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New Game: HEIST (Final Release - with Source Code)


TXmarsh

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Unless bugs are identified this will be the final release of Heist.  This release fixes a number of small bugs and implements a few additional features such as Bezerk style directional shooting (selectable via the Left Difficulty Switch).  This release also makes (3) lives standard.  Single life games are still selectable as games 4-6.  I hope you enjoy.  - Tim

 

Gameplay

Capture the money while avoiding the police and laser defenses.  Once the money is in your possession a door will open. You still need to make it out of the bank to clear the level.  All of this must be done before time runs out. Some levels are easier than others and the time is adjusted accordingly. Note that the police will not notice you until you are in their general proximity or you have taken the money.  Once you capture the money all police become aware of your presence and they move with an increased sense of urgency (i.e., faster). There is a total of 20 levels using 10 playfields.  Each playfield is displayed twice. The second  time  through you are given less time and the police move faster.  If you complete all twenty levels you will flip the game and have the chance to play through them again.  This time, however, the police will move faster and you will be limited to (4) bullets.

 

Controls

Movement:  Use the left joystick to move left, right, up, down and on diagonals.

Pause:  Set the COLOR/BW switch to BW to pause the game.  The playfield walls will turn lite gray and the player will face left to indicate that the game is paused. Set the switch back to COLOR to continue gameplay. 

Shooting:  Behavior dependent upon position of Left Difficulty Switch.  In either mode, the bullet travels in the direction that the player is presently moving. 

     Mode A (Left Difficulty Switch A):  If player is standing still then the bullet moves in the direction that the player last moved.  This is similar to the behavior implemented in Berzerk released by Stern Electronics, Inc. in 1982.

     Mode B (Left Difficulty Switch B):  If player is standing still then the bullet moves horizontally to the left when the player is facing left.  Similarly, the bullet moves horizontally to the right when player is facing right.

 

Game Variants

Use Game Select switch while on Title Screen to cycle through game variants

Game 1 – (3) Lives, Limited Time, Limited Bullets (Normal Game)

Game 2 – (3) Lives, Unlimited Time,  Unlimited Bullets

Game 3 – (3) Lives, Unlimited Time,  No Bullets

Game 4 – Single Life, Limited Time, Limited Bullets 

Game 5 – Single Life, Unlimited Time,  Unlimited Bullets

Game 6 – Single Life, Unlimited Time,  No Bullets

 

Scoring

$1000 for each money bag stolen. 

On games where you have more than one life you will lose the money if you are caught/die before clearing the level by making it through the exit door.

 

Hints

It may help your overall strategy to get the police to chase you.  You can get their attention by moving close to them.  This works even if you are protected behind a wall.

 

 

Level Timers (Games 1 & 4)

Level

Time

1

30 seconds

2

24 seconds

3

30 seconds

4

24 seconds

5

20 seconds

6

16 seconds

7

28 seconds

8

24 seconds

9

14 seconds

10

12 seconds

11

20 seconds

12

16 seconds

13

20 seconds

14

16 seconds

15

36 seconds

16

32 seconds

17

20 seconds

18

16 seconds

19

24 seconds

20

20 seconds

 

 

 

 

HEIST.bin

HEIST Game Manual.pdf

HEIST.bas

I'm including the source code as it may help someone.  I'm sure there are plenty of areas where the code could have been written better.  Sometimes the 'hack' is actually a means of doing something without using additional variables.  Other times what looks like a hack is truly a hack.  It can be a little intimidating showing how the sausage is made... and there is no claim that anything performed by the code is the best way to do it.

image.png

 

Photo1.PNG

Photo2.PNG

 

 

Edited by TXmarsh
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We'll be featuring Heist LIVE on today's (Friday) ZeroPage Homebrew stream on Twitch at 6PM PT | 9PM ET | 1AM GMT! Hope everyone can watch!

 

Twitch Stream: https://www.twitch.tv/zeropagehomebrew/

 

Games:
- Heist (2019 WIP) by TXmarsh
- Goon Nights (2019) by Glenn Main
- Skiing (1980 Activision Patch Challenge) by Bob Whitehead

 

Archive Video of Stream

(SET VIDEO TO 1080P60 FOR FULL QUALITY)

Edited by ZeroPage Homebrew
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I thought that having a single life would add to the challenge but perhaps some feel that it is simply too frustrating.  So, here's a poll... who wants the option to play with a total of 3 lives? - Thanks!

