Full file versions of IK and WKC

[pavros]

Recently I've prepared slightly improved versions of International Karate (IK) and World Karate Championship (WKC) games. It has been announced on Polish fora so far but I think it is a good idea to share it with wider audience. The most noticeable change is that they both are file (xex) versions and still contain all 7 backgrounds. I know that two file versions of WKC (with 7 backgrounds) existed earlier but both had some weaknesses. One required 130XE and in the other one the bottom of screen was broken a bit and POKEY sound of paused music was not turned off for a time of replacement of the background.
Here is a list of features of improved versions (same in both IK and WKC):
- required RAM size is 64k (original disk versions required only 48k and could run on Atari 800),
- max allowed MEMLO is $2E00, due to that the games should start under any DOS or loader,
- data of 7 backgrounds is crunched with exomizer and is stored under OS ROM while game runs,
- entire code is crunched with exomizer which reduces lenght of xex file (and allows for such high MEMLO),
- original loading screens are included (in case of IK there is one information added regarding game speed adjustment with X and 1-4 keys),
- at beginning of game loading few checks are made against available RAM size, MEMLO, cartridge or Basic presence and error messages are displayed in format equal to the originals (original cassette versions had few checks like that),
- games detect video system of the machine they run on and adjust their settings accordingly to run with correct speed,
- it's possible to switch to "incorrect" video settings (for people used to slower WKC on PAL and faster IK on NTSC machines) with V key at any time and switch back to correct settings with Control-V,
- correct draw handling in case of two-player game - referee says "DRAW" and the fight continues instead of being immediately broken (the draw is when both fight points and scores are equal for both players)

 

One think to remind - to force switching to another background press sequentially A, D, Z and M, where M must be pressed when fighters are fighting/standing.

ik.xex

wkc.xex

[José Pereira]

Good.

Nice work and don't get me wrong but I think that we all here want that you find time to finish IK+ .

Please! Please!...

Edited November 14, 2013 by José Pereira

[Tezz]

Good to see what you planned finalised. It's always a good thing to patch and improve the back catalogue

 

P.S. I know I mentioned it previously on AOL when you first talked about this, but can you not call the RH music player during vbl while depacking the background?

[pavros]

@Tezz: I understood you ask for not stopping the music while background is switched. I'm planning to add this feature to enhanced IK version I'm working on now.

@Jose: I'm going to switch back to IK+ once I'm done with enhanced IK.

[Tezz]

That's great news on both fronts

[José Pereira]

An idea:

After you finish the improved version of IK and IK+ why not 'contract' Oz or PG to, using the original Archer McLean way of build the screen create some new parts of the world screens for IK.

Even with your IK+ code they can create new screens.

 

IK with different parts of the world and IK+ with different nature screens with/like countryside, rivers, lakes, forest, mountains, sea/sand/beach,... that then it could have those small creatures, animals,... moving like in the original.

An idea for a screen: whatever gfxs at night with shining/blinking stars and the moon that we suddenly see a comet crossing the sky...

Just some ideas.

[pavros]

Well, this idea is fine. Adding new backgrounds to IK is something I also thought about. And it wouldn't be so hard to do. Adding new ones to IK+ however would be much tougher. The animations are strongly dependent on positions of static objects on currently existing screen (altar, tree, water). So the animations would need to be prepared separately for each new background. It would cost a lot of time and I don't think I can afford. BTW, there is already a "night" mode in IK+, switchable with N/Control-N, though no stars nor moving comet are implemented. :-).

[Rybags]

I think with IK+ we'd just be grateful for a finished product - no extra bells/whistles needed really.

 

IK, I think extra BGs is a good idea, possibly even to the point of having some incidental animations etc like IK+ has.

 

I'm not familiar totally with how they're integrated but it would of course be nice if partial G2Fs could be used, that way almost anyone could devise their own.