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My 2600 -> 8bit Game Port


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Hi!  I'm new here.  After deciding to get back into Atari a bit (I still have my old 48K 800 and a working Percom drive). I've been working on a port / rewrite from the 2600.

 

It's not finished yet (at all) but I've come a good ways into it.  I'd really like comments / suggestions / ideas / whatever at this point.  It' doesn't do much yet, but it's a WIP and kind of a demo of what I'm going for.  8K Cartridge-type bin file is attached:

 

bs.bin

 

Thanks in advance for any comments, etc.

 

 

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Here's a new small revision, changed the graphics a bit, added an eave, and a window, and a logo.  Also, the joystick up/down should work, forgot to mention that before.  Not at all a working game yet, I'm a really slow programmer.

 

More scrolling is set up, just not there yet.

 

If someone has the time, and the ability/hardware, could you please test this out on a real 8-bit machine?  I don't have the necessary, only Altirra.  I want to make sure that the DLI's etc. don't make the screen roll or anything.  I'd super appreciate it!!!

 

Updated:

bs.bin

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Nice start, yeah.  Can't say I've played the original.

 

So, are you using playfield graphics for most of the background elements?  And what of the original game code - are you porting it over, just using part of the game logic or starting from scratch?

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57 minutes ago, Rybags said:

So, are you using playfield graphics for most of the background elements?  And what of the original game code - are you porting it over, just using part of the game logic or starting from scratch?

At this point, players 0,1,2,3 are the plane body, pilot, windmill, and weather vane all directly from the original.  Everything else is character graphics.  I still have the missiles/player 4 available.  Some of this may change, but probably not.   It's all written from scratch so far, except the timer routine, which I lifted more or less directly.  The rest is all left to do, so I don't know yet!

 

Here's my newest update, START, SELECT, Joystick up/down are all operable.  Still most unfinished though.

 

bs.bin

Edited by glurk
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  • 6 months later...

After a long hiatus in which I kind-of abandoned this, I got into a spurt and did a ton of work.  I guess this glitchy, bug-ridden thing is progress....

 

Totally uncompleted, but it's running Steve Cartwright's original code (incomplete), and is starting to look like a game.  I thought up to now was the hard part, but it looks more the last 10% or so is the hard part.  Sigh.   No idea when/if I'll manage to complete this.  So much work...

 

bstest.rom

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Got some more done, now most sounds work, collision detection on barns/crashing, barn count-down, etc.  Still very buggy...  But you can sort-of "play" it now.

 

If anyone wants to try this, you use "select" to set level, "start" to begin, then left trigger to launch and "play."

 

Just maybe I'll manage to fix the bugs and get this done.  I made a bad choice in the beginning, and used a "wide playfield" so things pop up onscreen and just appear.  I think I can work around that.  Maybe.  I'd really hate to have to re-do the whole display part...

 

bstest2.rom

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I think it had a bug that made the score disappear, LOL.  Sorry about that!  I think I have things ironed out pretty well now.  My newest one should be mostly bug-free, I think.  Someone PLEASE test and let me know!!!

 

Here's newest, but no geese, no weathervane, and no difficulty-settings.  Otherwise, I THINK it's all good.  I need bug-testers, please!!  I'd really appreciate anyone who wants to try it out and let me know of ANY problems.

 

 

 

EDIT TO ADD:  This is 90% the original code.  So all the levels, etc., should be just like the 2600 version, I hope.

 

EDIT AGAIN: Added the WeatherVane.  Not in love with the blue chicken.  Open to suggestions for a better color!

 

bstest4.rom

 

 

Edited by glurk
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Thanks for testing!  I'm still working on it.  I think adding the geese is going to be HARD.  Each goose-line scrolls independently, and it uses 2600 NUSIZ repeats, and so I'm reading up on 2600 stuff to try to understand it all.  I'm NOT a 2600 programmer, so it's a whole new thing for me.

 

I also have the "difficulty-switches" working in the code, but I can't figure out the best way to implement it.  The 8-bits don't have difficulty switches, and this game uses both of them, and I'd like them to be indicated somehow.  Still thinking on that one.

 

Hopefully, everything else is pretty solid now, I believe(?)

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OK, I'm calling this the DEMO version.  It's incomplete, but fully playable.  My best time is 32.85.

 

It's level-locked to level 1, since I'm still working on the geese.  This has fewer than the real game, because I haven't yet worked out the NUSIZ-repeating ones.

 

bsdemo.rom

 

EDIT: Added even newer demo, I added in the difficulty settings, use OPTION.  They represent (Arrow) -->barn clearance and (Goose) --> spawning rate.  With both set to red (difficult) it's a bit challenging.  Still have more to do yet...

 

Edited by glurk
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I just tried her on my XEGS, now prior to this I never played Barnstorming on my 2600 but this port is nicely done, and to think that this is merely a demo shows an awful lot of promise, I can't wait to see how she turns out in future uploads but games like this make me glad to (still) have my XEGS rather than sell her like I had to my 65XE, in which I am proud to say, is doing quite well in her new home in NJ alongside the buyer's ST and the new owner already enjoys her.

