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To-do-over

Nathan Strum

Entry posted by Nathan Strum

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Almost two years since the last list. Looks like the prediction of the great Homebrew Crash of 2016 was right!

Hide the children! Run for the hills! Exit from the EU!

Nah... there's plenty of stuff happening. Some of it just takes awhile to materialize, since this is all done in peoples' spare time and all that.

Some of this is old. Some of it is new. Some of it is borrowed. Some of it is way overdue.

Wait... that's not quite how it goes. Eh, close enough.

Anyway... latest updates are in red.

Homebrews in development:

  • "Linus and Lucy"*
    Game graphics: In progress.
    Development status: Active development.
    3-2-18: Added to homebrew list.

  • "Fun With Sawdust"*
    Game graphics: Early development.
    Development status: Early development.
    3-2-18: Added to homebrew list.

  • Aardvark
    Game graphics: In progress.
    Development status: Active development.
    11-12-17: Added to homebrew list.

  • Mappy (was "Dueling Banjos")*
    Game graphics: Mostly complete.
    Development status: Active development.
    10-31-17: New homebrew project.
    12-1-17: "Dueling Banjos" officially announced as a port of the arcade game Mappy.


Completed Homebrews:

  • Draconian
    Game graphics: Completed.
    Box, label and manual artwork: Completed.
    Development status: Completed (restarted using CDF driver).
    8-16-14: Moved to new To-Do list.
    9-26-14: Completed first pass at rotating enemy sprites.
    9-27-14: Created playfield font for score display, revised enemy sprites, updated damaged station graphics.
    10-9-14: First pass at explosion graphics done.
    10-13-14: Changed "station core opening" animations. Converting arcade level layouts over to Draconian. First 12 Midway levels are done.
    10-18-14: Midway and Namco "new version" levels now converted over. Most layouts are shared between the two sets, except for seven unique layouts added to the Namco version. Both sets get to a certain point, then just repeat the last six levels.
    5-17-17: Initial sketches and layout for label artwork started.
    8-28-17: Revised label artwork in progress. Sketches for box and manual started.
    9-21-17: Box artwork finished.
    9-24-17: Label artwork finished.
    10-4-17: Poster and banner finished.
    10-10-17: Manual in-progress. Box artwork revealed ahead of PRGE release.
    10-14-17: Manual finished!
    11-12-17: Draconian is available in The AtariAge Store!

  • Super Cobra Arcade (was "Huey")*
    Game graphics: Completed.
    Box, label and manual artwork: Completed.
    Development status: Completed.
    12-10-15: New homebrew project.
    7-13-16: Starting to convert arcade level layouts.
    8-13-16: Conversion of arcade layouts completed (partially implemented in-game).
    9-20-16: Thanks to some compression magic by Thomas, all levels are now in the game. Music is currently being added.
    5-17-17: Initial sketches and layout for label artwork started.
    8-28-17: Label artwork nearly finalized. Manual and box sketches in progress.
    9-21-17: Box artwork finished.
    9-24-17: Label artwork finished.
    10-4-17: Poster and banner finished.
    10-10-17: "Huey" revealed as Super Cobra Arcade. Manual nearly complete. Box artwork revealed ahead of PRGE release.
    10-14-17: Manual finished!
    11-12-17: Super Cobra Arcade is available in The AtariAge Store!

  • Scramble
    Game graphics: Completed.
    Box, label and manual artwork: Completed.
    Development status: Completed.
    9-23-15: New homebrew project.
    10-9-15: Revealed as Scramble (demoed at PRGE).
    7-1-16: Added box, label and manual artwork to list.
    8-4-16: Initial sketches (by Dave Dries) submitted and design direction has been chosen.
    9-9-16: Label artwork finished (by Dave Dries).
    9-20-16: Converted arcade levels over, using same process as "Huey".
    10-15-16: Box art revealed!
    6-16-17: Scramble has been released, and is available in The AtariAge Store!


Homebrews previously in development, but currently on hold:

  • "Otis"*
    Game graphics: In progress.
    Development status: On hold.
    11-18-15: New homebrew project.
    1-27-17: First pass done on title screen graphics, character sprites are in progress.
    3-15-17: Character sprites mostly finished.

