I don't understand hacks

[Snider-man]

QUOTE: "I fail to see how that qualifies as a sequel worthy of a much lauded limited release."

 

Me too. What's up with that? You'd think the cheesy lil' hacker *meant* to sow chaos and discord with his little pet project! Wow, if you ask me, he *knew* it'd be a hot-hot-hot little limited collectible. And it's only a *hack,* for Christ's sake! It's not like the guy programmed the damn thing!

 

You know, it must've been some ploy to put many, many dollars in his pocket. Make a hack, put it in a fancy box, and sell them for an insane price. (Though, as I hear tell, the 20 he initially made sold for only $20 each - except for one which auctioned at CGE 2K1 for the price of $200+, stunning everyone, especially him.)

 

[/sarcasm]

 

You know, I'm kinda tired of being the poster child for "hacks/limited releases/fancy-shmancy packaging/etc." All of you have been on these boards long enough to know the entire story behind that game/packaging/limited number of them made/insane demand that exploded over them. Do we *really* have to revisit this every other month or so?

 

Cripes.

[Chuck Gill]

I think hacks are an important part of the Atari community. Some of them, like A Better Pac-Man and Paul's amazing music added games to mention a couple are worth buying. I know there are more. Pac-Invaders (which I started in 1998) was just me playing around with the source code of coke wins to see how hard it would be to come up with a 2600 game and make the carts. I had actually intended to do a lot more with the game, but the few people I showed it to convinced me to release it as is. I sold around 23 copies of it and Randy sold more at Hozer. (I sold them at my cost, I sell enough other used games for profit.)

 

I started experimenting with the 2600 and ended up making a (hopefully) decent game out of a relatively lame one. I think that was worthwhile. I have learned a lot about the workings of the 2600 and hope to find the time for an original game. I do have an update to Pac-Invaders in the works, with more orginal code and same new features.

 

-Chuck

[Chris++]

Thanks, all, for the thoughtful opinions. It's nice when these things turn out to be peaceful discussions (which is how they're intended, in the case of the threads I start, at any rate).

 

AtarimasterMarty -- You're another one of those guys who doesn't read everything in the thread before clicking on "Post Reply." I already said that I HAVE made graphic hacks, but that I didn't feel the urge to share them, since they were, like most of the ones here, minimal and not terribly earth-shattering.

 

 

CF

[Jeffy Arensmeyer]

 

...I HAVE made graphic hacks, but that I didn't feel the urge to share them...

 

Hmmm...

 

ò¿ó           

 

[Scott Stilphen]

The green 82 poster/catalog has a picture of it. Here's a link-

 

http://www.atariage.com/catalog_page.html?...2&currentPage=4

[Lost Monkey]

The green 82 poster/catalog has a picture of it.  Here's a link-

http://www.atariage.com/catalog_page.html?...ogID=62¤tPage=4

 

I've changed the background and playfield, but I have to go out to a ball game... so I'll finish up later.

[Chris++]

Yeah, I once decided to change all of the characters in BASIC Programming to Spice Girls, but there wasn't enough resolution for all the makeup...

 

Jeff -- What's with the "Hmmm?" My friend Adam wrote an article about changing VCS graphics, and he and I made several hacks together before I set out on my own with them. (Tim can verify this, now that he's realized this isn't a flame thread.) What I've done on my own computer is, of course, irrelevant. I was just wondering what people saw in hacks. Harmless enough stuff.

 

 

 

 

CF

[Cybergoth]

You know, I'm kinda tired of being the poster child for "hacks/limited releases/fancy-shmancy packaging/etc." All of you have been on these boards long enough to know the entire story behind that game/packaging/limited number of them made/insane demand that exploded over them. Do we *really* have to revisit this every other month or so?

 

Tim, one thing I wanted to tell you some time now. You know my bad opinion about selling hacks boxed and such very well, since I managed to state that more than once on several occasions.

 

What I never said, until now, is that you're Futurama hack and the idea of selling that, in a strange kind of way, really made sense to me. I perfectly understood you making this hack and I understood people wanting to buy it.

