Super TI-99 Mario Bros (F18A required)

[Asmusr]

I have attached a new version that fixes some glitches.

MARIO.dsk

[Asmusr]

2. In the underground level, just before the end (green tube) it is possible

to jump on top of the screen and walk through into another room

(but you get locked and need to count down until 0 seconds)

After that a small Mario comes back in the wall (and you need to jump 3x times

before back on the floor and enter the green tube)

 

Thanks for your feedback. This is how you get to the warp zone in the original. In the latest version I made a simplified warp zone that allows you to jump between the 3 implemented levels.

[globeron]

Hi Rasmus,

 

Sorry for the delay I have been busy getting the RetroPi to work, including TI-99/SIM, all set now.

Also I have now all the Mario's in NES running to compare with the TI version.

I do not have a real NES to compare, but the RetroPi NES emulator + Mario is

good in performance, similar with TI-99/SIM, I do not feel much difference that it is an emulator)

 

It is very well done, I feel it is like the real thing. The kids love it!

(what the RetroPi TI-99/SIM cannot do is F18A, so using real TI)

 

 

1. Total score remains now - fixed

 

2. The warp levels (in level 2, when walking over the top of the screen) to warp levels 1, 2, 3 works - fixed

 

3. but if Mario is "Luigi" (white Mario and can shoot), then in the next level he becomes Red Mario (and can shoot)

(something goes wrong changing characters)

 

 

4. In Level 2

a * it is a bit difficult to get the large coins (when walking over it, something like "coinc" detection?)

b * it is also a bit hard to jump to the top of the screen (compared with the NES-version)

 

 

c * I remember in the NES there is somewhere a hidden mushroom in the top (you need to hit it from the bottom)

then it goes to the "moving platforms", so you need to be fast to catch it.

 

5. In this level, the solid block is gone (used to be a ? question-mark, but it disappears)

 

and here the same

 

6. In the NES it is possible

to jump from the block below to the upper-block, like here

 

but in TI-version it is only possible from here:

 

 

7. Also sometimes, Mario becomes very slow movement and sound as well ("lagging"), in the world 1-2

not sure what is causing this? (F18A ?)

But I also see sometimes very fast movements.

 

Well done, it is an addicting game.

 

 

[Asmusr]

Thanks for the feedback.

 

I have fixed the issue with fire Mario turning red (issue 3). It happened when you had picked up additional fire flowers after becoming fire Mario. (Luigi is Mario's brother dressed in green ).

 

I have also added a secret star to the second level, but when I tried to add the 1UP mushroom (issue 4c) the program crashed so this has to be investigated. There are also other secrets on this level that unfortunately I cannot add without additional programming.

 

I haven't encountered the missing blocks (issue 5), but I haven't tried on real hardware for a while.

 

The lagging is because our CPU is too slow or my programming is too bad (nothing to do with the F18A). I'm not sure exactly when it happens, but probably when there are many enemies. This would probably require major changes to fix, and I don't think I'm going to work much more on this project.

MARIO.dsk

[globeron]

Thanks very much. I will try the new version later.

Fully understood, the project is already a great success in my mind and it is playable.

[Opry99er]

This thing is really moving along. Truly masterful work, Rasmus...

[ti99iuc]

In Italy been a Retrocomputer Expo (www.retrocomputerclubitalia.it)

TI-99 Italian User Club was present with lot of stuff.

I must say that Super Mario Bros DEMO had a Full success ! :D

 

 

Someone told me that playability is better than the Nintendo's one

Great Game Rasmus !

 

 

 

 

 

[MueThor]

Dear Asmusr,

 

Wow, really jaw dropping your F18A version of Super Mario Bros . Now, I don't want to tread on anyone's of you guys foot, but I would still like to see the realization of a Super Mario Bros game running on the TI 99 4a without F18A (written in Assembly). You have surely noticed that many people like me couldn't afford the 32k memory back in the 80's, when I was a child. So we were jealous of the people, who had a C64. And you were the first to show that it would have been possible to realize in the case of the TI 99 4a with 32k memory games at nearly the same level of programming perfection like in the case of C64. It would be nice, if you also released a version of Super Mario Brothers in the future running without F18A .

