Space Instigators binary available now!

[Christopher Tumber]

The Space Instigators binary is now available at:

 

http://www.capitalSsoftware.com/SP-DL.BIN

 

The only difference between this and the cartridge version is the addition of two credits screens. (There was no room to put credit screens in the 4K cart version).

 

Cartridges are available for me personally, $25.00 for the standard edition and $50.00 for a signed and numbered collector's edition. The collector's edition is a limited run of 50 copies and includes an optional infinite lives trainer. Once those 50 copies are gone, that's it but the standard edition will be available in perpetuity.

 

You should also be able to order the standard edition from the AtariAge store by the time you read this (or shortly therafter).

 

Chris...

[AtariKari]

Thank you! I'll give this a shot over the weekend.

[JCroniger]

This is a great game!! I definitely would recommend getting it. I'm amazed there are so many rows and columns of invaders.

[Vic George 2K3]

I guess people are either going to choose to own this game or Space Invaders Arcade...or try getting both games for their collections. Good work!

[Albert]

I have now updated our store so Space Instigators may be purchased:

 

AtariAge Store: Space Instigators

 

I know I have some backorders I need to send out now.

 

..Al

[SS]

I guess people are either going to choose to own this game or Space Invaders Arcade...or try getting both games for their collections.  Good work!

 

 

I'm anxiously awaiting the delivery of a package containing both!

[AtariKari]

Just tried it: fookin awesome! It really is amazing to see that many sprites on a line, and with a Track and Field controller I'm set for a while. Good stuff.

[Rob Mitchell]

Great looking and playing game and great looking cart packaging! Amazing!

 

Rob Mitchell, Atlanta, GA

[raindog]

I guess people are either going to choose to own this game or Space Invaders Arcade...or try getting both games for their collections.  Good work!

 

If people feel for some reason that they need to choose between the two, I really hope they will choose Space Instigators. I've ordered mine and can't wait to play it on the real thing.

 

Seriously, if I hadn't gotten a comp of Space Invaders Arcade I probably wouldn't have bought it after Space Instigators came out, and it's my own hack. I encourage everyone who likes Space Invaders to buy Space Instigators because it will show support for Chris who is a genuinely talented homebrewer, and it's just a far more accurate take on Space Invaders besides.

 

Rob

[ZylonBane]

it's just a far more accurate take on Space Invaders besides.

Except for the UFO speed.

[Thomas Jentzsch]

Except for the UFO speed.  

IMO that was changed for very good reasons which have been explained here.

 

But if I should ever do a 11x5 version, I would make that selectable of course.

[ZylonBane]

I thought the main reason was that he ran out of RAM?

 

The warp-speed UFO drastically changes the way it interacts with the player. In the arcade and accurate versions, the UFO moves slowly enough that you can almost always stop what you're doing, scoot over and take 2 or 3 shots at it. The Instigators UFO is more of a blink-and-you-miss-it affair.

 

If you're going to just go and capriciously change elements of a classic arcade port to be "better", that undermines the point of the exercise.

[Thomas Jentzsch]

If you're going to just go and capriciously change elements of a classic arcade port to be "better", that undermines the point of the exercise.

Maybe Chris can post a modified version, so that everybody will be happy.

[NE146]

Bravo! ok as the self-appointed "Space Invaders Expert" on these here boards (I've played the arcade game since I was a wee kid with my high score being way over 70k - i.e. flipped over 7 times, and can lay claim to being the "discoverer" of the "extra man when you clear a wave in 55 shots or less or roll over the shot counter in SI part 2" when I was 13). I have to say this game kicks ass!!

 

Now so far I have only played it in Cyberstella, so the sound sucked. I'll have to try it on a Cuttlecart to really get the feel. But I just had to write to say how awesome it looks.. man if THIS came out back in the day........

 

If you're going to just go and capriciously change elements of a classic arcade port to be "better", that undermines the point of the exercise.

As far as the UFO speed.. yeah it's pretty fast. Almost to the point where you have to shoot a full screen length away. But to me that's pretty charming. In the arcade version, "hunting" 300 point UFO's by counting shots was part of the game. Now unless in this version, if the UFO points are a function of the number of shots (is it? ) then yes, the UFO is too fast. But if it isn't, then who cares.. the speed is fine I mean there's only so much you can expect from a 2600 port.. otherwise we'd be asking for the rainbow trick, the wall of death (where the invaders don't shoot on the lowest row), etc.

 

I may just have to end up forking up some cash for a cart of this.

[Scott Stilphen]

Thanks for releasing it, Chris! Excellent work.

 

The UFO is a bit too fast for me, but there's another disadvantage with it I noticed- it appears sooner (farther from the screen edge) on the right than on the left.

 

Thomas: there's already a 11x5 version of S.I. - called INV. Although the invaders aren't very detailed, there is some animation to them, plus there's an "explosion" of sorts when each is hit (which isn't in Instigators).

[SS]

Thomas: there's already a 11x5 version of S.I. - called INV.  Although the invaders aren't very detailed, there is some animation to them, plus there's an "explosion" of sorts when each is hit (which isn't in Instigators).

 

 

http://www.atariage.com/software_page.html...wareLabelID=868

 

Excellent, excellent game. It goes to show you that looks aren’t everything.

[+Nathan Strum]

The UFO is a bit too fast for me...

 

... plus there's an "explosion" of sorts when each is hit (which isn't in Instigators).

 

I don't think I even noticed the lack of an explosion in Space Instigators when I first played it. It's a remarkable game for the 2600 - much better than Atari's! I'd have to agree with the UFO speed being a bit too quick though. It almost takes the UFO out of the game by making it so fast. I just stop shooting at it, and focus on the rest of the game. (It'd be cool to have the saucer go by at different speeds... but that may not be possible.)

 

About the only thing I miss, and I miss it from all of the 2600 Space Invaders games, is the distinctive "psshh" sound the player's gun made in the arcade version. I don't know if the 2600 can mimic that or not, but to me, that's one of the distinct "things" that made Space Invaders what it was.

[Godzilla]

I dont know if this has been addressed, but my special edition, when I hit select for multi lives, the life counter jumps to 7, but when you start the game, it goes back to three and u have no xtra lives. Does it have multi fire like 2600 port? :-)

 

im using an adam w/ a coleco adaptor, btw

[Christopher Tumber]

I dont know if this has been addressed, but my special edition, when I hit select for multi lives, the life counter jumps to 7, but when you start the game, it goes back to three and u have no xtra lives.  

 

You have to select infinite lives during a game (ie: Start the game, then hit select).

 

 

Chris...

[Godzilla]

oh :-) thanks for the tip :-) and how about that multi fire?

 

btw, great SI version. really has a different feel from the atari verrsion. and I love the look and sound

[SS]

I just got my Space Instigators in the mail yesterday. S W E E T! Emulation simply doesn't do this game justice.