(Insert stupid Blog name here)

Updates:

• 1-19-21: New to-do list. Completed or dead projects can be found in previous lists.
• 1-19-21: Added Qix, Lady Bug Arcade and "Historical Documentary" (code-name).
• 1-18-21: Game graphics for Champ Sports Baseball are now in-progress.
• 1-15-21: Frantic, Gorf Arcade, RobotWar: 2684 and Zeviouz have all been nominated for Best Work-In-Progress (Port) for the 3rd Annual Atari Homebrew Awards.

I don't have time right now to do much myself, but if there is expansion on a TestCart concept, I would like to see some tests that would occur before the game boots up, which serve to test the TIA and RIOT chips and attempt to give some indication of a failed test.

 

0. 6507 test:

Number zero because I am not sure if this is totally feasible, as without the 6507 working, there isn't much that can be done unless the hardware on the cartridge itself can help out.

 

1. TIA test:

This tests the various TIA functions, like the playfield, ball, missiles, players, horizontal positioning, VDEL, etc. Testing this can really only be done via collision registers (that I am aware of?) Should be done without use of the RIOT chip at all, which means no timers or RAM.

 

If this fails, a display could be created using just the background color register, and done entirely in ROM without use of RAM or RIOT timers (because we haven't tested the RIOT chip yet!) Also play a warning siren sound through the TIA registers, in case the sound works but the display does not.

 

2. RIOT Test:

 A. A comprehensive RAM memory test, using an algorithm similar to memtest86. If any memory fails, display a warning screen with a kernel that uses no memory.

 B. A test of some of the other RIOT functions such as the timers.

 

3. Regular suite of tests. The test suggested in the blog entry would be available if we get to this point. In addition, the following tests could be available:

 A. Exhaustively test the console/cart for sensitivity to the zero page/immediate mode bug.

 B. Exhaustive bankswitching test, which may need to be a 12k worth of bankswitch instructions so that they could be triggered at every possible location, to see if any cause issues, and allow for both load and store bankswitch operations.

C. Test for sensitivity to 7800-specific issues like the incompatibility with Robot Tank, Decathlon, or Supercharger.

 

"Historical Documentary"*   I shall take another stab at it and go with the Oregon Trail.

1 hour ago, McCallister said:

"Historical Documentary"*   I shall take another stab at it and go with the Oregon Trail.

Good guess, but nope. I'm usually a little less literal with my code names than that.  

On 1/21/2021 at 2:56 PM, Nathan Strum said:

Good guess, but nope. I'm usually a little less literal with my code names than that.  

Yes, there was a huge part of my brain screaming that this answer was too obvious, but I just couldn't let it go. Thanks for letting me know early; I think that will give me a couple more trips to the plate!

Updates:

• 2-6-21: Zeviouz won Best 2600 Work-in-Progress (Port) in the 3rd Annual Atari Homebrew Awards.
• 2-12-21: Lady Bug Arcade debuted on ZeroPage Homebrew.
• 2-15-21: Added "Not a SuperCharger Game" (code name) to works-in-progress.

Updates:

• 3-18-21: "Not a SuperCharger Game" updated from "Speculative project" to "Early development". Graphics are in progress. Early non-playable proof-of-concept build.
• 3-9-21: "Historical Documentary": Graphics are in progress.

On 3/19/2021 at 2:43 AM, Nathan Strum said:

Updates:

3-9-21: "Historical Documentary": Graphics are in progress.

Alright, I'm back to take another swing. I've given it some thought and have three guesses, which I narrowed down to two, only to ultimately go with my original thought because of the codename.  Going to go with...Paperboy.

 

On 3/19/2021 at 2:43 AM, Nathan Strum said:

3-18-21: "Not a SuperCharger Game" updated from "Speculative project" to "Early development". Graphics are in progress. Early non-playable proof-of-concept build.

Going to need to ponder some more...

18 minutes ago, McCallister said:

Alright, I'm back to take another swing. I've given it some thought and have three guesses, which I narrowed down to two, only to ultimately go with my original thought because of the codename.  Going to go with...Paperboy.