 

1 = It's fine with only one life... it adds nicely to the challenge

2 = The constant restarting is driving me nuts... give me more lives!

 

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3 hours ago, TXmarsh said:

 

I thought that having a single life would add to the challenge but perhaps some feel that it is simply too frustrating.  So, here's a poll... who wants the option to play with a total of 3 lives? - Thanks!

 

1 = It's fine with only one life... it adds nicely to the challenge

2 = The constant restarting is driving me nuts... give me more lives!

 

2

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One life is too frustrating and makes high scores on the game a matter of random chance.

 

To give you a better idea of what I mean, imagine a game that displays a random face of a die (1-6) for a fraction of a second (say 1 frame). The player presses the button to add the die face to their score, but on a 1, the game is over. At the speed the die faces change, there is little skill involved with this game. On average, the player will press their button 4 times and the game will end with the average score being 14. But, if you play the game enough, by random chance you will get a run of button presses 10 or more that aren’t 1 that will net you a high score.

 

Having only one life isn’t desirable if don’t want the game to be frustrating. Having too many lives is also an issue, since having 100+ lives might make how many you have left almost meaningless.

 

what you might want to do is start with 3/5 lives, and give the player a way to earn additional lives, perhaps by performing a task that is more risky than normal. For example, you might award a additional life for completing a level without firing their gun. (Not sure is this is currently possible with the current level and police placement). Or award an additional life for completing the heist quickly before “the police respond”. (A common trope in Bank Heist movies is the gang sets their watches and says they have X minutes before the police will respond, so they cannot attempt to break into the vault and just get the money in the drawers)

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20 hours ago, azure said:

I caught the ZPH episode on this. I was thinking it would be more intense gameplay if there's an alarm claxon after the money is taken. I used to play Splinter Cell years ago and that would happen when you got spotted.

If I understand what you are saying, it actually already has this feature.  Initially, the police will not pursue you unless you get close to them.  However, once you take the money all the police begin chasing you regardless of how far away they are.  Another officer also comes after you through the exit door.   I could add an alarm sound if that would amp up the intensity.  Thanks for the feedback!

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If you eventually use a pause feature that also works with the Atari 7800, remember to mute the sound while the game is paused. The way it is now, if a sound is playing while the game is paused, there will be a constant annoying noise.

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14 hours ago, Random Terrain said:

If you eventually use a pause feature that also works with the Atari 7800, remember to mute the sound while the game is paused. The way it is now, if a sound is playing while the game is paused, there will be a constant annoying noise.

7800? What kind of advanced alien tech are you talking about?!

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  • 2 weeks later...

We'll be featuring the updated final release of Heist LIVE on tomorrow's (Wednesday) ZeroPage Homebrew stream on Twitch at 11AM PT | 2PM ET | 6PM GMT! Hope everyone can watch!

 

Twitch Stream: https://www.twitch.tv/zeropagehomebrew/

 

Games:
- The End 2600 (2019 WIP Exclusive Premiere) by Carlos aka RaymanC
- Heist (2019 Final Release) by TXmarsh
- Marble Madness (2011 WIP) by John K Harvey
- Kelly Kangaroo (2018 WIP) by Denebola Interactive

 

Archive Video of Stream

(SET VIDEO TO 1080P60 FOR FULL QUALITY)

 

Edited by ZeroPage Homebrew
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2 hours ago, Linndrum said:

Is The Heist based on Cops N Robbers on the C64? That was one of my favorite games, this looks a lot like it :D

Nope, but I just looked up that game and I see the resemblance. It was really inspired, if at all, by bezerk. That said, the original ideas was that you would not only have to get out of the building but also outrun the police in your getaway car before successfully 'winning' the money.  This, however, proved a bit too ambitious for me at this time and I dropped the getaway car idea.

Edited by TXmarsh
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  • 2 months later...

CONGRATULATIONS to Heist for being nominated in the 2019 Atari Homebrew Awards!

 

Be sure to vote your favourite homebrew games of 2019 with the links below and watch the awards LIVE on February 1, 2020!

 

Awards Show: February 1, 2020 @ 12:00PM PT | 3PM ET | 8PM GMT LIVE on the ZeroPage Homebrew Twitch Channel!

 

Atari Homebrew Awards Categories (VOTE IN ALL!!):

245517694_2019AtariHomebrewAwardsLaurel-Nominated-BestHomebrewAtari2600.jpg.08d84c06108c396635ef5c54a177be7e.jpg

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  • 2 years later...

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