Port C64 game to Lynx

[lynx_hitmen]

Hello,

as far as i know,the lynx has nearly the same cpu as the C64.is it possible to port c64 code to the atari lynx?would be great to play games like katkis or r-type on lynx (gates of zendocon is a lousy one).

 

greets from germany,joerg

[duffy2209]

I agree this would be a great idea, and have often thought about it. There are so many great C64 games out there that would be fantastic on the Lynx. Problem is I know nothing about programming, so i'm no use to you what so ever. Maybe someone out there might give it a go.

Brilliant idea though!

[Shawn Jefferson]

The problem is the same as porting a C64 game to the Atari 8-bit computer, or Apple II. They all use the same CPU, but graphics and sound are done differently, so you would have to rewrite those parts of the game (usually a huge part.)

 

The logic, and some of the data, once converted could probably be used. It's a difficult process, which is why you haven't seen more of it done. A lot of the professional "ports" are actually just complete rewrites.

[Ze_ro]

Indeed. Converting all the video, sound, and I/O stuff really is a lot of work. So just because two systems share the same processor doesn't really help as much as you might think at first. In fact, most processors are fairly similar, so converting code between two processors usually isn't even that difficult...

 

--Zero

[+karri]

But there is an attempt at www.cc65.org to create compatible graphics and I/O libraries that would allow new programs to run on all platforms using the 6502 CPU.

 

I am actually doing a Lynx port together with a few other programmers. It is already included in the daily snapshot.

 

So if someone wants to do a port of some c64 game it would be cool to port the graphics and I/O first to use the tgi- and joy- drivers of the www.cc65.org compiler and after that just compile it for the Lynx target.

 

The cart making stuff is also included in the new compiler so it will produce executables for downloading or *.lnx images with a cart directory and title sprite.

 

--

Karri

[toughacton]

Wow, very exciting stuff. I still have a c64 and love the games on it. Makes me wish I had the know how and the time to be a programmer. All the great adventure games like Maniac Mansion and Zak McKraken could be all mine and portable on my lynx.... The only thing is getting a save function, which as I understand can add to the cost of developing a cart. Ah well, we can always dream. IF anyone out there is working on porting/rewriting these old games to Lynx, I applaud you and would buy them in a heartbeat.

[lynx_hitmen]

Still have around 700disx for the C64.save to card is possible.look at the t-tris card.to bad,my coding knowledges are poor. i only did some intro´s and cracks on the c64.that´s all

[emkay]

A nice idea.

Well... I am not on the way with porting games from C64 to Lynx, but it may not be that problematic.

 

Adapting the code must be easy as copying it to a lynx assembler.

Graphics may be redirected by using the more complex lynx graphics adapter.

Taking a look at C64:

4 color bitmap with a 40x25 colorcell overlay plus 8 sprites with ~24x24 pixel...

to build a wrapper to use the C64 graphics on the Lynx chip, must be the most work to do.

 

Sound can be easily digitized, because of the "real" 4 MHz cpu. To manage this, just take a look at the SID player, available on the Atari 8-bits(1,77MHz) ...

[lynx_hitmen]

once,if grafics and sprites are ripped out of c64 program,it should be wasy to convert them,or not?i mean : it is no problem to convert a c64 grafik to gif,jpg or something else,why not to lynx?

 

Greets,Joerg from Germany

[emkay]

once,if grafics and sprites are ripped out of c64 program,it should be wasy to convert them,or not?i mean : it is no problem to convert a c64 grafik to gif,jpg or something else,why not to lynx?    

 

Greets,Joerg from Germany

 

It's not the problem to convert the graphics. But the problem is to handle the graphics as it is used for the gameplay.

[Turbo Laser Lynx]

Maybe you´ve seen it allready, but here´s a port of level one of the c64 game "Aztec Challenge". But it´s not converted with a compiler for the lynx or anything like that, it´s written i C straight for the Lynx.

 

http://www.cc.puv.fi/~e0300998/

[johannesmutlu]

Hey that sounds exciting, being able to convert c64 games to lynx format but it's not easy as 1 2 3 because ,,

 

yeah despites both cpu's are the same the graphics has to be downscaled to a lower resolution and all backgrounds has to be converted to sprites, the sid sound has to be converted to some kind of sort psg file like format but the lynx cannot do variable duty cycles volumes in hardware it can only do that in software so converting sid sound has to be done with this in mind, but digitizing all sid channels to run it as wave files on the lynx via it's 4 8bit dac's.

