Port Laser Blast (Activision) to 8-bit

[Synthpopalooza]

Oh, Wiki says Pepper II was on the Coleco system only.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pepper_II

 

Never made it to Atari. Should be easy to do though, you only need 4 colors for the characters and one-color players.

[peteym5]

I have come to the decision to put this Laser Blast clone further down the list and move forward with some other games. I have several original games in the works that are not a clone of something that had not been done on the 8-bit. I decided this after the subject became less about getting suggestions about game or enhancements and lead into more about the medium the game is release. I did note some of the suggestions like level bosses, mutli hitpoint tanks, and background music. I had the ideal of including planes flying around also, some even coming up at the level of your space ship and need to dodge out of the way. I never like making 100% exact clones of something done on a system that was less capable than the 8-bit, but modify the concepts to show what can be done with this computer. I do leave options in to play like the original game.

Edited October 19, 2015 by peteym5

[+therealbountybob]

I have come to the decision to put this Laser Blast clone further down the list and move forward with some other games. I have several original games in the works that are not a clone of something that had not been done on the 8-bit.

I think this is a good decision, always nice to see something new

 

Watching the video of Laser Blast I thought it's feature was the firing being a line, particularly the diagonal line, and this wasn't really used in the game. If it was more of a Scramble type game perhaps where the diagonal shot had to be used to hit certain protected targets - imagine a diagonal hole / weak spot or something then you have a game.

[peteym5]

Laser Blast is one of eight games I have partially developed right now. Something I did 18 months ago was copy and pasted a nearly blank assembly code to generate ROM images. Made about 10 clones of the code and just renamed everything. I copy and pasted some common code like a common generic title screen, init display list, multiplex player/missile graphics, etc. That way I do not need to re-think how to do something for each game. After Venture was ported onto a 16K cartridge with the help of compression, I said why not use this as a model for several more games. I done a mock up 18 months ago to show KJMANN some possible game proposals and we can make a decision which ones to do first. Some quick screens made and some animations done on a few of them so we can see how the game will look. I did not hear much back from him, except he did not want release too many games all at once. I never was going to do that anyway, and I focused on Delta Space Arena myself. Do the other games later.

 

What happened with Delta Space Arena was I started porting that TurboBasic Megaoids game into something pure assembly language. I know another Asteroids clone will not sell a lot of copies. But I remember another similar game called Omega Race that had not been done on the 8-bit. So took the data and code I had already and made Delta Space Arena last summer. When Video61 was about to release it last December, KJMANN came on scene and suggested if we want this to sale, we should make a bunch of changes and add RMT music that he was suppose to write. I did some alterations myself and started downsizing the game so RMT + music file will fit. However after about 2 months, we did not hear back from KJMANN and decided to make some final improvements and release it ourselves. That led to KJMANN into leaving our group. He is having health problems and cannot continue to work with us.

 

The compression makes it possible to fit a larger game that normally takes between 20k and 24k onto a 16k cartridge provided you are leaving RAM to expand into.

 

Right now I cannot disclose all the titles and concepts being considered and are subject to change. Some games had already been talked about on other threads like Megaoids, Laser Blast, Mouse Trap, Lady Bug, and Zoo Keeper.

[Shawn Jefferson]

Why don't you forget about how many copies you will sell and do games you enjoy programming.

[Mclaneinc]

Agree with Shawn, concentrate on the games as you can't make money on what isn't finished and unless the game is good then you can project as many sales as you like but if its not good its stays in the warehouse..

 

Writing 8 bit games will make you some pocket change or pay a bill sometimes, it won't make you rich so give the game the love it deserves and don't dream on the riches.

Edited October 24, 2015 by Mclaneinc

[matosimi]

hmm... i just saw the YouTube video of this game, just out of curiosity... I don't understand why do you argue so much about it... it would take me like 2 hours to code it from scratch - is it worth that discussion? arguments? -I don't think so. If you want to code it, then code it, but stop bitching about it...

 

btw R U serious that you would like to sell this?

