SWOOPS!

[Thomas Jentzsch]

Well, you know, you could always make it an 8K cart.   *ducks*

Might be a good idea. So the games can all be polished up a little as well. IIRC there were a lot of good ideas that had to go to force each into 1K

Nah, for me they are finished.

 

I wanted everything do become as good as possible within the 1K restrictions and this took a lot of time. And I really don't want to start over the whole process just for a larger ROM size.

[DEBRO]

When you select "3-Athlon" mode you cycle through all three games. After one game is over, use SELECT to go back to the menu. There automatically the next game is selected.

I don't see the purpose for this option. When the game is over the player can press SELECT and go back to the menu (BTW...nice touch) and select any game they want.

[Thomas Jentzsch]

I don't see the purpose for this option. When the game is over the player can press SELECT and go back to the menu (BTW...nice touch) and select any game they want.

The scores are accumulated in 3-Athlon mode.

[DEBRO]

I don't see the purpose for this option. When the game is over the player can press SELECT and go back to the menu (BTW...nice touch) and select any game they want.

The scores are accumulated in 3-Athlon mode.

919118[/snapback]

Oops...I didn't notice that.

[vdub_bobby]

Well, I hope I don't step on anybody's toes here, but I started working before reading this:

 

 

I will bet you had T.J. at "...it needs a bit of optimization."

918790[/snapback]

Heh, maybe. Anyway, I optimized a bit and wrote a better version. See it in its own thread.

Edited August 26, 2005 by vdub_bobby

[Zach]

As much as I appreciate Bob's efforts into making a 1K menu, I think Swoops! is good in its present form. I'm fine with reading a manual on the side.

[vdub_bobby]

As much as I appreciate Bob's efforts into making a 1K menu, I think Swoops! is good in its present form. I'm fine with reading a manual on the side.

919270[/snapback]

I don't disagree - For one thing, my 1K menu+instr doesn't allow for four selections; as Thomas' menu does. Besides, his is *much* prettier.

[seemo]

Astounding Thomas :!:

 

I finally got the chance to try 'crash'n'dive' with the stella emulator, thanks to vdub_bobby property entry.

 

Even if I was just using the mouse, I really felt the sense of falling into a bottomless pit...

And seeing Litte Toto bounce back against hard platforms is amazing

 

The sense of physics in your mini-games is GREAT, it's like controlling something that has a real weight/inertia/mass... and it's very well balanced.

 

The menu reminded those I saw for commodore 64 back in the days... except that it's just 1K

 

Great Job !

 

Simone

[Jacob Rose]

Please enjoy the games and report any bugs you find. Thanks!

917935[/snapback]

 

Thomas! I love your stuff! Thanks for another one! =)

 

So, I tried Swoops! (NTSC) in emu and via Supercharger on my 4-switch 2600.

 

Cave 1k is fantastic.

 

Splatform works fine in emu, but the screen rolls (vertical hold problem) during death on the real thing ... is it supposed to do that?

 

I didn't notice anything wrong with Crash & Dive, but I'm not very good at it =)

 

If I press Reset (not Fire) with the cursor on the 3-Athlon option, I get a blank screen and it doesn't let me return to the main menu.

[Thomas Jentzsch]

Thanks for the nice compliments.

 

Splatform works fine in emu, but the screen rolls (vertical hold problem) during death on the real thing ... is it supposed to do that?

No, but Cave 1K might. Does it happen before, while the screen is flickering or after that?

 

If I press Reset (not Fire) with the cursor on the 3-Athlon option, I get a blank screen and it doesn't let me return to the main menu.

Hm, weird. Does it happen all the time? Which controllers did you have attached?

 

I'll fire up my SC and try tomorrow.

[Jacob Rose]

Splatform works fine in emu, but the screen rolls (vertical hold problem) during death on the real thing ... is it supposed to do that?

No, but Cave 1K might. Does it happen before, while the screen is flickering or after that?

 

Yes, it does happen while the screen is flickering blue, but it is in Splatform, not Cave 1K.

 

If I press Reset (not Fire) with the cursor on the 3-Athlon option, I get a blank screen and it doesn't let me return to the main menu.

Hm, weird. Does it happen all the time? Which controllers did you have attached?

919425[/snapback]

 

It does seem to happen all the time. I have a joystick in the left port and a pair of paddles in the right one (that took me a while to figure out, the right-port paddles thing...it's a good idea to use both, don't get me wrong, I just forgot to put them on that port between reading it here and trying to play the game. ).

[Thomas Jentzsch]

Yes, it does happen while the screen is flickering blue, but it is in Splatform, not Cave 1K.

I just checked on the real thing. No problems for me.

 

It does seem to happen all the time. I have a joystick in the left port and a pair of paddles in the right one...

Again, I cannot repeat this (Jacob, your SC is modded, right?).

 

Anyone else having similar problems when testing on real hardware?

[Emehr]

Yes, it does happen while the screen is flickering blue, but it is in Splatform, not Cave 1K.

I just checked on the real thing. No problems for me.

 

It does seem to happen all the time. I have a joystick in the left port and a pair of paddles in the right one...

Again, I cannot repeat this (Jacob, your SC is modded, right?).

 

Anyone else having similar problems when testing on real hardware?

919591[/snapback]

 

I do. Same setup: Supercharger w/4-switch woody. My SC is unmodded, however, and I have a joystick in the left port. Same symptom: during the death sequence in Splatform the screen rolls a bit. I actually noticed this back when Splatform was an individual 1k binary and just figured it was a feature .

 

BTW, great to see "The 1k Three" in a single binary. Nice menu!

 

- Jason

[Thomas Jentzsch]

I do. Same setup: Supercharger w/4-switch woody. My SC is unmodded, however...

