When the NES came out, I spent countless hours in Lode Runner’s level editor. I always wanted to become a game designer, but somehow, I became a musician instead! I played in bands, teaching guitar, working at the local music store. I did try to make video game music, but it’s really hard to break through, there are so many composers out there! So, when I had children, I realized that I needed a more stable, better-paying job. I went back to school to become a programmer. Through all those years, I kept reading books and blogs on game design, the passion was always there. Same thing for visual art. I used to draw a lot, and read a lot about art theory. It’s only recently that I took the time to sit down and actually make a game!

 

-Who are your influences? And whose work are you watching closely now?

I am a Nintendo guy, so Shigeru Miyamoto & Eiji Aonuma are probably my main influences, even subconsciously, since I played so many of their games. Besides that, you might find it odd but I met a guy while studying computer sciences. He’s a small indie game dev, see: (https://gravelblock.itch.io) He’s like 20 years younger than me, LOL, but we became good friends. We talk a lot about indie game design. I really value his opinions. Also, I used to watch a lot of video by the Game Developers Conference (https://youtube.com/@Gdconf) or Extra Credits (https://youtube.com/@extracredits) although I don’t have much time anymore!

Screenshot from Dream Hook by Gravel Block

I am really into the homebrew mood right now, so I’m keeping an eye on some really exciting projects. Everything by Morphcat is awesome! Matt Hughson is really an inspiring leader and community builder. He knows how to surround himself with talented people to make really good games. I am also following Something Nerdy Studios RPG project, can’t wait to play it. Broke Studio are also putting really interesting stuff out.

 

-How would you describe your design aesthetic, and what to you are the hallmarks of a game designed by you?

Hummm… Hard question since it’s my first game. Time will tell, but one thing you can notice is that I'm quite realistic in my approach. You'll never see me making characters with blue hair and huge eyes like in JRPGs! Not because I don't like it, it's simply not my style. I grew up with the “choose your own adventure” books like the Fighting Fantasy series. The macabre drawings in those books were the kind of stuff I would practice drawing! Even to this day, when I draw with my kids, I have a hard time drawing cute little animals. It always ends up looking like an evil dog ready to take over the world! LOL.

 

-What tools do you use to create across programming, pixel art design, and compose?

I use Pyxel Edit for drawing. NEXXT for level design and Photoshop for all sorts of things! I made the soundtrack in Famistudio, which looks and feels a lot like a modern music production tool. I also use VS code for programming (with cc65 and the NESDoug library). That’s pretty much it.

 

-In your opinion, what makes good pixel art and game animation stand out?

Pixel art is easy to learn, hard to master. You cannot escape art theory – light, proportions, colors, etc. Same thing with animation. You have to study how things move, and how to simplify it. It’s the art of dealing with limitations! The goal is to make the player forget he’s looking at pixels.

 

-What makes for compelling video game music and enthralling sound effects?

A soundtrack must have a strong personality and be instantly recognizable. Obviously, it must fit the mood of the game, enhance the player emotion. Even with the NES audio limitations, it is entirely possible. I am really amazed that there are so many great NES soundtracks you instantly recognize, bringing back good (sometime bad!) memories. Oh, and it must not be annoying to hear repeatedly!

 

-In addition to the musical work on video games, you compose for your musical project The Toadz. Does your experience creating for that provide inspiration for your game music, or vice versa?

Making music for the NES was a really different process. At first, I tried adapting my Toadz music to the NES limitations, but it didn’t feel right. It felt forced. So I started from scratch. I listened to a lot of NES soundtracks and experimented in Famistudio to find 8bits textures I liked. I could not resist importing a choir sample to the NES DPCM channel. It really adds to the atmosphere of my game while still having that NES 8bits sound. I think the result is nice. So my Toadz experience wasn’t really helpful, the medium was too different.

Album art for Tales of Arpegy Vol. 5 by The Toadz

 

-What inspired you to develop an “arkanoidvania” instead of a more common genre?

It’s really a game I would have like to play as a kid. Pinball Quest on the NES made a huge impression on me back then. More recently, I enjoyed Yoku’s Island very much. But those are pinball games, and I didn’t know of any “arkanoidvania” (maybe Wizorb, but I never played it). I also thought it would be simpler to make a brick-breaker for a first game. Turns out it was kind of complicated!

 

-Tell me about your creative process while working on The Trial of Kharzoid?

I didn’t plan the game in advance. I had a general idea for the story and the main areas, but most ideas just came as I went along. So, every morning I would sit down and think about what I should do next. New music? New levels? New enemies? I experimented a lot. Sometimes I took 2 days to try an idea only to find it wasn’t fun, so I scraped it. I could spend an entire day looking at my screen, reflecting, trying to figure out how things are going to fit, rearranging the levels order. So much fun!

 

-What to you are the necessary elements of a good arkanoidvania?

