Should Team Pixelboy publish Star Force?

[Pixelboy]

I'm debating whether or not to publish the SG-1000 port of Star Force, ported to the ColecoVision by Eduardo Mello. The game works quite nicely on the ColecoVision, but the difficulty of the game is downright brutal. Eduardo told me that Star Force is well-known for its difficulty curve (the arcade version is very hard) but still, I'm not sure I want to sell a game that people will be tired of playing after 15 minutes because it's too hard.

 

I could ask Eduardo to tweak the game a bit, but he would charge me extra money for the service, and I'm already paying him a good sum of money for the basic SG-1000 port. Any additional cost would add several dollars to the selling price of the game, which is already guaranteed to be over 40$US.

 

Now before you tell me that I should simply include a secret code that offers 255 lives or something, the game can only register a maximum of 15 lives, and since you restart earlier in the level when you lose a ship, having 15 lives in reserve won't help you much, believe me. As for infinite lives or invincibility, we'd need at least one free bit of RAM to implement it, and Eduardo is not sure such a free bit is available.

 

Besides, if the only way to enjoy this game is to cheat, then what's the point of publishing it? You can just play the original SG-1000 version under emulation (for free) and use savestates to see everything there is to see in the game. The real intent of releasing such a game in cartridge format is for the player to enjoy playing the game on the real hardware, and if the game is too hard, then that enjoyment factor is reduced to nil.

 

The bottom line is that I don't mind going through all the trouble of publishing this game if I know people will buy it and enjoy it when it is finally released. That's why I would like you guys (and gals?) to track down the ROM of the original SG-1000 version of Star Force, play it for about 10 minutes under emulation, and let me know if you find the game as hard as I say it is. Keep in mind that the target audience for this ColecoVision game is in the 35-to-45-year-old range, and most don't have the reflexes of teenagers.

 

If you have suggestions on how to tweak the difficulty of this game, feel free to post them in this thread, but please keep in mind that there's very little free space left in the cartridge ROM (something like 40 bytes) so possibilities for tweaks are severely limited.

[retroillucid]

I would accept paying a few dollars more, if it means having a better-balanced game

[+5-11under]

Edit: oops, wrong thread.

Edited March 27, 2011 by 5-11under

[VectorGamer]

I'm not much of a Star Force fan...it's pretty much Xevious in a different bottle

[Yurkie]

Having Beta-tested this game, and not being able to even make it to the first boss with unlimited lives. I say the game is too difficult and should defiantly not be released as is. I imagine that decreasing the difficulty is no simple task and is likely not to be worthwhile.

[retroillucid]

Pitfall Arcade is damn hard too, and I'm playing it every weeks

 

Easy games are not always the best ones...

 

 

 

 

Just my two cents

[Pixelboy]

I imagine that decreasing the difficulty is no simple task and is likely not to be worthwhile.

No simple task, definately, but not worthwhile? I wouldn't go quite that far. The following footage demonstrates the many different sceneries to be seen in this game. You can also see one of the main problems in Star Force, namely how many airborn enemies don't hold back when spitting out projectiles directly at the player's ship.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlsgMDJF5Fc

 

I believe that if the enemy ships were tweaked to fire less projectiles, it would already be a big improvement, without making the game too easy in the process. Also, the ships that follow an "L" trajectory (they try to ram into your ship from the sides) should rarely (or never) fire any projectiles because unless you're an ace player, you won't survive long with projectiles blocking your evasive manoeuvers as you try to escape the ramming ships. Those are the kinds of tweaks I would ask Eduardo to do, for extra money of course.

[ColecoDan]

All I ask after killing myself on Gulkave and Pitfall II Arcade that you start giving us 5 lives instead of 3. Oh man those games are hard.

But I still torment myself constantly trying to get better at them and I do get further and further each time I try.

If this game is impossible though then I would say definately at least do something to make it a little easier.

[+retroclouds]

I would accept the difficulty level as it is now. The use of graphics and sounds is impressive.

[rpgcollector]

I would pay extra for a more balanced game. I like the less projectiles idea. Old eyes can't keep track of so many on the screen at one time. Played this game on the NES when I was young would love a Colecovision port!!

[JEFF31]

"Old eyes can't keep track of so many 'items' on the screen at one time." That and the really slow reflexes us older folks have.

 

That being said - I'd pay a little more if that would make the game more enjoyable.

[newcoleco]

I'm reading this thread and the reactions about it... and a question popped in my mind : Why porting this game in the first place if it's so damn hard that only a few might be able to enjoy it? This makes me more interested in the background story than the thread itself... sorry.

[Pixelboy]

I'm reading this thread and the reactions about it... and a question popped in my mind : Why porting this game in the first place if it's so damn hard that only a few might be able to enjoy it? This makes me more interested in the background story than the thread itself... sorry.

The backstory can be summed up in one sentence: Eduardo ported it, he was about to make 5 prototype carts and sell them on eBay, but before he did that, he offered the game to me for publishing under my Team Pixelboy label. End of story.

 

Apparently, Eduardo is still a top-notch player, because he says he can reach the "infinity" (24th) level in about an hour with the infinite lives cheat turned on. Honestly, I can't imagine how he can do that. Even with infinite lives, I just throw my hands in the air and give up after losing my 10th life before reaching the second boss. Where did you get your bionic hands, Eduardo?

