Baby Pac-Man

RevEng · January 9, 2019

I'll just add my voice to the chorus. This is stunning work! Beautiful even just to watch, let alone play.

Well done, Bob and Kurt!

carlsson · January 9, 2019

By the way, last week this game became the most played game for a pre-NES system on AtariAge. It currently ranks as the 13th most played Atari 7800 game ever with over 21 hours of gameplay logged, despite it is not yet finished!

Swami · January 9, 2019

By the way, last week this game became the most played game for a pre-NES system on AtariAge. It currently ranks as the 13th most played Atari 7800 game ever with over 21 hours of gameplay logged, despite it is not yet finished!

Just curious, was this logged by you? Or where is this logging going on? I played like six hours in the last week and logged it nowhere. ~\_(*o*)_/~

carlsson · January 9, 2019

Logged by Kurt actually, and you are more than welcome to join weekly:

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/286737-what-have-you-actually-played-tracker-for-2019-season-12/?p=4193087

Swami · January 9, 2019

Logged by Kurt actually, and you are more than welcome to join weekly:

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/286737-what-have-you-actually-played-tracker-for-2019-season-12/?p=4193087

Thanks! I never knew any actual analysis was done in the thread.

carlsson · January 9, 2019

Oh, you have been missing out on 10+ years of fun and stats!

Kurt_Woloch · January 10, 2019

When playing the Visual PinMAME version of Baby Pac-Man, I noticed another difference to your version. In the original version, if you go up to the maze by placing the ball in a hole (not by losing it) and then complete the maze, the next maze only has the chute open which you came through, but the other chute closed. In addition to that, your starting position is not the normal one, but it's the starting position you would have if you went up that chute to the new maze, which is directly above the chute facing up.

However, if you lose your baby while in the maze, the new baby starts with both chutes open again. This also happens if you've completed the maze and then lose your baby before making it down to the pinball table again.

Another thing (I don't know if you put it in anyway) is that you can also earn two power pellets with the even-up lane if both columns of lights belonging to it already spell "Pacman". That is, if columns 1 and 2 spell "Pacman" and you go through the even-up lane, you get power pellets 1 and 2. Same thing with 3 and 4.

Swami · January 10, 2019

When playing the Visual PinMAME version of Baby Pac-Man, I noticed another difference to your version. In the original version, if you go up to the maze by placing the ball in a hole (not by losing it) and then complete the maze, the next maze only has the chute open which you came through, but the other chute closed. In addition to that, your starting position is not the normal one, but it's the starting position you would have if you went up that chute to the new maze, which is directly above the chute facing up.

However, if you lose your baby while in the maze, the new baby starts with both chutes open again. This also happens if you've completed the maze and then lose your baby before making it down to the pinball table again.

Another thing (I don't know if you put it in anyway) is that you can also earn two power pellets with the even-up lane if both columns of lights belonging to it already spell "Pacman". That is, if columns 1 and 2 spell "Pacman" and you go through the even-up lane, you get power pellets 1 and 2. Same thing with 3 and 4.

This has made me wonder what happens in the actual arcade game if you lose your ball and come back to the maze and finish the maze: does the new maze have both tunnels open or closed? In this 7800 version they both reopen,, which I thought was sweet, but not sure if it is arcade accurate now.

Swami · January 10, 2019

When playing the Visual PinMAME version of Baby Pac-Man, I noticed another difference to your version. In the original version, if you go up to the maze by placing the ball in a hole (not by losing it) and then complete the maze, the next maze only has the chute open which you came through, but the other chute closed. In addition to that, your starting position is not the normal one, but it's the starting position you would have if you went up that chute to the new maze, which is directly above the chute facing up.

However, if you lose your baby while in the maze, the new baby starts with both chutes open again. This also happens if you've completed the maze and then lose your baby before making it down to the pinball table again.

Another thing (I don't know if you put it in anyway) is that you can also earn two power pellets with the even-up lane if both columns of lights belonging to it already spell "Pacman". That is, if columns 1 and 2 spell "Pacman" and you go through the even-up lane, you get power pellets 1 and 2. Same thing with 3 and 4.

This has made me wonder what happens in the actual arcade game if you lose your ball and come back to the maze and finish the maze: does the new maze have both tunnels open or closed? In this 7800 version they both reopen,, which I thought was sweet, but not sure if it is arcade accurate now.

Kurt_Woloch · January 10, 2019

If you finish the maze, the new maze has both tunnels open, like in the 7800 version. That part is correct (but that's not if one of them was open in the finished maze)

This has made me wonder what happens in the actual arcade game if you lose your ball and come back to the maze and finish the maze: does the new maze have both tunnels open or closed? In this 7800 version they both reopen,, which I thought was sweet, but not sure if it is arcade accurate now.

