Jump to content
IGNORED

Hunchy II


cd-w

Recommended Posts

Excellent job, cd-w! It's a very clever use of missiles to draw the bells. :) I can't help wonder though if it's not possible to place Hunchy in front of the ladders. Even though you are using the left border to cover extraneous missiles, could you make changes to CTRLPF on the fly? If you can hit cycle 28, the change will be exactly where you need it. Of course it would take a bare minimum of six cycles and more realistically ten per scanline.

Edited by Zach
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Excellent job, cd-w! It's a very clever use of missiles to draw the bells. :) I can't help wonder though if it's not possible to place Hunchy in front of the ladders.  Even though you are using the left border to cover extraneous missiles, could you make changes to CTRLPF on the fly? If you can hit cycle 28, the change will be exactly where you need it. Of course it would take a bare minimum of six cycles and more realistically ten per scanline.

906915[/snapback]

 

Hi Zach,

 

Glad you like it! Thanks for the suggestion, but I have reached the point where I don't want to fiddle with the kernel any more :) I don't think it will be possible in any case as some of the lines are used for sprite repositioning, and this requires the entire line.

 

Chris

Link to comment
Share on other sites

OK, here is another release of Hunchy II. I am calling this the "supercat special edition" as it contains a great end of game sequence coded by supercat. The main changes this time are:

  • Cool end of game sequence.
  • Practise mode: you can skip levels using SELECT when the Left Difficulty Switch is in Position A.
  • Various gameplay tweaks and bugfixes, and a slightly better PAL version.

Let me know if you find any bugs in this release, as I am hoping (fingers crossed) that it is ready for the minigame compo now (i.e. this is now the release candidate).

 

Chris

h2v08.zip

Edited by cd-w
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi there!

 

Just played a few rounds on the CC. Never got past level 6, as the required micro-jumps on the left-bottom corner in level 4 usually kill most of my men.

 

Other than that, I must say that this is an amazing level design so far. I really like it how you have to make out the right path to get to a bell and that from most spots you have ways to go back somehow. You never have the feeling of being stuck or cheated, really great. Also amazing how many paths fit on such a small screen :)

 

BTW: Is there any reason why you set the PF priority above the sprites?

 

Greetings,

Manuel

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi there!

 

Just played a few rounds on the CC. Never got past level 6, as the required micro-jumps on the left-bottom corner in level 4 usually kill most of my men.

 

Other than that, I must say that this is an amazing level design so far. I really like it how you have to make out the right path to get to a bell and that from most spots you have ways to go back somehow. You never have the feeling of being stuck or cheated, really great. Also amazing how many paths fit on such a small screen :)

 

BTW: Is there any reason why you set the PF priority above the sprites?

 

Greetings,

Manuel

911526[/snapback]

 

Thanks - the level designs took a very long time to do! I was also surprised how much variety I was able to put into the game. For each of the 8 screens, I started with an initial sketch on graph paper. I then tightened the design into a 16x12 grid with a limited set of tiles. Then I coded each screen in-turn, and finally I tweaked the design by playing through the level many times.

 

The PF priority is set above the sprites as the bells and missiles are drawn on every line, even if they are not required. The PF is used to hide the unused missiles and bells behind the left border. I couldn't find the kernel cycles to disable the missile sprites properly, or to switch the PF priority in the game area.

 

The timing of the micro-jumps on level 4 is certainly tricky - you need to jump when your feet are over the edge of the platform and not before.

 

Cheers,

Chris

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nice little game. :thumpsup:

 

Regarding the priority, maybe you could use HMOVE in every line and hide the objects there?

 

A few suggestions from me:

- IMO the "menu screen" would look better with some more colored lines above and below

- the jumps look unnatural (just one speed up and down), some very simple gravity algorithm (maybe with vertical speed limitation when falling down) would look much better

- how about dying when falling down to far?

 

BTW: Inside the kernel, you could most likely avoid some SECs, because you know the result of a previous subtraction. I don't know if you have any use for a few extra cycles.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

BTW: I can't find the new end of game sequence. :?

911559[/snapback]

 

Hi Thomas,

 

Thanks for the suggestions - I will see if I can fit them in somehow, though I am very close to the 4K limit. The end of game sequence only happens when you complete the game (at level 15), not when you run out of lives. I have attached a modified version to this message which goes straight to the final level just so you can see what it looks like.

 

Thanks,

Chris

hunchy2end.zip

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi there,

 

i am still at the beginning with atari 2600 coding and found hunchy2. I saw this screen in hunchy which shows the current level and score. Showing score is done with Player0 and PLayer1 registers. I want that in my self coded games too, but i dont understand a part of the score kernel.

When i see it correctly, at the beginning color is set, one line delay enabled, 3 p0 and p1 objects instead of just one and the player objects are positioned on the screen. Thats all crystal clear. :) But when i look at this:

 

; Display First 3 Digits
lda (SPTR0),Y; [69] + 5
sta GRP0; [74] + 3	> 54
lda (SPTR1),Y; [1] + 5
sta GRP1; [6] + 3	< 42
lda (SPTR2),Y; [9] + 5
sta GRP0; [14] + 3	< 44

 

I dont understand how this works. GRP0 and GRP1 are set. Okay, so in the next line, this will be printed on screen. But the content of GRP0 is overwritten at the end. Why that? And later this:

 

stx GRP1	; [42] + 3	> 44 < 47
sta GRP0	; [45] + 3	> 46 < 50
sty GRP1	; [48] + 3	> 49 < 52
sta GRP0	; [51] + 3	> 52 < 55

 

Again, GRP0 and GRP1 are written. But their contens are overwritten again. And another question, why has GRP1 at the beginning to be set between cycle 44 and cycle 47?

