New Demo for the 2600: "RetroGames"

[Simon]

Hi,

 

while developing the last bits and bytes of my new game ENCAVED I started working on a new demonstration program.

 

It's called "RetroGames" and is dedicated to my friends from "RetroGames e.V." - a german club of arcade and console players and collectors.

 

The demo is planned as a two part presentation and the slotmachine part is planned as small game, too.

 

Please find attached a first preview of the slotmachine part.

 

Thanks,

Simon

 

RtrGms_SQ_05.bin

[Simon]

Oh, I forget to mention the following current controls:

 

- Fire button of left joystick stops the rolling at any position.

- "Reset" restarts the demo (initialization of starting positions).

- "Select" switches the color of the symbols on the rolls.

 

Thanks,

Simon

[Godzilla]

neat, i like the lcd look of the slots.

[Heaven/TQA]

Retrogames near Karlsruhe?

[Simon]

Retrogames near Karlsruhe?

Yes, it's in Karlsruhe.

 

Later,

Simon

[Simon]

Hi everybody,

 

please find attached the current version of my RETROGAMES demonstration.

 

The first part is an upscroller with a stretch effect on top and below. You can hold the scrolling with the FIRE button.

 

After the upscroller went through the slotmachine is shown. You can push FIRE to start the rolling of the three slots. Push LEFT, DOWN or RIGHT to stop the individual rolls. You get 10 points for three equal symbols and 20 for the RetroGames-Logo (Arcade - Spear - Man). You win at 99 and you loose at 00 points. Push SELECT to change colors of the rolls. You can push RESET to return to the upscroller part and watch some variations here now.

 

I'm looking forward to your feedback.

 

Thanks,

Simon

RtrGms_115_SQ.bin

[Heaven/TQA]

last saturnday i went there for 3 hours... great to play real pinball machines which you dont find anymore here in germany... or to play Scramble, T2, Donkey Kong etc...

[Simon]

Hi,

 

please find attached the final version of the "RetroGames" demo/game. Please note that this file is PAL format.

 

We're planning a cartridge release soon (PAL cart with labels and manual).

 

Thanks,

Simon

RetroGames_SQ_16.bin

[+Nathan Strum]

Well... it's impressive graphically. I can't say it does much for me gameplay-wise.

 

Only having three symbols on the slot machine doesn't make for much of a challenge. I'd like to see at least a dozen different symbols (maybe from 2600 games).

 

I tried to get down to zero points, and couldn't. Through sheer luck, it kept giving me more points. I'd get down to two points, and suddenly my score would jump by 20 points without matching all three symbols. (I'm guessing it happens when you make a picture of the guy running towards the arcade machine).

 

I managed to get up to 99 quite easily.

 

Also, if you get any two symbols to match, you can just hit those two "stop" buttons at the same time on the next turn, and they'll match up again, only leaving you with one symbol to have to match. (Admittedly, this is easier on an emulator than it would be on a real 2600, but it would still work with adjacent symbols using diagonals on the joystick.) You can do this with three symbols to some degree, too, but not without a Starplex-type controller on a real 2600.

 

Finally, there doesn't seem to be any payoff for winning, or penalty for losing. Admittedly, I haven't actually been able to lose yet.

[Simon]

@ Nathan Strum:

 

Thanks for your feedback.

 

Well, this topic is called "new demo", so it is not intended to be a perfect slotmachine with authentic rules of play. Otherwise I would have called it "new game".

 

It's a demonstration program of new graphic effects and is dedicated to the "RetroGames" club in Karlsruhe, Germany. http://www.retrogames.info

 

While developing the demo, I decided to have the slotmachine part playable. As the logo of the club consists of the three symbols "arcade", "arrow" and "player" only these were used for the slotmachine.

 

Therefore the gameplay is intentionally limited to a small bonus option within this demonstration cart.

 

I hope that you can understand my intention of this program better now and hope that you still like this demo a bit.

 

Thanks,

Simon

[Rom Hunter]

Simon,

 

Do you also have the final NTSC ROM?

 

[+Nathan Strum]

As a demo - it's quite impressive. I didn't know if you had intended to take it beyond a demo or not (since you mentioned a cart release), but I see where you're going with it now.

[Simon]

Hi,

As a demo - it's quite impressive. I didn't know if you had intended to take it beyond a demo or not (since you mentioned a cart release), but I see where you're going with it now.

Well - it's just a matter of defining the word "demo".

 

For me a "demo" is a demonstration program showing graphical and acoustical effects. It's what sites like http://www.pouet.net/ and http://www.scene.org/ are about. Demos are mainly popular on machines like C64, Amiga, PC, etc.

 

An unfinished game is a "preview" or "work in progress" for me, not a demo.

 

Therefore the current version of this demo is final and it will be released on cart.

 

Thanks,

Simon

[Simon]

Hello,

 

the final version of this production will be released at this year's EUROCON in the Netherlands.

 

33 copies of the cartridge were produced and you can watch pictures here: http://www.quernhorst.de/atari/rg.html

 

 

More information about the European Videogamecollector Convention EUROCON at http://www.atari-shop.nl/eurocon2007.htm

 

Thanks,

Simon

[Simon]

Hi,

 

EUROCON was a great event! I really enjoyed the whole weekend...

 

I still have some of the demo cartridges available, so if you are interested: please visit http://www.quernhorst.de/atari/rg.html and send me an e-mail about ordering the RetroGames cart. The price is 25,00 Euro plus postage.

 

I'll update the list of owners at my website soon.

 

Later,

Simon

[superogue]

Hi,

 

EUROCON was a great event! I really enjoyed the whole weekend...

 

I still have some of the demo cartridges available, so if you are interested: please visit http://www.quernhorst.de/atari/rg.html and send me an e-mail about ordering the RetroGames cart. The price is 25,00 Euro plus postage.

 

I'll update the list of owners at my website soon.

 

Later,

Simon

 

+1 !!! Really enjoyed Eurocon this year, i met lots of cool people and there were a couple of cool new releases there!

 

Good luck with your future projects Simon! (I'll be updating you on mine when they are continued )

[gambler172]

Hi Simon

Really great demo.

greetings Walter