Zaku for the Atari Lynx: Official thread

[Jess Ragan]

I complain about this all the time in video games, but since this is a homebrew release, the designer might actually hear what I have to say!

 

Look, TailChao, your game is too damn hard. And not the good, challenging kind of hard, but the obnoxious, painful, "you can't avoid this so bend over and receive your destiny" hard. The Lynx has a really coarse resolution and it doesn't lend itself well to characters the size of Montana with hit boxes to match. Even if you can't shrink the characters, shrink the damned hit boxes! Also, if you're going to include an "Easy" difficulty level, actually make it easy so the player can enjoy the game with a minimum of swearing. I'm battling the recliner boss and I'm getting seriously pissed because he takes seven thousand hits and his second form doesn't give me any room to avoid his attacks. On Easy! Your Easy is not easy!

 

(Grr.)

[EricDeLee]

I complain about this all the time in video games, but since this is a homebrew release, the designer might actually hear what I have to say!

 

Look, TailChao, your game is too damn hard. And not the good, challenging kind of hard, but the obnoxious, painful, "you can't avoid this so bend over and receive your destiny" hard. The Lynx has a really coarse resolution and it doesn't lend itself well to characters the size of Montana with hit boxes to match. Even if you can't shrink the characters, shrink the damned hit boxes! Also, if you're going to include an "Easy" difficulty level, actually make it easy so the player can enjoy the game with a minimum of swearing. I'm battling the recliner boss and I'm getting seriously pissed because he takes seven thousand hits and his second form doesn't give me any room to avoid his attacks. On Easy! Your Easy is not easy!

 

(Grr.)

 

You ever notice that?! Some people's version of Easy is actually like God Mode.

Some people think God Mode is easy. I agree this game is hard. But... I put it away for a while...then bring it back out to play after a few weeks.

 

Sometimes you have to remove yourself from the situation if you are frustrated.

[Jess Ragan]

It'd be nice if the game had passwords. It's long (artificially so if I were to put forth an opinion) and I'd LIKE to be able to come back after I cool off to finish the game. I just don't want to have to wade through an hour of stages I've already finished.

[Shawn Jefferson]

Both points are good advice for all game designers! I find almost all the games on the Lynx too hard (not being much of a gamer I guess), and it's frustrating so I don't tend to play the Lynx as much as I would like. I don't own Zaku (yet), so can't comment on the difficultly level, but it's somewhat disappointing to hear that it may be too hard.

[the.golden.ax]

I complain about this all the time in video games, but since this is a homebrew release, the designer might actually hear what I have to say!

 

Look, TailChao, your game is too damn hard. And not the good, challenging kind of hard, but the obnoxious, painful, "you can't avoid this so bend over and receive your destiny" hard. The Lynx has a really coarse resolution and it doesn't lend itself well to characters the size of Montana with hit boxes to match. Even if you can't shrink the characters, shrink the damned hit boxes! Also, if you're going to include an "Easy" difficulty level, actually make it easy so the player can enjoy the game with a minimum of swearing. I'm battling the recliner boss and I'm getting seriously pissed because he takes seven thousand hits and his second form doesn't give me any room to avoid his attacks. On Easy! Your Easy is not easy!

 

(Grr.)

 

You ever notice that?! Some people's version of Easy is actually like God Mode.

Some people think God Mode is easy. I agree this game is hard. But... I put it away for a while...then bring it back out to play after a few weeks.

 

Sometimes you have to remove yourself from the situation if you are frustrated.

 

 

+1 for good parenting

 

AX

[DeathAdderSF]

I complain about this all the time in video games, but since this is a homebrew release, the designer might actually hear what I have to say!

 

We at Super Fighter Team are always eager to hear feedback from our customers and fans. Thanks for taking the time to share your opinions.

 

Look, TailChao, your game is too damn hard.

 

Zaku is indeed a challenging game, there's no question about that. However it does get easier with time and patience, and the effort put forth to push deeper into the game is well worth it. A good example of this actually comes from me: I haven't played a lot of shooters in my lifetime, and am admittedly horrible at them. The first time I'd go through and test a level that Osman was working on, I'd get my rump kicked all over the place. Eventually, though, I was able to soar through each stage like a pro.

 

What you must also understand is that we had to do our best to balance the game for players of all skill levels. A few of our customers who are huge shooter fans found Zaku to be too EASY, if you can believe that - so it does come down to the individual gamer, what skill level they are, and what they are hoping (and expecting) to take with them from the experience.

 

I have taken your comments into consideration, and should we decide to produce another Lynx game in the future, we will make sure to dig deep into the discussion of difficulty balancing, to craft the experience for people on both ends of the spectrum: from those just starting out with shooters all the way to the hardcore shooter afficionado.

[EricDeLee]

I complain about this all the time in video games, but since this is a homebrew release, the designer might actually hear what I have to say!