  • "Black Squirrel"*
    Game graphics: In progress.
    Development status: On hold.
    3-3-17: New homebrew project.
    3-3-17: First pass at title screen graphics and sprites finished.

  • "YAUCG"*
    Game graphics: Early mockups.
    Development status: Early development.
    1-30-15: New homebrew project.


Homebrews not currently in development, but not completely dead, either:

  • 2600 Toolbox (tentative title)
    Description: At some point, I need to make a Stupid Game Ideas! entry for this. The idea is to vastly expand upon the idea of the Test Cart, including color calibration patterns, hardware tests, sound tests, and various patterns for checking color combinations, flickering, and so forth. The cart can be used to test consoles, set up TVs, and be used by homebrewers and artists while developing new games.
    Development status: I have a list of things I'd like to see in it, I just need to write it all up, then hope a developer finds it interesting enough to pursue. ;)

  • "Project Retro" *
    Graphics: In-progress.
    Development status: On hold. A speculative project akin to "Bruce" (see below). In early development with some working code.

  • "Gut Bomb" *
    Game graphics and level design: In progress.
    Development status: On hold.

  • RPS
    Game graphics, label and manual: All in progress, to varying degrees.
    Development status: On hold. Probably dead. Would like to reboot it as "RPS the RPG". How could you go wrong with an RPS-based role-playing game? ;)

  • "Bruce" *
    Game graphics: In progress. Mostly mock-ups.
    Development status: Purely a speculative project. Some early coding done by a few programmers. May or may not ever materialize.


Miscellaneous projects:

  • Stella at 20
    Unbelievably - this will see the light of day in one form or another very soon.
    7-4-16: In progress
    7-29-16: Awaiting feedback on test footage
    9-24-16: Test footage approved, final processing begun
    10-17-16: Stella at 20 is now online! All of the original camera tapes have been digitized, and are available for streaming or download at Archive.org.

  • AtariAge
    Brochure for new homebrews.
    10-13-15: Completed

  • AtariAge
    Photoshop templates for homebrew images.
    10-16-15: In progress

  • AtariAge
    Banners for something called "Facebook". Yeah, I don't know what that means, either.
    3-24-16: Initial concepts
    7-4-16: Re-design in progress
    7-5-16: Completed

  • AtariAge
    Labels for Trak-Ball hacks.
    10-31-15: Initial concepts
    7-4-16: Re-design in progress
    7-6-16: First pass of all labels complete
    7-16-16: Final labels complete
    8-7-16: Scans of original game manuals complete
    10-9-16: Created banner for PRGE showcasing Trak-Ball hacks

  • Blog
    More homebreviews. Games should be arriving soon. After that, I figure I should be caught up on my reviews in 6 or 7 years.

  • ArcadeCinema.net
    Update old MacMAME.net video game movie reviews and redesign website.

  • 2600RM
    I want to build a custom, rack-mountable 2600. Could be expensive... could also be awesome.

  • Tronty-Six Hundred
    An Atari 2600 Tron console mod. Yes - I want to make this happen for real.


* As always, project names that are in quotes are code-names, and not the actual titles.

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24 Comments

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EricBall

A rack mountable 2600 shouldn't be that bad. The hardest thing would be rewiring the cartridge slot and switches so they are in line with the joystick connectors.

 

Or were you thinking something more radical?

 

Of course, you could always make a rack mounted RPi and play everything via emulation.

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Nathan Strum

Update:

  • 7-6-16: First pass at Trak-Ball labels complete. Waiting for the go-ahead from Albert (and higher quality scans of the source artwork).
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Nathan Strum

Updates:

 

Scramble:

  • 8-4-16: Initial sketches (by Dave Dries) for label artwork submitted, and design direction has been chosen.
"Huey":
  • Status changed from "Early Development" to "Active Development"
  • 8-13-16: Conversion of arcade layouts completed (partially implemented in-game).
Stella at 20:
  • 7-29-16: Awaiting feedback on test footage
Trak-Ball hack labels:
  • 7-16-16: Final labels complete
  • 8-7-16: Scans of original game manuals complete
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Nathan Strum

