New pacman for atari 2600

[+Random Terrain]

If you discover that you have to move to 8k for the intermissions, the good news is that all of the tunes and sound effects will sound even more perfect since you'll have extra room for the better quality sound data.

 

This game will be so perfect that it will make angels cry.

[DINTAR816]

Well, I have an idea how it could be compressed... there are 91 lines, but not that many different ones. So there could be a table of all the 3-byte-sets used (maybe still compressed to 2 bytes as you say) which could be indexed by a one-byte table which gives the sound bytes to be used in every frame. However, the code for playing it back would be slightly more complicated. Or are you saying that you're already using one byte per frame only?

Something like that, the program works like this:

The first byte read (greater than "$ C0" in this case), contains the type of tone or noise and volume (3bits for AUDCx and the other 3 for AUDVx) and then the program reads one byte per frame, unless it is siren type sound. At any time the program can change the tone / noise and volume if the byte read is greater than $ C0. Values ​​greater than $ 20, $ 40, $ 60 are for different sound "modes".

In total I used about 180 bytes for data sounds (including music start).

[Andromeda Stardust]

If you discover that you have to move to 8k for the intermissions, the good news is that all of the tunes and sound effects will sound even more perfect since you'll have extra room for the better quality sound data.

 

This game will be so perfect that it will make angels cry.

Honestly, I would prefer an 8k game if it's more arcade accurate, rather than a "proof of concept" version strictly adhering to 4k. That's already been done already but yours is even better than the original.

 

I did some playing the other night and determined the game had 156 dots and four power pellets, roughly two thirds the amount of the arcade original (240 dots and four power pellets). Considering that each wall takes the width of one dot instead of two like the arcade, two horizontal or vertical pellets in your game take the place of three in the arcade. NES Pacman does this as well in order to shrink the maze to fit withing the confines of the screen while still using 8x8 NES tiles. Despite one of the most accurate arcade ports of the 8-bit gen, the NES version of Pacman was neutered to some extent, as was the official Namco Ms Pacman release (Tengen gave us the full monty with unlicensed Ms Pacman and vertical scrolling levels, but that is another topic). 7800 Ms Pac as well as PacMan Collection use 8x12 sprites instead of 16x16 to fit all on one screen, an aspect ratio I believe isn't feasible on NES. And I still need to snag a copy of Pacman 320 (7800) somehow. But I am comparing cherries to strawberries again.

 

I popped in my official 4k cart and swapped between playing your new game on my Harmony. One slight thing that did strike me as odd, is the T-pieces in your new game are fatter than the old 4k release. Nothing inherently wrong with them, just look a bit odd IMO. I haven't played them in Stella to capture screenshots, but it appears to me if the screens from the different versions were overlaid, the pellets would be at alternating even/odd locations, making yours seem a slight bit wider, but maybe it's my imagination. Also the audio, especially the death animation/sound effect, is a marked improvement compaired to the "old" 4k version that is up for sale in the AA store. Also kudos for using the proper whakka-whakka sound rather than the noise registers.

 

The "Cruise Elroy" routine apparently goes through two successive speedups as pellets are cleared, giving a sense of urgency for completing the pellets. I didn't notice there was two distinct levels of speed increase, but I haven't played the original arcade game much, only those Ms Pacman/Galaga arcade machines, so I mostly have other Pacman ports on 2600/7800/NES to compare it too. I always thought 4k ramped up the speed a bit fast, and I'm reminded by playing your improved version, that you are right.

Edited September 5, 2014 by stardust4ever

[Omegamatrix]

 

Honestly, I would prefer an 8k game if it's more arcade accurate, rather than a "proof of concept" version strictly adhering to 4k. That's already been done already but yours is even better than the original.

 

I say cram it all into 4k or die trying.

 

 

I think I'll have space to put at least the first intermission, I've been doing the first tests and has not occupied much space in rom as I thought at first.

