Welcome back to GBAtemp Project Spotlight, where we shine the light on the incredible creations and projects from around and within the GBAtemp community!

In our fourth issue we're taking a look at NewoZero by GBAtemp member @newo who has taken the time to answer some questions about the game.

NewoZero

Features

• A futuristic retro-synthwave racing game
• 3d graphics
• 5 Championships
• 60 tracks
• Online Leaderboard

How to play
The game very simple and is fast but not so fast that you cannot take the corners. All you have to do is avoid crashing into the walls and other cars. If you crash too many times then the game over. There is a purple bar at the bottom of the screen indicates your energy.

Controller Support
All controls work for first player only. Wiimote, Gamecube controller, Classic, and Nunchuck can be used. When motion controls is enabled the wiimote held sideways with face buttons up is used to steer the ship. Other controllers use the dpad and/or the left analog stick.

Credits
Owen - game code written in C
Additional assets, cars, fonts and sfx from kenney.nl assets
Featuring background music from 2 Hour Synthwave MIX - L.A. Sunset by White Bat Audio
Trailer by DJ D-CEPTICON
Testers: Eyeliner, @shockdesign, Mr. Reaper, DJ D-CEPTICON, RenDev, @iyenal222

Tools Used
GRRLIB
Moment of Inspiration 3d modeling tool
http-parser
DevkitPPC

Inspiration & Thanx
Games: FZero, FZeroGX

What is NewoZero?

NewoZero is a 3D, 60fps futuristic racing game for the Wii in which you race over and below NewoTokyo. Use your piloting skills to race through 30 levels and compete in the online leaderboards. The game can be played with most Wii controllers and also includes support for motion controls.

NewoZero v1 trailer


Screenshots (click to enlarge)
​

You can follow development progress on NewoZero in the official discussion thread here.

Q&A with newo

What is NewoZero in a nutshell?

NewoZero is a simple yet challenging racing/driving game developed for homebrewed Wii consoles.​

What motivated you to work on the game?

I like working on homebrew, primarily Wii homebrew and at the time I longed to work on something new.​

​

What were your inspirations for NewoZero if any?

I like science fiction and Cyberpunk 2077 release was near release, but I always wanted to create some kind of fast racing game similar to F-Zero.​

When did you begin working on the game?

I started around November 2020 and live blogged most of the development with screenshots in a GBAtemp thread.​

​

What was your biggest hurdle when working on the game? Were there any particular quirks or limitations to the Wii that you had to accommodate or work around?

Getting the ship to follow the track smoothly was the biggest hurdle for me personally. As I had never coded a game that had "real 3D" movement before. This required weeks of research and several hacks. Online tutorials did not really help as they were bloated.
​

In terms of the limitations of the Wii hardware; it is what it is - you just have to suck it up and dive in. This is one of the reasons I like limits - they either kill you or make you stronger. With the Wii you know what you are getting into - you learn to live within the limitations and wrap them around you like a blanket. So I think the limitations mostly come from my own lack of knowledge and experience. Not so much the hardware. Nintendo has done some magical stuff on the Wii.​

How complete is the project now? Do you plan to continue working on it or are you at a state where you feel it's mostly complete?

I recently released version 2 of the project on 1st Dec 2021, which is 6 months since v1 and a full year after I started working on the game. The project is pretty complete as far as homebrew games are - however, my games never really done. There are always things I could add like split screen multiplayer or multiple playable ships.​

​

But in the homebrew scene you don't want to burn yourself out adding features that most players might never appreciate. Racing games on a whole are very niche. I might come back to it in a year or work on something totally different.​

What got you into coding/game design?

I have always been into video games ever since I was a child from as far back as the NES days. My first console was a SNES with Super Metroid. I kinda stumbled into programming business apps after high school. I never write games for PC - too many distractions/APIs but around 2010 or thereabouts when the Wii homebrew scene started. I thought "hey, why not give game dev on this Wii thing a try?". I looked around for a simple project I could tackle at the time and a Starfox clone seemed to be manageable. I have been doing little projects ever since then.​

Any advice for wannabe coders?

