104 replies to this topic

[seemo]

Hi,
here's my take on the 'hostile playfield' theme, that has been discussed in the '2600 mockups wanted' thread.

The game supports the AtariVox/SaveKey units for hi-score load/save functionality.

Instructions:

- Console Controls
Reset: starts a new game / ends the current game
Select : if you turn the 2600 on while pressing select, the hi-score on the savekey/atarivox is reset to 0
Colour/BW: before turning the 2600 on, set it to Colour for NTSC colors, BW for PAL colors

- During play
Move with the joystick in port 1, FIRE rotates the direction of fire by 90 degrees.
Pay attention to the 'full' square, it will show you where the enemy will start growing.

- Score
You get 1 point for each element of the enemy that you hit

- Game Over
Game ends when the enemy touches you

Enjoy !  
Simone

Attached Files

•  omicron_2k_20080113.bin   2K   326 downloads

[neotokeo2001]

Excellent game!! Plays great!

[Nukey Shay]

Running great

An alternate fire control suggestion could be to change direction to the stick's when fire is held.

[Impaler_26]

Great fast paced game!! This is fun!  

Attached Thumbnails

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[mos6507]

Great music for only 2K.

[TrekMD]

Cool game!

[Nathan Strum]

Fun game! Scoring suggestion - how about extra points if you manage to clear the screen?

[vdub_bobby]

Nice!  Simple, fun.  The controls are a bit clunky, though.

[Jess Ragan]

Does this game have David Bowie in it too?  

[r_type2600]

Cool game core with great potential!
Already has: smooth and fast gameplay, clever game controls, and atmospheric, entrancing music.

Main missing ingredients:
- purpose. What's the long-term motivation of shooting blocks? It's sure fun, but becomes pointless quite quickly. (A bit like punching holes into a sheet of paper).
- punch. As a result of above, the player can as well content himself with just avoiding the blocks. That's not so good, since excitement mostly stems from keeping the player on his toes, be it through relentless action or challenging puzzles.

Suggestion:
(of course subject to technical feasibility)
- introduce "rescue" items. A single sprite would already be sufficient to implement this idea. Displayed at random on the screen for a limited time, the player would have to race to get it before it vanishes. One level would then last for 10 or 20 such consecutive sprites. Get all of them for a "perfect" score bonus. (a counter could keep track of the rescue items).
Additional "punch" factor: the score for rescued sprites decreases with time: say, 30 pts. within the first 5 secs., 20 pts between 6-15 secs, 10 pts until 30 secs. The sprite then disappears (= 0 pts)
Later game levels could then raise in difficulty by giving increasing motion to these sprites (from static to 8-ways, fix pattern to random, different speeds, etc.)

This could at once fill the deficits described before, keep the player motivated and in constant motion, and open lots of possibilities for a full-blown, multi-level, exciting game experience...
(thinking about it: it's basically Robotron's success ingredient. How boring would that be without all the little humans to rescue?)

[kirin jensen]

seemo, when are you going to start releasing your games on carts?

The day you do is the day I buy a real live 2600. No joke.

Pleasse talk to whoever is responsible for cart releases here, please! I want to see omicron, Lead and your others on an actual cart!

[Nathan Strum]

Seven of Seemo's games are available on a cart: Sync

[cosmosiss]

Two words: kick @$$

[cosmosiss]

w00t Anyone hit 1000 yet?

[bomberpunk]

here's a thought...

if no other elements get implemented into the game, then there's no need for the player to press FIRE. as the game is currently, firing should be automatic. then the player can press the FIRE and move the joystick to change direction of the gun.

but yeah, it's freaken bad-ass. the little ditty that plays gets you pumped. if this goes on a cart, i'll have about $20-$25 less to my bank account!

[Devin]

Wow. That is fun!

It would be great with a "virus" or "disease" type theme.

[bomberpunk]

Devin, on Wed Feb 20, 2008 5:30 PM, said:

It would be great with a "virus" or "disease" type theme.

seconded. google the NES game Mutant Virus.

[TROGDOR]

Great game!

I'd suggest an occasional bonus bomb that the player can pick up.  They can then use the fire button to detonate the bomb, which will destroy all blocks in a 3 block radius of the player.

The virus theme is good.  Something like Fantastic Voyage.  Your microscopic ship has been implanted into the President's brain to destroy a dangerous growth, which is impeding his ability to make competent decisions.

Edited by TROGDOR, Thu Feb 21, 2008 10:53 PM.

[r_type2600]

TROGDOR, on Fri Feb 22, 2008 4:44 AM, said:

Your microscopic ship has been implanted into the President's brain to destroy a dangerous growth, which is impeding his ability to make competent decisions.

One logic error here - you are assuming an existing ability??

Agree though that the gameplay almost imposes itself for the "contagion" theme.
Not only in the medical field, it would also beautifully evocate the dangers of computer viri, political doctrines, religious fanatism, philosophical credos, etc.
If it is technically possible to include sprites in the action, their graphical appearance could then serve as the bearers of the respective theme by using typical/credible symbols.
The various themes would then make the framework for different set of levels.
Such extra dimensions would foster a free-floating aura similar to Lead, built upon a strong underlying message: "contagion" is bad, enslaving you physically and mentally.

Edited by r_type2600, Fri Feb 22, 2008 1:04 AM.

[kirin jensen]

Nathan Strum, on Sat Feb 16, 2008 7:17 PM, said:

Seven of Seemo's games are available on a cart: Sync

Dang! How'd I miss that? Time to get a real 2600, then.

[Devin]

bomberpunk, on Thu Feb 21, 2008 2:37 AM, said:

seconded. google the NES game Mutant Virus.

Ah. I never played that game. Interesting.

Actually, I like the biological theme virus more. Perhaps Seemo will call the game the "The Omicron Strain"?

[Devin]

kirin jensen, on Fri Feb 22, 2008 12:42 PM, said:

Nathan Strum, on Sat Feb 16, 2008 7:17 PM, said:

Seven of Seemo's games are available on a cart: Sync

Dang! How'd I miss that? Time to get a real 2600, then.

The game doesn't appear on the Atari Age game directory. Other great homebrews are listed.  

[Cybergoth]

Devin, on Sat Feb 23, 2008 9:31 PM, said:

The game doesn't appear on the Atari Age game directory. Other great homebrews are listed.  

I'm pretty sure the 2007 X-Mas releases will get entries in the DB soon. Al was pretty busy building and shipping things until now

[Devin]

Cybergoth, on Sat Feb 23, 2008 12:53 PM, said:

Devin, on Sat Feb 23, 2008 9:31 PM, said:

The game doesn't appear on the Atari Age game directory. Other great homebrews are listed.  

I'm pretty sure the 2007 X-Mas releases will get entries in the DB soon. Al was pretty busy building and shipping things until now

Okay. It sounds like business is good!

[seemo]

Hi,
thanks to Everybody for the feedback  

Here's an updated version of the game, that features two new gameplay elements:

1) the enemy grows from the last occupied cell, while it previously restarted from the 'root' at every growth attempt.

This way, the enemy extends way more towards the player, no matter if the player keeps moving.

2) there's an undestructable and deadly border around the playfield.

This adds some strategy to the game, since you have to approach the enemy from the right direction, otherwise you could hit a border and cause a game-over.
I also find that this keeps the player 'on his toes', somehow addressing the 'lack of tension' issue addressed by the always precious r_type2600   .

One more thing: please note that you do not have to hold FIRE to release missiles, just 'click' it to rotate your ship, Ok ?  

Have fun !
Simone

Attached Files

•  omicron_2k_20080229.bin   2K   309 downloads