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RetroDotCards.com dev log (alt account)

@devlog.retrodotcards.com
51 followers 2 following 35 posts

My alt account to @retrodotcards.com On this account I post dev log updates on the games I am working on. Expect smaller, more frequent and more raw posts. Currently making Eridin, a fantasy strategy game for GBA/e-reader and PC.

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RetroDotCards.com dev log (alt account) @devlog.retrodotcards.com · 5h
To get this scene started, I found a photo of a German village online. It's just to kick things off, the game's buildings will look totally different when done. This helps make the scene feel more "real", it's easy to fall into the trap of just plopping in a flat row of boring buildings.
A photo of a German city I found online. Here is it scaled down to the GBA's 240x160 resolution.
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RetroDotCards.com dev log (alt account) @devlog.retrodotcards.com · 5h
I decided to switch over to graphics for the starting work on the fight scene. I'm planning to have them take place on scenes that kinda look like a 2D fighting game. How realistic is this decision? Maybe too ambitious. One way I'll judge that is how long it takes for me to draw this village.
A very early/rough mock up of what a fight might look like. It shows a roughed in city/village in the background that is just white boxes, and a roughed in character standing in the foreground. The UI for the fight is similar to fighting games, with a small portrait, the character's name, and health bars.
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RetroDotCards.com dev log (alt account) @devlog.retrodotcards.com · 29/09/2026
More info on the show if anyone is curious www.detroitretrogamingshow.com
detroitretrogamingshow.com
Home | Detroit Retro Gaming
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RetroDotCards.com dev log (alt account) @devlog.retrodotcards.com · 29/09/2026
Now that I have a functional menu system, it's time to start tackling a basic 1-on-1 fight system. My goal is to have a basic, but complete, battle/fight system in place for the Detroit Retro Gaming Show on November 7th. A lofty goal, but I think it's doable.
A screenshot showing the (for now) complete action menu. It has entries for "Move", "Attack" and "End Turn". Move and Attack both cost 1 action point, so they have a '1' icon next to them.
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RetroDotCards.com dev log (alt account) @devlog.retrodotcards.com · 29/09/2026
Total coincidence, but it does happen sometimes :) (turn the sound on if you're confused)
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RetroDotCards.com dev log (alt account) @devlog.retrodotcards.com · 27/09/2026
On the GBA, the menu is done using 2 backgrounds. But it won't be the only UI element, so I had to step back and make a component that manages the entire bg. Showing the menu is just a "menuShow()" call, but behind the scenes, craziness is happening. The PC version is very simple in comparison.
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RetroDotCards.com dev log (alt account) @devlog.retrodotcards.com · 27/09/2026
Finally getting somewhere with the ui on the GBA. This is gnarly stuff, and game devs of the past did things like this in their sleep. "Attack" wraps incorrectly, so there's the first of many bugs...
A screenshot showing an action menu being displayed on top of the battle field. Since it's so early, the "field" is just a simple grid, and there's just two basic characters (the player's hero and one enemy).

The menu has "Move", "Attack" and "Done" options.
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RetroDotCards.com dev log (alt account) @devlog.retrodotcards.com · 25/09/2026
These little bundles of dynamite we're currently fostering are slowing my game dev progress a bit. A worthy, but often exhausting, distraction.
Two small kittens playing on a circular ball track. The cream colored one is Frankie, and the black one is Bruce.
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RetroDotCards.com dev log (alt account) @devlog.retrodotcards.com · 23/09/2026
I chopped the menu into 8x8 tiles in a way it's not too dense and not too sparse. With these tiles I can grow the menu in both directions as needed.
A screenshot of a menu in Eridin. On the left is a typical "battle action" menu with Move, Attack, Item and Done menu entries. Then to the right the menu is broken down into 8x8 tiles.
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RetroDotCards.com dev log (alt account) @devlog.retrodotcards.com · 22/09/2026
For fonts, I generate an image like this, which is how the ImpactJS engine did fonts (anyone? ImpactJS?) From there I built a script that can convert this into tile data. Once it is tile data, it can be drawn to the screen using the same technique as in this blog post: mattgreer.dev/blog/gba-dev...
