Heroes of Ruin
Platform(s): Nintendo 3DS
Role: Gameplay / Systems Engineer
Engine / Tech: n‑Space internal engine, Nintendo 3DS
Year: 2012
Overview
Heroes of Ruin is an action RPG developed by n‑Space for the Nintendo 3DS. I joined the project during its later stages and contributed across multiple gameplay systems, performance improvements, and bug‑fixing passes. The game was large and ambitious for the 3DS, featuring online multiplayer with voice chat, loot systems, quests, and a full 3D world — all of which pushed the handheld hardware to its limits.
My work focused on gameplay behavior, UI logic, and optimizations that helped stabilize and polish the game for release.
My Contributions
- Implemented QR code reading using the 3DS SDK
- Built the character selection menu, including camera logic and entity‑swapping
- Wrote performance improvements for off‑screen enemy animation updates
- Fixed numerous gameplay bugs across combat, movement, and interaction systems
- Supported designers with gameplay tuning and scripting adjustments
- Helped stabilize the game during final QA and certification
Technical Highlights
1. QR Code Routines
The QR code system was the first feature I implemented on the 3DS. It allowed players to link their games to an online account for posting character stats and progress. It used part of the official SDK and required:
- integrating the SDK’s camera and decoding pipeline
- handling edge cases in scanning and recognition
- ensuring responsiveness within the game’s UI flow
Although fairly straightforward, it served as my introduction to 3DS development.
2. Character Selection Menu
I wrote the logic for the character selection screen, where the camera rotates between different heroes. Due to engine limitations, only one entity could be loaded with player weapons, armor, and equipment at a time.
To work around this, I:
- moved the entity during the brief transition frames where the characters (and their shadows) would not be visible
- swapped its data to represent the next character
- ensured the transition appeared seamless to the player
This technique allowed the menu to present multiple fully equipped characters despite the engine’s constraints.
3. Performance Improvements
To maintain framerate on the 3DS, I implemented logic to stagger enemy animation updates when enemies were:
- off‑screen
- nearly off‑screen
- not immediately relevant to the player
This reduced unnecessary animation processing and improved overall performance without affecting gameplay readability.
Outcome
I contributed several gameplay systems, UI features, and performance improvements to Heroes of Ruin, helping stabilize and polish the game during its final development phase. The project strengthened my experience with handheld optimization, large codebases, and rapid problem‑solving under tight deadlines.
Links
- Square Enix Release Announcement
The Square Enix news page from 2012 announcing the European release of Heroes of Ruin, including a trailer. - Gameplay Video
A YouTube video showing some of Heroes of Ruin’s gameplay.
© 2026 John Sensebe — Gameplay & Simulation Engineer