RetroQUEST

Important

NOTE: RetroQUEST is a mere techincal preview now, the following description is the actual project scope and not what is actually implemented. Assets are just placeholders and not final, every asset you see now will be discarded and redone. This repo is pretty much a dump, I will clean it up later, sorry.

RetroQUEST is an immersive gaming experience that takes you through the history of video game consoles, from the earliest systems to the dawn of the 21st century. Designed in GODOT 4.3 primarily for Meta Quest 3, it is also fully playable on Linux in a non-VR mode. RetroQUEST is a standalone application, providing a unique way to explore gaming history, manage consoles, and enjoy retro games.

Features

Explore Gaming History

• Start your journey in the 1970s with the first home consoles, and progress through over 30 years of gaming milestones, concluding with the PlayStation Portable and beyond.
• Experience the evolution of video game technology through immersive interactions and era-specific challenges.

Console and Game Management

• Collect and manage consoles from various generations, configuring them to play your favorite games.
• Load your personal ROMs and BIOS files (not included) to emulate classic games natively within the app.
• Showcase your collection in an interactive and customizable environment.

Dynamic Game World

• The passage of time within the game mirrors the progression of gaming eras, moving faster than real-world time to simulate decades of advancements.
• Revisit significant historical moments to replay key experiences.

Customization and Collectibles

• Personalize your gaming room with era-specific furniture, decorations, and interactive items.
• Collect gaming memorabilia, including magazines, peripherals, and recordings of pivotal moments in gaming history.

Era-Based Gameplay

• Each era introduces unique gameplay mechanics, challenges, and unlockable content.
• Progress through a structured timeline or replay specific key moments to explore new possibilities.

Free and Open Source

• RetroQUEST is Free and Open Source Software (FOSS), fostering a community-driven development model.
• The app does not include ROMs, BIOS files, or in-game purchases, ensuring compliance with legal and ethical standards.

Game Modes

Story Mode

• A campaign spanning over 32 in-game years, guiding players through the golden age of gaming history.
• Revisit specific key points in the timeline to refine your strategy or relive iconic moments.
• Earn credits in game and use them to buy and collect new consoles or games when they are released.
• Hence no specific games are mandatory to play the sotry mode there will be a list of suggested iconic games to fully enjoy the story. These games will unlock more story contents.

Sandbox Mode

• Play in a sandbox mode where every game and consoles are free and out of the time: experimenting with setups, collections, or focusing on retro gameplay.
• Perfect for players who prefer a more relaxed and open-ended experience or they just want to use the application as a VR emulation frontend.

Platform Compatibility

RetroQUEST is designed primarily for VR on Meta Quest 3, offering a standalone experience that doesn’t require a PC. However, it is also fully playable in non-VR mode on Linux, making it accessible to a broader audience. We aim to add support to other VR headsets and OSs as Windows and Mac.

RetroQUEST is looking for more!

Join the RetroQUEST Development Team!

RetroQUEST is a unique, open-source project that reimagines the history of gaming in an interactive and immersive way. Designed primarily for native VR on Meta Quest 3 and also playable on Linux, with plans to expand to Windows and Mac, RetroQUEST aims to provide an experience unlike anything else currently available for native VR.

This is not a PCVR experience but a fully native VR project that lets players explore and interact with decades of gaming history while also supporting traditional non-VR gameplay for broader accessibility.

We’re Looking for Collaborators

We need passionate individuals to help the development of RetroQUEST, here’s where we could use your expertise:

• C++ Developers (Libretro Integration): Help enhance and integrate gdlibretro library cores to emulate gaming systems within the RetroQUEST environment.
• Godot Developers (VR and Non-VR): Create core gameplay mechanics, immersive VR interactions, and user-friendly non-VR experiences.
• Sound and Music Designers: Develop soundtracks and effects that capture the spirit of gaming’s different eras.
• 3D Modelers and Animators: Design and animate detailed, stylized consoles, controllers, characters and environments.

Development notes

Compiling gdlibretro

RetroQUEST uses a customized version of the gdlibretro godot library (writtein in C++) to load libretro cores in Godot directly. The project provides the library already compiled and even the sources in case the end user wants to edit and compile its own version.

In order to do so just run:

./build_gdlibretro.sh

How to test RetroQUEST on PC

• create a roms and cores folder in the root of the project
• Place a game in the roms folder, for example now the path roms/megadrive/Sonic the Hedgehog.bin is hardcoded, if you want another one you must change the variable.
• Same logic for the core, now hardcoded cores/genesis_plus_gx_libretro.so.
• Open the project with Godot 4.3 and run it.

How to test RetroQUEST on Meta Quest 3

TBD