 

I took a peek in Stella's debugger, and your code is nicely compacted and efficient. There's always more rom that can be freed though. I spotted some places where a few bytes could be saved. I also recommend Nukey (in addition to TJ) as a great code cruncher. I'm not too bad either. I think we are all pretty excited about this great port so let any of us know if you need a few more bytes to make it all work.

 

 

 

[Andromeda Stardust]

 

 

 

I say cram it all into 4k or die trying.

 

Realistically, Ms Pacman was 8k, and used one bank for the main game and one for the title screen intermissions. In these days, 32kb homebrews are a dime a dozen, so what's an extra 4k? If expanding to 8k translates to a better more accurate game, then is there any real reason to cripple yourself by limiting it to 4k? VCS is already notoriously hard to program for. Keeping it to original spec (no bankswap) only makes the task more difficult.

[Shannon]

Wow... the opening tune is amazing!

I like the extra touch on the fruit at the bottom of the screen.

 

It seems occasionally the ghosts will disappear from time to time.

Speedy/Shadow can really sneak up on you at times!

[Thomas Jentzsch]

Keeping it to original spec (no bankswap) only makes the task more difficult.

And that extra challenge is exactly one reason why some programmers are here. We would even try squeeze Pac-Man into 1K if that would be possible.

[Trebor]

DINTAR816...It's truly remarkable - highly impressed. Chalk me up (embarrassingly so) as a non-believer - even with the first posted video (First reaction - "Bull....No way!")

Knowing it is real, and seeing it in action (Thank you for the generosity of sharing the ROM), officially blew my mind. I believe I hit reset nearly a dozen times just playing back the opening tune.

I have to admit, I think "Lock'n Chase" left such an impression from my youth, anytime I see 'dots/maze' in this fashion I always think it's an "M-Network" game.

Wherever you decide to go with this - how much more to include - stick to 4/expand to 8 - whatever you decide, how ever you may desire to challenge yourself, it's truly appreciated being taken along for the ride.

[Ed Fries]

The game looks and sounds amazing. I hope you can stick with 4K.

[+Random Terrain]

The game looks and sounds amazing. I hope you can stick with 4K.

 

Said the time traveler.

[davidbrit2]

I can't tell if I'm imagining it or not, but I think once Blinky goes Cruise Elroy, the energizers no longer make him reverse direction. He still turns vulnerable, obviously. As far as I know, he should still reverse on energizers, even though he ignores chase/scatter mode changes after that point.

 

And it doesn't seem like Pac-Man can gain a speed advantage by rounding corners early as in the arcade. Either that or the effect is much smaller.

 

Other than those two things, I haven't noticed any issues. Great game.

[Shannon]

Asteroids... a 1979 arcade game came out in 1981 for the Atari 2600 and was 8k.

 

So what is the big deal about 4k. Yes I know it is a challenge.. but the game feels incomplete.

 

Make 2 versions if 4k is so important. One without commercials, the other with.

 

Heck the original Atari 8-bit computer cartridge version did not even have commercials. It was no until the 5200 that commercials were added. (Plus the tape version by US Gold had commercials as well).

[+FujiSkunk]

Don't forget to say please.

[akator]

Don't forget to say please.

 

Personally, I really feel that this new 2600 version of Pac-Man was worth way more than I paid for it

[Trebor]

Make 2 versions if 4k is so important. One without commercials, the other with.

 

It was no until the 5200 that commercials were added.

 

DINTAR816...you fit this into even as much as 32K, you are officially GOD:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juH2qHYX9aI

 

 

WTB the 5200 Pac-Man version where commercials were added:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvylRgntNhc

 

 

Sorry Shannon, could not resist.

 

Seriously, whatever motivates and makes DINTAR816 happy is exactly what should be done for this game.

[Shannon]

Har har har...

 

Well I think it is fair to say that fitting it in 4k with commercials is highly unlikely right? So why limit yourself when Asteroids was released the same year as an 8k game? There is no challenge because the basic game has already been done.

 

Up it to 8k and add the commercials to me seems like where the challenge is..

 

I'm just saying....

 

The coder, of course, can do what he wants as it's his baby.

