"Space Zap" Clones?

[ballyalley]

Are there any clones of Midway's 1980 game "Space Zap?" I'm referring to this game:

 

http://www.arcade-museum.com/game_detail.php?game_id=9692

 

http://www.keithsarcade.com/space-zap.html

 

 

I don't care if the clone or port is a commercial release, public domain program, or a type-in listing: it doesn't matter to me. I'd just like to see an Atari 8-bit version of this game, as I've been playing the Bally Arcade/Astrocade game (called "Space Fortress") lately.

 

Adam

 

 

[+MrFish]

See this thread, starting here: Game Titles I Like To See Appearing On A8 Hardware - Space Zap

[ballyalley]

See this thread, starting here: Game Titles I Like To See Appearing On A8 Hardware - Space Zap

 

I did a search and that thread didn't come up. Thanks for pointing it out to me.

 

No true "Space Zap" clones are in the above thread-- although an AtariAge forum users named "Rybags" made his own back in the early 80s. Here's what he says:

 

As it would happen, I did Space Attack back in 1983. It was the first or second full game I ever did on Atari, and the first incorporating assembly routines within a Basic program.

I did the game based on the how to play guide alone from the book "How to master the video games". I don't think I've ever seen a real machine, maybe played it once or twice in Mame.

The version I did only has enemies coming at you, they don't shoot then disappear like the arcade.

 

 

The explosion of your ship sequence... heavily infuenced by a popular game of the time, no prize for guessing which one.

 

Download from Atarimania - http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-400-800-xl-xe-space-attack_27933.html

 

The above link to the game is only the BASIC game. Here's a link to a disk with the "Space Attack" and DOS on it:

 

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/242517-game-titles-i-like-to-see-appearing-on-a8-hardware/page-3?do=findComment&comment=3442176

 

I played "Space Attack" and found it far too easy. I played about a fifteen minute game and it was quite uneventful until the end-- when I basically lost all my ships one after the other. "Space Attack" looks nice and the control is all you could ask for. I like the different "fireballs" (especially the ones that look sorta like teddy bears), but there is no variety to the gameplay. Plus, much like the BASIC version of this game on the Astrocade (called "Astro Zap 2000!"), the top and bottom "fireballs" are all that you really need to worry about, because they start off closer to the ship than the two "fireballs" on the right and left sides.

 

I think that it's pretty incredible that "Space Attack" is based on a description of a game from a book-- that's a great story!

 

I only played one game of "Space Attack," but I figured I may as well post my score of 20,300:

 

 

I'd be curious to know what other people think of "Space Attack." Has anyone else played it?

 

Surely, with the many thousands of game released on the Atari 8-bit, there must be a "Space Zap" clone-- how could this have been overlooked?

[+Stephen]

We could do the game completely in hi-res mode, and use stretched PM/G graphics to simulate the screen overlay.

[Irgendwer]

#Surely, with the many thousands of game released on the Atari 8-bit, there must be a "Space Zap" clone-- how could this have been overlooked?

 

http://a8.fandal.cz/detail.php?files_id=2881

[+CharlieChaplin]

There is more than one clone, I do have approx. 10 games in my collection... lets ask atarimania:

 

- Cylon Zap: http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-400-800-xl-xe-cylon-zap_14014.html

 

(- Galactic Patrol looks like a Space Zap clone, but isn`t...)

 

- Genetic Drift: http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-400-800-xl-xe-genetic-drift_2183.html

 

- Laserbase: http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-400-800-xl-xe-laserbase_2913.html

 

- Space Attack: http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-400-800-xl-xe-space-attack_27933.html

 

- Space Base: http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-400-800-xl-xe-space-base_7150.html

 

- Star Castle: http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-400-800-xl-xe-star-castle_4973.html

 

- Starbase alpha: http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-400-800-xl-xe-starbase-alpha_5016.html

 

- and a few more (Sternenfestung comes to mind, have to look it up, since Atarimania and Fandal do not list it; maybe it is just Star Castle with a german title, maybe it is another game...)

Edited March 4, 2016 by CharlieChaplin

[Rybags]

I think I mentioned before but the problem with the game is it's just too simple. It's like the grandfather of a poor man's "Plants vs Zombies".

Except there's next to no variation in the enemies or weapons they use like that game.

 

It is what it is. Sort of like Space Invaders. Ask for an improved SI, you get pointed to Galaxian or Galaga. Ask for an improved Space Zap you get pointed to stuff like Plants vs Zombies.

