Q*bert Arcade hack

[+RevEng]

Here's my update on 2600 Q*bert. Changes from stock Q*bert rom include:

• replaced the lives remaining graphic with a mini Q*bert
• colored the lives same as the player
• added a title screen. In attract mode the display alternates between the title screen and the pyramid.
• added AtariVox support. Q*bert falling and Q*bert getting hit now have voice effects.
• updated the font
• converted to F8 bankswitching.

 

Enjoy...

 

qbert-arcade.20150115.zip

(NTSC and PAL60 versions included)

[+TrekMD]

Cool. Thanks for sharing. I like the additions you've made.

[NE146]

Wow that looks great! I'll have to try this out as soon as I get the chance.

[+RevEng]

Thanks for the kind words guys!

[KevinMos3]

I love it! Those touches took it from good to great.

 

edit: I especially love the blinking eyes on the title screen.

Edited March 26, 2011 by KevinMos3

[Nukey Shay]

Nice job

 

BTW I added a few touches to the game in the Supercharger thread (to flicker the upper lines at 30hz when characters are up there so the score/reserve lives do not disappear). You can use that if you want to.

[+RevEng]

I love it! Those touches took it from good to great.

 

edit: I especially love the blinking eyes on the title screen.

Thanks KevinMos3!

 

As a youth I was supremely impressed when Sonic the Hedgehog would cross his arms and tap his foot when you didn't press the controller after a while. I love the little details.

 

 

Nice job

 

BTW I added a few touches to the game in the Supercharger thread (to flicker the upper lines at 30hz when characters are up there so the score/reserve lives do not disappear). You can use that if you want to.

Ah, before I started this hack I did a forum search, but didn't find anything. Hah, funny that we both decided to color the reserve lives.

 

Thanks for the offer... I'll take a look!

[Nukey Shay]

The flicker code I used is incomplete, but the remaining issues could probably be ironed out quickly by looking at better-commented disassemblies.

 

This is what I did...I used the unused ram location $FC as a framecounter (I never bothered to track down the real one). The edit only required 14 bytes, which could have been shorter using LSR and branching on carry status instead.

 

LB106:
      INC    $FC                     ;5 added line

      LDA    $C3                     ;3 existing line
      CMP    #$37                    ;2 ""
;       BCC    LB170                   ;2 ""
      BCS    LB171                   ;2 altered line

;added lines...
      LDA    $FC                     ;3
      AND    #$01                    ;2
      BNE    LB170                   ;2
LB171:

 

 

;added lines...
      LDA    $FC                     ;3
      AND    #$01                    ;2
      BEQ    LB1D3                   ;2

      LDX    #$15                    ;2 existing line
LB1A6:

[roadrunner]

Here's my update on 2600 Q*bert. Changes from stock Q*bert rom include:

 

• replaced the lives remaining graphic with a mini Q*bert
  
• colored the lives same as the player
  
• added a title screen. In attract mode the display alternates between the title screen and the pyramid.
  
• added AtariVox support. Q*bert falling and Q*bert getting hit now have voice effects.
  
• updated the font
  
• converted to F8 bankswitching.
  

 

 

Enjoy...

 

 

Great hack!

[Corby]

great job Rev!!

[+RevEng]

Thanks Corby & roadrunner! Nukey, that should make it easier, for sure - thanks!

 

At some point I'm going to try to come up with a general savekey/atarivox high-score table routine... this hack will definitely be the place I try it out first.

[+RevEng]

It appears I left those of you in PAL-country without a swearing 2600 Q*Bert. I've updated the zip in the first post so it now has both NTSC and PAL60 versions.

 

Thanks go out to Philsan for pointing out the omission.

[roryjr]

How did I miss this? I will download it later.

[BrianC]

Nice hack. Any chance of Ugg or Wrongway being added?

[+RevEng]

Not really. Displaying Ugg and Wrongway would require an all-new display kernel, and likely some kind of hardware assistance, like DPC+ or bus stuffing. (or else it would be a flickerfest) Either way it would be easier to start from scratch than to twist and shape the existing 2600 q*bert code.

[Nukey Shay]

I disagree...since the ball & missiles are unused. It wouldn't be pretty using those, however.

[+McCallister]

Bumping this thread because I am going to get a cart of this made. Anyone ever do a label for this to put on it? If not, no worries, but thought I'd check first.

[+McCallister]

I went ahead and got this on cart and am glad I did. RevEng made changes that really add to an already great game. The sound effects are so enticing to hear, I've found myself steering Qbert off the edge just to hear him fall or into Coily to hear him curse. Love the change of font to the score as well, it makes running up the score somehow more fun. All around a great hack and glad RevEng took the time to make it.

[PFL]

I don't know how I missed this! It looks really nice. Now I've got the perfect excuse to get an Atarivox when they're back in the store...

 

PS: Thanks for the PAL60 version.

[triverse]

Great hack! I wrote an article about it, with a video, for my site - http://retrogamingmagazine.com/2015/08/30/atari-2600-qbert-improved-to-be-more-like-arcade-version/ Will you be improving it further?

[+RevEng]

Thanks for the article! I'm pretty focused on other projects at this point, though I would like to get that high score table coded up some day.

[YANDMAN]

you just made an awesome game, super awesome

[orion1052003]

Does anyone have a version that will work on the Atari Flashback Portable? In Stella, it acted strangeley as well. Haven't tried it on Harmony Cart yet, but in Flashback Portable, you can't advance to the next level. In Stella, it displayed parts of the screen and had half squares colored, half uncolored. I like the level one animation and it seems better to play than the original port.

Edited January 1, 2017 by orion1052003

[+RevEng]

Works fine for me in Stella and on real hardware. Which version of Stella are you using?

[orion1052003]

Stella 4.1.1. Previously I tried clicking the file while in the OS, from a folder, not in Stella. I tried it by right clicking and 'opening with' (stella) and it actually showed parts of the desktop and parts of the game, and the half colored squares. I put it in the roms folder where Stella expects it be, opened Stella, selected qbert arcade, and it played fine. Lots of stuff either won't run or runs crazy on the 'flashback' portable. some games work right, though and I've had success with projectors so far. I met the guy who created Q-bert. Nice guy. I wonder what he thinks of the 2600 version, and what would he think of this?

 

My opinion is it's cool! %*&^

Edited January 2, 2017 by orion1052003