Find the simplest game you can make and stick with it. It doesn't matter how the game looks or popularity. Work on something you like and do it because you want to do it and not because you think other people will like.​

​

It is not all about coding, some people are artists, musicians, testers, story writers etc. Everyone contributes in some way. Find the thing that you like to do. Don't get into tech just because. Yes someone has to write some code at some point but it's not all about the code/graphics/popularity. It is about you and developing your skills. Seek help and advice - there are a lot of hacks that are not obvious to new coders. Simple projects have a better chance of being released but homebrew is never finished.​

Do you have anything else you'd like to say to the GBAtemp / homebrew community?

Long live the Wii.​

Getting started with NewoZero

You can find out more about NewoZero and follow @newo progress in the official GBAtemp thread . Check it out if you are interested in finding out more about this homebrew project.

For further reading check out the NewoZero Postmortem (programming) in which @newo went into further details following the release of version 1 back in May 2021.

Thanks to @newo for taking their time out to share their project with us!

Download NewoZero v2​

NewoZero on WiiBrew.org​

NewoGame on YouTube​

More projects by @newo​

Previous Project Spotlight issues

Issue #1 - MediCat USB by Jayro
Issue #2 - TWiLight Menu++ by Robz8
Issue #3 - Project Spotlight Universal-Updater by SuperSaiyajinVoltZ, Pk11, maorninja and others

View all issues of Project Spotlight here.

GBAtemp's Project Spotlight Are you the author or team member of a homebrew project or do you know of one that should receive the GBAtemp Project Spotlight treatment? Then please get in touch to discuss getting it featured right here and expand your audience.

 

[pedro702]

not want to be a downer but saying its 3d its a bit well very low 3d, star fox had more 3d on the snes than this, not saying the game is bad or anything but calling it 3d graphics is doesn't fell right imo.

 

[KirovAir]

not want to be a downer but saying its 3d its a bit well very low 3d, star fox had more 3d on the snes than this, not saying the game is bad or anything but calling it 3d graphics is doesn't fell right imo.

So it still is 3d? How would you call it then?

 

[slaphappygamer]

Long love the Wii.

 

[eyeliner]

not want to be a downer but saying its 3d its a bit well very low 3d, star fox had more 3d on the snes than this, not saying the game is bad or anything but calling it 3d graphics is doesn't fell right imo.

This is as 3D as the original Battlezone. As in, real 3D.
And it looks and plays great!

I'd recommend everyone to give it a shot once in a while.

I'm glad this project got a spotlight. It is well deserving, and the screenshots don't really do it justice.

 

[MikaDubbz]

not want to be a downer but saying its 3d its a bit well very low 3d, star fox had more 3d on the snes than this, not saying the game is bad or anything but calling it 3d graphics is doesn't fell right imo.

Did I just watch the same trailer? This certainly isn't a 2D game...

 

[mat128]

not want to be a downer but saying its 3d its a bit well very low 3d, star fox had more 3d on the snes than this, not saying the game is bad or anything but calling it 3d graphics is doesn't fell right imo.

What, how the hell is it not 3D? Just because the track is flat? Are you serious?

 

[newo]

if anybody can capture video and make a new trailer for it because I tweeked the graphics a bit since that trailer was made 6 months ago. Its not a game for everyone. and some people are still finding level one difficult. but you cant please everyone! enjoy and happy new year!

 

[SaulFabre]

What, how the hell is it not 3D? Just because the track is flat? Are you serious?

I think he critics the poor 3D effects and graphics on this game.

Sincerously, @newo made these "poor" 3D graphics (or 3D line polygons) because of the poor processing power of the Nintendo Wii (only had 64 MB of RAM) and for not to overload the PowerPC unit with too many code of 3D sprite drawing (GX).

But anyways it doesn't remove the fun that the game is, it's basically a "simplified" but also challenging version of the classic SNES game F-ZERO, it's still enjoyable.

 

[AlexMCS]

Looks like playing Extreme G (N64) in wireframe mode with better FPS, with higher draw distance and line density:


In other words, it looks like an ongoing project of an unfinished game.
Still great though.

 

[newo]

@AlexMCS its finished project in terms of graphics. The game was made to look wireframed and colourful. It favours fast framerate. It looks better running on real hardware than in screenshots.

If you compare it to other wii homebrew projects ( https://wiibrew.org/wiki/List_of_homebrew_games#Racing ) I think that it complete enough in its current state. Better that than starting something that you never finish or making a demo only project.

