Atari A8 Donkey Kong Hack

[+darryl1970]

Much better!

 

Noticed something on the top right of screen. See attached pic.

Yes. I only see it when I use my Android emulator. Probably not visible on actual hardware (haven't had time to try yet). Emulators have overscan settings.

 

v6.3 is GREAT!!!

 

Love the teeth!

 

Still want those OLD fireflies!!

 

sTeVE

Thanks. I am trying for arcade accuracy. I'll give you a special copy if you would kindly stop calling the "Firefoxes", "Fire flies".

 

My childhood pain was knowing that my 5200 was capable of the same Donkey Kong as my 800XL, but I couldn't show the world how much better the 5200 version would have been than the Coleco. Even then, I really wanted that square Mario and sad Donkey Kong to utilize the capabilities of the hardware, if possible. I kind of thought it might be, until I later started drawing Mario sprites on my XL. I started to think there was hope, as I previously had thought it was a resolution issue.

 

I also wanted to draw firefoxes that didn't look like red ducks, just to rub some salt in the Coleco wound, if ever given the chance. (Like anybody cares 30 years later -- haha). The ultimate would be to have both fireballs and firefoxes. I do like the hybrid though.

 

Here are your original red and blue firefox/fireball hybrids.

DonkeyKong_XL(Original FireFox).xex

 

As I said before,I kind of appreciate the original fire, because it is a hybrid of the fireballs (Ramps, Elevator, and Conveyor Belt) and FireFoxes (Rivets)

So, here is a version with some lighter highlights added. I think it makes it look a little more fire-like.

DonkeyKong_XL(HyrbidFF).xex

 

However, if Playsoft or somebody ends up hacking the program to where I can have both, exactly like the arcade, I'd have to go with exact.

 

 

Emulator showing too much overscan??

Yep! I assume. 3 two rows should be easy to clean off, as long as it isn't code of some sort.

 

2 games defined my first Atari 600 XL experience when I first saw the machine at a school friends house... Donkey Kong Cart and Joust.

 

I love the adjustments! (as avid Crazy Kong player I always run into barrel dropping at my top in DK... as in CK you could peep out on a ladder so the barrel will not come down).

 

 

Looks like sprite/player remnant pixels, lines up with Kong's teeth.

Yeah.

[TwiliteZoner]

 

Emulator showing too much overscan??

 

Correct. Change overscan from extended to normal.

[Rybags]

PM graphics shouldn't be allowed to show garbage at the vertical extremeties.

 

For NTSC it's probably well and good, few TVs show the full 240 scanlines. But with PAL you usually get 240 scanlines + a few more blanks at top/bottom.

 

Alternative idea... make some graphics for a glass to hold his "dentures".

[Tempest]

Those new hybrid firfoxes look nice.

[Aking]

5200 bin ?

[Jetboot Jack]

That is ruddy lovely - the extra sparkles version is really nice on the FIREFOXES - see I can get it right!

 

I now see why the yellow was disabled in the middle of the screen - the XOR sprites create extra color artefacts with the yellow active!

 

sTeVE

[TheNameOfTheGame]

 

Correct. Change overscan from extended to normal.

 

Using NTSC and overscan normal I still see the data using Altirra.

[TwiliteZoner]

 

Using NTSC and overscan normal I still see the data using Altirra.

 

That's interesting. It cleared it on my version. Are you using 2.70?

[Goochman]

The first screen on hybrid looks fantastic! The girder screen is a bit too light blue for my taste.

[+darryl1970]

5200 bin ?

Playsoft usually comes through with a 5200 alternative, but there's only so much time in a day. When he adds functionality, he has to look for places to put them. The A8 and 5200 code often stores things in different places. So, upkeep on multiple platforms can become tedious until the finished project.

[+darryl1970]

That is ruddy lovely - the extra sparkles version is really nice on the FIREFOXES - see I can get it right!

 

I now see why the yellow was disabled in the middle of the screen - the XOR sprites create extra color artefacts with the yellow active!

 

sTeVE

They create those artifacts on EVERY screen, but they were only disabled on the RAMPS level; so, it's really no different.

[+darryl1970]

The first screen on hybrid looks fantastic! The girder screen is a bit too light blue for my taste.

There are not separate palettes for different levels. I would prefer the Rivets to be a little darker myself, but then it leaves the other screens looking a little dark. Unless a hack is made for a separate Rivet level palette, I will probably go with the best average, and I was thinking of dialing the blue down one more notch for that reason.

[+darryl1970]

 

Using NTSC and overscan normal I still see the data using Altirra.

I don't see it on my Altira, but it might get cleared out anyway. I wouldn't worry about it, since it's not final.

[TheNameOfTheGame]

 

That's interesting. It cleared it on my version. Are you using 2.70?

 

Thanks. I was on 2.10 for some reason..with 2.70 it is fine.

[TwiliteZoner]

 

Thanks. I was on 2.10 for some reason..with 2.70 it is fine.

Anytime. Thanks again Darryl & Playsoft this is pretty damn cool.

[+playsoft]

I'd been working with normal overscan too, so didn't notice it. It's actually the bottom of one of Pauline's items. There are no items in this level but it still draws them, out of the way at the very top of the player graphics area and setting the horizontal position to 0 so they are off the left edge of the screen. However, when I set the horizontal position to line up with Kong those few lines at the bottom become visible. It's an easy fix, I'll stop it drawing anything in this case.

