Castlevania: Belmont's Revenge & The Tribute Game Debate | The Indie-Credible Podcast 101

Should a tribute game play exactly like the original, or should it try something completely new?Episode 101 of The Indie-Credible Podcast brings Jeff and Xander back for another week of indie gaming, early indie releases, new indie releases, community recommendations, and retro homebrew discoveries.This week, we're tackling a question that comes up constantly in the indie scene: When developers create tribute games inspired by classic franchises, how much should they change?Should a new Castlevania-inspired game stick to the original formula, or introduce new mechanics, modern conveniences, and fresh ideas? At what point does innovation stop feeling like the game it's supposed to celebrate? Community Pick: Castlevania: Belmont's Revenge DemoWe're putting that discussion to the test with the Castlevania: Belmont's Revenge demo!With questions surrounding its reception, we discuss what works, what doesn't, whether the negative feedback is justified, and whether we actually managed to finish it.Next Community Pick: Well Dweller? What We've Been PlayingJeff Played:ShelldiverXander Played:Keep DrivingBlades & Battles (Demo)From unusual indie concepts to games inspired by the classics, there's plenty to discuss this week. New & Noteworthy Indie GamesOur weekly hunt for new indie releases brings another batch of interesting discoveries:Hermit and PigPlane Crazy: Championship EditionLovishROMEO IS A DEAD MANHordes of HungerCiniCrossCrimson CapesPlane Crazy: Championship Edition brings back memories of the N64 era, while CiniCross taps directly into one of Jeff's guilty-pleasure gaming genres! Budget Indie Games Under $2This week's budget section is absolutely STACKED. We're hunting through another huge batch of affordable indie games.We're also checking out The Chill in Hell bundle and The Forgotten Castle + Original Soundtrack Bundle.With this many budget discoveries, there's a good chance something interesting slipped through the cracks!Prices reflect the deals found while preparing this episode and may change. Aftermarket & Homebrew HighlightsRED VOLT — Game Boy ColorA new boss-rush action game is coming to Nintendo's classic handheld!https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/seejan/red-volt-a-boss-rush-action-game-for-game-boy-color?ref=android_project_shareEssencelord — Game Boy ColorA loot-driven adventure joins the growing library of new Game Boy Color homebrew releases.https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/905334868/essencelord-a-loot-driven-adventure-for-the-game-boy-color?ref=android_project_shareSuper Mario 64... on Super Nintendo?!Yes, we're talking about Super Mario 64 running on SNES hardware. Just how far can developers push Nintendo's classic 16-bit console?https://youtu.be/U3mwIUV_9kk?is=X6rzvJ2e6U-LlQDtNinja Garden — NESA brand-new gardening action game for the original Nintendo Entertainment System. The name alone deserves some attention!https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/johnblueriggs/ninja-garden-a-new-gardening-action-game-for-nes?ref=android_project_share Kyle's TrialsThis week we're diving into:Classic indie wrestlingPlayStation CD samplersFrom Castlevania tribute games and modern indie gaming to Game Boy Color homebrew, NES releases, and an enormous selection of budget discoveries, Episode 101 continues our hunt for the overlooked games worth playing. Follow and rate The Indie-Credible Podcast for weekly indie gaming discussions, early indie releases, new indie releases, community picks, budget games, and new releases for classic hardware!