Completed Pokémon Stardust Princess

[Tomix9tomix]

POKEMON STARDUST PRINCESS

You are here to observe...
Castform is here to weep...
And the Stardust Princess...
Shall sleep...

Spoiler: Screenshots

Castform is broken, and it's your job to help put it back together.

-An open-world where any of the dungeons can be tackled in any order!
-Navigate 3 distinct biomes, each requiring unique methods of traversal!
-Use Castform's abilities to change the weather! By changing the weather, the world around you will alter!
-Take on dungeons that will test your wit with PUZZLES, and your brawn with challenging BOSS FIGHTS!
-Grow your team of Pokémon, not by winning fights, but by finding hidden memories scattered across the map!
-Choose your difficulty! "Classic" for bosses that will require strategy and planning, or "Explorer" for those who just want to choose the super effective move and go forward, or "Master" for those who want a test!

DOWNLOAD LINK:

https://www.mediafire.com/file/plt3eukwqger6f4/Pokemon_Stardust_Princess_V1.3.zip/file

Made using: Essentials GSC v1.3.2

Team:
@Tomix9tomix - Lead developer
@Vendily - Scripter
@KennyCatches - Cutscene eventer
@Haunted Ditto - Balancing

Everyone in the team was extremely helpful throughout the whole process, these weren't their only roles. Everyone helped brainstorm ideas and how to navigate certain issues. The game would not the game it is without a single one of these people. I am immensely thankful for the team.

Notes:
Wasn't expecting to do another game jam, it has been a while since Holly Goes to the Lake and I was pretty happy with it, so I didn't mind it being my last game. But when I heard the jam theme "Weather", ideas started going through my head. Ever since I played [K]ARMA by Vendily, I've wanted to make a mix between a Pokemon and Zelda game. And "Weather" seemed like a really fun mechanic to do such a thing with, so it got me going. This game is heavily inspired by Zelda. When I was younger I played Link's Awakening DX on virtual console on my 3DS, and it was a really wonderful experience. I really like what the 2d Zelda games do, so I'm glad that I'm able to make something in the same spirit as it.

These are SPOILERS, only use this guide if you want to hunt down all the memories but can't find them

Spoiler: Memory Location Guide

Spoiler: No, really, only use this guide if you really need to

Each temple gives you 3 as a reward after picking up the sigil. 12 in total.

Rain world:
1. In the starting area, by the very first Castform statue that you will see. Make it rain to climb the vine, then you will need CUT to pass the tree
2. Bottom right, in the the tree maze. Navigate the maze to the bottom right.
3. Bottom left. Make it either sunny or snowy to get rid of the water in the lake, then you can reach the item.
4. Top left. Same as above but for the smaller lake.

Sun world:
1. Below the entrance to the sun world (right side of the map), there is a dried up lake. You can access it in sunny, clear or snowy weather. But for sunny and clear weather, you will need WATER SPOUT
2. Top right of the desert section. Behind the quicksand. Rain or snow will stop the quicksand and let you reach it.
3. Top center of the map. There is a dried out lake with it on the other side. Make it rain and use SURF to cross.
4. Top left. Behind the Sudowoodo. You will need to aggravate the Sudo, either using WATER SPOUT, or by making it rain or snow.

Snow world:
1. Below the cliffs on the left. There is a hidden passage in the trees next to the ghost below. Just walk through the trees.
2. Middle of the map. In the short ice section. By making it sunny or rainy the ice will become water. You can use SURF to reach it.
3. Bottom left. In clear or snowy weather, solve the strength puzzle using ICE PUSH
4. Lower middle. Just fight the Biberal and get it.

Resource Pack: https://eeveeexpo.com/resources/1756/

Spoiler: Credits

Heavy inspiration from Pokemon [K]arma https://eeveeexpo.com/karma/
-Vendily
Gen2 Tilesets https://www.deviantart.com/skidmarc25
-SkidMarc25
Ghost Sprites https://www.deviantart.com/professo...der-Town-Ghost-Sprites-RPG-Maker-MV-900132165
-Asaf Ben-non
Void Stranger soundtrack Bandcamp Link
-eebrozgi
Zelda Links Awakening soundtrack https://downloads.khinsider.com/game-soundtracks/album/link-s-awakening-dx
8-bit covers https://www.youtube.com/@8bitbearmusic
-8bitbearmusic
Ghost trick 8 bit cover https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCppHMISJVCkztHIzDIUsqbA
-Waddoop
GSC Font: https://www.deviantart.com/piacarrot/art/GSC-Title-Font-657082593
-Piacarrot
Credits Font Alkhemikal https://www.dafont.com/alkhemikal.font
-jeti

Made using GSC Essentials https://eeveeexpo.com/resources/1520/

Spoiler: GSC ESSENTIALS CREDITS

POKéMON ESSENTIALS GSC was created by:
Xaveriux
With the indispensable help of: Caruban, prankster20, Vendily, AwfullyWaffley, TechSkylander1518, James Davy.

