Cybergoth

Xype is very happy to announce that with their 8th hombrew game release they have Eduardo Mello joining their team. In the past two years Xypes main focus was releasing new games for the Atari 2600 VCS, but this outstanding effort of a pixel perfect port of several Space Invaders Arcade machines to the Coleco is something the Xype members just had to admire. Quality finds quality, and so it was a natural step to invite Eduardo Mello into the Xype team. This is our first try to branch out to another platform and we are very proud to do it with such a major title. This is by no means the end of Xypes Atari 2600 VCS activities, this is just the next evolutionary step of the basic Xype idea - Providing highest quality homebrew games for the classic gamer! Xype - The Intercontinental Classic Video Game Creator

Hi there! Atari had an arcade Outlaw game too. I've never seen it in action though and from all I've heard, the VCS Outlaw was in fact way closer to the Gun Fight / Boothill arcades than to Ataris own Arcade version. Greetings, Manuel

Hi dor-x! I try to do that carefully - where possible Greetings, Manuel

Hi dor-x! The first line means for example, that on waves 1-5 there's a maximum of 2 ships and 1 shot at once allowed. (ships can be anywhere, their shots can only be on coordinates that are visible) I don't want to get to technical here, but I assume you'll quickly get the idea when playing. These tables are used internally only... I will let them do more or less random movement only. Almost as is, only with additional casual changes of direction. Much "More" AI doesn't even make sense I think - what else than flying around and occasionally shooting at you should they do anyway? Yes. Only issue is, the flicker is evenly devided between all objects that are horizontal overlapping. I think in the Star Fire arcade, you are often attacked by clusters of 3-4 ships sitting on almost the same spot. On the VCS I would rather avoid such situations, since the flicker on that would be horrible. The engine *could* do it though. Well, I can't say much more at the moment, since everything just evolves. Once I have a really playable version, I'll publish it, so I can react on the feedback. It's only very limited what one can actually do on the VCS. I think you have the max. possible Strategy elements already in Starmaster & Solaris, so I'm trying to rather provide a hell lot of action with this one. In general, comparing it again with the arcade, it'll be less "simulation", but more "action"... Do you know the C64 or the Atari 8-Bit ports per chance? My goal is to do at least a "better than that" version for the VCS Greetings, Manuel

Hi Dor-x! Well, most of it gets dictated by the limits of the VCS. I have no real overall plan how everything will turn out in the end. In the demo I posted, you will occasionally notice some small diamond. If you manage to shot it, your shield will be recharged. Then the VCS can only compute 10 objects in the Star Fire universe. While one of these is reserved for the own shot and one is for either a diamond or a mother ship, I have another 8 objects, which can either be ships or shots. I currently programm a system with *maximum* tables. Here it is, for 20 different levels - which I hope are progressing in difficulty: Wave Ships Shots 1 2 1 6 3 1 11 2 2 16 4 1 21 3 2 26 2 3 31 5 1 36 4 2 41 3 3 46 2 4 51 6 1 56 5 2 61 4 3 66 3 4 71 2 5 76 6 2 81 5 3 86 4 4 91 3 5 96 2 6 Well, that's what I am working on at the moment... I'm very curious how this'll turn out, when fully implemented Greetings, Manuel

Hi there! To me, the main important aspect of an RPG, was raising a charackter. Experience points! That is was an RPG is all about! No, neither Doom nor Adventure are RPGs. And one of the first real RPGs on a console should be Gateway to Apshai for the Coleco... Greetings, Manuel

Hi Lee! It's another masterpiece from Paul Slocum. The final version will probably be even longer! I'm very happy to have music this excellent for Star Fire! Greetings, Manuel

