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.
That's a cool idea, but probably not something that will happen just yet. When the sequel comes out, could maybe get something together that includes both games.
I made it thanks to the hints. Best I could manage on this game was 9 holes. How long does it go on? Is there any reward at any point? I have to say, I wasn't expecting a whole arcade lol, I was expecting some unlockable "true" ending. And some extra fanservice with Batty.
Since you're cool enough to respond, might as well ask this too, what was this supposed to say? I could never really make it out.
Is it a name? A clue to one of the puzzles?
and here I'll also say seriously this is a cool game. I'm trying to get others to play it too. Though, being able to play it on an actual gameboy is a neat novelty I like the art and aesthetic so much that personally I hope if you make another one it's just like SNES art quality at least. I'd love to see this world/characters (especially Batty ) in higher def.
Appreciate the interest in another game! There is a sequel in the planning stages, but I can't say too much more about it just yet. Currently in the process of getting physical versions of the first game available sometime after Christmas.
As for the arcade game, 10 is as far as it goes. There is a reward to getting 10 on one ball. Timing the 10th hole is tricky, but it can be done.
The text on the wall was never intended to say anything in particular, and is not a riddle of any kind. It was mostly just for lore about Bat-Son having a very unnatural birth.
It took me a lot of tries but damn. That was...nice, lol. I'll leave it vague for others to try. It helps that the board doesn't change between balls so you can kindof practice. Once you figure out how to get it in that hole, it's just about staying calm and repeating the motions. If the board shuffled around I could never do it though. As it is I had to die on ball 10 a bit to even figure it out once.
Kinda surprised Batty didn't have any dialogue about that though lol. Especially since she usually does.
But thanks for the hints. Would never have even guessed to try that otherwise. First time I played it I thought it was just set to keep cycling holes forever.
Is Batty's husband just a bat or a vampire that just doesn't go back to vampire form or is otherwise stuck as a bat. or is that lore spoilers.
I found a speed strat for the queen 2nd phase if you put the cursor around that blue area, and mash shoot, you'll get 2 heals and a black orb. consistently enough to hit the queen and heal yourself to prevent from dying.
you can also use select to pause until you find the spot.
*Loved* the aesthetic and the humor. Really fitting for Halloween gothy vibes. Some puzzles really had me stuck for a bit but not too bad. Also appreciated that you weren't afraid of leaning into the sex appeal, lol bc damn she is hot yeah. The Elvira inspiration really sold it.
Can I get a hint about where to find more spiders for a new game plus? I know they only show up temporarily, but I feel like the game should be able to detect you're doing a ng+ and just give you more hints in game about things like that. Encourages replaying. Brute forcing it by going to every single screen every time you make a small bit of progress works but feels lame.
Thanks for the feedback! Glad you enjoyed the game, and the character.
The spider quest was meant to be an absurdly difficult easter egg hunt, but yes maybe overboard.
Since you're one of the first people interested in finding them all, I'll give you some hints:
SPIDER 1: Somewhere nearby before feeding Bat-Son SPIDER 2: Outside puzzles as early as possible SPIDER 3: A long dark tunnel after Husbano's advice SPIDER 4and 5: Above and below after finding Bat-Son SPIDER 6: Some fresh air after statues vanish
Enjoyed it overall but I found the boss fights to be absurdly hard, with basically no tolerance of even a single mistake. Maybe I'm just a pleb or there was a mechanic I was missing. There's no way I would have been able to beat it without abusing save states.
Thanks for the feedback! This is something I'll keep in mind for a second entry. Most people I think were able to study the orb movement pattern and find a good rhythm for defeating the bosses, but yes, the battles were difficult for some.
I eventually was able to figure out the patterns, but even with the pattern it was so punishing that if I made one mistake I would be screwed. I basically had to be perfect, which was kind of difficult using the controls of the 2DS I was playing it on. It might be easier with different types of controllers though. I think it would have been perfect if I just had a tiny bit more health or the orbs stayed around a fraction of a second longer.
You didn't really need to follow the pattern, I just sat my cursor where an orb and sparkles appeared closest to each other and let them cycle back to me on their own.I beat them first time every time that way.
One of the best games I've played in a while to be honest, some puzzles were a bit confusing but the humour ,writing and beautiful art style make up for it. I give this game a solid 11/10 (the extra point comes from the pooping minigane)
What puzzle? After getting the 2 thropies and unlocking the big door I've went back and searched every room and couldn't find anything do the 6 spiders unlock another ending or just an easter egg? And where can I find all spiders? I've only managed to find the one in the cave and the one in the tree
There is something in Batty's attic that can be used on a certain corpse. That's the hint I'll give you!
As for the spiders... they are intended to be extremely hard to find, and not required for progression. I'll give one hint for those; they only show up at specific points throughout the game.
I played the game again and still couldn't find how to open the shed and the attic, may I have another hint please?everytime I've got an item or did something I went to the graveyard and I haven't found the crow
hiya, may i please have a hint? i can't find the trophies anywhere/get past that one door. do i just have to get better at repeatedly hitting the little floaty things in those two spots?