Pokémon Essentials GS base resources made by:
COMBOY
"Pokémon Essentials" was created by:
Flameguru
Poccil (Peter O.)
Maruno
With contributions from:
AvatarMonkeyKirby
Marin
Boushy
MiDas Mike
Brother1440
Near Fantastica
FL
PinkMan
Genzai Kawakami
Popper
help-14
Rataime
IceGod64
SoundSpawn
Jacob O. Wobbrock
the__end
KitsuneKouta
Venom12
Lisa Anthony
Wachunga
Luka S.J.
and everyone else who helped out.

"RPG Maker XP" by:
Enterbrain
3rd, 4th and 5th generation Pokémon
devamped sprites made by:
COMBOY
DarkDoom3000
Koolboyman
Akailsamu
Neslug
NICKtendo DS
Wes
pokekicks
Alpha Six
Jeremy
Lockerz102
josthR69
Koopaul
Parasect047
Ike
ClawdNyasu
Layle
SengirDev
Devicho
Metalflygon08
Nurseblissey
Lichen
Jphyper
MrDustman
Sadfish
PoisonousGas
SageDeoxys
Taynathon
Special thanks to:
Aioros
The Spriters Resource
Maruno
FL
Umbreon
Pia Carrot
Kcgaranzy
mej71
out written
kiedisticelixer
Crystal GFX Files:
Nuuk
GBC Party Sprites
EeVeeEe1999
QuilChess
JF278 & Dani (from Pokémon Fierce Melody)
Sun/Moon Community Dex v2.0:
Pia Carrot
Pioxys
Xeogran
Lightning
Enderific
SirWhibbles
SupahSanti
JaegerLucciano
patrickackerman
Seyeba
ubasuteyama
Rangi
bloodless
lakeofdance
datlopunnytho
Leperagon
Soloo93
Bronzeswagger
Sword/Shield Community Dex GSC style:
Meltan - ???, BloodlessNS
Melmetal - JuicyChickenThighs, PiaCarrot
Grookey, Jozzer26, PiaCarrot, JaceDeane
Scorbunny - PiaCarrot, JaceDeane, BloodlessNS
Sobble - EeVeeEe1999
Gossifleur - QuilChess, PiaCarrot, Copetin, JaceDeane
Eldegoss - PiaCarrot, JaceDeane
Corviknight - LucasSevero
Dreadnaw - EeVeeEe1999, JaceDeane
Wooloo - Nuuk
Zacian - PiaCarrot, Copetin
Zamazenta - PiaCarrot
Impidimp - PiaCarrot
Yamper - EeVeeEe1999, JaceDeane
Rolycoly - EeVeeEe1999, JaceDeane
Duraldon - Enderific, JaceDeane
Alcremie - JaceDeane
Weezing - PiaCarrot
Menu - Toxel Dragapult Chewtle Cursola Coalossal Eiscue Dracozolt Arctozolt.
Hatterene Barraskewda, Mr Rime
Rookiedie - Pia Carrot
Morpeko - JaceDeane
Polteageist - EeVeeEe1999
Cramorant - EeVeeEe1999
Applin - Pia Carrot
Obstagoon - Copetin
Sirfetchd - Enderific, JaceDeane
Ponyta - JuicyChickenThighs
Zigzagoon & Linoone - EeVeeEe1999
Dracovish - Nuuk
Drizzile Inteleon - Pia Carrot
Runerigus - EeVeeEe1999
Blipbug line - Enderific (and resized by Pia Carrot)
Dreepy and evo - Enderific
Galarian Meowth - Enderific
Hattena - Cinnaboopa
Attack Animations:
The Spriters Resource
COMBOY
RZC
Xaveriux
MarcStudio08
Scripts:
Caruban
Xaveriux
Vendily
Pia Carrot
Nyaruko
Pablus94
Marin
Lockheart
Taynathon
Gen 8 Project for Essentials 18 and 18.1:
Cry Credits:
Gen 1-6 Pokemon Cries- Rhyden
Gen 7 Pokemon Cries- Marin, Rhyden
Gen 8 Pokemon Cries- Zeak6464
PBS Credits:
Zerokid, TheToxic, Golisopod User, HM100, KyureJL, ErwanBeurier
Script Credits:
Gen 8 Scripts: Vendily, TheToxic, HM100, Golisopod User, Aioross, WolfPP, MFilice, lolface, KyureJL, DarrylBD99, Turn20Negate, TheKandinavian, ErwanBeurier
UberDunsparce - Compilation of Resources
Music and SFX:
Pokémon Gold, Silver & Crystal
Pokémon is owned by:
The Pokémon Company
Nintendo
Affiliated with Game Freak
Special thanks to:
Xaveriux
Tomed01
Utytft
Nuuk
Rangi42
ENLS
Lockheart
SageDeoxys
Taynathon, Essentials GSC Team

​

 

[Jona1]

This going to be a fun lovely game too!! i am so happy!!

