NostAlgae37

I have been working on my Dig Dug hack again (looking to improve it), but I need some help from the community. Is there a part of the code that defines the address range that the program looks to fetch the graphics for each individual fruit/vegetable prize from? In other words, does it specify the locations of each of the bonus prizes?

Actually yes, I have an updated version that I am working on (with new graphics for the bonus prizes, an updated score font that is arcade exact, and a more readable 1982 on the title screen), but I need some help from the community. Does anyone know if there is there a part of the code that defines the address range that the program looks to fetch the graphics for each individual fruit/vegetable prize from? In other words, does it specify the locations of each of the bonus prizes?

OK, now it makes more sense. I never actually played one of the games in that series, but they do seem more simplistic than something like SMB so I'm not sure if I'd enjoy them all that much. Cool thread by the way, nice to see what went on before I joined or was active here.

Sure, I'd be happy to elaborate, just as long as it's taken in the right sprit and not considered a slam. I'd say that the actual platforming aspect of the game isn't that fully realized, it's mostly you jump up a little bit here, and then walk straight for a long distance, then you jump over a small gap there, and then repeat, etc. In the YouTube video that I watched, I didn't see any variety or challenge in how the various terrains were laid out. Also, I kept seeing the same enemies over and over again in each stage, and their placement and attack patterns didn't seem all that imaginative or treacherous. To compare the experience to SMB is far too generous, but then again we are a talking about a game designed by a living legend who is an industry professional. I hope that you don't feel too insulted that I think that your game falls short of his.

Thanks Nukey, that fixed it.

OK, but after I altered all of the graphics for the score digits (including the zero), why does the last digit (which is always a zero) continue to look like the old font instead of the new font (the first 2 zeros in the screenshot above)? Is there another zero graphic located somewhere else in the rom that I missed (I thought that all of the score numerals were stored in a row in one place)?

Hi, where do I find the location of the last digit of the Dig Dug score? I was using Hack-O-Matic to change the score font to match the arcade version of the game, but I noticed after doing so that the final digit of the score remains the same (see screenshot below), so it must be stored some other way than as graphics. And if so, is it even possible to alter it? Thanks.

Hey Bob, I think what you accomplished with Baby Pac-Man was a different sort of technical marvel, and nothing short of astonishing in its own right. The fact that you were able to make a game that encompassed 2 distinct modes of play and emulated them both accurately is noteworthy, in my opinion. And the fact that you collaborated on it with someone else (Kurt Woloch) who did some of the heavy lifting when it came to mathematics and physics doesn't take anything away from that. There's no shame in being part of a winning team, every accomplishment doesn't have to be an individual effort. I think that you should be justifiably proud of this game and the rest of your 7800 library, even though BBCQ isn't my cup of tea as far a platformer is concerned (too linear and not enough enemy variety for me). But to each his own, most who have played it or own it love it, so why should you care what one naysayer thinks? The only reason that I won't be buying Baby Pac-Man is because the difficulty is way beyond my skill level, not because it isn't a well-made title (sorry, but I stink at Pac-Man games in general and this one is even more frustrating than the rest).

Hey, my pleasure. I'll have to check in with splendidnut but I think you're fine. I doubt that the game will be completed within the next 2 months, but you never know. Also, then there's the issue of when Albert will be ready to put it up in the store for sale. I'll PM you an idea that I had for the box/manual/cartridge label if you're interested, but it you want to start tossing ideas around in your head, you can start from now so that when you have the time to work on it you will have a cache to draw off of.

That package design is awesome, man, major props. Would you be interested in doing the box and label art for ChaoticGrill when it's completed? One small suggestion on how the text on the back of the box could be improved: You start both paragraphs 2 and 3 with "Hoping to", which sounds awkward. I would instead start paragraph 3 with "In an effort to" and eliminate this clause from the first sentence of the 2nd paragraph. Thus the 2 paragraphs would then read: Hoping to seize the power crystals for itself to make its armies invincible, the evil Calamitous Cube has declared war on Gytaraxis. Using virulent vibrations, the Calamitous Cube has eaten holes through the energy barriers that protect Gytaraxis. In an effort to fend off the Calamitous Cube, the Gytaraxians have called upon the legendary repair ship known as Gyvolver to fix the energy barriers and keep the crystals from falling into the Calamitous Cube's grasp.

What kind of diseased mind devotes a full 20+ minutes to insanity like that? The physics of it would be impossible on a Gameboy, much less an Atari 2600! But if anyone could make it happen, it would probably be Akashic.

