From Below Pocket
A downloadable game for Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android
PREORDERS NOW CLOSED!
Preorders for physical versions of From Below (NES) and From Below Pocket (GB) have ended (October 2023). Thanks to everyone who purchased a copy! The game is still available as a digital ROM, here on itch.io!
From the deepest trenches of the ocean, the Kraken has come!
As the Kraken climbs the walls of your fortress, repel it by hurtling blocks down at the monster. As lines are cleared, the Kraken will retreat, but only momentarily.
Can you survive the night, and live to fight another day?
Compatible with all Game Boy models, and enhanced for the Super Game Boy!
Featuring Two-Player simultaneous play!
Features
Classic gameplay with a Twist
Featuring the falling-block gameplay you know in love, all while the Kraken works against you pushing garbage blocks up from the bottom of the ocean.
Modernized Controls
This is the absolute best-feeling game of this genre on the Game Boy!
Battle-Tested by the Pros
Extensive player feedback from the pros has resulted in a game that hardcore players love to play. Whether it's the "Kill Screen" after level 30, or Lock-Delay to keep the game playable at extreme speeds, From Below Pocket is a highlight reel waiting to happen!
Competitive Multiplayer
By far the most requested feature is finally here! Go head-to-head in 2-player simultaneous play between two Game Boy Systems via a Game Link cable!
Batteries are Included
High scores and game settings are saved with an on-cartridge battery.
Technical Details
Mapper: MBC1
Size: 128KB ROM + 8KB RAM
Code Language: C
Development Time: 1 year
Platforms
From Below Pocket is compatible with every version of Game Boy, and it takes advantage of the strengths of each system in a way that few games do.
From Below Pocket contains all versions of the game on a single, universal "DX" cartridge.
On original Game Boy and Game Boy Pocket, you get that classic black and white look, and a game that runs at full speed with no slowdown. This is the exact same experience as the other versions of the game.
Game Boy Color, as you would expect, adds full color graphics to the game. The faster CPU of the Game Boy Color is intentionally unutilized in order to stay consistent with the other platforms.
With Super Game Boy you will also find high quality color graphics, as well as a custom game border!
Multiplayer fully supports cross-play between all types of Game Boy systems. For example, a Game Boy Pocket can connect to a Game Boy Color using the exact same version of the game!
Purchase Includes
- From Below Pocket ROM (Free Game Boy Emulator required to play. Emulicious or BGB Recommend)
- Manual (Digital PDF)
- Digital Box Cover (For display in Classic Mini Consoles, EmuStation, etc)
- Original Soundtrack (3 Tracks in MP3 Format)
- Wallpapers (Desktop & Phone)
Social Media
Stay up to date with this game, as well as future games I am making!
FAQ
Will there be another sale of physical carts ever again?
There are no plans at the moment. At the time of writing (2024), I would guess we are years away from me offering physical copies again.
How do I run the ROM in "black and white"?
The ROM that comes with your purchase works on all versions of the Game Boy (original, color, super gameboy, pocket, etc). Even though the ROM is using the filetype *.gbc it still works on original Game Boy hardware.
Most emulators have a setting for which version of the game to run by default:
BGB: Right Click -> Options -> System -> Emulated System
Emulicious: Options -> System
VisualBoyAdvnace -> Options -> Gameboy
Why didn't you include Ghost/Shadow Pieces or Hold Pieces or 7-bag etc?
One of my goals with this game was to avoid prolonged matches. I prefer short, intense matches, over longer relaxed matches. This is also why the game features a "soft kill screen" starting at level 30. I want to avoid a point in the future where highly skilled players need to play for 30+ minutes.
Why do the pieces look "squished"?
This style of game traditionally has a 10x20 play area; meaning 10 "squares" (8x8 pixels) wide and 20 "squares" high (a line piece is 4 "squares" long for reference).
However, no version of this game type has ever appeared on the Game Boy with the full 10x20 game board! They always use a shrunk 10x18 board. This is because the reduced resolution of the Game Boy doesn't have space to fit 20 squares; it fits 18 perfectly.
To get around this limitation, the squares in From Below Pocket are 8x7 pixels. With this extra row of pixels shaved off the top of each block, it leaves me enough space to fit the entire 10x20 game board!
The Team
Created by:
Matt Hughson (https://x.com/matthughson)
Music:
Pegmode (https://x.com/Pegmode2)
Sound FX:
Coffee Bat (https://x.com/Cofebbat)
Art:
Salt & Pixel (https://x.com/saltandpixeldev)
Mauricet (https://x.com/Mauricet34)
Yoey
Based on From Below (NES, 2020)
By Matt Hughson, Tui, Haller Zoltan, and Dejah Payne
Purchase
In order to download this game you must purchase it at or above the minimum price of $4.95 USD. You will get access to the following files:
Development log
- Analogue Pocket Support AddedOct 27, 2023
- Last Chance to Purchase!Oct 16, 2023
- Ghost Piece Hack Now AvailableOct 07, 2023
- From Below Pocket - Available digital and physical!Sep 19, 2023
Comments
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very, very well done! A really nice take on Tetris which sucks you in, and just like that are 20 minutes gone!