[Guest]

 

Right now I cannot disclose all the titles and concepts being considered and are subject to change. Some games had already been talked about on other threads like Megaoids, Laser Blast, Mouse Trap, Lady Bug, and Zoo Keeper.

so you don't want to disclose your ideas visually and you don't want to provide any demos? interesting way to generate interest in something, i must say

 

back in Atari's heyday - there were tens of millions of owners worldwide, but some great games/ideas just didn''t sell - even then. how many potential sales do YOU think are out there these days? (less than) tens of thousands - so YOU really should be looking maximizing your potential market - as this will generate interest in your future products also. your current approach may sell a hundred or so carts - but nothing more. this is a very narrow view.

 

take the simple (but effective) route:-

upload some clips of your ideas to Youtube - numbering each of them, and then canvas interest here...

it may not be a "demo" as such, but it'll at least give you a feel of if anyone is interested - or which project has the most potential

 

doubt you will though, because despite pages and pages of sensible advice - you've appeared to take little notice of any of it. people who want to sell their product lay their ideas out to focus groups for a reason - to hone and improve their product to make it the most sellable it can be.

 

Atariage is YOUR Focus Group - worth keeping that in mind

Edited October 24, 2015 by Guest

[NML32]

I just can't bring myself to buy any of peteym5's games even though they look like fun games. It's hard for me to support someone that has said the things he's said about the AA community. Maybe one day I might but not right now.

Edited October 24, 2015 by NML32

[Marius]

<useless to write anything at all here>

Edited October 24, 2015 by ProWizard

[peteym5]

hmm... i just saw the YouTube video of this game, just out of curiosity... I don't understand why do you argue so much about it... it would take me like 2 hours to code it from scratch - is it worth that discussion? arguments? -I don't think so. If you want to code it, then code it, but stop bitching about it...

 

btw R U serious that you would like to sell this?

 

I am not just making Laser Blast as it played on the 2600, but adding a bunch of optional extra features. The Atari 8-bit is much more capable than the 2600 with having more stuff moving around on the screen. I know multi hit tanks, level bosses, planes flying around, and background music all been discussed.

[peteym5]

As I first posted, Laser Blast has been considered for a game for almost 5 years ago. First suggested to me by KJMANN12 as part of a multi-cart game, then suggested games same better on stand alone cartridges. I played the original game on the 2600, and first thing I started thinking there is a lot more can be done with this on the Atari 8-bit that the 2600 cannot do or was not done with the 2600 version. Like multicolored mountains, ground, stars, etc. Add some extra stuff for more challenging game play, more play options. Testing and altering ideals is an ongoing process. However I have decided to hold final details, videos, and demos until the Game is completed and released. Things can get off track within a thread fast and it can be difficult to find any relevant interest and suggestions about the game itself.

 

After reviewing Bilbo, I have moved doing LadyBug/Mouse Trap clone to the bottom of my list. Since the game was made 29 years ago and freely downloaded. The copyright holders are no longer pursuing anyone who copies the game.

[peteym5]

This is the Vic-20 Laser Blitz game.

 

 

Has some similarity to Laser Blast, but being done on a different system and running from Basic, I do not believe it is as exciting as the 2600 Laser Blast. However I am looking at the space plane craft above the mountain line as a possible ideal for my version of the game. Maybe play tanks, planes, or both.

[peteym5]

I decided to move forward with Laser Blast along with several other games that game fit on these less expensive 16K cartridges. I had thought about the multi-cart game ideal since after Tempest Xtreem was released. I should let you know if we ever produce any multi-game cartridges, it may end up on larger and cost slightly more. At this time I do not have enough games completed to fill up one of these cartridges, so I am going with individual game sales.

 

What I can do for these 16K cartridge games instead is have options to play several variants of the same game. Good example, think of having PAC-MAN, MS PAC-MAN, SUPER PAC-MAN, and PAC-MAN JR. all on the same cartridge and have them share common subroutines, character set for drawing the maze, and use the same sprites for drawing the ghosts and fruit, and probably need one title splash screen. I believe a PAC-MAN game was done like that on the 7800. I can do Laser Blast, Laser Blitz, combination, and other options and still get it to fit.