I'll give you two hints about the boss encounters.
1.The black orb damages them, and the sparkle heals Batty. 2.If you return to the front door of the house after the trophies vanish, you can find something that might help you.
Hey, I picked up the full game today, and I've been enjoying it, but saving doesn't seem to work. If I quit to the menu and load game, that works, but if I turn off my Game Boy, no save data is found the next time I load. I get the same result when running it with an emulator on my PC, so I'm not sure what's wrong.
What type of cartridge are you using? I tested with EZ Flash, and was able to load my save on GB when using the "backup save" prompt when the cartridge boots. On emulator I had no trouble; it would create the .sav file which would allow me to load properly any time I booted the ROM.
I'm not doubting there could still be an issue, though. Give me more details, and I can look into it. I am also working with someone on the "official" physical release now, and making the sure the save is fully functional in that version is a top priority.
I’m using an EverdriveGB X5. Other games save without issue on it, a .srm file is created on the SD card, but I don’t see any new files after saving in Batty Zabella. For the emulator I use BGB running under Wine. If there’s any other info I can provide just let me know.
Hello! Long time coming, but... the save data issue seems to be corrected in the digital version. As a matter of fact, even saving in the browser version seems to work properly now.
At the very least, I can confirm it works 100% with the BGB emulator.
Can't find the basement. Seems cool otherwise, but I feel like I've clicked around just about every direction I possibly can see but I'm just not finding it.
Hi, unfortunately the batteries are not displayed in my full version of the game. In the demo version they are on the shelf in the basement. Unfortunately I can't get any further in the game. Or are the batteries hiding somewhere else entirely?
Haha, their location has been changed since the demo version. I can tell you they are in fact still hidden in that background, though. Inside something.
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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.
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!
Where can I find the arcade mode though I've got the good ending?
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.
Oh, thanks! I think I will make more efforts to get them all on my second 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. :-)
An excellent game I enjoyed every minute. At the end a special conversation with the creator!
Can we please have an Artbook for this game?
That's a cool idea, but probably not something that will happen just yet. When the sequel comes out, could maybe get something together that includes both games.
I made it thanks to the hints. Best I could manage on this game was 9 holes. How long does it go on? Is there any reward at any point? I have to say, I wasn't expecting a whole arcade lol, I was expecting some unlockable "true" ending. And some extra fanservice with Batty.
Since you're cool enough to respond, might as well ask this too, what was this supposed to say? I could never really make it out.
Is it a name? A clue to one of the puzzles?
and here I'll also say seriously this is a cool game. I'm trying to get others to play it too. Though, being able to play it on an actual gameboy is a neat novelty I like the art and aesthetic so much that personally I hope if you make another one it's just like SNES art quality at least. I'd love to see this world/characters (especially Batty ) in higher def.
Appreciate the interest in another game! There is a sequel in the planning stages, but I can't say too much more about it just yet. Currently in the process of getting physical versions of the first game available sometime after Christmas.
As for the arcade game, 10 is as far as it goes. There is a reward to getting 10 on one ball. Timing the 10th hole is tricky, but it can be done.
The text on the wall was never intended to say anything in particular, and is not a riddle of any kind. It was mostly just for lore about Bat-Son having a very unnatural birth.
It took me a lot of tries but damn. That was...nice, lol. I'll leave it vague for others to try. It helps that the board doesn't change between balls so you can kindof practice. Once you figure out how to get it in that hole, it's just about staying calm and repeating the motions. If the board shuffled around I could never do it though. As it is I had to die on ball 10 a bit to even figure it out once.
Kinda surprised Batty didn't have any dialogue about that though lol. Especially since she usually does.
But thanks for the hints. Would never have even guessed to try that otherwise. First time I played it I thought it was just set to keep cycling holes forever.
Is Batty's husband just a bat or a vampire that just doesn't go back to vampire form or is otherwise stuck as a bat. or is that lore spoilers.
Congratulations on getting Perfect 10!
For all intents and purposes, Husbano is just a bat.
played that game irl it is so fun and much harder
where was that minigame?
I found a speed strat for the queen 2nd phase if you put the cursor around that blue area, and mash shoot, you'll get 2 heals and a black orb. consistently enough to hit the queen and heal yourself to prevent from dying.
you can also use select to pause until you find the spot.
BATTY HOLIDAYS!!
*Loved* the aesthetic and the humor. Really fitting for Halloween gothy vibes. Some puzzles really had me stuck for a bit but not too bad. Also appreciated that you weren't afraid of leaning into the sex appeal, lol bc damn she is hot yeah. The Elvira inspiration really sold it.
Can I get a hint about where to find more spiders for a new game plus? I know they only show up temporarily, but I feel like the game should be able to detect you're doing a ng+ and just give you more hints in game about things like that. Encourages replaying. Brute forcing it by going to every single screen every time you make a small bit of progress works but feels lame.