 

[ChibiMofo]

I think he critics the poor 3D effects and graphics on this game.

Sincerously, @newo made these "poor" 3D graphics (or 3D line polygons) because of the poor processing power of the Nintendo Wii (only had 64 MB of RAM) and for not to overload the PowerPC unit with too many code of 3D sprite drawing (GX).

But anyways it doesn't remove the fun that the game is, it's basically a "simplified" but also challenging version of the classic SNES game F-ZERO, it's still enjoyable.

The "poor processing power of the Nintendo Wii" handles the Gamecube version of F-Zero GX with a better framerate than a Gamecube as it is, of course, more powerful. The Wii also runs Need for Speed, Call of Duty and countless other multiplatform 3D games just fine. And the amount of RAM any system has in no way defines how much processing power it has. For 3D graphics in SD, 64MB was sufficient.

Note that I am not in any way criticizing Newo or his free homebrew game, as that would be idiotic under the circumstances. But blaming the Wii itself for any game not having better 3D graphics when so many games clearly did needs to be challenged lest younger, less experienced users here get the wrong idea about the console that won the 7th Generation.

Thank you, @newo, for your game, and especially for including motion controls like any Wii game should have. I look forward to playing it on my 2007 Wii.

 

[diggeloid]

Keep up the good work @newo! The homebrew world needs more devs making original games like this. I think I might dust off my old Wii just to try this one out because it looks awesome.

Also seeing this is inspiring me to get back to working on my own Vita homebrew games

 

[newo]

The "poor processing power of the Nintendo Wii" handles the Gamecube version of F-Zero GX with a better framerate than a Gamecube as it is, of course, more powerful.

trust me the wii is weak. The things nintendo and those other dev teams do in their games is nothing short of "magic". regular hobby devs like me cant touch that level of sauce. Devs always want more power and the more power you have the more problems you encounter. I would be glad to be able to run at a resolution greater than 640x480 but the wii is stuck at that and so you just have to accept it for what it is and build what you can with the skills you have.

 

[pedro702]

trust me the wii is weak. The things nintendo and those other dev teams do in their games is nothing short of "magic". regular hobby devs like me cant touch that level of sauce. Devs always want more power and the more power you have the more problems you encounter. I would be glad to be able to run at a resolution greater than 640x480 but the wii is stuck at that and so you just have to accept it for what it is and build what you can with the skills you have.

the ps2 was weaker than gc and wii ans has some amazing 3d games too same for the gc, the wii is weaker than a ps3 but for simple 3d games is more than enough, heck fzero x on n64 runs at 60hz and the 3d effect and gameplay is also amazing, dont tell me the wii is weaker than an n64 too?

Iam in no way saying the game is bad or anything but saying anything more than wireframes would make the game not run on wii in 60 fps doesnt make much logic, heck you can just port quake engine source code and quake 2 runs at 60 fps on wii with very little thinkering required and its a full 3d game and it wasnt even made for the wii just to name something homebrew devs did and wasnt made for the wii.

 

[newo]

@pedro702 Either-way, its something "new" that I built specifically for the wii homebrew scene. More people need to build stuff for the system. It was a fun project to put together and I hope it inspires others to create instead of wasting time with console wars. it is a simple game with 62 tracks, synthwave music and a fun 10 to 20 minute experience if you get over the learning curve.

 

[Darkworld92]

I think he critics the poor 3D effects and graphics on this game.

Sincerously, @newo made these "poor" 3D graphics (or 3D line polygons) because of the poor processing power of the Nintendo Wii (only had 64 MB of RAM) and for not to overload the PowerPC unit with too many code of 3D sprite drawing (GX).

But anyways it doesn't remove the fun that the game is, it's basically a "simplified" but also challenging version of the classic SNES game F-ZERO, it's still enjoyable.

88MB*

 

[Darkworld92]

2022 is already starting off great, thank you Newo! I really admire your work and efforts to the scene community, I think you're extremely talented and Newo Fox still is my favorite homebrew game ever so this one certainly won't disappoint !

 

[LeyendaV]

Nice Audiosurf vibes.

 

[Bl4aze]

View attachment 292219​

Welcome back to GBAtemp Project Spotlight, where we shine the light on the incredible creations and projects from around and within the GBAtemp community!

