Bosconian for the 8-bits

[emkay]

The interesting part of this game is that isn't something one would expect, but it's doing very well. Just like a special colour at dawning . While dawning is an everyday event, you get fascinated by something special

[shanti77]

Latest version dosen't work good with real Atari, this is version with patch. (Reset Pokey

bosconian.xex

[Kyle22]

Someone who is good at editing Wikipedia should add this, and also Sinistar: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bosconian

[+therealbountybob]

This is coming along nicely

 

I'm not familiar with the original game - what is there to expect in terms of difficulty and rounds? The game is now tougher but still fairly easy to complete the 3 rounds.

 

Could you add a pause key and make it reset reboots when you have time, thanks

[Rybags]

I don't say this often but maybe it's a bit too hard. But coming along nicely.

 

I wonder though... could the game engine be adapted for Time Pilot ?

[miker]

@Rybags: I think it's already in the works.

[+therealbountybob]

I don't say this often but maybe it's a bit too hard. But coming along nicely.

 

I wonder though... could the game engine be adapted for Time Pilot ?

How is it a bit hard? You can take advantage of the pods each having a place where they don't shoot at you and make a lot of use of the rear shot for the ships

[Mclaneinc]

If he can add the galaxain formation from the arcade (if you have mame you will see what I mean) it will be a bloody good version indeed and yes its an ideal engine for time pilot depending on how he does the collision detection as the clouds in TP won't be sprites on the Atari (well I'd think its unlikely) but the multi way scrolling would fit perfectly..

[+therealbountybob]

I've been playing this a fair bit and didn't realise you could destroy the thingys with a shot up the passage I've been happily shooting the canons off each one

 

Looks like there is a lot more to come

[shanti77]

New version:

- game need minimum 128KB RAM

- no ship acceleration on start

- START pause/unpause game , in pause OPTION go to title screen

- some graphics

- logo

- new sound

 

bosconian.xex

[tjlazer]

Bummer, only have a 800XL with 64k right now, can't you make it run on 64k?

[+therealbountybob]

Bummer, only have a 800XL with 64k right now, can't you make it run on 64k?

You guys need to get with the new technology... and get a 130XE

 

Hopefully there will be a 64K version too - you can at least play the previous w.i.p. It's good - and part of the current HSC round ending Sunday

[Gunstar]

With the vast majority of games that are coming out these days being absolutely FREE, People can spend a bit of money on the many internal and external memory upgrades available today. If you are a serious XL/XE user/collector/gamer, there is no reason why anyone with only 64K shouldn't be upgrading to 128-256K at least. If you are not a serious XL/XE user, then guess what? There will be new and old software that you just can't use and since you aren't serious, you'll get over it.

 

I purchased a 130XE as my first Atari years ago, only to discover that most software only used 48K of that memory and a few 64K programs. I lived with inferior versions of popular games for years, because software was mostly written to the lowest common denominator of 48K. Now that people are finally using 128K on a regular basis helps to make up for all the years of lack-luster ports of Atari games in 48K and I say make as many games requiring 128K or more as you can programmers! It's about time, It time the people with less memory get screwed instead of us with extended memory systems. People that insist on keeping only 48K or 64K Atari's can live with it or without it, as the case may be.

 

If you want to be stuck in 64K land, maybe it's time you found a new favorite classic computer, like a Commodore 64....buh-bye!

Edited October 17, 2016 by Gunstar

[shanti77]

64KB version:

 

 

bosconian.xex

[tjlazer]

Yeah I know, I need to get a mem expansion for my 800XL.

 

Thanks for the 64k version! Any difference?

[shanti77]

No "game over" digital sample, soft sprites (kamikaze) will be only in one color (no multicolor),and another difference in future like number of levels.

[rdefabri]

I like the explosions on the enemy ships. You got the opening screen spot on. Not sure how much it takes to have the words "Blast Off" appear on the side of the screen, but I'm pretty sure that's not in the arcade game.

The voice is a very nice touch...this is really well done!!

[The Usotsuki]

It's not, though the MSX port has it appear near the center.

[Rybags]

IMO the "Blast Off" graphics is unnecessary and should only be included if it comes to the point of a 64K version without the speech.

 

What would be nice is if the progressive speedup start was brought back, and have the speech going on simultaneous with that. With our modern timer playback methods, no reason to shut everything else down just because some voice stuff is going on.

Edited October 18, 2016 by Rybags

[shanti77]

When I play a speech I must off right panel (it also use pokey innterrupt).

[Heaven/TQA]

I totally missed the a8 scene for a while... (damned Atari Lynx stuff ) but that looks great!

 

I will post later My Gridrunner port as this was never released either and has digital speech...

[Rybags]

OK... couldn't you setup an alternate timer IRQ for when speech is wanted? Still do the panel stuff then immediately do a sample if required.

[shanti77]

Speech will be deformed and also right panel, interrupts will be overlap. I think about some animation on right panel.

[Rybags]

What I meant was, use the same timer IRQ for both. Either patch at runtime or have a similar one that's only used when the speech is occurring, then every 4th scanline or whatever the interval is, do a sample. Then on the last one of the active screen, switch to an alternate routine which does offscreen samples.

 

So end result is you probably end up with a bunch of duplicated code and bloat to get the result you want, but that's the price we pay sometimes.

[shanti77]

Only in theory, I sync right panel with dli interrupt, when I play speech I can't sync pokey interrupt. In each frame pokey interrupt will be start form different line and line cycle.