DUNGEONS & DOOMKNIGHTS: An 8-bit AdventureQuest for the NES
Created by Artix Entertainment, LLC
Battle through a new 8-bit "zeldavania" game in the world of AdventureQuest. Available on a real NES Cartridge and emulators.
Latest Updates from Our Project:
Backers! Get your Steam code for Dungeons & DoomKnights
4 months ago
– Wed, Jan 03, 2024 at 02:00:32 PM
Surprise! Get your STEAM code for Dungeons & DoomKnights
Greetings 8-Bit Undead Slayer,
Wooooohoooo! Dungeons & DoomKnights just launched on Steam. But wait...
"It is dangerous to go alone. Take this."
Get your Steam Code
Surprise!Every backer gets a Steam Code
I cannot thank you enough for making this crazy 8-bit game project a reality.... so if you backed this project, you are getting a Steam code! Thank you :D Use your code to add the game to your Steam library and play Dungeons & DoomKnights on your computer.
I am so grateful to you. Our project has waaaaay exceeded every goal we set out to accomplish together. The original scope of this project was to create a new game for the NES that ran on the real hardware. The Dungeons & DoomKnights game was a hit. You can feel the love that went into the game. Features that went way above and beyond the original plan included the ability to save your progress to the physical cart, the konami code, switching between side-scroller and adventure mode, secret areas (like holding the red orb on the cliff or the Dage challenge), and more. We produced physical carts in both gold and glorious gold. Every single backer's cart was tested on my actual childhood Nintendo Entertainment System. We released a ROM you could play using an emulator. The box art and manual came out awesome. The cloth map we created for collector's edition was beautiful and unexpected. Jongaar's 8-bit and Heavy metal soundtracks were amazing. We surprised every backer with a copy of Pretendo Empower magazine... the first magazine I ever created... and then released a digital version too. Instead of creating just one Chaos ROM, we created 4. We released cross-game rewards for the massively multiplayer games AdventureQuest Worlds & AdventureQuest 3D. We even created a special Dungeons & DoomKnights map with 8-bit monsters in AdventureQuest 3D for our as part of our studio's 20th anniversary special event. The game was praised by magazines, youtubers, and scored two amazing rankings on the list of top new games for the NES. At this point, we had already exceeded all of our goals and promises. Then, something that seemed like a pipe dream happened. Thanks to hard work of our friends at Nami Tentou, the game was converted and published for new platforms.... including Steam!
This is a major accomplishment for our community and team. Dungeons & DoomKnights was our first ever console game... for the 1985 NES. Now, it is a real Nintendo game on the latest console too!
The game was converted and published by Nami Tentou. This is an indie studio run by a friend that I met in the NES homebrew community. He has been helping other friends in the community port their games and publish them to the Switch and Steam including Doodle World & Yeah Yeah Beebiss. Our contribution was improving and animating the user interface-- hopefully to be used in the other peoples future projects. I know you have heard me say this a lot... but I absolutely love the collaborate and friendly atmosphere of the devs in the retro gaming scene.
Thank you for making the dream game project a reality-- who would have imagined THIS would have happened though! I wrote a full post about this release on the official website if you would like more details.
Backers can download ROMS, Soundtrack, & Extras from BackerKit
Missed the Kickstarter? We have limited number of physical carts left on HeroMart.com
A free D&DK sequel for Halloween? Elvira hosts AdventureQuest's Cursed 20th Anniversary of Doom
over 1 year ago
– Sat, Oct 29, 2022 at 12:06:16 PM
Dungeons & DoomKnight's 8-Bit Graphics added to a 3D MMORPG!?
Greetings 8-Bit Undead Slayers!
I have a retro surprise for you this Halloween weekend. As you know, Dungeons & DoomKnights has multiple endings. What if the bad one happened and that.... new DoomKnight lead an army of the pixilated undead through the Dragon Gate to conquer other dimensions? The final screen did say "To be continued in other Artix Entertainment games". Well.... it just happened!
The special event is available for you to play right now as part of our special event hosted by Elvira!
