New "old" game for the ATARI ST "Laserball 2014"

[simoncam]

Hi to all ATARI ST Fans out there!

I just found this Forum!

I have written a “new” game for the ST and it is ready for free download and being played! Perfect for Christmas! J

Actually it is based on a game that I have written in 1991, but within the last weeks it has been massively enhanced. It started with bugfixing. And ended up in a much bigger and completer game than it ever was in 1991 (for example: the game engine that was originally designed to run levels of 10x10 squares, can now operate with levels of 200x10 squares). With new graphics by Melanie Schober and a music Soundtrack by xFalcon. And I did not want to stop at the game itself. I have a full Layout being developed for a fictions poster and even a packaging design. Also a full instruction manual exists ready for download.

The ATARI community was very helpful and brought in many new Ideas that made the game what it is now.

The history of the Update can be found in the Atari-forum.com.

http://www.atari-forum.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=27083

 

If you understand German there is even a more complete history on Atari-home.de:

http://forum.atari-home.de/index.php?topic=11381.0

(German game review: http://www.jungsi.de/laserball-2014-retro-atari-st/ )

And the development has not stopped yet. xFalcon is just composing new music tracks for the game!

Main Features:
- Puzzle game with 53 levels in 6 Campaigns
- Trainer Mode with 10 training levels
- Multi Lingual – at the moment German and English
- “Modern” features like “continue last game”
- New game elements that did not exist in the 1991 Version like beamsplitters.
- High Score list
- Multi Player Mode (ok… not really… only one after the other…)
- Drag and drop level editor with level and campaign management tool.
- PDF manual and concept art.

(seem to) run well on original ST´s and in Emulators.

Btw: all was written in GFA Basic

Hope you enjoy it!

And if you do, please share it!

And keep me posted if you have any ideas that would enhance this game!

 

Links:

Download:
http://www.hd-videofilm.com/atari
Screenshots and concept art here:
https://www.facebook.com/laserball2014
Youtube playlist:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3nav120nvDZErnRZZWOYYsd_pLFjGvg0

[Greyfox]

Wow. Thats fantastic , many thanks for this wonderful Xmas gift

[Fletch]

Amazing week for game releases here in the ST Forum!

 

Thanks!

[PeBo]

I have written a “new” game for the ST and it is ready for free download and being played! Perfect for Christmas! J

 

Was ist los??? Keine Französisch???? Merde! (hehe...Nur ein Scherz mein Freund!)

 

I just played through the trainer, and I can't wait to play through an actual game tonight! I've always loved lazer puzzle games, and this one looks to be a truly stunning...I love your anime character in the intro/trainer. She really adds a great "Persönlichkeit" to the game.

 

Absolutely brilliant, well done.

 

Vielen Dank (and sorry for my High School German. It has been a few years (43 to be exact!).

[simoncam]

Hi! Great German!

 

I am so happy you like it! Be aware: it will become harder! Much harder!

 

You are very much invited to do a French translation!!!

Actualy the game is fully open for more languanges!

Just go to the "Data" folder and you will find the "lang1.dat" - that is actualy the english languange file - a normal Text file. And it is fully documented! Copy it to the next free number (should be "lang4.dat"). You can than translate the "few" lines, and the next language will pop up automaticaly! It is that simple!

Sorry no special French signs é, è, ....

 

Yes It is a great week for ST Games!!! I have done nothing on Laserball, because I cant stop playing "Sorry"!

 

All the best from Austria!

Edited December 17, 2014 by simoncam

[PeBo]

You are very much invited to do a French translation!!!

 

 

I might just do that, and send a copy to you so you can add the world's most beautiful language to your distribution!

[simoncam]

Oh that would be great! Thank you so much!

I dont know how "french" it will be without all the interesting signs... I hope it works!

 

If you stick to the format rules it should work on the fly and you will see the result displayed in the game. There are special signs to add a space or a "half space" on the big graphical font. Anyway it is all documented on the lang1.dat

 

Have fun in translating it and send me the file!