A screenshot of a font png image. It shows the alphabet in both uppercase and lowercase letters. There are black lines below each letter to help show how wide a letter is when processing this image.
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RetroDotCards.com dev log (alt account) @devlog.retrodotcards.com · 22/09/2026
Oops, three sprites for "Now, strike!". But yowser, three sprites just to show two words. The GBA is such a limited system by today's standards. But hey, that's a big part of the fun.
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RetroDotCards.com dev log (alt account) @devlog.retrodotcards.com · 22/09/2026
It's also helpful to see how other games do it. Here in Fire Emblem, "Attack" is drawn onto a background layer, and "Now, strike!" is made out of two sprites.
A screenshot of Fire Emblem for the GBA. It shows the tutorial, with a menu that has a single item in it, "Attack", and a text box that says "Now, strike!".A screenshot of mGBA's sprite and background viewers, showing the text from Fire Emblem can either be sprites or a background layer.
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RetroDotCards.com dev log (alt account) @devlog.retrodotcards.com · 22/09/2026
I used Pixel Pup's code as the basis for Eridin. Pixel Pup had simple needs for the most part, so I need to make a lot of improvements. Here I've added support for 2 color fonts and kerning. But text is limited to being drawn onto a 64px wide sprite, which won't cut it, so I need to address that.
A test screenshot from the Game Boy Advance showing the text "Eridin is fun" rendered at three different kerning levels. The second and third example get cut off due to the 64 pixel limitation.
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RetroDotCards.com dev log (alt account) @devlog.retrodotcards.com · 22/09/2026
And I promise I'm not just making a fire emblem clone, even though it will look like that for quite a while 😅
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RetroDotCards.com dev log (alt account) @devlog.retrodotcards.com · 22/09/2026
Time to start building a menu system. This game will have many and the entries in the menu will change depending on what is going on, so this needs to be quite flexible.
A mock upped menu. It shows a floating gloved hand with a pointing finger acting as the cursor on the left. The menu entries are: Move, Attack, Item and Done. Move, Attack and Item each have a "1" to their right.
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RetroDotCards.com dev log (alt account) @devlog.retrodotcards.com · 21/09/2026
I'm changing this account to be my dev log in general: coding, pixel art, illustration/drawing, music, the whole shebang. My goal is to post to this account regularly as I work on things. Posts will be raw and show early work. Like this video, where I just got a very basic walk animation in place.
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RetroDotCards.com dev log (alt account) @devlog.retrodotcards.com · 10/09/2026
Working on some pixel art for my next game. Very much a WIP, there will be 4+ other characters, text, animation, etc.
Pixel art with a fantasy style map in the background with an anthropomorphic rabbit holding a sword in the foreground.
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RetroDotCards.com dev log (alt account) @devlog.retrodotcards.com · 23/11/2025
I have let my drawing slip! But I did draw this for my wife’s birthday :)
Linda and Bob from Bob’s Burgers entering a house. Linda says “sorry we’re late, Sarah! Bob had diarrhea! But happy birthday!”
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RetroDotCards.com dev log (alt account) @devlog.retrodotcards.com · 04/11/2025
For some reason this one was really fun to draw.
An illustration of a green caulk gun loaded with a tube of caulk. The tube’s label says “RDC” in large letters. The label also has a simple illustration of a dog and a call out starburst that says “Franny approved”
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RetroDotCards.com dev log (alt account) @devlog.retrodotcards.com · 29/10/2025
One of my favorite power ups
A pencil sketch of Mario wearing a propeller helmet.
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RetroDotCards.com dev log (alt account) @devlog.retrodotcards.com · 22/10/2025
Not that anyone cares, but I just switched this account from daily to weekly. I do draw daily, but I'm now taking on more elaborate drawings and it felt weird just posting WIP things.
