Alien Final Version

[Michael David Morsette]

For those who haven't check out the game yet. Here are some screenshots! Link to the game is on previous post page, or on the vid I uploaded earlier.

 

Just WOW! This game is beautiful! I play around a little trying to get it to work on my flash cart with no success. Hopefully soon I'll have some quality time to spend fiddling around to get it to work and really try out the game. It looks awesome from what I've seen, this is the most excited I've been all year ?

[108 Stars]

Just WOW! This game is beautiful! I play around a little trying to get it to work on my flash cart with no success. Hopefully soon I'll have some quality time to spend fiddling around to get it to work and really try out the game. It looks awesome from what I've seen, this is the most excited I've been all year

It's a 256k/BLL game. Check that and send it to the flashcard and it will work just finde.

Edited September 22, 2014 by 108 Stars

[Michael David Morsette]

Thanks, I'll try that out tonight. It always takes me a bit fiddling with the settings to get games to work, I need to take some time to understand it all a bit better so I'm not clumsily stumbling around all the time lol.

[GadgetUK]

As 108 Stars says - It needs to be set to 256K / BLL. Unfortunately just went over 128Kb.

[GadgetUK]

Fixed a couple more bugs.

1) Some menu options should disappear once the action has started - eg. repairing, or healing.

2) Healing was not doing anything at all - Don't know how I didn't spot that.

3) Menu was resetting on some actions, meaning it jumps to the first option which is annoying if you are trying to pre-emptively plan your next move with the menu ready.

 

I think that's like 11 or something bugs so far I've spotted and fixed which will go into 1.01. Let me know if you spot anything else.

[GadgetUK]

I've released v1.01, rather than people trying to play with bugs, or picking up old version etc. So if you try the previous links the files have all been deleted.

 

Here's v1.01 with the 11 or so fixes:-

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/pce4c0felkrbjg6/Alien%201.01.zip?dl=0

 

Please let me know if you spot anything broken etc.

[GadgetUK]

Fixed a bug related to being able to pick up an item in the previous room after having moved with the menu open. Also tweaked the difficulty again, the healing was over powered - reduced its affect and increased alien health a little.

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/1qrr1u6ysgl5l52/Alien%201.02.zip?dl=0

 

I really hope this is the last release! I did try to fit in the different tunnel images but there's just not enough RAM left without moving loads more code into more segments and there would be even more performance hits etc.

Edited September 23, 2014 by GadgetUK

[+karri]

Thanks for an interesting game. The mood is great (playing with headphones in the night). So far I don't really have a clear picture of the ship. I started with the easy settings to get time to explore the vessel.

[GadgetUK]

Thanks for checking it out Karri! Much appreciated! Let me know how you get on. It could be better, could be smoother frame rate etc, there are slowdowns in places.

[janatari]

Great work ! It´s awesome !

I would buy it

[GadgetUK]

Thanks! I don't I will be doing a cart run - for various reasons.

[108 Stars]

Too bad, but it is your decision after all.

[GadgetUK]

The problem is the major hastle in doing a bank transfer for 100's of euros for PCB's, taking PayPal payments and getting my account locked due to volume of payments etc, then getting chips and programming them (although Lynxman has offered to do that), then it's the major ball ache of posting globally and ensuring I get enough PCB's etc to cover demand etc, coupled with the fact that some of them are bound to get lost and since this has to be no profit, there's a high chance it would end up costing ME to replace lost items etc. Not to mention the fact it's based on Copyrighted, Tradmarked IP etc. I think it's best being left as a homebrew that people run on emulators and flash carts. There's a high risk that if I produce a PCB (even at cost) that one will end up on EBAY somehow at 500 euros or something daft (like that Alpine games). What I would say is that I won't stop anyone selling it at a reasonable cost - ie. materials with small profit. Maybe 20 to 30 euros is what I would class as reasonable. At least if someone with bulk production capabilities does that and advertises it as just a generic Lynx repro (not mentioning game name etc) then I guess they could continue to fullfil whatever demand there is. I will probably make my own cart for my own use once I've played around with some PCB design software, but I don't think it's for me to produce a distribution PCB etc. On the flip side, I do wonder if it's better for someone else to produce a certain volume of carts anyway, just to make sure the odd one doesn't get put on EBAY at stupid cost etc. If anyone wants to make a cart themselves at a reasonable cost - remembering this is copyrighted, and it's unethical in a few different ways depending on whether you are covering costs or trying to make profits etc, then let me know - I will be first to buy one.

Edited September 30, 2014 by GadgetUK

[ECWfan]

Really disappointed that there's no cart run for this. Would definitely have bought one.

[108 Stars]

I'll certainly ask around, as this games deserves to be played, and sadly many Lynx players have no flashcard.

[GadgetUK]

I've asked someone if they want to do a run. He already has PCB's and chips probably. Since he already sells other carts and flashcarts etc seems like the logical choice. See what he comes back with. If he wants to do it, I've suggested that something between 30 and 40 euros shipped is what I would think is just above cost (OK, it's likely 10 euros for chip and PCB), but by the time he's had to program it, chop up PCB's, file down edges, check PCB's, solder on chip, check the checksum, put it in a jiffy bag, label it up, handle payment etc, then post it, I figure maybe 35 euros or 40 euros is a bargain, but that's up to him I guess, and whether other people think that's reasonable or not - baring in mind, I am getting nothing from this, other than hopefully the chance to buy one off him if he decides he will do it.