 

[Haunted Ditto]

I enjoyed every single minute I've worked on this game. An awesome game made by even more awesome team!

 

[Geoswag]

Just finished the game and I had a great time playing! Overall a very unique experience with some real head-scratcher puzzles and a touching story. I never played the original Zelda this game is based on but if it was anything similar in quality I can see why it became one of the most popular franchises of all time!

Some more specific thoughts that include gameplay/story spoilers:

Spoiler: Spoiler, sorry this is quite long!

Thoughts on the puzzles:

• The water puzzle in the rain dungeon was really well done, had to consider the implications of every choice before doing them, I couldn't just bruteforce it by clicking buttons randomely.
• I did not understand the puzzle to get into the sun temple at all. I did speak to the ghost about hidden ghosts I needed to find but I thought they'd actually be ghosts on the map (like the shuppett I thought I'd found 1/3). I know in the intro you are made to click on a rock and I suppose that introduces the mechanic but I feel this could have been a bit clearer.
• Within the sun temple were my favourite puzzles though, reminded me of that one minigame from super mario bros on DS. Really fun and I liked how new mechanics were introduced 1-by-1 and then brought together at the end!
• Puzzle to get into the snow temple I thought was equally a bit bizarre. Again I spoke to the ghost who said to look "behind walls" but I did not interpret this to mean trees at all. Especially when there is no difference between the tree tiles you could walk through and the ones you couldn't, this one I only got by reading the spoiler for how to find all the memories. Perhaps I am just stupid though and if no-one else struggled with this I guess that is the case!
• I really liked the idea of the swapping places with the statue puzzles in the ice dungeon, especially when combined with the ice breaking puzzles. Again though, this could just be me being stupid, but it took me sooooo long to realise I could press D at a distance from the statue and not only when stood diretcly next to it. The initial tutorial puzzle for this mechanic being possible by moving the statue 1-by-1 made me think this was the case so maybe that should've been over some water or something to make it obvious this was possible.
• The final puzzles atop the mountain were fantastic, and I loved that it brought all the elements from previous dungeons together

Thoughts on the battles and boss fights:

• The boss fights were relatively easy, for most I just needed to change some moves around on my castform to beat them 1v1. The most challenging for me was the Froslass (I did the snow dungeon last) which was very fun to try and outplay with sunny day, switching out to heal and then back in to set up the sun again.
• I started to get annoyed by the wild Pokemon while scrambling for where to go between my 1st and 2nd dungeons. They don't really drop anything that useful but you still can't run from them which was a shame. I know there is the option in the menu for explorer mode but it didn't seem to work for me? Unless I needed to restart the game for the effect to kick in but even then I'm sure I did that and they stayed around.
• I'm unsure if this was a bug or not, but my castform would barely ever transform into the appropriate weather form? It usually would when I set weather myself but when it was overworld weather it seemed to be random whether the form updated or not, which was a shame as this was one of the draws of the overworld weather mechanic when I first saw it.
• The choice of Pokemon you were given was interesting and they were fun to use in the appropriate weather.

Thoughts on the vibes and the story:

• The sprite of the character climbing down vines looking behind them was really cute
• The sun dungeon was fantasticly spooky and really set the scene for the main storyline and castform's headspace during the game. The unown messages were a really cool touch.
• All the memories were really cute and very well done. Somehow managing to be mostly "happy" memories in a vaccuum but still fill you with a sense of impending doom while watching them is very impressive, especially with such limiting visuals.
• The GSC soundfont version of Riptide in one of the memories was a particular highlight.
• I loved the bittersweet ending, and the credits were excellent, really hitting home the themes of loss and regret.
• It was nice that there was no real explanation for what exactly "happened" to cause the main characters to break up (unless I just didn't find this memory), which I interpreted as showing how its not really about the specifics of certain events but about the way castform has chosen to deal with the outcome.

One random bug, the speedup option seemed very temperamental and would only work for very short periods before randomely deactivating.

 

[Tomix9tomix]

Just finished the game and I had a great time playing! Overall a very unique experience with some real head-scratcher puzzles and a touching story. I never played the original Zelda this game is based on but if it was anything similar in quality I can see why it became one of the most popular franchises of all time!

