The "game Synopsis" Option, ...and your Xbox will become a true "old system

[Shannon]

* Game synopsis option. Press right analog stick button and emulator will display a synopsis (if available) of the selected game.

 

The game synopsis is one of the currently on going projects in regards to x-port emulation. It's really a small part of the Ressurectoin Xtra's but deserves it's own thread considering the nature of the project. The coding was pretty much done by me and the rest handled by RessurectionX and a few volunteers (like Giles9999, me, megaman(?), and lawdawg0931) and is kinda an ongoing format/process.

 

Here is a sample screenshot, albeit a tad old..

 

When the synopsis is displayed the user has the following controls.

Dpad up/down or left/right triggers - Move text up/down.

Dpad left/right - Move up/down a whole page.

B - Exit

 

 

Here is a sample of the synopsis format...

 

*
game crc here
Bionic Commando '99
Release Year: 2006 
Publisher: Chris Covell
Players: 1
*
The original Japanese version of Bionic Commando (Hitler no Fukkatsu: Top Secret) underwent quite a bit of censoring before being released in English. Due to Nintendo's strict censorship policies, all references to the Nazi Party, such as swastikas and the word “Nazi”, had been replaced with inoffensive material. This hack attempts to make the game be more like its Japanese counterpart. A few graphics have been switched, and the Badds are now Nazis. A few colors in the pallete were darkened, too, as Nintendo felt it was necessary to brighten everything up a bit. Also, a few parts of the script were rewritten/corrected, which
unfortunately includes a famous quote by a soldier in one of the neutral areas.
*

 

The first character is an "*". That signifies the beginning of the game data.

The second line contains the CRC's (if more than one) seperated by a comma.

Then is the game name (title), 1 line.

The game details. Can be any number of lines (details are not word wrapped).

The "*' symbol to signify the end of the detail lines and the beginning of the description.

All of the description text (no need to word wrap or anything).

A closing "*" to signify the end of the data.

 

The astericks are always on a line by themselves (just the one character).

 

--------------------------------------

 

The synopsis started off with a simple format (game name, genre, release year, publisher, and a small description of the game. It kinda mutated into a whole new beast including number of players, hints, and controls. This project is currently being spearheaded by RessurectionX who is currently working on a Synopsis for the NES. I believe Genesis and SNES were next on that list.

 

The earlier synopsis files for the Colecovision (Adamx), Lynx (mednafenx-Lynx), Atari 7800 (a7800x), and Atari 5200/8-bits (currently being worked on by me), are still in the original incarnation. Anyways we are always looking for help so if anyone is interested just drop me a line and I'll point you in the right direction. I sure could use someone for the 2600 synopsis!

 

Eventually the idea is to eventually take this synopsis information and use it to filter/sort game lists by genre, release year, etc. Although it is uncertain how this idea will play out.

[Shannon]

Gilles9999 is working on some backdrops for the synopsis for each of the emu's (rather than the normal "pop-up" background). Although I did modify the synopsis code to deal with older skins and their "pop-up" backgrounds better. It now looks for a file named "synopsis.png" in the emulator directory and will display that as a background..

 

Here is the meka background. Mock-up with a synopsis for R-type.

 

 

And backgrounds for Z26 and Mednafen-NES

Edited January 23, 2009 by Shannon

[Shannon]

Here is a synopsis for the Lynx that I just created for everyones perusal.

 

atari_Lynx_synopsis.txt

 

And I updated the 7800 synopsis with prototypes that I forgot about.

 

atari7800_synopsis.txt

 

Colecovision synopsis..

 

colecovision_synopsis.txt

 

Virtual boy synopsis (not updated to latest conventions)

 

Virtual_Boy_synopsis_05_02_2009.txt

 

Sega Genesis synopsis (very much a work in progress and most likely dated)

 

GENESIS_AND_32X_SYNOPSIS_08_02_09.txt

Edited April 7, 2009 by Shannon

[gilou9999]

Yo madmab, i post it here, because AGAIN

servers issues in xbox scene

 

I have completed 100% the atari 7800 synopsis, with overview for all the games, hints for a lot of games , all the infos for all the games

 

Is there a atari 7800 pro here? (sure there is some ) to check if all the infos are correct?

oh, i just need all the crc of the atariage rom "pac man collection", thanks

Edited April 7, 2009 by Shannon

[Shannon]

Here is some descriptions for some of the missing homebrews. Straight here from Atariage!

