+darryl1970 Posted July 16, 2020 Share Posted July 16, 2020 (edited) Updated "Encore" Hacks These are updates of my previous hacks. I did this for a variety of reasons. I included some of my "Personal" hacks. They are hacks of Pac-Man games. I use these on my personal systems. I decided to polish them a little and share them with the community. These are located at the end. Popeye When Playsoft & I originally hacked Popeye (2015), we had a version with a "mono" punch. I have since regretted not releasing it. It was NOT popular in the forum, but I always felt it might have caught on if we'd finished it. Development shifted to the popular forum choice. Years later, @TIX asked me if I still had it. I looked; I could find the final A8 version, but I couldn't find the source. People seemed to like the mono punch in Tix's hack (Popeye sacrifices color for a higher resolution punch), so it inspired me to finish mine. I started by porting the rest of my final graphics to the "mono" version. While I was porting the graphics, I noticed little areas I wanted to tweak. I had always disliked my climbing and death frames. I also felt that Olive didn't translate well from emulation to CRT. Since I tweaked some of the graphics, I also updated the original punch version too, for those who still prefer the double-resolution/multi-color punch. I really like Tix's version. His was based off of the NES port, while I grew up with the arcade version; so each offer a unique graphic experience. I thank him for the inspiration to unearth the mono punch and for the angled bottles. Thanks to Playsoft for finding the original source AND adding the animated bottles! -- When I first saw Popeye in the arcades, I was amazed. I never thought games could look this "real". The Atari resolution is lower, the players are limited to 8, fat dots wide, and they're not very tall. The characters are also limited to 3 colors each. Colors are limited to what two colors will overlap to simulate a flesh tone. However, I do not see any competitor, of the time, coming this close. While I love the NES version, it could have been much closer to the arcade original. I would love to see this on the 7800, using 320 mode. (The arcade version actually boxes out when sprites overlap!) I think the C-64 could have had a much better port, but the release was an early titele Atari 8-Bit Computers PopeyeA8_EncoreM.xex (Mono Punch) * (Intro of the MonoPunch - Click Here) PopeyeA8_Encore.xex (Original Punch) Atari 5200 SuperSystem PopeyeEncoreM_5200.bin (Mono Punch) * PopeyeEncore_5200.bin * The original punch uses two overlapping players, since that is the only way to get multi-colored "sprites". One is blue, and the other is flesh colored. When the blue and flesh color overlap, it creates white. The programmer was pretty ingenious in making the flesh color double-width, so the arm could stretch out. He left the blue as low resolution. It allows more detail than if the two were both expanded. However, it sacrifices detail for color. In the "mono" punch, both players are made white, and they are placed side-by-side, allowing for a wider version of Popeye, in greater detail. This thread goes into more detail! Click here! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Donkey Kong (Encore) / Encore RMT (8-bit only) I was pretty happy with the Donkey Kong port. In some of the YouTube comments, I read that some were not happy with the colors I chose. This is a delicate situation, as many do not realize how limited the colors are. Mario's flesh is made up of two overlapping players. Tweaking the colors makes one character look better, and the others look worse. I played around with the colors, and I think I like this better. (Mario's flesh color is a result of red and blue overlapping, so this is truly the best compromise.) I focused on tweaking the contrast. I think this makes the game "pop" a little more. Colors have been slightly adjusted in doing so. I've tested it on real NTSC hardware (5200/800XL), and I am happy. Now there are two color sets to choose from. There was something still not right with Mario's steps and jump. Mario's jump is limited, because Mario is only 8-pixels wide. I think I improved it over the previous. I also improved his walking. Other insignificant changes were made. I hope you enjoy this. Thanks again to @playsoft for making this possible. I believe @Kjmann made the original RMT sound hack, with help from @tep392. Atari 8-bit Computers DKA8_Encore.xex DKA8_RMT_Encore.xex Atari 5200 SuperSystem DKEncore5200.bin ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Donkey Kong Jr. Encore(Arcade) / Donkey Kong Jr. Encore (Enhanced) This is one I was never really happy with. I got tired of "playing" with this back in the day. I tried to add all of Jr.'s arcade detail, but it ended up making his head too big. This update was focused on trimming the "fat" off of the sprites. Due to the lower resolution, I needed to sacrifice detail for proportion. I made a few color tweaks. This game has the most graphic updates of the "Encore" tweaks. Notice Donkey Kong's hands in the cage. I had some downtime, so I was able to focus on detail that I couldn't before. Thanks to @playsoft, for all the help. @tep392 helped tweak the floor and vine boundaries, back when we first hacked this. It's not as easy to slip off of the floors, and the red snapjaws can't get Junior at the bottom of a vine. The game still takes some adjustment, but it's a lot more forgiving. The Atari 8-Bit version was always a little touchy, due to the graphics mode used, but it captures a few of details that other versions are missing. Atari 8-bit Computers DkJr_Arcade_Encore.xex DKJr_Enhanced_Encore.xex Atari 5200 SuperSystem DKJr_5200_Arcade_Encore.bin DKJr_5200_Enhanced_Encore.bin ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mario Bros 5200 Encore / Encore-Improved I was pretty happy with the Mario Bros hacks. I did tweak some of the colors, especially in the ice ages. The regular "Encore" version includes graphic and color