Nope. Although I have pondered whether or not Paperboy could be done on the 2600. The Lynx version plays quite well, so you can make it work without the bicycle handlebar controls.  

 

I think Paperboy could be done if you can scroll a large playfield-resolution map diagonally to draw the houses. Most of the target sprites are vertically separated. The bicycle sprite could be done with row shifting. I've never tried mocking any of this up though.

On 3/23/2021 at 3:18 PM, Nathan Strum said:

Nope. Although I have pondered whether or not Paperboy could be done on the 2600. The Lynx version plays quite well, so you can make it work without the bicycle handlebar controls.  

 

I think Paperboy could be done if you can scroll a large playfield-resolution map diagonally to draw the houses. Most of the target sprites are vertically separated. The bicycle sprite could be done with row shifting. I've never tried mocking any of this up though.

Drat! Strike two! The scroll in Paperboy kept me from feeling 100 percent confident in that guess, but it had enough other criteria* that I went with it. Would be cool to see on the 2600 someday, no doubt.

 

Anyway, got another couple of ideas; I'll be back with one of them.

 

*there's some thought put into these guesses.

1 hour ago, McCallister said:

Anyway, got another couple of ideas; I'll be back with one of them.

I may have to stop telling you when you're wrong, because if you guess right, then what do I do?  

1 hour ago, McCallister said:

*there's some thought put into these guesses.

Probably more than the code-names themselves.  

On 3/29/2021 at 5:01 PM, Nathan Strum said:

I may have to stop telling you when you're wrong, because if you guess right, then what do I do?  

Probably more than the code-names themselves.  

Yes, I thought about this as well. I only wish to make one more guess anyway, so let's just agree you will reveal nothing until the actual reveal time.

 

You are probably right about that, though I imagine that's only because your mind works at a much sharper clip than mine.

5 hours ago, McCallister said:

Yes, I thought about this as well. I only wish to make one more guess anyway, so let's just agree you will reveal nothing until the actual reveal time.

Sounds good - guess away!  

Update:

• 5-17-21: "Not a SuperCharger Game": Most graphics are in place. Preliminary sounds being added. First "somewhat playable" build. Also, note that I added "Game Audio" to my to-do list for the game. Yep - I'm creating TIA sound effects for the first time! (At least as placeholders.) It's certainly a learning curve!

On 4/1/2021 at 2:52 PM, Nathan Strum said:

Sounds good - guess away!  

Wow, can't believe it's been almost two months since my last guess. Nothing like waiting until the last day to get a guess in . Anyway, thanks for doing these secret code names for games. They are, and have been, an enjoyable little puzzle to try and reason out your thinking and I hope you keep them coming. 

 

So, Historical Documentary? My first thought is always to break your clue down into one of two types: direct reference or secondary reference. For example, Ambidextrous directly references the gameplay in Robotwar,  while Lightman references a movie character who plays Galaga in once scene.  After trying out Oregon Trail (too direct) and Paper Boy (which fit much better with the clue, but was still wrong), I only had one guess left that might fit the title: Castle Wolfenstein. It seems quite possible to do on the 2600 and also has the bonus of voices, but it just didn't seem to fit. Much like Oregon Trail, it still felt too direct a reference to the clue.

 

Exhausting those possibilities, left me thinking the clue must be a secondary reference, most likely a movie. A 70's or 80's movie and not an actual documentary. Hmmmm, I thought (only with one less 'm'), what movies could possibly be referenced as historical documentaries and do they have video games in them? The only two that popped into my head were Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Real Genius.

 

Ferris Bueller's Day off shows the side art of Karate Champ.

Real Genius shows off the side art for Food Fight.

 

Now, of the two, clearly Ferris has more going for it. Not only does the movie fit the clue better, the game is an intriguing one. It's a fighter, which is almost non-existent on the 2600. It has voices, so could utilize the AtariVox. Most interesting though, is that in the player uses two joysticks two control the fighter, which would now be possible to do with use of the Quadtari.  Also, this control scheme has been implemented in upcoming Robotwar by John Champeau, so there is some precedent. 