[917k]

The first iPad game I wrote and published in the app store was inspired by Space Zap!

Edited March 5, 2016 by 917k

[_The Doctor__]

I think thats why he wants a direct space zap port.... he doesn't want it to be like anything else... He wants SPACE ZAP.... and based on what I have seen here.. anything it possible!

[Bryan]

Well, it's a 16K game for Astrocade-style hardware. People here (like xxl) have been doing Z80 Spectrum ports so hopefully getting the game logic converted to 6502 won't be too much of a problem. The arcade code apparently is written in color, but only b&w monitors were used (MAME lets you play the color version). An A8 port could support both a 160 color mode and a 320 b&w version.

 

Here's how it starts:

0000 00                               nop
0001 00                               nop
0002 f3                               di
0003 c3 15 00                         jp 0x0015
0006 00                               nop
0007 00                               nop
0008 dd 2b                            dec ix
000a dd 70 00                         ld (ix+0),b
000d dd 2b                            dec ix
000f dd 71 00                         ld (ix+0),c
0012 c1                               pop bc
0013 fd e9                            jp (iy)
0015 3e 01                            ld a,0x01
0017 d3 08                            out (0x08),a
0019 3e f0                            ld a,0xf0
001b d3 f8                            out (0xf8),a
001d 3e 0f                            ld a,0x0f
001f d3 fa                            out (0xfa),a
0021 d3 fb                            out (0xfb),a
0023 3e 01                            ld a,0x01
0025 d3 ff                            out (0xff),a
0027 dd 21 00 d8                      ld ix,0xd800
002b 31 80 d7                         ld sp,0xd780
002e 01 dc 3c                         ld bc,0x3cdc
0031 fd 21 35 00                      ld iy,0x0035
0035 0a                               ld a,(bc)
0036 03                               inc bc
0037 11 ea 3d                         ld de,0x3dea
003a 6f                               ld l,a
003b 26 00                            ld h,0x00
003d 29                               add hl,hl
003e 19                               add hl,de
003f 5e                               ld e,(hl)
0040 23                               inc hl
0041 56                               ld d,(hl)
0042 eb                               ex de,hl
0043 e9                               jp (hl)
0044 dd 4e 00                         ld c,(ix+0)
0047 dd 23                            inc ix
0049 dd 46 00                         ld b,(ix+0)
004c dd 23                            inc ix
004e fd e9                            jp (iy)
0050 0a                               ld a,(bc)
0051 03                               inc bc
0052 6f                               ld l,a
0053 0a                               ld a,(bc)
0054 03                               inc bc
0055 67                               ld h,a
0056 e5                               push hl
0057 fd e9                            jp (iy)
0059 0a                               ld a,(bc)
005a 03                               inc bc
005b 6f                               ld l,a
005c 26 00                            ld h,0x00
005e e5                               push hl
005f fd e9                            jp (iy)
0061 0a                               ld a,(bc)
0062 03                               inc bc
0063 6f                               ld l,a
0064 0a                               ld a,(bc)
0065 03                               inc bc
0066 67                               ld h,a
0067 e5                               push hl
0068 c3 50 00                         jp 0x0050
006b e1                               pop hl
006c 0a                               ld a,(bc)
006d 03                               inc bc
006e 5f                               ld e,a
006f 0a                               ld a,(bc)
0070 03                               inc bc
0071 57                               ld d,a
0072 19                               add hl,de
0073 e5                               push hl
0074 fd e9                            jp (iy)
0076 e1                               pop hl
0077 29                               add hl,hl
0078 c3 6c 00                         jp 0x006c
007b 21 00 00                         ld hl,0x0000
007e e5                               push hl
007f fd e9                            jp (iy)
0081 21 01 00                         ld hl,0x0001
0084 e5                               push hl
0085 fd e9                            jp (iy)
0087 e1                               pop hl
0088 e5                               push hl
0089 e5                               push hl
008a fd e9                            jp (iy)
008c e1                               pop hl
008d d1                               pop de
008e d5                               push de
008f e5                               push hl
0090 d5                               push de
0091 e5                               push hl
0092 fd e9                            jp (iy)
0094 e1                               pop hl
0095 fd e9                            jp (iy)
0097 e1                               pop hl
0098 d1                               pop de
0099 e5                               push hl
009a d5                               push de
009b fd e9                            jp (iy)
009d e1                               pop hl
009e 5e                               ld e,(hl)
009f 23                               inc hl
00a0 56                               ld d,(hl)
00a1 d5                               push de
00a2 fd e9                            jp (iy)
00a4 e1                               pop hl
00a5 5e                               ld e,(hl)
00a6 16 00                            ld d,0x00
00a8 d5                               push de
00a9 fd e9                            jp (iy)
00ab e1                               pop hl
00ac d1                               pop de
00ad 73                               ld (hl),e
00ae 23                               inc hl
00af 72                               ld (hl),d
00b0 fd e9                            jp (iy)
00b2 e1                               pop hl
00b3 d1                               pop de
00b4 73                               ld (hl),e
00b5 fd e9                            jp (iy)
00b7 e1                               pop hl
00b8 36 00                            ld (hl),0x00
00ba 23                               inc hl
00bb 36 00                            ld (hl),0x00
00bd fd e9                            jp (iy)
00bf d1                               pop de

