Coleco Adam Donkey Kong

[ColecoFan1981]

Since the Ocean Software conversions of Donkey Kong for the Commodore 64 and the Amstrad CPC (both UK only) seem to replicate the original title screen and stage start screen ("HOW HIGH CAN YOU GET?") very well, I am wondering if the Coleco Adam DK could've done the same?

 

Commodore 64 (1986) version:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-1OqbKNmzE

 

Amstrad CPC version:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNXLsobO3Gk

 

The actual Coleco Adam Super Data Pack version:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlFF8JCfBS0

(it is still missing the part where the blue barrels turn into fireballs from the oil can)

 

I am wondering if the ColecoVision/Adam could in any way replicate the original arcade version's stage start screen (with scoring status bar) and scoring status bar in any way (since the CV/Adam versions lose one row of girders)?

 

~Ben

Edited September 24, 2011 by ColecoFan1981

[Pixelboy]

I am wondering if the ColecoVision/Adam could in any way replicate the original arcade version's stage start screen (with scoring status bar) and scoring status bar in any way (since the CV/Adam versions lose one row of girders)?

 

~Ben

Have you seen Opcode's Donkey Kong Arcade? I'd say with DKA in the works, any question related to Donkey Kong Super Game on ADAM becomes a moot point, but with this said, it's clear that the programmers at Coleco reused a lot of the code from the cartridge version for the ADAM version. And they did cut a few corners in the process.

Edited September 24, 2011 by Pixelboy

[ColecoFan1981]

I am wondering if the ColecoVision/Adam could in any way replicate the original arcade version's stage start screen (with scoring status bar) and scoring status bar in any way (since the CV/Adam versions lose one row of girders)?

 

~Ben

Have you seen Opcode's Donkey Kong Arcade? I'd say with DKA in the works, any question related to Donkey Kong Super Game on ADAM becomes a moot point, but with this said, it's clear that the programmers at Coleco reused a lot of the code from the cartridge version for the ADAM version. And they did cut a few corners in the process.

I've seen that. I also specifically meant if the original Coleco Adam could handle such a conversion back in 1983-84?

 

~Ben

[NIAD]

Yes, the original 1983 ADAM SuperGame of Donkey Kong could have been arcade perfect had the programmers been given the time necessary to start from scratch with instructions to make the game identical to the arcade. Unfortunately however, as PixelBoy pointed out, the programmers used the ColecoVision version as a shortcut in development probably figuring why re-invent the wheel and of course Coleco management probably set some crazy deadline for them to complete the game so that it would be ready or near ready for the ADAM's release.

 

With 160K (disk) or 256K (data pack) of room to work with, they had all types of storage space to work with and available RAM would not have been an issue since they could load new screens into memory as needed. As can be seen by the unreleased 5 Screen Donkey Kong Junior SuperGame, they could have even added numerous new screens to the game without a problem... except that Nintendo balked at the idea of chnaging/adding to the original game and Coleco backed down.

 

Another thing that could have been done is to program the game in it's proper aspect ratio, although that would have probably meant changing the look of the game and moving the score, level, lives left, etc. to the right side of the screen. I KNOW... Eduardo has recreated the DKA with all the girder platforms and not made this change, but he has almost a decade to learn all the ins-and-outs of programming the CV and probably has far superior developmental tools to work with compared to the short time the Coleco programmers had to learn the system as well as the aforementioned timelines that were set for them by the powers that be.