Some more specific thoughts that include gameplay/story spoilers:

Spoiler: Spoiler, sorry this is quite long!

Thoughts on the puzzles:

• The water puzzle in the rain dungeon was really well done, had to consider the implications of every choice before doing them, I couldn't just bruteforce it by clicking buttons randomely.
• I did not understand the puzzle to get into the sun temple at all. I did speak to the ghost about hidden ghosts I needed to find but I thought they'd actually be ghosts on the map (like the shuppett I thought I'd found 1/3). I know in the intro you are made to click on a rock and I suppose that introduces the mechanic but I feel this could have been a bit clearer.
• Within the sun temple were my favourite puzzles though, reminded me of that one minigame from super mario bros on DS. Really fun and I liked how new mechanics were introduced 1-by-1 and then brought together at the end!
• Puzzle to get into the snow temple I thought was equally a bit bizarre. Again I spoke to the ghost who said to look "behind walls" but I did not interpret this to mean trees at all. Especially when there is no difference between the tree tiles you could walk through and the ones you couldn't, this one I only got by reading the spoiler for how to find all the memories. Perhaps I am just stupid though and if no-one else struggled with this I guess that is the case!
• I really liked the idea of the swapping places with the statue puzzles in the ice dungeon, especially when combined with the ice breaking puzzles. Again though, this could just be me being stupid, but it took me sooooo long to realise I could press D at a distance from the statue and not only when stood diretcly next to it. The initial tutorial puzzle for this mechanic being possible by moving the statue 1-by-1 made me think this was the case so maybe that should've been over some water or something to make it obvious this was possible.
• The final puzzles atop the mountain were fantastic, and I loved that it brought all the elements from previous dungeons together

Thoughts on the battles and boss fights:

• The boss fights were relatively easy, for most I just needed to change some moves around on my castform to beat them 1v1. The most challenging for me was the Froslass (I did the snow dungeon last) which was very fun to try and outplay with sunny day, switching out to heal and then back in to set up the sun again.
• I started to get annoyed by the wild Pokemon while scrambling for where to go between my 1st and 2nd dungeons. They don't really drop anything that useful but you still can't run from them which was a shame. I know there is the option in the menu for explorer mode but it didn't seem to work for me? Unless I needed to restart the game for the effect to kick in but even then I'm sure I did that and they stayed around.
• I'm unsure if this was a bug or not, but my castform would barely ever transform into the appropriate weather form? It usually would when I set weather myself but when it was overworld weather it seemed to be random whether the form updated or not, which was a shame as this was one of the draws of the overworld weather mechanic when I first saw it.
• The choice of Pokemon you were given was interesting and they were fun to use in the appropriate weather.

Thoughts on the vibes and the story:

• The sprite of the character climbing down vines looking behind them was really cute
• The sun dungeon was fantasticly spooky and really set the scene for the main storyline and castform's headspace during the game. The unown messages were a really cool touch.
• All the memories were really cute and very well done. Somehow managing to be mostly "happy" memories in a vaccuum but still fill you with a sense of impending doom while watching them is very impressive, especially with such limiting visuals.
• The GSC soundfont version of Riptide in one of the memories was a particular highlight.
• I loved the bittersweet ending, and the credits were excellent, really hitting home the themes of loss and regret.
• It was nice that there was no real explanation for what exactly "happened" to cause the main characters to break up (unless I just didn't find this memory), which I interpreted as showing how its not really about the specifics of certain events but about the way castform has chosen to deal with the outcome.

One random bug, the speedup option seemed very temperamental and would only work for very short periods before randomely deactivating.

Thank you so much for all the detailed feedback! It's really nice to hear your thoughts in detail. I will try to get a patch out to try make some of the less clear elements of the game more clear. I'm glad you enjoyed it!

Spoiler: Replying to certain points

None of these are excuses, just wanted to elaborate on things to help fill in the gaps that you felt confused about:

The puzzle to enter the sun dungeon has a few clues, but they are all a bit too obscure. If you explore the bottom left corner of the map in clear weather (spirits only appear in clear weather by red flowers), a spirit will mention that something is off about the rocks in the desert. It's a tad too subtle, but all the spirit rocks in the desert are a different colour than the other rocks, and every regular rock makes the same pattern in the desert maps. 4 symmetrical rocks, one in each corner of the screen. But all the ghost rocks are actually off center from that symmetry. And the final, most obvious, but very obscure clue, is that if you make it snow, all the regular rocks will be covered in snow, but the ghost rocks will remain the same regardless of the weather.

