An unnamed game inspired by "Grand Theft Auto"

[+Atarius Maximus]

I've been working on this game for the last week or so. It's a multi screen adventure (similar to Cave In) that incorporates batari's Indy500 code, you're driving a car around rather than walking around. I included 254 individual road screens for you to drive around on. The goal I was thinking of was that you'd have to burglarize the 50 houses that I spread out around the map. You can currently enter all 50 multi-room houses, but there's not really anything to do inside them yet.

 

I included the ability to pull up a road map screen that shows you your exact location on the map. Activate the map screen by toggling the color/bw switch. When you're on the map screen, move left and right to see both parts of the map. In order to enter houses, you'll have to exit your car. Enter/exit your car by toggling the left A/B difficulty switch. When you exit your car, you won't be able to leave the screen you're on, but you'll be able to walk into the houses. Houses you can enter have a different colored door. Also, to change the top speed of your car (fast/slow), toggle the right difficulty switch.

 

I'm still pretty early in the development process, so I'd love to hear any feedback or suggestions. All of the graphics in the game will likely be changed, some of the screens are just placeholders. I'm not sure exactly where I'm going to go with this yet, but it's been a lot of fun to make it so far. I love driving games, and I especially love Grand Theft Auto. There are likely still some bugs and issues here and there, I've still got lots of work to do.

 

Steve

gta.bin

gta.txt

[Nesbroslash]

That's actually a cool idea! Sounds like one of those games that they wouldn't have marketed towards families due to a few blood pixels.

[Animan]

Damn, you beat me to it!

 

This looks good so far, can't wait to see more of it.

[gambler172]

Hi Steve

Looks great.

greetings Walter

[+Philsan]

Very promising Steve!

[TooSlowGamer]

Very promising. I'm loving it.

 

However, would it be possible to change exiting your car from the console switches to something on the controller, or second controller?

[+Gemintronic]

Very cool! An idea that needs to happen for sure. Although, honestly, I was going to be REALLY jealous if you used Bataris 4-way scrolling engine for the car driving mode.

[Piggles]

More please! I love it.

[+Random Terrain]

. . . so I'd love to hear any feedback or suggestions.

If the theft of autos is not possible from the lack of sprites, you can always turn it into a modified version of Death Race 2000:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZLYEbkykCI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZLYEbkykCI&rel=0&fmt=35&showinfo=0

 

 

But in this case one player at a time would speed through the streets of a post-apocalyptic world, running over various types of random pedestrians for points and picking up bonus items that randomly litter the roadways. You could use the original scoring system:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2x7gHxQYYE&rel=0&fmt=35&showinfo=0

 

 

In your version, there could be crusty-looking pedestrians that should be avoided since they carry bombs that will damage your car if you ram into them.

[+Gemintronic]

Some random thoughts (Yes, I stole them from RT)

 

* Mission dialogue could be presented in silent film format (in their own screen)

* Cars could be represented by playfield pixels until stolen by the player.

* For that matter, pedestrians could be playfield pixels.

* I thought there was a life counter mini kernel. You could use that for stars (wanted levels) instead.

* If you hack yourself a 16 character score kernel you could use it for current weapon and ammo.

* I still think THIS could be used for a scrolling map screen if it could be updated for the latest bB builds.

[+Atarius Maximus]

Thanks to everyone for the comments and suggestions. I'll be working on this in the coming weeks, I'll post updates when I can.

 

My goal isn't to make a perfect clone of GTA, there's just way too much in that game to squeeze in to 32k. I just had that game in my head when I started working on this. There's not going to be enough space to create a mission based game like the original, I'm going to need to have a single, basic "mission" or goal to beat the game.

 

A few thoughts on the comments...

 

Mission dialogue could be presented in silent film format (in their own screen)

 

I like that idea but I don't think I'll be able to do it due to space constraints. I won't rule it out until I play around with the idea a bit, though.

 

Cars could be represented by playfield pixels until stolen by the player.

 

It wouldn't be hard to do that, I could have randomly placed parked cars that could be stolen. I could have faster/slower cars, and maye alter how they handle a little bit (like the "ice" track in Indy500 for a poor handling car, for example). I'm not sure if changing cars would make much difference in gameplay other than making it easier (or harder) to get around on the map, though.

 

For that matter, pedestrians could be playfield pixels.

 

True enough. I'm going to have to be creative with how I use the ball, missiles, and one extra sprite. The sprite will either be used for other cars on the road or pedestrians, but one of them is going to have to be a ball or missile.

 

I thought there was a life counter mini kernel. You could use that for stars (wanted levels) instead.