 

It's a fortunate thing I HAD $$$ AND TIME last year to get my 7800, and XEGS (and the 65XE) to go with my 5200 (I have owned a 5200 since 1983) and 2600 Jr. last year while my 2002 Beetle awaited needed repairs, in which from merely not being able to start in September 2020 to more sever problems from sitting idle until February due to being in debt and while I waited my nearly $4,700.00 income tax refund (in which that and Joe Biden's $1,400.00) which went to repairing my Beetle to the point where she now runs great, there's till a bit to do on her but at least unlike last year, i can both drive AND play my (now) 4 systems as a result. I had to pause Hulu for 12 weeks to cut costs down but at least I am doing fine otherwise. I still have the apartment complex's rooftop antenna (65 channels, all for free), free apps on my Roku , VHS, DVD, and, of course, Atari!!!

 

....yes, and all you guys on the AA forums too :) 

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On 11/15/2021 at 7:29 PM, glurk said:

Thanks for testing!  I'm still working on it.  I think adding the geese is going to be HARD.  Each goose-line scrolls independently, and it uses 2600 NUSIZ repeats, and so I'm reading up on 2600 stuff to try to understand it all.  I'm NOT a 2600 programmer, so it's a whole new thing for me.

 

I also have the "difficulty-switches" working in the code, but I can't figure out the best way to implement it.  The 8-bits don't have difficulty switches, and this game uses both of them, and I'd like them to be indicated somehow.  Still thinking on that one.

 

Hopefully, everything else is pretty solid now, I believe(?)

maybe just assign keys 1 through 6 to flip a bit and simulate the toggle in that way... 'soft sixer'

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1 hour ago, _The Doctor__ said:

maybe just assign keys 1 through 6 to flip a bit and simulate the toggle in that way... 'soft sixer'

or, and speaking as an XEGS owner who prefers to use mine as a stand-alone console rather than have the keyboard connected to her, as it takes up less table/TV tray space, just use the left and right on the joystick to go up and down (or the up and down on the joystick, either way, what ever works best for you) with the levels and then hit the fire button to enter the selected difficulty level, much like you have to in A8/5200 Asteroids (when toggling between shields/hyperspace/flip-over/no effect)

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Well, I had a "vision" of what I wanted to do when I started this one, and it was to create an 8-bit version like the one that (I imagine) Activision would have released back in the 80's... So it just uses "OPTION," "SELECT," and "START."  I have those working now, and what I believe is a good on-screen difficulty settings indicator, so I think I'm going to leave it as-is.

 

I still have to finish getting the geese "just right" and I think I'll be done with it.  I'm a bit tired of it by now, LOL!  There is a lot of free space left to add stuff, bells and whistles, music, whatever, but I probably won't do that.  Or maybe add to it later... 

 

It's nearly finished, so at least for now I want to finish the geese, get it bug-free and call it done.  I'm still thinking on some programming issues.  This is the first and only 2600 port I've ever done, so it's been a learning experience.  In hindsight, I probably should have chosen a more popular game...

 

 

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9 minutes ago, MrFish said:

BTW... if you're concerned about the lack of attention you're getting... a lot of people don't frequent the programming section here -- as it's more for programming technical questions and discussions. Posting on the main for will get more responses/interest.

 

Yup, I realized that.  I was rather new here when I made the original post, and I'm glad it's kind of 'low-key.'  I'll post it in the main forum when it's "complete."  Which still make take a while, I'm really slow at this... :)

 

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4 hours ago, glurk said:

Well, I had a "vision" of what I wanted to do when I started this one, and it was to create an 8-bit version like the one that (I imagine) Activision would have released back in the 80's... So it just uses "OPTION," "SELECT," and "START."  I have those working now, and what I believe is a good on-screen difficulty settings indicator, so I think I'm going to leave it as-is.

 

I still have to finish getting the geese "just right" and I think I'll be done with it.  I'm a bit tired of it by now, LOL!  There is a lot of free space left to add stuff, bells and whistles, music, whatever, but I probably won't do that.  Or maybe add to it later... 

 

It's nearly finished, so at least for now I want to finish the geese, get it bug-free and call it done.  I'm still thinking on some programming issues.  This is the first and only 2600 port I've ever done, so it's been a learning experience.  In hindsight, I probably should have chosen a more popular game...

No no, don't doubt yourself, you did a fine job on doing this 2600 classic the great justice of it being done (and from scratch at that!) for the 8-bit lineup, BRAVO! I think it looks nice and you should be COMMENDED not condemned for it, a very fine job at that. When Lennart Bown (@Thelen) back in 2009 did the Howard Scott Warshaw 2600 classic "Yars' Revenge" straight from scratch and created what he called "Yar's Strike", he had no idea that it would turn out to be a cult hit for both the A8 (and the 5200 thanks to both myself for advocating for it and to Paul Lay (@playsoft) for converting it to the 5200) years later, he was just simply doing up a 4K port for a minigame comp (that limited entries to 4K or less) that AtariAge put on BITD and had no idea that we would eat it up. I think this port will also go over just as fine, and perhaps you might even be lucky to get someone (like me :) ) to advocate that this also, be ported to "Big Sexy" (our affectionate nickname for the 5200) as well. All you need to do is call it by a different (but still similar) title as to avoid Activision's lawyers from coming after you and you will be all set!!! GREAT JOB!!!

Edited by BIGHMW
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