Fighter pilots needed in sector wars...

[PacManPlus]

Thanks, Guys

 

Marc: Point taken. At the moment, the difficulty levels are the different revisions of the game. The first release was deemed too difficult, so it was made easier for revision 2. That was also too difficult, so for revision 3 they made it even easier. All they basically did was move around the enemies from sector to sector. So here, Revision 3 = Easy, Revision 2 = Medium, and Revision 1 = Hard. I will see about slowing down the fuel consumption and reducing the number of enemy shots for the 'easy' difficulty level.

 

BTW, don't know if you guys know this, but I plan on including the infamous 'sector 8' and the secret bonus that lies within. Details here: http://www.donhodges.com/Astro_Blaster_Secret_Bonus_01.htm

... although it will be a kind of an 'Easter Egg' (i.e. with normal gameplay you won't see it, being that it isn't reachable in the arcade game).

 

Bob

[+evg2000]

Thanks, Guys

 

Marc: Point taken. At the moment, the difficulty levels are the different revisions of the game. The first release was deemed too difficult, so it was made easier for revision 2. That was also too difficult, so for revision 3 they made it even easier. All they basically did was move around the enemies from sector to sector. So here, Revision 3 = Easy, Revision 2 = Medium, and Revision 1 = Hard. I will see about slowing down the fuel consumption and reducing the number of enemy shots for the 'easy' difficulty level.

 

BTW, don't know if you guys know this, but I plan on including the infamous 'sector 8' and the secret bonus that lies within. Details here: http://www.donhodges.com/Astro_Blaster_Secret_Bonus_01.htm

... although it will be a kind of an 'Easter Egg' (i.e. with normal gameplay you won't see it, being that it isn't reachable in the arcade game).

 

Bob

Bob,

Thanks for creating this I remember playing this at Chucky Cheese way back when. Also, thanks for the link about the bonuses.

[PacManPlus]

Warp Function activated Being that this happens in-game, I cannot use the voice - otherwise the action will stop every time he reads the countdown. This is an important alert, so I made it a message on the screen while the game is playing.

 

IMPORTANT: Down on the joystick is "Activate Warp"

AstBlstr.A78

AstBlstr.bin

[VectorGamer]

The game looks great. Collision detection seems spotty, though. I don't like the sound effects of the alien missiles - sounds like Warlords.

[atarian63]

Thanks, Guys

 

Marc: Point taken. At the moment, the difficulty levels are the different revisions of the game. The first release was deemed too difficult, so it was made easier for revision 2. That was also too difficult, so for revision 3 they made it even easier. All they basically did was move around the enemies from sector to sector. So here, Revision 3 = Easy, Revision 2 = Medium, and Revision 1 = Hard. I will see about slowing down the fuel consumption and reducing the number of enemy shots for the 'easy' difficulty level.

 

BTW, don't know if you guys know this, but I plan on including the infamous 'sector 8' and the secret bonus that lies within. Details here: http://www.donhodges.com/Astro_Blaster_Secret_Bonus_01.htm

... although it will be a kind of an 'Easter Egg' (i.e. with normal gameplay you won't see it, being that it isn't reachable in the arcade game).

 

Bob

Damn Bob! You are amazing!

Edited December 24, 2013 by atarian63

[keitaro]

Wow!!

I knew very little about this game, except for MAME, but I didn't know about hidden secret bonus I love learning more of this kind of features.

 

A real classic gem! Thanks Bob to port it!!

And happy holidays / merry xmas to all 7800 fans!

[PacManPlus]

Thanks guys!

 

@rmaerz: I actually just fixed up the collision detection. Which collisions do you refer to enemy shots toward the player or player shots toward the enemy?

Also, those sounds are just place holders. I always leave the sound for last.

 

Bob

[VectorGamer]

Thanks guys!

 

@rmaerz: I actually just fixed up the collision detection. Which collisions do you refer to enemy shots toward the player or player shots toward the enemy?

Also, those sounds are just place holders. I always leave the sound for last.

 

Bob

 

The player shots toward the enemy. I noticed that some (but not all) shots go straight through the enemy without anything happening.

[edweird13]

This is great Bob you are the absolute master of the 7800. LOVE IT!!!!

[ZylonBane]

Thanks everyone!

@ZylonBane: Yes - that is exactly why - there are some screens where there are 10 enemies in one zone. That uses about 385 cycles, where the max is about 417. 320B mode would double that.

 

After you finish this, would it take much changing of code to implement a version using 160A sprites? Using 320A for everything makes it kind of look more like a ZX Spectrum game than a 7800 game.

[Jaynz]

After you finish this, would it take much changing of code to implement a version using 160A sprites? Using 320A for everything makes it kind of look more like a ZX Spectrum game than a 7800 game.

I actually came in today to comment on this one...

 

I noticed this a bit in Moon Cresta (making the game VERY tough), it really looks like your shots 'skip' the baddies sometime, particularly on the left and right sides. Maybe a more forgiving collision detect between the bolt and the enemy ships is in order? It's most notable (so far) on the asteroid screens... a dead-on vertical shot just seems to go right through.

[Jinks]

Possibly certain screens like the mother ship looks great in 320.. but no matter it all is awesome to me..

Edited December 25, 2013 by Jinks

[PacManPlus]

 

After you finish this, would it take much changing of code to implement a version using 160A sprites? Using 320A for everything makes it kind of look more like a ZX Spectrum game than a 7800 game.

I actually started this in 160A, but didn't like the way the enemies were coming out, and didn't like the stretched screen. (Attached - please ignore the scrambled title screen)

 

 

I actually came in today to comment on this one...