 

On the other hand, Real Genius might not fit the clue as well, but it does have one thing going for it: Food Fight.  Though it does not use voices or special controls, much like the upcoming Robotwar, it has many things moving on the screen at once, so it can be done. Plus, it was talked about a ton last year during the last mystery game release and I believe you (Nathan Strum) are a fan. All positives, but then there's that clue not fitting as neatly. What to do?

 

That's where I was this morning when I woke up (yes, this was what I was pondering when I awoke.)  I knew I had to make a guess and didn't want to list them both or flip a coin and then another movie randomnly popped into my head and I couldn't figure out why. It's not associated with video games and there are none to be found on a single frame. In fact, it's set well before video games came out.  So, why did Animal House pop into my head? One, to a certain generation, if you say 'college', they will probably respond 'Animal House'.  Two, this iconic scene:

 

 

                                                                                         

 

Therefor, I'm going with Food Fight!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On 5/21/2021 at 10:07 AM, McCallister said:

Wow, can't believe it's been almost two months since my last guess. Nothing like waiting until the last day to get a guess in . Anyway, thanks for doing these secret code names for games. They are, and have been, an enjoyable little puzzle to try and reason out your thinking and I hope you keep them coming. 

Glad you enjoy them! Of course I'll keep them coming, as long as there are games being developed that are being kept under wraps.  

On 5/21/2021 at 10:07 AM, McCallister said:

So, Historical Documentary?

Wrong one.  

 

"Historical Documentary" was the second game we were considering doing alongside Turbo Arcade, before sanity kicked in and we decided Turbo was enough.  

 

But the other one is still in the list... so someday...   

Update:

• 5-21-21: "Not a SuperCharger Game" revealed as Champ Games' Turbo Arcade on ZeroPage Homebrew. And it was "Not a SuperCharger Game" because, well... a Turbo is not the same thing as a SuperCharger.  

 

(As an aside, I've been dropping some hints in my Status Updates now for a couple of months. In hindsight, they're probably pretty obvious.)

Updates:

• 7-4-21: Lady Bug Arcade label artwork in progress.
• 7-4-21: Gorf Arcade label artwork in progress.
• 7-4-21: Added Homebrew Label section, to separate out games I'm only creating packaging artwork for:
  • 7-4-21: Galaxian (7800) label artwork in progress.
  • 7-4-21: Pac-Man Collection XM (7800) label artwork in progress.
  • 7-4-21: UniWarS (7800) label artwork in progress.

And yes... I'm working on five labels at the same time. I must be insane or something. However, I'm not creating the manuals for the 7800 games (Bob does that), just the artwork. The manuals are the time-sucking, soul-draining monsters that make life a living misery, so I think doing just the labels is manageable. Plus, Gorf is months down the road.

 

I should note when I say "labels", that the label artwork also gets repurposed for the boxes and manual covers (and sometimes posters). They all get cropped to slightly different proportions (thanks for that, Atari), so the layout has to be somewhat flexible, and to do that I try to keep each element split out on separate layers.

 

For Lady Bug Arcade, I wanted to completely re-do the artwork from the original release. I've never been happy with it, since I didn't do proper research on insects and just kind-of faked my way through the character designs (one of these days, I'll add a blog entry about it in my Homebrew Art series). The new artwork will still be cartoony, but completely different. I've been researching insects a lot this time, and I've got an all-new appreciation and fascination with ladybugs. I'm pleased with the results so far, although anyone expecting just an update of the original Champ Games version, a Coleco-style label, or an homage to the arcade artwork... prepare to be disappointed.  

 

For Gorf Arcade, I've been struggling mightily for months trying to come up with an idea. Actually, ideas. I'd thought about doing something elaborate like a classic Star Wars poster (think Gorf as the Death Star with two superlaser dishes as eyes), but the execution just wasn't working. Ralph McQuarrie I'm not. Plus, it was looking too much like Draconian. Other failed ideas and sketches came and went with no luck. I think the idea of it being five games in one was really intimidating me, or at least getting me hung up. But as I was researching "groovy 70's graphic design" the other day, I came across a really simple set of stripes that finally triggered what I think is a keeper. It's still an early design, and it's very different from anything I've done before, but it appeals to me in a way none of the other ideas did. Plus, I may be able to do something with it that would be kind-of-fun for collectors, although Albert would probably kill me.  And for anyone expecting an homage to the CBS or arcade artwork... prepare to be disappointed.

