Doom, Portal, Skyrim, and even Debian. The latest generations of calculators are abandoning their original roles thanks to the skill and creativity of many programmers. This time, someone named Hayleia began working on a special version of Super Smash Bros., compatible with the TI-83 and TI-84 calculators.
The Art of the Demake
One of the things I enjoy most about a computer is its ability to emulate other platforms. In minutes, any user can download an emulator compatible with their operating system and reproduce the workings of classic hardware. But what happens when the arrow goes in the opposite direction? Emulating a platform on modern computers is relatively common, but "lowering" a game and making it compatible with an inferior system is a true art. This brings us to the curious world of "demakes". During the 1990s, when NES clones ruled the world, demakes became the main tool for many unscrupulous Asian developers, adapting games like Street Fighter II and Mortal Kombat. Today, making a demake is a clear display of skill. Experts not only modify graphics and mechanics, but also manage to run them on much humbler hardware than the original.
One of the most recent examples is Super Smash Bros. Open, developed by a programmer (or programmeress?) named Hayleia. For now, this special version of Super Smash Bros. has only two characters, Falco and Fox. Hayleia has confirmed that they won't add more characters on their own initiative, but the game's code is completely open, and they hope other enthusiasts of demakes and Texas Instruments calculators will want to expand their work. The game first appeared on the Omnimaga forum last August, and since then the original thread has accumulated more than twenty pages of user feedback.
Hayleia has also been working on a multiplayer version, though I suspect that final support depends entirely on the type of calculator running the game. Despite its natural limitations, I think the attention to detail in Super Smash Bros. Open is impressive. You can even see the "zoom" on the characters when they are fighting on the platforms. We hope that in a few months we'll see it much more developed.