Thanks for the feedback! Glad you enjoyed the game, and the character.
The spider quest was meant to be an absurdly difficult easter egg hunt, but yes maybe overboard.
Since you're one of the first people interested in finding them all, I'll give you some hints:
SPIDER 1: Somewhere nearby before feeding Bat-Son
SPIDER 2: Outside puzzles as early as possible
SPIDER 3: A long dark tunnel after Husbano's advice
SPIDER 4 and 5: Above and below after finding Bat-Son
SPIDER 6: Some fresh air after statues vanish
So some spiders are missable?
They can basically all be missed.
Enjoyed it overall but I found the boss fights to be absurdly hard, with basically no tolerance of even a single mistake. Maybe I'm just a pleb or there was a mechanic I was missing. There's no way I would have been able to beat it without abusing save states.
Thanks for the feedback! This is something I'll keep in mind for a second entry. Most people I think were able to study the orb movement pattern and find a good rhythm for defeating the bosses, but yes, the battles were difficult for some.
I eventually was able to figure out the patterns, but even with the pattern it was so punishing that if I made one mistake I would be screwed. I basically had to be perfect, which was kind of difficult using the controls of the 2DS I was playing it on. It might be easier with different types of controllers though. I think it would have been perfect if I just had a tiny bit more health or the orbs stayed around a fraction of a second longer.
You didn't really need to follow the pattern, I just sat my cursor where an orb and sparkles appeared closest to each other and let them cycle back to me on their own.I beat them first time every time that way.
Fantastic! Got stuck for a bit though, will try again later today. Love the writing and the humor. The pixel art is also top notch. Well done!
One of the best games I've played in a while to be honest, some puzzles were a bit confusing but the humour ,writing and beautiful art style make up for it. I give this game a solid 11/10 (the extra point comes from the pooping minigane)
squeak, squeak!
That is a great game!!!
10/10 game though I spend some time trying to beat the final boss not knowing you can't beat it
Did you end up figuring out the related puzzle, though?
What puzzle? After getting the 2 thropies and unlocking the big door I've went back and searched every room and couldn't find anything do the 6 spiders unlock another ending or just an easter egg? And where can I find all spiders? I've only managed to find the one in the cave and the one in the tree
There is something in Batty's attic that can be used on a certain corpse. That's the hint I'll give you!
As for the spiders... they are intended to be extremely hard to find, and not required for progression. I'll give one hint for those; they only show up at specific points throughout the game.
I played the game again and still couldn't find how to open the shed and the attic, may I have another hint please?everytime I've got an item or did something I went to the graveyard and I haven't found the crow
If you sit around long enough in the graveyard, a crow is bound to show up eventually!
hiya, may i please have a hint? i can't find the trophies anywhere/get past that one door. do i just have to get better at repeatedly hitting the little floaty things in those two spots?
I'll give you two hints about the boss encounters.
1.The black orb damages them, and the sparkle heals Batty.
2.If you return to the front door of the house after the trophies vanish, you can find something that might help you.
Hey, I picked up the full game today, and I've been enjoying it, but saving doesn't seem to work. If I quit to the menu and load game, that works, but if I turn off my Game Boy, no save data is found the next time I load. I get the same result when running it with an emulator on my PC, so I'm not sure what's wrong.
What type of cartridge are you using? I tested with EZ Flash, and was able to load my save on GB when using the "backup save" prompt when the cartridge boots. On emulator I had no trouble; it would create the .sav file which would allow me to load properly any time I booted the ROM.
I'm not doubting there could still be an issue, though. Give me more details, and I can look into it. I am also working with someone on the "official" physical release now, and making the sure the save is fully functional in that version is a top priority.
I’m using an EverdriveGB X5. Other games save without issue on it, a .srm file is created on the SD card, but I don’t see any new files after saving in Batty Zabella. For the emulator I use BGB running under Wine. If there’s any other info I can provide just let me know.
Hello! Long time coming, but... the save data issue seems to be corrected in the digital version. As a matter of fact, even saving in the browser version seems to work properly now.
At the very least, I can confirm it works 100% with the BGB emulator.
Hopefully you have no issues re-downloading.
I downloaded the new version, and it’s saving fine now. Thanks for the update!
Can't find the basement. Seems cool otherwise, but I feel like I've clicked around just about every direction I possibly can see but I'm just not finding it.
Hi, unfortunately the batteries are not displayed in my full version of the game. In the demo version they are on the shelf in the basement. Unfortunately I can't get any further in the game. Or are the batteries hiding somewhere else entirely?
Haha, their location has been changed since the demo version. I can tell you they are in fact still hidden in that background, though. Inside something.
YES! I got the batteries :-)
I'm totally stuck on the tv puzzle, could I get a hint on what to do to turn it on or what else to do from here?
Pay close attention to what Batty says when she examines the couch.
How do I solve the endless room near Husbano? I have no idea what to do at all
Husbano mentioned the TV was important.
thanks I figured it out!
Boobs
Great Game!!!