D.K. VCS

[Joe Musashi]

A while ago I came across Ivan's (LS_Dracon) Donkey Kong demo for the 2600 and was totally blown away. I'm usually not so fond of flickering tricks, but if a version with such graphics had existed back in the day I would have gone crazy, flicker or not.

So, I thought, why not try and program a title screen with these techniques. Turn's out the 2600 can actually come quite close to the arcade version. Left ist the VCS version in Stella, on the right a screenshot taken in MAME.



If I find some time over the weekend I will program the rest

D.K.VCS_Title.bin

Game Description

Donkey Kong VCS is a new conversion of the original arcade game for the Atari 2600 video computer system. Sporting 32K of ROM, this version for the first time features all four arcade stages as well as all cut-scenes. Additionally, the game includes multi-colored graphics plus arcade quality animations and sounds!

Controls

• Joystick Left/Right - move Mario left/right
• Joystick Up/Down - climb ladders up/down
• Joystick Fire - jump
  
• Console Reset - reset game and go to title screen
• Console Select - on title screen select U.S. or Japanese stage order, on introduction screen select starting level L=1-9
• Console Left Difficulty - A: 1 life, B: 3 lives
• Console Right Difficulty - A: extra life at 20,000 points, B: extra life at 10,000 points

 

Releases

Version 1.0 ( #821 )

 

D.K.VCS_1.0_170304_NTSC.bin

D.K.VCS_1.0_170304_PAL60.bin

 

Source

 

D.K.VCS_1.0_Source

 

Older versions (WIP)

D.K.VCS_161113_NTSC.bin ( #792 )

D.K.VCS_161113_PAL60.bin

D.K.VCS_161008_NTSC.bin ( #788 )

D.K.VCS_161008_PAL60.bin

D.K.VCS_160731_NTSC.bin ( #774 )

D.K.VCS_160731_PAL60.bin

D.K.VCS_160618_NTSC.bin ( #758 )

D.K.VCS_160618_PAL60.bin

D.K.VCS_160425_NTSC.bin ( #753 )
D.K.VCS_160425_PAL60.bin
D.K.VCS_160412_NTSC.bin ( #708 )
D.K.VCS_160412_PAL60.bin
D.K.VCS_160327_NTSC.bin ( #692 )
D.K.VCS_160327_PAL60.bin
D.K.VCS_151217_NTSC.bin ( #654 )
D.K.VCS_151217_PAL60.bin
D.K.VCS_131110_NTSC.bin ( #533 )
D.K.VCS_131110_PAL60.bin
D.K.VCS_131009_NTSC.bin ( #508 )
D.K.VCS_131009_PAL60.bin
D.K.VCS_130617_NTSC.bin ( #300 )
D.K.VCS_130617_PAL60.bin
D.K.VCS_130423.bin ( #224 )
D.K.VCS_130225.bin ( #140 )
D.K.VCS_130204.bin ( #96 )
D.K.VCS_130114.bin ( #45 )
D.K.VCS_121217.bin ( #11 )

 

Portland Retro Gaming Expo versions (PRGE)

 

D.K.VCS_PRGE_151015_NTSC.bin ( #630 #635 )
D.K.VCS_PRGE_151015_PAL60.bin

D.K.VCS_PRGE_130929_NTSC.bin ( #485 )

 

Testing versions (TEST)

 

D.K.VCS_TEST_161113_NTSC.bin ( #792 )

D.K.VCS_TEST_161113_PAL60.bin

D.K.VCS_TEST_160525_NTSC.bin ( #755 )

D.K.VCS_TEST_160525_PAL60.bin

D.K.VCS_TEST_160418_NTSC.bin ( #727 )

D.K.VCS_TEST_160418_PAL60.bin

Edited March 4, 2018 by Joe Musashi

[raindog]

Looks pretty sweet! I think the availability of Harmony/Melody should make Ivan's project at least possible if someone were to try it again.

[Omegamatrix]

I loved the detail in the logo. Very cool idea to build the (girder holes? rivets?) that way. Perhaps you could do some respx bashing to avoid flickering in that area, but for the big Kong it probably be impossible to get all 4 colors without flicker. I had to do something similar when I was drawing Kong in my DK. I originally was using the ball to color his eyes white, but it didn't look as good as black for my graphics.

[TrekMD]

Very nice title screen! I'm glad to see interest in creating a new version of DK for the 2600 is increasing and we are seeing stuff like this.

[Joe Musashi]

I loved the detail in the logo. Very cool idea to build the (girder holes? rivets?) that way. Perhaps you could do some respx bashing to avoid flickering in that area, but for the big Kong it probably be impossible to get all 4 colors without flicker. I had to do something similar when I was drawing Kong in my DK. I originally was using the ball to color his eyes white, but it didn't look as good as black for my graphics.

 

Thanks! Yes, I've tried the RESP trick, but could not get it to work without flickering. It's difficult not only because of the asymetrical playfield but also because the dots neeed to be placed at multiples of 4 pixels. I got close yet could not create enough columns.

 

So, if anybody is able to figure out how to make this work, please let me know. I would be happy to include it.

[Omegamatrix]

I'll take a look, Joe.

[Omegamatrix]

Here you go. I made a kernel to using an asymmetrical playfield instead of a reflected one, and I have all the dots and then some. I am using missiles to fill in a few holes in the middle. I eyeballed what you had done and I think I aligned it. The gap corresponds to where you have your gap.

