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johnnywc

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Posts posted by johnnywc

  1. Posted

    Zoo Keeper has been nominated in 4 categories for this year's Atari Homebrew Awards! :D   Congratulations to @Nathan Strum for the nominations for Graphics and Packaging, and for @keebz for his contributions to the Music and Sound! 

     

     

    Category: Atari 2600 Homebrew Completed (Port) – Game

    Category: Atari 2600 Homebrew Completed (Port) – Graphics

    Category: Atari 2600 Homebrew Completed (Port) – Music + Sound
    Category: Atari 2600 Homebrew Packaging

     

     

    3rdAnnualAtariHomebrewAwards(2020)-Atari2600BestHomebrew(Port).jpg

    • Like 8

  2. Posted

    Avalanche has been nominated for 3 awards in this year's year's Atari Homebrew Awards! :D  

     

     

    Category: Atari 2600 Homebrew Completed (Port) – Game

    Category: Atari 2600 Homebrew Completed (Port) – Graphics

    Category: Atari 2600 ≤ 4K Homebrew Completed (Port)

     

    3rdAnnualAtariHomebrewAwards(2020)-Atari2600BestHomebrew(Port).thumb.jpg.cb813ef38b00cb9756ab9f692a6186f0.jpg

    • Like 6

  6. Posted

    13 hours ago, MoonSpoon said:

    No, I don't want to challenge him. John really does amazing things, and I have the utmost respect for his performance. Of course it would make me, like many, overjoyed, but I would never ask for anything like that. This post is also about the fantastic new version of Lady Bug and this achievement should first be given adequate tribute.

    Hi there!

     

    No worries, I like challenges. :)  More importantly, I like to make games that people want to play that I also have fond memories of playing as a kid.  I have to admit that I didn't play Mr. Do! a lot back in the day.  They had one at the Cumberland Farms next to my high school that I played probably a dozen times or so, but honestly I wasn't good at it and didn't really know what I was doing :lol:.  With that said, I think an updated 2600 port would be really cool!  My only concern is that the graphics and sound/music are integral to the game (two things I'm *not* good at), so if Champ Games did tackle this one day, I would need someone to help out with both.  @Nathan Strum is my graphics guy but I'm not sure if he's a fan of Mr. Do!.  Finding a sound/music guy is usually the biggest challenge, so if anyone is interested, send me a PM and maybe we can work something out! :D  

     

    Back to Lady Bug Arcade, I had an epiphany last night and woke up with an idea about how to get the maze and dots displayed in 3 colors (pink, green, and white) with little or no flicker, and this is what the game looks like now  (on Stella, it looks equally as good with barely any flicker on my S-video modded Atari or my RF Atari on a CRT): 

     

    ladybug_arcade_4.thumb.png.5149a0a96c2983c38125694d12e7a8db.png

    You can still use the non-flickering alternating lines display using the right difficulty switch for those who are sensitive to flicker, although the flicker is barely noticeable IMO.  I would like to give a shout-out to @McCallister for inspiring me to 'think outside the box' and come up with a unique way to achieve this. :thumbsup: 

     

    I've added the reserve/score display, and it alternates with the PART/veggie display:

     

    ladybug_arcade_5.thumb.png.a226b18833909ebd9150ef5e55731933.png

     

    I hope to have a demo posted sometime next month. :D  

     

    Thanks,

    John

     

    • Like 9

  8. Posted

    Just now, AtariLeaf said:

    Awesome news and so glad to see the champ games train rolling strong. I'll definitely be buying this when released. I know it's early on but will the label and box art be the same other than a name change or are you going to completely redesign it?

    Thanks!  Nathan has mentioned that he is interested in re-doing the label and box art if there is a physical re-release. :) 

    • Like 4

  9. Posted

    3 minutes ago, Arenafoot said:

    Awesome John!

    Thanks Brian!

    3 minutes ago, Arenafoot said:

    Will this replace the other Lady Bug in the AA store in the future?

     

    No, I don't have any plans on removing Lady Bug from the AA store.  Lady Bug Arcade isn't intended to replace Lady Bug, just to be an improved version (think Breakout and Super Breakout ;) ).  Plus, if Lady Bug Arcade is sold through AA, it will most likely be at a price double of what Lady Bug retails for, so I still see it filling a need (plus it's 4th all time in sales for 2600 homebrews :P ).  

    1 minute ago, Thomas Jentzsch said:

    I hope not. The original is excellent and deserves to stay.

    Thanks TJ! :D 

     

     

    • Like 4

  10. Posted · Edited by johnnywc
    Added link to demo ROMs

    *** EDIT: The ROMs for the first public demo of Lady Bug Arcade can be found in this post! ***

     

    Hello all,


    Today marks 15 years since I first posted on AtariAge about my intention to develop Lady Bug for the Atari 2600.  :o 

     

    To mark the anniversary, Champ Games has started work on Lady Bug Arcade which will be an enhanced version of the 2006 version of Lady Bug using the latest technology.