Elvira hosts AdventureQuest's Cursed 20th Anniversary of Doom
The event is hosted by Elvira, Mistress of the Dark and features voice acting, music, and cameos from George Lowe, Aurelio Voltaire, Mia Josefine Park, and Kimberly Freeman. Since you're the guest of honor, this special event is free to play while it lasts. So grab your sword, dust off your spell book and join us...
That is right. We used Dungeons & DoomKnights art to build an entire area INSIDE of AdventureQuest 3D. It is absolutely crazy.
Fight 8-bit frogzards, undead, and... yeah, the Chickencow is in there too.
Exclusive Quest for D&DK Backers
Once you finish the story in AdventureQuest 3D, you and other players who purchased Dungeons & DoomKnights (ROM and remaining physical copies now available on HeroMart) will unlock a very special quest & reward.
And all of this is only ONE of the 6 adventures in our 20th Anniversary special event.
Play all of these adventures in AdventureQuest 3D
Grab AdventureQuest 3D for your phone, tablet, or computer and join us. The event plays like a funny b-horror movie marathon. Just login and make your way to the main town. Elvira is waiting for you there.
The Sequel to Dungeons & DoomKnights
Parts of an 8-bit NES game transformed into a 3D MMORPG!?
It is live and happening now. You have to experience the craziest cross-over event in the history of the Artix Entertainment video game community. The storyline that continues from the game you made possible is about to permanently change our other game worlds. Cannot wait to see what you think
Thank you for making Dungeons & DoomKnights a reality.
Happy 20th Anniversary.
Battle on!
Artix
P.S. Dungeons & DoomKnights is now available on HeroMart (The digital ROM and the remaining physical copies.)
P.S. The special event is happening in TWO games. There is also a cameo of Dungeons & DoomKnights in our 2D MMORPG, AdventureQuest Worlds. You can see both games on the 20th Anniversary event page.
Dungeons & DoomKnights HeroMart Launch, Switch Port, & also Kubo 3 on Limited Run
almost 2 years ago
– Wed, Apr 27, 2022 at 07:26:07 AM
Dungeons & DoomKnights HeroMart Launch, Switch Port, & also Kubo 3 on Limited Run
Greetings 8-Bit Undead Slayer,
It has been 1 month since we 100% completed the Dungeons & DoomKnights Kickstarter project. We shipped the physical Dungeons & DoomKnights game, magazine, certificate, and other physical rewards to backers all over the world. Also, we released all of your digital rewards on BackerKit including the ROM of the game, your name in the credits, and four strange bonus versions of the game known as the "CHAOS ROMS". We also released two original video game soundtracks.... The 8-Bit Soundtrack and the Heavy Metal remix. Grateful to you that this Kickstarter was a huge success. Thank you again!
But... what about those left over 1st editions?
D&DK on HeroMart.com now!
Remaining copies of Dungeons & DoomKnights are now available & shipping
We finished assembling the remaining copies of the game and put them on our online shop, www.HeroMart.com for sale.
New exclusive in-game rewards
Because your Kickstarter rewards are now rare, we created new in-game rewards (AdventureQuest Worlds & AdventureQuest 3D) for these remaining copies. Oh, do not worry... we already gave you the new rewards! The new items should automatically show up in your existing shops. To get the new "8-Bit Paladin" badges or titles, grab the new codes from BackerKit.
What happens when these run out?
I really enjoyed boxing these. Hanging out at the lab after hours flashing carts and folding boxes with the team is surprisingly therapeutic. We made just less than 1,000 extra copies. A few hundred of them have already been sold. There are around 200 Collector's Editions left. We are now out of parts and do not plan on hand-making any more. Honestly, we do not currently have a plan for what to do after these are all sold.
OMG! This is huge. Kubo 3 was just announced at Limited Run Games. You can order your copy there. This is an amazing achievement for any professional developer... imagine how 9 year-old Seiji feels!? As you know, Seiji's Father is our very own Dale Coop-- and after all of the amazing things he has done for our game project, supporting and spreading the word about his son's game is an honor.
Also... Seiji promotes our game at all the conventions he goes to too. Look at him sporting our T-Shirt.
The Limited Run version of Kubo features an improved version of the game with different packaging and... I am not going to spoil it, but it includes unannounced extras which will make this version a must have for anyone prospecting on Seiji's future fame. I ordered my copy.
