Hello! I really like your game! I play it on my GBA but unfortunately it does not save the progress. I use EZ Flash and any other game normally saves the progress... May be you have any ideas how to fix it?
First I've heard of a saving issue in a long time, but I seem to remember there was an issue with EZ Flash in particular. I have one myself, so I'll try testing it on there soon.
Hello again! Everything is fine now, I tried to save a game via "sleeping" and every time I turned off my gba the saves were lost, so I started to use "Save state" of EZ flash. Thank you for the game, I loved it
Really liking the style, been a long time since i played a good point and click adventure. I took the time to convert it to a cia file and I've been playing it on my 2DS XL in bed. <3
So glad you're enjoying it! Not sure if you realized it, but there is a .cia file included with the download options - it was a request from another player a few months ago.
I'm honored that your first modern Game Boy game was Batty Zabella. For me, it was a dream come true to make games for a handheld I have so much nostalgia for, so hearing that people are still discovering these games and enjoying them makes me very happy.
The series is also still actively being worked on, so you picked a good time to find it!
Finally you can play as the hot lady on the cover art! Too many games put wonderful women on promo material aaaaand you can't play as them. Thanks for changing that <3 Haven't finished, but I find her flat-out not wanting to use the axe in the dungeon - full of creatures that can scare(!?) her to death - plays into the genres well while also making fun of it.
Thanks to everyone that supported the project up to this point! :D Glad to be able to play this wonderful work <3
My goal was definitely to make something where the "hot lady" on the cover wasn't just eye candy, a plot device, or someone to be rescued or whatever, so I'm very glad to hear you appreciate the effort I put into her character. I always enjoy drawing Batty, or writing her dialogue.
Hopefully you'll enjoy the rest of the game, and maybe even its sequel! I have a couple more projects in the works for Batty, so you're discovering the series at a good time.
So, I resumed playing from where I left off last night and had some more things to say:
Without spoiling too much, (one of the?) the bossfight is very cool! It feels epic not in the flashy graphics, but the atmosphere. Unlike certain other adventure games where you needed to scramble through your inventory to find The Thing (tm), it was simple; just two moving things, yet had all the thrills of a rollercoaster ride going downhill. It was a great one after the tense, creepy atmosphere the music and the art in general gives.
I especially applaud the decision to let the player heal themselves as much as they need so people of varying skill levels can take it at their own pace. And - I can't resist saying it - Zabella has all of the right animation frames 👌 The final part made me feel like I'm missing something, but I like the mystery it has and so will try not to scroll down the comments. LOL (Perhaps one day I will come back to it and discover more things by myself :3 )
Something I forgot in my original comment is that the house layout felt confusing since they are 2D images. Would you believe me if I said I had no idea how I actually got into the basement for the first 30 minutes!? The perspective just eluded me, lol. Finding my way back to it was tough. But after getting used to the arrow button (I'm used to clicking on edges of screen to turn around), it was silky smooth sailing. Perhaps unintentionally, it served as a good buildup too.
Honestly I didn't think a GB-compatible game would give me such new emotions, but maybe it really is more the designer's part than it is the technical limitations. Thank you as well for replying to comments, it made me feel like my opinions matter, that you tell a bit of things from your perspective.
When my financials stabilize a bit more, I'll definitely look into paying for the franchise. Those shades of green and 160 x 144 pixel resolution felt so unique.
Thanks for giving such detailed feedback, and yes I do love to hear from fans, because it's also a great feeling to know there are still people discovering my series and wanting to discuss it. Seriously - I'm very lucky to have even a small fanbase of passionate players, and that Batty has earned some popularity in the retro gaming scene.
There is something required to truly "finish" the game, but I'll let you try to find it yourself. As for the navigation, that was an aspect I did redesign in the sequel. I'd be interested to know which style you prefer when you get to that one some day.
Sadly, that seems to be a knockoff version (I only sell the game "officially" on green cartridges). However, seeing as The Retro Room Games shop is currently sold out, I can only hope there's a working version of the ROM included on that cart. If you did order from The Retro Room, then perhaps they failed to inform me that they switched to grey.
Whatever the case, I hope you enjoy the game! I'm actually in the process of producing physical versions of Batty 1 and 2 myself to sell on the official Batty Zabella website. Those should hopefully be available this month or next.
