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Mr SQL

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SuperCharger SpaceInvaders

New SuperCharger game!

I'm writing a port of Space Invaders with enhanced SuperCharger graphics that will run on the Atari Flashback Portable :)
There have been many awesome ports of SpaceInvaders with a lot of interesting variations in the genre. This version will utilize Display Lists like the A8, and a soft blitter rendering colorful semigraphics for arcade action and speed! :)
Here's the concept and design on paper:
post-30777-0-02430400-1504334588_thumb.jpg
Questions and feedback welcome! :)
Anyone have ideas for a score that is different?
Some examples:
PIXELS has a score that is 40 feet high and an interactive part of the game - you can even traverse it at different times to get to another section of the board.
WARPDRIVE has a rating system that displays full screen text messages from Starfleet.
KC Munchkin Monster Maze has an educational score built from maze blocks to teach players to read binary.
STARBLITZ and DEFENDER III have interactive score power-ups you must catch to extend the life of the City that can also damage the City if you miss during waves, and a levels completed score that is an interactive element on the end game screens.

 

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i think it would be neat if instead of shooting through your shields your shots to the shields would strengthen them ever shot you shoot at the shield would repair a shot from them

 

and instead of the mothership appearing only at the top have it appear above the top row of the enemy and have the top row of guys need to take 2 hits to die maybe make them a special color that turns white when they have been shot once

 

 

ooh and have a berzerk level where all the bad guys are those berzerk robots and have evil otto bounce across the screen instead of the mothership

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Great ideas! :)

 

Like the invader formation formed as a score idea and the Ship stealing it and shooting it down as a powerup or effect.

 

Also like the idea of having robots in the game - have four of them now. Should the robots move around the invaders in the band, maybe escape the moving band to seek out the player if they get low enough?

 

 

Here is the first alpha version:

SpaceInvaders_AFP_and_SuperCharger_Alpha_01.bin

 

Invaders are cyndrilical shaped blocks - semigraphics, so is your ship and so are the dual cannons - those are operational but don't blow anything up yet (much). Once that's implemented both shots from the cannons will blow up blocks and/or robots at different levels.

 

Invaders aren't descending yet either and don't fire back yet, nor do the robots.

 

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Here is the next Alpha for the SuperCharger and the AFP:

SuperCharger_SpaceInvaders_Alpha03.binSuperCharger_SpaceInvaders_AFP_Alpha03.bin

 

Invaders now descend and your ships dual cannons are active.

 

Invaders and Robots do not fire back yet.

 

Robot movement and ideas:

 

Robots are still stationary in formation with the Invaders - thinking of having them get assigned to the destroyed Invaders in a FIFO queue so that they have a chance of reaching their target before being redirected to another destroyed invader.

 

If the robots are able to reach their destination and remain for a duration, they can rebuild the invader.

 

Like the idea of having the Robots require multiple hits and thinking of having the destroyed robots get replaced from above and travel accross the screen like the saucer idea so you have additional chances to hit them.

 

Great ideas on this thread, keep posting 'em! :)

 

 

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post-30777-0-27666100-1505231084.jpg

SuperCharger_SpaceInvaders_AFP_BETA2.bin

SpaceInvaders_AFP_and_SuperCharger 2.txt

 

Here is the playable Beta of SuperCharger Space Invaders! :)

 

Classic Space Invaders gameplay: Destroy the invading fleet before it descends without being hit.

 

Reset restarts the game.

 

Since memory is maxed out some of the more complex features have been left out like the robots rebuilding the fleet, but they do navigate to the destroyed invaders adding some randomness to the missles you have to dodge.

 

I have to crunch the code a bit to fit the score in, and a bigger problem is compiling SuperCharger Space Invaders for the SuperCharger - the game is written in Flashback BASIC which is compatible with SuperCharger BASIC however SuperCharger BASIC provides 4K free to BASIC while Flashback BASIC has 5K free like the VIC-20.

 

Although the BASIC's are compatible it's a better approach to write the game in SuperCharger BASIC and then recompile it with Flashback BASIC - the Alpha builds cross compiled fine but I didn't realize I was out of memory until the beta hit 5K.

 

I've attached the BASIC listing if anyone would like to have a look at it, this BASIC has display lists like the A8 for creating multiple scroll zones that are featured in this game.

 

It's also a good example of the largest SuperCharger and Flashback BASIC program size possible - about 16K of code, obviously a little less for the SuperCharger since it won't fit there now.

 

If I can crunch the code enough to get the playable Beta running on the SuperCharger there will be enough space to add the extra features to the Flashback version.

 

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ct884zjcTfc

 

SuperCharger_SpaceInvaders_AFP_BETA3.bin

SpaceInvaders_AFP_and_SuperCharger 2.txt

 

BETA3 is very playable, checkout the fun on the second level where the action criss-crosses! :)

 

You have to beat the first level to play it, it gets tougher than in the vid - the robots that kept getting lost on the on the second level when crossing the streams now find their way back ;)

 

Al or a mod please give me access to the first post for the ROM's

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Can you slow things down, at least, in the beginning. I can't even tell if I am hitting what I am

shooting at.

 

Yes, I want to make a seperate trainer version :)

 

Compare Defender III and Defender III Trainer on the wall of games linked in my signature, they will launch in Javatari when you click on them.

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Mr SQL,

 

I tried both versions of Defender III. Thanks!

 

Then, I tried Space Invaders again, and determined that it is the aliens that

move around too fast, not the shield.

 

No need for a trainer. Just start the aliens out slower and ramp up

from there.

 

Chris

 

Awesome feedback Chris! :) I will try that idea and post a new build soon...

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I finally had time to try it...ran B4 on my FBP.

 

Very fast! I like it, but am not sure exactly how to aim since targets flash by faster than I can see and press a button, so I just keep the fire button pressed and try to avoid the dropping bombs...and it seems like I can keep going for awhile. I know you're still working on the score...having that will help me understand my progress better, I'm sure.

 

Maybe if it started out slower, I could latch onto some other strategy, and then keep it up as it speeds up.

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