Ed Fries Posted August 3, 2010 Share Posted August 3, 2010 Other than that, please let me know if you have any questions (technical or otherwise) about the game. It appears as if the game remembers the last few rooms that have been cleared of enemies. How'd you implement that? For a long time I didn't have this feature at all. I was thinking there's no way I can afford the ram to remember the state of all 64 rooms. Then I was playing NES Zelda with my 5 year old one day and noticed it only remembers the state of the last few rooms you've been in. I've got no problem stealing good ideas like that, so I did! Halo 2600 only remembers a room if you kill all the enemies in it and when you do that becomes your respawn point if you die, so it's a good idea to kill everything now and then as you work your way through the game. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Fries Posted August 3, 2010 Share Posted August 3, 2010 How much time took it to programme this game? I interpret your first comment that you began in April. Have you an idea how many hours you spent literally on HALO 2600?? I really don't know how many hours I spent on this. The project was roughly 6 months from start to finish. Some days I would work on it for maybe 4 hours, other days not at all. I'm involved with lots of other things but this was my fun project over the last 6 months when I had free time. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red 5 Posted August 3, 2010 Share Posted August 3, 2010 Wow. This is why I love collecting Atari. Now I just have to collect this! PLEASE make more carts. Pretty pretty please! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jetblue Posted August 3, 2010 Share Posted August 3, 2010 Halo was a bad game by a buttinski console but I like this 2600 game. Good work I remember old rumors that halo was a cancelled N64 game. Now that enough time has passed I wonder if cracks in the hourglass will leak anything. Just need a halflife 2600 game Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gregory DG Posted August 3, 2010 Share Posted August 3, 2010 Wow, the 2600 got a Halo game on Cartridge before the Nintendo DS did! Nice work! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pioneer4x4 Posted August 3, 2010 Share Posted August 3, 2010 Also I should mention (although you guys already figured this out) that I have been keeping people at Bungie and Microsoft in the loop as I developed this game and was never told I should stop doing it. There's always a chance they could say that, but so far they have been very supportive of this crazy project. That is cool, did they have any feedback or restrictions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pioneer4x4 Posted August 3, 2010 Share Posted August 3, 2010 As for HALO itself, the military H.A.L.O is High Altitude Low Opening for a covert insertion via parachute. I was thinking a while back of a hack based on Sky Diver. Oh well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+cmart604 Posted August 3, 2010 Share Posted August 3, 2010 Nothing new to say other than WOW! Congrats on a very cool game for the 2600 and count me as yet another who couldn't make it to CGE but would love to have a cart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Fries Posted August 3, 2010 Share Posted August 3, 2010 Also I should mention (although you guys already figured this out) that I have been keeping people at Bungie and Microsoft in the loop as I developed this game and was never told I should stop doing it. There's always a chance they could say that, but so far they have been very supportive of this crazy project. That is cool, did they have any feedback or restrictions? Mostly they just laughed at me! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPUWIZ Posted August 3, 2010 Share Posted August 3, 2010 Also I should mention (although you guys already figured this out) that I have been keeping people at Bungie and Microsoft in the loop as I developed this game and was never told I should stop doing it. There's always a chance they could say that, but so far they have been very supportive of this crazy project. That is cool, did they have any feedback or restrictions? Mostly they just laughed at me! You should grab one of the programmers from Bungie and give him a challenge. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+SpiceWare Posted August 3, 2010 Share Posted August 3, 2010 You should grab one of the programmers from Bungie and give him a challenge. Agreed, I imagine they'd be shocked when they discover what's involved just to display a static image! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoulBlazer Posted August 3, 2010 Share Posted August 3, 2010 (edited) You should grab one of the programmers from Bungie and give him a challenge. That's not a bad idea! Haven't had time to try this until today, but it's a wonderfull game, and amazing what could be done with such little space. I enjoy the Halo games and this really feels like a 'lite' version of what we could play on the modern systems. Very well done all around, Sir! As far as Bungie and Microsoft are concerned, I'm not shocked they haven't told you to stop. They probaly were thankfull you told them about it so they could keep a eye on it. Also, as someone said eariler in the thread, there's not much here that is actually copyright or trademark protected, with the possible exception of Master Chef if you use his name anywhere. Also, I think they understand they could use this to their advantage -- drum up additional support for the franchise. We know how rabid Halo fans are, and news of this seems to be spreading. Look at how many guests have shown up. It's a win/win all around -- good for Atari Age due to the publicity and getting people perhaps into the 2600, and good for Microsoft and Bungie by expanding the fan base perhaps and publicity as well. Edited August 3, 2010 by SoulBlazer 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rev. Rob Posted August 3, 2010 Share Posted August 3, 2010 Have you looked into an XBLA release? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atari2600Lives Posted August 3, 2010 Share Posted August 3, 2010 (edited) Got to play this at CGE and was lucky enough to get a real cart. Ed and Mike could not have been nicer when I spoke to them , GREAT JOB ED! Edited August 3, 2010 by Atari2600Lives 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NE146 Posted August 3, 2010 Share Posted August 3, 2010 Dang I'm slow.. I only found out about this today. Very very nice work man. Plays great on a real console and by that I mean the gameplay is actually pretty fun especially with the ol standard VCS joystick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MIKE5200 Posted August 3, 2010 Share Posted August 3, 2010 Any chance it making on the 5200? Great Work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheHoboInYourRoom Posted August 3, 2010 Share Posted August 3, 2010 (edited) This is a fun game! I don't know that I would necessarily want to buy a cartridge of it, but it's cool either way. Awesome job! 508 User(s) are reading this topic2 members, 506 guests, 0 anonymous users Oh my. EDIT: And grabbing ~20 guests a minute, remarkable. Edited August 3, 2010 by TheHoboInYourRoom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atari2600Lives Posted August 3, 2010 Share Posted August 3, 2010 This is a fun game! I don't know that I would necessarily want to buy a cartridge of it, but it's cool either way. Awesome job! 508 User(s) are reading this topic2 members, 506 guests, 0 anonymous users Oh my. EDIT: And grabbing ~20 guests a minute, remarkable. I did a search and its all over the web and mentioned on some big websites. This is crazy cool, Ed I am sure you just introduced a bunch of new people to the retro gaming scene, this doubles the coolness factor of this game! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPUWIZ Posted August 3, 2010 Share Posted August 3, 2010 It made it to engadget... http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/03/former-microsoft-vp-brings-halo-to-the-atari-2600/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pioneer4x4 Posted August 3, 2010 Share Posted August 3, 2010 I got to work today and my coworkers sent me a link to an article on engadget about it. He said "This is up your alley"! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Hydro Thunder Posted August 3, 2010 Share Posted August 3, 2010 I love the attention this is getting! I was about 20th in line to get into CGE on Saturday, and would like to point out with great nerd pride that I was the _very first_ to get to play the 2600 Halo at the booth! At first I thought, surely this is a gimmick that won't be fun to play, just some sprite-swap Berzerk or something... But it is _way_ better. It's like a combination of the best elements of Berzerk, Tutankham, Adventure and maybe Room of Doom. It's a great, great game. And I'm extremely glad to have snagged a cart, even with my Stella running and such. I'm super glad to learn that Ed Fries programmed it, too, that's so awesome and fitting. Thanks for the backstory, Ed!!!! It's such an addictive little game, I'm betting this will go down as one of the most fun Atari 2600 games ever made. And the fact that it's a Halo game is simply a bonus! LOVE the Atari version of the Halo Monks-singing song!!!! An amazing piece of work all around! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZylonBane Posted August 3, 2010 Share Posted August 3, 2010 It's such an addictive little game, I'm betting this will go down as one of the most fun Atari 2600 games ever made. Hyperbole fail. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atari2600Lives Posted August 4, 2010 Share Posted August 4, 2010 It's such an addictive little game, I'm betting this will go down as one of the most fun Atari 2600 games ever made. Hyperbole fail. Well as far as homebrews, its really top notch and it is fun. It's like a treasure hunt version of Berzerk, it works well and I am enjoying it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
masschamber Posted August 4, 2010 Share Posted August 4, 2010 Sorry I've been slow to reply. As soon as I got home from CGE I had to go on a two day retreat and just returned this afternoon. I really appreciate all the nice comments. I know the people on these forums understand what it takes to make a 2600 game like this so your feedback means a lot more to me than the random comments on some gaming websites. I've been exchanging email with Al as he makes his way back to Austin from Las Vegas and hopefully he will have more to say about the availability of additional cartridges soon. Also I should mention (although you guys already figured this out) that I have been keeping people at Bungie and Microsoft in the loop as I developed this game and was never told I should stop doing it. There's always a chance they could say that, but so far they have been very supportive of this crazy project. Other than that, please let me know if you have any questions (technical or otherwise) about the game. did you see the comments at ign with people questioning the justification of this game's existence and talking about how his friend made a better halo in visual basic in high school? anyway I have to say you made a great atari game and if the classic gaming convention wasn't a 2500 miles from my house I would have gone their just to get a copy , but I was wondering one thing, Master Chief seems to occasionally move faster than normal, was that intentional, a side effect of the early hmove, or am I imagining things anyway, great game It's really impressive Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atari2600Lives Posted August 4, 2010 Share Posted August 4, 2010 Other than that, please let me know if you have any questions (technical or otherwise) about the game. did you see the comments at ign with people questioning the justification of this game's existence and talking about how his friend made a better halo in visual basic in high school? The consensus at IGN was very positive but that fool was talking about something done in 2005 in VB like you mentioned LOL! what a tool. They blasted him in the comments section. Ed,as i said before I love the game. I also run stella on my PSP (portable play) the game does not load there for some reason (most Roms do load except some 8K ones). Not sure if you have any clue on why (it's a 4K game and should work fine) but I have a cart as well so I wont have toruble playing it in any case but was just curious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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