LS_Dracon

There is some incompatible codes according TIA revisions. Recently found my Atari doesn't run some games, like Kool Aid Man. Not a big lost, but these "hardware bugs" is really annoying for programmers, because even running the game on real hardware, not means will play in all Atari hardwares. Recently I was testing a private W.I.P. and I was the unique which the game displayed some garbled pixels on screen. Thankfully this was fixed in time.

Found this project and want to share. Stef, sega genesis programmer, is porting Star Fox for sega genesis. The game is running slow, but it's impressive for a stock sega genesis, it's not using a co-processor for the math stuff. Blast Processing at it finest. You can follow the original thread here, as well download the tech demo rom and try on emulator. Here's an youtube video, believe, it's for real! This demo is old, it seems he did a bit optimization and the frame count. is better now. http://youtu.be/Bm-ICwWxaAY

Nope, was not me. But I like the idea. Looks good, have you tried to use some dithering?

Wow, they're perfect port! Very cool.

My plan was made both games as 2kb then I could release in a 4kb cart (Atari 2600 rom limit) But Computer Space is very low priority on my to-do list. It's a fun game, really. Great!

Cool. Recently I finished a pong clone for Atari 2600. For the ball angles, my code is something like: (Ball Y pos) - (Player Y pos) If Ball is on the player range, the result (0 up to 15, player height) is divided by 2 (byte shift) because 15 is too much, resulting 7 positions plus 0 (no vertical move). Then I use the result to index a table. The table in this case is like -7,-6,-5,...0,1,2,...7. Positive to go down, negative to go up. So I can easily pick the vertical value for the ball. Note if ball hit the center of the player, the vertical value is 0, this why 0 is on center of the table. I had plans to make computer space too. Is there a screenshot of your game?

Not really, check this out : http://atariage.com/forums/topic/158712-mini-sokoban-2600/?hl=%2Bsokoban+%2B2600&do=findComment&comment=1965555

Bomberman

Next will be the Jaffar fighting animation. Thanks! BTW I would like to add more animation frames, I'm using the original amount (4 frames) I think this animation deserve more frames.

Skeleton animation demo. This character has no defense animation because it's invincible, you should push him, hitting with a sword, in order to force him to fall into a pit and be locked. Once you load the demo the skeleton is dead as normally one skeleton should be. Press up for giving a new life to our friend Press left to walk to left Press back for display "get hit" animation Press fire button to attack anim. Press reset to reset and be dead again. You can't wrap around screen because some bugs in this kernel, I don't want to fix it right now. And as aways it's not the final sprites, I'll work more on it other day. skeleton.bin

Cool! You should show them somewhere in the game manual!

1977... Wasn't the year nintendo released their first console? One unauthorized home pong clone?

LaserFrog (Run,Play,Think) Agreed!

Not a good idea, it's already too low compared with arcade. Also Atari 2600 can't handle much information for the audio volume, it's only 15 values, 0 is mute and 15 is most louder. If we change the volume "a bit", the changes are drastic. This siren code Thomas did is awesome, replicating the arcade sound with perfection. I fear reducing the volume it could be inaudible if you set the TV volume low (like me). I really NOT big fan of the siren, for me I'll remove it at all, but we're trying a perfect port and this include the perfect siren Thomas coded. My suggestion is a option to not play the siren, but I'm afraid there's no rom enough, or free button\switch to set it.

Yes, select switch. Tested on real hardware and $x8 looks better for the balloons in a black background. I also like most alternating balloon colors.

This demo would be interesting but it doesn't work here... All I can change is the background color, pressing fire just increase the bright of background, it's not toggling, tried with player 2 fire button too and nothing. If you send me a demo that just changes the balloon colors (perhaps moving up/down to select balloon row, the player indicate the current row, and left / right to change the luminance. I'll be able to make some test in real hardware and send the feedback to you. Good enough! About balloons colors, seems right to me, I think the original had a row of yellow balloons, (I'll check soon) but they looks fine as it. The problem is the brightness but not so long.

Tested and run fine. I have some suggestions about colors. You're using values as $x4 for the balloons, it's too dark! I recommend bright values like $x8 or even $xA, like the balloon cord. I did some test about color flicker and I know more bright means more perceptible flicker, but luminance 4 still too dark. I think up to $xC need to be avoided, for the flicker. Also reduce a bit the bright for the players, something for $0A, it's a black background, the characters are distinctive enough. So increasing the bright for the balloons and reducing for the players, trying to nullify the flicker perception. Dead character uses white $0A, I think it looks good. The platform using 1 scanline resolution doesn't looks good, I'll send my suggestion. You can even make the platform with player 1 graphics, for something more detailed.

Thanks. That was a joke I have in mind for long time until took some time to make. I thought you have a background in art when I see your projects. I think you're good and this will make your games even better. About echdina, it's really a strange animal. It lay eggs! Figure if you have one like a dog in your house and times from times you see an egg in your garden, weird! Sure! You can make a promo animation for this project.

Well, if you want something more real life like...

Nice game is coming, already better graphics than the arcade version, which is impressive for Atari 2600. Keep up the good work.

Thanks. The light gray (white) in background is needed to use on skull, I can set black pixels to hide the white around the object but I'll lost the outline information I like to keep in my sprites. The sprite you like is the original, others 2 are modifications to fit the technique limitations (16 pixels wide for black pixels, 2 colors limit for each line + background white ).

How about when the bullet hit the ring, keep the ring shield by 2 or 3 frames, with a counter and remove the piece if counter reach 0. Every time other bullet hit the ring, the counter is reset. So with turbo fire the shield piece never destroy in less than 3 frames.

Another variation of technique I call hyper sprite. Also the making of sprite set and what I needed to do for convert it to Atari 2600 graphics. Believe, this was the easier part, making the kernel was the difficult thing, thanks to HMOVE hardware bug. I'm listening right now Tenpole Tudor, very cool early 80's punk band from UK. Together with Toy Dolls, Damned and Sex Pistols my favorite punk bands from that era. Below, the Atari 2600 rom if you want.

Stephen, I found a bug. In my last game, SuperPong, when you load the game the screen is garbled, mostly colors and the ball, I think is related what Thomas Jentzsch found in page 3 and I didn't understand that time. The bug is fixed just going on controller config, I don't even need to change nothing, just returns to the game and everthing is fine. The rom works fine in real hardware, I don't mind to send you the game source if you need. Once the bug is fixed, it never happens again until you change the controller for joystick, so you can replicate it switching between paddle/joystick on game config. Edit : The bug happens every time you go to controller config, if the game is fine, press ok and the game become garbled, then you return to controller config, press ok and the game is fine again.

Interesting. It seems the colors can be changed every 8 pixels horizontal. Color display plus detachable controllers certainly would give an extra life for Studio 2.