Updates:

 

Scramble:

  • 9-9-16: Label artwork finished (by Dave Dries).
  • 9-20-16: Converted arcade levels over, using same process as "Huey".
"Huey":
  • 9-20-16: Thanks to some compression magic by Thomas, all levels are now in the game. Music is currently being added. (Development on this game is flying.)
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Nathan Strum

I cleaned up some of the formatting in the main post. And just in case anybody is paying attention:

 

Scramble:

AtariAge:

  • 10-9-16: Created Trak-Ball banner for PRGE
  • 10-13-16: Created brochure for new homebrew games

 

Oh, and...

 

Stella at 20:

  • 9-24-16: Test footage approved, final processing begun

Another update on that project coming soon.

 

Real soon. :D

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Nathan Strum

Update:

 

"Otis":

  • 1-27-17: Game graphics are now In progress. Game is now in Active Development. First pass done on title screen graphics, character sprites are in progress.
Link to comment
Nathan Strum

Updates:

 

Scramble:

  • 6-16-17: Scramble has been released, and is available in the AtariAge Store!

Draconian:

  • 8-28-17: Revised label in progress. Box and manual sketches started.

"Huey":

  • 8-28-17: Label artwork nearly finalized. Manual and box sketches in-progress.
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Nathan Strum

Updates:

 

Draconian:

  • 10-10-17: Manual in-progress. Box artwork revealed ahead of PRGE release.
Super Cobra Arcade (was "Huey"):
  • 10-10-17: "Huey" revealed as Super Cobra Arcade. Manual nearly complete. Box artwork revealed ahead of PRGE release.

Both of these games are incredible homebrews!

 

Darrell Spice, Jr., has created a version of Bosconian that I never would have expected to turn out anywhere nearly as feature-complete as it is! It features digitized voices and amazing sound (thanks to Mike Haas, aka ieposta), and all of the arcade game features including the radar screen, enemy formation indicators, and all of the levels of the original arcade games (Namco and Midway), plus additional levels designed by AtariAge members, and a random level generator. Bosconian has always been a favorite arcade game of mine, and it puts a huge smile on my face whenever I play Draconian!

 

John Champeau has done an amazing job with Super Cobra Arcade. Following on the heels of Scramble (which is already an amazing game) John tackled bringing Super Cobra to the 2600 as well - with the entire arcade terrain and all of the enemies intact! As with Scramble, there's high score saving (with AtariVox or SaveKey), and some cool extras as well. ;) If you liked Scramble, or you were ever disappointed by the Parker Bros., version of Super Cobra, you need to check this out. It's every bit as tough as the arcade game (although there are novice levels as well). The difference between John's version and Parker Bros.' is perhaps the most dramatic of any of the games remade by homebrew authors.

  • Like 2
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Nathan Strum

Updates:

  • 10-14-17: Manuals finished for Draconian and Super Cobra! That completes the artwork for these two games (unless Albert wants to have coffee mugs made or something).

Doing artwork (especially the manuals) for two games at once was really challenging. Thanks to Darrell, John and Albert for their patience. I was really worried about making the PRGE deadline. But I'm pleased with how they turned out - I don't feel I cut any corners to get them done, and I really like the end results (as do the programmers, which is the most important thing). Both manuals are very different from anything I've done before, so I'll be interested to hear what people think of them. It would've been fun to go to PRGE for their release and meet everyone in person, but it's just not something I could do this year. Maybe some other time.

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Nathan Strum

Updates:

  • 3-2-18: Added new homebrew project, code name: "Hamster Pudding" (I'm working on the in-game graphics)
  • 3-2-18: Added new homebrew project, code name: "Fun With Sawdust" (same here - but I haven't really started on it yet)
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Nathan Strum

Update:

 

Changed the code name for "Hamster Pudding" to "Linus and Lucy". "Hamster Pudding" had nothing to do with the game, and was just a random phrase that popped into my head. "Linus and Lucy" was based on something the programmer said.

 

Also, "Linus and Lucy" is actually a revived old project. So you might find a reference to it in some of my old To-Do lists.

 

And no - it's not actually based on "Peanuts".

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