I actually found it on Etsy while searching for Pokemon romhacks and picked it up on an impulse buy from a shop that had one copy and is now closed, lol. I hadn't yet found the legitimate shops for stuff like this, but now I know what to look for 👍 the ROM seems to work well so far, though I've been working and haven't had a chance to get far. I'll be back here when I get paid because gameboy dev is my new special interest and I want to support the community, and I'll definitely keep an eye out for the official carts!
The first game's manual wasn't handled by me personally, so I never had access to the full resolution files to make a PDF manual like I did for the second game. However, I'm in the process of making an updated manual for a new batch of physical releases, so I may drop a digital version on here once that's finished.
Havent beaten this yet but just wanted to say been absoultely loving it. Died a few times but honestly have not minded restarting as the atmosphere and art is stellar.
Edit: beat it. Was amazing and going back to find the spiders before trying the sequel.
This whole thing is amazing. I love the comedy/horror aesthetic, the gameboy style, and the whole concept. It reminds me of playing games like Shadowgate as a kid. Nice work!!!
Thank you so much! I think it's awesome that people are still discovering the original game and having a great time with it. Nothing makes me happier as its creator.
A lot of people found the boss encounters a bit tricky in the original game. For the most part I'd recommend sticking to a spot where the healing sparkles are guaranteed to spawn and hitting the dark orbs whenever they show up nearby.
The second game doesn't have boss encounters, for the record.
Full cleared the cartridge version on a new game+ with a little spider help from here. What a funny and lovingly made game. Some really terrific puzzles as well.
I got really frustrated the fifth time I lost to the final boss when I was fighting it too early. It would be nice to give some kind of feedback that the player missed something and allow them to skip the credits at least after the first time.
Also the crow thing could have used a trifle more signposting. In retrospect the clue seems clear but before I got it I didn't get it, if you know what I mean.
Also, I would gladly buy a polished standalone version of the minigame, but I imagine there are reasons it's hidden. That was a real treat and the puzzle to get there was a good time too.
Thanks for the kind words, and the feedback. It was absolutely a passion project for me, and I had a lot of fun writing Batty's character and coming up with the scenario.
The sequel is currently in development, and releasing this December (check out battyzabella.com if you don't already know about it). I really hope people enjoy playing it as much as I'm enjoying developing it. As a creator, if I'm not having fun making something then I see no point to do it.
As for a standalone version of the minigame, it is something I've considered, so it might happen eventually. There's a bit of history to the existence of that "secret arcade" in the first place, so I may one day also do a video or something talking about it.
This was a very fun game, although I didn't like how confusing exploring the scenaries can be, I think you should have done the same thing Shadowgate (Game Boy version) does, and draw only one image per room regardless of the direction you enter it from. Also I had to look at a walktrough for the end, since I never found the attic door by myself! again, knowing where to click to explore can be confusing. Shadowgate also solved this very nicely showing the exits in the corner of the screen.
I used savestates to replay the bosses quickly (bought the rom and played it in my DS), they are hard!
Just wanted to drop by and say, bravo. This was an unexpected highlight for my week perusing the various titles available here on Itch.io. Wonderfully done. I made a YouTube video and article available, hopefully more find your game and drop some support your way. It is worth every penny.
Just learned about the game on https://www.reddit.com/r/MiyooMini/ and bought it right away for my Miyoo Mini Plus. It looks very appealing!
A humble question: Are there any differences between the .gb and .pocket versions other than the devices they run on? Is one of them preferable for Emulators? Thanks!
There shouldn't be any difference between the two versions, but the game was developed mainly with the original Game Boy in mind. Mostly I've seen people emulate the GB version for streaming.
Thanks for the quick reply! I've done some testing, and at least OnionOS for the Miyoo only recognizes the .gb file, so I'll use that one.
I also started to play Batty Zabella and I like it very much! Especially the humor, which IMO is one of the most difficult parts in a game to get right.
Actually, it's also my first Gameboy Game ever, because I never owned a GB and thus, also never emulated one. But I think they're perfect for the modern emulation handhelds, and thus, when I stumbled upon your very appealing GB game, I took the opportunity. And I haven't been disappointed. Thanks for supporting the GB world up until today!:D
The arcade is a secret area unlocked by collecting all the spiders in the game. There have been posts further down in the comments section where I gave another player hints on where to find them.
Generally most players will not find them on their first playthrough.
Awesome visuals, theme. characters. Unfortunately the bad controls make playing the game an unpleasant experience. The keys instead of moving the cursor onscreen should cycle between room's hotspots. This way the point and click style can be preserve without making the whole experience unpleasant for the player.