     

    The planned improvements are:

     

    - full 11x11 arcade maze (2006 version was 11x9) and the correct # of dots

    - 20 independent doors (2006 version had 16 symmetrical doors)

    - flicker-less maze using alternating playfield colors (2006 version used color-blending that tended to flicker)

    - door opening animation

    - enhanced status display on top showing SPECIAL, EXTRA and multiplier

    - more arcade-authentic lady bug intro from the bottom of the screen

    - multiple maze layouts selectable at the start of the game (or just play with the arcade maze)

    - high score saving to SaveKey

    - high score initial entry screen similar to the arcade

    - scoring and instruction animation screen similar to the arcade

    - up to 6 skulls per level (2006 version had a max of 2)

    - improved graphics, including multi-colored veggie graphics

    - 2 player alternating and possibly 2 player co-op (or vs.) mode

     

    The 2006 version featured amazing graphics by @Nathan Strum and he has graciously offered to update some of the graphics, most notably the enemy graphics since they all need to be 1 line shorter to fit in the new screen dimensions.  The new version will still feature the awesome sounds by Bob DeCrescenzo (aka @PacManPlus).  

     

    Here is a screenshot of the current work-in-progress:

     

     

    ladybug_arcade_3.thumb.png.417a7506cec98da7314efaf1f68c7502.png

     

    EDIT: (2021-01-15)  I figured out how to display the maze and dots in 3 colors (pink, green and white) with no black lines and barely any flicker! :D  I also have the reserve/score display working properly, and it alternates with the PART/veggie display:

     

    ladybug_arcade_4.thumb.png.1a1b5dd828de8a4df53891baaeaeb769.pngladybug_arcade_5.thumb.png.566dd239ede805c90638595b835c4f41.png

    I also captured a video of the first level, but the resolution is terrible (480p) and the status area doesn't show up correctly, but it does show the arcade maze and door animations:

     

     

    We have not made any decisions about when and how Lady Bug Arcade will be released, but we plan on having it completed before the end of the year to coincide with it's 15 year anniversary.  I will also post a demo in the next month or so when I have something playable.

     

    Thanks,

    John

     

    • Like 23
    • Thanks 2

  11. Posted

    On 1/5/2021 at 2:40 AM, Silvio Mogno said:

    Graphics and music are ripped from the original game because I'm neither a graphics designer nor a musician. 😅 I slightly changed graphics and music but help to improve would be appreciated! 

     

    This looks great @Silvio Mogno, great job! :o :thumbsup: 

     

    I know that Mike Haas aka @iesposta had put together a very good demo of a Q*Bert enhanced with amazing graphics, and he also happens to be a sound wizard also (he did the amazing sounds for Mappy & Wizard of Wor Arcade) so he might be able to provide some pointers for graphics and sounds. :)  

    • Like 4

  12. Posted

    1 hour ago, save2600 said:

    Incredible conversion so far!

    Thanks!

    1 hour ago, save2600 said:

    Had a chance to play a few rounds and besides the difficulty comments above, thought I'd mention one that stuck out to me. On the Flag Ship stage, I noticed that it takes several hits on_the_actual "internal power reactor" to finally destroy the ship. Not talking about picking away at the hull which is expected, but the actual reactor core itself. In the arcade, believe it only took one hit before she blew. I don't necessarily mind the added difficulty in a home version myself, just saying.  :)

    Hmmm, sounds like a bug.  If you hit the flashing 'core' once it should blow up the Flagship.  I'll take a look, thanks!

    1 hour ago, save2600 said:

    Perhaps some of these added 'skill options' could be left as a feature toggled by the difficulty switches. 

    Agreed!  Someone on FB pointed out that in the arcade game you get killed if you crash into the bonus point scores that are displayed after you destroy an attacking enemy. 😮  I personally don't think this is fair (and most likely a bug from the arcade game), but we have added this 'feature' in with difficulty A that will be included in the next demo. :D  

    • Like 3

  13. Posted

    3 hours ago, tremoloman2006 said:

    Amazing job!  Man, I really struggle at the Space Warp part.  Still haven't gotten past the 1st round of it after several tries!

    Thanks!  Yes, we agree that Space Warp is a bit too difficult right now; see above for some changes we're putting in to help make it a bit less challenging on the earlier levels. :) 

    3 hours ago, tremoloman2006 said:

    This will DEFINITELY be an automatic buy when completed!

     

    BRAVO CHAMP GAMES!!!  BRAVO!!!

     

    Thanks in advance for your support, it's much appreciated! :D 

    • Like 2

  14. Posted

    On 1/2/2021 at 11:13 PM, Zoyx said:

    The graphics are incredible.

