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Gemintronic

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Posts posted by Gemintronic

  2. Posted · Edited by theloon

    do get a lot of 'newbie' programmers releasing some ... shall we say less than polished games.

     

    I don't understand the attitude where homebrew and hobbyist snubb beginner efforts. Should all homebrew efforts be Square/Enix quality at first? I would have never learned how to ride a bike if everyone openly derided my newly learned biking style. This is a dead platform. Be thankful new blood is getting enfused. Yes, you did admit GroovyBee got better. Maybe laugh inside at BatariBASIC users efforts but encourage first. Openly displaying attitude means that the next GroovyBee may look elsewhere.

  3. Posted · Edited by theloon

    I think the closest to your idea has been Merlins Walls

    http://atariage.com/store/index.php?l=product_detail&p=302

     

    That was in hardcore assembler and had to be sideways due to computational power limitations.

     

    If you're not doing static playfields it's gonna be a challenge. I'd consider what it would take to make a proper line draw function and then the math needed to deal with Z (depth) values. Then comes dealing with framerate issues.

     

    When I was a kid I got a 3D wireframe rendering engine going in QuickBASIC using only basic arithmetic. Perspective distortion was an issue but it worked.

     

    Take this in bite-sized chunks. Work on a line draw command and then puzzle over how to deal with depth.

     

     temp1 = plotline(startx, starty, endx, endy)

     

    Of course, maybe the correct option is to find the best illusion of 3D and mimic it. Peruse your Atari ROMs for inspiration. Crypts of Chaos and all that.

  5. Posted · Edited by theloon

    Special Moves:

     

    FBI Agent - Warrant less tap, Right Hook to Remain Silent, Long Fist of the Law

    Baker - Stale French Bread Swing, Kitchen Knife Hand, Fruity Punch, One Two Combo Platter

    Paddle - Ricochet Roundhouse, Blocky Backfist, Hockey Haymaker

    Thief - Bomb Drop, Family Jewel Swipe, Underhanded Overhand

    Jumper - Jungle Jab, Harrys Hook

    The Sarg - Outstanding Uppercut, Navy Cross, Captains Hook

    Spaceman - Probe Punch, Long Fist Launch, Cosmic Casting Punch

  6. Posted · Edited by theloon

    I've had the Flea Market dreams where I find all sorts of rare and never seen carts.. and as I'm shopping I realize it's just a freakin' dream!

     

    At least those aren't as bad as when I fall asleep thinking about Demon Attack and I can't win because my brain controls both the player and the monsters. :P

  7. Posted

    See, how and why HammR25 buys DLC is the right way. The problem is Microsoft, Sony and Ubisoft want us to cross that line that says it's not our property. They can take it away. They can stop you from playing unless you're online. They can make sure you can't transfer or back up the game.

    • Like 1

  8. Posted · Edited by theloon

    That's a different gadget. Sony squashed that one lawsuit style. That was a comercial effort to sell a dongle that would allow "backups" and piracy.

     

    This is an open effort to allow homebrew to run using commodity parts. See my link in the first post.

     

    This is a quote from PSGroovys notes:

    This software is not intended to enable piracy, and such features have been disabled. This software is intended to allow the execution of unsigned third-party apps and games on the PS3.

  9. Posted

    You can run unsigned code today with a little code and a USB microcontroller:

    http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/01/ps3-homebrew-jailbreak-released-into-the-wilds/

     

    Forget the Streisand effect. This is now the Sony Effect.

    Take away features from a customers bought-and-paid for console and they have an excuse to add it back. Now that Apple lost their Jailbreaking case things like this will happen more often.

     

    Can't wait until I can run emulators on my PS3 again.

  11. Posted

    That demo does a good job of moving from room-to-room but the maze is from the dimension of chaos. You start with the Yellow Castle a room above you. If you move left -> up -> right the room with the castle is replaced with a green room.

     

    Instead of separate level data for each direction why not one data statement for the whole dungeon?

  13. Posted

    Well, as Zeus says in Altered Beast: "RISE FROM YOUR GRAVE!!"

     

    I think the order of my systems goes:

    Nintendo

    Sega Master System

    Atari 7800

     

    It took full adulthood to seek and procure a real 2600. It was always that "other" system people had in their basement with the old TV. Despite the sucky graphics (kids perspective) I was able to deduce 2600 was better in that, unlike Nintendo games, there was never an "end" to Atari. Zelda only had a second quest. SMB had the mushrooms replaced by beetles. Pac Man and Asteroids JUST KEPT GOING.

     

    Rock on Chicago! Rock on Atari!

  14. Posted

    I dunno if anyone should be jealous. With emulation you can play classic systems and not pay $400+ (About how much 2600 was in wayback dollars). Heck, you can play systems you never had access to. I just recently found out about the Fairchild Channel F. With homebrew development you can play free ROMs. That's like winning a Toys R Us shopping spree. Download the game, play it, no mess of carts on yer floor.

     

     

    It's not just about the games. Emulation does nothing to replicate, for example, the arcade experience.

