Planet Bob

Another 2600 port would be great What happened to Jumpman - it was going so well?

 

Chris

Another 2600 port would be great

 

Hm... I don't know if I can do that once again...

 

 

What happened to Jumpman - it was going so well?

 

My approach required way, way, waaaaay too much custom code for a single level, it was driving me completely insane. If I ever were to pick it up again, I would go and shrink the project severly down, e.g. I'd no longer aim at perfectly recreating the levels, but rather reduce and simplify them.

 

An idea was to use everything I learned in this project for a 2600 port of Dino Eggs, but I've no really good idea of doing Dino Moms foot yet

An idea was to use everything I learned in this project for a 2600 port of Dino Eggs, but I've no really good idea of doing Dino Moms foot yet

 

A Dino Eggs port would be very nice! If you restricted the Dino Moms foot to the four playfield positions (PF1, PF2, PF2, PF1) it might be possible. You could write four special versions of the kernel where each playfield position is hijacked to display the foot (using the entire 8-pixels width). You would then switch back to the regular kernel at the bottom of the foot - if that makes sense?

 

Chris

It makes sense, but I really don't think I can do another 2600 game. I will just consider your interest as a vote for the NES port

 

And with Juno First and Ballblazer and Pick Axe Pete there's already enough amazing 2600 ports on the horizon right now. Maybe even Bomb Jack returns into activity

but I really don't think I can do another 2600 game

 

Just run out of steam, or...?

Just run out of steam, or...?

 

It's been fun 8 years, but I just have to move on and do something different. I often annouced this, but I really feel this time I'll do it. I love the NES just as the 2600, so it's the next natural step. I want better music, tiled backgrounds and 8 sprites per line

Well, I understand the need for shiny new things.

 

I'm just bummed, since this will be the first of your games I won't be able to play on real hardware.

Well, I understand the need for shiny new things.

 

I'm just bummed, since this will be the first of your games I won't be able to play on real hardware.

Don't fight it...embrace the NES!

 

Seriously, if you have the room there really is no good reason not to pick up a NES. They're cheap and the library is amazing.

Don't fight it...embrace the NES!

 

Seriously, if you have the room there really is no good reason not to pick up a NES. They're cheap and the library is amazing.

Never!! No kiddie-toy video game system for me!!

 

I had long held a weird (unfounded) grudge against the NES, for usurping the 7800's "rightful place as the dominant console of the mid-late-80's."

 

Of course, what I didn't realize at the time, was that Nintendo had absolutely nothing to do with the 7800's (and Atari's) utter and complete catastrophic failure. That was all Jack Tramiel. It took me years to understand what really happened, but my grudge against Nintendo lasted for a lonnnng time.

 

And even though I'm firmly on Nintendo's side now, the NES holds zero nostalgia value for me.

 

If I'm going to pick up another vintage system, it will be a Vectrex. I've always wanted one of those.

Nostalgia, schmastalgia. It has great games.

 

The Vectrex is awesome, though. AFAIK its library is pretty weak, though.

I've got a couple of homebrews Alex Herbert gave me for it, so I'd at least like to play those. Plus I'm a big sucker for Cinematronics games, and it has a good port of Scramble.

 

The trick will be getting the overlays. I'm hoping to just pick up a complete set someday when I've got the money. I'm not big on hunting around for bits and pieces.

I've been ruling out a couple of choices. The small games (Dino Eggs, Encounter, Park Patrol) just seem a bit too easy to port, since they don't look like a challenge for the hardware. And Paradroid is currently IMO too hot a license, especially considering it's still for sale on the VC.

 

Next I'm planning to play Dungeon Master on the SNES, just to get a feeling if it still works with a controller instead of a mouse.