Donkey Kong XM Pre-order and demo

[+save2600]

Foxes on fire or fiery foxes? Same dif.

 

[Andromeda Stardust]

 

The manual specifically calls them "firefoxes."

And I specifically call them Foxfires.

Ugg, not another Firefox vs Chrome debate!!!

[+grips03]

new high score 96,700

Level 5 / 150 then died

[Andromeda Stardust]

Now give us a screengrab of the 150m How High screen, with your username in the photo. Oh, and it has to be on polaroid film stock, and shipped via snail mail...

 

Great job man, really awesome score!

[+grips03]

new high score (for me anyway) 143,100

Arcade/US/Start on Level 3 and made it to Level 7

 

Mostly die on firefox and pie level

[+mytek]

Damm that looks very colorful. I wish the 8-bit version looked that good.

 

BTW, congrats on the high score!

 

- Michael

[troff]

I'm really, really enjoying this game. I won't embarrass myself by posting my high scores, but I definitely wanted to add that this game is well worth it.

[Andromeda Stardust]

It is the definitive version of Donkey Kong.

 

One odd quirk I noticed, in both US and Japan game modes, infrequently when I jump over a barrel it does not make the sound effect or register a point increase. I have no idea what triggers this bug but it typically happens once or twice per game session.

 

Sometimes if I jump barrel immediately after clearing a ladder the point fails to register, but is not limited to occur only above ladders. And occasionally I don't get point bonus for clearing a second barrel, possibly related to the first bug where one of them simply doesn't register.

 

Very minor nitpick on an overall fabulous game, but after many playthroughs tracking high scores, always in the back of my mind knowing I've missed 100pts here or there...

[fluxit]

That bug also exists in the original arcade game. Under the right circumstances, you can make it to the top of the first screen having jumped one or more barrels with no point value displayed during the jumps and no points awarded. IIRC, it seems to happen most often when the jumps are late(but still successful in clearing the barrel,) when the barrel is closest to the player.

Edited September 6, 2017 by fluxit

[Andromeda Stardust]

That bug also exists in the original arcade game. Under the right circumstances, you can make it to the top of the first screen having jumped one or more barrels with no point value displayed during the jumps and no points awarded. IIRC, it seems to happen most often when the jumps are late(but still successful in clearing the barrel,) when the barrel is closest to the player.

I did not know that. So DK PK is that accurate to emulate obscure arcade bugs. Amazing...

[tep392]

I did not know that. So DK PK is that accurate to emulate obscure arcade bugs. Amazing...

It's not a bug, it's a feature.

 

http://www.jeffsromhack.com/products/d2k_taunt.htm

 

I used to be in the habit of letting go of the stick while jumping but that results in missed points. Keep the stick held left or right during a jump and you will always get points. You can also get points jumping next to a barrel after it goes down the ladder.

[Trebor]

I did not know that. So DK PK is that accurate to emulate obscure arcade bugs. Amazing...

 

If interested in some more details for the no points "feature", Jeff (of Arcade Donkey Kong II fame), posted about it and the reasons on his DK technical page. Part of which is summarized below:

 

"Deep in the code lies a routine that determines what objects you've jumped over so that the game can award you points. This check for objects is done when Jumpman reaches the peak of his jump. At that point the code spans a set area to see what objects are under you. Normally the span will check 5 pixels to the left and 5 pixels to the right to check for objects...Therefore it is possible to either jump "too soon" or "too late" and not have the object be within this narrow area when the peak is reached...But, if [you] hold the joystick LEFT or RIGHT when this check is being done, you can increase the span to 19 pixels to LEFT and 19 pixels to the RIGHT..."

 

*EDIT: And I completely overlooked tep392's post mentioned Jeff's page already.

[Andromeda Stardust]

Okay, nice to know. Typically when I jump, I hit the joystick and jump button in tandem (unless already moving) and release both at the same time. It isn't like super Mario where you can steer in mid flight so I normally release the stick. If holding the stick increases the point hitbox, then it may be desirable to retrain myself. Thanks for the tip, and nice to see this feature perfectly emulated. Billy and Steve from "King of Kong" would be proud!

 

Unrelated but I've encountered similar issues "riding the gate" on 8-ways in Pacman instead of tapping to move, because sometimes I'm too lazy to change the restrictor gate out between games. 8-ways are undesirable but if you gotta use one for Pacman, don't ride the gate or the diagonals will trip you up. It's not like I don't already have a dozen different arcade boxes at my disposal so I can just set the clover leaf gate on a couple of them...

[Pbrook67]

I've just uploaded the final demo's. Game is complete and bug free, as far as I can tell. Testing on the XM unit went great and I've started making carts. I also put together a manual that I will be including with everyone's order. THANKS!

 

This video has low production value, but shows the game well.

 

All carts from the first two sets of orders are shipped!

