Completed The Secret of Cinnabar Mansion

The Secret of Cinnabar Mansion

Relic Castle Game Jam 2015 -- Judge's Choice

Introduction:​

Hi everybody! I'm Twitch, and this is my game, The Secret of Cinnabar Mansion. I made it over the course of about a month for the Relic Castle Summer 2015 Game Jam. It was my first time using Pokemon Essentials to make my own game entirely from scratch, and developing it was a fantastic learning experience. I wanted to explore making a game in the style of Gen One and expand on some areas of canon that I felt had a lot of potential. Thanks to COMBOY's Pokemon GS Essentials kit, making a retro-styled fangame was easy even for a beginner, so I definitely couldn't have done it without the hard work of him and everyone else who contributed to its creation.

I'm so thrilled and flattered by the positive reception this game has received. I was not at all expecting to win Judge's Choice for my little hour-long game, either. I'd like to thank Relic Castle so much for the inspiration and the encouragement I needed to make this -- thanks so much, everybody!

Plot:​

A narrative-focused game in the style of Pokemon Red and Blue. Explore and discover the mysteries of the ruined mansion on Cinnabar Island. You play as a scientist tasked with delivering a package. Read all the journals and uncover the mystery of why the mansion was abandoned -- but be wary of hostile trainers and wild Pokemon!

This game takes about an hour to complete. There are 2 endings, so try and find them both! It's not too hard, but if you get stuck on trying to get the Good Ending, feel free to PM me and I'll tell you how you can do it.

Features:​

• 100% Completed Game
• Nostalgic 8Bit Graphics
• Choose between three partner Pokemon: Magneton, Porygon, or Weezing!
• 2 Endings
• Fantastic music by GlitchxCity

Screenshots:

Download:
Click Here

Credits:​

• Concept - Nintendo/Game Freak​
• Pokémon Essentials - Flameguru/Poccil/Maruno
• GSC Essentials - Comboy
• Tiles - RBY Tileset from the Spriters' Resource, custom edits by me
• Music - Pokemon Mansion Remix by GlitchxCity, Pokemon RBY music from VGMusic

 

[TheGamingPaladin]

hmm, as i read this, i have the distinct feeling that the alternate/true ending happens only when you find all the journal entries... alrighty then, challenge accepted!

 

[entei]

I really enjoyed playing through this game. The aesthetic of Gen1 is a really nice thing to see and it, in general feels really underused in fangames. You could say that's for good reason, as it can begin to get a little boring and if you were to use a retro design you could use Gen2 but it still brings back that classic nostalgic feel.

The only issue I had was the mix of styles (not sure how else to word it), the remixes really didn't mix well with the extremely retro style imo. It didn't detract from the gameplay or story which I understand were meant to be the focal point but it still was a little jarring to hear. Other than that though, this was still a really nice experience to play through.

 

[LunarDusk]

Hey there Twitch! I recently completed The Secret of Cinnabar Mansion, and as I have with every game I complete I figured it was time to add my thoughts pf the game!

And man does this game deliver! You were able to take a very simple concept and make it so much fun to play! I cant tell if it was the gen 1 style, or the story told in the journal posts, or just rexperiencing part of Cinnabar Mansion for the first time in years that brought a lot of aqesome nostalgia back to me. I enjoyed the variety of starting pokemon that fit the theme of the scientist, and even in a game jam you were able to make a game with a clear and caring message, while making one of pokemon's first villains into true villains again, even for at least a short while.

For anyone reading this review, I absolutely recommend playing the Secret of Cinnabar Mansion! You will not be disappointed!

 

[Majestic Senzu]

Ok so, I played this game a while back (a few months ago) and...I loved it! I love games that get right into the good stuff. This game was ALL good stuff. I enjoyed exploring the mansion and I am fairly certain I found all the journal entries.

Spoiler: Game Spoilers!

I got the ending where Mewtwo killed the Rocket member that forced you to explore the Mansion. I don't know which ending that was but it was definitely satisfying.

Anyways, kudos to you, Twitch! Seriously, if you haven't, play this! It's short, sweet, and well crafted.

Also, screw that thief with the Rapidash. My poor Magneton got schooled by it the first go-around. :(

EDIT: Well, I can't find my save file...I guess I have to beat it again!

 

[Midori]

Wow, I love rom hacks/fan made games that explore Mewtwo's history, I love all the conspiracy behind the scientists, the researchers, and what they're trying to cover up! Especially getting to interact with Mewtwo himself and listening to his point of view, what a fun game!

 

[KaratGaming]

Looks like a great fangame.

 

[reeko]

hmm, as i read this, i have the distinct feeling that the alternate/true ending happens only when you find all the journal entries... alrighty then, challenge accepted!

probbably so i haven't played it myself but maybe the juornals might uncover a secret that you need to find to get get the good ending
i dont know im just a kid

 

[emzee]

Hello! I played this and I must say that it's a great game for only about an hour-long playthrough! The story is simple but interesting and gets sadder as you find the journal entries. I managed to get both endings!

If you don't mind my comments, I have some things to say about the game.

Spoiler

Fun Stuff
-I like the selection of Pokemon. I used Weezing the first playthrough and then Magneton the second. Magneton made it challenging considering the fire pokemon inside as well as the limited moveset but it was fun to strategize how to continue on.
-I love that you can find items in the bookshelves.
-The journal entries can be so easily missed the first time playing and I didn't realize that I did until I explored more carefully the second time. That was pretty good, and it makes players motivated to get the better ending (like me.)
-I love how you expanded on the design of the mansion to include the outdoor balcony and the upstairs rooms.

Nitpicks/Bugs/Weird Things I Saw
-Why did the Pokemon's PP not heal properly? Was it on purpose so we'd just focus on getting through the story? I didn't mind as much but I was just curious.
-That Ditto in the very top room caught me off-guard the first time around. Which is fine... if it wasn't lv. 38!
-When I read the very last journal entry, it went to 8/7. I guess it was supposed to be 6/6 for the explorer and 7/7 for the scientists?

Great, simple game. Thank you for making it!

 

[Seel]

I experienced a bug that stopped the bed in the locked room from healing my pokemon. It said Weezing was healed but its hp and pp wasn't restored. I got blacked out by that Electabuzz trainer near the start so maybe that caused it.