Games with more than 16 colors

[+MrFish]

44

 

I only counted the first pic. The second pic is using some kind of filtering (bilinear, bicubic, etc.), which will end up giving the color count some ridiculously high number. But I do see you have the enemy sprite multiplexer in it. So I'm sure the actual color count is quite a bit higher than the first one.

Edited April 7, 2014 by MrFish

[8Bitjunkie]

I have to beat the amiga version which has something between 32 and 64 colors (32 colors + half bright shadow).. :-)

 

[Sikor]

Hmm, Sexy Six plus 3 data disks for it

Orto Puzzle

[Synthpopalooza]

Two to add to the list: Cygnus X3 (I think that's the name) and Winter Games, both of which use the APAC 256 color mode.

[+MrFish]

Here's some more:

 

Bomb Jack (25)

Break It (28)

Calisto (45, Thanks to Sodding Rainbow© Technology)

Capture The Flag (24)

Cavernia (17)

Choplifter (22)

Clowns & Balloons (17)

Crack-Up (29)

Crownland (22)

Dyna Blaster (19)

ECKN (19)

G.A.C.C.R.R. (22)

Galaxian (44)

Getris (29, Blended)

Gunpowder Charlie (43)

IK+ (27)

Inside (17)

Jet Boot Jack (17)

Jetboy (21)

Joe Blade (17)

Joe Blade II (17)

Koffi - Yellow Copter (21)

Labyrinths (18)

Loco (18)

M.A.S.H. (23)

Mahjong XE (17)

Marbled (29)

Mashed Turtles (33)

Master Of The Lamps (17)

Miner 2049'er (18)

Mr. Robot & His Robot Factory (19)

Murder on the Zinderneuf (19)

Nightmares (18)

Pacific Coast Highway (19)

Plastron (23)

Pogotron (57)

Preppie (23)

Revenge of the Mutant Camels (20)

River Raid (27)

Rocks (24)

Seaquest (23)

Snowball (31)

Star Rider (73)

Star Trek (17)

Stargate Courier (17)

Stealth (25)

Timeslip (47)

Track & Field (18)

Tree Surgeon (17)

Trivial Pursuit (17)

Unicorn Horn (23)

Wall War (25)

Wizard (17)

Yie Ar Kung-Fu (24)

Edited April 8, 2014 by MrFish

[+MrFish]

I came up with these just from cartridge games (except WKC, which was just a special cartridge image). There should be plenty more on disk and binary files:

 

Atlantis (39)

Bounty Bob Strikes Back (22)

Crossbow (19)

Demon Attack (17)

Frogger (25)

Frogger II (24)

HERO (20)

Popeye (17)

Pole Position (22)

World Karate Championship / IK (19)

Zenji (24)

 

Correction, HERO is 25 or more. It should also be noted that others could potentially have higher counts depending on what is on the screen at a given time. These, and the other lists I posted, are all counted from the particular screenshots that I took.

[Reaperman]

Since we're on the subject of color count, could somebody maybe give me a very basic explanation of how all these pretty colors wind up in games? Not too many details, just the 10,000ft view of it or a good recommendation for further reading on the subject.

 

To give an idea of my low skill level on the subject, the most I've ever worked with is 4.

[kenjennings]

4 color registers for the playfield.

 

4 color registers for the players/missiles

 

1 more color register shared between the playfield and player/missiles.

 

at any vertical row of the screen a display list interrupt can change any/all the register values, and this can be done multiple times per screen. (down to each scan line if you're determined.)

 

also, different priority settings let two players' color mix to create three colors.

 

and priority settings can cause the players/missiles' colors to mix with the playfield, creating new colors... (the total possible colors from priority/playfield/player-missile mixing is 23 colors including the background.)

 

Then there is page flipping -- swapping between two different graphics patterns/palettes every frame averages the colors together, and can produce even more apparent colors.....

 

Then there's mixing different GTIA modes, and PAL blending, etc, etc, etc.

[+MrFish]

4 color registers for the playfield.

 

4 color registers for the players/missiles

 

1 more color register shared between the playfield and player/missiles.

 

at any vertical row of the screen a display list interrupt can change any/all the register values, and this can be done multiple times per screen. (down to each scan line if you're determined.)

 

also, different priority settings let two players' color mix to create three colors.

 

and priority settings can cause those players' colors to mix with the playfield, creating new colors... (the total possible colors from priority/playfield/player-missile mixing is 23 colors including the background.)

 

Then there is page flipping -- swapping between two graphics patterns/palettes every frame averages the colors together, and can produce even more apparent colors.....

 

Then there's mixing different GTIA modes, and PAL blending, etc, etc, etc.

 

You beat me to it...

[+MrFish]

To give an idea of my low skill level on the subject, the most I've ever worked with is 4.

 

If you've worked with 4 color mode before, then the easiest way to add more colors before learning about player/missile graphics and display list interrupts is to use one of the 3 GTIA special modes. They work similarly to any basic bit-mapped playfield mode on the Atari using BASIC. One mode offers 9 indirected colors, one gives 16 luminances of any single color, and the last one gives you all 16 base colors with the same luminance. The only catch is that the pixels are almost 4 times as wide as they are tall for these modes. But the added colors make them advantageous for certain applications. One of the best uses is for digitized photos.

