Porting the original classic Castlevania to the 2600

[YANDMAN]

This is so awesome, i had to make a label

 

[atari2atari]

Beautiful...

 

Too bad the game will never see the light of day! A project long-abandoned.

 

Who knows, maybe someone else will pick up the banner and charge forward.

[ZackAttack]

edit: newer version below

Edited February 23, 2016 by ZackAttack

[ZackAttack]

I was truly inspired by the work of @grafixbmp, @PAC-MAN-RED and everyone else in this thread. I have created a new graphics engine prototype that takes inspiration from this topic and uses 3E banking to support horizontal and vertical scrolling.

 

Specs:

Uses three 2 line kernels (2LK). One for scrolling in each direction and a third for not.

Supports up to 32x84 PF pixels.

PF color can be specified per row.

Background color is static because it wouldn't makes sense to change it while scrolling.

Single copy of P0, M0, and BL. Must be positioned and sized in vblank/overscan.

GRP1, COLP1, NUSIZ1, and HMP1 can all be set in each 2 line row.

No limit on sprite heights, they can run the entire height of the screen.

 

Note that I only entered about 2.5 screens worth of data. Once you scroll past that in either direction you're picking up garbage data and it's going to corrupt the screen. This isn't a bug in the core engine, I just figured it was cool to let you keep going so you can see how many PF pixels really are getting manipulated. The data I provided is rather sparse because I did it by hand and I'm not artistic.

 

If there is interest in the community and assuming grafixbmp doesn't mind, I'd like to turn this into an open source project and make this game get finished. I can handle architecture, game engine, and graphic engine type stuff very well, but I'm clueless about sound graphics and game design.

 

The version has been tested on my 7800 using harmony encore.

castlevania_scroll_proto.bin (rename to .3E extension to run on harmony)

 

 

 

[Jinroh]

Wow looks great even minimized the background looks just like the NES.

Edited February 22, 2016 by Jinroh

[grafixbmp]

Hello. I still float around here from time to time. I wished I could have got a first level that was navagatable but many things changed in my life while I was working on it so it fell to the side and eventualy collected dust. I had thought about taking a stab at finishing the hud after some recent sucsess with another hud. So, I still dabble in code and my new project which has been in the works for the last 2+ years (although its been months since I messed with it) I havent said anything but to a few select people so noone should know anything of it. I can say these things though.

Its a port

Design and layout are complete

All graphics are done

Hud works

And I got a partial title screen

Screen kerenel (main) is in pieces

 

Current hangup: tight code with bank switch (4 possible banks) both players mid screen positioned, colors set, size set bg color set all in just over 2 scanlines

I get this and the rest falls into place. However I must repair my computer to get this going.

If you would like all the stuff I got for castlevania ill release a zip file sometime

[ZackAttack]

Current hangup: tight code with bank switch (4 possible banks) both players mid screen positioned, colors set, size set bg color set all in just over 2 scanlines

I get this and the rest falls into place. However I must repair my computer to get this going.

Sounds like you saved the best part for last. Trying to make it all fit is challenging and fun. In the scrolling engine I posted above all 152 cycles of the 2 line kernel are used. It took many hours of fine tuning to pack it all in.

 

If you would like all the stuff I got for castlevania ill release a zip file sometime

That would be great!

[jlindsey24]

Any demos yet? How far is it from being close to finished?

[+Andromeda Stardust]

I was truly inspired by the work of @grafixbmp, @PAC-MAN-RED and everyone else in this thread. I have created a new graphics engine prototype that takes inspiration from this topic and uses 3E banking to support horizontal and vertical scrolling.

 

Specs:

Uses three 2 line kernels (2LK). One for scrolling in each direction and a third for not.

Supports up to 32x84 PF pixels.

PF color can be specified per row.

Background color is static because it wouldn't makes sense to change it while scrolling.

Single copy of P0, M0, and BL. Must be positioned and sized in vblank/overscan.

GRP1, COLP1, NUSIZ1, and HMP1 can all be set in each 2 line row.

No limit on sprite heights, they can run the entire height of the screen.

 

Note that I only entered about 2.5 screens worth of data. Once you scroll past that in either direction you're picking up garbage data and it's going to corrupt the screen. This isn't a bug in the core engine, I just figured it was cool to let you keep going so you can see how many PF pixels really are getting manipulated. The data I provided is rather sparse because I did it by hand and I'm not artistic.

 

If there is interest in the community and assuming grafixbmp doesn't mind, I'd like to turn this into an open source project and make this game get finished. I can handle architecture, game engine, and graphic engine type stuff very well, but I'm clueless about sound graphics and game design.

 

The version has been tested on my 7800 using harmony encore.

castlevania_scroll_proto.bin (rename to .3E extension to run on harmony)

 

scroll_proto.png

 

 

Looks more like Samus than Simon!

[Pixel Toad]

When is a demo coming i'm really hyped.

[Leandro Calil]

Hey!

 

Has this really been abandoned for good? 🙁

[grafixbmp]

I may get back to it one day but for now I have no working computer. I observe the forums but don't post much since work and life take most of my time these days. I dev and program on paper the last 3 years. Got about 4 other game projects I'm into these days. Hope to have a nice pc up an running in a few months.

[Pixel Toad]

I wish you much luck.

[MeatWithGravy]

I may get back to it one day but for now I have no working computer. I observe the forums but don't post much since work and life take most of my time these days. I dev and program on paper the last 3 years. Got about 4 other game projects I'm into these days. Hope to have a nice pc up an running in a few months.

 

It would be a real shame if all your hard work up to this point got scrapped because life got in the way. It's such a noble idea, getting this port built! Maybe someone here on AA could somehow help you out? I don't know. I'm sure there are tons of Castlevania fans here.

[+Andromeda Stardust]

Wait, people still write computer programs on paper!?!?!

[AkashicRecord]

Wait, people still write computer programs on paper!?!?!

 

If it's any consolation, I was using my son's Magna Doodle the other day for some coding...

[Serguei2]

As long as the paper is still available.

[+Andromeda Stardust]

As long as the paper is still available.

Touche. Until trees go extinct, there will be paper for sketching, writing, or coding...

[alfredtdk]

On 2/12/2016 at 10:47 AM, YANDMAN said:

This is so awesome, i had to make a label

 

A daunting task to transpose the original Konami Castlevania to the Atari 2600!
But congratulations on the initiative, it would be just incredible to have this
 Port for the 2600!🦇

[alfredtdk]

 

I noticed that there are few vampire theme games on the Atari 2600!
Except for Ghost Manor, I don't remember any other game involving
Vampires!