Hi there! Thanks! That's the part I'm working on currently. It's a pretty hard task. I already had to adopt the game in several ways to make it possible at all on the VCS, so I can't tell how close it'll be to the Arcade in the end. You certainly can't expect an almost 1:1 port like "Space Instigators" here. Certain stuff just kills the VCS, like the tracking aid device for example. There's no way to display that, so it'll just be missing. And I've adopted the gameplay too, to fit the target - On the VCS you can't throw in coins to buy more fuel - So I replaced the whole laser-heat/fuel stuff with a more standart "shield" system. Also I'm trying to break the game down from endless play into a waves/stages concept. Well, I'm trying to make the game as good as possible on the VCS, but that means just like with my Gunfight port, that it won't necesarily be that close to the arcade, since I rate playability higher than authency. Greetings, Manuel

Hi Simon! Ah, I see! I thought you were using the PF for the spear and had the other sprite reserved for something :wink: I'd be interested to see it in motion! Greetings, Manuel

Hi Simon! From looking at the screenshots I'm curious now, why you are not using both sprites for the player. It could look either more detailed or more colorful then. Or are you going to display the spear-throwers with it? Greetings, Manuel

Hi Eric! For the Colecovision, go here: http://www.geocities.com/newcoleco/framesen.html Greetings, Manuel

Hi Jess! Oh, that's fine by me, no problem. When Alex told me that you are getting a royalty for it, I myself told him that in this case I'd prefer to have my name not associated with the sold cartridge (A principle of mine - I just don't want to make money with games other people wrote...). And I'm credited on the hacks page, that's good enough Greetings, Manuel

Hi Jess! In the thread where I posted Galaxian without border, I also pointed out the memory locations of the color writes I think. Greetings, Manuel

Hi there! I'm currently waiting for Robot City & Climber 5 the most. Star Fire: I've attached a current WIP ROM, so you can reconsider wether it's really worth waiting for Greetings, Manuel star.zip star.zip

Hi Eckhard! You can put it into the Z26.CLI file, so you don't need to remember. (Phew... whom am I telling that... ) Greetings, Manuel

Hi there! Hey, that's my next project! Greetings, Manuel

Hi there! Uhm... so you execute it with a double click? Greetings, Manuel

Hi Rasty! I think that, if we'd come out with an efficient way to apply modifications to the level structure (holes, etc.), it should be possible.. Well, I fear a Jumpman screen structure is by far too complex to be held in 128 bytes or to be generated on the fly. I think you'll have to provide a complete screen for any structure change. And I think some levels will have some very bad flicker if ported 1:1. If you use the PF for the overall structure, you still require doing up/down ropes, the bombs and the obstacles/enemies. If you plan on doing them "sprites" obstacles, like the birds and robots, you'd probably assign your other objects like: P0: Jumpman P1: Obstacles M1/M2: Up/down ropes BL: The bombs Now, you're in trouble very quick - four bombs on the same horizontal line and you're down to 15Hz flicker... Oh, I spent lot's of thoughts on that and I'd fully support any serious attempt - But don't expect me really doing it myself before 2005... Greetings, Manuel

Hi there! Bermuda Triangle wasn't mentioned yet I think... Greetings, Manuel

Hi Keir! Oh, the editor is pretty simple, no fear! The complete instructions for it is only some four small pages to read and you can reread them anytime while editing with pressing 'H'! Greetings, Manuel

Hi Rasty! Jr. was a 16K cartridge only Jumpman sequel done for C64, the Coleco and the 8-Bitters. So compared to the first, it was simplified. It had less screens with graphically simpler obstacles, and reduced intro / finishing sequences. Here, compare these Epyx Shrine strategy guides I made for both: http://home.arcor.de/cybergoth/epyx/jumpstrategy.html http://home.arcor.de/cybergoth/epyx/jump2strategy.html There's a few levels in the games which I think are not portable, like the ones starting in complete darkness, but most should be doable somehow Greetings, Manuel

Hi Rasty! What about Jumpman Jr. then? Greetings, Manuel

Hi there! Being more the C64 guy, I'd like to see some other stuff ported to the VCS than most others mentioned: Paradroid, Dino Eggs, Archon & Jumpman... Greetings, Manuel

Hi there! I'm the mandalorian maniac Having that said, I have this one question: Should I rather buy a Gamecube or the PS2 to play that game? Greetings, Manuel

Hi there! One word: Ebivision Greetings, Manuel