Zelda Dungeon by The NESkimos StepMania StepMix 3 ReadMe File Version 1.0 -- Final Release Mix ================================================================================ WARNING: THIS VERSION IS FOR DEVELOPMENT PURPOSES ONLY! THIS VERSION MAY NOT CONTAIN ANY GAME-PLAYABLE STEPS & IS NOT READY FOR A PUBLIC RELEASE AT THIS TIME! YOU SHOULD BE A MEMBER OF THE DEVELOPMENT TEAM TO OBTAIN THIS VERSION! PLEASE DO NOT SHARE WITH OTHERS... OR WE'LL SICK GANON ON YOU! NOTE: IF YOU DIDN'T DOWNLOAD THIS FROM THE STEPMANIA WEBSITE... SCAN YOUR COMPUTER FOR VIRUSES & MALWARE NOW AS YOU HAVE A QUESTIONABLE VERSION!!! 0) Table of Contents ----------------------- 1) Installation Instructions... For Dummies 2) Step Difficulties A) Credits... or the people who actually wasted time on this! B) Version History C) Contact information D) The Final Word(s) 1) Installation Instructions... for Dummies ----------------------------------------------- If you didn't get this as a .smzip package from the Stepmania website, you likely picked up a questionable version somewhere, which may include a virus or some other malware (hence the note above). DISCLAIMER: USE AT YOUR OWN RISK! THE MAKERS OF STEPMANIA & THE DEVELOPMENT TEAM OF THIS SONG IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE INTEGRITY OF YOUR COMPUTER BY USING THEIR PROGRAM OR THIS SONG. ISSUES THAT MAY RESULT WHEN USING THIS ARE, BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOSS OF DATA, LOSS OF FUNCTIONALITY, LOSS OF MEMORY, LOSS OF CONSCIENCENESS, LOSS OF BREATH, LOSS OF APPETITE, LOSS OF MEMORY, LOSS OF SKILLS, LOSS OF COOLNESS, LOST OF MEMORY, LOST SHOES, LOST WATCHES, LOSS OF MEMORY OR ANYTHING ELSE CAUSED BY USING STEPMANIA OR THIS SONG... LIKE LOSS OF MEMORY... OR LOSS OF MEMORY... IF THESE THINGS SHOULD HAPPEN, YOU SHOULD CONSULT A DOCTOR OR AN A+ CERTIFIED COMPUTER EXPERT AS IT'S LIKELY YOUR COMPUTER THAT'S MESSED UP SOMEWHERE... ESPECIALLY WITH MEMORY LOSS... BUT YOU'VE PROBABLY AWARE OF THIS STUFF ALREADY, OTHERWISE YOU WOULDN'T BE READING THIS OR INSTALLING THIS. If you grabbed it as a .zip or .7z (& not a .smzip), you'll have to install the song manually into your Stepmania's Song folder. If you're using Windows, it should be like "C:\Program Files\StepMania\songs\StepMix 3\Zelda Dungeon". If you're using Mac OS, it'll probably be something similar... If you're using Linux, I must bow down to your crazy installation skills & you probably know where this should go. This song was specially designed to fit within the specifications of custom songs for In The Groove 2 arcade machine (rev 21 & up). If you really like this song, you can add the song to your USB thumbdrive & give it a spin at an arcade near you... If they permit custom songs to be played on their machine. Please check the StepMania website for the installation instructions & details on this. 2) Step Difficulties ----------------------- Step Difficulties are as such for the following steps. Actual (or "Predicted") value (as defined by StepMania) is listed in paretheses. Single Beginner: 2 (2.218) Light : 3 (3.272) Standard: 4 (4.395) Heavy : 6 (6.423) Solo Light : 3 (3.272) (AutoGen) Standard: 4 (4.395) (AutoGen) Heavy : 6 (6.423) (AutoGen) Double Light : 2 (2.333) Standard: 4 (4.025) Heavy : 5 (5.415) This song's Step Charts were created using StepMania 3.9... so it should work on anybody's computer with the current "Stable" version or any "Beta" versions as well... whatever you prefer to play with. Additionally, these steps were created using 2 PSx-style controllers (to best simulate pads with my fingers) & are originally designed to be played with only two feet (No hands!). If you can't actually play with two feet, the steps are probably harder than listed (as some parts have EVIL TIMING) &/or you suck... but I prefer to stroke my own ego than to dis yours. You can work on your skills! I can't work on my steps once published. A) Credits... or the people who actually wasted time on this! ----------------------------------------------------------------- Here's the guys of the Sage Project (1.1)... * TStodden -- Grand mastermind OR just a really crazy idiot who thought he could make ANOTHER Stepmania song... as well as pull off the 8-bit look... We'll let the judges decide once more! * Project Manager (& author of this file) * Stepchart Editor * Graphical Artist (Background, Banner & BGAnimation) * BGAnimation Editor * Head QA Tester * Pelord -- Good friend & the audial mastermind behind the scenes, who managed to cut a minute out & still make it sound good. * Audio Editor * Quality Assurance * The NESkimos -- The guys who crazy enough to sit back & let everybody else do the work. However, I have to thank them for allow us to use their song! * Song Artist (Creative Commons License 3.0) * Koji Kondo & Nintendo Company Limited -- For actually creating the original dungeon tune for The Legend of Zelda (NES), which the song used here is based on... although we didn't have to ask them for anything. ^_^ * Original Tune (which inspired the NESkimos) * Original Graphics (which inspired our graphics & BGAnimations) The following didn't contribute anything to this particular project, but we still honor them in spirit... * BigBadBoo -- Our normal graphical artist, who got ultimately got cut from the project (blame my artistic passion for 8-bit looks). Zelda Dungeon by the NESkimos is available freely from their website at http://www.neskimos.com & their SoundClick webpage, where you can listen to their remixed Nintendo classic tunes. Registration at SoundClick is required to download any music from their website, but you can listen to music directly from SoundClick without registering. Zelda Dungeon for StepMix 3 © 2007-2008 Sage Project (1.1), © 2007-2008 N.M.E. Song © 2006 NESkimos, used with permission for StepMix 3. All Right Reserved B) Version History --------------------- Version 0.0 -- "We Can't Decide on a" Mix ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * 11.08.2007 -- We haven't finalized which NESkimos song we're going to use, so I'm laying down the groundwork on this song. * 11.08.2007 -- Working Background Image created. Used A LOT of image tiles, which I made with the help of an old copy of a Nintendo Power (issue 39) special to get the tile ideas... but the colors may not be perfect. It's totally 8-bit style! Pretty much everything except the text were done with tiles. * 11.09.2007 -- Working Banner Image created... used the same tiles. * 11.09.2007 -- BPM set for song. * 11.09.2007 -- Preview section set for song. * 11.09.2007 -- Working Stepchart Length set (125 measures) * 11.09.2007 -- Work started on Single Beginner steps... as a BGAnimation demo with various tiles that were created for the game. Things to do... * First of all, decide if we'll do this song or not! * Edit the song down for time (Get it <2:00, currently 3:19) * Edit down the Stepchart Length as well * Get some official Background & Banner artwork... If we choose to change it. * Add some more personal touches, while keeping the 8-bit look. * Try & avoid using actual sprite rips (Hand recreations are OK) * Get some additional BGAnimations... * Possibly get something a bit more interesting * Have some fun & change the scroll speed within the song, but maintain the BPM. Version 0.1 Alpha -- "Just started this" Mix -- 1st Quest Mix ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * 12.06.2007 -- Song has been edited down for time (1:59), Thank you Pelord! * 12.06.2007 -- BPM readjusted for the edited version. * 12.09.2007 -- Stepchart Length modified (down to 77 measures... for now) Things to do... * Add tempo changes (Optional, but I really want to try!) * Trim the Stepchart Length to fit the length. * Add more Backgrounds for fade transitions (Good thing they're small!) * Add more BGAnimation Tile sets Version 0.2 Alpha -- 1st Quest Mix ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * 12.11.2007 -- BPM changes added to song. Just Half-speed & back, but it adds variety! * 12.11.2007 -- Modified Stepchart Length (down to 68 measures) * 12.11.2007 -- Ideas for more Background changes penciled in. * 12.11.2007 -- Obtained sprites to give a better look for the Background & the various BGAnimations. * 12.11.2007 -- Reworked Background Image * 12.11.2007 -- Reworked existing BGAnimations * 12.11.2007 -- Punched up Disclaimer with LOSS OF MEMORY... OR LOSS OF MEMORY ...ALWAYS good for a laugh or two. * 12.12.2007 -- Added ending Background changes & it looks SO GOOD! It should DEFINATELY score points with the judges & fans of the Zelda series for artistic appeal! * 12.12.2007 -- Added some more BGAnimations, but I'll need assistance with control & implimentation of them. Things to do... * Fix some graphical bugs. * Get additional BG tiles for Backgrounds / BGAnimations * Design extra background for BGAnimations * Get to work on the Stepcharts * Check rules on BGAnimations at end of song. Version 0.3 Alpha -- 1st Quest Mix ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * 12.13.2007 -- Added all BG graphics to the song. * 12.13.2007 -- Modified part of the BGAnimation list to reduce "clutter" May be modified back later... * 12.13.2007 -- Single Beginner Steps created (2.218 feet) Version 0.4 Alpha -- 1st Quest Mix ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * 12.25.2007 -- Single Light Steps created (3.272 feet) * 12.25.2007 -- Single Standard Steps created (4.395 feet) * 12.25.2007 -- Single Heavy Steps created (6.423 feet) Version 0.5 Beta -- 2nd Quest Mix ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * 12.25.2007 -- Solo Steps created (Auto-gen) * Light: 3.272 Feet * Standard: 4.395 Feet * Heavy: 6 (6.423) * 12.25.2007 -- Final Banner Artwork created. Version 0.6 RC -- 3rd Quest Mix ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * 01.08.2008 -- Double Light Steps Created (2.333 Feet) Version 1.0 -- Final Release Mix ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ NOTE: All Times are in CST... as the deadline looms... * 01.11.2008, 1:26 AM -- Double Standard Steps Created (4.025 Feet) * 01.11.2008, 1:28 AM -- Removed unused BGAnimations * 01.11.2008, 1:42 AM -- Double Heavy Steps Created (5.415 Feet) * 01.11.2008, 1:52 AM -- (1st) Background & Banner graphics finalized * Mostly to remove development notes. It's a bit surprising that we're done pretty much a day (~22 hours) before the deadline. In retrospect, I probably could had this done a lot earlier... but I have a life & I've gotten addicted to another game (Frets On Fire). I would like to dedicate this to my neighbor, who passed away a week ago today from unknown circumstances (I haven't found out what exactly happened & I not going to pester the family). Although she was 4 years younger than me, we practically grew up together, despite to occasional fight/feud with her side of their family (I get alone well with her grandmother & her uncles, which are about my age... it's a big family, just spaced out). I would like to thank Pelord yet again for a very excellent cut of the song. If you've never heard the original (uncut) version, you probably wouldn't know where the cut was made. Thanks to the NESkimos for doing the song in the first place. Although I never got their blessing to make this, I do have to thank them for giving their songs a Creative Commons license. Again, if you love the song & want to hear more of their work, check out their website at http://www.neskimos.com & click on "Music". Finally, I have to apologize to BigBadBoo for getting cut from the project. I know his artistic skills would have been put to good use, but my vision for the look of the song drove me to do all the artwork altogether. It was probably too difficult to express the ideal of "8-bit look" through IM's. I hope he'll forgive me on this. That's pretty much everything for this song! I'm probably going to relax a bit, pay a bit more attention to my other work & probably jam out with Frets On Fire (Note to self: buy a PS2 Guitar Hero controller or find how to attach a guitar strap to a wireless keyboard). We'll probably see you when the next StepMix begins. ~TStodden Project Manager January 11, 2008 2:14 AM C) Contact information ------------------------- For those who would like to make a comment on the song, feel free to drop a PM on the StepMania forums (TStodden) for fastest response. I'll be notified when a new PM arrives via e-mail, which I'll check immediately... or at least the next time I get online. Alternatively, you could e-mail me at TStodden@hotmail.com with "StepMix 3" in the subject line... but it could take around 4 weeks to respond (if it stays out of the junk folder) as it's a secondary address & I don't check it often. Any comments towards any other member of this song (except the NESkimos) can be directed to me, which will be forwarded to the appropiate person. Pardon me for being a bit protective with my development team, but they're more willing to talk to me than strangers. D) The Final Word(s) ----------------------- For those who are might actually become a fan of my work from this (if I choose to believe in the delusion that there are fans out there)... feel free to check out "Obey the Moderator" by Optimus Rhyme, which is also out for StepMix 3. We may do some more songs, but we'll pretty much take some time off... or at least until another contest we're interested starts. If anybody is crazy enough to actually donate money to our group, feel free to contact me at the address above & we'll arrange something (probably through Pay Pal). All donated funds will be either be used in the pursuit of music to use with StepMania (as some artists will only grant permission on "official" songs, not the free demos on the website) OR split between the team members & probably make a sacrafice to our dark mistress (or at least in my opinion): Caffiene! This is line 266 & the end of the file... Press Start to Continue...