 

Bob (PacManPlus) DeCrescenzo originally asked me to work on... was it Pac-Man Collection XM? Or Galaxian? I forget now. Pac-Man, I think. Anyway, this was many months ago, and I was already committed to working on Zoo Keeper and Venture Reloaded, so I suggested he might want to find someone else if he wanted it done in a timely manner. Later, he asked me to work on Galaxian, which I said I could do, but not until later. Well, now is later, or perhaps "later is the new now" as the kids say (I'm assuming they probably say that, on their YouTube TV shows or whatever). Mostly because I'm on vacation for the first time in a year-and-a-half. Fully away from being stuck in my apartment, away from work, and with time to just sit and be creative with no pressures (except the looming deadlines of getting these labels done, of course). But I've found I can't force myself to be creative. If I'm stressed-out, it just doesn't work. So if you're wondering sometimes why games may not be released right away when the programmers declare them "finished", it's because they ask artists like me to create artwork for them, and sometimes that's where the delay comes from. Some artists are better at "on-demand" artwork than others. I'm not one of those. I don't even keep track of how much time labels, manuals and boxes take to create, because it would probably just end up turning me off from ever doing one again.  

 

Anyway, although hopefully not related to that, the other artist slated to work on Pac-Man XM is apparently a no-show, and Bob also needed artwork for UniWarS, so he asked if I could do all three games. And since Bob has almost single-handedly doubled the 7800's game library, is one of the nicest and most talented guys on the planet, and I've never done a 7800 label before (save for a few failed contest entries), I thought I'd give it a shot. Also, I was still stuck on Gorf at the time, and hoped working on something else would un-stick me.

 

I started with UniWarS, since I didn't have any preconceived notions about it. It's an obscure Galaxian-style shooter from back-in-the-day, and I figured it would be the one that I could be the most creative with, since it's pretty-much the opposite of iconic. The flyer and arcade game art are nothing special, but I did get inspiration from one of the flyers and the backstory of the game. So I'm using the story as the basis of the label, and telling that story from the point-of-view of the poor, oppressed aliens who you have decided to arbitrarily exterminate. I like the way it's turning out. Again, it's different from the arcade artwork and flyers, so if you're a fan of those (if there are any of you out there)... prepare once more to be disappointed.  

 

For Pac-Man XM... whew. What to do with that? It's Pac-Man, fer cryin' out loud. You can't go too far off the rails there. I didn't want to re-hash the previous Pac-Man Collection artwork though. So if you're a fan of that... well, you should know the drill by now with the preparation and disappointment and all that.  Rather, I'm mixing my own cartooning style with Namco's official version(s). I don't want to just outright ape Namco's artwork. It needs to be my own, or at that point I'm just copying. I may mix a few different styles in there, because of the different games present in the collection. But it took a surprising amount of time to be able to knock-out versions of Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man that I'm happy with. If I don't like what I'm doing, that will be reflected in the artwork. Maybe nobody else will see it, but I will. If I like what I'm doing, that will be reflected as well, and the end result will be something that I've put more effort into, and hopefully the programmer will like as well. I've got the characters and concept figured out for this one, now I have to work on the layout. It's going to be tricky, because it's not just going to be one Pac-Man, one Ms. Pac-Man and maybe a monster or two. Nope. Think more along the lines of a Pac-Multiverse.

 

Galaxian, on the other hand, borrows pretty heavily from the arcade flyer, cabinet artwork, and 2600 artwork. I like the flying-bug spaceship, as weird as it is. Like Pac-Man, it's iconic, so you kind-of have to use it, or at least give a nod to it. So I'm giving a nod to it. However, it will not replicate the look of any of the above mentioned artwork, because I'm taking it in a different direction. Again, I don't want to just copy. There's no fun in that. So if you like the flying-spaceship-bug-things as seen on anything mentioned above, it'll be there. But if you want it to look exactly like the other versions of it... once again, prepare to be disappointed. Then I'll be five-for-five.