 

*
6e9b0bd8,56239d62
Asteroids Deluxe
Genre: Action-Arcade
Release Year: 2007
Developer: Bob DeCrescenzo
Publisher: Self-Published
Players: 1 or 2 VS; CO-OP
*
Overview:

...It seems as though you've been here before - but this time, it's much worse! The Asteroids are faster, the enemy ships are much more skilled marksmen than your first time through this galaxy...and what's this odd hexagon-shaped craft I keep hearing about? Asteroids plunge at you! Trapped in a gigantic cloud of asteroids, your struggling spaceship hurls towards its doom. You'll have to pulverize all the asteroids with your photon cannon to save your ship and your life! 

Rubble from an exploding asteroid bounces off your ship's hull. A glowing blur flashes across your viewing screen. So that's where the rubble came from! The asteroid was blasted by an Alien Robot Saucer! Alien Robot Saucers are also trapped in the asteroid cloud. And they fire at you! You know that the metal in your ship's hull will register on their target finders before the asteroids do. The saucers could be a worse danger than the asteroids! More rubble strikes your ship. Its hull rings like a bell. If you don't get busy, that could be your death knell! 

Robert DeCrescenzo brings another classic Atari arcade game to the Atari 7800: Asteroids Deluxe! If you're a fan of the original arcade game Asteroids or its sequel, Asteroids Deluxe, you'll want to grab your joystick and start blasting! Asteroids Deluxe brings new graphics and gameplay elements into play, such as the Killer Satellite that when shot breaks into smaller pieces that take direct aim for your ship! There are also two new game variations: Competition Asteroids where you compete against another player for points (and your shots destroy the other player!), and Team Asteroids where you and another player share reserve ships and don't need to worry about friendly fire. Asteroids Deluxe for the 7800 is an extensively modified version of the original Atari 7800 game Asteroids.

Reviewer:

[url="http://www.atariage.com/software_page.html?SoftwareLabelID=2771"]http://www.atariage.com/software_page.html...areLabelID=2771[/url]
*

*
9ecc2f97,cc71caa1,4dd3160d
b*nQ
Genre: Action-Arcade
Release Year: 2007
Developer: Ken Siders
Publisher: Self-Published
Players: 1 or 2 Alternating
*
Overview:

If you've ever played the 1982 arcade game Q*bert, then you're already familiar with b*nQ. Ken Siders has created a faithful reproduction of the popular arcade game for the Atari 7800 ProSystem. This is Ken Siders' second Atari 7800 homebrew written from the ground up. His first was Beef Drop, which is one of the most accurate ports of the arcade game Burgertime to any classic gaming system. 

The object of b*nQ is to score as many points as possible by jumping on cubes, jumping on green objects, and luring the Snake to his death. When all of the cubes have been changed to the “change to” color, you will advance to the next round. After every four rounds you will advance to the next level. Later levels require jumping on cubes multiple times and the cubes will change in different color sequences, increasing the challenge of advancing to the next round. 

b*nQ supports one or two players, so you can play alone or with a friend. You can select from one of four difficulty levels: Easy, Normal, Adept, and Expert, for greater challenges as you become better at the game. You can also choose whether your joystick operates in "rotated" mode (where you rotate the joystick 45 degrees) or operate it in "normal" mode where you use your joystick's diagonals to move b*nQ around the pyramid. 

The label design for b*nQ was created by Darrin Rose, who won the b*nQ Label Contest held on AtariAge in November 2007. Not only does Darrin's winning design grace the label, but Darrin also created the b*nQ manual, which features more original artwork created just for the game.

Reviewer:

[url="http://www.atariage.com/software_page.html?SoftwareLabelID=2772"]http://www.atariage.com/software_page.html...areLabelID=2772[/url]
*

*
9ecc2f97,cc71caa1,4dd3160d
Beef Drop
Genre: Action-Arcade
Release Year: 2006
Developer: Ken Siders
Publisher: Self-Published
Players: 1 or 2 Alternating
*
Overview:

Beef Drop is a port of the popular arcade game Burgertime, which Ken Siders first ported to the Atari 5200 and 8-bit computers. This version of Beef Drop beature POKEY sound support, for much better audio than the 7800 can produce without this chip. The 7800 version also features better graphics than the 5200/8-bit version, making the 7800 version the definitive release of Beef Drop. 

The object of Beef Drop VE is to score as many points as possible by making hamburgers. To do so, Chef Pete must completely walk over each ingredient (buns, patties, lettuce, and more) in order to drop it to the next level. When all of the ingredients reach the tray at the bottom of the screen, the hamburger is complete! Assemble all four hamburgers to advance to the next round. 

But in this fast food joint, the food itself can be fatal. While Chef Pete is scrambling to make his burgers, his mortal foes, Frank, Mr. Yolk and Dr. Dill chase him relentlessly. If any of them catch Chef Pete, he loses a life. If Chef Pete loses all his lives, the game is over. 