tweaks. The fighter flies are redrawn. The Encore-Improved version includes tweaks by @playsoft, that reduce slowdown in areas. The 5200 version included more arcade details than the NES version, which is what the poor 7800 version was based off of. It just needed a graphics overhaul to realize its full potential. Mario Bros52 Encore MarioBros52_Encore.bin MarioBros52_Encore.car Mario Bros52 Encore Improved (Less slowdown) MarioBros52_Encore_improved.bin MarioBros52_Encore_improved.car ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mario Bros XE Encore Mario Bros XE is, in my opinion, the most accurate home port of the Mario Bros. I recall that there is only one other home port of Mario Bros that includes the icicles (No, I am not talking about the Slipice. Even the 2600 has Slipice!) I think that version might be the Apple II, and it isn't even close to this standard. I made some tweaks to Mario. I think it makes his running a little more fluent. I added the pupil up to his jump. I carried the improved fighter flies over from the 5200 version. That can't always be done, because the software sprites are configured differently on each version. I was able to do so. They look better in this version, however, due to more animation frames. I adjusted the contrast and colors a little, to make things POP. I REALLY wanted to make the Shellcreepers jump OUT of their shells. There just wasn't enough room. Atari 8-Bit Computers (need 128K or 128K Cartridge) MarioBrosXE_Encore.car MarioBrosXE_Encore.bin MarioBrosXE_Encore.xex --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- These are the Ms Pac-Man versions I use on my Atari 800XL & 5200. Atari Computer Ms Pac-Man Encore I always wondered why GCC didn't try to add red "lips" to Ms Pac-Man, especially in the 7800 version. I figured A8/5200 suspected it was a hardware limitation for this machine. When I realized that the A8/5200 versions had full player width available for the bow and lips, I made it happen. On a CRT, the lips can be hard to notice, especially if the signal isn't great. I suspect that might be the reason. Plus the red and black (eye next to red lips) tend to look like holes. I doubled the lips a little from the arcade for emphasis. I think they add and anti-aliasing effect, which "fakes" a higher resolution. I had to move her dimple down, because it interfered with the wide open mouth, due to the lower resolution and size. The monsters must remain 8-pixels wide, to hide the quad-width missile. It is behind their eyes, to make their eyes white. Thinner eyes are either off center or too far apart, due to the odd-numbered full-width players. I used a full "v" shape for years. I recently removed the inside pixel, to give them an angle, and I think it makes a subtle improvement. I wasn't going to post these, since there have been so many Ms Pac-Man hacks; plus I am not SURE who all have contributed to the various hacks that this is based off of. While I was cleaning up my other hacks, I decided to finally tackle all of the fruit prizes. I figure I will include these, since I didn't before. I will do my best to give credit where due. This A8 game already had the dot slowdown adjusted, Pokey sound was tweaked, and there are noticeable improvements in the monster logic. It plays more like the 7800 counterpart. Somewhere along the lines, I saw credits by @MrFish and @tep392. These are just my graphic edits. If anybody else needs credit, please let me know. Of all the monster eye hacks I've tried, below is my favorite for the A8/5200 tweak. I would like to round the monsters' "head", but that would reveal the white missiles behind the monsters. I am not sure who made the splash screen. It's pretty cool! Note: The 5200 version is slightly different. It only contained updated sound effects, which are slightly different than the A8 version's sound. @playsoft helped merge the dot slowdown fix, from the A8 to the 5200 version. Somebody had added a Ms Pac-Man splash screen to the 5200 ROM, but the game would freeze when I'd press Pause on real hardware. @playsoft stripped that off, and all works fine. It's a shame, because it was cool. I'd rather be able to use my pause button. Atari Computer Ms Pac-Man Encore Ms. Pac-Man_Encore.xex 5200 SuperSytem Ms Pac-Man Encore Ms Pac-Man Encore 5200.BIN --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pac-Man Collection 7800 Hack I bought Pac-Man Collection at the Cleveland Classic Gaming Show (CCAG). It was the first and last time AtariAge had a booth there, so it was a long time ago. I loved @PacManPlus's creation. It was exciting to have Pac-Man on the 7800, but Hangly-Man is one of my childhood favorites! The lack of Pokey sound kept me from playing it as much as I would have. When I found the Pokey enhanced version, I was pumped. The graphics had also been updated, but there were some things I preferred from my old A8 hacks. I used "Pac-Man Construction Set" to hack this. I found I was able to fine tune the monsters even more than the A8/5200, since I didn't have to worry about exposing the big white rectangle behind the monsters. I was able to thin them a little. I tried to make Ms Pac-Man as close to the arcade as possible. It looked great in emulation, but it was blurry and awkward on my actual system and Sony CRT. I tweaked it a little. I felt the result played to the strengths of the RF output on my 7800, and this is the version I have been using for years. As I was cleaning up old hacks, I decided to update the fruit prizes, as I had not done that in the hack I was using. I decided include this with my full-blow hack collaborations, because I enjoy it. I appreciate Pac-Man Plus's blessing to share this. I would ultimately like to update Ms Pac-Man to resemble my A8/5200 main characters, as they seem to be a better average for CRT and emulation. I was tired after hitting the fruits for all the different versions. If I update the main characters, I will add them here. I don't know when I'll have the time again, and I don't know if my A8/5200 main character will look the same on the 7800. 