A Thought: I Wonder How Many People Are Playing My SNES Games…

Hey everyone,

Today I caught myself thinking about something kind of random but nice:
I wonder how many people out there are playing my little SNES games.

I’m not actually trying to find out numbers or stats — that’s not really the point.
It’s more like a feeling, an idea that makes me smile. Just imagining that maybe someone, somewhere, even for a few minutes, is having fun with something I created… it’s a pretty great thought.

I don’t know if this happens to any of you, but sometimes I like to imagine my work reaching someone out there, even if I never know about it.
Just wanted to share that thought.

Quote from Ikarionus

Hey SUPER-J11BIT

I think I can relate to the thoughts you describe.

Earlier, when I was in my teenage-years still, I used to create custom maps for a game called Starcraft (you propably heard about it as it is quite known, nowadays as Starcraft 2 ). It was a nice feeling to see how the community played and shared those maps. And sometimes to hear the players opinions, what they like or dislike about them, so you get an idea about what you've done well and which points might still require some improvement.

Also, there was one RPG that absolutely fascinated me: Mondschein (english "Moonshine", but not sure whether there exists an english version or translation patch)

Basically, it's a really nice game with a unique story, released 2001. And what really impressed me: It's a One-Man-Project! A guy who calls himself "Ani-Kun" according to the credits.

It was made via the "RPG Maker", a tool whose newer versions exist to the day. And back then, it inspired me to try it, too! Trying to create an RPG all by myself, I learned a lot about what it means to MAKE a game instead of PLAYING it. How much time you spend on scripting certain mechanisms, trying to figure out mistakes or bugs, looking for different ideas how to implement certain things you want to appear in the game, and so on...

As you might guess, I never really managed to finish the intended game sadly. But the experience was still worth it.

Today, things are a little different. Currently, I am rather focused on learning and improving my skills about the hardware itself. Refurbishing and repairing the SNES (and later on NES or even other systems). Probably it's even comparable to creating games? When I finish working on a console and consider myself satisfied with the result, I put a Label and my signature on it. And the idea about someone else owning that console in the future and having fun with it might be similiar to the case of making a game.

I also didn't give up on creating games just yet. One project of mine is currently existing as excel-sheet, as I try to formulate it concretely and work out details instead of just starting the process of creating and thinking about it "on the run".

Also, I got a book where I write down notes about a story from time to time. It's actually even the origin of the name "Ikarionus", as this is the name of a character in that story. I kinda dream of making a game from that story one day as well, but right now, that's merely a dream.

But yes, I can relate to what you mean and I find it really inspiring how you live your dreams! In a way, I even envy you a little, but in a positive way.

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It’s really great to hear your story. You can tell creativity has been part of your life for a long time — whether it was making StarCraft maps, trying to build your own RPG, or now restoring old consoles. Creating and repairing aren’t that different: in both cases you take something and turn it into something that can make someone else happy.

And the fact that you still have a project in Excel, a notebook full of ideas, and a character like Ikarionus means you never stopped. Your dreams are still growing, just at their own pace.

That “positive envy” you mentioned just shows you still have that spark. And honestly, that spark matters more than having a finished project.

Quote from Poe

Since 2023 I'm doing fan translations of NES and SNES games in German language. I learned a lot with each single project but I still would like to lean more and maybe one day I'm able to use Assembler. But I guess it's still a long way.

I finished 28 translations until the end of 2025. However I never got any feedback if people like my translations or if they don't. Sometimes I wish people were more open minded concerning feedback to give me some kind of feeling if I'm doing good or maybe even bad job.

However I still continue doing fan translations because I really enjoy this hobby and I'd like to do it as long as I can.

It’s really touching to read something so genuine. What you’re doing has real value, even if it doesn’t always feel visible. Translating NES and SNES games into German isn’t just a hobby — it’s a mix of passion, dedication, and cultural preservation. Not many people have the patience or skill to take on something so technical and niche, and the fact that you’ve completed 28 translations by the end of 2025 says a lot about your commitment.

I get what you mean about wanting feedback. It’s completely normal to wonder whether your work is reaching anyone or making an impact. But silence doesn’t mean people don’t appreciate what you do. A lot of players download patches, enjoy them, and simply never think to leave a comment. That happens all the time in retro communities — creators give so much, and most users stay in the background.

What really matters, though, is that you keep going because you love it. And that passion shows. The fact that you want to learn assembly someday, that you grow with every project, that you keep pushing yourself — that’s something no amount of feedback can replace.

And who knows, maybe one day someone will reach out and tell you that thanks to your work, they finally got to play a childhood favorite in their own language. Sometimes a single message like that makes all the quiet years worth it.

Keep going. Genuine passion always leaves a mark, even when you don’t see it right away.