\\\NEMESIS///
-NIGHTMARE FROM OUR SIDE-

NEMESIS; Nightmare from Our Side was intended as a follow-up/eraser of last year's extremely obscure, but fairly done, according to many, videogame Flash movie, ParoVadius.

NEMESIS combines elements from CastleVania, Contra III, and other Konami games with something important ParoVadius didn't last long enough to demonstrate...a solid storyline.

The purposes of this page are to document all of the sketches, scribbles and storyboards that were created (by myself) over the course of this project's flourish and finish, as well as give some background on the characters and other elements regarding this story.

~Eric Roman, Thursday, June 5, 2003;12:38AM EST

Groundwork

Original scribble. Here, Contra III's Red Falcon was decided as being the main antagonist.

First teaser. An eye shape test includes pre-production on a scene when CastleVania appears in frame, scaling down into frame as the mountainscape behind it scales down.

Experimenting with eye glare designs versus last year's STAC, antagonist of ParoVadius.

First well-done teaser- This drawing regards the first practice scene which eventually became this project.

Skull Knight & DCTPBDAY6 notes. An Uber-Skull Knight had been decided as incorporation of Skull Knight into Red Falcon for even greater antagonist. Primarily it was called Robocorpse (Contra III boss) for the notes, then later refferred to as White Knight and finally Skull Knight Kaiser (SKK hereafter). There are also notes for a DCTP 6th anniversary picture which ties in to NfOS.

An early SKK design. This page notes the original thin, organic shape SKK was to take before I chose to continue the body pattern established with Contra III's Robocorpse as its main body. This also illustrates my intention to have its head be constructed of two flattened skulls in profile with Red Falcon's brain nestled between; many of Contra III's important sprites were actually mirrored halves.

Storyline notes with rest of SKK design. An early rundown of the story created before the storyboards, it also has notes on how bony arms are to grow out of Red Falcon's brain as well as a basic design for the rest of SKK's body; only the head and chest had been completed at this time. It was also here that the original concept of Skull Knight's abduction became devouring.

Characters

Red Falcon (see screenshots below)- He is the main bad guy in the Contra series, a space alien hellbent on whatever we're too busy blasting everything that moves to care about. In NfOS he laments his failures, scheming to draw power from an appealing source.

Vicious Slave Hawk (see screenshots below)- The next to final boss of Contra III serves here as an 'Igor' and second-in-command to Red Falcon. He discovers the size-shifting (and beam-blasting) Skull Knight on a Flash website and suggests that Red Falcon absorb its ability.

Slogra- A 'Devil Knight of Death' Dinosaur Knight who attacks with a spear. Appears in Super CastleVania IV for Super NES and CastleVania; Symphony of the Night for PlayStation.

Gaibon- Another of Death's Devil Knights, Gaibon is a bat-winged gargoyle which can spit fire. Appears in the same games as Slogra.

Skull Knight- The first boss of the NES classic CastleVania III Dracula's Curse returns over 10 years later in CastleVania; Harmony of Dissonance. Being a boss character, SK is a friend of Slogra and Gaibon.

Skull Knight Kaiser- SK chooses to chase off the latest Belmont who dares interfere with the troops' TV session. Red Falcon captures Skull Knight and eats him, thereby acquiring SK's abilities to grow in size (only in the Flash movie) and fire lasers (from its belly in the GBA game).

Slogaibon- This character was created during last year's ParoVadius project as a combination of the souls of both Slogra and Gaibon.

Akane- An admirer of Slogra, Akane is a bunnygirl/weapons expert from the Parodius series who gives the de-merged S&G a mysterious power to overcome the Skull Knight Kaiser.

Storyboards

Other Artwork

Poster-style sketch. Aria of Lifeforce; Nightmare from My Side was the movie's working title when this was sketched.

Slogaibon meets Red Falcon's brain the initials MB stand for Mother Brain, which Nintendo Power calls the final boss in its Spring 1992 Contra III review. Typical Nintendo.

Slogaibon vs Fatboy from 8-Mile. A silly picture made just to show someone what could be done with PhotoShop and a DVD screenshot. The Score and Hi refer to ParoVadius' and NfOS (intended) release dates, respectively.

SKK's thermonuclear blare. This scene, based off of a storyboard, was drawn directly over a sketch relating to an unmentionable Pterodactyl Flash animation project.

Credits
Eric Roman
Nami
Jason Gaines
Jorge Fuentes
Anapan
Kadosho
Ralphy
Lobstarr
Tox
Rob Foor
Randy Solem
Kandyman
Tair
Jennimade

& that's all there is.

5-23-2003~6-4-2003