The Last Ninja - possible on ATARI 8 Bit

[Lord-Chaos]

Hi,

 

someone claimed that the well-known C64 Game "The Last Ninja" (Part 1-3) would not be possible on the ATARI 800 XL.

 

This game uses HiRes Sprites on the C64 and the C64 sprites are superior,but I think there are other ways , because XL has its own advantages such as faster CPU etc.

 

The programming of such a game isn´t easy,even on the C64,because it´s a 3D isometric game which uses sprites and you always have the problem that there are objects before and behind your Ninja.

 

But this game was converted too several other systems,some of them weaker than the ATARI.For example the Acorn BBC or the Sinclair Spectrum (only Last Ninja 2) or even PC XT with CGA graphics (the game only looks good with EGA which wasn´t very common in 1988).

 

The Sinclair version of TLN 2 only has monochrome graphics and this version was converted 1:1 to the much superior Amstrad CPC.The ATARI can do much better than this.

 

So I don´t think that this game is impossible on the ATARI.I think it would be possible to create at least a Multicolor-version (=graphics 15) using software-sprites.

It would look better than the BBC or Spectrum versions or the ugly PC CGA versions of Last Ninja 1&2.

 

What do you think ?

 

Thimo

[Paul Slocum]

Totally impossible on Atari 8-bit. Commodore RULEZ!!!

 

Whoops....the old Commodore owner coming out in me. Sorry.

 

Good question. TLN is a really awesome looking game. I've never seen Atari 8-bit games that looked that good, but than again I wasn't as exposed to the Atari computers near as much as the C64. TLN has amazing music too.

 

What do I know? I wouldn't think Thrust would be possible on the 2600...

 

-Paul

[Heaven/TQA]

ehm... Jet Boot Jack has done the conversion when he was working for Harlequin in the UK... and it does exist...a prototype on Atari 8bit...

 

Steve??? seems that this topic is rising up again and again time to

show it on your website...

 

hve

 

ps. search the atari8bit forums for more informations on that... we had a similar discussion weeks ago...

[Jetboot Jack]

Last Ninja 2...

 

Well I signed the contracts, did the grafix for the "proof of concept" - even got the basic sprite system working - then ran out of money - oh well

 

I will be scanning in and posting up the contract and some screens on this title as soon as I can (anyone know a good cheap web hosting company - AOL is a pain)...

 

The whole object behind/infront of the sprites was a really nice cheat on this game on the C64 and that's what we used on the Atari demo...

 

The playfileds/backgrounds are done with characters (although they could be done in bitmapped mode - but you'd have a lack of colors and RAM), and a set of masks is created for EVERY object the ninja can go behind - not as many as you would think - since he is constrained to paths. When a sprite (ninja or enemy) goes "behind" an object (with a simple position calculation into a table for each object on each screen) the mask data for the foreground object is applied to the sprite data and the empty bit makes it look like it goes behind the foreground object...

 

sTeVE

[Mayhem]

http://www.supanames.co.uk

 

£16 per year (2 year min contract) for 35MB space, 1 email address. Where I'm currently at. No complaints so far. Only limitation is that they don't allow any file to be of greater than 1MB.

[Jetboot Jack]

Thanks very much Mathem !!!

 

I have registered a domain and all is underway - I will get onto creating my pages ASAP!!!!

 

sTeVE