78001987 Posted April 4, 2015 Share Posted April 4, 2015 I honestly can't believe anyone would complain about the sound in this game. Wow. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andromeda Stardust Posted April 4, 2015 Share Posted April 4, 2015 (edited) I honestly can't believe anyone would complain about the sound in this game. Wow. I've got nothing but praise for it. It's even better than Pacman mode on the PMP collection, which is a big accomplishment in and of itself. Edited April 4, 2015 by stardust4ever Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Random Terrain Posted April 5, 2015 Share Posted April 5, 2015 I've got nothing but praise for it. It's even better than Pacman mode on the PMP collection, which is a big accomplishment in and of itself. Oops, now you're in trouble. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mountain King Posted April 8, 2015 Share Posted April 8, 2015 This is awesome! I just want to build a time machine go back in time and slap some Atari execs with this version. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andromeda Stardust Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 This is awesome! I just want to build a time machine go back in time and slap some Atari execs with this version. I can supply you with a Delorian (I hear they're easy to hot-wire), if you supply the flux capacitor! 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+TwentySixHundred Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 Leaps and bounds ahead of the original and faithful to the coin op. Never minded pac man when i was a lad although if this was around back then it would probably of been a classic 2600 game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfriendly Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 This is so awesome! Can't believe Atari had the nerve to dump that God awful port on us back in the early 80's. What a disgrace? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmervine Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 Holy cow! I have been following this thread, but just tried the latest ROM on my Harmony cart and 7800...this is amazing...awesome job! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andromeda Stardust Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 Holy cow! I have been following this thread, but just tried the latest ROM on my Harmony cart and 7800...this is amazing...awesome job! Even moreso for those of us watching this thread, it has been like seeing q child grow up. I hope Albert has something in the AA store once a final release candidate is out. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+save2600 Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 Even moreso for those of us watching this thread, it has been like seeing q child grow up. I hope Albert has something in the AA store once a final release candidate is out. Oh yeah, gotta definitely cement Dintari's (whoops, Freudian slip -ha) excellent efforts here with a cartridge release! I had mentioned something along the lines of a double-ender, but Al suggested they can now just do a single cart with both versions selectable via menu. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iesposta Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 I will buy a cart. Or two if there is a 4K ine and an 8K one. Usually I am for throwing all software and hardware techniques into a game, but in this case you have got to admire the purity and accuracy of the tiny 4K version! It should not be possible to make it that good, with 3 cut scenes and all in just 4K. Awe inspiring! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DINTAR816 Posted April 17, 2015 Author Share Posted April 17, 2015 Hello everyone, right now it is optimizing some code, and reorganizing some other parts to improve space utilization. The intro screen (where are the names of ghosts / monsters) is almost ready, missing the title screen, and then I'll add a screen with some "options". Well, let me answer some questions. Hi DINTAR816,Quick question, is it possible to set the blue color ramp of the maze darker like the Arcade? I believe it is currently 86. Can it be brought down to a 82 (Bringing it down two 'shades' darker)? If there's some sort of technical limitation for this, I apologize for my ignorance. If it is a personal preference, that's certainly understandable. The color of the maze, I think it could lower it to 84, but I think 82 would be very low because in the arcade that blue is made of 100% blue, or a saturated blue (representing a 11% of luminance in Composite Video ), but the VCS / 2600 has no saturated colors, all have the same average level. With a value of 82, the luminance level would be about 14%, but is not equal to the arcade by the saturation of color. I do have one minor request. Would you be able to adjust your writes to VBLANK so that they are not midline? On some TV's you can see the blanking lines as they are "blacker than black". I'm probably the only person on this forum that it really bothers (ha ha)... I guess this game is so close to perfection already I hate to see that. That happens in the 4k version ?, because there was not using the reg. "VBLANK". Well if so, I'll leave this version equal to 4k version (without using the reg.). I've tried this too, and I think it's pretty good, although some sounds are a tiny bit off, as it seems. One request I'd still have: Can the intermission music be played in two voices, like the game start music is? Currently it's only monophonic, which doesn't sound very good. Well, about the sound, I'll improve intermission music (2 channels) and at least the sound of "extralife" and then I'll see if I can improve other sounds. Sorry for not responding more quickly. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trebor Posted April 17, 2015 Share Posted April 17, 2015 The color of the maze, I think it could lower it to 84, but I think 82 would be very low because in the arcade that blue is made of 100% blue, or a saturated blue (representing a 11% of luminance in Composite Video ), but the VCS / 2600 has no saturated colors, all have the same average level. With a value of 82, the luminance level would be about 14%, but is not equal to the arcade by the saturation of color. First and foremost, thank you for responding and even entertaining the request. Regarding the above, I humbly submit both Pac-Man "Color Hack" and Pac-Man "Enhanced Hack" as examples. They didn't just go as low as 82, but took it another step further and went as low as 80. Both appear beautifully on my RF video as well as my Composite mod Woody's, on both CRT and HDTVs: As I mentioned earlier, I do believe 80 may be too dark for some, depending on their display(s); however, 82 should work fine. If you want to compare for yourself and get a feel for your level of comfort with it, here are the two ROMs from the above example that are using 80: Pac-Man (Color Hack).binPac-Man (Enhanced Hack).bin Nonetheless, it is your masterpiece, and whatever you think is best...is indeed, best, for your port. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andromeda Stardust Posted April 18, 2015 Share Posted April 18, 2015 (edited) The color of the maze, I think it could lower it to 84, but I think 82 would be very low because in the arcade that blue is made of 100% blue, or a saturated blue (representing a 11% of luminance in Composite Video ), but the VCS / 2600 has no saturated colors, all have the same average level. With a value of 82, the luminance level would be about 14%, but is not equal to the arcade by the saturation of color. This is my personal advice to you on the maze color: let it be where it is. Blue is the weakest of the three primaries (red green blue) since the cones in our eyes are the least sensitive to blue light (rods are least sensitive to red but that only comes into play with night vision in near total darkness). Some CRT sets vary considerably with output. Often sets poorly calibrated or set to default values, dark colors can often look darker than they should, almost black even. If the black levels are adjusted so that dim colors are visible, it also makes the blacks not a true black giving the display a washed out appearance. We have no way of knowing if the user has properly calibrated TV sets regardless of LCD / CRT, or even a clean RF/composite feed (vintage RF switches can get pretty roach), so it is best to keep the colors bright enough to ensure that all users can see the maze clearly without adjusting their TV sets. Edited April 18, 2015 by stardust4ever Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trebor Posted April 18, 2015 Share Posted April 18, 2015 We have no way of knowing if the user has properly calibrated TV sets regardless of LCD / CRT, or even a clean RF/composite feed (vintage RF switches can get pretty roach), so it is best to keep the colors bright enough to ensure that all users can see the maze clearly without adjusting their TV sets. Those would have to be some *really* bad calibrated televisions. Even the 1982 Atari release, Haunted House uses 82: Evidently, the majority saw/sees it just fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
potatohead Posted April 18, 2015 Share Posted April 18, 2015 I've not been following this. Had to post up, "OH MAN, the SOUND IS THE SHIT!" Seriously! You knocked it out of the park. Very well done, and you should feel very good about it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaz321123 Posted April 27, 2015 Share Posted April 27, 2015 (edited) Incredible work. I like the 8k version the most, where pac-man lights up 'more yellow' when away from the ghosts. I like the compromise, where he only flickers around the ghosts. Did I mention incredible? I love this stuff. Release it in a cart already! hehe *throws money at screen* Edited April 27, 2015 by kaz321123 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaz321123 Posted April 27, 2015 Share Posted April 27, 2015 (edited) I like the size of the power pellets in the 4k. Perhaps due to limitations of the hardware, you have to choose 'solid yellow' pac-man (8k), or 'bigger power pellets (4k)', because of scanlines. I'm just guessing here tho Edited April 27, 2015 by kaz321123 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaz321123 Posted April 27, 2015 Share Posted April 27, 2015 (edited) Oh ya, I forgot to mention the AI. It is incredible! I watched as Pinky actually went in the direction pac-man was pointing (it tries to ambush basically). And blinky follows me correctly. I'm wondering now if other logic is in it also, such as ghosts not going upwards in certain corridors. This version of pac-man has my vote for the best so far on this site! CONGRATS! Edit: The logic with the corridors is accurate also (ghosts can't go up). The slowdown in the escape corridor works great. Blinky gets very fast at the end of the levels (awesome). Edited April 27, 2015 by kaz321123 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+darryl1970 Posted April 27, 2015 Share Posted April 27, 2015 I am especially glad that this version has the four colored MONSTERS, instead of the incorrectly named "GHOSTS", based off of Atari's all-white flickery mess. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Stella Posted April 27, 2015 Share Posted April 27, 2015 Hats off man. That is impressive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Jentzsch Posted April 27, 2015 Share Posted April 27, 2015 The Japanese original is based on Ghosts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+darryl1970 Posted April 27, 2015 Share Posted April 27, 2015 (edited) Ghost vs Monster: Does it really matter? I believe it does, because it is the TRUE history of the game, regardless of any Japanese back story. I feel the arcade machine creates the context for history. Even the Japanese marquee translates the word to "Monster". (I shared a Google translation back in post #324) Blinky is clearly a flesh being, dressed in a ghost costume. (Based off of the 2nd and 3rd intermission). To me that is important to preserve. As a youth, I was very frustrated when Atari mistranslated the game, in addition to releasing a port that lacked everything that gave the game personality. First Atari ruined it. They used the term "ghost" to excuse their white, flickery mess. Since that was publicly known, the cartoon took it and ran with it. I feel it is very important to acknowledge that ALL of the arcade machines, Japanese and American, use the term "Monster" on the instructions. THAT is the ONLY definition. I don't mean any of that in a pissy way. I am just very passionate about it, because the arcade machines set the history! For me, it is good to see monsters, not white "ghosts". Edited April 27, 2015 by darryl1970 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+nanochess Posted April 27, 2015 Share Posted April 27, 2015 This is a beautiful port, sometimes when I'm bored, I open Stella just to run this Pacman For some reason it is so good to play it again each time! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaz321123 Posted April 27, 2015 Share Posted April 27, 2015 (edited) Omg, in the lastest version, you even somehow managed to remove the scanline things from the far left side. That is so nice! Edited April 27, 2015 by kaz321123 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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