Edited October 1, 2014 by GadgetUK

[Guitari]

To hell with the copyright imo. I'm sure the dude who wrote Alien couldn't give a toss about less than a hundred games for an out of production console loosely based upon a franchise in which he's earnt millions!! That said I would say all the things gadget has too! I'm in for a copy if ever it makes the cart. Otherwise I look forward to playing it on SainT's cart like I said. Well done gadget and fingers crossed someone will produce a run of these. Imo it's nicer to have a dedicated cart rather than to flash!

[108 Stars]

I think Lynxman, or maybe him and matashen together will do it. I recall matashen even suggesting to candle to handle production of the LCD mod, since candle stated he didn't want to do that himself, but afaik he declined. Both of them are always interested in helping the Lynx out.

 

And 30-40 Euros is very reasonable, Lynxopoly cost about 35 Euros. I'd be surprised if it cost more, since they buy larger stocks of PCBs and chips anyway for matashen's homebrews that are like 150 units per run. So they should have them lying around and can likely just take some of the ones planned for Quak-Quak or so to do Alien.

 

About the copyright

I agree that the creatives behind the movie probably don't care, but companies do. They are bitches. Remember how Universal tried to sue Nintendo for infringing on the King Kong copyright with Donkey Kong? They lost, but that was a very special situation, and with Alien 20th Century Fox would win if they sued. It just goes to show that the companies are different from creatives.

[GadgetUK]

Absolutely agree on Copyright! It's good that we all appreciate that it's on thin ice to start with. There are a lot of people producing things like this on many platforms, you only have to browse the 2600 and 7800 forums etc to see other remakes are being done as homebrew and I am sure they will end up on carts as well. I guess the industry probably isn't interested in 'minor fan works' like this if it's not affecting their market and their IP in any detrimental way. Another way of looking at the Alien IP in general - with regards to the Lynx, no one is stopping people from producing and selling AvP repros, you can see them on EBAY now in fact, someone in the US is selling them. There's a 'weak argument' to say if you own Alien on the C64, Spectrum or Amstrad, you kind of have a license of sorts whereby you own the original game at least, and this is derived from that. I am sure that wouldn't hold up in any court, but it feels right to me to say that sort of thing. I have the Spectrum version and the C64 version was purchased just last week in celebration to me finishing this.

 

It was always going to be a grey area. I think fan works are great, provided they don't affect the sales of the product they are based on, and provided they are none profit. I can't see this remake affecting anything really, other than possibly making people more enthusiastic about getting Alien on Blu Ray etc, or maybe looking forward (like I am) to buying Alien Isolation when that comes out.

[108 Stars]

I can't see this remake affecting anything really, other than possibly making people more enthusiastic about getting Alien on Blu Ray etc, or maybe looking forward (like I am) to buying Alien Isolation when that comes out.

I was actually going to say Alien on Lynx kind of makes Alien Isolation obsolete, so Sega and 20th should sue the hell out of you.

[GadgetUK]

I was actually going to say Alien on Lynx kind of makes Alien Isolation obsolete, so Sega and 20th should sue the hell out of you.

LMAO! Don't say that lol! I think Alien Isolation looks awesome! I suspect it's going to be a flop because I cannot see long life in a game that seems initially to be linear, but it does look awesome and I cannot refuse another Alien game. I still have Aliens Colonial Marines, and despite its numerous flaws I do love it.

[108 Stars]

Also looking forward to Isolatin. Actually, I complained because I needed that game when doing the Alien graphics. Isolation has the Nostromo rebuilt in detail, no other Alien game has that. I had t owatch the movie over and over and scrounge the web for bits and pieces of set photos, toys etc to recreate the ship at least somewhat. With Isolation, it would have been a breeze.^^

 

Also, Sega has had tough times, and as an old time Sega fan I want them to have a good game actually succeed.

[GadgetUK]

I don't think this is going to be possible on a PCB. Too many issues and concerns.

Edited October 1, 2014 by GadgetUK

[4ever2600]

I gotta take a moment and say to both GadgetUK and 108Stars what an incredible job you've done on this project. This TRULY made my year with Isolation coming out and this being the anniversary of the Lynx. What a perfect offering!

 

I know how much time and effort goes into projects like this and life can and will get in the way. That being said, a lot of projects get half finished, forgotten, become vaporware etc. This was one that I just really wanted to see happen especially for the lynx and by October.

 

Also a lot of times, gamers download games, play them for a while, love them but never stop to take a moment or two to tell the developers how much this means to them. I've done it myself, but this was one I wanted to make sure I expressed my gratitude to those who took the time for the love of the hobby and material and made this happen.

 

THANK YOU SO MUCH!

[SoulBlazer]

Also looking forward to Isolatin. Actually, I complained because I needed that game when doing the Alien graphics. Isolation has the Nostromo rebuilt in detail, no other Alien game has that. I had t owatch the movie over and over and scrounge the web for bits and pieces of set photos, toys etc to recreate the ship at least somewhat. With Isolation, it would have been a breeze.^^

 

Also, Sega has had tough times, and as an old time Sega fan I want them to have a good game actually succeed.

Not to take this anymore off track -- I played Alien for the C64 BITD and loved it, and this port seems damn impressive -- but the Sega Aliens Trilogy DS game that came out a few years ago was very good also, letting you play parts of the original three movies. I don't think the game was actually called that, but it was fun.