 

Always happy to be of service.  

You are awesome - and thank you for the kind words  

Now, I need to get to work on the manuals (BTW, you are right about manuals being "time-sucking, soul-draining monsters")

 

Updates:

• 7-31-21: Gorf Arcade label artwork concept approved.
• 7-31-21: Lady Bug Arcade label artwork concept approved.
• 8-2-21: Galaxian 7800 label artwork concept approved.
• 8-2-21: Pac-Man Collection XM 7800 label artwork concept approved.
• 8-2-21: UniWarS 7800 label artwork concept approved.

Off to a good start! I have roughs of all five labels in various stages (all but two have color), and they're far enough along to show John and Bob the direction I'm heading in. Fortunately, they liked all of them!

 

Although if they hadn't, I suppose that would've let me off the hook for working on them. Maybe I'm doing this wrong...  

 

Anyway, as long as I've been doing this, it's always a pleasant surprise when the programmers like the labels, especially if they're for known properties, but the labels don't resemble the original game artwork at all (admittedly, Pac-Man is still Pac-Man, and Galaxian is at least a nod to the original). Of the three 7800 games, I'm having the most fun with UniWarS because it tells a story, but if I can pull it off, Galaxian will look the coolest.

 

For the 2600 games, I solved the Gorf problem of trying to represent all five stages, basically by only representing one.   I'm having the most fun with Gorf out of all of these, probably because Gorf is a big, goofy, space gumdrop that shouts insults at you. And the Lady Bug Arcade label turned out much better than I was expecting. I'm really quite pleased with it, and I think it's an appropriate upgrade to an upgraded game. Maybe this time around I won't spend the next 15 years regretting drawing this one.

 

Next, I have to actually execute the final illustrations. On a difficulty scale of 1-10 (1 being super easy, barely an inconvenience, 10 being insane), I'd give them:

Gorf Arcade: 4

Lady Bug Arcade: 6

Galaxian 7800: 10

Pac-Man Collection XM 7800: 5

UniWarS 7800: 8

 

I'm probably going to be wrong on all of those.

 

8 hours ago, Nathan Strum said:

Updates:

• 7-31-21: Gorf Arcade label artwork concept approved.
• 7-31-21: Lady Bug Arcade label artwork concept approved.
• 8-2-21: Galaxian 7800 label artwork concept approved.
• 8-2-21: Pac-Man Collection XM 7800 label artwork concept approved.
• 8-2-21: UniWarS 7800 label artwork concept approved.

Your artwork is a joy to take in.  Love what you did with Venture Reloaded and Zoo Keeper?  Looking forward to the above mentioned works.

 

15 hours ago, Nathan Strum said:

Next, I have to actually execute the final illustrations. On a difficulty scale of 1-10 (1 being super easy, barely an inconvenience, 10 being insane), I'd give them:

Wow wow wow, wow. New Atari 2600 & 7800 homebrew artwork is TIGHT!

 

Can't wait to see them!!

 

- James

 

 

UniWarS and Galaxian would have made an amazing Double-Ender cart, BITD!

Update:

• 12-26-21: Lady Bug Arcade final box, label and manual artwork completed. Box artwork previewed in forums.

Updates:

• 12-29-21: Final box/label/manual artwork in progress for Pac-Man Collection 40th Anniversary Edition (7800). (Note: updated name, same game as Pac-Man Collection XM.)
• 12-29-21: Final box/label/manual artwork in progress for Galaxian (7800).
• 12-31-21: Final box/label/manual artwork in progress for UniWarS (7800).
• 12-31-21: Lady Bug Arcade now available in the AtariAge Store. Project moved to Completed Homebrews.
• 12-31-21: RobotWar:2684 now available in the AtariAge Store. Project moved to Completed Homebrews.