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Good idea, I will do it.

Thanks for sharing your view. I think we just value different things in a jam, and that's fine. For me, getting past my fear and finally making a SNES game was a big personal step, even if I used different tools than you would. AI was allowed this year and I was open about using it. Whatever the hosts decide for next year, I'll respect it. Good luck with your entry!

I understand why this feels demotivating, especially for those who hand-code everything. That's a real craft and it deserves recognition. I just see it from another angle.

I was on Mega Drive because it's easier, even though I love the SNES more. I never made anything for the SNES because I was afraid it would end up being something embarrassing, a game that looked like it belonged to an older console generation. The barrier felt impossible: heavy testing, a slow CPU, a tricky toolchain. AI is what's letting me build my own tools to get past it. And it doesn't make the game for you: you still have to design it, test it a lot and deal with every SNES limitation.

I'm nobody, and maybe my game isn't any good. But I had never seen a pseudo-3D cycling race game, and I wanted to find out if it could be done, even halfway decently. That's exactly the kind of experiment AI made possible for me.

We're regular people, not studios, and a jam only gives us a few months. I always thought a jam was about trying crazy ideas within a limited time, not about entering games people have been working on for years. Honestly, that feels even less fair to me than using AI.

AI use can't really be verified, so a ban would just mean people stop declaring it, or that far fewer people enter. The disclosure field is a much fairer approach.

What I'd suggest for next year is a separate ranking or award for entries made without AI. That way hand-made work gets the recognition it deserves, and everyone else can still experiment freely.

I see this as a big opportunity for new ideas on the SNES. And if someone's game gets attention, I'm sure they'll put in the effort to improve its pixel art, music and polish. In the end, we all want the same thing: more and better SNES games.

Hi Svambo!

I've just updated my profile and added my X (Twitter) account, so you can contact me there!