[+playsoft]

Playsoft usually comes through with a 5200 alternative, but there's only so much time in a day. When he adds functionality, he has to look for places to put them. The A8 and 5200 code often stores things in different places. So, upkeep on multiple platforms can become tedious until the finished project.

 

Yes, the last couple of evenings have been spent entirely on this - I have never put so much effort into trying to turn a few pixels white!

[+darryl1970]

 

Yes, the last couple of evenings have been spent entirely on this - I have never put so much effort into trying to turn a few pixels white!

LOL. I have to laugh, because I have been SO TIRED all week. I get an email from you that something has been added; if I am not near my computer I can't wait to get to it. At that point I end up doing that "one more minute" to myself, until I am 1.5 hours later for bed.

 

It's definitely a labor of love to make Donkey Kong shine even brighter on the A8! Even worse that we set out clocks forward Saturday night. We lose an hour of sleep anyway.

 

Thanks for all you add!

You never cease to impress!

Edited March 11, 2016 by darryl1970

[Level42]

2 games defined my first Atari 600 XL experience when I first saw the machine at a school friends house... Donkey Kong Cart and Joust.

 

I love the adjustments! (as avid Crazy Kong player I always run into barrel dropping at my top in DK... as in CK you could peep out on a ladder so the barrel will not come down).

 

That is not unique for CK. The first DK arcade version ROM set had the same bug. Later CK version had it removed too but indeed, that was the way I was used to play it in "the arcades" BITD.

I was pretty flabbergasted when I first played the A8 version and had a barrel kill me while I was on the ladder

[Level42]

I must say.....fantastic work !!!!!!

 

I was a bit hesitant because I love Landon's version and ....there is very very little "wrong" with it.

 

But I love the new barrels and Kong !!

 

Something I noticed is that it seems the white of Kong's eyes seem to disappear a bit earlier than the rest of the screen, which gives an erie effect IMHO (like on the "How high can you get ?" screen.). It's even completely gone when Kong falls to his death but I'm sure this has to do with the player trick. (But players are easy to move, right ?....Oh....not vertically....)

 

Having fireballs/foxes on the different screens would be a major improvement, although I've always loved Landon's versions....they seemed pretty friendly, also in their behavior compared to the arcade

 

I'd hugely prefer to not have the NES music. I never understand where that came form on the older "arcade" version until I learned it was from the NES, but since the aim is "arcade perfect" it doesn't belong in there. I'd much rather see the music after Kong falls to his "death" like on the arcade version added in.

But since these are all just graphics hacks, I kinda like that. It sticks to Landon's awesome fluent playing mechanism yet updates the graphics. I like that concept.
Making it more arcade like would mean slowing down Mario a LOT....and it would not make the game better.

Edited March 12, 2016 by Level42

[TwiliteZoner]

I must say.....fantastic work !!!!!!

 

I was a bit hesitant because I love Landon's version and ....there is very very little "wrong" with it.

 

But I love the new barrels and Kong !!

 

Something I noticed is that it seems the white of Kong's eyes seem to disappear a bit earlier than the rest of the screen, which gives an erie effect IMHO (like on the "How high can you get ?" screen.)

 

Having fireballs/foxes on the different screens would be a major improvement, although I've always loved Landon's versions....they seemed pretty friendly, also in their behavior compared to the arcade

 

I'd hugely prefer to not have the NES music. I never understand where that came form on the older "arcade" version until I learned it was from the NES, but since the aim is "arcade perfect" it doesn't belong in there. I'd much rather see the music after Kong falls to his "death" like on the arcade version added in.

 

But since these are all just graphics hacks, I kinda like that. It sticks to Landon's awesome fluent playing mechanism yet updates the graphics. I like that concept.

Making it more arcade like would mean slowing down Mario a LOT....and it would not make the game better.

 

Landon's version is hands down the best (IMHO) version of Donkey Kong from that era. I know this is subjective because there were some great ports of this game.

 

With that said I never did like the way Mario looked compared to the other ports at the time.

Edited March 12, 2016 by TwiliteZoner

[Level42]

Landon's DK gave me the final push to decide to get a 600 XL instead of anything else and I never regretted it

 

Looks vs. gameplay....gameplay forever

 

The C64 DK versions may look "better" or at least a bit closer to the arcade, the gameplay on both is very "meh" (

) Edited March 12, 2016 by Level42

[Tempest]

 

That is not unique for CK. The first DK arcade version ROM set had the same bug. Later CK version had it removed too but indeed, that was the way I was used to play it in "the arcades" BITD.

I was pretty flabbergasted when I first played the A8 version and had a barrel kill me while I was on the ladder

 

Here's more info on the arcade rom set differences if you're interested: https://tcrf.net/Donkey_Kong_%28Arcade%29

[+darryl1970]

 

Here's more info on the arcade rom set differences if you're interested: https://tcrf.net/Donkey_Kong_%28Arcade%29

As for the hidden graphics & sounds. Donkey Kong II (arcade hack) actually uses the falling pies. (Not shown in article)

Intellivision DK & Dk2 Arcade uses "Cuttheme" 1 and 2 music. One is the intro (like the song Nintendo made up for their home DK). The other is the game over music.

[+darryl1970]

Color Adjustment.

 

The blue has been dialed down to not be too dark on the RAMPS, yet dark and contrast on the Rivets.

It's not quite as teal as the arcade version ladders, because it looks better on the rivets.

 

Curious about observations.

 

 

DonkeyKongXL_ColorTST.xex