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The first boss is impossible to beat on GB, it's obviously made for mouse controls. Please make it easier on, GB.
Hello! I really like your game! I play it on my GBA but unfortunately it does not save the progress. I use EZ Flash and any other game normally saves the progress... May be you have any ideas how to fix it?
First I've heard of a saving issue in a long time, but I seem to remember there was an issue with EZ Flash in particular. I have one myself, so I'll try testing it on there soon.
Hello again! Everything is fine now, I tried to save a game via "sleeping" and every time I turned off my gba the saves were lost, so I started to use "Save state" of EZ flash. Thank you for the game, I loved it
Glad to hear you got everything sorted out! Also, thank you for playing. It's always awesome to hear about people enjoying the Batty games.
Really liking the style, been a long time since i played a good point and click adventure. I took the time to convert it to a cia file and I've been playing it on my 2DS XL in bed. <3
So glad you're enjoying it! Not sure if you realized it, but there is a .cia file included with the download options - it was a request from another player a few months ago.
Loved everything about it, the visuals, tone and characters, gameplay... Looking forward to playing the sequel! :)
This is also the first modern Game Boy game I've played, and I'm thrilled to learn that the scene exists!
I'm honored that your first modern Game Boy game was Batty Zabella. For me, it was a dream come true to make games for a handheld I have so much nostalgia for, so hearing that people are still discovering these games and enjoying them makes me very happy.
The series is also still actively being worked on, so you picked a good time to find it!
Batty Zabella, she can take you by a surprise with her deadly beauty!
In her own words - she's still got it!
Finally you can play as the hot lady on the cover art! Too many games put wonderful women on promo material aaaaand you can't play as them. Thanks for changing that <3
Haven't finished, but I find her flat-out not wanting to use the axe in the dungeon - full of creatures that can scare(!?) her to death - plays into the genres well while also making fun of it.
Thanks to everyone that supported the project up to this point! :D
Glad to be able to play this wonderful work <3
My goal was definitely to make something where the "hot lady" on the cover wasn't just eye candy, a plot device, or someone to be rescued or whatever, so I'm very glad to hear you appreciate the effort I put into her character. I always enjoy drawing Batty, or writing her dialogue.
Hopefully you'll enjoy the rest of the game, and maybe even its sequel! I have a couple more projects in the works for Batty, so you're discovering the series at a good time.
So, I resumed playing from where I left off last night and had some more things to say:
Without spoiling too much, (one of the?) the bossfight is very cool! It feels epic not in the flashy graphics, but the atmosphere. Unlike certain other adventure games where you needed to scramble through your inventory to find The Thing (tm), it was simple; just two moving things, yet had all the thrills of a rollercoaster ride going downhill. It was a great one after the tense, creepy atmosphere the music and the art in general gives.
I especially applaud the decision to let the player heal themselves as much as they need so people of varying skill levels can take it at their own pace. And - I can't resist saying it - Zabella has all of the right animation frames 👌
The final part made me feel like I'm missing something, but I like the mystery it has and so will try not to scroll down the comments. LOL (Perhaps one day I will come back to it and discover more things by myself :3 )
Something I forgot in my original comment is that the house layout felt confusing since they are 2D images. Would you believe me if I said I had no idea how I actually got into the basement for the first 30 minutes!? The perspective just eluded me, lol. Finding my way back to it was tough. But after getting used to the arrow button (I'm used to clicking on edges of screen to turn around), it was silky smooth sailing. Perhaps unintentionally, it served as a good buildup too.
Honestly I didn't think a GB-compatible game would give me such new emotions, but maybe it really is more the designer's part than it is the technical limitations. Thank you as well for replying to comments, it made me feel like my opinions matter, that you tell a bit of things from your perspective.
When my financials stabilize a bit more, I'll definitely look into paying for the franchise. Those shades of green and 160 x 144 pixel resolution felt so unique.
I wish you all the best in your future work! <3
Thanks for giving such detailed feedback, and yes I do love to hear from fans, because it's also a great feeling to know there are still people discovering my series and wanting to discuss it. Seriously - I'm very lucky to have even a small fanbase of passionate players, and that Batty has earned some popularity in the retro gaming scene.
There is something required to truly "finish" the game, but I'll let you try to find it yourself. As for the navigation, that was an aspect I did redesign in the sequel. I'd be interested to know which style you prefer when you get to that one some day.
Nice designe 👍
Thanks a lot!
