Jump to content
IGNORED

Aardvark for Atari VCS/2600


nanochess

Recommended Posts

found a bug but not sure how to submit it. If an ant and a spider are over lapping each other and you eat the ant... you also eat the spider, not sure if for points or not. Then the spider will not return until you die or pass the level. You can then point press.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've been trying to replicate it for a day now. It was on the second level and the first spider of the night on the first life of that level. So basically I had survived on the same life until nightfall. Some how the spider and the ant on the top tunnel overlapped, the ant was closer to the tounge than the spider so I ate the ant... And the spider went with it. A second spider did not regenerate after this happened until I died.

 

I was caught so off guard that I didn't notice of the spider gave any points for this action. I have tried but have not replicated a scenario where the ant and the spider overlap in the same way.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here's the result after the bug occurs. This time it happened when I ate a queen ant and the spider and slug overlapped. The spider was about 3 tunnels down, triggered a slug to the left by pointing my tongue tip to the left, then shooting to the right and eating an on coming ant. Then headed to the queen ant. When the spider and the slug overlapped, I ate the queen ant. This also caused for the spider to never come back. I point pressed for about 5 or 6 nights until I just gave up. I think I racked 20+ slugs and about 20k points on level one then just kamikazed an ant. I I will try and set up a camera and capture it happening next time.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You can actually see the path I took to cause the bug. It happened in the third tunnel, and youll notice the path taken to get the queen ant. Granted, I was trying to make this happen, but it's interesting I was able to duplicate the bug in a totally different manner.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

whoop found another one... this time I caught it on camera. If you retract and hit the spider as it drops between levels, you can capture the spider and it will let you continue to play. I kinda like this bug because it is repeatable but a little knacky.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

oooooook It may not have anything to do with overlapping! I think it has something to do with having three bugs on the same tunnel (ant, slug, and spider) and eating one; either the ant, the slug, OR the queen ant. Maybe it's happening in the bank switching? Doing this seems to make the spider vanish for good.



night begins at 1:35 and it happens on the first spider
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

whoop found another one... this time I caught it on camera. If you retract and hit the spider as it drops between levels, you can capture the spider and it will let you continue to play. I kinda like this bug because it is repeatable but a little knacky.

 

Nice! I like this one too.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

whoop found another one... this time I caught it on camera. If you retract and hit the spider as it drops between levels, you can capture the spider and it will let you continue to play. I kinda like this bug because it is repeatable but a little knacky.

 

Yup, that was a bug. Alex_79 reported that one to me too some days ago and it has been fixed by now.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

oooooook It may not have anything to do with overlapping! I think it has something to do with having three bugs on the same tunnel (ant, slug, and spider) and eating one; either the ant, the slug, OR the queen ant. Maybe it's happening in the bank switching? Doing this seems to make the spider vanish for good.

 

 

night begins at 1:35 and it happens on the first spider

That one is interesting! I have to check what could be happening here. In slow motion it looks like the spider disappears even before the ant is eaten. Maybe the tongue passing a tunnel is part of the bug trigger?

 

BTW: If anyone is testing with Stella, please enable the Time Machine. That way you can move back in time and create early savestates when you encounter a bug.

Edited by Thomas Jentzsch
Link to comment
Share on other sites

That one is interesting! I have to check what could be happening here. In slow motion it looks like the spider disappears even before the ant is eaten. Maybe the tongue passing a tunnel is part of the bug trigger?

 

BTW: If anyone is testing with Stella, please enable the Time Machine. That way you can move back in time and create early savestates when you encounter a bug.

I guess I never considered the tongue as a sprite... but it totally is isn't it? So there are 4 characters in that tunnel. Is it possible the tongue and the spider are on the same bank and its just turning the spider off? I'm curious as a developer, My understanding of bankswitching is extremely limited, but I find it interesting.

 

I can say this, if I am trying to bug the spider, I can do it just about every game. It doesn't always happen the same way, but there is something consistent here.

Edited by keebz
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It has nothing to do with bankswitching. But the tip of the tongue is indeed a sprite. And it seems to turn of the spider.

