More games to come...

[peteym5]

A few weeks a go I just wrapped up some games that should be available in the fall. One is HeliCommander, sort of a cross Choplifter and Chopper Command clone. Other games will be announced when their release time gets closer. I finished my last all assembly language game that a designed to fit inside a 16K cartridge for Video61. I want to get back to doing bigger games the next Secretum Labyrinth Adventure.

 

I am still getting requests from Video61, Atari IO Members, and AtariAge Members. Do need some feedback before investing some time.

 

Zookeeper port still remains on my list I know some still want to see it.

 

Bowling Game Now this is something I was strongly considering not to make, but the complaints I read about existing games and seeing them, I might do this one in Mad Pascal. People are saying the 2600 game is superior to anything made on the 8-bit.

 

Solar Fox port. Going to be given a whole different name because it will be different, but similar concept game. Plus there was a copyright lawsuit with Nintendo because they used "StarFox" for a SNES game.

 

These games can take several months to make using all assembly. I am looking to start using MAD PASCAL because it seems much faster than even compiled TurboBasic XL. High level languages are easier to debug. It compiles down to ASM code.

 

High Level languages are like Basic, Cobol, Pascal, Java that are designed to be user friendly. Have variables, commands to display stuff on screen, do the math, read files, etc.

 

Lo level language would be assembly, maybe C++. that you need to have your own routines to do tasks. Either make a macro or use a ICL command to load pre-made ones. Also do my copy-and-paste and make a template. Although much faster, it takes longer time to program, adjust, and debug an all assembly game.

 

 

[Marius]

Solar Fox port. Going to be given a whole different name because it will be different, but similar concept game. Plus there was a copyright lawsuit with Nintendo because they used "StarFox" for a SNES game.

 

This is one of my all time favorite games on the 2600. It is really a challenging game, which should be ported to a8 indeed.

 

If I may do some suggestions.

 

We absolutely need a KLAX port, identical to the 2600 version. That is really a nice game.

And another fabulous game is Private Eye, although I can imagine not everybody loves this game.

[peteym5]

Just did research on this KLAX game. It was available for the 5200, but never made it to the 8-bit. Would have to track down the original programmer if he is still around. Looked at the Youtube videos, and it is something that can be displayed on the 8-bit, or find the 5200 ROM and change its memory locations, replace the joystick routine, to make it run on the 8-bit. Those are alternate options before making a new game from scratch.

[+davidcalgary29]

Just did research on this KLAX game. It was available for the 5200, but never made it to the 8-bit. Would have to track down the original programmer if he is still around. Looked at the Youtube videos, and it is something that can be displayed on the 8-bit, or find the 5200 ROM and change its memory locations, replace the joystick routine, to make it run on the 8-bit. Those are alternate options before making a new game from scratch.

I can't believe I'm saying this, but take a look at 'Hypnotic Land' as well. And by that I mean the 'Klax'-like playing field, which is much truer to the arcade than 5200 'Klax', and not actual gameplay, which sucks big time.

[popmilo]

Klax is easy game to make. It's not much more complex than Tetris.

I remember making it as my highschool project in mixture of Basic and asm on C128. Hardest part was detecting when enough blocks align to make a combo.

 

On A8 only real challenge is how to make it look good and colorful.

As the grid of boxes is 5x5 it looks like it could work in 5-color charmode. If that's not enough colors can be added with expanded players.

That should be enough for a simple "2d" look (for top part also).

If you want full look of arcade game you would need some kind of soft sprites or similar animation for top part as there are up to 8 blocks coming up on conveyer belt on top, one after another rolling down. Sprites overlap so it complicates stuff....

 

Final thoughts - it's doable. Just needs time as usual

[Irgendwer]

Just did research on this KLAX game. It was available for the 5200, but never made it to the 8-bit.

