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Zanzlanz
Game developer and music producer! I made the Mine Blocks game(s).

Age 27, Male

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Computer Scientist, 2018

Detroit

Joined on 9/9/11

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Mine Blocks 1.30 - the last Flash update!

Posted by Zanzlanz - November 14th, 2020

It's a bit nuts that I'm updating a Flash game in mid-November, 2020, with less than 50 days left before Flash is gone.

But hey, here we are anyway!


Introducing: Mine Blocks 1.30 - The Hardcore Update!


Here's the update video:



Here are some of the fancy new features:

  • Hardcore mode and spectator mode
  • Updated slime block physics
  • Armored zombies & hostile spawnskins
  • New shift-click inventory shortcuts
  • Bamboo stairs, slabs, and backdrops
  • Wear mobheads and... a mustache?
  • Over 57 bug fixes and tweaks! And still more!


Play Mine Blocks on Newgrounds:


Next up: HTML5!

To live past the end of Flash, Mine Blocks is currently being ported to an HTML5 game!

While it's still very very unfinished, you can check out the progress at:

mineblocks.com/beta


I hope everyone is doing really well! More soon :)

- Zanz

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Comments

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Gimmick

It's like seeing the last windows XP or 7 update. Anything that makes it reach a more complete state is welcomed.

RIP Flash. o7

Zanzlanz

Haha it does feel like that in a way, just in more of a niche indie sense.

I still really appreciate that you were my first reviewer ever. It's hard to imagine how much of an impact that had on Mine Blocks and my work over the years - your positive words may have given me the motivation that lead to where I am now in my career. In any case, it brings back nice memories.

Long live Flash, in our hearts (and in Ruffle!) <3

And long live Mine Blocks in HTML5, comin' soon!

Cyberdevil

You do know Flash ain't going anywhere on NG at least right? ;)

Though of course all the more easy to publish HTML5 work elsewhere! Cool to see you're still caring for the classics though.

Zanzlanz

Hey! Yes! I am confident NG will continue to be the gotoAndStay for Flash, even when Ruffle is more popular :D

However, Newgrounds represents about 0.2% of total Mine Blocks players (for the past month at least), and the added friction of requiring the "NG Player" would reduce my audience further (not to mention people report to me that the NG Player is particularly buggy unfortunately).

So I don't want to alienate and disappoint my full audience. I've went and ported all of my Ludum Dare games to HTML5, and I'm hoping the HTML5 version of Mine Blocks can be a nice second wind for my community :)

Cyberdevil

Woooah that little a percentage here! We're just an insignificant speck in the cosmos huh... spending all spare time on NG is like letting all this light pollution make me forget how distant the stars really are. XD That'z crazy... yeah the NG Player isn't ideal, though curious if you've tested this with Ruffle? Seems a fair share of games don't work there yet though, but hopeful, that'd be so much easier...

That's awesome. :) Definitely great way to breath new life into all those old games too. Just hope old Flash versions aren't going away either though?

Zanzlanz

I did not expect NG's percentage to be all that low either! But the impact NG had on my career is more like 100%, haha :)

I have tested quite a bit with Ruffle. Ruffle doesn't support AS3 at all yet, so I only am able to say how it runs with old versions of Mine Blocks. And, surprisingly, it almost runs perfectly! It chugs, the main character is invisible, and strange things aren't fully functional, but apart from those, it's playable. They're doing heroic work there! It's simply just not quick enough for what I needed.

I haven't gotten around to updating the NG uploads with the HTML5 versions. I'll certainly keep the SWF uploaded when I do! The HTML5 ports are nearly 1:1, so everything should work as normal, but for those who are nostalgic for the True Flash Feel™, I wouldn't deny them the OG!

Cyberdevil

And gotoAndStay haha. XD Nice one. Could become a real catchphrase...

Zanzlanz

Thanks! Brb, pitching it to Mike & Tom! ;)

Cyberdevil

:') That's the real OG percentage share right there!

Quickly went from 'almost perfect' to 'somewhat playable'! XD Well that's good to know, does seem like it'll take a while to perfect but something for the future then! Potential for a third big breath of life back into whatever titles you have at that point in the future that might run flawlessly with said port? ;) I can't wait for the day it'd be possible to implement this stuff on my own site too; the total Ruffle Internet takeover. At least I hope it won't be NG exclusive even past the bug-test phase. Though cool either way. Just a lot of Flash elsewhere that could use saving too, and good opportunity to bring a lot of viewers elsewhere over here via this particular thing too...

Nice. For us nostalgics that True Flash Feel™ worth certain functionality caveats too, if for some reason Ruffle doesn't turn out perfect after all! The one thing I am missing a bit though is the original, 100% authentic oldskool right-click menu that made for certain unwanted functionality in certain games, just hope they're not omitted it because ditto...

Ruffle set aside though: you really seem to have your repertoire under control! Thorough ports, support and longevity.