 

 

Regards

[Asmusr]

Thanks for the kind words. If the C64 belonged to the 1st generation after the TI-99/4A I guess the NES belonged to the 2nd: better hardware scrolling, multicolor tiles and sprites, 8 sprites on a line, etc. The NES has very similar capabilities to the F18A, which is the reason I chose a NES game for my first F18A game project.

 

I believe you could make a decent smooth scrolling version of SMB on the original TI-99/4A hardware, but it would have very few colors and might be slow. Mario needs to move in 60 frames per second with very specific physics to feel right. Even with my F18A version I began to run out of CPU power on the 2nd level, but that was due to my lack of understanding of how the original game was made - especially about how to control enemies outside the screen.

 

Note that I only used the F18A GPU to do a split screen in in my version of SMB, so all the load was on the TMS9900. People like to claim that programming for the F18A has nothing to do with the original hardware, but it feels exactly the same.

[Asmusr]

This is great, but the C64 has hardware scrolling.

 

 

This is more like what we could do:

 

[Asmusr]

The ZX Spectrum is always better than us.

[sometimes99er]

People like to claim that programming for the F18A has nothing to do with the original hardware, but it feels exactly the same.

 

Well, only a few has programmed for the F18A. Who made that claim ? Thought it was only in case of using improved graphics that made some people say it didn't feel like a TI-99/4A.

 

The ZX Spectrum is always better than us.

 

Yes, in terms of quantity and quality. It also depends on what we are comparing. Let's assume original set up. Popular timespan is similar. Here are my thoughts.

 

Ours was a closed platform to the owner (developing or just running machine code). Our CPU is a bit slower. Manipulation of VDP RAM is much slower. Our VDP has more tricks, so we should be able to come on par. Our soundchip is at least 3 times better than the ZX sound. Better keyboard versus the rubber. Our speech is much better quality and can be driven with almost no CPU overhead. In terms of millions of users, the ZX had a higher peak and lasted longer.

 

The ZX had tons of games and demos that pushes the machine. I think the closed TI platform is the main reason for the incredible difference.

 

Compare Parsec with the ZX and then compare Titanium and Road Hunter. You can't really compare games converted from the ZX platform. But the machines are comparable. The C64 is a next level and later (wait for price to drop). The NES was a closed platform.

 

"Always better than" - Even true for the MSX, which was slightly later. Wikipedia: In total, 9 million MSX computers were sold in Japan alone, along with 200,000 in the United Kingdom, making it relatively popular but still not the global standard it was intended to be. In comparison with rival 8-bit computers, the Commodore 64 sold 17 million units worldwide in its lifetime, the Apple II sold 6 million units, the ZX Spectrum over 5 million units, the Atari 8-bit sold at least 4 million units, the Amstrad CPC sold 3 million units, and the Tandy TRS-80 Model 1 sold 250,000 units. And I think we say the TI-99/4A sold 2,8 million.

 

The TI appears a bit unexplored, and perhaps easier target. My games and demos won't impress other then popular platforms. If I stick with it, practice will make master, - if only I had more time.

 

[+OLD CS1]

Huh. I have only ever seen the SMB hack of The Great Giana Sisters, never the actual game. I have to say I understand now why it was so popular. I am also not surprised to learn that Chris Huelsbeck did the sound for the game.

 

EDIT: A quick search trying to find the game I notice there are a shyt tonne of recently done ones. They definitely look better than the original but are not what I know. I will have to add to my list of things to do: to dig through my disks and find the "original" SMB hack for the C64.

