Seaweed Assault is Finally Finished (Atari 2600 Game)

[Schizophretard]

I had fun testing it out, giving suggestions, helping RT work out all the bugs... So much so that I'm almost sad that it is finished. I'm happy for RT though. His first VCS game is wonderful. He is big on controlled randomness and replayability. This game has both. The seaweed grows randomly, the order of wrothopods showing is random, where the canisters and wrothopods drop are semi-random, and the corroded canisters start on random frames of their spinning animation so, the game is different every time you play it. There are no patterns to memorize and the low scoring makes rolling the score a challenge. Those things mixed with the addictive adrenaline filled fast paced gameplay adds enough replayability that for me this game will stand the test of time. If back in the day he charged a quarter for every time someone played it then he would have a shit load of quarters.

 

I love how the pause feature and right-handed/left-handed controller configuration works. I recommend you all test them out. The pause feature has only been tested on 2600's, 7800's, and a Colecovision Expansion Module. It should work on other 2600 compatible units like the 5200 Atari 2600 Adapter but I think RT would appreciate it if players confirmed this. Also, pointing out any other type of compatibility issues/bugs would be helpful. The right-handed/left-handed controller configuration doesn't just change the side of the fire button for left-handed players. I did all my testing with StarFigher joysticks. Since the stick is so small, with the left-handed controller configuration I was able to control it comfortably like a D-pad by having my thumb on top. So, test out different controllers with both configurations. You might discover a more comfortable way to play.

 

This game deserves to be played and others might find unknown issues. So, I challenge you all to a high score competition. The competition ends when RT's mother ship returns. My score today was 75,594.

 

This game wouldn't have happened without Batari's Batari Basic and his Harmony Cart. If you don't own a Harmony Cart yet then I recommend buying one. You won't regret it.

 

If you love this game and think it is worthy of being put on cart then you must think that at the bare minimum RT deserves a tip for his hard work. RT is a reptilian hybrid. It is harder for him to digest the nutrients directly from Earth food. Therefore he has to buy vitamins and supplements. It can become very expensive and I'm sure he would appreciate any size donation. He might even prevent his people from killing you when his mother ship returns on December 21, 2012. His tip jar can be found here: http://www.randomter...com/donate.html

 

Other things you could do to save your life is to bug the Hell out of Albert to sell it in the store and/or put on the main page news that the game has been finished.

 

Anyway, congratulations on your first VCS game! Next!

[+Random Terrain]

Anyway, congratulations on your first VCS game! Next!

 

Thanks. And I forgot to mention that if anybody finds the Easter egg, please post that you found it, but please don't post what happened or how you found it.

 

 

 

Thanks.

[Schizophretard]

I found it!

[Amstari]

Great work RT! I just tried it on the Harmony Cart.

 

It's a lot of fun and very addictive.

 

If this is made as a cart I will buy one.

[Chris++]

Wow. Superb work. Many congratulations on the completion. (And I love how you include actual photographs of the referenced undersea entities in the manual.)

[+Random Terrain]

Great work RT! I just tried it on the Harmony Cart.

 

It's a lot of fun and very addictive.

 

If this is made as a cart I will buy one.

 

Thanks.

 

 

 

 

Wow. Superb work. Many congratulations on the completion. (And I love how you include actual photographs of the referenced undersea entities in the manual.)

 

Thanks. Speaking of the online manual, I wonder how much money it would save people if I didn't have a paper manual.

[Schizophretard]

Speaking of the online manual, I wonder how much money it would save people if I didn't have a paper manual.

 

I have no idea. Maybe you could make it optional? I don't know. All I know is that if it does go to cart then I better have the option to buy a manual, a box, an E.T. like tips sheet, a comic book, an order form to send in with a screen shot to prove I earned my Seaweed Smokers patch, and a 30 years expired 90 day warrantee card or I will blow up the mother ship! No joke! I will blow that mother effing ship up! I almost forgot! And a lunch box!

 

Anyway, couldn't you create an Atari like online manual that could be printed the correct size, we fold it, and then we add our own staples? Or maybe printable versions of Space Shuttle like overlays for each console that have all the necessary info on them? Or both?

 

Another thing you could do is see if Batari would include Seaweed Assault in the free homebrew section that comes with the Harmony Cart. You have whole sections of your site dedicated to Batari Basic, The Harmony Cart, and the game was made with both. It doesn't just deserve it's own cart. It deserves to also come with the Harmony Cart.

