Dark Chambers to Gauntlet Conversion

[CDS Games]

Cool thing. I played Gauntlet alot on my C64 back in the days, so i like this project. Hope that there will come a PAL60 version too, when it is finished.

 

Me too...I've had my C64 Gauntlet on my desk throughout this process.

 

I've never made a PAL conversion before...is it just the color palette, or do the scanlines have to be adjusted? I can't do the latter.

[Rodrigo]

 

Great, thanks for the review. Have you played it in Stella at all? I'm curious if the joystick fire button is harder to double-click than the keyboard. I dont have a Harmony to play on hardware.

Now I'm playing only on real hardware. At first I thought it would be easier than using the computer keyboard (used Stella first), but no, sometimes it just doesn't work, you keep pressing the button and nothing happens (except your death...).

 

Was playing today with my nephew (12) and he liked the game. Two player worked fine, the only thing that happened was that once he died and I finished the level; after that, he returned next level, zero hp, and then I died, but he continued. When he reached the exit, the game simply returned to title screen.

 

Other thing, I noticed this game provides infinite continues, it's just hit the reset and restart the level you died (without power ups). Maybe you should limit this feature, I'm not sure.

 

Last, is it possible to change the Wizard color? It's a little bit confusing that he is the same color as the enemy wizards.

 

But as is it's already an impressive game!

[CDS Games]

There's some weirdness in the two player exiting, definitely--I'll investigate.

 

The infinite continues should be fine. Because that's what you can do with quarters in Gauntlet arcade and I personally always loved that feature since Vanguard. Since like you said, you have no powerups on restart, I think that's limiting enough.

 

Unfortunately, I can't change the yellow sorceror color. I only have 7 unique character slots to work with, which includes animation and color tables. So if I add a purple sorceror I have to take away one of the characters or enemies. I wish I could do it--I already had a purple sorcerer coded in and blinking in and out like the arcade.

[Rodrigo]

Yes, good point about the continues. And about the Wizard color, alright then. Let's say he is a rebel wizard . I can't wait for news in this one!

[walter_J64bit]

WOW, Just, WOW this one amazing conversion! :-o :thumbsup:

[+Defender_2600]

Fantastic work, CDS Games! Thanks for sharing it!

 

 

I've never made a PAL conversion before...is it just the color palette, or do the scanlines have to be adjusted? I can't do the latter.

 

...is it just the color palette for a PAL60 conversion:

 

http://www.randomterrain.com/atari-2600-memories-tia-color-charts.html

 

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/193459-pal60-roms/?hl=%20pal%20%2060

[CDS Games]

Bellissimo! Allora non c'e problema.

 

And wow, I didn't know that there was a PAL conversion tool on RT's site...that makes it even easier.

 

I've been working piecemeal on a new update, which will be the final one Deo volente. But right now I am swamped with work. When I get a breather I will try and figure out the last changes and then put together a PAL60 version.

[+Defender_2600]

I've been working piecemeal on a new update, which will be the final one Deo volente. But right now I am swamped with work. When I get a breather I will try and figure out the last changes and then put together a PAL60 version.

 

Thank you !!!

 

And no hurry.

[CDS Games]

I was honestly trying to make this update the final one. Really I was. But I had a huge breakthrough that I will explain in a bit. For now though, here's an interim version: gauntlet1108.bin

 

* elf and object sprite redesigns
* added title screen music
* added 2nd food sprite
* restored missing exit to level 81
* moving joystick left and right on title screen changes player 1 character
* "LEVEL:" text redraw
* pressing select no longer clears high score
* two player exiting bug fixed

 

But the big news is that with some help from the folks in the Programming forum I was able to successfully expand the cart from 16k to 32k. With some creative redesign I can now restore the purple sorceror & demon, double the number and variety of mazes, and even add new objects. So now I have a lot of work to do. A LOT.

 

Don't tell the Mrs. It's already a sad joke around here that I've been "almost done" this for months.

[Tempest]

This hack becomes more and more amazing each time I check this thread out.

[iesposta]

Regarding LEVEL text redraw.

I was expecting something more... medieval.

There's a really nice hack tool that lets you load the entire image and edit that, even if the image is like E.T.'s title screen, or a 48 pixel bitmap.

It is called Bit Hacker. It is a Windows program.

It let me easily hack the Atari Centipede title screen from "Atari" to "Trak-Ball".