If Jacob's SC is unmodded too, then we found the problem. Actually I am surprised that the game works at all on umodded SCs, because the menu accesses the SC bankswitching hotspots (graphic data). That should at least explain the blacks screen (happens here too, when I switch to unmodded mode).

 

Though I still have no idea why Splatform rolls.

[seemo]

Hi Thomas,

I can't help but thinking that for 3-athlon mode you could link the three minigames with this little 'story' : You could change a little the graphics of Cave, showing Little Toto in the helicopter while travelling across an hostile cave.

After the elicopter hits an obstacle, Little Toto leaves the elicopter and starts bouncing over platforms to leave the hostile land, falling into a bottomless pit if he misses a platform.

 

The three games would be started without intervention from the user, one after the other.

 

That would be a nice 'odissey' for Little Toto, and would link the three games with a 'story'.

 

Simone

[Thomas Jentzsch]

Hi Thomas,

I can't help but thinking that for 3-athlon mode you could link the three minigames with this little 'story' : You could change a little the graphics of Cave, showing Little Toto in the helicopter while travelling across an hostile cave.

After the elicopter hits an obstacle, Little Toto leaves the elicopter and starts bouncing over platforms to leave the hostile land, falling into a bottomless pit if he misses a platform.

 

The three games would be started without intervention from the user, one after the other.

 

That would be a nice 'odissey' for Little Toto, and would link the three games with a 'story'. 

Thanks.

 

I have a similar story in my mind, just that is starting with Toto happily bouncing on his platforms, falling down a deep pit and finally finding himself in an endless cave.

 

And the menu screen serves as an intermission screen between the games.

[Zach]

this little 'story'

919769[/snapback]

Clever. The end of Splatform does indeed lead naturally into Crash N Dive.

[+batari]

Hi Thomas,

I can't help but thinking that for 3-athlon mode you could link the three minigames with this little 'story' : You could change a little the graphics of Cave, showing Little Toto in the helicopter while travelling across an hostile cave.

After the elicopter hits an obstacle, Little Toto leaves the elicopter and starts bouncing over platforms to leave the hostile land, falling into a bottomless pit if he misses a platform.

 

The three games would be started without intervention from the user, one after the other.

 

That would be a nice 'odissey' for Little Toto, and would link the three games with a 'story'. 

Thanks.

 

I have a similar story in my mind, just that is starting with Toto happily bouncing on his platforms, falling down a deep pit and finally finding himself in an endless cave.

 

And the menu screen serves as an intermission screen between the games.

919775[/snapback]

But where is Toto in the cave?

 

Toto+rapidly rotating helicopter blades = ???

[Thomas Jentzsch]

But where is Toto in the cave?

Guess who is flying that thing!

[+SpiceWare]

Yes, it does happen while the screen is flickering blue, but it is in Splatform, not Cave 1K.

I just checked on the real thing. No problems for me.

 

It does seem to happen all the time. I have a joystick in the left port and a pair of paddles in the right one...

Again, I cannot repeat this (Jacob, your SC is modded, right?).

 

Anyone else having similar problems when testing on real hardware?

919591[/snapback]

Same problem here - Splatform screen rolls during the death sequence. I'm using a Krok Cart.

[Zach]

I've been playing on a K Cart too, and I didn't notice the rolling until SpiceWare brought it up. On my set-up, It's more like a subtle bouncing, as if the scanline count is inc'ing and dec'ing by one.

[uosipa llamxew]

Hi Thomas,

I can't help but thinking that for 3-athlon mode you could link the three minigames with this little 'story' : You could change a little the graphics of Cave, showing Little Toto in the helicopter while travelling across an hostile cave.

After the elicopter hits an obstacle, Little Toto leaves the elicopter and starts bouncing over platforms to leave the hostile land, falling into a bottomless pit if he misses a platform.

 

The three games would be started without intervention from the user, one after the other.

 

That would be a nice 'odissey' for Little Toto, and would link the three games with a 'story'. 

 

Simone

919769[/snapback]

 

I have a similar story in my mind, just that is starting with Toto happily bouncing on his platforms, falling down a deep pit and finally finding himself in an endless cave.

 

Funny the different stories we've come up with. Back when Crash'N'Dive was still in development I had my own:

 

Splatform Toto adventures carefree. His luck runs out and he falls into a pit.

Splatform II - Toto Tumbles... Toto tries to break and slow his fall as he falls endlessly into the vast cavern.

Cave1k - Toto has taken a nasty spill and the paramedics have flown down into the cavern to save him. On the way into the pit, the vibration from the helicopter's blades cause the cave's opening to implode on itself, sealing the opening. The pilot must find another way out - Toto's survival depends on it!!!

 

Perhaps a bit more twisted, but while this thread was on the topic, I thought I might bring it back up.

 

[edit]

At the time, I don't think that Crash'N'Dive had been decided on for certain - I could be wrong.

Edited August 28, 2005 by mojofltr

[Jacob Rose]

Again, I cannot repeat this (Jacob, your SC is modded, right?).

919591[/snapback]

 

Argh! No, it's not...I really should have mentioned that. That's the cause, then?

[Thomas Jentzsch]

Argh! No, it's not...I really should have mentioned that. That's the cause, then?

The black screen, yes. The rolling, no.

[supercat]

Actually I am surprised that the game works at all on umodded SCs, because the menu accesses the SC bankswitching hotspots (graphic data).

919624[/snapback]

 

Accesses to $1FF8 are harmless until the first access to the range $1000-$10FF. I believe accesses to $1FF9 are harmless, but won't return correct data; not sure about that one, though.

 

I wonder if there's any technical reason Arcadia/Starpath couldn't have used $0800-$08FF as the 'load trigger' hot-spot and e.g. $0FFF as the bank-switch hotspot?