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RetroDotCards.com dev log (alt account) @devlog.retrodotcards.com · 21/10/2025
WIP trying to draw one of my favorite characters
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RetroDotCards.com dev log (alt account) @devlog.retrodotcards.com · 16/10/2025
Bees are really furry! One thing I'm going to try to do with some photo editing magic is make the wings truly translucent.
The E-Reader puzzle pack card for Entomology. It shows a color pencil illustration of a honey bee, on top of an orange geometric background.
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RetroDotCards.com dev log (alt account) @devlog.retrodotcards.com · 15/10/2025
haha, oh no :)
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RetroDotCards.com dev log (alt account) @devlog.retrodotcards.com · 15/10/2025
you mean the lack of? Look, the 2600 taught us games only need one button. More just complicates things.
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RetroDotCards.com dev log (alt account) @devlog.retrodotcards.com · 15/10/2025
Mostly happy with this one. But I dunno, it's missing something. I'm sure I'll revisit it.
An E-Reader card for The Nineties puzzle pack. It shows an illustration of a portable game console very similar to a game boy but not actually a game boy. It has a green geometric background.
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RetroDotCards.com dev log (alt account) @devlog.retrodotcards.com · 15/10/2025
Trying some things for the 90s puzzle pack.
An illustration of a portable game system that has a lot of similarities to the original game boy. The illustration is a bit “soft” and cartoony.
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RetroDotCards.com dev log (alt account) @devlog.retrodotcards.com · 13/10/2025
I made this for my wife for our anniversary.
A color drawing/painting of our dog Franny. She is facing the camera with a big smile.
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RetroDotCards.com dev log (alt account) @devlog.retrodotcards.com · 11/10/2025
I'm considering maintaining the geometric language throughout the first release. It makes it more cohesive, and, well, I don't have to try and come up with another design :) This is just a rough draft, the bees would be a detailed drawing similar to the dog in the main card.
A rough draft of an E-Reader card illustration. It shows two bees on top of a yellow and orange geometric background. To the right it says "puzzle pack entomology" and down in the corner is the Pixel Pup logo
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RetroDotCards.com dev log (alt account) @devlog.retrodotcards.com · 11/10/2025
Bugs are going to be a different challenge
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RetroDotCards.com dev log (alt account) @devlog.retrodotcards.com · 08/10/2025
I already posted this on my main account but here's my required drawing for the day :) This one has some minor fixes and is pretty close to what I think will be the final version. Onto drawing lots of bugs next!
An E-Reader card for the game Pixel Pup. It shows an illustration of Franny the dog on the left side, the logo for the game on the right, and a geometric background. On the left there is a call out that says "how to play retrodotcards.com/pixel-pup"
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RetroDotCards.com dev log (alt account) @devlog.retrodotcards.com · 07/10/2025
Actually the real Franny was blind. Something that was too hard to convey in pixel art. But for this I think I’ll do her right
A pencil sketch of Franny with her small, blind eyes instead of full ones.
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RetroDotCards.com dev log (alt account) @devlog.retrodotcards.com · 07/10/2025
I think I’m narrowing in on what the main PixelPup card will look like. Creating a non pixel Franny has been challenging but I think I’m closing in on her look.
A sketch of the main PixelPup e-reader card. It’s almost entirely just simple pencil lines but with a more detailed ink drawing of Franny the dog smiling. She is wearing a collar that has an “RDC” pendant on it.
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RetroDotCards.com dev log (alt account) @devlog.retrodotcards.com · 05/10/2025
Not too happy with this one. But hey, that’s why I’m doing this.
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RetroDotCards.com dev log (alt account) @devlog.retrodotcards.com · 04/10/2025
Drawing for October 4th, my first one! I will try to post a new drawing every day. I am using this account to motivate me to practice and get better. My main account is @retrodotcards.com , I make games for the Nintendo E-Reader. Stop on by!
Three sketches of Franny the dog. The left is her head with a collar on. The collar has a medallion that says "RDC" on it (retro dot cards). The upper right is a line ink drawing of her entire body, and the lower right is a drawing of her holding up a sign that says "pixel pup".
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