SearsRoebuck · January 11, 2019

Great work guys, it gets better every time there is an update. One thing I would like to see, if possible, are just more sounds in the pinball section, particularly the flippers. I am fortunate to live near an arcade with a Baby Pac-Man, which I play every time I am there, and the game's pinball section is loud. Clunk clunk and all of that. So I dont know if more collision sounds would be possible. I never liked how the old time pinball sim-games had silent flippers, at the least.

I know it is still a WIP so maybe you intended to that, anyway keep up the good work and I will be buying a cart of this when it is finished.

PacManPlus · January 11, 2019

Thanks, guys - I appreciate the kind words, always.

Now for the sounds...

I've got some more ideas on what could sound good there after recording and analyzing some of the sounds from Visual PinMAME myself...

The bumper could maybe sound good if it plays a sound that consists of white noise (distortion # sweeping up and down (vibrato) over the course of about 7 frames, decaying over the course of about 1.25 seconds (which is 75 frames in NTSC or 62 frames in PAL). Well maybe not with this voice, but the vibrato part sounds right to me.

For some sounds, I think 15 would be a good distortion value, especially for the Fruit and Tunnel rollovers. I think this distortion is closest to the "voice" actually needed for those rollovers.

I agree with you about voice 15 for the fruit and tunnel rollovers. I had tried a few voices, but for some reason I did not try 15. Changed.

Still playing with the bumper sounds.

When playing the Visual PinMAME version of Baby Pac-Man, I noticed another difference to your version. In the original version, if you go up to the maze by placing the ball in a hole (not by losing it) and then complete the maze, the next maze only has the chute open which you came through, but the other chute closed. In addition to that, your starting position is not the normal one, but it's the starting position you would have if you went up that chute to the new maze, which is directly above the chute facing up.

However, if you lose your baby while in the maze, the new baby starts with both chutes open again. This also happens if you've completed the maze and then lose your baby before making it down to the pinball table again.

Another thing (I don't know if you put it in anyway) is that you can also earn two power pellets with the even-up lane if both columns of lights belonging to it already spell "Pacman". That is, if columns 1 and 2 spell "Pacman" and you go through the even-up lane, you get power pellets 1 and 2. Same thing with 3 and 4.

Good catch. I have fixed that. ...and yes, the even up lane will give two energizers if both lanes spell PACMAN.

Guys, what's a good TIA 'click' sound I could use for the flippers?

+-^CrossBow^- · January 11, 2019

Guys, what's a good TIA 'click' sound I could use for the flippers?

What about the flipper sound in Midnight Magic? Or perhaps the tick like sound that plays occasionally when you hit certain things in the original Video Pinball?

Kurt_Woloch · January 11, 2019

I think I've found a good one for the bumpers which comes close to the original texture... and it uses distortion value 15 as well because I think they are using that polyphonic "waveform" for quite a few effects...

LC = $F0
LF    =    $05
FFTUNE07:    ; BONUS AT END OF LEVEL / BUMPERS
  .byte #TT+$05,#TT+$04,#TT+$03,#TT+$02,#TT+$02,#TT+$03,#TT+$04
  .byte #TT+$05,#TT+$04,#TT+$03,#TT+$02,#TT+$02,#TT+$03,#TT+$04
  .byte #TT+$05,#TT+$04,#TT+$03,#TT+$02,#TT+$02,#TT+$03,#TT+$04
  .byte #TT+$05,#TT+$04,#TT+$03,#TT+$02,#TT+$02,#TT+$03,#TT+$04
  .byte #TT+$05,#TT+$04,#TT+$03,#TT+$02,#TT+$02,#TT+$03,#TT+$04
  .byte #TT+$05,#TT+$04,#TT+$03,#TT+$02,#TT+$02,#TT+$03,#TT+$04
  .byte #TT+$05,#TT+$04,#TT+$03,#TT+$02,#TT+$02,#TT+$03,#TT+$04
  .byte #TT+$05,#TT+$04,#TT+$03,#TT+$02,#TT+$02,#TT+$03,#TT+$04
  .byte #TT+$05,#TT+$04,#TT+$03,#TT+$02,#TT+$02,#TT+$03,#TT+$04
  .byte #TT+$05,#TT+$04,#TT+$03,#TT+$02,#TT+$02,#TT+$03,#TT+$04
  .byte #TT+$05,#TT+$04,#TT+$03,#TT+$02,#TT+$02,#TT+$03,#TT+$04
  .byte $00