Zanzlanz

Hah I mean it sounds contradicting, but it's quite playable aside from a few visual things, which to me is incredible, considering how messy and complicated my code was!

I have Ruffle running on my own website as well actually, yes! It only works on about 6 or so of my oldest games, but every month there appears to be more things working, which is exciting. It was very easy to set up, so I hope you can get it running on yours too eventually!

I'm so happy you agree about the right-click menu! I was going to bring it up as a bug report a few weeks ago, but I am waiting until they add all the context menu functionality before bringing it up. They seem to know their priorities, but we'll make sure it'll get in when the time comes :)

Thanks CD! I even hired an NG friend (GhostID) to help with the ports - we got it done twice as fast that way. I'm going to put up a fight to keep my hard work on the internet after Flash goes :D

Cyberdevil

Aha. :) Ruffle does seem to be a machine of miracles indeed!

Oooh you can already! Haven't been keeping up with this, or reading the read.me enough... was thinking there'd be an official 'use this for your own shizzle now' announcement when time came. If time came. Anyway I'm a see what I can do then, if nobody's made a shortcode thing for it with WordPress yet it might be the perfect time to contribute some little helper plugin too...

Yess! :D From a more game-maker-based standpoint I would've thought that particular feature may not be as wanted! But suppose you in particular haven't ever left the rightclickandhitplay loophole open in yer production? ;)

What baffles me a bit is that Ruffle did have a basic right-click thing from the start, with options to save a snapshot of the canvas etc. Was hoping that'd evolve, but seems replaced with just the one 'About Ruffle' item now...

Ah that's devotion right there! :D Impressed by your work ethic and enthusiasm as always! These comment swaps are fueling, been too long since the last. On the topic of fighting to keep Flash alive too (maybe that wasn't the context exactly but): https://mejson.newgrounds.com/news/post/1125840

...no better community than the NG one to really keep it alive. ;)

Zanzlanz

Oh that's be awesome! Ruffle doesn't quite have a CDN yet, so I'm not sure how you'd do a WordPress plugin at this stage (that said I've never used WordPress, maybe you have tricks up your sleeve haha). I think they'll set up a CDN by the end of the year though.

I thiiiink yeah none of my games have issues with the right-click thing. In 2010 I made a maze game that specifically resets the whole level if you click anywhere - a little excessive in today's standards, but got the job done at the time, right?

Waah thanks so much man. I've missed hearing from you as well! You're a legendary Newgrounds hero - it always makes me happy seeing your comments everywhere I go. And I think that Flash Will Never Die logo could totally be sold to NGers as shirts, mugs, and stickers!

And no kidding! I'm so glad for this awesome community preserving the coolest era of the Internet :D

Cyberdevil

Maybe it'd be possible to link to the library/JS file directly on Github hmm, should ask about permission first if I don't just use this personally though... I haven't read up on how the embed process works for this, but if it's anything like it was for .swf I have a WP shortcode function for Flash already made that I assume could be re-purposed for this. I currently have it made so that I add in a [flash]link to file[/flash] to generate full embed codes for each individual embed, with one global embed code instance that's easy to edit does it ever need changing. Should be able to change that to work with Ruffle quite easily...

Does seem to get the job done! XD Remember the frustration you'd get when facing off on a workaround as such sometimes, but alas it's not a challenge without the challenge after all!

Aw man, do appreciate it. :) Sometimes question the purpose of really attempting to stay omnipresent here, but it has its moments!

Heeell yeah! Preserving all that's awesome since its inception way back in the cradle of Internet recognition; still on a mission to never question! Pristine condition creative wisdom with no inhibition! The greatest exhibition! The one! The origin! All fun; always living! Casting out vibes for passion and life, with the vastest of skies and children... that grow up; rise; make a killing. :) A whole world of creative curatives a building.

Zanzlanz

Not totally sure, but personally I'd recommend waiting for a CDN. But I also really don't wish to prematurely stop you from finding a neat solution!

And of course man, your omnipresence is omnippreciated.

Haha whoa, a verse about NG Flash creators! Do you have an audio submission for it? If not, end of year would be a good time to make one <3

Cyberdevil

Mmm, I'll just start experimenting for personal use a bit first then. :) Sounds like the right choice yeah!

XD

Nah this is a Zanzlanz comment exclusive. ;) I leave some of these here and there but that might be a fun idea hmm, saving for the possibility...

aidnic

Hey man, your song secret box was deleted. :(
Do you think you could upload a version of it without the spongebob audio? That is why i think it got removed. Sorry if I'm asking too much.
Cheers, Aidnic

Zanzlanz

That's not a bad idea actually! I could see if I could upload an instrumental to the same ID so the GD levels don't become silence.

The reason I never did that before was because the music doesn't sound good without that context haha

aidnic

Okay, I'm thinking you should do it with "MANRAY!" too before that gets deleted lol. Thx!
>:D

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