And similarly about entering the snow dungeon: The intended way to figure it out is to meet the snorunt in the top right corner of the map (1 area to the right of the shuppet). The snorunt will then run off and hide in a bush, but it will leave footprints that you can follow to the bush. You chase it around a bit and eventually the footprints lead you straight into the trees that go to the dungeon. I'm guess that since the snorunt was tucked away in the top right you never met it, and never felt a reason to revist that corner of the map since you probably considered it explored after dealing will shuppet. So I think I'm going to make the first step of the snorunt stuff more in your face.

A lot of misunderstandings seem to come from me wanting to avoid saying things in an obvious "THIS IS A VIDEO GAME" way, but yeah, it's just making things too vague and difficult to get the meaningful information from Classic and Explorer mode only affects the boss battles of the game. I know you said that you didn't find the boss fights too difficult, but I get the feeling that there are going to be some players who refuse to experiment with weather and their movesets (which I'm sure you've seen with your battle focused fangames) , so that's why Explorer mode exists . But yeah, the name doesn't make the specific changes too clear.

When the old man gives the speech about Castform "being broken", that was my vague way of trying to explain that Castform can't change form. Not until you collect the sigil corresponding to the specific form. But yeah, it wasn't made very clear.

I'm honestly really glad that you found the story touching. The whole thing is incredibly vague, and I'm not really willing to change how the story is done, and it wasn't really made for other people. So I just hope that there are some people who will see the story and find their own meaning in it.

Seriously, thank you so much <3

 

[Tomix9tomix]

The game has been updated to V1.1!

Spoiler: Patch Notes

-Picking up the sigils now tells you that it unlocks castform forms
-old man now specifically says that memories can be used to level you up
-snorunt puzzle altered slightly
-ice totem puzzle altered slightly
-another clue added for desert puzzle

 

[WolfTaiko]

Hey! Just a bit ago I completed your game, so I thought I'd share my thoughts :D

Spoiler: Thoughts(OooOOooOOOo ScaaAAAaaAAaAaAary)

Gameplay:

• I don't have many negatives to say about the gameplay; it was overall a gratifying experience. It was very satisfying to complete some of the puzzles, while not being too easy at the same time. It struck that right balance of being just complicated enough that you have to think about it, while not wanting to bash your head against the wall, not getting it.
• I don't see the necessity of respawning enemies when you leave an area, other than being able to farm items. However, due to the placement of some enemies and how you leave and reenter areas, it got very frustrating with specifically in the desert, where I think I fought the same Marshtomp at least 5 different times. To maintain the same item gathering that the enemies can give you, replacing it with a shop could fulfill that same purpose(just don't ask how you would get the money for it).
• I was a little concerned that the camera only highlighted certain parts of the map since I was worried that it could make you feel easily lost, confused, or overwhelmed(especially during the ice puzzles). However, thankfully, none of this was the case.
• My only thought on the camera is that the player can never really be "centered," which bothered me, especially when there would be an extra tile of wall on the right side than the left due to how the map is formatted, but that's a minor niche comment.

Story:

• I like the story you were going through, and there were some really cute interactions with a standout being Castform being in love with Jirachi over carbonera.
• The way the credits worked was really REALLY cool, and is probably the most memorable part of the story.
• I am a little confused about the purpose of the trainer character's existence. It felt like we were almost a mannequin throughout the game, and you really could've just made it so that you played as Castform and recruited other Pokémon to help you, and not much would've changed.
• However, due to how the story was only sprinkled in throughout the game, it didn't really feel super impactful due to the gameplay being really, really emphasized, and the story felt somewhat secondary until it wanted you to care in the last second.
• The other thing that made it hard to feel impacted by the ending was due to the fact that you never learn what happened to Jirachi; they say they'll meet each other again, hopefully, and the next thing you know is that Jirachi is asleep and that Castform is guilty... But since you don't know what happened, it makes it hard to connect to Castform, where if Castform did do something bad that resulted in this, I feel like it would be impactful and heartwrenching to see that.
• Due to these factors, it made the ending feel sort of tame, and like a neutered-down version of the feelings that you would want to feel with the kind of story that you were trying to tell. It was still there, and it worked, but I feel that with a little more shown and a little more rawness, it could've made it even more impactful and intense. Especially, as I've dealt with that kind of thing a lot in the past, and even now. It is an area that is ripe with areas to explore and really tell intense emotions, but with how the ending ended, it felt almost surface-level.

Final Thoughts:

• Overall, a really, REALLY good game, Tom! This is an experience I will remember playing for a while, and that's as big a compliment as I can give! As most people know, I'm not a gameplay guy, but for this game, the gameplay was the standout point of the game. Other games that were similar in the exploration angle and open-worldness, I could never get into, but due to how things were laid out, it made it feel very welcoming and fun to explore for me! I think the only "major" complaint that I had near the end was the ending feeling a little bit surface-level, and I would've loved if it went into it and the rawness that comes from experiences like that. Amazing game as always, Tom, you can tell that when you work on a project you care about it and the idea you have for it! I look forward to everything you do in the future, as always, and hope that more people get to play this awesome game!!