 

Look, TailChao, your game is too damn hard. And not the good, challenging kind of hard, but the obnoxious, painful, "you can't avoid this so bend over and receive your destiny" hard. The Lynx has a really coarse resolution and it doesn't lend itself well to characters the size of Montana with hit boxes to match. Even if you can't shrink the characters, shrink the damned hit boxes! Also, if you're going to include an "Easy" difficulty level, actually make it easy so the player can enjoy the game with a minimum of swearing. I'm battling the recliner boss and I'm getting seriously pissed because he takes seven thousand hits and his second form doesn't give me any room to avoid his attacks. On Easy! Your Easy is not easy!

 

(Grr.)

 

You ever notice that?! Some people's version of Easy is actually like God Mode.

Some people think God Mode is easy. I agree this game is hard. But... I put it away for a while...then bring it back out to play after a few weeks.

 

Sometimes you have to remove yourself from the situation if you are frustrated.

 

 

+1 for good parenting

 

AX

 

LOL

 

Now if I can apply that rule to myself when Chrislynx rears his mug... then I'd be okay. LOL

[Jess Ragan]

Spoken like a true diplomat!

 

Anyway, here's my review of Zaku. I think I gave it a fair assessment... it's better than every other shooter on the Lynx, but that's a pretty low bar... I wish the designer would have been a little more ambitious. The graphics are terrific, no doubt about that, but as a shooter it lacks the hook that's so critical to this genre. I also wonder if the Lynx was the right format for this game... the higher resolution of the GameBoy Advance would have given the player more room to evade those friggin' huge enemies like the aforementioned recliner boss.

 

http://www.lakupo.com/grblitz/review%20mirror.htm

[DeathAdderSF]

Anyway, here's my review of Zaku. I think I gave it a fair assessment...

 

Thanks. I agree, it is a fair assessment. Not only that, it touches down on how the game performs on the Lynx hardware, and makes comparisons to other shooters that were produced for the system. I feel that with Zaku, a lot of the reviews we get are more generalized. It's nice to see someone post a review that takes a close look at the game from the perspective of a Lynx enthusiast.

 

The entire Super Fighter Team website and all the individual game pages are currently being redesigned from the ground up, so a link to your review will be added to the official Zaku website once that work is completed. Until then, I'm sure Osman will add a link from PenguiNet's Zaku pages.

[The_Laird]

Its not a bad review but I am not sure how anyone can call the visuals in Zarlor ghastly, most people seem to agree they are the complete opposite. Zarlor looks and sounds great, its one of my favourite vertical shooters on ANY machine. Also Raiden was not converted by Telegames at all, they simply released the prototype they got from Atari (clearly only about 90% complete).

 

I have only played Zaku once on somebody elses Lynx and did find it very challenging but hope that when I finally get myself a copy the difficulty curve will prove fair.

Edited August 10, 2010 by The_Laird

[Jess Ragan]

Its not a bad review but I am not sure how anyone can call the visuals in Zarlor ghastly, most people seem to agree they are the complete opposite. Zarlor looks and sounds great, its one of my favourite vertical shooters on ANY machine. Also Raiden was not converted by Telegames at all, they simply released the prototype they got from Atari (clearly only about 90% complete).

 

I have only played Zaku once on somebody elses Lynx and did find it very challenging but hope that when I finally get myself a copy the difficulty curve will prove fair.

 

(watches YouTube video)

 

Okay, the graphics aren't as bad as I remember, although that yellow and black color scheme for bullets is really distracting (looks like construction equipment!). There was something about the game that really rubbed me the wrong way, I do know that. Maybe I'll have to play it again to remind myself of what that was.

[JohnBuell]

Its not a bad review but I am not sure how anyone can call the visuals in Zarlor ghastly, most people seem to agree they are the complete opposite. Zarlor looks and sounds great, its one of my favourite vertical shooters on ANY machine. Also Raiden was not converted by Telegames at all, they simply released the prototype they got from Atari (clearly only about 90% complete).

 

I have only played Zaku once on somebody elses Lynx and did find it very challenging but hope that when I finally get myself a copy the difficulty curve will prove fair.

 

(watches YouTube video)

 

Okay, the graphics aren't as bad as I remember, although that yellow and black color scheme for bullets is really distracting (looks like construction equipment!). There was something about the game that really rubbed me the wrong way, I do know that. Maybe I'll have to play it again to remind myself of what that was.

 

I think more to the point about Zarlor and Zendocon are that they were really the only two shooters BECAUSE they were written at Epyx by the team that really knew the Lynx's hardware. And getting into the same original tools DOES show in Zaku, love it or hate it. Personally, Zendocon in 1989 is the game that sold me on having to have the Lynx, and I still enjoy the hidden level of blowing up all of the programmers' heads. Zarlor I found tough, but not impossible, but not so much fun in cheat mode (although the hidden Life game can amuse for a little while). Zaku I haven't beat YET. So in terms of replayability, I'd go 1) Zaku, 2) Zendocon, 3) Zarlor.