I agree that it sets the bar very high, but that is because it exhibits a level of polish that the majority of the original releases for the console lacked. Atari wasn't interested in recruiting developers with the vision and talent to tax the boundaries of the hardware; they were only looking to engage "competent" programmers who could push "just good enough" product to the market en masse with low budgets and short development cycles. Not when it comes to your game, then it is highly objective.

This and a DPC+ enhanced rewrite sound great! Why not make the graphics and gameplay even better than before, kind of like how the current demo of Aardvark far surpasses the earlier one that was released. But I don't really have a say on the matter because I wasn't one of the buyers of the original limited release.

Honto ni kawaii! Nice work on the lower body anatomy (convincing athletic muscle tone), the color texturing and wrinkles on the leather jacket look excellent, and I like the detailing on the sneakers. I don't know whether to say that she's quite the little firecracker, or that she's dy-no-mite!

Hey, that's the 1986 CCTV version! By far the best!

The video with the weather effect looks extremely cool, but I get more of a snow effect from it than a rain effect (which might be a bit incongruous with the tropical island setting it appears in). Still, it would look really superb in a stage that took place in the alps or some such setting. I do agree that the airship sprite could use some refining. If you get stuck, let me know if you would like any assistance with it.

Your son has very good taste in games. Adventure and Haunted House are acknowledged classics, and Starmaster is vastly under-rated in my opinion (it seems to get less accolades than Star Raiders, but I always thought that it was the better of the 2 games and worked more intuitively without the gimmicky keypad controller). Please introduce him to Stampede, Spider Fighter, H.E.R.O., Keystone Kapers and also Kaboom! if you have paddle controllers and he has twitch reflexes (unfortunately, I had neither as a kid ). Personally, I always thought that the Pitfall! games were a bit over-rated (I found them a tad bit boring), and Pressure Cooker is cool if a bit too obtuse for a 3-year old (I still have trouble understanding the objectives, but I am bad with colors). Ghostbusters is OK but a much better experience on the Sega Master System. 2 other non-Activision games that I would heartily recommend are Riddle of the Sphinx by Imagic (maybe a bit too advanced for a 3-year old) and Sorcerer by Mythicon (I had so much fun with this much-maligned game when I was young). Montezuma's Revenge is superb but too damned hard even for an adult; I imagine that its difficulty level would put off a 3-year old right away.

Hey Akashic, I wouldn't be that worried about it, I used to love that game as a kid. Chalk it up to bad taste or ignorance or whatever, but I never understood the bad rap that game has gotten over the years. I used to be pretty good at it too, "magnetic" pits and all, but I would still recommend getting one of the "fixed" versions of the rom to reduce the frustration for your 3-year old. I also loved HSW's Raiders of the Lost Ark game when I was young and played it for too many hours to mention, despite the trippy content that diverged vastly from the actual movie plot (that sort of embellishment was commonplace in movie-licensed games back in that era).

I got mine late last week (#1-161), but it didn't come with a music CD... What gives, was that a separate purchase?

Dig Dug, Dig Dug... We want Dig Dug!

I am also a huge fan of the work, and have a lot of opinions and ideas about what might make for interesting gameplay mechanics. I imagine that your first order of business would be to work up designs for the 4 main characters: Sun Wukong, Zhu Wuneng (aka Bajie), Sha Wujing (aka Friar Sand) and Priest Tang Seng. Your cartoon/anime-influenced art style would work nicely for these characters, but I would try to be at least semi-traditional in terms of their design aesthetic and not go too far afield as so many others have done. Anyway, if you're really serious about this, we can discuss it more off-forum, so if you would like to communicate about it via messenger, I am hereby extending the invitation.

Nice, this looks really beautiful. What did you think about the idea of a Journey to the West game? Are you familiar with the folktale?

I think that the buildings look a bit simplistic and could probably benefit from greater detail, but otherwise I think that it looks cool and would welcome the idea of you making a 7800 game based in ancient China. Everything about that culture in that period is so visually arresting, including the art, the clothing, the architecture, the landscapes, etc. And if the game is martial arts-based, so much the better. Personally, I would absolutely love a game based on XiYouJi (Journey to the West), where the tale and characters are represented semi-faithfully instead of completely bastardized as they so often are. I suggest you consider using one of the system's hi-res modes for the graphics to maximize the WOW! potential of what your talent and prowess can deliver. Now that Rikki & Vikki has raised the bar for what is possible on the 7800, I'm eager to see someone else tax the graphical limits of the system with another game that has timeless appeal.

My man is back! Welcome home, brother.

I just ordered my copy. Happy to support your future game development (please keep the high quality titles coming)!