     

    The arcade experience was going to a packed arcade and talking smack with your friends over who could get a better score. It was about playing games in the way they were designed to be played (e.g. Discs of Tron, Firetruck, Sea Wolf etc.). It was about your parents bitchin' about the noise of an arcade full of video games, electromechanical games, billiards, air hockey and pinball. And meeting girls was the icing on the cake.

     

    On the console side, consider that all the games (with the exception of the home brew scene) that were to be released have been released. There's no Pac-Man, Defender or Centipede to look forward to - it's done. And what a better nightcap than a game of Space Invaders on the 2600 after spending hours in the arcade?

     

    Aside from the gaming experience itself, there's no new Electronic Games Magazine, Activision or AtariAge newsletters to read.

     

    Those are some of things I remember from BITD that made it more than just the game and is something you will not get through emulation.

     

    Is that time machine done yet? :)

     

    I think the time machine skidded past my reality. No offence meant :) My Arcade experience consists of over-priced snacks, the shady stolen goods dealer in back and that fat, smelly guy playing Zangief beating everyone with cheap moves.

    • Like 1

  15. Posted

    Try a different emulator. Also, make sure your disk images aren't set to read-only.

     

    The later Wizardry games for DOS had NPC parties that would quest and progress just like your party. I also heard that some had digital sound through the PC speakers.

  17. Posted

    I just don't think it's as big of a deal as people make it out to be.

     

    Nah, it's not a big deal. Not until a big company pays attention that is. I was more suggesting names as a fun thing. A little personalization. Plus, never hurts to be careful.

     

    Do not care about a name.First you should continue your great work.And when it is finished,you can think about a name...........

     

    Certainly! Please continue! I was thinking about the flickering when the bees grab the flower. Could you switch the flower to player0 so the bee + flower combination doesn't cause flickering?

  18. Posted · Edited by theloon

    I dunno if anyone should be jealous. With emulation you can play classic systems and not pay $400+ (About how much 2600 was in wayback dollars). Heck, you can play systems you never had access to. I just recently found out about the Fairchild Channel F. With homebrew development you can play free ROMs. That's like winning a Toys R Us shopping spree. Download the game, play it, no mess of carts on yer floor.

     

    There are triple system Hong Kong clones that play SNES, NES and Genesis with wireless controllers. I'd have given my left ear for such a magical system when I was growing up.

     

    Lastly, we're mostly all on DLP, PLasma and LCD TV's now. Amazingly sharp displays. I remember trying to play on a myopic color TV that got damaged by being in very cold weather for too long. Not fun.

  19. Posted

    Just got my paycheck in. Hopefully should cover shipping. Not looking forward to repackaging 2 full boxes of Pac Man and Combat. Somehow made the mistake of not putting bubble wrap around the sides and bottom. *groan*

  21. Posted

    I think the Retrode would be a great way to allow people to play 2600 carts. The Retrode + 2600 adapter are real and available to the public.

     

    If your product would allow writing to disk images I'd buy one. Is this on your list of things to add?

  22. Posted

    Very nice! I never realized how I was compiling and checking colors and compiling and checking colors until this tool came out :P I thought it was just part of the challenge.

     

    One other thing I think should happen is a const table of colors that work in both PAL and NTSC. Therefor peeps could use the colors from the table like c_blue instead of swapping code around. Here is a partial list for NTSC:

     

     const c_aqua = $B8
const c_black = $00
const c_blue = $86
const c_dkgray = $06
const c_fuchsia = $58
const c_gray = $08
const c_green = $D8
const c_lime = $DE
const c_ltgray = $0A
const c_maroon = $52
const c_navy = $A4
const c_olive = $E8
const c_purple = $66
const c_red = $44
const c_silver = $0C
const c_teal = $00
const c_white = $0E
const c_yellow = $1E
const c_brown = $F6
const c_dkblue = $70

  23. Posted · Edited by theloon

    The use of not-pixels seems key to clever sprites. In the Homebrew section there's a game called Panky the Panda. Panky's arm is represented by no pixels. His midriff is white and the background is usually black. You see panky's arm because its actually the background. You almost get two colors per line there. I think SeagtGruff explained this better.

     

    Also, playing later 2600 games might give you some insight. See Ikari Warriors and Double Dragon.

  24. Posted · Edited by theloon

    Non Trademark infringing titles could be:

     

    Monkey Bee Monkey Do!

    Hives 5

    Honey Monkey

    Garden Gorilla

    Arboretum Ape

    Why not just call it Donkey Kong 3?

     

    Donkey Kong is a registered trademark of Nintendo. Even games sounding like a cash cow get cease & desist threats. Take Freecraft as an example. No one has money to fight a lawsuit.

     

    Plus, a different name - even if a parody - makes it more your creation. Check out Beef Drop at the AtariStore for an example.

    • Like 1

  25. Posted · Edited by theloon

    Disclaimer: I have not explored the SWCHA method yet.

     

    That being said what makes brain sense is joy0left. Just by looking at the command you can tell it has something to do with the joystick and moving it left. SWCHA is an abstract concept that newbies shouldn't be subjected to.

     

    The tender, fragile newb should be eased into SWCHA by having seperate, moderate level tutorials and examples. When yer just figuring things out joy0whatever is a very good method.

     

    Any command like SWCHA that needs its own highly descriptive tutorial/example may not be appropriate for fresh fish.

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