[CDS Games]

The original LEVEL text on the arcade and on the home ports is not very fancy--it's a rather plain serif, so that's what I was going for.

 

Honestly, I didn't want to change it because I mostly liked how it looked. Problem was, it was off center with the level number below it, and I was unable to figure out how to move the number right enough. Hence the font redo. But if that problem gets sorted out I will consider changing it back.

 

I've been using Playerpal online, and just treating the various animation frames as side by side sprites. Works ok for my purposes, and I'm not on Windows anyway.

[CDS Games]

Thanks Tempest! I'm a little astounded myself at how things just sorta clicked. The good Lord must've been whispering code into my ear or something.

 

A good disassembly and lots of unneeded room on the cart made a huge difference, and I can't say enough good about this underlying engine. You can get far more involved RPGs out of it than Gauntlet.

[AW127]

When I get a breather I will try and figure out the last changes and then put together a PAL60 version.

Great. Thanks in advance.

[Rodrigo]

It's only getting better! So cool you can now use the extra memory to put new things in the game. I have to try the last version to keep the anxiety under control.

[ChrisKewl]

Man, I want to try this on my Harmony cart but I also want to wait until it is completed and do a playthrough on Twitch. Decisions, decisions!

[Crimefighter]

http://boingboing.net/2015/11/16/gauntlet-arcade-game-ported-to.html

[Rodrigo]

Did you fix the narrow passages problem? It appears that it's easier now to pass through them. I loved the new Elf sprite and the new others too, the music and other little things. It's everything excellent. Can't wait for that big update you'll make next.

[CDS Games]

http://boingboing.net/2015/11/16/gauntlet-arcade-game-ported-to.html

 

Yeesh that can't be good. Saw one commenter on there who mentioned programming skill.

 

It barely takes any programming skill at all to modify a game. Writing one is a different story. DC is a very well-designed game to start with and an amazingly versatile engine, thanks to Adam Clayton. Give him the credit, not the guy who turns BNEs into BEQs and calls it a day.

[CDS Games]

Did you fix the narrow passages problem? It appears that it's easier now to pass through them. I loved the new Elf sprite and the new others too, the music and other little things. It's everything excellent. Can't wait for that big update you'll make next.

 

I didn't actually. Hmm! I've noticed though that you can go through them easily as long as you hold the joystick diagonally (upper left, for example). If you try to go straight through you can't though. Is it possible that's what happened?

 

Glad you like the new additions. The 32k version is proceeding well so far. The sorcerors are back in purple and do their disappearing act. Demons are back, although I'm not terribly happy with the sprites. And I've got an extra magic potion implemented.

[iesposta]

I love all your sprite work so far.

Can't wait to play the expanded 32K version.

 

You should ask a moderator or Al if you lost EDIT to the first post.

Having the newest in Post #84 gets lost (unless you want it that way).

[CDS Games]

Thanks! When I get the demon to an acceptable level of quality I will post.

 

I don't believe I lost edit...I just got so excited with this discovery I forgot to update the original post. Come to think of it, it should be completely overhauled...the game looks entirely different now.

[First Ninja]

I recently introduced my kids to Gauntlet, and that got me thinking about hacking Dark Chambers so they could play on my VCS.

 

Awesome - and Questor the Elf is so cute!

 

Any chance your take on Gauntlet for the 2600 will end up on a physical cartridge? I would so get one!

[CDS Games]

Any chance your take on Gauntlet for the 2600 will end up on a physical cartridge? I would so get one!

 

It's been touched on upthread but nothing solid has been decided yet. All's I know is I'd like to have one for myself at the end of this process.

 

One option I'm considering is just to let Al cook them up via the custom cart feature. Maybe I'll shoot him an IM.

[davidbrit2]

Looking totally awesome so far. There's one minor glitch I noticed (while playing the wizard; no idea if it's character-specific). Moving diagonally has inconsistent X velocity. When moving upward diagonally, your X and Y velocity are the same, so you move at a 45-degree angle. When moving downward diagonally, your X velocity is about half your Y velocity.

 

Also, one stage I played (somewhere between 10 and 20, though I don't remember the exact number) has a narrow passage along the top of the map. You can only move left or right through it if you're pressing diagonally upward, otherwise you can't move.

 

Love how it's turning out, and I can't wait to see what 32 KB will afford. It's pretty impressive how some of the stages are actually recognizable recreations of the arcade counterparts.