 

[Tomix9tomix]

Hey! Just a bit ago I completed your game, so I thought I'd share my thoughts :D

Spoiler: Thoughts(OooOOooOOOo ScaaAAAaaAAaAaAary)

Gameplay:

• I don't have many negatives to say about the gameplay; it was overall a gratifying experience. It was very satisfying to complete some of the puzzles, while not being too easy at the same time. It struck that right balance of being just complicated enough that you have to think about it, while not wanting to bash your head against the wall, not getting it.
• I don't see the necessity of respawning enemies when you leave an area, other than being able to farm items. However, due to the placement of some enemies and how you leave and reenter areas, it got very frustrating with specifically in the desert, where I think I fought the same Marshtomp at least 5 different times. To maintain the same item gathering that the enemies can give you, replacing it with a shop could fulfill that same purpose(just don't ask how you would get the money for it).
• I was a little concerned that the camera only highlighted certain parts of the map since I was worried that it could make you feel easily lost, confused, or overwhelmed(especially during the ice puzzles). However, thankfully, none of this was the case.
• My only thought on the camera is that the player can never really be "centered," which bothered me, especially when there would be an extra tile of wall on the right side than the left due to how the map is formatted, but that's a minor niche comment.

Story:

• I like the story you were going through, and there were some really cute interactions with a standout being Castform being in love with Jirachi over carbonera.
• The way the credits worked was really REALLY cool, and is probably the most memorable part of the story.
• I am a little confused about the purpose of the trainer character's existence. It felt like we were almost a mannequin throughout the game, and you really could've just made it so that you played as Castform and recruited other Pokémon to help you, and not much would've changed.
• However, due to how the story was only sprinkled in throughout the game, it didn't really feel super impactful due to the gameplay being really, really emphasized, and the story felt somewhat secondary until it wanted you to care in the last second.
• The other thing that made it hard to feel impacted by the ending was due to the fact that you never learn what happened to Jirachi; they say they'll meet each other again, hopefully, and the next thing you know is that Jirachi is asleep and that Castform is guilty... But since you don't know what happened, it makes it hard to connect to Castform, where if Castform did do something bad that resulted in this, I feel like it would be impactful and heartwrenching to see that.
• Due to these factors, it made the ending feel sort of tame, and like a neutered-down version of the feelings that you would want to feel with the kind of story that you were trying to tell. It was still there, and it worked, but I feel that with a little more shown and a little more rawness, it could've made it even more impactful and intense. Especially, as I've dealt with that kind of thing a lot in the past, and even now. It is an area that is ripe with areas to explore and really tell intense emotions, but with how the ending ended, it felt almost surface-level.

Final Thoughts:

• Overall, a really, REALLY good game, Tom! This is an experience I will remember playing for a while, and that's as big a compliment as I can give! As most people know, I'm not a gameplay guy, but for this game, the gameplay was the standout point of the game. Other games that were similar in the exploration angle and open-worldness, I could never get into, but due to how things were laid out, it made it feel very welcoming and fun to explore for me! I think the only "major" complaint that I had near the end was the ending feeling a little bit surface-level, and I would've loved if it went into it and the rawness that comes from experiences like that. Amazing game as always, Tom, you can tell that when you work on a project you care about it and the idea you have for it! I look forward to everything you do in the future, as always, and hope that more people get to play this awesome game!!

Spoiler: Some thoughts on your thoughts ooooooo

Thank you so much for playing Andy! And for taking the time to write up such a detailed response.

I actually don't really have much to say lol. I don't disagree with any of the points you've made. A lot of the things like the story being vague, missing key parts, and the player not really having a role in the story; they are intentional. But I also understand that they are intentional choices that are going to feel weird/empty/lacking for most players. It's just the specific way I wanted to do it regardless.

I'm really happy that you enjoyed most of the gameplay. That's the thing that I was most worried about tbh. When doing things that stray from classic pokemon gameplay, it's difficult to know if it will actually be enjoyable or not. So yeah, I'm happy to hear that you had a good time with the puzzles and exploration.

 

[Brawligator]

Very cool experience!