 

There is, and I've already got that incorporated into the game. I could use a 1-3 three star wanted level rating on one side and a health meter for your car on the other. I'm not sure what I'd do in the game once you had a higher wanted level though, being chased down by dozens of cops isn't going to work.

 

If you hack yourself a 16 character score kernel you could use it for current weapon and ammo.

 

I could incorporate limited ammo and a counter to keep track of it, but I probably won't be able to include multiple types of weapons in the game. Of course, just changing the firing rate could make a pistol into a machine gun, right?

 

I still think THIS could be used for a scrolling map screen if it could be updated for the latest bB builds.

 

I remember that, it's very cool. Using and modifying that code for this project is a bit beyond my skill level, though.

 

But in this case one player at a time would speed through the streets of a post-apocalyptic world, running over various types of random pedestrians for points and picking up bonus items that randomly litter the roadways

In your version, there could be crusty-looking pedestrians that should be avoided since they carry bombs that will damage your car if you ram into them.

 

I had thought about doing something like that. There needs to be something on each screen to either avoid or try to kill. I like the idea of pedestrians that could be taken out for bonus items or points.

 

would it be possible to change exiting your car from the console switches to something on the controller, or second controller?

 

Yep, that's an easy change, it will probably be changed to the second joystick eventually. For now, I'm going to leave it like it is - it's easier for me to keep it that way for using it with Stella. Using the touch pad controller would be kind of cool too, I think I saw a thread that demonstrates how to do that.

 

I've got lots of work to do! Thanks again to everyone for all the ideas, it's definitely got me thinking.

 

Steve

[TooSlowGamer]

 

Yep, that's an easy change, it will probably be changed to the second joystick eventually. For now, I'm going to leave it like it is - it's easier for me to keep it that way for using it with Stella. Using the touch pad controller would be kind of cool too, I think I saw a thread that demonstrates how to do that.

Steve

 

A touchpad would be AMAZING! Especially if you found uses for all the buttons. I don't know what you could do with them, but a knife and a gun powerup would make it more like the original. You could also add a third weapon like a flamethrower. But, I don't know how much space you have and you still have to add an objective (or do you? The funnest thing in GTA was to run around and kill people..._

[yuppicide]

Great work! If you continue this, I think it could be as successful as "Halo 2600" and get just as much attention.

[+Atarius Maximus]

A minor update, there's now a pedestrian on every screen that you can run over. I used the code from batari's zombie chase game. It's kind of fun to run them over.

gta2.txt.bin

[flammingcowz]

One of the best ideas for a homebrew i've seen!

 

and it's made in basic, even more incredible. good job

 

one thing i've noticed though is that speed changes as you change angle, not sure if that's fixable though

Edited November 2, 2010 by flammingcowz

[+Atarius Maximus]

Another minor update, you can now shoot and kill the pedestrians after you exit your car.

gta3.txt.bin

[+Gemintronic]

How about using constants or the pseudo random number generator to have unique placement of peds for each screen?

[+Atarius Maximus]

How about using constants or the pseudo random number generator to have unique placement of peds for each screen?

 

Yep, I should be able to do that. I've had about 10 minutes of free time the past few days, these have been really quick and dirty updates. I'll definitely add some polish before this is all done.

[jbaudrand]

:/ please don't use BW/color switch, don't have it on 7800....

[GroovyBee]

:/ please don't use BW/color switch, don't have it on 7800....

 

Colour/BW is the pause button the 7800. Its possible to detect the 7800 in 2600 mode so all you need is a toggle operation on that switch.

[KevinMos3]

This game has so much potential, I could squirt!

 

Awesome job so far good sir.

 

 

edit: I hope the people inside the buildings aren't hookers. They must be starving, with the way they latch on to you. I'm feeling a lot of love.

Edited November 3, 2010 by KevinMos3

[CurtisP]

You should call it Grand Theft Atari.

[Godzilla]

also made me think of this old atari 8 bit classic, http://www.atariarchives.org/APX/showinfo.php?cat=20195

 

great idea, love to see where it goes...

[Dangus]

If you can't think of some kind of way to present missions, you can always try speech synthesis (if that's possible, I know there's a speech synthesizer add-on for the Atari in the AA store.)

[KevinMos3]

I know there's a speech synthesizer add-on for the Atari in the AA store.)

I *wish* there were a speech synthesizer add-on in the AA store. We've been waiting on more of those to be made for a VERY long time. Personally, I've been waiting for more than a year; others have been waiting much longer.

 

...unless you know something I don't?

Edited December 21, 2010 by KevinMos3