Of course you will be credited!

 

btw: New levels are also always welcome! Anyone out there who like to try out the level Editor?

[Clint Thompson]

That looks awesome!

[simoncam]

 

... and I can't wait to play through an actual game tonight! ....

Hi! Have you played ATARI ... ahhhh LASERBALL... tonight?

To what level you got?

[PeBo]

Hi! Have you played ATARI ... ahhhh LASERBALL... tonight?

To what level you got?

 

Last night was a write off (guests until late). Probably won;t have a real chance to play until the week-end now....I'll let you know.

[Fletch]

Just tried this tonight! Very cool game. Reminds me of Chips Challenge and that is good thing!

[simoncam]

Thank! I am so glad you like it!

Funny enough I did not know „chips challange“. But Yes! I just searched for it. You are right.

The same happened to me with „Deflector“. Only after some retro-gamers pointed out the similarities, I got awareness of that game. I did not know it in 1991 when I developed the Laserball Idea.

 

My personal inspirations where Oxyd and Atomix. If you play these games, you may find lots of parallels – like the “moving until blocked by something else” logic of “Atomix”. Also the 1991 original was limited to one screen per level – similar to Atomix.

It is a 2014 addition to have the side scrolling (ok, lets better call it “hopping”) on large levels.

 

Btw… there will be a nice little update soon – hopefully before the end of the year! I will keep you posted.

[simoncam]

Nice little Laserball update thanks to xFalcon!

Laserball got a little update:

xFalcon just composed some new tracks for Laserball, and I could not resist to directly built them into the game!

In addition the Level Editor has now a feature, to associate a level with one of the music tracks for an in game music playback. I did this for several levels, where I had the feeling the music fits. (Within the level Editor, there is NO music playback! Only within the actual game)

At the moment there are 5 xFalcon Tracks: 1 is the Title Music, 2 and 3 are the Game-Win/Game-lost sounds. And 4 and 5 are new music tracks.

Merry Christmas!

 

(download as usual at www.hd-videofilm.com/atari)

[simoncam]

Laseball just got it´s own Homepage!
www.hd-videofilm.com/laserball

[simoncam]

 

Was ist los??? Keine Französisch???? Merde!

 

 

 

Update! Laserball ist now in French too! (non native Translation and no Special French signs)

 

Laserball 2014 has a new service update online.

• It features several Bugfixes.
• Sorry, no new Levels, but in some existing Levels unintentional shotcuts got closed.
• And the biggest one:

  It features a new language - French!

Download the latest version from http://www.hd-videofilm.com/laserball

If you havn´t seen it: Watch “the joy of sticks” Laserball video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20Ozp2g4hcs

Have fun!

[simoncam]

Laserball 2014 Easter Update.

 

Laserball 2014 got a nice little update over the Easter days. Not much but nice.

• Animated menus… ok… let´s call it “changing colour menus”
• Level Credits – each level can credit the author. I still hope that one day somebody feels like making one (or more) level for Laserball 2014 – the space for the credit is already there.
• Bugfixes. Level Fixes.
• And the biggest one comes from an input from the Atari Community: I changed the point system. Additional to the points for remaining time, there is now a “level bonus” for each level – depending on the difficulty. Before one only gets points from the time remaining + collecting bonuses on the playfield. If you do not run against the clock (timer off), then there have been some levels, where you do not get any points at all. With the level bonus you will get points for finishing a level – even if the timer is off and nothing to collect.
• Level bonus and level credits are obviously also built into the level editor.

Update as usual on the www.hd-videofilm.com/laserball

 

And please fill out the highly scientific user survey!!!

 

Future announcement: I am playing with the idea of having a real physical boxed version of Laserball 2014 been made. With floppy, instructions and all the stuff. Who would be interested (beside me ). Let me know here or via the Laserball 2014 Homepage, so that I get a feeling for how many I have to have produced.