If I buy this on Steam, do I also get the .gb file?
No, the Steam version is a standalone .exe file.
Just got my physical cartridge in the mail and excited to play!
Sadly, that seems to be a knockoff version (I only sell the game "officially" on green cartridges). However, seeing as The Retro Room Games shop is currently sold out, I can only hope there's a working version of the ROM included on that cart. If you did order from The Retro Room, then perhaps they failed to inform me that they switched to grey.
Whatever the case, I hope you enjoy the game! I'm actually in the process of producing physical versions of Batty 1 and 2 myself to sell on the official Batty Zabella website. Those should hopefully be available this month or next.
I actually found it on Etsy while searching for Pokemon romhacks and picked it up on an impulse buy from a shop that had one copy and is now closed, lol. I hadn't yet found the legitimate shops for stuff like this, but now I know what to look for 👍 the ROM seems to work well so far, though I've been working and haven't had a chance to get far. I'll be back here when I get paid because gameboy dev is my new special interest and I want to support the community, and I'll definitely keep an eye out for the official carts!
Can you upload the manual for this? The second game has one.
The first game's manual wasn't handled by me personally, so I never had access to the full resolution files to make a PDF manual like I did for the second game. However, I'm in the process of making an updated manual for a new batch of physical releases, so I may drop a digital version on here once that's finished.
Oh ok sounds good 😊
Havent beaten this yet but just wanted to say been absoultely loving it. Died a few times but honestly have not minded restarting as the atmosphere and art is stellar.
Edit: beat it. Was amazing and going back to find the spiders before trying the sequel.
Thank you so much! I love that people are still discovering the series on here. Hopefully you enjoy the sequel just as much as the first game.
Okay I’m going to have to say this is amazing in all aspects I have been looking for all random Game Boy games and this is another one of the greats
Sorry I had to pirate it, I’m broke
Thanks a lot! Always makes me happy to see Batty's fanbase growing.
This whole thing is amazing. I love the comedy/horror aesthetic, the gameboy style, and the whole concept. It reminds me of playing games like Shadowgate as a kid. Nice work!!!
Thank you so much! I think it's awesome that people are still discovering the original game and having a great time with it. Nothing makes me happier as its creator.
HOLY FUCKING MOMMY, CRUSH ME WITH YOUR THI- cough.. peak game.. (im so down bad please blow my brains out)
Now that's a comment!
I was having fun until the first boss broke me... but the vibes were so great, I don't really mind!
Thanks a lot!
A lot of people found the boss encounters a bit tricky in the original game. For the most part I'd recommend sticking to a spot where the healing sparkles are guaranteed to spawn and hitting the dark orbs whenever they show up nearby.
The second game doesn't have boss encounters, for the record.
I'll have to play that sequel soon!
bought it and play it on a RG280M (anbernic -some chinese handheld <3)
:3 hehe
its not simping if its for tall sexy retro vampire mommy :0..
Thanks so much for the support!
(////) the trans urge to become a baddie like her and then make out with her..
Hi Kyle, last year I did a review of Zabella's first game, here's the link in case you're interested in reading it.
https://errekgamer.com/2023/07/21/analisis-batty-zabella/
Thanks so much for reviewing the game! I appreciated the section about my inspirations for the character of Batty. Nice job.
Full cleared the cartridge version on a new game+ with a little spider help from here. What a funny and lovingly made game. Some really terrific puzzles as well.
I got really frustrated the fifth time I lost to the final boss when I was fighting it too early. It would be nice to give some kind of feedback that the player missed something and allow them to skip the credits at least after the first time.
Also the crow thing could have used a trifle more signposting. In retrospect the clue seems clear but before I got it I didn't get it, if you know what I mean.
Also, I'd love to see this on Evercade!
Also, I would gladly buy a polished standalone version of the minigame, but I imagine there are reasons it's hidden. That was a real treat and the puzzle to get there was a good time too.
Thanks for the kind words, and the feedback. It was absolutely a passion project for me, and I had a lot of fun writing Batty's character and coming up with the scenario.
The sequel is currently in development, and releasing this December (check out battyzabella.com if you don't already know about it). I really hope people enjoy playing it as much as I'm enjoying developing it. As a creator, if I'm not having fun making something then I see no point to do it.
As for a standalone version of the minigame, it is something I've considered, so it might happen eventually. There's a bit of history to the existence of that "secret arcade" in the first place, so I may one day also do a video or something talking about it.