Nintendo Switch version of Dungeons & DoomKnights coming!?
We are working with the new publisher Nami Tendo to bring Dungeons & DoomKnights to the Nintendo Switch. Talk about going full circle! This would be our first ever console release of a game... ever. Doing physical copies for the Switch is not out of the question, but we are currently focused on getting the game on Nintendo's Switch Digital Games Store.
Be sure to get your name right on the Dungeons & DoomKnights credits page. While I could not fit your name on those tiny NES carts, I 100% can get your names onto the Nintendo Switch version!
Thank you!
Thank you again for making Dungeons & DoomKnights possible. I hope you have been enjoying battling the pixilated undead in the retro game we built together.
April 1st: Dungeons & DoomKnights Trailer, 2 Soundtrack Albums, Credits, and 4 Chaos ROMs launch!
about 2 years ago
– Thu, Mar 31, 2022 at 11:53:14 PM
Once again, I really want to thank you and all of our other amazing backers for making this 8-Bit NES game a reality. Dungeons & DoomKnights is a success. It took a lot longer than expected, but you allowed me to build my childhood dream game without compromising. The team went above & beyond, over-delivering on every aspect of this project. You can see the love and effort in every part of this game.
April 1st: Dungeons & DoomKnights Trailer, 2 Soundtrack Albums, Credits, and 4 Chaos ROMs launch!
Greetings 8-Bit Undead Slayers
It is April 1st....
But this is NOT AN APRIL FOOLS JOKE!
With today's triple Dungeons & DoomKnights release (2 Albums, 4 Chaos ROMs, & the Trailer) our award winning retro game project is live, shipped, and 100%+ complete. Thanks to you and your patience and unwavering support, this Kickstarter was a success. Cue the credits! (Which you are officiallyin)
The team and I shipped all physical copies of Dungeons & DoomKnights earlier this year, including signed certificates and a surprise real-life copy of "Pretendo Empower Magazine". Thank you for flooding us with photos, unboxing videos, and your surprise at seeing how much love went into the physical game. We are aware that some backers are still waiting for their shipments to arrive due to international shipping issues or wrong addresses. The team is not going anywhere and we are (and will always) do our best to help. Cannot wait to see your photos when the game inevitably makes it into your hands.
Soundtrack Album Launch (Available now!)
Not one... but TWO Dungeons & DoomKnights Soundtrack Albums launched today! The albums should already be on Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, Amazon, Pandora, iHeartRadio, and other popular streaming services by the time you read this. Backers of the Collector's Edition will find that BOTH full versions of the album are available for download on BackerKit.
The soundtrack features 22 full length songs from the game. This includes several unreleased songs that did not make it into the final game.
Available now! Search your favorite streaming app
Dungeons & DoomKnights (Original Metal Soundtrack)
This is INSANE! Jongaar and Broomtool spent months recording, mastering, and creating Heavy Metal versions of the game's songs. This album was a project so big it could have had its own Kickstarter.
I cannot wait until you hear the 8-bit and metal versions of the tracks side-by-side.
One of the Dungeons & DoomKnights stretch goals was a "Chaos ROM". Well you could call it a "Chaos ROM", "Chaos MOD", or "ROM Hack"... however you like to say it, it is a weird, wrong, or goofy version of the game.
Instead of making you one....
I made you FOUR!
Dungeons & Daimyo (Chaos ROM #1)
What if... Daimyo the undead slaying Pomeranian was the main character of Dungeons & DoomKnights? Download this ROM on BackerKit now and find out. The game's dialog was completely re-written and the skill changes are hilarious. Daimyo is an unstoppable undead wrecking ball. Every skeleton and boss monster he touches appears to disintegrate. It is perfect for very young players (or anyone who wants to laugh through the game with very little challenge).
What if.... Artix was trapped in a Pac-Man-esque dungeon? This "byte-sized" adventure features a ghost-filled maze of rooms. Find your battle axe and battle your way to the end. Oh, and be sure to pick up power runes. They will turn the ghosts blue so you can hit them :D. Reach the end screen of this short but challenging game for ultimate bragging rights.
