PlayStation Development Network

Hi all. This is my first post, so I apologize if I'm not up to date with anything on the forums here.

I've been brainstorming a fighting game with the style of low poly games on the PSX and N64, and I want to make sure that it isn't just a cheap imitation.

I've been thinking of doing two things:
1. Modeling the game on actual PSX/N64 hardware, and putting it together externally.
2. Building the game externally with limits that simulate what programmers in the mid to late 90's had to abide by.

If I chose option 1, I would most likely have to find a working PSX, as well as a program that would be able to help me code games directly onto it.
If I chose option 2, I would have to know the exact limitations before I make the game externally. That includes how many polygons can be on screen, as well as the sound and music design.

What do you think I should do?

Welcome, MisterSixtyFour!

FYI there's already a low-poly, open-source fighting game called Roll Boss Rush written by one of the members from this forum, isufje: https://invidious.snopyta.org/watch?v=CWAWrG3S5Sk
AFAIK he's been writing this video game for more than 10 years using Psy-Q and I cannot even imagine how complex writing a game like this might turn into. Nowadays, I wouldn't recommend using Psy-Q anymore - LameGuy64's PSn00bSDK is very feature-complete, it is licensed under the Mozilla Public License-2.0, is well-mantained by its author and supports modern versions of the GNU toolchain as opposed to Psy-Q.

You should ask isufje and LameGuy64 for advice if you want to write a fighting game for PSX. 3D is tough and requires deep knowledge of the hardware, but OTOH is a lot more rewarding than 2D. If you feel encouraged, go for option 1 as I think you will learn a lot more from it.

I've actually just encountered LameGuy64's 'Project Scarlet' recently and am inspired to write my own 3D game for the PS1. If there's a way I can get in touch with anyone like him or isufje, or if there are any useful and convenient tools I should learn using, let me know! I've been inspired by games such as Crash Bandicoot and Driver and I'm also very new to this early genre of game design. Any form of help or resources would be highly appreciated!

They generally won't talk to you unless you have serious programming issues as they don't really wan't to waste their time discussing simple tasks that have been explained on the forums or are available in the Psy-Q samples directory within the SDK. Making a game like Driver or Crash Bandicoot isn't easy. It's all written from scratch. Everything is done manually, including custom and optimised assembly routines for the MIPS CPU. It's not like making games today where everything is spoon-fed to you

Best thing to do is just go out on your own and start looking at samples and see if you can get your head around the massive amount of documentation and work involved to even get the system to render a simple polygon.