Thanks for sharing!
The fact the pieces are stretched and not square drives my OCD crazy 👎
This is the trade off to get a full 10x20 play area.
Ohh no... why is it "stretched"?
All the blocks are rectangular instead of squares...
It feels so weird with deformed tetris blocks...
I don't know if 2more lines is worth the deformed blocks.
edit: "From Below Pocket Ghost Hack.zip" adds "ghost pieces" which helps alot. It flickers on Analogue Pocket - just activate "frame blending" to solve this.
great game!
It sounds like you already know this, but: the blocks are 8x7 so that I can fit in the full, traditional 10x20 game board. Whether or not that is worth having "squished" visuals will depend on the viewer.
Sure - but the Game Boy Tetris had 10x18.
But like I said - the ghost hack helps a lot. And the NES version is obviously also great. :)
Show post...
Make the demo
There is no demo coming, but as I said, there is a free version for the NES if you want to see if you like the game.
Show post...
Where's the demo?
There isn't one, but the NES version is free if you want to try it out.
What is the difference between the GBC version and NES version?
the colours maybe?
The games share the same codebase so they play essentially identical. The big addition to the GB version is the addition of multiplayer. There's some other minor upgrades like battery save.
I bought it in Delta emulator on the iphone the NES version colours are more vibrant than the GBC version
Terrific work. Game feels just right!
Thanks
Any chance for a .pocket file conversion? It'd be great to be able to run the game (with filters) without having to use the flash cart, to save on battery.
Love your work, by the way. I'm enjoying playing it even more than Tetris DX, which is saying a lot.
Thanks for the compliments!
I'm not sure how to create a pocket version of the game. I'm 100% open to it if someone can create one or show me how to do it.
Would you be willing to give this a try?
https://retropatcher.jonabrams.com/
Unfortunately that won't work, because the creators are no longer updating the tool with patches for any new games or ROM hacks--I asked them personally to confirm. The patches have to be made manually, for whatever reason. Here's the documentation for the process, I get the sense that it shouldn't be too difficult when you've written the game yourself:
https://github.com/treyturner/analogue-pocket-patches/blob/main/TUTORIAL.md
In the end, I suppose it won't matter much when Analogue releases their next firmware update, which will add filters to all the cores and in theory render .pocket files obsolete.
A patch by BestPig was just added!
Amazing, thanks so much for the heads-up!
That's awesome. I've added a patched version of the game to the official downloads here on itch!
Any chance one of you could take a photo of the game running on an Analogue Pocket that I could use to post on Social Media etc?
A patch was just added so that site now works for this game!
Hello, will the pcb's have beveled edges? What surface finish will you use for the pcb's ? Thank you.
I'll have to check. It's being made by Broke Studios.
Yes they have bevel edges and ENIG finish + gold fingers (both nes and gb)
Man, this is the best Tetris on the Game Boy easily, and really the best feeling retro Tetris so far. Cutting out the 8th pixel per tile so that the well is 20 blocks high despite the GB/GBC screen resolution is genius. The music and SFX are so fun. And slamming a tetrimino down on the Krakens tentacle and watching him get all pissy is such a great touch.
I just tried out the new ghost piece hack and it's even better. Well done, Matt! I'll be enjoying this one for many hours to come.
Thanks Gumpy! Means a lot coming from you!
Is my game working correctly to be seemingly only giving scores for line clears? Not soft drop etc?
Also when you say Kill Screen, what exactly does that mean? Just super fast?
You are correct about scoring.
"Kill Screen" means after level 30 the floor starts rising making it harder and harder.
is there no shape hold? also no ghost piece? otherwise loving it on my Analogue Pocket
Correct! Neither of those features.
Have you tested this out on a GBA?
Yup! Should work fine.
look I am in the game :) jokes aside I love the NES version play it all the time. I am sure this one will be just as fun
Give the multiplayer a shot and let me know what you think!
I have both the NES and now the Game Boy version of From Below! These both have become my favorite "retro" versions of Tetris (beating out Tengen Tetris). Between these two games, along with Witch n' Wiz and RetroBrew, you have become one of my favorite creators on itch.io! Thanks so much for supporting these classic systems with your high quality games! Looking forward to "Super From Below" to finish off the Nintendo trifecta! ;-)
You're really kind. Thanks for taking the time to let me know. It keeps me motivated!
Purchased and playing on my Analogue Pocket and it plays BEAUTIFULLY!
Just curious what kind of block randomization is being used
Thanks for the support!
The randomization is:
1) Pick a random block
2) If it's the same as the previous block, try again (once)
There is no protection against droughts, or ensuring of piece distribution. Essentially the same as NEStris, I believe.
I thought it felt pretty random!
Played quite a bit of it tonight! I like how the 10 seconds Vs every drop changes it up so much!
Great job!