 

I would be really happy if someone could explain this score kernel a bit more in detail. Im sitting here and reading it again and again, but i dont get the clue.

Edited by belial
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
Awesome game. This is the type of game I've been looking for for awhile.. sort of like a platform game, but with lots of levels. Level 14 is really tough though managable.

923815[/snapback]

 

Thanks - I am glad that you like it more than Hunchy 1 :) I am hoping to do a cart release of Hunchy 2 for PhillyClassic.

 

Chris

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

OK, for completeness I have attached the final version of Hunchy 2 to this message. It is essentially the same as the previous version - just a few small tweaks to the ending sequence and a bit of code cleaning. If you spot any bugs then please yell as it will be committed to ROM in the next few days. The Hunchy 2 cart is going to be released at PhillyClassic next month with a nice label and manual. I am planning to attend this show myself, so you might be able to obtain a signed version if you ask nicely :)

 

Chris

h2final.zip

Link to comment
Share on other sites

OK, for completeness I have attached the final version of Hunchy 2 to this message.  It is essentially the same as the previous version - just a few small tweaks to the ending sequence and a bit of code cleaning.  If you spot any bugs then please yell as it will be committed to ROM in the next few days.  The Hunchy 2 cart is going to be released at PhillyClassic next month with a nice label and manual.  I am planning to attend this show myself, so you might be able to obtain a signed version if you ask nicely :)

 

Chris

945737[/snapback]

 

I noticed you changed the title screen... was there some reason the one I gave you didn't work out? It's been in all the version up to this point and I thought it was much more legible than the one currently in the game. If there's some reason space-wise that you couldn't include it, I understand. I haven't had a chance to play the latest version of the game all the way through but I look forward to what improvements you made to the already brilliant ending.

post-6801-1129052277_thumb.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I noticed you changed the title screen... was there some reason the one I gave you didn't work out?  It's been in all the version up to this point and I thought it was much more legible than the one currently in the game.  If there's some reason space-wise that you couldn't include it, I understand.  I haven't had a chance to play the latest version of the game all the way through but I look forward to what improvements you made to the already brilliant ending.

946335[/snapback]

I really like this game, but, ah, legible, huh? I must confess that until reading this post I hadn't realized that the title screen spelled HUNCHY II. In either version. :lol:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I noticed you changed the title screen... was there some reason the one I gave you didn't work out?  It's been in all the version up to this point and I thought it was much more legible than the one currently in the game.  If there's some reason space-wise that you couldn't include it, I understand.  I haven't had a chance to play the latest version of the game all the way through but I look forward to what improvements you made to the already brilliant ending.

946335[/snapback]

I really like this game, but, ah, legible, huh? I must confess that until reading this post I hadn't realized that the title screen spelled HUNCHY II. In either version. :lol:

946337[/snapback]

 

Oh well, never mind.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Quick question: I'm using Stella 1.2 on Mac OS 9, and on levels 4 and 10 of Hunchy II (NTSC version), the missiles blend in with the playfield to the point where they become very difficult to see. (Both are dark blue -- like the guards -- with a *slight* difference in, um, luminosity, or K, or something like that.)

 

Is this an emulator anomaly, or does it play this way on real hardware and/or in other emulators (Z26, etc.)? I can imagine it being part of the challenge, but it makes level 10 a real bear -- easily the hardest in the game, at least for me -- simply because I can't see what's going on.

 

(In a day or two, I'll have a new Powerbook and will try it in Stella 2.0 on OS X...)

 

In any event, this is a fantastic little game, easily one of the most fun homebrews I've played, and quite addictive! If it ever gets expanded to 8k, I'd love to see more levels...a password system...and perhaps even a boss fight?

Edited by thegoldenband
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Quick question:  I'm using Stella 1.2 on Mac OS 9, and on levels 4 and 10 of Hunchy II (NTSC version), the missiles blend in with the playfield to the point where they become very difficult to see.  (Both are dark blue -- like the guards -- with a *slight* difference in, um, luminosity, or K, or something like that.)

 

You are just in time as the game was about to be burned to ROM for the cart version. I will change the playfield colour on these levels to a slightly different shade (although it could be considered a feature of the game :)).

 

In any event, this is a fantastic little game, easily one of the most fun homebrews I've played, and quite addictive!  If it ever gets expanded to 8k, I'd love to see more levels...a password system...and perhaps even a boss fight?

 

Thanks - I may extend the game at some point in the future, but for now I am working hard on a new project.

 

Chris

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 11 years later...

I have asked Al to remove Hunchy II from the AtariAge store at the end of the month. It has been available for 12 years, and in that time the quality of AA homebrews has increased to the point where I no longer think this game represents good value for money.

 

If you still want to obtain a copy of the game on cart, this is your last chance:

https://atariage.com/store/index.php?l=product_detail&p=330

 

Chris

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was just playing this cart last weekend. Presentation-wise it may be a little rough around the edges but definitely on par with some of the classics from back in the day. From a gameplay standpoint it's solid and a great example of the home-brew scene circa early 00s. Great reviews in the AA store too. If creating the carts wasn't such a time-consuming task I'd suggest just lowering the price instead.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...