[Nukey Shay]

How would having more resources translate to more of a challenge?? And it's not unlikely that intermissions could exist in the 4k game. If the maze color is held in temp ram, you don't even need a separate kernel to display them. Just zero it out and have your "actors" movements read from a data table.

[joelm]

This game looks and plays really well. I was pretty happy when I finally bought Pacman for the 800, I guess I thought my days of Pacman on the 2600 were over. Now this version is going to have to go on my Harmony, which is good because I find it easier to get time for a few minutes my 7800 rather than taking a bunch of time away from my family to boot up and play the 800.

 

Great job, looking forward to any updates when you get them done.

[Shannon]

I never said having more resources was more of a challenge.

 

I said just the same thing you did that it is unlikely to have intermissions in a 4k game.

 

So why limit yourself to 4k when that challenge (of getting the base game in 4k) has already been met. 8k games existed in that time period.. so what is the big fuss?

 

I would say that adding intermissions is more of a challenge that NOT adding the intermissions.

 

The arguments being made just don't make sense... That is ALL I'm saying.

 

The opportunity here is to make "the definitive" version of pac-man for the 2600.

 

Why pass that up?

Edited September 6, 2014 by Shannon

[Andromeda Stardust]

Har har har...

 

Well I think it is fair to say that fitting it in 4k with commercials is highly unlikely right? So why limit yourself when Asteroids was released the same year as an 8k game? There is no challenge because the basic game has already been done.

 

Up it to 8k and add the commercials to me seems like where the challenge is..

 

I'm just saying....

 

The coder, of course, can do what he wants as it's his baby.

I've always thought they were called "cutscenes"

 

Although in the 90s, I distinctly remember Telegames commercials for other titles in some Atari Lynx games...

Edited September 6, 2014 by stardust4ever

[+save2600]

I've always heard them referred to as "cutscenes"

 

Whatever happened to "intermissions"?

 

n/m, I see RT still uses the phrase. lol

[Andromeda Stardust]

How would having more resources translate to more of a challenge?? And it's not unlikely that intermissions could exist in the 4k game. If the maze color is held in temp ram, you don't even need a separate kernel to display them. Just zero it out and have your "actors" movements read from a data table.

Well, he could probably squeeze in the first intermission, but to do the title screen and all three intermissions in 4k, something would have to be sacrificed.

 

Whatever happened to "intermissions"?

 

n/m, I see RT still uses the phrase. lol

New school / old school thought. Starting with PS1, they started to add full motion video to various games, supposedly to make the hardware look more powerful, since pre-rendered FMV scenes can have better graphics than the actual game. The FMV scenes came to be known as "cutscenes" which can be retroactively applied to arcade games like Donkey Kong "How High Can You Try?" and Pacman chase screens as well. Edited September 6, 2014 by stardust4ever

[lapetino]

Wonderful! Debro's Pac-Man 4K is awesome (I loved it so much I did the AA box art), and this is an amazing addition. The sound is excellent. Would love to see cutscenes/intermissions, especially if they can fit in 4K. But 8K would be rad too. Great work!!

[iesposta]

Just the music tunes at the appropriate level would complete it for me, no animation necessary, if it sadly must stay 4K.

It was hacked into the original PacMan 4K.

As was said, we know it can be great in 4K, that is why the store sells PacMan4K. This now proves it again.

With bank switching, It would become the be all, end all, greatest version ever with intro screen and better sounds and all music and animation.

 

Since the author is new, I wonder if he knows how good Tomas J..., Omega M...., Nukey ..., etc. are at optimisation and getting space back?! Please consider having them look at your code and get their input! You might get enough back to really polish up this second 4K version.

 

By the way what is the 2nd scene? My memory isn't clear. Is it where the red ghost rips his fringe?

I'll go watch a video.

I can't get the first intermission tune out of my head, those 28 notes... compresses quite well with the first 6 repeated three times, ending in a higher, then lower, then higher, and then the final 7.

[RickR]

Astounding. Thank you for developing and posting this.