6 digit score without using VDEL

[+SpiceWare]

I was playing Time Warp last night for the HSC and realized their 6 digit score routine doesn't use VDEL.

 

 

I don't recall seeing any other games using this method. One benefit I can think of is you can use all 8 pixels when designing the font as there's no longer a need for a blank spacing pixel.

 

 

[Tjoppen]

Yep, using the wider spacing (NUSIZx = 6) allows you to repeatedly do "LDA Abs,X + STA GRPx" instead of preloading registers etc.. You can combine this with early HMOVE to get a 12 digit score display (interlaced) without having to shift graphics. I did this for the text scroller in the SillyVenture 2k12 invitro (the source code is included in the release).

Edited August 5, 2013 by Tjoppen

[iesposta]

I can have 999 billion?

999,999,999,999

Pinball scoring. jackpot!

[Mr SQL]

Interesting! This method (12 digit display) is larger than the 48 pixel sprite then?

[+Gemintronic]

Interesting! This method (12 digit display) is larger than the 48 pixel sprite then?

 

It sounds like the text is "interlaced" which I assume means it looks just slightly better than the text in BASIC. Sounds like it skips a line when drawing text?

[RevEng]

Yep, I believe Tjoppen is referring to using flickerblinds (hence the in-kernel hmove) which is the tradeoff.

 

I also use this technique for the bB 96-wide titlescreen bitmaps.

[Mr SQL]

Yep, I believe Tjoppen is referring to using flickerblinds (hence the in-kernel hmove) which is the tradeoff.

 

I also use this technique for the bB 96-widw titlescreen bitmaps.

That's a cool enhancement for bB! Is it just for the DPC+ version?

[RevEng]

Thanks, and nope - the titlescreen kernel works with regular carts too.

[Joe Musashi]

I don't recall seeing any other games using this method. One benefit I can think of is you can use all 8 pixels when designing the font as there's no longer a need for a blank spacing pixel.

 

Sometimes it is also used in demos to stretch scrolling text horizontally a little:

 

 

A nice side effect of the wider spacing is that GRP0 and GRP1 do not have to be interleaved. This can be used to color the left and right halves of the bitmap differently:

 

 

Only distantly related, but also a cool trick is what 'Double Dunk' does (seen at bottom of the screenshot). Within the 16 bits of GRP0+GRP1 it displays three characters (but not four). This could also be extended to display three 3-digit scores.

 

[+SpiceWare]

Nice color usage there in the title screen. I did the Double Dunk method for Medieval Mayhem, but positioned the players apart from each other as I needed to display 4 scores.