7800 Pac-Man Collection Pokey, with my graphic hacks. Pac-Man Collection Encore.a78 Pac-Man Collection Encore.bin 7800 Pac-Man Collection Pokey, with updates from the A8/5200 version. Not sure how they will look on a regular CRT. Not yet tested on actual 7800 hardware. Pac-Man Collection Encore(Alt).a78 Pac-Man Collection Encore(Alt).bin PacManPlus, @tep392, and @Defender_2600 have created a NEW 7800XM Pac-Man Collection, Pac-Man Collection XM. It has taken everything up a notch. It uses 320 mode, so there's very little need to approximate the graphics. Click the link to check it out. The TIA sound is mind-blowing, but Perry also added Yamaha sound for the XM Expansion. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Atari Computer / 5200 * Unplayable * Baby Pac-Man maze concept When @PacManPlus was working on Baby Pac-Man, I couldn't help but think that the A8 would be a perfect candidate for the game. Since the arcade monsters do no have whites in their eyes, it would be much like the original A8/5200 Pac-Man. Four Players could make up the monsters, and the "5th" Player could make up Pac-Man, or Pac-Man could be a software sprite. I shared a few Baby Pac-Man sprites with @playsoft, and he sent back a maze with wandering monsters. I proceeded to fine-tune some of the playfield elements. The monsters move randomly. They are lacking any personality. This was just a quick demo for fun. There is no plan to work on this, but maybe it will inspire somebody to bring Baby Pac-Man to the A8/5200?? I personally got a kick out of running this on my A8 and 5200 hardware. There is a regular version and enhanced. The enhanced version uses software sprites to create the monster's eyes. That was @playsoft's idea. I have a thing for arcade purity, and he wanted to see real eyes. It would be cool to have a toggle option for "Arcade" or "Enhanced" mode. Atari Home Computers BabyPac-Man_A8.xex BabyPac-Man_A8(Enhanced).xex Atari 5200 SuperSystem BabyPac-Man_5200.bin BabyPac-Man_5200(Enhanced).bin Edited July 22, 2020 by darryl1970 Added MarioXE with XEX file 12 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+sramirez2008 Posted July 16, 2020 Share Posted July 16, 2020 @darryl1970 Wow Thank you and everyone involved for providing these great hacks? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrekMD Posted July 16, 2020 Share Posted July 16, 2020 Oh wow, awesome! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Defender_2600 Posted July 16, 2020 Share Posted July 16, 2020 (edited) There are some familiar things in your hacks ... I have my own 7800 Pac-Man Collection hack, one day I will show it to PacManPlus, I could publish it but only if I get the kind blessing from Bob. Edited July 17, 2020 by Defender_2600 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Alexander Posted July 16, 2020 Share Posted July 16, 2020 Thanks so much. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+darryl1970 Posted July 16, 2020 Author Share Posted July 16, 2020 (edited) 1 hour ago, Defender_2600 said: There are some familiar things in your hacks ... I have my own 7800 Pac-Man Colletion hack, one day I will show it to PacManPlus, I could publish it but only if I get the kind blessing from Bob. Familiar? Do you mean tired and already done? All of these hacks are the same as the old ones, but I trimmed pixels and tweaked colors here and there. Some of the things were based off of feedback I've read over the past 3 years. I never shared the Ms Pac-Man hacks before. I didn't see much reason, but figured it doesn't hurt to share. I am interesting to see your Pac-Man Collection hack. Is it graphical or more involved? Edit: While I was walking the dog, I realized you may have meant "publish" to the forum. Good point. I did share this with Bob, along with the other hacks, but I am not sure it was clear that I was going to share PMC with the rest of them. I figured they are just one more hack from Pac-Man Construction Set, and there are dozens out there; but I don't want to be thoughtless about this. I am not going to post the ROMs unless I am SURE that it's all good. Edited July 17, 2020 by darryl1970 update 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Defender_2600 Posted July 17, 2020 Share Posted July 17, 2020 No hack of 7800 Pac-Man Collection has been authorized by PacManPlus, so thank you for removing the ROM. The Construction Set was kindly shared to give the opportunity to create original games but not a version that overlaps the official version. Asking before sharing is appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Defender_2600 Posted July 17, 2020 Share Posted July 17, 2020 (edited) I still remember our conversation about the possibility of drawing Ms. Pac-Man round in 160 mode. Since then, I have made other graphic updates, I will show you the latest version of my 7800 Ms. Pac-Man hack, I have already shared it with some friend. Edited July 17, 2020 by Defender_2600 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+darryl1970 Posted July 17, 2020 Author Share Posted July 17, 2020 (edited) 20 hours ago, Defender_2600 said: I still remember our conversation about the possibility of drawing Ms. Pac-Man round in 160 mode. Since then, I have made other graphic updates, I will show you the latest version of my 7800 Ms. Pac-Man hack, I have already shared it with some friend. I really like what you did with Ms Pac-Man's bow. I never thought about making it unsymmetrical. It really works. I tried the triangle shape, and it looked too small, because I was concerned with it being the same size on both ends. Adding a little extra to the back compensates for the smaller front. I barely remember the particular conversation. I peeked at the thread, and it jogged my memory a little. I knew it was possible to simulate round in 160 mode. I had done it on my 800xl for years. I was just disappointed that the 7800 was heavily weighted to use 160 mode. It made it more disappointing to see that GCC didn't even try to make