Pete is not without recourse, however. By pressing either fire button, he can sprinkle a dash of pepper on his foes. The spicy substance stuns his foes for a few seconds, giving Pete a chance to make a quick escape. But pepper is precious, and Pete only starts with five dashes of pepper. Collecting an ice cream cone, coffee cup or french fries earns Pete one additional dash of pepper. 

Beef Drop began life as an April Fool's joke in our Atari 5200 Forum and quickly turned into a real homebrew development effort! For all you wanted to know about Burgertime and more, please visit burgertime.info. We held a Beef Drop Label Contest to design an original label for Beef Drop, and the contest was won by Henry Lee. Henry's label design graces the label and manual, with additional artwork featured inside the manual. Beef Drop includes the cartridge and 12-page, full-color manual. 

You can read more about how the 7800 version of Beef Drop evolved by visiting our Atari 7800 forum: 

[url="http://www.atariage.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=59998"]http://www.atariage.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=59998[/url]

Reviewer:

[url="http://www.atariage.com/software_page.html?SoftwareLabelID=2782"]http://www.atariage.com/software_page.html...areLabelID=2782[/url]
*

*

Beef Drop VE
Genre: Action-Arcade
Release Year: 2007
Developer: Ken Siders
Publisher: Self-Published
Players: 1 or 2 Alternating
*
Overview:

Beef Drop VE is a port of the popular arcade game Burgertime, which Ken Siders first ported to the Atari 5200 and 8-bit computers. 7800 owners are in for a special treat, as the 7800 version is even truer to the original arcade experience, and features better graphics than the 5200/8-bit version, making the 7800 version the definitive release of Beef Drop VE. 

The object of Beef Drop VE is to score as many points as possible by making hamburgers. To do so, Chef Pete must completely walk over each ingredient (buns, patties, lettuce, and more) in order to drop it to the next level. When all of the ingredients reach the tray at the bottom of the screen, the hamburger is complete! Assemble all four hamburgers to advance to the next round. 

But in this fast food joint, the food itself can be fatal. While Chef Pete is scrambling to make his burgers, his mortal foes, Frank, Mr. Yolk and Dr. Dill chase him relentlessly. If any of them catch Chef Pete, he loses a life. If Chef Pete loses all his lives, the game is over. 

Pete is not without recourse, however. By pressing either fire button, he can sprinkle a dash of pepper on his foes. The spicy substance stuns his foes for a few seconds, giving Pete a chance to make a quick escape. But pepper is precious, and Pete only starts with five dashes of pepper. Collecting an ice cream cone, coffee cup or french fries earns Pete one additional dash of pepper. 

Beef Drop VE began life as an April Fool's joke in our Atari 5200 Forum and quickly turned into a real homebrew development effort! For all you wanted to know about Burgertime and more, please visit burgertime.info. We held a Beef Drop Label Contest to design an original label for Beef Drop VE, and the contest was won by Henry Lee. Henry's label design graces the label and manual, with additional artwork featured inside the manual. 

The VE version of Beef Drop does not contain the POKEY audio chip that the earlier, numbered release of Beef Drop contains. This means the audio uses the internal 7800 TIA audio circuitry, just as nearly the entire 7800 library does. 

You can read more about how the 7800 version of Beef Drop evolved by visiting our Atari 7800 forum: 

[url="http://www.atariage.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=59998"]http://www.atariage.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=59998[/url]

Reviewer:

[url="http://www.atariage.com/software_page.html?SoftwareLabelID=2783"]http://www.atariage.com/software_page.html...areLabelID=2783[/url]
*

*
d795b3da,ef2d2560
Space Duel
Genre: Action-Arcade
Release Year: 2007
Developer: Bob DeCrescenzo
Publisher: Self-Published
Players: 1 or 2 VS; CO-OP
*
Overview:

Space Duel is a port to the Atari 7800 of the third generation of Asteroids-style shooters from Atari, following on the heels of Asteroids and Asteroids Deluxe. Unlike Asteroids Deluxe, Space Duel is a more radical departure from its predecessor, featuring a wide variety of colorful geometric shapes you must destroy, and several new types of enemies each with unique behaviors you have to contend with in order to stay alive! In addition, there is a bonus round where players can earn extra points. Like many great games, Space Duel is easy to learn, but takes time and practice to master. 

Space Duel features several two-player variations including Competition Space Duel where you compete against another player for points (and your shots destroy the other player!), and Team Space Duel where you and another player share reserve ships and don't need to worry about friendly fire. Space Duel comes to life on the Atari 7800 thanks to the efforts of Robert DeCrescenzo, who extensively modified the original version of Asteroids to add all the unique Space Duel gameplay elements, graphics and sounds!