Thanks so much for bringing it to Evercade! It has been great to see my Cadin' friends enjoy the game too!
It was my pleasure! I'm happy I was given the opportunity, and it definitely drew in a lot of new fans. I hope to work with them again in the future.
This is a masterpiece!! We need the spanish translation asap
This was a very fun game, although I didn't like how confusing exploring the scenaries can be, I think you should have done the same thing Shadowgate (Game Boy version) does, and draw only one image per room regardless of the direction you enter it from. Also I had to look at a walktrough for the end, since I never found the attic door by myself! again, knowing where to click to explore can be confusing. Shadowgate also solved this very nicely showing the exits in the corner of the screen.
I used savestates to replay the bosses quickly (bought the rom and played it in my DS), they are hard!
Keep doing the good work.
Did you use the map on the select button? That helped me a lot.
You know, I don't remember if I ever discovered that option existed or not!
does anyone know why healing doesn't seem to work for me against the last boss?
You probably aren't ready to fight the final boss yet.
Just wanted to drop by and say, bravo. This was an unexpected highlight for my week perusing the various titles available here on Itch.io. Wonderfully done. I made a YouTube video and article available, hopefully more find your game and drop some support your way. It is worth every penny.
It means a lot that people are still discovering and enjoying the game over a year after its release. Thank you very much for the video and article!
What exactly is supposed to happen after collecting all six spiders? After completing the game, it appears as if the ending is the same.
Something happens when you interact with the spiders in your inventory.
je viens de terminer le jeu !
C’était bien sympa ! Les graphismes et l’humour sont au top 👌.
Merci pour cette aventure.
$6.66 USD - I see what you did there. Looks like a quality game. Insta-buy!
Thanks so much for the support!
Just learned about the game on https://www.reddit.com/r/MiyooMini/ and bought it right away for my Miyoo Mini Plus. It looks very appealing!
A humble question: Are there any differences between the .gb and .pocket versions other than the devices they run on? Is one of them preferable for Emulators? Thanks!
There shouldn't be any difference between the two versions, but the game was developed mainly with the original Game Boy in mind. Mostly I've seen people emulate the GB version for streaming.
Thanks for the quick reply! I've done some testing, and at least OnionOS for the Miyoo only recognizes the .gb file, so I'll use that one.
I also started to play Batty Zabella and I like it very much! Especially the humor, which IMO is one of the most difficult parts in a game to get right.
Actually, it's also my first Gameboy Game ever, because I never owned a GB and thus, also never emulated one. But I think they're perfect for the modern emulation handhelds, and thus, when I stumbled upon your very appealing GB game, I took the opportunity. And I haven't been disappointed. Thanks for supporting the GB world up until today!:D
Appreciate the kind feedback, and I'm honored that Batty Zabella was your first GB game ever!
For me, Game Boy was a childhood staple in the early 90s, so it was the most nostalgic retro console to develop for.
Played for free, and bought the rom after finishing it! Got 2 spiders on first playthrough.
The support is greatly appreciated!
The arcade is a secret area unlocked by collecting all the spiders in the game. There have been posts further down in the comments section where I gave another player hints on where to find them.
Generally most players will not find them on their first playthrough.
if I bought a physical from retro room is there a cheaper rom option? Thanks lol
Sorry, they are still two separate products. However, the game can still be played completely free via the web browser.
Awesome visuals, theme. characters. Unfortunately the bad controls make playing the game an unpleasant experience.
The keys instead of moving the cursor onscreen should cycle between room's hotspots.
This way the point and click style can be preserve without making the whole experience unpleasant for the player.
This price is proof that capitalism is the devil. :-)
Currently no plans for Brazilian Portuguese, but I will keep it in mind that there may be interest.
As for Steam, that may happen after the physical release.
Please post when physical release is. Will buy.
It has been available physically here for a while now:
Batty Zabella – RetroRoomgames (theretroroomgames.com)
Amazing!
what software did you use to create the pixel art? btw outstanding game!
I used Piskel, which is free. And thank you!
thanks for replying! i'd also want to say will you be releasing an artbook when the development of the second game begins?
I may consider it, yes.
Super fun!
Tonight an all new Dat Shorts Review is here! Shades takes a look at the gameboy made Batty Zabella! A point and click comedy with some sexy assets!
your game is really beautiful, well done!
That means a lot! Thank you.
Is the game also available in German?
Currently it is only available in English, but international versions may be coming in the future.
A version in German would be great. I would also want to pay a lot more for that. :-)