Black & White (Chaos ROM #3)
What if.... this game was made before color TV? Featuring a monochromatic color palette and re-written dialog based off of black & white horror movie quotes-- OK, scratch that. I ran out of night of the living dead quotes pretty fast and just started parodying every old black & white movie I could think of. I am sure SOMEONE out there will appreciate this unique Chaos ROM.
Sound Track (Chaos ROM #4)
Who needs streaming services, CDs, Tapes, or Vinyl when you have a perfectly good NES! All digital and above backers can download the ROM version of the soundtrack from BackerKit. Instead of the traditional menu, you walk your character through the rooms to access the different tracks.
ChronoKnight (Bonus ROM)
If you have not played this, I put it on backerkit for you to download also. ChronoKnight was our team's submission to the 2020 ByteOff challenge. Travel through time battling parodies of iconic movie monsters. Move left & right to dodge and attack incoming monsters with your sword. Secret: The NES does not allow you to have many sprites on the screen at once. So, Clarion drew the monsters and I set them up to be part of the background. Then, to make the big monsters appear to move, I moved the entire background. This game features even more awesome chiptunes by Jongaar.
We recently put our remaining inventory of the Dungeons & DoomKnights carts for sale on our official online store www.HeroMart.com . Because the Kickstarter rewards are now rare, we created new rewards. However, if you are already a backer of this Kickstarter, you automatically got the new rewards too! Items were either added to your existing shop, or you can look to see if you got a new code on BackerKit.
Nintendo Switch
...wait, O_O WHAT!?
Yes. It is happening! No, it is not live yet. We are currently working with another developer to bring Dungeons & DoomKnights to the Nintendo Switch. More news on this coming in a later post.
Sharing! Secret rewards sent to the few insane super testers.
Your name is in the Credits!
Your name has been immortalized on the Dungeons & DoomKnights Credits.
This is a really big day for our project and once again I want to recognize you and everyone who helped make it a reality. We only had one shot at making this game, so it received the most exhaustive testing in the history of Artix Entertainment games. A small handful of backers went to extraordinary lengths, testing the game gosh-knows-how-many-hundred times from start to finish. I surprised them by sending trophies to thank them for their hard work. You can see your name and all of the amazing people in the credits of this game on the official credits page!
Once again, I really want to thank you and all of our other amazing backers for making this 8-Bit NES game a reality. Dungeons & DoomKnights is a success. It took a lot longer than expected, but you allowed me to build my childhood dream game without compromising. The team went above & beyond, overdelivering on every aspect of this project. You can see the love and effort in every part of this game.
There is one more thing...
Something.... that maybe... you did not know though.
If you have ever heard me speak at an event, I often tell the story of how I started my journey into making video games. That I was just a little boy, and was at a restaurant with my friend and parents. We were rambling on and on about this game we were hyped for. Which was Castlevania 2. We had been playing Legend of Zelda at my friend’s house every day after school at the time too.
My Father looked at us and said, "If you guys love these games so much... why don't you just make one?"
My friend and I looked at each other with wide shocked eyes. Then proceeded to tell him that we were just little kids and did not know the first thing of how to make a game.
My Father held up an imaginary game in his hand and said, "If these guys figured out how to do it, then you can too. You just need to research and figure out the things they did."
We ran home and spent the next two hours trying to build a game on my friend's computer. But no luck. We just could not figure out what you typed into... Microsoft Word to make a game XD.
That was the beginning of my journey. My Father had empowered us. He boldly said it was OK for us to go and make a game. It seemed impossible at the time. It became a life-long obsession.
Move MANY years forward to just a few months ago. There I am, standing at our Dungeons & DoomKnights booth at Midwest Gaming Classic. One of the guys asked me if I wanted to make an Atari game. I said no. Then he asked why I did not make a Super Nintendo Game either. I mean, the graphics on those systems were far superior. But I did not want to make a Super Nintendo game. No, I wanted to make an NES game. To which he said, "Why do you want to make an NES game so much?"
That is when it hit me...
Like a critical hit from a boss dragon....
Whether it was my subconscious, or if I secretly knew it the whole time and just never said it out loud because I was scared I would screw the whole thing up....
Because of you, I completed the original quest my Father gave me.
