What other aspects of the game port have you considered to be challenging?

Oh, tons of things. Probably the most challenging was deciding what would stay in my version and what would not be kept. The NES would not have been able to deal with everything the original had going for it, so in accuracy, I decided to only keep what was the most important. Here is a small list of things that were dropped due to "NES limitations" and the final product I am shooting for: No Versus mode or Survival mode, No 4 player mode- just 2 players, No hunting rifle/molotovs/pipe bombs, Dumbed down zombie AI, special infected changes, and Crash Course. I did keep in a lot, but of course, changes and sacrifices needed to be made for the final product to "work" as an NES game.

So far are you happy with the results?

Short answer this time- Yes. So far, it's coming along even better than I expected. Of all the bugs, and problems my QA friends have reported, "fun" was never an issue. In fact, the guys have called this my "best game yet." Its very flattering. :)

You plan to release the full game as a free PC download on January 4. Any chance that you will team up with Valve to release the game via Steam?

Maybe, but that would be entirely in Valve's hands. I love the guys and welcome a response from them about the future of this title and possible cross-promotion, but until I talk to them, I can't set anything in stone. Its always possible though.

What other projects are you working on, if any?

One of my bigger games is an aducational game that teaches touch-typing through music and rhythm. The title is called "Key Velocity" and it features player selected music tracks that you learn to type to through various game modes. It's kinda tough to explain, but I have a few videos of it in action on my You Tube page, so feel free to check it out for a better look at the product and its goal. Also, I plan on moving forward with some more Pixel Force games soon. Some of the other titles I want to de-make are Halo, Psychonauts, and DJ Hero.

Is it fair to say that you want to be a game designer full time?

Absolutely. The minute a game company will give me the chance to prove my love and dedication for the industry is the minute my life will be just about complete. I've been working hard for years teaching myself all about animation, coding, music, etc to try and make myself more accessible to those industry higher-ups. I know that one day I'll be able to look to the outside from within and say "I told you so, Mom." I know she'll be proud.

Finally is there anything else you wish to say about your work in general and 8-bit Left 4 Dead in particular?

Nothing special. I do make rounds quite a bit at east coast game conventions, so if you're attending some good ones like GameX or MAGfest, be sure to come over and say hi! You never know what I'll be showing off. :) And as far as "Left 4 Dead" is concerned, I do want to thank Valve for such a fine piece of gaming entertainment. Without the love and inspiration I grabbed form that title, I obviously wouldn't be on Joystiq today. Thank you Valve, thank you MAGfest, and thank you Joystiq!