In our fourth issue we're taking a look at NewoZero by GBAtemp member @newo who has taken the time to answer some questions about the game.

NewoZero

What is NewoZero?

NewoZero is a 3D, 60fps futuristic racing game for the Wii in which you race over and below NewoTokyo. Use your piloting skills to race through 30 levels and compete in the online leaderboards. The game can be played with most Wii controllers and also includes support for motion controls.

NewoZero v1 trailer

View attachment 292215 View attachment 292216 View attachment 292217
Screenshots (click to enlarge)
​

You can follow development progress on NewoZero in the official discussion thread here.

Q&A with newo

What is NewoZero in a nutshell?

NewoZero is a simple yet challenging racing/driving game developed for homebrewed Wii consoles.​

What motivated you to work on the game?

I like working on homebrew, primarily Wii homebrew and at the time I longed to work on something new.​

​

What were your inspirations for NewoZero if any?

I like science fiction and Cyberpunk 2077 release was near release, but I always wanted to create some kind of fast racing game similar to F-Zero.​

When did you begin working on the game?

I started around November 2020 and live blogged most of the development with screenshots in a GBAtemp thread.​

​

What was your biggest hurdle when working on the game? Were there any particular quirks or limitations to the Wii that you had to accommodate or work around?

Getting the ship to follow the track smoothly was the biggest hurdle for me personally. As I had never coded a game that had "real 3D" movement before. This required weeks of research and several hacks. Online tutorials did not really help as they were bloated.​

​

In terms of the limitations of the Wii hardware; it is what it is - you just have to suck it up and dive in. This is one of the reasons I like limits - they either kill you or make you stronger. With the Wii you know what you are getting into - you learn to live within the limitations and wrap them around you like a blanket. So I think the limitations mostly come from my own lack of knowledge and experience. Not so much the hardware. Nintendo has done some magical stuff on the Wii.​

How complete is the project now? Do you plan to continue working on it or are you at a state where you feel it's mostly complete?

I recently released version 2 of the project on 1st Dec 2021, which is 6 months since v1 and a full year after I started working on the game. The project is pretty complete as far as homebrew games are - however, my games never really done. There are always things I could add like split screen multiplayer or multiple playable ships.​

​

But in the homebrew scene you don't want to burn yourself out adding features that most players might never appreciate. Racing games on a whole are very niche. I might come back to it in a year or work on something totally different.​

What got you into coding/game design?

I have always been into video games ever since I was a child from as far back as the NES days. My first console was a SNES with Super Metroid. I kinda stumbled into programming business apps after high school. I never write games for PC - too many distractions/APIs but around 2010 or thereabouts when the Wii homebrew scene started. I thought "hey, why not give game dev on this Wii thing a try?". I looked around for a simple project I could tackle at the time and a Starfox clone seemed to be manageable. I have been doing little projects ever since then.​

Any advice for wannabe coders?

Find the simplest game you can make and stick with it. It doesn't matter how the game looks or popularity. Work on something you like and do it because you want to do it and not because you think other people will like.​

​

It is not all about coding, some people are artists, musicians, testers, story writers etc. Everyone contributes in some way. Find the thing that you like to do. Don't get into tech just because. Yes someone has to write some code at some point but it's not all about the code/graphics/popularity. It is about you and developing your skills. Seek help and advice - there are a lot of hacks that are not obvious to new coders. Simple projects have a better chance of being released but homebrew is never finished.​

Do you have anything else you'd like to say to the GBAtemp / homebrew community?

Long live the Wii.​

Getting started with NewoZero

You can find out more about NewoZero and follow @newo progress in the official GBAtemp thread . Check it out if you are interested in finding out more about this homebrew project.

For further reading check out the NewoZero Postmortem (programming) in which @newo went into further details following the release of version 1 back in May 2021.

Thanks to @newo for taking their time out to share their project with us!

Download NewoZero v2​

NewoZero on WiiBrew.org​

NewoGame on YouTube​

More projects by @newo​

Previous Project Spotlight issues

View all issues of Project Spotlight here.

GBAtemp's Project Spotlight Are you the author or team member of a homebrew project or do you know of one that should receive the GBAtemp Project Spotlight treatment? Then please get in touch to discuss getting it featured right here and expand your audience.

Thank you for legit keeping the wii homebrew scene alive with stuff like new games. This is fuckin awesome