 

 

1 NML32 Paid/shipped

2 Trebor Paid/shipped - 2 carts - Box winner!

3 iesposta Paid/shipped

4 twoquickcapri Paid/shipped

5 waggie Paid/shipped

6 allpaul Paid/shipped

7 corby Paid/shipped

8 trekmd Paid/shipped

9 gambler172 Paid/shipped

10 nuclear pacman Paid/shipped

11 Gandor Paid/shipped

12 eddhead Paid/shipped

13 Mitch Paid/shipped

14 cfn Paid/shipped

15 gorfcadet Paid/shipped

16 JonnyBritish Paid/shipped

17 Mayhem Paid/shipped

18 atarinerd Paid/shipped

19 jeffgamer Paid/shipped

20 streps Paid/shipped

21 thursday83 Paid/shipped

22 swlovinist Paid/shipped

23 MetalGhost Paid/shipped

24 keitaro Paid/shipped

25 moon patrol Paid/shipped

26 HammR25 Paid/shipped

27 ckirkman Paid/shipped

28 edweird13 Paid/shipped

29 evg2000 Paid/shipped

30 cmart604 Paid/shipped

31 jwierer Paid/shipped

32 kman Paid/shipped

33 AtariBrian Paid/shipped

34 atarinut76 Paid/shipped

35,36 lucifershalo Paid 2 carts/shipped

37 ntavio Paid/shipped

38 retrogmr Paid/shipped

39 smagnotta Paid/shipped

40 marc oberhauser Paid/shipped

41 mmervine Paid/shipped

42 furor Paid/shipped

43 zodiacprime Paid/shipped

44 san-d-2000 Paid/shipped

45 jinks Paid/shipped

46 Atariappleman Paid/shipped

47 bizarrostormy Paid/shipped

48 bennybingo Paid/shipped

49 fandal Paid/shipped

50 mimo Paid/shipped

51 potzrebie Paid/shipped

52 psw Paid/shipped

53 chris leach Paid/shipped

54 romeoteknik Paid/shipped

55 toymailman Paid/shipped

56 Defender_2600 Paid/shipped

57 purenergy Paid/shipped

58 kevinmos3 Paid/shipped - Box winner!

59 shaky Paid/shipped

60 bcprs1 Paid/shipped

61 7800 emucoder Paid/shipped

62 Bill Loguidice Paid/shipped

63 revolutionika Paid/shipped

64 madaracs Paid/shipped

65 Justin42 Paid/shipped

66 chocotaco Paid/shipped

 

2nd batch

1 Liduario Paid/shipped

2 Jaybird3rd Paid/shipped

3 phattyboombatty Paid/shipped

4 7800 Paid/shipped

5 atariLBC Paid/shipped

6 mckafka99 Paid/shipped

7 TMOSteel Paid/shipped

8 atarian63 Paid/shipped

9 atomickneedrop Paid/shipped

10 YANDMAN Paid/shipped

11 uberarcade Paid/shipped

12 Ianoid Paid/shipped

13 MAC-42 Paid/shipped

14 Pacmanplus Paid/shipped

15 diggs130 Paid/shipped

16 retrogc Paid/shipped

17 coleco Paid/shipped

18 Mckie1 Paid/shipped

19 skosh Paid/shipped

20 imstarryeyed Paid/shipped

21 rdemming Paid/shipped

22 jdheins Paid/shipped

23 pmpddytim Paid/shipped

24 Allan Paid/shipped

25 sdrake Paid/shipped

26 DarthCloud Paid/shipped

27 rmaerz Paid/shipped

28 o.pwuaioc Paid/shipped

29 thetood Paid/shipped

30 jaglynx4life Paid/shipped

31 Dr Manhattan Paid/shipped

32 Doyman Paid/shipped

33 davidcalgary29 Paid - 2 carts/shipped

34 Defender2600 - Paid - 2nd cart/shipped

35 GaryH917 Paid/shipped

36 sunsetrider91 Paid/shipped

 

I've been working on this off/on for a while but I think its time to get things rolling since the XM seems to be around the corner. Initially I was only adding the POKEY sound since I couldn't stand the original TIA stuff. But with the XM taking longer than expected, I found myself making a mod to add the "How High Can You Get?" screen. I still had space left in the 48k rom, so I decided to add the animation of Kong climbing the ladder and bouncing across the screen at the start of the game as well as him escaping with Pauline betweenlevels. After that, the knowledge that I gained about the original code gave me confidence that I could add the missing "Pie factory" screen, so I got to work on that. It's worked out and is almost ready to release for testing. The only problem was that I had to change to a bank switched cart due to lack of memory. These carts are not available new, so I will be making these from donor carts.

 

So here are the enhancements to the game.

 

- POKEY sound! I borrowed heavily from the 8-bit version. I had to create the tunes that play at the end of the rivet screen. Both versions are there and the game alternates between them as you progress through the levels. You can also now hear Kong beat his chest as you try to save Pauline.- "How High Can You Get?" screen is present and accounted for.