[ballyalley]

Well, it's a 16K game for Astrocade-style hardware. People here (like xxl) have been doing Z80 Spectrum ports so hopefully getting the game logic converted to 6502 won't be too much of a problem. The arcade code apparently is written in color, but only b&w monitors were used (MAME lets you play the color version). An A8 port could support both a 160 color mode and a 320 b&w version.

The Bally/Astrocade version of "Space Fortress" (the home version's name of "Space Zap") would probably be much easier to port to the Atari 8-Bit. That version of the game is only 4K, so the code would be much easier to look through. I began a disassembly of "Space Fortress," back in 2012. The source code can be found here:

 

http://www.ballyalley.com/ml/ml_source/spacefor.asm

 

The disassembly is only lightly commented, but it's a start. If you assemble the code, then you'll get a byte-for-byte 4K binary that is identical to the cartridge release of the game. You could then play it under MAME using the Astrocade emulation available there. Here are the first few lines of the "Space Fortress" disassembly:

;  "Space Fortress"
;  For the Bally/Astrocade
;
;                   SPACE FORTRESS #2012
;                 Programmed by Bob Odgon
;             Copyright 1981, Astrovision, Inc.
;
;  Disassembly Started Sept. 5, 2012 by AJT
;
;  This game is based on Midway's "Space Zap" game released in 1980.
;
;  This program can be assembled usign ZMAC.  Make sure that HVGLIB.H
;  is in the same directory and then type:
;      zmac -i -m -o spacefor.bin -x spacefor.lst spacefor.asm
;
;  Version History:
;    .01 (Sept. 9, 2012) - First public release
;                
INCLUDE "HVGLIB.H"  ; Home Video Game Library

; Equates
        L0228   EQU   $0228     ; "# OF PLAYERS" Text String Address
        LIVES   EQU   $4F4C     ; Number of Player Bases (or "Lives")
        GAMDIF  EQU   $4F4E     ; Game Difficulty Setting
        NUMPLY  EQU   $4FF3     ; Number of Players

        ORG     FIRSTC          ; FIRST address in Cartridge

        DB      "U"             ; User Cartridge Sentinel
        
        DW      MENUST          ; Link to Head of On-Board MENU STart
        DW      L2886           ; Address of "SPACE FORTRESS" menu text
        DW      L2F5E           ; Jump here if "SPACE FORTRESS" selected

;  Reset Vector Jumps - Used with RST Instruction
        JP      L202A           ; Reset VECTor #1 /  8 / $08
        JP      L2046           ; Reset VECTor #2 / 16 / $10
        JP      L2533           ; Reset VECTor #3 / 24 / $18
        JP      L2088           ; Reset VECTor #4 / 32 / $20
        JP      L2BAE           ; Reset VECTor #5 / 40 / $28
        JP      L28AF           ; Reset VECTor #6 / 48 / $30

;  User's Macro Subroutine $80
;  ---------------------------
;    JumP address          = $2027 ($1FA7 + $80)
;    Mask ARGument address = $2029 ($1FE9 + ($80/2))
;  User Macro $80 has two arguments based on a mask of 0000 0011B
;  Registers D and E are loaded when the User Macro is SYSSUKed. 
;  See BIOS listing for more details.
L2019:  EXX     
        LD      HL,L2025
        PUSH    HL
        LD      HL,($010D)
        PUSH    HL
        EXX     
        DI      
        RET     

