Realistic grass animation on the NES.

Over a year has passed since I first released the Double Dream prototype for the NES, and I’ve been hard at work ever since. The game has evolved a ton, and I’ve added some really cool (and even unexpected) features for the NES—along with major visual upgrades.

Realistic Tile Animation

I came up with something I’m calling “asynchronous tile animation”, which basically animates the background in columns instead of the entire screen at once. It allows for much more detailed effects, like convincing wind and fluid simulations, giving the game a surprisingly modern look—especially for the NES!

Massive Open World

Most NES games rely on screen transitions and loading tricks to move between areas, but Double Dream keeps everything flowing in real time. Tiles, music, graphics, and objects are all loaded on the fly, so there aren’t any unnecessary pauses. It makes the world feel a lot more alive and uninterrupted.

Object Caching

To get around the NES’s memory limitations, I designed a system that lets the game “remember” objects and their positions, even after they’ve been unloaded. It doesn’t store everything, just the essentials, so environmental changes like moving an object or defeating an enemy can persist for a while.

What's Next?

Right now, I’m focusing on adding combat mechanics and expanding the overall content. As soon as there’s enough new material to show off, I’ll release another playable demo. Stay tuned for more updates—thanks for coming along on this journey!