 

You can see a couple examples I did here using the mode with 16 luminances of any single color: GTIA Photo Examples

Edited April 9, 2014 by MrFish

[Creature XL]

I want to add mine too

 

HAR'em (18) yeah the player sprite has 6

Heli (20+) in the game over screen Else should be 13 max depending on sprites on screen.

[TMR]

i think Battle Eagle can clear the 40 colour mark on occasions...?

[+MrFish]

Here's a couple more:

 

Laser Gates (81)

Scooter (21)

 

I guess these all get "honorable mention":

 

Ballblazer (16)

Black Lamp (15)

Contagion (15)

Crimebuster (15)

Eastern Front (16)

Flip & Flop (15)

h3x0r Deluxe (15)

Jungle Hunt (15)

Kik-Start (15)

L.A. Swat (16)

Mind Blast (15)

Ninja (15)

Pad (15)

Rampage (16)

Reaxion (16)

Spy's Demise (15)

Squish 'Em (15)

Up Up And Away (15)

Wloczykij (16)

[snicklin]

I think that with this topic that we need to remember that some games will use 4 colours on the screen and then stick a rainbow at the bottom which doesn't really fit the ethic of this topic.

 

Some games were very clever in how they used their colour. I'd include Black Lamp and Henry's House in these.

[+Philsan]

Thetris (26)

[TMR]

Reaxion (16)

i only remember it having fourteen or fifteen...?

[+MrFish]

i only remember it having fourteen or fifteen...?

 

I thought so too at first. But then when I noticed the blinking lights at the top and bottom and snapped a pic when they were lit, I was able to get 16.

 

[TMR]

I thought so too at first. But then when I noticed the blinking lights at the top and bottom and snapped a pic when they were lit, I was able to get 16.

Just goes to show how long ago it was that i wrote the thing... it'll be ten next year!

[+MrFish]

Just goes to show how long ago it was that i wrote the thing... it'll be ten next year!

 

Hard to believe. I remember when I was looking forward to the release back then.

[+Philsan]

Paul, your memory is outstanding!

[Paul Westphal]

I just played Jet Boot Jack and thought it was colorful.

[+MrFish]

Paul, your memory is outstanding!

 

My girlfriend doesn't seem to think so. If only she'd learn to talk about Ataris with me, then I'd at least be able to remember part of what she says.

Edited April 14, 2014 by MrFish

[José Pereira]

 

My girlfriend doesn't seem to think so. If only she'd learn to talk about Ataris with me, then I'd at least be able to remember part of what she says.

Girls and Atari doesn't match. When I had my 800XL working the only game that my ex ever tried to play was Bang Bank but only a couple of times because she wasn't all that great.

I don't know how was there on your countries but here on 80s and 90s computers&games were mainly for boys. I don't remember any girl at school talking about or having a computer.

 

Psst, Moderators please don't read this: I think that the girls prefer other sort of joysticks...

LOL!...

[+Adam+]

Some other games:

• those which use graphics mode 9: Colony 7 (22 colours), Disc Hopper (sometimes more than 60), Space Lobsters (23)
• simple "Atari rainbow" effect all over the screen: Saracen (22)
• more sophisticated use of colours: Technoid (31)

 

[+Philsan]

Here's the list of good games with more than 16 colors, thank you very much for your help!

 

GAME COLORS

Alley Cat 22

Alternate Reality - The City 38

Alternate Reality - The Dungeon 38

Assembloids XE 29

Atari Blast! XX WIP

Atlantis 39

Battle Eagle 33

Bomb Jack 25

Bounty Bob Strikes Back 22

Break It 28

Callisto 45

Capture The Flag 24

Cavernia 17

Choplifter 22

Clowns & Ballons 17

Crack-Up! 29

Crossbow 19

Crownland 22

Cygnus X1 31

Decathlon 39

Demon Attack 17

Dimo's Quest WIP 44

Disc Hopper 60+

Dropzone 18

Dyna Blaster 19

Eckn+ 19

Flower Mania 32

Frogger 25

Frogger II 24

Galaxian 47

Getris 29

Great American Cross - Country Road Race 22

H.E.R.O. 25

Henry's House 21

International Karate 19

IK+ WIP 27

Inside 17

Jet Boot Jack 17

Jetboy 21

Joe Blade 17

Joe Blade II 17

Koronis Rift 30

Laser Gates 81

Marbled 29

Mashed Turtles 33

Master of the Lamps 17

Mahjong XE 17

Miner 2049er 18

Murder on the Zinderneuf 19

Nightmares 18

Ocean Detox 24

Pitfall II 20

Plastron 23

Pogotron 57

Pole Position 22

Popeye 17

Preppie 23

Rainbow Walker 34

Revenge of the Mutant Camels 20

Ridiculous Reality 28

River Raid 27

Rocks 24

Rolltris 25

Saracen 22

Scooter 21

Seaquest 23

Space Lobsters 23

Star Raiders II 22

Star Rider 73

Star Trek 17

Stealth 25

Technoid 31

Timeslip 47

Track & Field 18

Tree Surgeon 17

Trivial Pursuit 17

Unicorn Horn 23

Wall, The 64

Wall War 25

Wizard 17

X:8 25

Yar's Strike 28

Yie Ar Kung-Fu WIP (24)

Zenji 24