her round. I always felt that 160 mode meant having to compensate and use trickery to approximate details that won't fit. I wanted the next gen to allow the extra detail. I guess 320 mode does, aside from some quirks. I didn't really see it used until Froggie. I didn't know it even existed at that time, So I was confused as to how the game was so detailed. lol. I am glad to see that 320 mode getting some use. I think that makes a big difference. Thanks for sharing your Ms Pac graphic. I would really like to check out your PMC hack, especially on real hardware. That is where I would find things didn't translate well for me. When I added the red dot for Ms Pac-Man's lip, I remember something looked weird on my TV. Maybe it's my RF setup. IDK. It's been a long while. Do you use RF or have you modded your 7800? I am torn. -D Edited July 18, 2020 by darryl1970 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Philsan Posted July 18, 2020 Share Posted July 18, 2020 Thanks for the update Darryl. Compared to the previous hacks of yours I have, I miss Mario Bros XE XEX 128KB version. There's only CAR version. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+darryl1970 Posted July 18, 2020 Author Share Posted July 18, 2020 6 hours ago, Philsan said: Thanks for the update Darryl. Compared to the previous hacks of yours I have, I miss Mario Bros XE XEX 128KB version. There's only CAR version. I think I was able to extract a bin file using Altirra. Let me know if that helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Defender_2600 Posted July 18, 2020 Share Posted July 18, 2020 (edited) On 7/17/2020 at 6:41 PM, darryl1970 said: Thanks for sharing your Ms Pac graphic. I would really like to check out your PMC hack, especially on real hardware. That is where I would find things didn't translate well for me. When I added the red dot for Ms Pac-Man's lip, I remember something looked weird on my TV. Maybe it's my RF setup. IDK. It's been a long while. Do you use RF or have you modded your 7800? I am torn. -D Before my last move, my Atari 7800 was connected to a Sony Trinitron PVM 20" CRT monitor via a professional demodulator, RF to S-Video with comb filter, the result was spectacular. The image had an excellent definition, every single pixel was clearly visible and the artifacts were almost imperceptible thanks to a high quality comb filter. Look at these pictures (below) of my 7800 PMC graphic hack and think of something better displayed on Sony Trinitron PVM 20" CRT monitor... I drew the sprites you see in the pictures (above) in 2015, when I shared my graphics hack of 7800 Ms. Pac-Man. It was an incomplete version which I later continued to work on in the spare time, I have made many revisions paying attention to details, I looked for different solutions and in the end I was very satisfied with the result I got but I didn't share publicly the final version because I thought there was not enough interest in an another update of Ms. Pac-Man. Among other things, I also removed the mole because it seemed like a second eye in the vertical corridor. I also want to mention that, in 2015, PacManPlus has already released a version of Pac-Man Collection with updated ghosts (thanks again and again Bob!). Edited July 19, 2020 by Defender_2600 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+darryl1970 Posted July 19, 2020 Author Share Posted July 19, 2020 (edited) 1 hour ago, Defender_2600 said: Before my last move, my Atari 7800 was connected to a Sony Trinitron PVM 20" CRT monitor via a professional demodulator, RF to S-Video with comb filter, the result was spectacular. The image had an excellent definition, every single pixel was clearly visible and the artifacts were almost imperceptible thanks to a high quality comb filter. Look at these pictures (below) of my 7800 PMC graphic hack and think of something better displayed on Sony Trinitron PVM 20" CRT monitor... That setup makes for a beautiful display. It really brings out the hacks accurately. It would be a nice personal satisfaction to play on. I do not have a high quality monitor, but I do have a decent Sony Vega. I have thought about getting a composite or s-video mod. I am torn. I like the fact that it's authentic, even if it's flawed. I wish the RF was just a little better natively. It's so bad! My 5200 4-port has a sharper RF output. Your setup showcases what could have been (or almost), if composite would have been more popular in 83-84, during the design phase of the unit. Quote I drew the sprites you see in the pictures (above) in 2015, when I shared my graphics hack of 7800 Ms. Pac-Man. It was an incomplete version which I later continued to work on in the spare time, I have made many revisions paying attention to details, I looked for different solutions and in the end I was very satisfied with the result I got but I didn't share publicly the final version because I thought there was not enough interest in an another update of Ms. Pac-Man. Among other things, I also removed the mole because it seemed like a second eye in the vertical corridor. I didn't necessarily figure there was much interest either. I didn't share to wow or impress anybody. These are the versions I choose to play. They are not as accurate as some of my other trial revisions, but these are the ones that look the best on my RF and S-Video connections. The blur kind of approximates the shapes. Also, the red doesn't always show up, depending on which pixel is adjacent. This just seemed to work. While I was sharing the hacks I really care about, I figured I'd share this too. Why not? Maybe somebody has a similar setup, and it will work for them. It's all slight of hand, since the pixels are too big and scrunched together. As for sharing Pac-Man Collection, I figured I might as well share it too, while I was sharing the A8/5200. There are things I would probably try tweaking if I had the time, but I am content. (I do wonder how your bow would look. I do like the extra pixels on your Ms Pac-Man bow!) As of now, this is the version