Reviewer:

[url="http://www.atariage.com/software_page.html?SoftwareLabelID=2770"]http://www.atariage.com/software_page.html...areLabelID=2770[/url]
*

*
f2699e24,a78e5587,9c3086eb
Space Invaders 7800
Genre: Action-Arcade
Release Year: 2007
Developer: Bob DeCrescenzo
Publisher: Self-Published
Players: 1 or 2 VS; CO-OP
*
Overview:

The final release of the game.

Reviewer:
*

*
b024f9fc,889c6f46,a1c250c8,997ac672,b014d612,88ac40a8,3a80ced6,54d9d619,adea008f
,c3b31840,d1c642d9,bf9f5a16,31443630,5f1d2eff,0f72a02e,612bb8e1,4a35994e,246c818
1
,4a35994e,246c8181
Space Invaders 7800
Genre: Action-Arcade
Release Year: 2007
Developer: Bob DeCrescenzo
Publisher: Self-Published
Players: 1 or 2 VS; CO-OP
*
Overview:

This is an early beta of the game.  
Try and find the final release of the game. (crc F2699E24,A78E5587,9C3086EB)

Reviewer:
*

*
f2699e24,a78e5587,9c3086eb
Space Invaders 7800
Genre: Action-Arcade
Release Year: 2007
Developer: Bob DeCrescenzo
Publisher: Self-Published
Players: 1 or 2 VS; CO-OP
*
Overview:

The final release of the game.

Reviewer:
*

*
f90bd80a,c1b34eb0
Froggie
Genre: Action-Arcade
Release Year: n/a
Developer: Matthias Luedtke
Publisher: Self-Published
Players: 1 or 2 Alternating
*
Overview:

Frogger.
Tia sound only seems to work with this one.
It is recommended to use the other beta version (CRC BD980371,852095CB)


Reviewer:
*

*
bd980371,852095cb
Froggie
Genre: Action-Arcade
Release Year: n/a
Developer: Matthias Luedtke
Publisher: Self-Published
Players: 1 or 2 Alternating
*
Overview:

Frogger.
It is recommended to use this version.

Reviewer:
*

Edited February 6, 2009 by Shannon

[Shannon]

Synopsis added for the Lynx. See post #2

Updated the 7800 synopsis with prototypes.

Added the colecovision synopsis to post #2.

Edited February 5, 2009 by Shannon

[gilou9999]

Here is the updated virtual boy synopsis with overview, hints, reviewers, infos for all the licensed games and some homebrews

Virtual_Boy_synopsis_05_02_2009.txt

Edited April 7, 2009 by Shannon

[Shannon]

For those looking for gilou's updted vb synopsis it is in post #2.

[gilou9999]

sega 32X synopsis 100% complete, genesis is ~30% (the "grunt" work is done: purged, and the all titles are classified with empty categories, major games have their synopsis)

 

Is there a genesis fan out there to help me finish this synopsis?

GENESIS_AND_32X_SYNOPSIS_08_02_09.txt

[108 Stars]

A small note:

 

I noticed that both the SMS and Game Gear "Ninja Gaiden"-titles use the synopsis of the NES game. I understand the confusion because there are quite a few games titled simply "Ninja Gaiden"; but the Sega-versions are completely different games. They could have as well be names NG 4 and 5.

 

Here is a list of which games are ports of each other and which ones are seperate games:

 

1. Coin-Op, A500, CPC, Atari ST, C64, ZX Spectrum, Lynx, DOS PC

 

2. NES, PC Engine

 

3. Sega Master System

 

4. Sega Game Gear

 

5. Sega Mega Drive

 

All of these 5 variations have entirely different levels and story, so they should not share the same synopsis.

I have seperated them all in the TheLegacy.de database where I am mod (a site similar to Moby, but more accurate if I may say so). Just use the search function to see the other Ninja Gaidens. There´s also the Xbox game simply titled "Ninja Gaiden" but I guess that is not important here.

Edited November 3, 2010 by 108 Stars

[Shannon]

Well thanks for the information. Admittingly the synopsis certainly could use alot of work. We have the synopsis online over at http://www.ressurectionxtras.net. At the moment no one really maintains the Synopsis'. I try to update them from time to time but most of my free time gets eaten up working on the emus. The cool thing about the online synopsis is Wimpy set it up in such a way that it can be "exported" so one can have the most recent synopsis data.

 

I looked at your link there but I was having a little trouble finding game descriptions for the above mentioned games.

[108 Stars]

Hehe, the site does not have game descriptions that could be used for synopsis; it is just a good source for seeing which games were released for which systems, and we have changed our "policy" to strictly divide games of the same name but with remarkable differences in the last years. That´s why it´s good to get an overview over which Ninja Gaiden games are identical and can get the same synopsis, and which ones are so different they deserve a seperate one.