L2025:  EI      
        RET

;  
L2027:  DW      L2019           ; User's Macro Subroutine $80, JumP address
L2029:  DB      00000011B       ; User's Macro Subroutine $80, Mask ARGument 

; Interrupt Service Routine #1
L202A:  LD      E,A
        LD      D,$00
L202D:  ADD     HL,DE
        ADD     HL,DE
        LD      E,(HL)
        INC     HL
        LD      D,(HL)
        RET     

As was the case with nearly all of the Astrocade games, "Space Fortress" makes heavy use of the Astrocade's 8K built-in ROM (usually referred to as the "On-Board ROM"). The On-Board ROM contains the four built-in programs: "Gunfight," "Checkmate," "Calculator," and "Scribbling." In order to understand the above disassembly, it is necessary to use the official documentation for programming the Bally Arcade. This book is called "The Handbook of Hardware & Software" (aka "Nutting Manual") and was released in 1978 by Dave Nutting Associates, Inc. Luckily, it is easy to obtain-- here is a link to it:

 

http://www.ballyalley.com/ml/ml_docs/ml_docs.html#NuttingManual

 

Also, for those who are interested, the heavily-commented source code for the Bally's on-board ROM is available too. This can be downloaded here:

 

http://www.ballyalley.com/ml/ml_source/ml_source.html#AstrocadeOn-BoardROM

 

I'd love to see "Space Zap" (or "Space Fortress") appear on the Atari 8-Bit featuring the "Hi-Res" graphics from the Arcade version of the game.

[ballyalley]

For those who are interested in the Astrocade version of "Space Fortress," it was played in the Astrocade High Score Club just a few weeks ago:

 

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/249888-hsc01-round-2-space-fortress/

 

If you'd like to compete for a high score on "Space Fortress," then starting in the next round of the HSC (this coming Monday), "Space Fortress" will be available again for competition.

 

On first glance, it might look like I made every post in the above thread, but I only reposted multiple posts to the thread when I moved it over from the Bally Alley discussion group.

 

(It's neat to see interest in this thread-- I didn't expect many people to read it. Perhaps "Space Zap" is remember better than I thought it was-- or maybe it's a cult classic?)

[+Tarzilla]

I played the arcade version a bunch at the last Arcade Expo last January. I love the sound, and playing with just giant buttons is definitely a different experience compared to joysticks on any of the home ports.

 

I guess I should finish this:

 

[click to animate]

 

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/232653-wip-gnp-1002/

 

 

 

[ballyalley]

I played the arcade version a bunch at the last Arcade Expo last January. I love the sound, and playing with just giant buttons is definitely a different experience compared to joysticks on any of the home ports.

 

I guess I finish this [version of "Space Zap" that I'm working on]

 

Your game looks like it has some great potential. Is there a playable version available?

[+Tarzilla]

Your game looks like it has some great potential. Is there a playable version available?

Not yet, I'm going to upgrade the code to the newest version of IntyBASIC next week and refactor some of the code based on what I have learned in the last 15 months.

[ballyalley]

Not yet, I'm going to upgrade the code to the newest version of IntyBASIC next week and refactor some of the code based on what I have learned in the last 15 months.

 

Wow-- somehow I completely overlooked that this was for the Intellivision! Now I'm completely floored. Now that I know the Intellivision controller will be used, I really, really, think that diagonals are a bad idea. This game is being programmed in intyBASIC?!? I had no idea that it was so capable. I'm glad that I listen to the Intellivisionaries podcast (well, not all of them yet), or else I'd have no idea what this BASIC was all about.

[+Tarzilla]

 

Wow-- somehow I completely overlooked that this was for the Intellivision! Now I'm completely floored. Now that I know the Intellivision controller will be used, I really, really, think that diagonals are a bad idea. This game is being programmed in intyBASIC?!? I had no idea that it was so capable. I'm glad that I listen to the Intellivisionaries podcast (well, not all of them yet), or else I'd have no idea what this BASIC was all about.

IntyBASIC is a compliler, not an interpreter, therefore we get surprisingly near enough assembler speed. I'm also aware of the quirks of the 16 way controller, the diagonals might work, but I might make is so that certain levels are diagonal only, it'll be a "feel" thing when I test it on real hardware. The end result might just stick to 4 way.

Check out Missile Domination or Copter Command, they are both IntyBASIC games (with maybe a little bit of optimized assembler.)