    Thanks for the feedback!  Nathan did an amazing job on the graphics (and AtariVox voices too! :music: ).

    On 1/2/2021 at 11:13 PM, Zoyx said:

    The gameplay is harder than the arcade... was that the goal? I would slow the game down. There is less playfield compared to the arcade, so less room to escape. So slowing down the projectiles and the space meanies might be all that is needed for the early levels. I made it to Space Captain finally (score = 9660). I made it through Space Avenger on the arcade.

    We are still working on the difficulty; I agree that the game is a bit too difficult to start for sure.  The Space Warp level especially is too challenging off the bat; we have made modifications where the enemies spawn a bit higher on the screen to help compensate for the shorter screen height vs. the arcade and it makes a big difference.  We'll include this (and numerous other changes) in the next demo!  :)  

    On 1/4/2021 at 5:20 PM, Bomberman94 said:

    Game is fantastic and „feels“ already very polished. Game seems to be difficult but after playing some hours I made it save after Mission 10. You can follow different strategies to solve a level (aggressive and flying high/up or making points or save from a distance etc. ). Every screen is a great game for its own - all 5 are a ‚must buy‘ and one of the best space shooter for this console so far. I‘m really impressed of the quality and depth of this game!

    Thanks for the kind words!  Yes, we feel it's a bit too difficult to start and we're working on smoothing out the difficultly ramping. :thumbsup:  

    • Like 2

  15. Posted

    On 1/1/2021 at 7:44 PM, Omega Race said:

    Omega Race! 😀  I spent untold hours playing the VIC-20 version as a kid (plus in the arcade when I could).  The best port I've seen is probably the Commodore 64 version.  Sadly it's been a few years since I've been able to play an Arcade Cabinet of it at PRGE (I get the impression the Arcade Cabinets are pretty rare now).

    :lol: :dunce: that makes sense!  I have very fond memories of playing Omega Race on a Vic-20 at Service Merchandise up in Auburn, Massachusetts as a kid - I loved it!  I played the arcade game only a few times but have always enjoyed it - it's a fun game! :thumbsup:  

    On 1/1/2021 at 7:44 PM, Omega Race said:

    Scramble & Star Castle have already been done, and now Gorf is coming out.

    Hmmm, so only Omega Race remains then...  Sounds like Nathan is a fan too - that usually helps Champ Games projects get off the ground. ;) :P   

    On 1/1/2021 at 7:44 PM, Omega Race said:

    It's the "B" button, thanks!  I've had the cartridge for 2-3 years, but have barely used it (mainly for beta's). 

    Glad I could help! :D 

    • Like 2

  16. Posted

    1 minute ago, ZeroPage Homebrew said:

     

    I really wanted to include all the completed, but not released, games in this year's competition but couldn't find a way to logically make it happen. In order for the nomination committee and then the public to properly evaluate and vote on each game, there needs to be a publicly available binary or physical release of the full complete game to base their decision on. Although the games that are available for pre-order in the store have been declared completed, most of them have not released a final full complete binary of the game and currently the only full versions of the games exist in the hands of the developers and beta testers. Some of the games have earlier WIP builds or demos available but very few have the full complete game available to the public to play.

     

    Once the full games are released in binary or physical format they will be eligible in the year they are put out, in this case it looks like 2021 for most of the list above. Hopefully this makes sense but please let me know if you think that my reasoning is off.

     

     

    Hi James,

     

    Thanks for the explanation.  Although I understand the decision, I must politely disagree with the reasoning.  Most of these games AFAIK have a ROM available (and the associated artwork) to properly judge it's merits as a completed game.  Full binaries of games are sometimes not released for years (Mappy from 2018 still doesn't have a full release ROM available, for example).  Furthermore, I don't think someone should actually have to purchase a game and have the physical cart  and packaging in hand to be able to make accurate judgement on it's merits.

     

    For example, I will not be releasing full ROM versions of Zoo Keeper or Avalanche in 2021.  This is done so Al has an opportunity to recoup his investments on the printed versions.  There are demo ROMs available for both that are 95% complete and both have been declared 'final' with 2020 copyrights, yet they are not eligible.  Since they will be available as physical releases in 2021, the only people that will have a 'better' opportunity to evaluate these games will be the people that purchase it; everyone else will need to make their judgement based on what's already available in 2020 (demo ROMs and the images of the printed material, etc.).

     

    Perhaps you could give the authors an opportunity to post a most updated demo to be eligible for the 2020 awards?  For me personally, the Avalanche demo is derived from the final build so that wouldn't change, but I could if needed post an updated ZK demo from the final build (restricting the # of levels, Savekey support, etc.).