 

 

 

 

Dots.zip

 

 

I also included an excel sheet I made a while back to build an asymmetrical playfield. You just copy and past the red dots to draw the playfield, and then use delete to clear them. Below the drawing area are tables where the nicely arranged byte values appear. I know there are other programs that do this, but for as few times as I need to do this I find this works well enough for me. I also pasted those values into the assembly file if you want to take a look.

 

 

 

Keep up the great work. I love the looks of that screen!

Jeff

[Omegamatrix]

I took a second look, and I realized PF1 on the playfield right side wasn't being updated in time. So I did a second version. I wasn't able to keep the zeropage,y indexing for the color pointer though. Perhaps you could use and absolute,X index instead? It looked like you had some free ram (not sure), perhaps you could also load the color table into ram if need be.

 

 

Dots2.zip

[Joe Musashi]

That's awesome, Jeff! I knew if someone could find a way to make the dots work without flickering, it would be you. Shifting GRP1 by one pixel is ingenious, I feel so stupid now

 

I'm trying to integrate it and post an update later the day.

 

BTW, cool idea with the spreadsheet. You should post it in the programming forum, a lot of people might overlook it here.

[Joe Musashi]

That was more complicated than I thought, but I got the non flickering dots working thanks to Omegamatrix' code. On a CRT this will probably look much better than before, as with flicker the holes where too bright.

 

D.K.VCS_Title_2.bin

[Joe Musashi]

So, I had some time over the weekend and programmed more of the game

 

There is still a lot to do, but it's now in a playable state. You will find that I took some liberties and deviated from the original in some parts, though other parts are extremely accurate and are exact by pixel and frame.

(This version does not yet include Jeff's dot code as this is more difficult to integrate here.)

 

May it give you a little bit of the feeling how it would have been being a kid in 1981 and getting an arcade quality Donkey Kong for Christmas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Merry Christmas!

D.K.VCS_121217.bin

[+SpiceWare]

Impressive!

 

Scrolling the levels is a slick idea, though it does feel cramped due to how far down BONUS ends up combined with the early termination of the screen kernel (it looks like the visible portion of the screen is only 170 scanlines).

[+thegoldenband]

That looks brilliant! Very clever to scroll the levels, I think it's a very reasonable compromise. The graphics look stellar, no pun intended!

[iesposta]

Do keep working on this and feel free to take any inspiration with what I did so far in batari Basic - graphic or sound wise!

Mine looks like DK, is starting to sound like DK, but I don't know if I know enough or know if I have enough space to do game logic yet.

Jumpman1234_20121209.bas.bin

[TrekMD]

My jaw is still on the ground after seeing this! THIS is a 2600 version of DK!?!?!

[raindog]

Wow, you're moving pretty fast! Already looking amazing and feels better than the officially released one. I don't feel like I'd be breaking my joystick playing it.

[Omegamatrix]

Great work there! I think you are taking a great approach in scrolling the levels. I found the screen height to be the biggest problem in DK. I think you should squeeze another section onto each screen though (I think Darrell was saying the same thing).

 

 

Fine detail in all the work. I wish there was a way to reduce the flicker on the big Kong's, but I can't think of any obvious way to do so.

[LS_Dracon]

This is impressive Mr. Musashi! Please finish this game!

 

I'll post a mockup of others stages that I didn't finish for the demo, perhaps it can be used as inspiration, I don't really think on 2600 limitations to make them, that's why the laddes are white :

 

(The first screen need an inclinated girders, the elevator screen is too much optimistic for 2600 hardware, the pie factory and blue-ish screen is very doable IMO).

Edited December 18, 2012 by LS_Dracon

[+save2600]

So, I had some time over the weekend and programmed more of the game

 

There is still a lot to do, but it's now in a playable state. You will find that I took some liberties and deviated from the original in some parts, though other parts are extremely accurate and are exact by pixel and frame.

(This version does not yet include Jeff's dot code as this is more difficult to integrate here.)

 

May it give you a little bit of the feeling how it would have been being a kid in 1981 and getting an arcade quality Donkey Kong for Christmas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Merry Christmas!

 

 

Holy smokes, there's just no end in sight to the incredible raw power the 2600 can muster when called upon!

 

And yes, such a quality DK release back in the day would have been incredible. If this version continues to be developed, we'll soon have something to compete with Carl's awesome DK Arcade for the Intellivision. Once again, the two best systems go head to head.

 

Excellent work here!

[Brian O]

This is AWESOME. Honestly, the first two levels, done in this fashion, would be more than enough. If the elevator and cement factory boards could be added, then that would just be a bonus.

 

Please keep this going!

 

-B

[+Cafeman]

!!!! Is this for real? I havne't played it or seen in motion, but the screen shots with the scrolling are super fantastic and beyond what I'd have thought the 2600 could do.

[Brian O]

!!!! Is this for real? I havne't played it or seen in motion, but the screen shots with the scrolling are super fantastic and beyond what I'd have thought the 2600 could do.

 

[jrok]

Really great work here! The scrolling is a brilliant trade-off. Can't wait to see more of this.

[Bentley Bear!]

INSANE!!! Keep up the awesome work Joe and you too Iesposta!

 

Just when I think I've seen the apex of programming games for the 2600 here, you guys go and raise the bar AGAIN a little higher haha! Awesome!

[cd-w]

Very impressive work! I hope you make this into a full game - you clearly have quite a talent for 2600 coding!

 

Chris