Jump to content
IGNORED

Mars mini games


Recommended Posts

  • 1 month later...

The sound effects have started going into Caverns and Descent. I'm using the Rocketeer ones as place holders for now (just to check that they happen when I expect them to). As a developer, when you add sound effects to your games it definitely brings them "alive" more. Creating sound effects is very time consuming (for me) because of the number of edit/build/listen iterations needed to get something I'm happy with.

 

Mystery Musician is working on some small ditties for "Game Over", "Congratulations" and "Next wave" (they'll be used in all the games to save ROM space). I'm looking forward to seeing what he comes up with.

 

I'll be demoing Mars Minis and Rocketeer at Play this month. Unfortunately the Menace mini game probably isn't going to get much love between now and then but it'll still be available to "play" from the cart's main menu.

  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

As you may have read in the Rocketeer thread Mars Minis wasn't demoed at Play Expo. After seeing the number of people struggling with the Inty controller and also watching people struggle with other start-up menu based games (on our stand) I decided not to demo the game.

 

Its a lesson learned and any future Inty games that I take to Play Expo will not have a menu. They'll just need the press of a button to start. That way they'll reach the widest possible audience and maybe make a few converts to the system too.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As you may have read in the Rocketeer thread Mars Minis wasn't demoed at Play Expo. After seeing the number of people struggling with the Inty controller and also watching people struggle with other start-up menu based games (on our stand) I decided not to demo the game.

 

Its a lesson learned and any future Inty games that I take to Play Expo will not have a menu. They'll just need the press of a button to start. That way they'll reach the widest possible audience and maybe make a few converts to the system too.

 

Why not prepare a "Play Expo Edition" that jumps straight into a game when a button is pressed? That way, your games can still retain the bit of complexity and richness of features added by a menu screen in the released version, while not scaring away potential punters at the expo?

 

-dZ.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Why not prepare a "Play Expo Edition" that jumps straight into a game when a button is pressed? That way, your games can still retain the bit of complexity and richness of features added by a menu screen in the released version, while not scaring away potential punters at the expo?

Yep! Special versions for large crowd shows is what I meant to say ;). Over 8000 people attended Play Expo on Saturday and only a small fraction of a percent would be into the Inty. You can't cater for the minority with that many people in attendance, especially if you want to make people aware of homebrews.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yep! Special versions for large crowd shows is what I meant to say ;). Over 8000 people attended Play Expo on Saturday and only a small fraction of a percent would be into the Inty. You can't cater for the minority with that many people in attendance, especially if you want to make people aware of homebrews.

 

I agree. I saw pretty much the same thing on CGE 2012 when people were trying to play Christmas Carol: some would hold the controller sideways, like on an NES, and then wonder how the heck it worked. Others would try "pecking" at the disc, lightly pressing on one edge and quickly releasing it--like if it were a flat joystick.

 

(Fun fact: a lot of people asked me "how do you shoot the Snowman?" after frantically pressing keypad buttons. :lol: )

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Actually...

 

I think it's a nice idea to develop a game where you can use the controller sideways. I actually tried playing a game that way just to see how it would feel.

I surely deletes the problems of the vicious action-buttons and the controller is easy to operate and hold sideways.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I mentioned it in another thread, a beat em up wich controller used like a pad. I wonder why no one uses this idea and prefer the side buttons for action :)

 

How do you fire/action?

 

If you're thinking with the keypad, know that you cannot use the keypad at the same time you are using the disc--it's one or the other.

 

-dZ.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Is that a limitation of the controller, or of the console? So could a new controller solve this problem?

 

By the way: Who is going to make the one button controller for Superfly INTV? I am in for one! ;)

 

Of the console: There are 8 I/O signals available on each port, the controller has 31 distinct inputs (16 disc + 3 action + 12 keys). None of them are dedicated, so there is some level of overlap.

 

I guess a controller could be built that supplies unique codes for each input, but the controller itself would have to take care of filtering and debouncing the mechanical action of the switches and send a purely digital signal to the I/O port.

 

It is possible. But it won't work with older games, which were designed to read the ports as they are.

 

-dZ.

Edited by DZ-Jay
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think soccer for the Emerson Arcadia 2001 turned the controller sideways and those controllers are almost identical (in looks at least) to the intellivision. I haven't tried to play it in years so I can't remember exactly how player movement happened (but I remember the game being pretty bad). http://gamesdbase.com/game/emerson-arcadia-2001/soccer.aspx

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

GroovyBee responded to a similar question in the Rocketeer thread.

 

Here are some highlights:

  • Rocketeer, Hover Bovver, Mars Minis, the multi-cart prototype, and several other WIP game projects will be available for play by attendees of eJagFest in Germany next weekend.
  • He's going to concentrate on finishing up the Rev3 PCB first.
  • After the PCB design is completed, he'll work on finishing Rocketeer.
  • After Rocketeer is beta tested and signed-off, he'll work on Mars Minis next, followed by everything else.
  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...