Spoiler: unorganized thoughts

edit: I played on v1.1 and had no particular issues finding the snow temple or the desert puzzle

Loved the nods to zelda 1 at the beginning, laughed out loud when i saw the starting map
The progression mechanics were interesting, kinda weird that you have to use them manually but I can see why it works like that
The puzzles were a highlight for me, they felt like just the right level of challenging and never felt stale.
Me getting lost in the water temple was a nice zelda reference
I'm not sure if I missed something but the last water-statue puzzle right before the end could be fully avoided by just surfing past it?
The boss fights were very cool, although I will say the earlier ones felt more challenging/balanced than the later ones. Might be because I collected all memories, but both the last two bosses being x4 weak to vanilluxe/blizzard could also have contibuted to this
The story was very touching, and I think the big moments were delivered beautifully.

Also I'm stupid because despite the game being called Stardust Princess I was for some reason convinced that Jirachi was a boy. I was 100% sure I was reading yaoi until Rayquaza dropped the "she" at the end. Felt like that dude from Mulan.

Overall big big props to the team!

 

[Tomix9tomix]

Very cool experience!

Spoiler: unorganized thoughts

edit: I played on v1.1 and had no particular issues finding the snow temple or the desert puzzle

Loved the nods to zelda 1 at the beginning, laughed out loud when i saw the starting map
The progression mechanics were interesting, kinda weird that you have to use them manually but I can see why it works like that
The puzzles were a highlight for me, they felt like just the right level of challenging and never felt stale.
Me getting lost in the water temple was a nice zelda reference
I'm not sure if I missed something but the last water-statue puzzle right before the end could be fully avoided by just surfing past it?
The boss fights were very cool, although I will say the earlier ones felt more challenging/balanced than the later ones. Might be because I collected all memories, but both the last two bosses being x4 weak to vanilluxe/blizzard could also have contibuted to this
The story was very touching, and I think the big moments were delivered beautifully.

Also I'm stupid because despite the game being called Stardust Princess I was for some reason convinced that Jirachi was a boy. I was 100% sure I was reading yaoi until Rayquaza dropped the "she" at the end. Felt like that dude from Mulan.

Overall big big props to the team!

Thank you so much for playing!

Spoiler

I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed all the Zelda references, and were able to spot the starting map. (even if maybe the water temple connection wasn't an intended reference :P )
Being able to surf by the last statue puzzle is intended, I thought it would be a nice little skip for those who are willing to think outside the box a bit. Although maybe it's not great since water being surfable is pretty inconsistent with the canal water not letting you surf on it.
Yeahh balancing has been difficult since ideally we want the game to be beatable without all the memories and without the player having a full party, since not everyone is going to play that way. But it does make some of the final stuff much easier for those who are out there collecting. Consider it a reference to the Fierce Deity Mask turning the final boss into a breeze (it's not)
I'm glad you were able to enjoy the story and found it touching.

Anything can be yaoi if you want it to be <3

 

[Tomix9tomix]

V1.2 is out! This adds a 3rd, harder difficulty mode called "Master". It's not too crazy so don't be scared of it. It's for those who want a challenge above the average experience

 

[Tomix9tomix]

V1.3 is out! Just a minor update, making the sunny weather screen tone less offensive, and making the game over text the right color.

 

[Folk]

Congratulations for the new game

 

[Yin]

Just started on the game, but I just had to say how much I love the little tidbits we learn about the 'castform' and the 'Jirachi' (I don't think they are pokemon but we'll come to that on my actual review when I finish it XD)

Also, are you planning to do a playthrough of this game on your channel? Please? Tom, I am terrible at puzzles, and I re-battled the Tentacruel 4 times. I'm not asking, I'm begging (╥﹏╥)

Jokes aside, all of you did a terrific job on this game, can't wait to learn more about the story ^^

 

[Tomix9tomix]

Just started on the game, but I just had to say how much I love the little tidbits we learn about the 'castform' and the 'Jirachi' (I don't think they are pokemon but we'll come to that on my actual review when I finish it XD)

Also, are you planning to do a playthrough of this game on your channel? Please? Tom, I am terrible at puzzles, and I re-battled the Tentacruel 4 times. I'm not asking, I'm begging (╥﹏╥)

Jokes aside, all of you did a terrific job on this game, can't wait to learn more about the story ^^

hahaha I'm not going to do a playthrough on it, but DuoDesign has done a good one if you don't want to play it yourself. Otherwise I would ask if you've been using the memory items from your bag so that your pokemon level up, and have you tried switching the difficulty to Explorer mode in the options menu

 

[Yin]

I managed to defeat it in the very next try with a lucky 6-turn freeze with tri attack right after I wrote that XD But yeah, that's what I get for going straight to the rain dungeon with minimal exploring and being severely underleveled :,) I'm in the second dungeon right now with 5 pokemon on my team tho so we got this (hopefully XD)

 

[Yin]