 

Ah, found it:

 

[LASooner]

Someone just found this today

http://www.indieretronews.com/2017/03/super-mario-shown-on-ti-994a-with-f18a.html

[+Schmitzi]

Edited November 1, 2022 by Schmitzi
Charles Martinet - Voice of Super Mario

[MueThor]

Dear Asmusr,

 

Again: Yes, your game Super Mario Brothers is great, but in my eyes with the necessity of F18A not really the original TI 99 anymore. In reaction to this statement from me you wrote following:

I believe you could make a decent smooth scrolling version of SMB on the original TI-99/4A hardware, but it would have very few colors and might be slow. Mario needs to move in 60 frames per second with very specific physics to feel right.

 

I think that above cited statement from you is not 100% correct . I rank the FinalGROM 99 cartridge among the original hardware of the TI. So if it isn't possible to realize SMB or a clone of it for the original TI 99 with 32k RAM, then it should be possible to create the game so good using additionally FinalGROM 99 as it can be seen below (SMB clone Super Boy I from Zemina. Please ignore the statement "One of the worst Super Mario clones..." below the video in the original link):

 

The ROM file for the game can be downloaded here: https://www.msxgamesworld.com/gamecard.php?id=2746. Furthermore you can run it on the MSX emulator blueMSX, which can be downloaded here: http://bluemsx.msxblue.com/download.html . In addition, you can run the emulator with MSX1 settings. Moreover you can disassemble the game using the disassembler of the emulator. Now, I could of course theoretically create such a game for the TI, but neither have I ever written programs for the TI in Assembly language, nor do I have any experience with assembling and disassembling of code written for the Z80 as I have already mentioned earlier in a message here in one of the threads of the TI forum on atariage.com.

 

 

Regards

Edited August 6, 2017 by MueThor

[Asmusr]

Now, I could of course theoretically create such a game for the TI, but neither have I ever written programs for the TI in Assembly language, nor do I have any experience with assembling and disassembling of code written for the Z80 as I have already mentioned earlier in a message here in one of the theads of the TI forum on atariage.com.

 

Well, there is a first time for everything. Good luck with the project.

[MueThor]

Dear Asmusr,

 

Good luck with the project.

It would be nice, if I was able to pull up such an project. I can't, because I neither have ever written programs for the TI in Assembly language, nor do I have any experience with assembling and disassembling of code written for the Z80 (the latter is the main reason for not being able to pull up such a project).

 

 

Regards

[Asmusr]

Dear Asmusr,

 

It would be nice, if I was able to pull up such an project. I can't, because I neither have ever written programs for the TI in Assembly language, nor do I have any experience with assembling and disassembling of code written for the Z80 (the latter is the main reason for not being able to pull up such a project).

 

 

Regards

 

The general opinion seems to be that Super Boy 1 is one of the worst Super Mario clones, and after trying it out in blueMSX I tend to agree.

[MueThor]

Dear Asmusr,

 

The general opinion seems to be that Super Boy 1 is one of the worst Super Mario clones, and after trying it out in blueMSX I tend to agree.

Probably you all are right, but the game runs on MSX1 with only 16k VDP RAM and a maximum of 64k RAM (okay, TI 99 has only 16k VDP RAM and 32k RAM...). I presented the SMB clone to show that 16k VDP RAM would be enough to let a quite colorful realization of a SMB clone run on a TI 99 without F18A, which would be more colorful than (the) SMB (clone) for the ZX Spectrum.

 

 

Regards

Edited August 8, 2017 by MueThor

[x24b]

Thank you for this amazing game!

 

It will be a staple of the TI along with all of the other classics.

[+Schmitzi]

 

 

[ti99iuc]

If Halt and Catch Fire was today ? ?

[Omega-TI]

What I find amazing is that this port from Rasmus is over four years old already.  Where does the time go?  Another thing I find amazing is how many programs he's brought to us and the TI.  

Thanks Rasmus!

[Mobsie]

Hi,

i found this article very interesting.

https://matthewearl.github.io/2018/06/28/smb-level-extractor/