 

Wouldn't fill a gap in the A8 software catalogue. "Glaggs it!" is not 100% like the original, but good enough to abstain from another conversion: http://a8.fandal.cz/detail.php?files_id=4041

Edited May 28, 2017 by Irgendwer

[peteym5]

If there are several clones of Klax or similar games, I probably will pass on making my own. I am looking to fill some other gaps like Solar Fox and Zookeeper. I decided to clone Omega Race and Laser Blast because those were not done on the 8-bit. KJMANN wanted me to clone Space Fury arcade and Activisions 2600 Enduro. Space Fury would had been difficult with the Trigonometry at the assembly level. It was not until more recent games, I had a better understanding on how to do this. With Enduro, everybody else probably say the same as me, there are much better racing games on the 8-bit, why bother? What was that other game someone shown me involving mine shafts and mine carts?

Edited May 28, 2017 by peteym5

[Heaven/TQA]

Why doing enduro when you have enduro deluxe called the great American cross country road race....?

[snicklin]

The Atari is missing a really good pinball game in my opinion.

[adam242]

I would love to see (and pay for!) an A8 port of Activision's Pressure Cooker.

[Thorsten Günther]

The Atari is missing a really good pinball game in my opinion.

 

Night Mission is pretty decent, but it's only an Apple II port with enhanced audio. Slamball would have been nice, but never showed up...

[popmilo]

The Atari is missing a really good pinball game in my opinion.

Agreed. There's no reason Atari wouldn't have something like Pinball power 3d or even pinball fantasies like game (if CPC can have one Atari can too ).

 

Pinball power 3d doesn't require lots of colors and best thing about it is mechanics and scoring system. It's a highly competitive game in a spirit of best 80s "chase the score" games.

[peteym5]

One thing that is keeping me to do an honorable port of Zookeeper is that I cannot find music midis, sheet music, or song names anywhere. What I can do is find some similar sounding medleys.

As usual I can call it something different like "The Atari Zoo" or something.

 

As far as something like pinball, everyone will need to wait and see. I had been holding back on announcing new titles now until the game is done and have good reports from my beta testers.

[Goochman]

One thing that is keeping me to do an honorable port of Zookeeper is that I cannot find music midis, sheet music, or song names anywhere. What I can do is find some similar sounding medleys.

As usual I can call it something different like "The Atari Zoo" or something.

 

As far as something like pinball, everyone will need to wait and see. I had been holding back on announcing new titles now until the game is done and have good reports from my beta testers.

Similar sounding melodies would be fine - just make it

[Goochman]

Instead of a 'Zoo' it could be an 'Alien Roundup' - same gameplay but different sprite shapes.

[peteym5]

"Zoo Keeper" or now "Alien Roundup" may be a good project to be a hybrid Mad Pascal and Assembly. I am starting to learn how to do things in that language. Game VBI will primarily be in assembly. I already have a player/missile player multiplexer all done in assembly and a few related routines. I am putting together a game template for Pascal, include common stuff like reading joystick, positioning sprites, setting up screens, splash title screen, etc.

[_The Doctor__]

The 'ALIEN' movie franchise might be upset at that name.. Monsanto doesn't want 'Roundup' cast in a bad light either...... seriously folks this whole ascribing some sort of infringement on every thin has to stop..

just put Atari is a mark blah blah language in the title screen or something....or give it some 'Go' connotations... sheesh....

 

Zoo Catcher

 

describes it just fine....

 

But hey people are named Atari... and zoo keeper and bee keeper are actual jobs so...

 

Atari: The Zoo Keeper Saga!

 

There's two good names that infringe on nothing.... get smart agent 9 and a half!

Edited May 29, 2017 by _The Doctor__

[Lord Thag]

Solar Fox and Zookeeper? Count me in.

[video61atarisales]

The Atari is missing a really good pinball game in my opinion.

i agree with you 100%, its why i designed tile smashers. please come and join us in the tile smasher discussion thread.