 

It's a fan thing of another kind. Being a fan of Futurama and wanting to have a 2600 Futurama game was just ok. Not that I dig Futurama at all, but I imagined someone doing an excellent Batman oder X-Men hack, with a cool packaging, manual etc and yes, I could (and still can) imagine wanting to own this. Not because it was an interesting game to play or anything, but it was a Batman cartridge for the VCS!! Just the thrill of owning a real Batman game for the VCS would probably make me ignore that it's just a hack.

 

Ok, I'm certain that all the copyright crap won't let too much of such licensed hacks happen, and I'm certain that I'd probably be only interested in 1 or 2 out of 100 of these, but... - I just wanted to tell you that

 

Greetings,

Manuel

[Eduardo]

@Chris:

 

Well, let me put it this way, Chris if you don't understand what's so cool about Hacking a classic Atari Game...then I don't understand you. see?

 

Why someone does it? because it's a free world ok!

is not like someone is trying to claim that it's a new game, no! as Albert clearly stated before, they're clearly labeled as mere hacks, it's just about being able to manipulate the data inside your favourite classic game and explore new options.

 

If you don't want to show your game hacks, well that's your problem not ours, go figure then. But if you don't like other's ppl hacks, well nobody is forcing you to see them, you looked at them because you wanted to.

 

I liked seeing those new game hacks, it's fun to see what others were able to achieve by monkeying with those data bits and manipulating the original code. I hope they keep'em coming.

[StanJr]

Gotta go to bat for my pal Snider-man. Venture II is AWESOME. I know that technically its a "hack." But it adds a LOT to the game play. Tim did a little more than just alter some graphics, but whatever he did, he made Venture (a fun, but bland sort of game) into something really neat. His new monsters and treasures were very cool. The way he reconstructed the rooms was brilliant. And best of all, he went ABOVE and BEYOND the call of duty creating an excellent instruction manual to elaborate on the game and HAND MADE a super-cool little treasure box for it.

 

THIS in my mind is a worthwile hack. Its certainly heads above changing the aliens in SPACE INVADERS to look like dog poo and calling it "Poo Invaders."

 

For the most part, hacks hold little interest for me, but like so many others have said, if the game is significantly improved, I'll give it a look.

 

Now FUTURAMA, THAT was a hack

 

 

Adventure hack? Was that guy talking about INDENTURE?

 

 

 

Original Stan

[ubersaurus]

Maybe he meant Suicide Adventure.

[Snider-man]

Ah, it's many hours later and I've had a chance to cool off and drink beer. Let me start by saying that I have only one button when it comes to this hobby of ours, and that's the beating I took last year over VII. Regardless of how it comes up in coversation today - a year later - I still get *incredibly* defensive. Sorry if I seemed over heated with my earlier comments. That said:

 

@ Chris F. - Boy, you and I seem to constantly be at odds, eh? I realize that you weren't starting a flame thread and you were asking a legit question. But some of us here see some degree of value in hacks and the folks who try to bring something "better" to the game-playin' public. (Granted, there are the hack "hacks." I'm referring to people who are really, honestly trying to improve a classic.) Anyway, sorry if it seemed I was getting fired up. Perhaps, one day, we'll post a topic we can agree upon, eh?

 

@Manuel - Wow. Thanks. I know how you and the other real Stella-ites feel about hackers, but it's nice to hear something positive from the folks I admire. I appreciate the kind words. Thanks again for the above post.

 

@Stan Jr. - Once again, I appreciate the positive comments. Glad you get a kick out of Vii. I know *I* do. Which leads me to the next point:

 

VII has always been one thing primarily ... I "made" a sequel to Venture *I* always wanted to play. I wanted more of a challenge, so I added the extra walls and chambers. I thought the blocky monsters looked stupid, so I made them more interesting. I made the treasures more appropriate. I made the score looked appropriately medieval. I wanted a game with a neat instruction manual that explained *what* these rooms were and what you'd find inside. Finally, I wanted a nifty treasure chest to hold it all together. So, VII was Tim's Game. And I made a few more carts for others who might want to play the same thing I wanted to play.