 

If it doesn't go in the store you could always charge someone $5, $10, free, or whatever you want to get permission to have one custom made cart in the store. Albert charges $20(Legacy 2600 Board) to $25(Melody Board) to make custom carts and he doesn't use a homebrew binary without the author's permission.

[+Random Terrain]

Anyway, couldn't you create an Atari like online manual that could be printed the correct size, we fold it, and then we add our own staples? Or maybe printable versions of Space Shuttle like overlays for each console that have all the necessary info on them? Or both?

 

Now that I have more money than I used to, I could buy some kind of PDF software if it doesn't cost hundreds of dollars.

[RevEng]

... I could buy some kind of PDF software if it doesn't cost hundreds of dollars.

There's all kinds of free print-to-pdf solutions. I used Open Office, which has this built-in, for the titlescreen kernel docs and 21 Blue manual.

[disjaukifa]

Hey Random, I would buy a copy as well, you should consider releasing this game! I think it would be a hit!

[The Usotsuki]

LibreOffice is the same, more or less, as OpenOffice (it's a fork) and also has the output-to-PDF ability built in.

[+Random Terrain]

... I could buy some kind of PDF software if it doesn't cost hundreds of dollars.

There's all kinds of free print-to-pdf solutions. I used Open Office, which has this built-in, for the titlescreen kernel and 21 Blue documentation.

 

I have that on my computer. I didn't know it could do that. Thanks.

 

 

 

 

Hey Random, I would buy a copy as well, you should consider releasing this game! I think it would be a hit!

 

Thanks. I'm considering it, but I'd have to get somebody to do it since I don't know how to make cartridges or professional-looking boxes or any of that magical stuff that Albert does.

 

 

 

 

LibreOffice is the same, more or less, as OpenOffice (it's a fork) and also has the output-to-PDF ability built in.

 

Never heard of LibreOffice. Looks like a good alternative to that expensive Microsoft stuff. Thanks.

[Schizophretard]

Hey Random, I would buy a copy as well, you should consider releasing this game! I think it would be a hit!

 

It already is a hit for me.

[Pioneer4x4]

I have yet to try it, and am looking forward to it. As for making manuals, carts, boxes. I would offer them all based on what I have seen, other seem to really get into getting all of that!

Personally, I do not go after CIB, but I DO really want all documentation specific to a cart (Manuals, and tip sheets, maps...)

If they are just inkjet or color laser print outs, I can do those myself and would rather not buy them, I would rather download a pdf or whatever. If actually printed permanently like a real manual, I would buy that for a couple bucks.

I have 2 games I am working on that I may release, 1 will be simple, and 1 will not. One if released will be as however the customer will want, based on what I can make, probably via Al's store if anyone wants it that way, with a nice label. The other will probably be a small packaging project unto itself.

As for yours, I really want to try it to see how it fits all of your criterea of game's. Most of which I fully agree with!

 

Some "games" that are totally non random, perhaps should be called "Challenges" since they can be repeatedly tried again and again to challenge you to find alternate/better ways to solve&survive.

[bennybingo]

Congrats on finishing your first homebrew game!!! It's a blast to play.

 

Please count me in for a cart, manual, box....whatever you decide to release! :thumbsup:

[+Random Terrain]

I have yet to try it, and am looking forward to it. As for making manuals, carts, boxes. I would offer them all based on what I have seen, other seem to really get into getting all of that!

Congrats on finishing your first homebrew game!!! It's a blast to play.

 

Please count me in for a cart, manual, box....whatever you decide to release! :thumbsup:

 

Thanks.

[Albert]

Congratulations RT! Just posted this on the front page of the site.

 

..Al

[potatohead]

Congrats RT!

 

Long time coming, and it looks as though you did very well. Excellent

[Pioneer4x4]

OK, I finally got around to hooking up the atari again. I fired up the Light 6 Sears I got recently and never tested. I tried Seaweed Assault and so far, 2 comments

1 - I suck at this type of game

2 - First impressions are positive

 

At first I didn't like the controls at all, but I am getting used to it. I tried it as any true atari player would, stuck it in and fired it up without reading. Then realized I had no clue and RTFM.

Sound and graphic/colors wise, I like it a lot. Now I need to pretend I paid cash for it and have to play it to get my money's worth and see if I like it!

[+swlovinist]

SIgn me up if you make a cart. Excellent game.

[+Random Terrain]

Congratulations RT! Just posted this on the front page of the site.

Congrats RT!