that works best on my TV. I am anxious to see if my 7800 "alt" version has the same anti-alias effect on my TV (It's the 5200 Ms Pac copied to the 7800). I haven't taken the time to burn an EPROM yet. I don't have a 7800 flash cart. I can't wait for a decent solution, because I am not a fan of cartridges. I'll buy them and use a flash card for convenience. Quote I also want to mention that, in 2015, PacManPlus has already released a version of Pac-Man Collection with updated ghosts (thanks again and again Bob!). That's cool. Know that I never had any intention of taking away from Bob. I thought of the "Pac" hacks as just sharing what I use. It wasn't to impress anybody. I am glad you shared Bob's link though. I really like the Twin Ms Pac-Man. That's ANOTHER rare Pac-Man that Bob has brought back to life, but doesn't get much publicity. Awesome! I notice we all must be in agreement on the best up and down eyes for the monsters. I used to have ALL big eyes, because that's what I remember about the arcade: the monster's eyes really stand out. I halved my side-to-side eyes, because I think it has that same "spirit" of big, but thin. We all kind of landed on that same design for the up and down frames. I had the big eyes in some of my first hacks, but they took up too much of the space. Plus, I love the way the thinner eyes fit up into the rounded costume tops. I guess there's only about 84 (7 x 12) blocky pixels to choose from (I don't recall the monster's exact height, but we all seem to only use 7 wide. Using 8-wide like the original is too fat, and makes the eyes weird in the up and down frames!) Since there's a only a limited number of decent combinations, I guess it isn't that weird. The over problem is that all graphics are approximations, which is what I've always been disappointed about. It sucked growing up with my 800XL and the fat pixels. That is why I hoped that the 7800 would fix that limitation. Pac-Man Collection XM fixes that, aside from the eye color limitation. You did a great job hiding the flaw in the hardware, and it's barely noticeable in emulation. I can imagine it's not noticeable at all on actual hardware. I saw a little of the thought process being worked out in the thread, and it was really good thinking. Nice job! Thanks for sharing. I am starting to feel like those old people who try to have private conversations in the middle of somebody's main thread. I don't think anybody else wants to read our conversation. Edited July 19, 2020 by darryl1970 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Defender_2600 Posted July 19, 2020 Share Posted July 19, 2020 1 hour ago, darryl1970 said: That's cool. Know that I never had any intention of taking away from Bob. I thought of the "Pac" hacks as just sharing what I use. It wasn't to impress anybody. I am glad you shared Bob's link though. I really like the Twin Ms Pac-Man. That's ANOTHER rare Pac-Man that Bob has brought back to life, but doesn't get much publicity. Awesome! I notice we all must be in agreement on the best up and down eyes for the monsters. I used to have ALL big eyes, because that's what I remember about the arcade: the monster's eyes really stand out. I halved my side-to-side eyes, because I think it has that same "spirit" of big, but thin. We all kind of landed on that same design for the up and down frames. I had the big eyes in some of my first hacks, but they took up too much of the space. Plus, I love the way the thinner eyes fit up into the rounded costume tops. ..... Thanks for sharing. I am starting to feel like those old people who try to have private conversations in the middle of somebody's main thread. I don't think anybody else wants to read our conversation. Yup, we are all getting old and maybe we also begin to lose our memory. In fact, taking it with irony, you've already visited that topic in 2016, there is still your "like" to the version of Pac-Man Collection with updated ghosts . 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+darryl1970 Posted July 19, 2020 Author Share Posted July 19, 2020 9 hours ago, Defender_2600 said: Yup, we are all getting old and maybe we also begin to lose our memory. In fact, taking it with irony, you've already visited that topic in 2016, there is still your "like" to the version of Pac-Man Collection with updated ghosts . LOL! That is funny. I had to stop and ask myself if I had just liked it, but the date is right there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+darryl1970 Posted July 22, 2020 Author Share Posted July 22, 2020 On 7/18/2020 at 2:53 AM, Philsan said: Thanks for the update Darryl. Compared to the previous hacks of yours I have, I miss Mario Bros XE XEX 128KB version. There's only CAR version. Playsoft worked out an XEX version too. It is updated in the thread. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinroh Posted July 24, 2020 Share Posted July 24, 2020 Oh wow I missed this thread! I am happy to see your amazing hacks have been updated a bit. The new colours and tweaks for the graphics look really great. IMO the definitive hacks for the games from what I have played. The 7800 Pac-Man Collection looks great too, both you and Defender_2600 have a great aesthetic with the updates. I love the mockup Baby Pac-Man shots too @darryl1970 that would be killer on the A8. :3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+darryl1970 Posted July 24, 2020 Author Share Posted July 24, 2020 (edited) On 7/24/2020 at 1:24 AM, Jinroh said: Oh wow I missed this thread! I am happy to see your amazing hacks have been updated a bit. The new colours and tweaks for the graphics look really great. IMO the definitive hacks for the games from what I have played. The 7800 Pac-Man Collection looks great too, both you and Defender_2600 have a great aesthetic with the updates. I love the mockup Baby Pac-Man shots too @darryl1970 that would be killer on the A8. :3 Thanks. The Baby Pac-Man maze is actually an executable. The monsters wander the maze endlessly, but it's a cool proof of concept for an A8 version. The pinball seemed to be the biggest challenge for Bob and his collaborators. I think the game is a great match for the A8 hardware though! Edited July 26, 2020 by darryl1970 Spelling corrections Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinroh Posted July 25, 2020 Share Posted July 25, 2020 11 hours ago, darryl1970 said: Thanks. The Baby Pac-Man maze is actyually na executable. The monsters wander the maze endlessly, but it's a cool proof of concept for an A8 version. The pinball seemed to be the biggest challenge for Bob and his collaborators. I think the game is a great match for the A8 hardware though! Oh wow I missed the XEX of Baby Pac! I am going to check it out! If Bob and the boys were on board, I am sure most of the physics code for the 6502 could be re-used from the 7800 release. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sodarun Posted November 4, 2020 Share Posted November 4, 2020 I created a Video on the new 5200 hacks keep up the Awesome work 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+darryl1970 Posted November 4, 2020 Author Share Posted November 4, 2020 15 minutes ago, sodarun said: I created a Video on the new 5200 hacks keep up the Awesome work Thank you. Thanks for sharing them on your channel. Believe it or not, we didn't adjust the difficulty. Donkey Kong has always been faster than other ports, and Junior has always been tough. If anything, Ms Pac-Man is easier. We did make it so she doesn't slow down as much when she eats the dots. That was a huge problem with the original. I mainly added lipstick, redrew the fruits, and redrew the monsters. --Darryl 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duat1970 Posted January 15, 2021 Share Posted January 15, 2021 (edited) there're always multiple updates but nothing significant ? fresh electronic specials here Edited January 15, 2021 by Duat1970 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biobern Posted May 27, 2021 Share Posted May 27, 2021 On 7/17/2020 at 12:32 AM, darryl1970 said: Updated "Encore" Hacks These are updates of my previous hacks. I did this for a variety of reasons. I included some of my "Personal" hacks. They are hacks of Pac-Man games. I use these on my personal systems. I decided to polish them a little and share them with the community. These are located at the end. Popeye When Playsoft & I originally hacked Popeye (2015), we had a version with a "mono" punch. I have since regretted not releasing it. It was NOT popular in the forum, but I always felt it might have caught on if we'd finished it. Development shifted to the popular forum choice. Years later, @TIX asked me if I still had it. I looked; I could find the final A8 version, but I couldn't find the source. People seemed to like the mono punch in Tix's hack (Popeye sacrifices color for a higher resolution punch), so it inspired me to finish mine. I started by porting the rest of my final graphics to the "mono" version. While I was porting the graphics, I noticed little areas I wanted to tweak. I had always disliked my climbing and death frames. I also felt that Olive didn't translate well from emulation to CRT. Since I tweaked some of the graphics, I also updated the original punch version too, for those who still prefer the double-resolution/multi-color punch. I really like Tix's version. His was based off of the NES port, while I grew up with the arcade version; so each offer a unique graphic experience. I thank him for the inspiration to unearth the mono punch and for the angled bottles. Thanks to Playsoft for finding the original source AND adding the animated bottles! -- When I first saw Popeye in the arcades, I was amazed. I never thought games could look this "real". The Atari resolution is lower, the players are limited to 8, fat dots wide, and they're not very tall. The characters are also limited to 3 colors each. Colors are limited to what two colors will overlap to simulate a flesh tone. However, I do not see any competitor, of the time, coming this close. While I love the NES version, it could have been much closer to the arcade original. I would love to see this on the 7800, using 320 mode. (The arcade version actually boxes out when sprites overlap!) I think the C-64 could have had a much better port, but the release was an early titele Atari 8-Bit Computers PopeyeA8_EncoreM.xex (Mono Punch) * (Intro of the MonoPunch - Click Here) PopeyeA8_Encore.xex (Original Punch) Atari 5200 SuperSystem PopeyeEncoreM_5200.bin (Mono Punch) * PopeyeEncore_5200.bin 32 kB · 169 downloads * The original punch uses two overlapping players, since that is the only way to get multi-colored "sprites". One is blue, and the other is flesh colored. When the blue and flesh color overlap, it creates white. The programmer was pretty ingenious in making the flesh color double-width, so the arm could stretch out. He left the blue as low resolution. It allows more detail than if the two were both expanded. However, it sacrifices detail for color. In the "mono" punch, both players are made white, and they are placed side-by-side, allowing for a wider version of Popeye, in greater detail. This thread goes into more detail! Click here! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Donkey Kong (Encore) / Encore RMT (8-bit only) I was pretty happy with the Donkey Kong port. In some of the YouTube comments, I read that some were not happy with the colors I chose. This is a delicate situation, as many do not realize how limited the colors are. Mario's flesh is made up of two overlapping players. Tweaking the colors makes one character look better, and the others look worse. I played around with the colors, and I think I like this better. (Mario's flesh color is a result of red and blue overlapping, so this is truly the best compromise.) I focused on tweaking the contrast. I think this makes the game "pop" a little more. Colors have been slightly adjusted in doing so. I've tested it on real NTSC hardware (5200/800XL), and I am happy. Now there are two color sets to choose from. There was something still not right with Mario's steps and jump. Mario's jump is limited, because Mario is only 8-pixels wide. I think I improved it over the previous. I also improved his walking. Other insignificant changes were made. I hope you enjoy this. Thanks again to @playsoft for making this possible. I believe @Kjmann made the original RMT sound hack, with help from @tep392. Atari 8-bit Computers DKA8_Encore.xex 21.11 kB · 217 downloads DKA8_RMT_Encore.xex 26.86 kB · 141 downloads Atari 5200 SuperSystem DKEncore5200.bin 32 kB · 136 downloads ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Donkey Kong Jr. Encore(Arcade) / Donkey Kong Jr. Encore (Enhanced) This is one I was never really happy with. I got tired of "playing" with this back in the day. I tried to add all of Jr.'s arcade detail, but it ended up making his head too big. This update was focused on trimming the "fat" off of the sprites. Due to the lower resolution, I needed to sacrifice detail for proportion. I made a few color tweaks. This game has the most graphic updates of the "Encore" tweaks. Notice Donkey Kong's hands in the cage. I had some downtime, so I was able to focus on detail that I couldn't before. Thanks to @playsoft, for all the help. @tep392 helped tweak the floor and vine boundaries, back when we first hacked this. It's not as easy to slip off of the floors, and the red snapjaws can't get Junior at the bottom of a vine. The game still takes some adjustment, but it's a lot more forgiving. The Atari 8-Bit version was always a little touchy, due to the graphics mode used, but it captures a few of details that other versions are missing. Atari 8-bit Computers DkJr_Arcade_Encore.xex 25.48 kB · 138 downloads DKJr_Enhanced_Encore.xex 25.48 kB · 222 downloads Atari 5200 SuperSystem DKJr_5200_Arcade_Encore.bin 32 kB · 158 downloads DKJr_5200_Enhanced_Encore.bin 32 kB · 149 downloads ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mario Bros 5200 Encore / Encore-Improved I was pretty happy with the Mario Bros hacks. I did tweak some of the colors, especially in the ice ages. The regular "Encore" version includes graphic and color tweaks. The fighter flies are redrawn. The Encore-Improved version includes tweaks by @playsoft, that reduce slowdown in areas. The 5200 version included more arcade details than the NES version, which is what the poor 7800 version was based off of. It just needed a graphics overhaul to realize its full potential. Mario Bros52 Encore MarioBros52_Encore.bin 32 kB · 164 downloads MarioBros52_Encore.car 32.02 kB · 97 downloads Mario Bros52 Encore Improved (Less slowdown) MarioBros52_Encore_improved.bin 32 kB · 178 downloads MarioBros52_Encore_improved.car 32.02 kB · 136 downloads ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mario Bros XE Encore Mario Bros XE is, in my opinion, the most accurate home port of the Mario Bros. I recall that there is only one other home port of Mario Bros that includes the icicles (No, I am not talking about the Slipice. Even the 2600 has Slipice!) I think that version might be the Apple II, and it isn't even close to this standard. I made some tweaks to Mario. I think it makes his running a little more fluent. I added the pupil up to his jump. I carried the improved fighter flies over from the 5200 version. That can't always be done, because the software sprites are configured differently on each version. I was able to do so. They look better in this version, however, due to more animation frames. I adjusted the contrast and colors a little, to make things POP. I REALLY wanted to make the Shellcreepers jump OUT of their shells. There just wasn't enough room. Atari 8-Bit Computers (need 128K or 128K Cartridge) MarioBrosXE_Encore.car 64.02 kB · 119 downloads MarioBrosXE_Encore.bin 64 kB · 100 downloads MarioBrosXE_Encore.xex 61.3 kB · 221 downloads --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- These are the Ms Pac-Man versions I use on my Atari 800XL & 5200. Atari Computer Ms Pac-Man Encore I always wondered why GCC didn't try to add red "lips" to Ms Pac-Man, especially in the 7800 version. I figured A8/5200 suspected it was a hardware limitation for this machine. When I realized that the A8/5200 versions had full player width available for the bow and lips, I made it happen. On a CRT, the lips can be hard to notice, especially if the signal isn't great. I suspect that might be the reason. Plus the red and black (eye next to red lips) tend to look like holes. I doubled the lips a little from the arcade for emphasis. I think they add and anti-aliasing effect, which "fakes" a higher resolution. I had to move her dimple down, because it interfered with the wide open mouth, due to the lower resolution and size. The monsters must remain 8-pixels wide, to hide the quad-width missile. It is behind their eyes, to make their eyes white. Thinner eyes are either off center or too far apart, due to the odd-numbered full-width players. I used a full "v" shape for years. I recently removed the inside pixel, to give them an angle, and I think it makes a subtle improvement. I wasn't going to post these, since there have been so many Ms Pac-Man hacks; plus I am not SURE who all have contributed to the various hacks that this is based off of. While I was cleaning up my other hacks, I decided to finally tackle all of the fruit prizes. I figure I will include these, since I didn't before. I will do my best to give credit where due. This A8 game already had the dot slowdown adjusted, Pokey sound was tweaked, and there are noticeable improvements in the monster logic. It plays more like the 7800 counterpart. Somewhere along the lines, I saw credits by @MrFish and @tep392. These are just my graphic edits. If anybody else needs credit, please let me know. Of all the monster eye hacks I've tried, below is my favorite for the A8/5200 tweak. I would like to round the monsters' "head", but that would reveal the white missiles behind the monsters. I am not sure who made the splash screen. It's pretty cool! Note: The 5200 