 

http://forums.atari.io/index.php/topic/3217-tile-smashers-discussion-thread/

 

thanks,

 

lance

www.atarisales.com

[_The Doctor__]

I don't mind venturing to other places for some quick info but I'm not getting led down the garden path here....

 

Cross posting is cool.... insistence is not...

 

Sideshow Bob is trying to lure us away.... of course this could quickly become 'Captain Howdy' from Twisted Sister....

 

I was pleased to see a nice discussion here and that it was going well..... I'm not leavin' this party for some other party down the street.

[peteym5]

Along with games geared to fit onto a 16k cartridge the Inflate parts of themselves into RAM, I am also working on two titles that need much larger memories, like a bank switching cartridge or a 130XE. One is the next game in the Secretum Labyrinth series. I would like to redo much of the background graphics and improve upon the existing routines before going further.

The other game is something I started long before meeting kjmann12 or video61. It is a side and vertical scrolling game that will have elements of Mario Bros, Sonic, Lode Runner, and Pitfall. I am going to make this game real Atari 8-bit like and use multicolor 8-bit sprites, antic4 background with DLIs. Very colorful game. I originally was going to make it 130XE/Extended Ram only game, but people started complaining that will limit who is able to play it. So I started porting a big cartridge only version.

Edited May 31, 2017 by peteym5

[peteym5]

I am working on resurrecting Jungle Quest. I was very far along with the game when I accidentally erased a partition on my hard drive. I had to recover a less complete copy from an old back up disk. It was just barely ahead of what I did with MAC/65.

 

I was originally making this game before I got involved with Sal. It started as being a TurboBasic XL game and those parts got translated to full assembly. It was going to be a 130XE game. Then Sal texted on, stating he can help me make these things profitable, but wanted me to do this game called "Battle Squadron." and it be a full ML game. I was still doing games with MAC/65 at the time. Then the rest is history. Seem like people were against it being a 130XE or extended memory game and someone suggested cartridges, think it was Sal. People were more supportive probably because I had not got into looking to make profit from it yet. This may also be big memory cartridge maybe with a limited demo. I am still figuring out what I am going to do with the source for this game and apply some modern techniques to it like multiplexing, compression, RMT music and sound, etc.

 

I also made this game more colorful in response to the whole "Commodore 64 vs Atari 8-bit" feud that went on for over 250 pages a few years ago. Wanted to put something together that can show what Atari does and Commodon't (Commodore + don't.) So imagine what will happen if I applied multiplex sprites and more graphic tricks here.

Edited June 1, 2017 by peteym5

[popmilo]

I like your copyright year as '2018'

Wish you all the best in finishing it as planned!

[peteym5]

2018 is the planned release date, might get bumped up to 2019. Now how many are with me on giving these Commodore 64 guys something to be jealous about? Big reason why I pushed color changing DLIs and Multiplexing Player/Missile Graphics. I was originally planning to make this into a major platform game.

 

I am sure many people here remember this thread. http://atariage.com/forums/topic/134852-atari-v-commodore/page-259?hl=%2Bcommodore+%2Bverses+%2Batari#entry1782153 That was the biggest battle here, larger than what happen with Venture over not doing pay-per-download issue.

 

Debating about VBXE support also. I started this game this game to show what the Atari can do, but later it became what I can do with the Atari 8-bit. I was not thinking about making money from it originally. Eventually it evolved into making look and play good so people can enjoy a good game.

Edited June 3, 2017 by peteym5

[peteym5]

Here is a Work in Progress screen shot of the game as I am porting parts of it over my more recent standards. Now I am a little more careful about backing up the program files on an USB thumb drive. I am glad someone finally came up with something after all the time since Floppies became obsolete.

 

I decided to be a little more open talking about Jungle Quest so I can get ideals what people like to see inside these games. I will update about the progress as long as things stay positive here. I am looking beyond Pitfall II for little ideals. I looked at games like "Jill of the Jungle" and other platform games for elements in this game.