It’s pretty much the same as a metroidvania – backtracking, unlocking power-ups and fighting huge bosses! I had to adapt the gameplay to the fact that the player is a floating skull! So, for the backtracking, the way you navigate between levels had to be well designed. I tried a lot of things, and I’m still not sure about some decisions I made. I can't wait to see what my testers think. The story is also important, as it ties all the levels together. I’ve already received a lot of comments about how the story makes you want to keep playing. Of course, do not forget that ‘vania’ means eating chicken you find in walls! LOL! I love this joke!

Hiding it in the wall makes it VERY dark meat!

 

-Ever since my first episode, artist M-Tee planted this idea in my mind that a game’s protagonist serves as the player's point of immersion in the game, informing how we understand the game's world. I also believe that the protagonist’s design serves as a reflection of its designer. What is the intention behind the protagonist’s design? Do you see yourself in them?

Humm… It’s probably true for a lot of games, but in my case I don’t think so. I wanted something a little more transcendent. An ideal I could not reach. So I made this knight, coming back from a long journey to a kingdom in ruins. He decides to sacrifice himself by entering the Trial. It’s really a messianic figure. Maybe in my next game the hero will be more like me… we’ll see!

 

-How did you connect with Felix to do your box art? I read on your blog that he’s from your hometown! What was the working dynamic like in your collaboration with them?

Felix is mostly known for his children comics “Maddox”. I knew his brother Blaise, he was my classical guitar teacher, and he showed me Felix’s more serious stuff, like heavy metal bands album covers! He’s a very accomplished visual artist with a unique style. So I contacted him and he was very enthusiastic about making a NES box cover. He’s a very nice guy.

 

-What aspects of The Trial of Kharzoid are you most proud of?

I would say the graphics. I was already a musician and a programmer, so I was at home in those areas. I wasn’t sure about my pixel art skills though. I was often tempted to hire an accomplished pixel artist, thinking I wasn’t good enough. But I persevered, and I am really proud of what I’ve done. I did use a few royalty-free elements that I modified to fit my style.

 

-What new challenges or surprises surfaced in your work on The Trial of Kharzoid? What lessons did you learn that you would like to share with the people who aspire to follow in your footsteps?

I got really strange bugs. I’m using a lot of global variables and hard-coded values so it was sometimes hard to find what’s wrong. I had problems with the audio driver and how the bank switching worked. I asked on the NES dev channel on discord. A nice fellow named James Rowe solved my problem really fast. I couldn’t have done it myself. Also, I usually speak French, so I feel my text could be a lot better. Maybe I’ll reach out for someone who can enhance and beautify my words! All I can say to aspiring devs is to not hesitate to ask. The community is awesome and really eager to help. Be active on social media, commenting and sharing other people’s work.

 

-You also have a background as a software developer and web programmer. Were those skills helpful to you in your homebrewing?

A little bit, of course. But building an entire game engine on a 40-year-old console is not the same as making a web site with a modern framework! I had to do a lot of research and a lot of optimizations.

 

-Is there another project after The Trial of Kharzoid on the horizon? Another dream project that you hope to bring into existence, video game or otherwise?

Of course! The sequel will be titled “The Curse of Kharzoid” and it will be a Zelda II inspired action RPG! That’s all I can say for now I might also port the Trial of Kharzoid to Steam and Consoles… I am still not sure. We’ll see.

 

-Are there any homebrew games in development that you are excited to play?

Yes. Like I said above, can’t wait to play Former Dawn (https://somethingnerdy.com) and Sunny Land by Matt Hughson. Oh, and there’s PIO POW by the late Jeremias Babini. His death was sudden, but I’m glad his legacy will live on. I also have a backlog of games I already own – Courier, Full Quiet, Project Blue – to name a few. So many games, so little time!

 

-I really appreciate you taking the time to talk with me and share your experiences. Is there anything else you would like to tell readers and fans?

It’s been a pleasure. I just want to thank you all for your support. I received a lot of positive feedback, it was really encouraging.

 

 

Felix LaFlamme

@felixlaflamme

-Before we dive into The Trial of Kharzoid, I would love to talk about you and your background. What first inspired you to be an artist generally, and how did you break into video game art?

First, my father was an artist/illustrator, so I was in contact with art at a very young age. We had a studio at home so I had access to a drawing table, an airbrush and all kinds of pencils and paints. I guess this is the starting point. After that, I would say the comic book collection of my older brother really caught my attention around the age of 11. He also had a giant Wolverine cardboard in his bedroom, which became my instant favorite super-hero… and later on came all the heavy metal album covers, which I also was in contact with because of my older brother. Then, not the least, the skateboard culture which greatly influenced my type of art in my teenager years and as a young adult. Doing video game art is a first time for me, and it was a really pleasant experience to work for such an amazing project.

 

-Who are your influences? And whose work are you watching closely now?

My greatest influence is without a doubt Jim Phillips (and I include his son Jimbo) which art really had an impact on the skateboard industry/culture and my own style. I cannot deny the influences of Derek Riggs, Pushead, Ed Roth and Dirty Donnie as well. More recently, I’m really into looking up the amazing work of Derek Laufman, Dan Mumford and Brian Allen, just to name a few.