     

    Anyway, hope this makes sense and I hope you reconsider!  If not, it looks like 2021 is going to have *a lot* of games in the competition! :)  (most likely 5 completed just from Champ Games, plus a few WIPs!) :o :) 

     

    Thanks,

    John

     

    • Like 3

  17. Posted

    5 minutes ago, Thomas Jentzsch said:

    I was surprised too. The games are all long done and can be pre-ordered. But I suppose these are the rules.

    Thanks for the info TJ... was there an announcement about this and the reasoning behind the decision?  I am more disappointed than surprised but don't want to jump to conclusions before I've read the arguments for not including these games in the 2020 awards although they were "Completed in 2020".

     

     

  18. Posted

    3 hours ago, Thomas Jentzsch said:

    Too bad that so many great games had to be moved to 2021.

    Wait, what happened!? 😕  Zoo Keeper and Avalanche and all the other games in the store aren't eligible for the 2020 awards even though most of them have fully playable binaries available for evaluation?

     

    @ZeroPage Homebrew James, did I miss a post about this?  I've been head down working on Gorf Arcade so apologies if I missed an announcement.  

    • Like 1

  20. Posted

    42 minutes ago, Omega Race said:

    I downloaded it shortly after midnight, but waited until this morning to hunt up my Harmony cart.  This is fantastic.  Gorf was one of my favorite games in the early 80's.  I decided to test it by first playing a couple games of the old CBS Cartridge.  The difference is astounding, every bit as impressive as Scramble. 

    Thanks for the kind words, I'm glad you like it! :) 

    42 minutes ago, Omega Race said:

    I can't wait for this to be released, as it will mean 3 of my top 4 Arcade games will have modern Atari 2600 ports.

    What's the 4th one? :P 

    42 minutes ago, Omega Race said:

    My only problem is that my Harmony cart freaks out with a Sega Genesis controller plugged in.  This will keep me from playing much until the cartridge is released.

    :idea:  I think the Harmony cart will incorrectly detect a Sega Genesis controller as a paddle.  To override this, press and hold down Button C on the Genesis controller before turning on the Atari (or it may be Button B, I can't remember).  Hope that helps!

    • Like 1

  21. Posted

    2 hours ago, Zoyx said:

    You need the latest version of Stella for this to work. After I updated from 6.0 to 6.4, it worked.

     

    It doesn't work with my Harmony cart or Concerto cart.

     

    41 minutes ago, SpiceWare said:

     

    Works on my Harmony Encore, but crashes on my older Harmony after showing the initial splash screen.

     

    My Encore has BIOS 1.06, while the Harmony had 1.05. I updated the Harmony to 1.06, but it still crashes.

     

    Oh yes, I forgot to mention that this uses the CDFJ driver with MAM enabled which won't work on older Harmony carts.  I would have assumed it would work on a Concerto cart (aren't those new?); it may have the old version of the ARM with the MAM bug.  Gorf Arcade (and RobotWar:2684) require MAM to be enabled due to the high processing requirements (RobotWar:2684 on the later levels with 100+ enemies and Gorf Arcade with the complex graphics and the in-game voice).  I could upload a Gorf Arcade with MAM disabled that should work with older Harmony carts (and possibly the Concerto) but would disable voice by default since that is what causes the screen rolls.

     

     

    • Like 2

  23. Posted · Edited by johnnywc

    Hello all,

     

    To celebrate the New Year, here is the first publicly available ROM for Gorf Arcade! :D 

     

    (note: be sure to plug in an AtariVox for voice support! :music: :) )

     

    The demo is full featured with the following restrictions:

     

    - the game will wrap around to MISSION 6 after MISSION 10 is completed (after the 2nd flagship is destroyed)

    - Savekey support for high scores is not supported.

     

    I estimate the game to be about 85% done, with an expected release of August 2021. 

     

    To-do list:

    - add in the ability to enter in your initials for high scores.  For now, the default 'PL1' is used.  

    - finish sounds.  Some are placeholders from WoW and some were made hastily by myself. 😕  Lee "@keebz" Kebler has signed on to add a professional polish to the sounds (thanks Lee!).

    - 2 player support (alternating)

     

    Special thanks to Nathan Strum for the graphics, AtariVox voices, design and testing.  Also, thanks to Ross Keenum for the initial batch of sound effects, and Steve Ramirez for testing, and James @ ZeroPage Homebrew for hosting the Gorf Arcade reveal a couple weeks ago on his Twitch stream. 

     

    I will add in more details tomorrow. ;) 

     

    Any suggestions are welcome or bug reports are appreciated!

     

    Thanks and Happy New Year!

     

    John

     

    NTSC demo ROM:

    gorfarc_20201231_demo1_NTSC.bin

     

    PAL60 demo ROM:

    gorfarc_20201231_demo1_PAL60.bin

     

     

     

    • Like 16
    • Thanks 6
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