Midnight Magic for Atari 800

[Tin_Lunchbox]

This is probably the thing I miss the most about Midnight Magic 2600, but it'd also be one of the trickier features to add. When you bump a pinball machine, you add additional relative velocity between the ball and the colliding surface to influence the ball's exit velocity. Problem is, while I dissected the code enough to find out how it determines collisions, I didn't get to the code that resolves them. The curves are tricky in this regard, and the flippers even more so.

 

It's only tricky if you think about it. I would just throw random english at the ball when the space bar is pushed. The player typically bumps the pinball machine as a panic or save move. He or she is not thinking about relative velocities and colliding surfaces.

[phaeron]

It's only tricky if you think about it. I would just throw random english at the ball when the space bar is pushed. The player typically bumps the pinball machine as a panic or save move. He or she is not thinking about relative velocities and colliding surfaces.

 

The player isn't, but the game code is. First, significantly bumping the ball outside of a collision would unrealistic. More seriously, adding the wrong forces into a pinball simulation at a collision can result in the ball tunneling or the game even crashing. Feel free to try adding it, if you feel confident in doing so.

[Tin_Lunchbox]

The player isn't, but the game code is. First, significantly bumping the ball outside of a collision would unrealistic. More seriously, adding the wrong forces into a pinball simulation at a collision can result in the ball tunneling or the game even crashing. Feel free to try adding it, if you feel confident in doing so.

 

I didn't mean to sound like a smart aleck! I don't think I could ever program like you have here!

[Shawn Jefferson]

First off, nice work Phareon!

 

Secondly, so this is Midnight Magic from the 2600? I think that David's Midnight Magic on the 8bit is a significant improvement. The playfield actually looks like a pinball playfield for the most part. The ball looks like a ball, and the flippers look approximately the right size. There's a cool ball hopper in the upper left corner and improved graphics generally (looks good with artifacting.) There is also the bump feature talked about above. The table doesn't seem two sizes too big compared to MM.

 

The only thing that bugs me about DMM, is the use of gr.8, but I understand why (hi-res and probably a port from the Apple II). It was one of the first games I bought for my computer, and while the hi-score saving was somehow screwed up and I couldn't input my initials properly (that AAA guy got some pretty sweet scores!), and the disk had trouble loading sometimes due to copy protection, I loved this game and have played it hundreds, maybe thousands of times over the years. We used to play all four players at once, looking for high scores... and built a special joystick to play it. It was a game of racking up the bonus by putting balls into the hopper and upping the multiplier too. It also had that maddening aspect that some real pinball games have, where the ball will somtimes get drained down the middle due to bad bounce, or not paying attention and there's really nothing you can do about it! Some choice words were heard around the computer while playing this game on occasion.

 

I suspect that those that really like MM from the 2600, just grew up with it. To me, it's just so-so, on par with most of the Pinball Construction Set tables that are floating around.

Edited June 11, 2012 by Shawn Jefferson

[Rybags]

I tried increasing the loop counter yesterday, it seems to be not quite so simple.

 

Certain collision types modify the counter, so making the ball act weird in places.

[Mclaneinc]

I tried increasing the loop counter yesterday, it seems to be not quite so simple.

 

Certain collision types modify the counter, so making the ball act weird in places.

 

Working with someone else's code is always fun

[Rybags]

Yes... I was only going off the source listing then modifying the game as it was running.

 

The game is much more playable at NTSC speed.

[Marius]

I suspect that those that really like MM from the 2600, just grew up with it. To me, it's just so-so, on par with most of the Pinball Construction Set tables that are floating around.

 

Hi Shawn,

 

Ofcourse I respect your opinion ... you can find it just so-so... but for me it is not only fun because I grew up with this pinball. I really disagree with you this time

 

I love the concept of this 2600 Midnight Magic... I have played both Midnight Magic 2600 and David's Midnight Magic for zillions of hours, and I must say:

 

The controls in 2600 version are better. In 2600 version I really can control the ball. In DMM it is also possibe to have control over the ball, but it seems to be more luck.

 

In 2600 MM there is this great goal of the 5 bats on the top of the screen. You have to hit all these 5 to get in a new color screen. The points are 2x, 3x, 4x or 5x. With the 'things' on top left and right you can get a 'shoot again' as soon as you enter a new colored screen. It gives me after almost 30 years of fun, still a thriling feeling when I manage to get into a new screen.

 

For me this game is a very welcome add to my collection, and it is (even in PAL) one of my most favorite titles on Atari 8bit.

 

I think ... when I would never heard of 2600 version of Pinball, I would be very happy with this nice Pinball game, which is REALLY a lot lot lot better compared to boring Pinball Construction Set pinballs (I really do not see anything in common). And the sound effects are cool too.

 

Haha.

Greetz

M.

[atx4us]

Wow - Excellent conversion! Atari Adventure is one of the best games for the 2600. By any chance that you could consider converting this game?

[tep392]

DMM is a good game but they should have utilized the capabilities of the 400/800 instead of making it a strait port of the Apple II version. The bleep/bloop sounds are terrible and it could have been much more colorful.

[+FujiSkunk]

It's only tricky if you think about it. I would just throw random english at the ball when the space bar is pushed. The player typically bumps the pinball machine as a panic or save move. He or she is not thinking about relative velocities and colliding surfaces.

 

Any self-respecting pinball player bumps the machine with much more finesse than that.