Oh, this game was an extremely pleasant ride XD

Spoiler: Spoilers

First of all, I adore it when people go for unique gameplays. Coming from someone who doesn't care for puzzles and old-style graphics, I really enjoyed them! The puzzles weren't too difficult but weren't easy either; it managed to stay on the perfect line between the two without being tedious. I wasn't expecting to enjoy a puzzle-heavy game this much, but here we are XD I also really liked how the boss Pokémon had phases for a nice bump in difficulty (IGNORE that I was stuck on the rain world tentacruel boss, I was massively underleveled, had no other pokemon, and barely had any items, I didn't explore enough first XD) I also enjoyed the pokemon selection, it gave me a chance to use pokemon I never really did before (also I love how one of the Vanilluxe head is trying to eat the other XD)

Now, the story, and watch out, because I'm theorizing a lot: It was a beautiful story of a love blooming then wilting. I did manage to guess that we were the 'castform' all along and that we weren't actually Pokémon if the hairbrush and the pet are anything to go by. My interpretation of the story is that we are stuck somewhere between life and death (hence the spirits), and we are drifting along (hence where we are after fighting my fav big snake). What I got from it is that they fell in love during university (or an academy) and moved in together after. Then, one of them got a job opportunity and they had to go long distance. It didn't work; they didn't fall out of love or anything, but 'Jirachi' couldn't do it anymore, hence why Castform couldn't let go even though he knew it was better for both of them. Long after, they were both invited to a wedding (the pikachus), and then decided to get lunch the next day.

During or before lunch, something big happened, something that is connected to Castform acting like a selfish scum (maybe trying and pushing to get her back?) that ended with Jirachi comatose (hence why so many spirits and Rayquaza are hating him), which is why she is sleeping. Throughout our journey, Castform put in work for himself, made himself better for Jirachi, but it didn't matter at the end. Jirachi can't take him back and probably wouldn't.

Now I don't think this is entirely correct, something bad happened during their relationship that made them drift away and is bad enough that he doesn't want to remember, but this is what I'm going with for now XD Don't ask when the 'drifting between life and death' part comes, that's more metaphorical.

Here is to hoping I'm not entirely incorrect :,)

All in all, it was unique and fun, you guys definitely have a nice shot at winning <3

 

[Tomix9tomix]

Oh, this game was an extremely pleasant ride XD

Spoiler: Spoilers

First of all, I adore it when people go for unique gameplays. Coming from someone who doesn't care for puzzles and old-style graphics, I really enjoyed them! The puzzles weren't too difficult but weren't easy either; it managed to stay on the perfect line between the two without being tedious. I wasn't expecting to enjoy a puzzle-heavy game this much, but here we are XD I also really liked how the boss Pokémon had phases for a nice bump in difficulty (IGNORE that I was stuck on the rain world tentacruel boss, I was massively underleveled, had no other pokemon, and barely had any items, I didn't explore enough first XD) I also enjoyed the pokemon selection, it gave me a chance to use pokemon I never really did before (also I love how one of the Vanilluxe head is trying to eat the other XD)

Now, the story, and watch out, because I'm theorizing a lot: It was a beautiful story of a love blooming then wilting. I did manage to guess that we were the 'castform' all along and that we weren't actually Pokémon if the hairbrush and the pet are anything to go by. My interpretation of the story is that we are stuck somewhere between life and death (hence the spirits), and we are drifting along (hence where we are after fighting my fav big snake). What I got from it is that they fell in love during university (or an academy) and moved in together after. Then, one of them got a job opportunity and they had to go long distance. It didn't work; they didn't fall out of love or anything, but 'Jirachi' couldn't do it anymore, hence why Castform couldn't let go even though he knew it was better for both of them. Long after, they were both invited to a wedding (the pikachus), and then decided to get lunch the next day.

During or before lunch, something big happened, something that is connected to Castform acting like a selfish scum (maybe trying and pushing to get her back?) that ended with Jirachi comatose (hence why so many spirits and Rayquaza are hating him), which is why she is sleeping. Throughout our journey, Castform put in work for himself, made himself better for Jirachi, but it didn't matter at the end. Jirachi can't take him back and probably wouldn't.

Now I don't think this is entirely correct, something bad happened during their relationship that made them drift away and is bad enough that he doesn't want to remember, but this is what I'm going with for now XD Don't ask when the 'drifting between life and death' part comes, that's more metaphorical.

Here is to hoping I'm not entirely incorrect :,)

All in all, it was unique and fun, you guys definitely have a nice shot at winning <3

Thank you for giving the game a shot despite not being the sort of game that's you'd usually enjoy <3

I won't comment on your thoughts about the story or confirm what's right and what's wrong, but I'm glad you had fun theorizing ;)

 

[Pi25]

I loved everything about the game and encountered almost no issues.