 

And all of that said, if Brandon/Osman DO team up on another Lynx title, I'll have my money ready.

Edited August 10, 2010 by JohnBuell

[Jess Ragan]

I'm kind of ambivalent, honestly. There's a lot that's cool about the Lynx, but practically everything it does can be done better on the GameBoy Advance, with a crisper screen and less bulk. You could fit eight GameBoy Micros in the space a Lynx II takes... probably ten for the original!

[DeathAdderSF]

I'm kind of ambivalent, honestly. There's a lot that's cool about the Lynx, but practically everything it does can be done better on the GameBoy Advance, with a crisper screen and less bulk. You could fit eight GameBoy Micros in the space a Lynx II takes... probably ten for the original!

 

Regardless - it's not always about doing things "better." Sometimes it's about doing things best. There are 500,000 games available for the Gameboy Advance, and plenty of support for it from large companies the world over. The Lynx, on the other hand, got "jaked" when it came to third-party support. Until now, that is. Anyone can make a GBA game; it takes some fierce dedication to produce a new game for the Lynx, especially one that takes full advantage of its system hardware.

 

At any rate, we at Super Fighter Team have also supported the Gameboy Advance, and from its inception as a matter of fact. Originally, our first commercial product as a company was to be Super Fighter Advance, a new and original sequel to Super Fighter. Sadly, a lack of funding kept this project from being completed. We moved on ahead to Super Fighter Block Battle, which was eventually moved to (and was released for) Nokia phones -- but which is now back in active development for the GBA. Stay tuned...

Edited August 11, 2010 by Clean Larry

[Jess Ragan]

You don't know how right you are about that! There's a BASIC compiler for the GameBoy Advance which makes development on the system a relatively smooth process. With the Lynx you just have C and assembly, neither of which are user-friendly languages.

 

Also, I'll agree that the Lynx didn't get the lovin' it really deserved. I kind of wish someone had released a fighting game for it, because it desperately needed one. I just don't know if that's a feasible project.

[the.golden.ax]

You don't know how right you are about that! There's a BASIC compiler for the GameBoy Advance which makes development on the system a relatively smooth process. With the Lynx you just have C and assembly, neither of which are user-friendly languages.

 

Also, I'll agree that the Lynx didn't get the lovin' it really deserved. I kind of wish someone had released a fighting game for it, because it desperately needed one. I just don't know if that's a feasible project.

 

Awe, no love for Pit-Fighter?

 

The sound track was the best part...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

...................................................and boy did it suck.

 

AX

[Jess Ragan]

I just wonder who was the genius who thought a digitized fighting game would work on a game system with sixteen color graphics. It turned a brown game even browner!

[The_Laird]

Personally I like Pit-Fighter although it was clearly released unfinished.

 

Ninja Gaiden and Double Dragon are also great fighting games.

[+Sauron]

I'll second Pit-Fighter, although my fondness of it stems more from the arcade version than the Lynx port. As it is, though, the Lynx port is unfinished and has it's problems, but it's still quite a bit of fun to play.

[DeathAdderSF]

Say - not to be a nuisance, but let's try to keep this on topic if we could. Discussing other shooters is one thing, because they can be compared to Zaku, but Pit Fighter really doesn't need to be dissected in this thread. Thanks.

[the.golden.ax]

Say - not to be a nuisance, but let's try to keep this on topic if we could. Discussing other shooters is one thing, because they can be compared to Zaku, but Pit Fighter really doesn't need to be dissected in this thread. Thanks.

 

I think the deviation is a hint... a team with FIGHTER in it's name.... to make something new for Lynx.

 

Zaku is a wonderful game. Can't wait for the next release of this caliber.

 

AX

[JohnBuell]

Say - not to be a nuisance, but let's try to keep this on topic if we could. Discussing other shooters is one thing, because they can be compared to Zaku, but Pit Fighter really doesn't need to be dissected in this thread. Thanks.

 

I think the deviation is a hint... a team with FIGHTER in it's name.... to make something new for Lynx.

 

Zaku is a wonderful game. Can't wait for the next release of this caliber.

 

AX

 

Well said Ax!

[Battlezone]

(A final/complete version of Centipede first! And than a fighting game Or a conversion of the coin-op "Trojan" - I love it!)

 

 

 

Let the Super Fighter Team work!

Edited August 14, 2010 by Battlezone

[DeathAdderSF]

Hello, everyone.

 

ReVival Magazine interviewed Osman and I, publishing the article in their 44th issue. And recently, the interview was posted on Pockett videogames -

 

http://www.pockett.net/n7674_Lynx_Osman_Celimli_et_Brandon_Cobb_geniteurs_de_Zaku_sur_Atari_Lynx

[zoltan]

Hi Clean Larry, I ordered the Zaku and I saw it is out of stock at the moment. When can we expect the next production run?

 

Cheers