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Pad 1.5 beta


NRV

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Hi all!

 

I wanted to share a remix of an old project, as a little present before the end of the year. There was no time for more and P.M 3.0 needs a lot more time yet :).

 

This one is inspired by the old Arkanoid games (1, 2 and Tournament). Is a beta version, there is still work to do, but is already very playable, so I hope people enjoy it.

 

To do (in the far, far future): enemies!, new type of bricks, more powerups, more levels, bosses at the end of every branch of levels, tittle screen, better graphics, music and more animations and sound effects.

 

Right now it only works with a mouse (should add paddle and trackball support). At last, after all this years I made a mouse routine that works well using acceleration, so I hope it also works well in a real machine, with a low DPI mouse. In Altirra it runs very good using a modern mouse (remember to not have too much processes running in the background, if you want a "smooth" play experience). Also, the height of the screen is a little big (2.5 mode lines over the normal top area and 1.5 lines below, for a total of 28 lines of Antic4 mode), so I hope to get any feedback about these issues on real machines.

 

 

Instructions:

 

Start the game with the button or the space bar.

Launch the ball with the button or the space bar.

At the end of a level select one of the two exits to go to different levels. There is a max of 7 levels before completing the game, but you can choose different branches at every step, so try to figure the best route to get the highest score (maybe I should offer a reward for this :)).

 

Options: (change in the tittle screen, using the D, M and S keys)

- Difficulty: arcade (a little easier then the Ark. games) or easy (very slow, for small children :) .. there is no scoring).

- Vaus type: not working.

- Mouse input acceleration: change between 0 (no acceleration) to 3 (max acceleration).

- Starting level: all completed levels show here, but at the start of the game there are only 3 unlocked.

 

Powerups (pills):

- E: expand powerup, bigger paddle size

- R: reduce powerup, smaller paddle size (x2 the scoring of bricks, while in use)

- C: catch powerup, catch the ball for some seconds, drop it using the button or the space bar.

- S: slow powerup, slow down the ball speed (the effect is accumulative, but the ball speed up after touching the top border or every 20 seconds)

- P: extra player powerup, get an extra ball (max one per level)

- B: break powerup, open the side exits so you can go to the left or right level

- X: mega ball powerup, red ball that can destroy every type of brick

- D: disrupt powerup, multi ball (3 of them, there are no new powerups created when this is active!)

 

Scoring:

- 80 points per normal brick

- 50 points per every hit to "hard" bricks (the ones that need more than one hit)

- while in use, the "R" powerup adds a x2 multiplicator to the score of every brick

- 1000 points per powerup

- 10000 per using one of the exits after catching the "B" powerup

- 5000 points per completing a level without losing a ball (and destroying all bricks)

- one extra player after 20000 points

 

The NTSC version is the best one, only because of the frame rate (60 vs 50). But the speed, the gameplay and the colors should be the same between both versions. Only the speed of the sounds and some animations are a little different (and the mouse input rate: 1440Hz in NTSC vs 1350Hz in PAL).

The NTSC version only run in a NTSC system, the PAL version only run in a PAL system.

 

Regards!

..and Merry Christmas, there is still one hour left here :)

 

Pad_versions.zip

 

post-11240-0-39566800-1324778892_thumb.png

 

post-11240-0-33526300-1324778965.pngpost-11240-0-09563100-1324778973.png

post-11240-0-31832200-1324778981.pngpost-11240-0-08368700-1324778990.png

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Thanks!

 

This is far better than Arkanoid as the graphics are much clearer. Until this version came along, I've always been against background graphics in bat and ball games because they make it difficult to see everything clearly. I've changed my mind after seeing this.

 

Yes, that's one of my main concerns with this type of games. If you want fast, smooth and good gameplay, you should be able to at least see clearly all the balls in play. That and having a fast and responsive control.. I really don't like all the modern versions that try to use a gamepad (inclusive an analog one) to control a bat and ball game.

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amiga mouse not working?

 

Hmmm if the atari one works and the amiga one doesn't, then I suppose they have some difference. I think I read something about that in the flashjazzcat OS thread or somewhere else.

But in that case it should not be difficult to do a version for that mouse.

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Super! You do need to change the version number on the title screen though, it's still on 1.5!

 

As a slight improvement, like in the game "Crack Up", could the ball start off resting on the bat? The amount of times I've lost a life before even hitting the ball!

 

I was going to do both at some point, but I was trying to do the minimum work so I aborted :).

In fact starting with the ball "catched" is the original behavior of the Arkanoid games and is the same logic used for the "catch" powerup, so probably version 1.6 would have that then.

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That is much better with the ball being attached to the bat on start-up. Thank you and well done on that.

 

One thing I've noticed is sometimes you end up in an endless-loop if you don't move your mouse. After bouncing off the bat in the ball, if you don't move your mouse, the ball will bounce off the same wall in the same place and then off your bat. You can then walk away from the game and not lose a life. Occasionally, could you add some vertical/horizontal randomness when the ball bounces off the wall, not with every bounce but maybe 1 in 4 bounces?

 

Then again, it's a nice way to go and have a rest!!

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Paddle is the natural controller for such games.

 

Yep, I agree, the only problem that I remember from using the pads in the 2600 (with super breakout, video Olympics, etc) was the constant jitter. Just for that I prefer a little the mouse.

 

One thing I've noticed is sometimes you end up in an endless-loop if you don't move your mouse. After bouncing off the bat in the ball, if you don't move your mouse, the ball will bounce off the same wall in the same place and then off your bat. You can then walk away from the game and not lose a life. Occasionally, could you add some vertical/horizontal randomness when the ball bounces off the wall, not with every bounce but maybe 1 in 4 bounces?

 

looks and plays good. does it have enemies?

 

I don't have a problem with you (or w1k) doing that, because there is no pause right now :)

I wouldn't like to add randomness to some bounces because, for me, the enemies are what gives you that element of randomness (and also some special bricks and powerups that I have in mind).

I was thinking to add some simple enemies at the last moments, but I would have missed my pre-Christmas date... they are in the first position in my ToDo list anyways.

 

Greetings from chile

PD: Como que falta su version trak-ball jojojojo

 

Greetings from the same place!

(y no pienses que no lei eso! jaja :P)

 

nice :) works fine now !

awesome gameplay

first atari game working superb with mouse

 

but.. :)

 

Is good to know that it works well.. and no "but's" !! :P

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its possible pause game? P key?

Hmmm.. yes. Wait for 1.7!

 

I've just completed the game, going back to the starting screen for the first time. I have to say, I am not a fan of those reappearing metal bricks!!

Hehe sorry. The ones form Arkanoid 2 are worst yet, because they require more than one hit every time.

Are you doing the "only to the right" route?. If yes, then I feel your pain, that one have two of those levels and the last screen is, probably, one of the most difficult in the game (take a turn in the strawberry :)).

 

Post your score then!

I will try to post mine after completing one play.

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Okay, the pause key is now the space bar (is easier to press without looking). There is no visual feedback for the pause, so don't forget that you pressed it :).

The key to start the game and throw the ball is now "return".

 

pad_v4.zip

 

Arrgh.. I hate my own game.

A little luck at the end, but could be done a lot better:

 

post-11240-0-66060600-1325114460_thumb.png

 

The idea is to complete levels without losing, eat all powerups (don't use too much the "D" bonus, because you don't get more powerups when there is more than one ball on screen) and get the "B" powerup to open the exits and stay in the level the longest time before using those exits.

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