 

It might be a bug in my flicker code. The kernel can only display 2 sprites per row. So for 3 and 4 sprites, I have to flicker them. Which means they are swapping memory. Switching from 3 to 4 sprite flicker might be the problem. But that usually works well, so there must be something extra happening here. icon_ponder.gif

Edited by Thomas Jentzsch
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...

Over the last months the team was working hard on the game. Since we are almost done, we thought this might be the right time for another release. But also, because we are that close, this demo is limited quite a bit:

  • Only one game variation (medium difficulty, the release version will have heaps of option combinations)
  • No SaveKey support (the release version will save multiple high scores)
  • The anthills (and difficulty) loop after 5 hills.(no anthill/difficulty looping in the release version)

Nevertheless we are sure that the demo version still allows everyone to evaluate the game. And we are hoping for a lot of feedback, e.g. if you like it, what could be improved, what is missing etc.

(Not sure if this was brought up previously) I loaded in on the AFP and the title screens (AA and Aardvark screens) work, but once I get to the game options screen it is stuck there. Is there any way to start the game around the options screen?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

(Not sure if this was brought up previously) I loaded in on the AFP and the title screens (AA and Aardvark screens) work, but once I get to the game options screen it is stuck there. Is there any way to start the game around the options screen?

Are you talking about the old Atari Flashback Portable? Or the newest one?

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

LOL. Scramble is easier than its sequel Super Cobra.

Didnt you get the booty in Super Cobra?

Scramble is easier and you just need to destroy the thing at the end, not capture it: :)

I have successfully destroyed the target on the NES ported version (Khan Games), and in the Atari 2600 version (only on "easy" mode) in Scramble. The NES port lacks difficulty settings and matches normal mode on the 2600 port, but has smoother scrolling which helps in the final stages. Also the starfield background option is missing from the NES version (which was ported based on assets from the public 2600 beta ROM), but adds Achievements and on-cart high score saving using the Memblers flash based GT-ROM. I eventually earned all of the NES achievements except make it through the game without dying. I seemed to always die at least one time somewhere... :dunce:

 

I also have the 7800 game on the PMP multicart but never played it much as I ironically liked the 2600/NES versions better. I'm weird like that with certain games. The trick to mastering the 6th zone is to move the joystick between straight forward and reverse diagonal during the narrow vertical corridors. The ship will retreat at the same speed as the maze when throttled backwards, giving just enough time to zip up and down the vertical maze segments.

 

I did get to the "booty" on Super Cobra Arcade a handful of times (using multiple continues to do it), but was never able to collect it without crashing into the walls. Also while the final area loops if you miss the "booty" in Super Cobra Arcade same as Scramble, if you don't collect it on the second pass, you will die from fuel depletion before you get a third attempt. Unlike Scramble, there are no fuel stations in the final zone.

 

I did have the Super Cobra game by Parker Brothers in my collection but never played it (I originally thought it was a J.I. Joe thing) prior to learning about Super Cobra Arcade. It is a very well built game considering tech what was available in the early 1980s, a bit choppier and certainly not as detailed graphically, but still very playable.

 

I feel greatful we have three versions of Scramble across three platforms, and two different Atari 2600 versions of Super Cobra. I love comparing commercial and homebrew ports of arcade games across multiple systems.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Over the last months the team was working hard on the game. Since we are almost done, we thought this might be the right time for another release. But also, because we are that close, this demo is limited quite a bit:

  • Only one game variation (medium difficulty, the release version will have heaps of option combinations)
  • No SaveKey support (the release version will save multiple high scores)
  • The anthills (and difficulty) loop after 5 hills.(no anthill/difficulty looping in the release version)

Nevertheless we are sure that the demo version still allows everyone to evaluate the game. And we are hoping for a lot of feedback, e.g. if you like it, what could be improved, what is missing etc.

 

This might be the best looking game I have played on the 2600!! Kudos to all involved! Wow!!!!

Edited by hizzy
  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...