 

Long time coming, and it looks as though you did very well. Excellent

OK, I finally got around to hooking up the atari again. I fired up the Light 6 Sears I got recently and never tested. I tried Seaweed Assault and so far, 2 comments

1 - I suck at this type of game

2 - First impressions are positive

 

At first I didn't like the controls at all, but I am getting used to it. I tried it as any true atari player would, stuck it in and fired it up without reading. Then realized I had no clue and RTFM.

Sound and graphic/colors wise, I like it a lot. Now I need to pretend I paid cash for it and have to play it to get my money's worth and see if I like it!

SIgn me up if you make a cart. Excellent game.

 

Thanks. A real cart might really be coming.

[+cmart604]

Congrats on a great looking game RT, I'll definitely buy one if a cart is released, and may I also say, what a great online manual, very well done.

[+Random Terrain]

Congrats on a great looking game RT, I'll definitely buy one if a cart is released, and may I also say, what a great online manual, very well done.

 

Thanks. Schizophretard suggested improvements to the manual and provided additional text to make things clearer.

[Schizophretard]

OK, I finally got around to hooking up the atari again. I fired up the Light 6 Sears I got recently and never tested. I tried Seaweed Assault and so far, 2 comments

1 - I suck at this type of game

2 - First impressions are positive

 

At first I didn't like the controls at all, but I am getting used to it. I tried it as any true atari player would, stuck it in and fired it up without reading. Then realized I had no clue and RTFM.

Sound and graphic/colors wise, I like it a lot. Now I need to pretend I paid cash for it and have to play it to get my money's worth and see if I like it!

 

I sucked at first but the design of the game helps you learn it. Think of the climb up to maximum difficulty as a tutorial. It starts out at the easiest skill level but as you keep on trying to beat your high score you get better at it and eventually reach the highest skill level.

 

Something that helps me is to set a goal score and when I reach it I pause with the right controller to take a break. Since I can reach maximum difficulty now with no problem, my goal score it every 10,000 points. When I reach 10,000 points I clear an area near the top, wait for the wrothopod to pass me, and then quickly pause. That way I know I am safe from the wrothopod when I start again and if I trigger the tentacle during that second of hitting the pause I have room to dodge it when I start again. It helps to pause at a goal score to take a break. I think of it as a check point.

 

The best way to control the Manatee is with taps because he glides a little in the water. What I do is go up and down the screen taking out each row while holding down the button to auto-fire. If I'm at the bottom I'll shoot one direction then tap once the other direction to clear the row. Then I'll tap up then over to shoot on the next row and then tap in the other direction to clear the rest of the row. I'll do that all the way up and then all the way down. It is like tap up, tap right, tap left, tap up... tap down, tap left, tap right, tap down... After awhile the auto-firing becomes like a metronome. You'll get to a point where your tapping up then over is timed for the next torpedo. It might sound complicated but as long as you try to do taps instead of holding down the controller you'll eventually get it. It would work best with a D-pad or a joystick with a short throw. I use a StarFighter. It taps perfectly for me in a way that it feels like a D-pad in joystick form. I also use a StarFighter for the right controller for pause because it is easy to slap the button fast without having to grip it and push the button.

 

Sometimes the seaweed will form a wall. It is harder to shoot vertically so, what you want to do is shoot vertically, kind of wiggle back and forth in place to avoid triggering the tentacle, readjust your aim, and fire again. When you get a hole around 3 or 4 pieces of seaweed thick, you do the up then over type tapping to swing the Manatee in there while timing it so you will shoot the row instead of ramming it. If you do ram it it isn't really a big deal though because sometimes you have to sacrifice some health to earn more health. If you wedge in a row but lose a unit of health it is totally worth it when you take out the row and then a canister falls.

 

Anyway, when you first play it you are suppose to suck at it. It is suppose to be an overwhelming sci-fi horror type experience that challenges you to get better and kick some seaweed tentacle! I sucked when I started. I could barely reach 500 points. Don't get discouraged because when you get it down it is addictive. Very addictive!

[Pioneer4x4]

Sometimes the seaweed will form a wall. It is harder to shoot vertically so, what you want to do is shoot vertically, kind of wiggle back and forth in place to avoid triggering the tentacle, readjust your aim, and fire again. When you get a hole around 3 or 4 pieces of seaweed thick, you do the up then over type tapping to swing the Manatee in there while timing it so you will shoot the row instead of ramming it.

This is the hardest part by far, being able to shoot vertically to get into a row. The game field can totally fill, but you can still miss a shot.