 

So, to summarize, most hackers want to try to 1. improve the original or at least add something new and interesting and 2. share what they've done with others who might like it. Which kind of - in a really big circle - comes back to answer Chris' original question.

[uosipa llamxew]

...

Edited September 23, 2005 by mojofltr

[Snider-man]

For the record, you'll never find a Futurama hack or game anywhere or anyplace. It was permanently pulled at the request of the Fox lawyers who threatened legal action if this game was to ever surface - freely or otherwise. If it ever surfaces, I have many massive legal problems. So don't bother looking. It was pulled before it was ever released. And I'll keep saying that regardless of what anybody may say to the contrary.

 

"There is no spoon?" No, "There is no Futurama."

[StanJr]

And that is really sucky too, cause a lot of people were looking forward to that (me) and it looked like it was gonna be cool!

 

Ah well, thanks corporate capitalist America....

[Tizoc]

Lets face it no one has produced a beter than original hack on an Activision title like Rhindle has on Mario Brothers (even Robot Tank TC)! Activison games were very well made, to high standards in all areas - gameplay and grafix!

 

I certainly got a kick out of that Kabul! hack though. I busted a gut when I first played that one. Yes...not better than the original...but very a clever hack.

[Big Player]

What was that Futurama hack like?

 

I made one myself that accurately captures my Futurama viewing experience. Didn't have to change one line of code.

 

It's called Super Challenge Football. You just have to start playing sometime before 7:00 and finish at about 7:20 or so. Then fill up the last ten minutes with endless prattle about the game you just played.

[StanJr]

From what I recall, the Futurama hack was of Oink.

 

But I like your "hack" as well. I actually think I have a copy.

[Rob Mitchell]

The Cuttle Cart allows me to try out hacks .. The good ones like Thomas' controller hacks stay on my hard drive. The multiple hacks of Space Invaders have not stayed on my hard drive. I'm selective.

 

Rob Mitchell, Atlanta, GA

[ubersaurus]

Maybe I'll make my own futurama hack! with blackjack! and hookers! in fact, forget the blackjack and the futurama! eh, screw the whole thing.

[Lost Monkey]

The green 82 poster/catalog has a picture of it.  Here's a link-

http://www.atariage.com/catalog_page.html?...ogID=62¤tPage=4

 

Well... I tried to surprise Scott with the inverted maze as well... but I have found that the program isn't detecting *all* collisions with the playfield.. instead there is a pre-determined route which Pac-Man must stick to. In other words, I can invert the maze, but Pac-man must still navigate the original maze. This was done to facilitate the fact that the wafers are actually made up of playfield gfx as well, I guess...

 

I'll play around with it some more tomorrow...

[krisjohn]

If it ever surfaces, I have many massive legal problems.

Do they have a copy of your work? Otherwise, if someone else produces something with "Futurama" and "2600" in the title you're kinda screwed. Alternatively, you could release it anonymously and claim it isn't your hack.

[Thomas Jentzsch]

Do they have a copy of your work?  Otherwise, if someone else produces something with "Futurama" and "2600" in the title you're kinda screwed.  Alternatively, you could release it anonymously and claim it isn't your hack.

Maybe then Tim get's sued for bringing the idea into public.

[Snider-man]

Arrrgh! Thought police! Thought police!

 

Actually, what a great prank. Make a Futurama game, slap my name in the code someplace, release it into the wild of the Internet, then sit back and watch me desperately try to explain that I didn't do it. If it wasn't for the fact that I'd get screwed 14-kinds of ways, it'd be almost funny.

 

Whoof.

[Thomas Jentzsch]

Arrrgh! Thought police! Thought police!

 

Actually, what a great prank. Make a Futurama game, slap my name in the code someplace, release it into the wild of the Internet, then sit back and watch me desperately try to explain that I didn't do it. If it wasn't for the fact that I'd get screwed 14-kinds of ways, it'd be almost funny.

So, you never gave them your hack for reference?

 

Hm, you better should be veeery nice to everybody from now on.