 

Derek Laufman

 

-What in your opinion makes art compelling? What grabs your attention? And what kind of video game box art would make you choose one game over another?

I really love when an Art style stands out from the others. Something that POPS and makes you look twice. But as art is subjective, it depends on everyone’s tastes. Personally, when it comes to bold lines and saturated Colors with a strong sense of composition, I get excited… even more when it hits the nostalgia string.

 

-Do you feel that your art has any qualities that are uniquely you? How would you describe your aesthetic?

I always find it hard to point out what makes my art a “LaFlamme piece”. It’s, of course, a party mix of all the amazing artists I mentioned earlier.

 

-What tools do you use to create your art?

Since 2008, I’m all digital, using a Wacom Cintiq tablet plugged into a Mac mini. Sometimes I will use my iPad Pro, but I always ended up on my desk, using the big tablet. More comfort for my old back I work in Clip Studio Paint, an awesome app that gained a lot of popularity in the past years for illustrators and cartoonists.

 

-Tell me about the development of the art you created for The Trial of Kharzoid, what is your composition process? Is the creative process different compared to when you create for other projects like your work for bands such as Guns & Roses and The Ramones or brands such as Billabong?

The process was very similar to many projects I worked on. There is always a direction to get inspired from. For a band, it’s usually the actual album release, some song’s lyrics or the overall band aesthetic already established that can be use as the guideline. Sometimes it’s possible to suggest a completely new vision. Concerning The Trial of Kharzoid, the game was already in an advanced process of creation, so the storyline was sent to me. I saw the gameplay and part of the creatures and monsters that were part of the Kharzoid universe. My work consisted of picking the most iconic parts of the game and creating a visual intriguing enough to make people want to dive into it.

 

-How does the creative process compare when you are working on your own project, such as with your comic book The Megaventures of Maddox?

Creating an artwork, similar to the Kharzoid one, is way less investment than working on a complete comic book or graphic novel. Working on a single piece can take me around 10 to 20 hours, including client’s corrections. When I switch into comic book art mode, it’s a very long process of 10 hours per page, which results in a 600 hours of work per book. Those hundreds of hours are usually spread across 6 months… and I am only talking about the illustrative part. I don’t even count the writing part in there, which is done by my wife. During the process of making a comic book, I always need some side projects to keep me sane.

 

 

Cover art for an issue of Megaventures of Maddox by Felix LaFlamme

 

-How did you first connect with Pascal, and what was the working dynamic like?

Pascal was in my Facebook friend’s circle. In fact, he knows one of my brothers from working with him in the past. In need of an illustrator for his upcoming game and being from the same city, Pascal contacted me for the project, which I enthusiastically accepted. Thinking about it, it was a very simple dynamic! We haven’t even met in person once during the process even if we probably live 10 minutes from each other, ahahah! He sent me everything I needed to create the visual by email and let me do my magic. He was 100% confident in my skills, and from what I remember, I didn’t have much corrections to do. Pascal, I ask you directly from this interview… we should have a drink and talk about Kharzoid shortly.

 

-What about your work on The Trial of Kharzoid art are you most proud of?

For the trial of Kharzoid illustration, I stayed in my comfort zone. There was nothing really new; no experimentations or anything I tried to push more than usual. I’m particularly satisfied with the minimalist color palette and the simple composition that can still work for a retro game illustration.

 

-Is there another project after The Trial of Kharzoid on the horizon? Another dream project that you hope to bring into existence, video game or otherwise?

The Trial of Kharzoid was a very singular project, so I don’t know if this will ever happen again to work on such projects. Sure things, this autumn I am releasing the last book of my comic book series “Les Mégaventures de Maddox”, so I am actually working on new characters and universes that might be revealed somewhere in 2025. Meanwhile, I am always working on different projects here and there. To follow my work, feel free to follow me on Instagram.

 

-Are there any homebrew games in development that you are excited to play?

Honestly, with family and work, I unfortunately don’t have much time for video games. On the other hand, working on The Trial of Kharzoid makes me realize there is an active community of passionate artists and programmers, working very hard to create new games in the veins of those we were playing as kids. This is simply AWESOME and it really piqued my curiosity to a new level.

 

 

-I really appreciate you taking the time to talk with me and share your experiences. Is there anything else you would like to tell readers and fans?

The cover of a music album is part of a whole, same for a movie poster, or here, a video game box art. The illustration that goes with the game helps us get into the mood, it nourishes our imaginary. I’m glad you invited me to talk about my implication in the process of The Trial of Kharzoid and share a little bit of my work.

 

Conclusion:

Thanks for tuning in to this latest episode of the series that finds its way to the heart of your favorite new homebrews. Is The Trial of Kharzoid going to be your next challenge? What homebrews are you eagerly looking forward to? Perhaps you’ll see it here soon when…A Homebrew Draws Near! Command?