 

I noticed this a bit in Moon Cresta (making the game VERY tough), it really looks like your shots 'skip' the baddies sometime, particularly on the left and right sides. Maybe a more forgiving collision detect between the bolt and the enemy ships is in order? It's most notable (so far) on the asteroid screens... a dead-on vertical shot just seems to go right through.

I'm using an average for the left and right sides of the enemy, as each one is a different width. I'll see what I can do about that before the final version. Maybe make another table with the widths of each one.

MM2.A78

[LidLikesIntellivision]

Suddenly I started to get much better scores for Moon Cresta.

I remember PacManPlus gave me a patch for a score bellow 30k.

 

Now, with practice, I can get those 30k!

 

I suspect PacManplus is an exceptional player too

[Jaynz]

Bob, I'm actually pretty happy with the graphics on this one. Reminds me a lot of the original arcade when I was playing it at Zayre (showing my age)... it could be a little prettier on the 7800, I suppose, but I think it would change the feel a bit from the original and also take up resources that probably should go to sound and voice.

 

And, playing the game a bit more, the shots really just breeze through the left of the critters like they were nothing. Moon Cresta does this a bit as well. (Though, not being familiar with the original of THAT game, I'm not sure how it compares.)

[HammR25]

Another game where the enemy shots are too dark for my particular console and tv.

[+Defender_2600]

Thank you Bob. You continue to leave us all wordless!!

Fantastic work and good choice, this port is a great exclusive for 7800. And I love the 320 mode.

 

Happy Holidays!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Marc Oberhäuser]

It would be great if there was also an option to use the second fire button instead of pulling down the stick to use the warp feature. It happens quite often that I activate it accidently on the emulator using the Xbox 360 controller.

[PacManPlus]

Hi Guys:

Bob, I'm actually pretty happy with the graphics on this one. Reminds me a lot of the original arcade when I was playing it at Zayre (showing my age)... it could be a little prettier on the 7800, I suppose, but I think it would change the feel a bit from the original and also take up resources that probably should go to sound and voice.

And, playing the game a bit more, the shots really just breeze through the left of the critters like they were nothing. Moon Cresta does this a bit as well. (Though, not being familiar with the original of THAT game, I'm not sure how it compares.)

Early on, I had a decision to either make it multicolor, in a lower resolution mode, or sacrifice multicolor to make the game as close a port as possible, play-wise. I chose to make the game play closer to the arcade and sacrifice a color or two one the enemies. This way, I was able to count frames and use the exact movements for the enemies and players... Something I wouldn't have been able to do with a stretched screen and wider pixels. The feel wouldn't have been there.

Regarding collision detection, Moon Cresta does require you to be very exact... In Astro Blaster, I am currently adding left/right edge tables for each of the enemies.

 

 

Another game where the enemy shots are too dark for my particular console and tv.

In the colors I choose, I always try to match the arcade (at least in MAME) as closely as possible. I'm assuming you are referring to Frenzy. Nowhere in that thread, while I was developing it, did anyone bring up colors being too dark. The only post having to do with colors was the one you had made:

This doesn't have anything to do with the actual game logic but with my CC2 and LCD tv the robot shots can be difficult to see until my 7800 has warmed up and they change to the proper brighter colors. The quirkiness of the 7800 strikes again.

It sounded to me like more of a 7800 issue than color choices.

Had one or two people mentioned it before hand, I would have been able to see what I could do to be close to the arcade colors, but maybe lighten them up a little. I have/had no issues on my TV.

That being said, now that it has been brought up, I will try to lighten them a little without straying too far away from the arcade colors.

 

 

It would be great if there was also an option to use the second fire button instead of pulling down the stick to use the warp feature. It happens quite often that I activate it accidently on the emulator using the Xbox 360 controller.

I was trying to avoid this (extra code; trying to save it for the voice), but I will add the joystick auto-detection like Asteroids.

 

Thanks for the feedback, guys!

Bob

[NIKON]

For what I am about to do I apologize to anyone it may offend....

 

WE GOT ASTRO BLASTER NANA NA NA NAAANA!!! he he he he

[Marc Oberhäuser]

If it automatically disables the down trigger I would be perfectly fine with this solution

[PacManPlus]

Hi Guys!

 

Did some quick updating before leaving for dinner.

 

- Made the collision detection tables for each enemy type; collision detection should be much better

- added two button support

- updated the colors, hopefully they will be more visible on some TVs. Please let me know.

 

I'll post a bin later.

 

Thanks!

Bob

[PacManPlus]

Hi guys:

 

As stated before, here is the updated bin:

 

- Two button auto-select added (Warp is 'Down' with a CX-40, and the second button with a ProLine)

- Updated Colors, tried to make some of them brighter - please let me know if this isn't the case

- Collision detection should be more accurate now.

 

To Do:

 

- Enemies that drop in certain waves

- Hidden bonuses

- Sound

- Speech

 

Thanks again, guys.

Bob

AstBlstr.A78

AstBlstr.bin

[+Defender_2600]

 

- Two button auto-select added (Warp is 'Down' with a CX-40, and the second button with a ProLine)

 

 

Thanks again!

Edited December 26, 2013 by Defender_2600

[DoctorTom]

Bob, this is terrific! Can't wait to see the final version.

 

I personally find Easy to be too easy, but I think it's good to have it as an option.

 

I was wondering if you would consider a game variant that offered at least a mild challenge during the ship docking screen? Maybe having to dodge space debris, fight against gravity, and/or require you to be more precise to dock without losing a ship? Would be a neat addition...

 

Also, the colors look dynamite on my plasma.

Edited December 26, 2013 by DoctorTom