[retroillucid]

... I just throw my hands in the air and give up after losing my 10th life before reaching the second boss. Where did you get your bionic hands, Eduardo?

 

Hey! I could ask you the same question about Pitfall Arcade

 

Maybe its just me, but damn! I'm really poor at this game

 

 

However, I like challenge, I'm playing Pitall Arcade each week hoping to get further in the game, and yes, I'm bit more good than the first time I played it

[Pixelboy]

... I just throw my hands in the air and give up after losing my 10th life before reaching the second boss. Where did you get your bionic hands, Eduardo?

 

Hey! I could ask you the same question about Pitfall Arcade

 

Maybe its just me, but damn! I'm really poor at this game

 

However, I like challenge, I'm playing Pitall Arcade each week hoping to get further in the game, and yes, I'm bit more good than the first time I played it

The comparison is not quite right, J-F. When you die in Pitfall II Arcade, it's usually your own fault. That's why it's not as frustrating, and you keep coming back for more. With Star Force, you die because everything the game throws at you is bent on killing you within the next five seconds. And then the word "fun" goes right out the window. That's my opinion anyway (and Yurkie's too).

 

Tell you what, J-F, why don't you compare oranges to oranges and try SG-1000 Star Force, under emulation?

[S1500]

Star Force: a game I must have 200 copies of on my pirate Famicom carts, AND on the Xbox from an arcade compilation.

[retroillucid]

 

Tell you what, J-F, why don't you compare oranges to oranges and try SG-1000 Star Force, under emulation?

 

 

Ok, if the SG-1000 version is different (more difficult) from the NES version wich I used to played back in the NES era, then I'll stand corrected

 

Otherwise, I would just say that some games can be difficult for someone but for somone else it can be a "more easy" game

[Kiwi]

Pixelboy, did you play this game with the stock CV controller? Just wondering. I would try using SMS controller, SG-1000 controller(not sure it is hardwired to the system itself), or Atari 7800 controller. It's hard to turbo the fire button with the CV side button. I think it would be easier to play this game with a D-pad.

 

Edit: Just to add, CV stick has about 30% dead zone and takes a bit longer to change direction where a D-pad is almost instant.

Edited March 28, 2011 by Kiwi

[Pixelboy]

Pixelboy, did you play this game with the stock CV controller? Just wondering. I would try using SMS controller, SG-1000 controller(not sure it is hardwired to the system itself), or Atari 7800 controller. It's hard to turbo the fire button with the CV side button. I think it would be easier to play this game with a D-pad.

 

Edit: Just to add, CV stick has about 30% dead zone and takes a bit longer to change direction where a D-pad is almost instant.

I understand what you're saying, but how many homebrew buyers out there happen to own (and use) third-party controllers with their CV consoles? I have to believe that most of them have stock CV controllers, so whether or not the game plays better with an alternate controller becomes a moot point.

[retroillucid]

I understand what you're saying, but how many homebrew buyers out there happen to own (and use) third-party controllers with their CV consoles?

 

Everyone who bough Track n Field with the T&F controller!

 

Ok, I'm kidding!

[purenergy]

Yes, I would buy Star Force would some changes. This SHMUP on the Colecovision looks and sounds very good, but I have yet to try the original version.

As for a controller, a control pad might help, and sounds like a good idea.

 

Thanks

[Kiwi]

I understand what you're saying, but how many homebrew buyers out there happen to own (and use) third-party controllers with their CV consoles?I have to believe that most of them have stock CV controllers, so whether or not the game plays better with an alternate controller becomes a moot point.

 

You are correct. I played worse tonight with SMS with Gulkave than the standard CV controller. The CV controller is quite good for playing games. I don't have problem with the CV controller, but my mind can be stubborn sometimes.

 

I should not pass judgment against this game until I play it first. It reminds me a lot like Star Prince from Retro Game Challenge. I'll check out the SG-1000 version of it and see how it plays.

[+retroclouds]

I'd love to play Star Foce on the coleco. Used to play the SG-1000 version on the emulator and it's an impressive game.

That doesn't necessarily mean that I'm good at it, though. But I love the graphics. Even though there is no smooth scrolling, it's very impressive what they pull out of the VDP processor.

[Pixelboy]

I understand what you're saying, but how many homebrew buyers out there happen to own (and use) third-party controllers with their CV consoles?I have to believe that most of them have stock CV controllers, so whether or not the game plays better with an alternate controller becomes a moot point.

 

You are correct. I played worse tonight with SMS with Gulkave than the standard CV controller. The CV controller is quite good for playing games. I don't have problem with the CV controller, but my mind can be stubborn sometimes.

 

I should not pass judgment against this game until I play it first. It reminds me a lot like Star Prince from Retro Game Challenge. I'll check out the SG-1000 version of it and see how it plays.

You know, you just gave me an idea: How about simply doubling the speed of the ship on the screen? Then it would be easier to evade projectiles and collisions. This may alleviate the difficulty problem just enough for the game to be fun. I'll discuss it with Eduardo.

[BrianC]

I rather the difficulty not be altered, or at least an option for the original difficulty. I have the sg-1000 game on cart. I find it hard, but not impossibly so. I feel that Gulkave and Pitfall II should retain their original difficulty level too (and I don't like being stuck with 5 lives in ports).