version is slightly different. It only contained updated sound effects, which are slightly different than the A8 version's sound. @playsoft helped merge the dot slowdown fix, from the A8 to the 5200 version. Somebody had added a Ms Pac-Man splash screen to the 5200 ROM, but the game would freeze when I'd press Pause on real hardware. @playsoft stripped that off, and all works fine. It's a shame, because it was cool. I'd rather be able to use my pause button. Atari Computer Ms Pac-Man Encore Ms. Pac-Man_Encore.xex 23.44 kB · 226 downloads 5200 SuperSytem Ms Pac-Man Encore Ms Pac-Man Encore 5200.BIN 32 kB · 165 downloads --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pac-Man Collection 7800 Hack I bought Pac-Man Collection at the Cleveland Classic Gaming Show (CCAG). It was the first and last time AtariAge had a booth there, so it was a long time ago. I loved @PacManPlus's creation. It was exciting to have Pac-Man on the 7800, but Hangly-Man is one of my childhood favorites! The lack of Pokey sound kept me from playing it as much as I would have. When I found the Pokey enhanced version, I was pumped. The graphics had also been updated, but there were some things I preferred from my old A8 hacks. I used "Pac-Man Construction Set" to hack this. I found I was able to fine tune the monsters even more than the A8/5200, since I didn't have to worry about exposing the big white rectangle behind the monsters. I was able to thin them a little. I tried to make Ms Pac-Man as close to the arcade as possible. It looked great in emulation, but it was blurry and awkward on my actual system and Sony CRT. I tweaked it a little. I felt the result played to the strengths of the RF output on my 7800, and this is the version I have been using for years. As I was cleaning up old hacks, I decided to update the fruit prizes, as I had not done that in the hack I was using. I decided include this with my full-blow hack collaborations, because I enjoy it. I appreciate Pac-Man Plus's blessing to share this. I would ultimately like to update Ms Pac-Man to resemble my A8/5200 main characters, as they seem to be a better average for CRT and emulation. I was tired after hitting the fruits for all the different versions. If I update the main characters, I will add them here. I don't know when I'll have the time again, and I don't know if my A8/5200 main character will look the same on the 7800. 7800 Pac-Man Collection Pokey, with my graphic hacks. Pac-Man Collection Encore.a78 32.13 kB · 165 downloads Pac-Man Collection Encore.bin 32 kB · 129 downloads 7800 Pac-Man Collection Pokey, with updates from the A8/5200 version. Not sure how they will look on a regular CRT. Not yet tested on actual 7800 hardware. Pac-Man Collection Encore(Alt).a78 32.13 kB · 123 downloads Pac-Man Collection Encore(Alt).bin 32 kB · 136 downloads PacManPlus, @tep392, and @Defender_2600 have created a NEW 7800XM Pac-Man Collection, Pac-Man Collection XM. It has taken everything up a notch. It uses 320 mode, so there's very little need to approximate the graphics. Click the link to check it out. The TIA sound is mind-blowing, but Perry also added Yamaha sound for the XM Expansion. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Atari Computer / 5200 * Unplayable * Baby Pac-Man maze concept When @PacManPlus was working on Baby Pac-Man, I couldn't help but think that the A8 would be a perfect candidate for the game. Since the arcade monsters do no have whites in their eyes, it would be much like the original A8/5200 Pac-Man. Four Players could make up the monsters, and the "5th" Player could make up Pac-Man, or Pac-Man could be a software sprite. I shared a few Baby Pac-Man sprites with @playsoft, and he sent back a maze with wandering monsters. I proceeded to fine-tune some of the playfield elements. The monsters move randomly. They are lacking any personality. This was just a quick demo for fun. There is no plan to work on this, but maybe it will inspire somebody to bring Baby Pac-Man to the A8/5200?? I personally got a kick out of running this on my A8 and 5200 hardware. There is a regular version and enhanced. The enhanced version uses software sprites to create the monster's eyes. That was @playsoft's idea. I have a thing for arcade purity, and he wanted to see real eyes. It would be cool to have a toggle option for "Arcade" or "Enhanced" mode. Atari Home Computers BabyPac-Man_A8.xex 3.22 kB · 87 downloads BabyPac-Man_A8(Enhanced).xex 6.23 kB · 78 downloads Atari 5200 SuperSystem BabyPac-Man_5200.bin 32 kB · 73 downloads BabyPac-Man_5200(Enhanced).bin 32 kB · 90 downloads On 7/24/2020 at 7:24 AM, Jinroh said: Oh wow I missed this thread! I am happy to see your amazing hacks have been updated a bit. The new colours and tweaks for the graphics look really great. IMO the definitive hacks for the games from what I have played. The 7800 Pac-Man Collection looks great too, both you and Defender_2600 have a great aesthetic with the updates. I love the mockup Baby Pac-Man shots too @darryl1970 that would be killer on the A8. :3 Does the 7800 Pac-Man Collection run on PAL machines too? Thank you... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+darryl1970 Posted May 27, 2021 Author Share Posted May 27, 2021 8 hours ago, biobern said: Does the 7800 Pac-Man Collection run on PAL machines too? Thank you... Thanks for the kind words. Pac-Man Collection is @PacManPlus 's masterpiece. He was kind enough to allow one more hack of his game. I am assuming that it does, but I am not 100% sure. I tagged him, since he probably knows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PacManPlus Posted May 27, 2021 Share Posted May 27, 2021 Good Morning, and thank you. Yes, Pac-Man Collection (the original) runs in PAL, but it's a different cartridge. If you buy it in the store, you have to select NTSC or PAL. Pac-Man Collection - 40th anniversary, however, auto detects NTSC or PAL, so it's all in one cartridge. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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