- Intro and between level animations. Kong starts the game climbing the building with Pauline, hops across the girders and finishes with a laugh at Mario. He will escape with Pauline at the end of the Girder, Cement and Elevator levels.

- Cement (Pie) factory! This screen has turned out pretty good. Kong moves across the top conveyor as Mario works his way up the screen while avoiding the fire balls and cement containers.

- Graphics have been updated on all screens. New menu and score line. Sprites have been made more like the arcade thanks to Defender_2600.

- AI for firefoxes and fireballs has been updated. It is now arcade perfect on Cement and Rivet screens. Barrel tossing on Girder screen and Bouncer patterns on elevator screen have been updated to replicate the arcade as well.

- Modded colors to be a more like the arcade, thanks to KevinMos3 and Trebor's help.

- HSC support has been added!

 

I am building the carts using Jinks donor carts and they have a high quality die cut label. I won't be making manuals or boxes for this release. It will be cart plus manual only. Price is $30 plus shipping. Both Marc Oberhauser and Yandman have designed some nice boxes that can be found in this thread. PM them if you are interested.

 

If you would like to order a cart, send me a PM with your mailing address and I'll get back to you with a total and put you on the list for the next batch. I normally ship USPS Priority in the US at $5.80 and USPS 1st class outside the US. The cost is about $6 to Canada and $8 to Europe. USPS prices have gone up a lot since I took orders for the 1st batch. Including shipping supplies, it's now $10 for Canada and $15 for UK.

 

Regards,

TEP392

 

DEMO - Final Version - 5Sept13

This is it! The final version. That is, unless Robert or Marco dig up another bug. I don't there there are any catastrophic bugs left though.

 

Binary's

These two files only work on Prosystem and include HSC emulation.

dkxm_final_demo_ntsc_hsc.a78

dkxm_final_demo_pal_hsc.a78

 

These two files will work with the XM support in MESS

dkxm_demo_v12_ntsc.a78

dkxm_demo_v12_pal.a78

 

This demo should work on the later versions of the Mateos Multi-cart with POKEY sound.

dkxm_demo_mateos.zip

 

DKXM_label.jpg

dk7800_pokey_00.pngdk7800_hsc.png

dk7800_pokey_01.pngdk7800_pokey_02.png

dk7800_pokey_03.pngdk7800_pokey_04.png

dk7800_pokey_05.pngdk7800_pokey_06.png

dk7800_pokey_07.pngdk7800_pokey_08.png

 

 

 

 

When will this be available again??? I really would like one!!!!

[tep392]

Do you mean the XM version, without POKEY chip? I can make either PK (with POKEY) or XM (without POKEY) right now if you want one.

[ATARIJAL]

Is there a way to get or buy the complete rom for an emulator? It's my only way to play any 7800 stuff presently. I got the demo version and it's spectacular. Now i would like to play the whole game if possible.

[mdoerty]

Talk about being late to the party. I just learned of this cart’s existence.

 

If any are available or can be made or can be made available, I would be interested - in a version that can be played on regular hardware.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Mike

[Andromeda Stardust]

Talk about being late to the party. I just learned of this cart’s existence.

If any are available or can be made or can be made available, I would be interested - in a version that can be played on regular hardware.

Thanks in advance.

Mike

I hope you manage get one. It's an excellent port; you will not regret it.

[+grips03]

This game is super amazing. I would pick one up if its still possible.

[bfollett]

I just tried the ntsc demo with the prosystem 1.3 emulator and I noticed if I repositioned the emulator window, the in-game sound got distorted and if it corrected itself it was completely out of sync with the on screen movements. Probably an issue more with the emulator, but I thought I'd mention it anyway.

 

Bob

[CommodoreDecker]

On 6/29/2018 at 10:56 PM, mdoerty said:

Talk about being late to the party. I just learned of this cart’s existence.

 

If any are available or can be made or can be made available, I would be interested - in a version that can be played on regular hardware.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Mike

  

On 7/4/2018 at 11:40 AM, grips03 said:

This game is super amazing. I would pick one up if its still possible.

 

Ditto!

Edited July 2, 2020 by CommodoreDecker

[thunder-rabbit]

On 7/2/2020 at 9:39 PM, CommodoreDecker said:

  

 

Ditto!

Me too

[GameGeezer]

Is there a chance that there will be another run of this? If not, is it possible to get the final ROM so that I can burn and make my own?

[Shawn]

4 hours ago, GameGeezer said:

Is there a chance that there will be another run of this? If not, is it possible to get the final ROM so that I can burn and make my own?

 

Seeing as the XM creator passed away and the project was never completed, I wouldn't think it's a good idea to buy cartridges designed with an add-on in mind that might never exist. There is a version of this game where the POKEY is on cart that is offered sometimes. That would probably be your best bet at this point.

[Trebor]

5 hours ago, GameGeezer said:

Is there a chance that there will be another run of this?

See this thread instead.