[Rybags]

pinball_pal_speedup.xex

 

Here's a modified version with speedup for Pal. It should run slightly faster than NTSC now on Pal, no change for NTSC.

Not extensively tested, it was a fairly simple change to the source.

 

This block inserted immediately before the line with L90F8: RTS

 

 BMI	L90F8
 php
 ldx $d014
 dex
 bne not_pal
 plp
 lda #2
 sta $ad
 jsr L9312
 jsr L90B6		; Extra steps for Pal
 BMI	L90F8
 jsr L9312
 jsr L90B6		; Extra steps for Pal
 rts
not_pal
plp

[pirx]

all hail to Phaeron the mighty!

[Sikor]

http://atarionline.p...&page=2#Item_24 - Gonzo made some enhanced gfx for it...

Xex file: midnite_magic_v2.xex

Edited June 12, 2012 by Sikor

[Marius]

@rybags

 

as long as you are improving... any chances you can fix the colors too?

[Marius]

http://atarionline.p...&page=2#Item_24 - Gonzo made some enhanced gfx for it...

Xex file: midnite_magic_v2.xex

 

It looks nice, but the ball is wrong. now the ball is fatter it sometimes hits something, without anything happening. When you look at the start position, you already see there is something wrong. The ball is not centered.

[Sikor]

Yes, you're right. I saw on atarionline, that Gonzo made version 3 - but ball has wrong proportion too. Gonzo in thread wrote:

fajny ten pinballik' date=' i kwadratowa kulka na a8 zupełnie nie pasuje, więc pozwoliłem sobie ją nieco zaokrąglić, jest co prawda widoczne przesunięcie o jeden piksel na starcie, ale na sam gameplay nie ma to zbyt wielkiego wpływu [/quote']

In english it means like this (sorry for my english):

"Nice this pinball, but square ball on A8 is totally wrong, so I round it somethink. It is visible shift one px on start, but for gameplay it's never mind"

[slampam]

Here's Gonzo's enhanced Player Field with the small ball. PAL/NTSC

 

I included a tweaked PAL color version on the 1st board. Phaeron mentioned the base colors double as flags for bumper collisions, but I didn't notice anything going haywire.

mm-pinball.zip

[phaeron]

I included a tweaked PAL color version on the 1st board. Phaeron mentioned the base colors double as flags for bumper collisions, but I didn't notice anything going haywire.

 

I haven't checked the modified versions, but here's an example of where the game checks color values:

 

;==========================================================================
; upper rollover collision routine
;
LBE2B:
	LDX	#<LD2BF
	LDY	#>LD2BF
	JSR	LBE85
	LDA	#$38
	STA	$82
	LDA	$92				  ;get top rollover color
	CMP	#$38				 ;check if it's lit up
	BNE	LBE62				;skip if not
	LDA	#$2A
	CMP	$90				  ;check if top thingamajigs are lit up
	BEQ	LBE62				;skip if not
	STA	$90				  ;light 'er up (this awards extra ball)
	INC	$89
	LDX	#<LD004

 

This code is executed when you fire the ball up to the top left or right corners and it rolls over the dot. The dot is lit up when you drop all the drop targets and the multiplier is bumped up. As you can see, the code checks the color of the dots themselves to determine if the player is eligible for earning an extra ball. If the color is changed without also changing the check here, the check will fail and you won't be able to earn an extra ball. There are numerous other less serious places where this occurs, such as determining the scoring for the bumpers and catch magnets:

LBAB3:  CPX	#$50
	BCS	LBAC3
	STA	$85
	LDA	$84
	CMP	#$88				 ;left bumper lit?
	BNE	LBACF				;skip if not
	LDA	#$05				 ;500 points
	BNE	LBACD
LBAC3:  STA	$87
	LDA	$86
	CMP	#$C8				 ;right bumper lit?
	BNE	LBACF				;skip if not
	LDA	#$05				 ;500 points
LBACD:  STA	$E5
LBACF:  LDA	$82
	LDX	$84
	LDY	$86
	CMP	#$38				 ;upper bumper lit?
	BNE	LBAE5				;skip if not
	CPX	#$88				 ;left bumper lit?
	BNE	LBAE5				;skip if not
	CPY	#$C8				 ;right bumper lit?
	BNE	LBAE5				;skip if not
	LDA	#$10				 ;1000 points
	STA	$E5
LBAE5:  JMP	LBA4D				;award points

[Rybags]

I suspect the table borders colour might be able to be changed safely though - it goes through a change anyway when you increase multiplier... but here's hoping nothing relies on that to detect what multiplier is in effect.

[Marius]

Whaaaa! When you get more than 999999 points the screen starts flashing for a while and the counter resets to zero again. Is this in the original game also a feature (or limitation?)

 

Thanks

M.

[devwebcl]

it should roll over.

at least from: http://www.digitpress.com/eastereggs/26midnightmagic.htm

[phaeron]

Yes, this appears to be in the original game. The scoring routine at $BA4D increments the background color when the score rolls over, and the code at $92AF runs it through the palette afterward. Doesn't look like there are any other effects.

[CrazyChris]

Can you remove the dots, they cover up the board, and are really distracting.

[Marius]

Can you remove the dots, they cover up the board, and are really distracting.

 

Those dots are a feature someone else did. The non-dotted version (which I prefer too!) is also in this thread.

 

I have been playing this game every night the last two weeks. And It is really awesome. I love it!