Then we got to map the button layouts,and the data needs to be compressed for storage.

 

But yeah it would be awesome to play mario bros & donkeykong on the lynx.

 

Also since the atari 2600 has the same cpu it should be easy to port these games to the lynx,even the poke sound data,only the commando signals wich tells the tv how to generate graphics must be digitized.

 

Same story with atari 2600,nes and sms games but again graphics most be converted and sounds needs to be midilised to another format.

 

Also eventrough each cpu type such as Z80 and 65c05,arm,68000 are different with their own languange,they all share the optional basic languange.

 

And lastly but not least, since the lynx is know for doing sprite scaling and polygon rendering and data decompression,i was thinking imagine yoshi's island on the lynx, ,why you may ask, because the fx2 chip was just used for that porpuse sprite scaling,data decompression and polygon rendering, and since the lynx can also do multi scrolling backgrounds(insprire format), can do 16 colors atonce so the everything should be dithered and blurred to 16 colors to presserve most colors, it can be theoritically done.

Yoshis island can be an ultimate testament for the lynx,even at low 15fps.

[Level42]

I'd much rather see Atari 800 emulation

 

The closest thing to this is Loderunner which is more or less the A8 version with the graphics and sound adapted to the Lynx. Not that Lodrunner is very graphically intense (not to mention "sound")......

 

Of course I'd love to see C64, A8 and man....let's say it, SNES emulation on the Lynx, but the facts of 2017 is that you can put a Raspberry Pi (or something like that) into a Lynx case and play all these systems, plus arcade versions etc. etc.

 

The only thing that holds me from it is time....

[7800fan]

I'd be happy if someone can make Crysis work on Lynx, and using McWill's LCD mod with VGA out, be able to support 1920x1080 and 60fps minimum.

[ZylonBane]

Hey that sounds exciting, being able to convert c64 games to lynx format but it's not easy as 1 2 3 because ,,

Gosh Johnny, thanks for explaining all that to us thirteen years later.

[Keatah]

The problem is the same as porting a C64 game to the Atari 8-bit computer, or Apple II. They all use the same CPU, but graphics and sound are done differently, so you would have to rewrite those parts of the game (usually a huge part.)

 

The logic, and some of the data, once converted could probably be used. It's a difficult process, which is why you haven't seen more of it done. A lot of the professional "ports" are actually just complete rewrites.

 

Yes. And a lot of these ports aren't even done by the original author or company. And it also explains why ports don't often improve on the original or take advantage of the chronologically newer machine's special features.

 

Think Star Blazer on the Apple II and Sky Blazer on the Atari 400/800 - they play identically. The look is the same except for a different color palette. The sound is slightly better with blips & bloops replacing 1-bit audio clicks. But no music or anything like that.

 

---

 

..which sort of makes me wonder why a Gyruss clone hadn't been made on the Apple II. Is it because of mapping the swirly and curving flight paths onto a less-than-common-sense memory array? The closest thing that comes to mind regarding the swoopy patterns is A.E. and Threshold. And the moving object in those games are tiny. Or was it the sound? Without sound, Gryuss isn't Gyruss. And 1-bit Apple audio would be a mess trying to dupe 5x AY-3-8910 chips. SID and POKEY have a chance even though the result is kinda flat.

Edited July 1, 2017 by Keatah

[Keatah]

--duplicate--

Edited July 1, 2017 by Keatah

[Keatah]

@johannesmutlu:

 

Don't worry about resurrecting an old thread. Pay no attention unless a mod tells you otherwise.

 

Bumping an ancient thread is generally alright if there's new information or if someone wants to discuss that topic. Why should a newcomer to the topic have to sit in silence? There is no reason! And the sooner some people learn that the more at peace they will be with themselves.

 

Resurrecting is usually better than starting a new topic on the same thing. Better because it collects past and present viewpoints and commentary in the same place.

 

 

Gosh Johnny, thanks for explaining all that to us thirteen years later.

[Stun Runner 87]

Hello,

as far as i know,the lynx has nearly the same cpu as the C64.is it possible to port c64 code to the atari lynx?would be great to play games like katkis or r-type on lynx (gates of zendocon is a lousy one).

 

greets from germany,joerg

I love Gates of Zendacon. ?