CVTUNE07:
  .byte #LC+$07,#LC+$07,#LC+$07,#LC+$07,#LC+$07,#LC+$07,#LC+$07
  .byte #LC+$06,#LC+$06,#LC+$06,#LC+$06,#LC+$06,#LC+$06,#LC+$06
  .byte #LC+$05,#LC+$05,#LC+$05,#LC+$05,#LC+$05,#LC+$05,#LC+$05
  .byte #LC+$04,#LC+$04,#LC+$04,#LC+$04,#LC+$04,#LC+$04,#LC+$04
  .byte #LC+$04,#LC+$04,#LC+$04,#LC+$04,#LC+$04,#LC+$04,#LC+$04
  .byte #LC+$03,#LC+$03,#LC+$03,#LC+$03,#LC+$03,#LC+$03,#LC+$03
  .byte #LC+$03,#LC+$03,#LC+$03,#LC+$03,#LC+$03,#LC+$03,#LC+$03
  .byte #LC+$02,#LC+$02,#LC+$02,#LC+$02,#LC+$02,#LC+$02,#LC+$02
  .byte #LC+$02,#LC+$02,#LC+$02,#LC+$02,#LC+$02,#LC+$02,#LC+$02
  .byte #LC+$01,#LC+$01,#LC+$01,#LC+$01,#LC+$01,#LC+$01,#LC+$01
  .byte #LC+$01,#LC+$01,#LC+$01,#LC+$01,#LC+$01,#LC+$01,#LC+$01
  .byte $00

I've put it in place of Tune 07 as for now because that's what I'm playing for the bumpers in my version. You'll probably want to place it in a different slot which is unique to the bumpers.

Kurt_Woloch · January 11, 2019

Or this one (I think that's about the closest I can get):

LC = $F0
FFTUNE07:    ; BONUS AT END OF LEVEL
  .byte #TT+$00,#TT+$03,#TT+$07,#TT+$0B,#TT+$08,#TT+$05,#TT+$02
  .byte #TT+$00,#TT+$03,#TT+$07,#TT+$0B,#TT+$08,#TT+$05,#TT+$02
  .byte #TT+$00,#TT+$03,#TT+$07,#TT+$0B,#TT+$08,#TT+$05,#TT+$02
  .byte #TT+$00,#TT+$03,#TT+$07,#TT+$0B,#TT+$08,#TT+$05,#TT+$02
  .byte #TT+$00,#TT+$03,#TT+$07,#TT+$0B,#TT+$08,#TT+$05,#TT+$02
  .byte #TT+$00,#TT+$03,#TT+$07,#TT+$0B,#TT+$08,#TT+$05,#TT+$02
  .byte #TT+$00,#TT+$03,#TT+$07,#TT+$0B,#TT+$08,#TT+$05,#TT+$02
  .byte #TT+$00,#TT+$03,#TT+$07,#TT+$0B,#TT+$08,#TT+$05,#TT+$02
  .byte $00

CVTUNE07:
  .byte #LC+$07,#LC+$07,#LC+$07,#LC+$07,#LC+$07,#LC+$07,#LC+$07
  .byte #LC+$07,#LC+$07,#LC+$07,#LC+$07,#LC+$07,#LC+$07,#LC+$07
  .byte #LC+$07,#LC+$07,#LC+$07,#LC+$07,#LC+$07,#LC+$07,#LC+$07
  .byte #LC+$07,#LC+$07,#LC+$07,#LC+$07,#LC+$07,#LC+$07,#LC+$07
  .byte #LC+$06,#LC+$06,#LC+$06,#LC+$06,#LC+$06,#LC+$06,#LC+$06
  .byte #LC+$04,#LC+$04,#LC+$04,#LC+$04,#LC+$04,#LC+$04,#LC+$04
  .byte #LC+$02,#LC+$02,#LC+$02,#LC+$02,#LC+$02,#LC+$02,#LC+$02
  .byte #LC+$01,#LC+$01,#LC+$01,#LC+$01,#LC+$01,#LC+$01,#LC+$01
  .byte $00

PacManPlus · January 11, 2019

Nice job Kurt - I made the volume decay more gradually but the sound is very close.

PacManPlus · January 14, 2019

Hi Guys...

All sounds added for Pinball, except for the flipper clicking.

Things left:

- Flipper clicking sound

- Sound priority in Pinball mode

- 'Pinball Only' selection (right now you don't lose any balls... however I may take this option out, because I am unable to find any footage of this dip switch on).

- Possibly loosen up collision detection (maze portion).

We're in the home stretch now... Very close to being done.

Thanks, guys-

Bob

Edited January 14, 2019 by PacManPlus

Atariboy · January 14, 2019

Looks great

Can't wait to play the finished version soon. Hoping to be able to check out your Berzerk/Frenzy port on the NES one of these days, too.

Trebor · January 14, 2019

Pinball sounds portion (flippers aside) now matches being spectacular like the other game elements. Great selections - very well done!

And wow, great job on the footage, impressive playing. I know I've picked up a few gameplay tips just watching that video alone.

Side note to those viewing the capture, full screen the video to enjoy it in all its glory.

+x=usr(1536) · January 14, 2019

This is really looking incredible, and thank you for dropping the volume on the siren effect.

+sramirez2008 · January 14, 2019

This is AWESOME!!! Quite the clinic in game play. :thumbsup: I needed this video before playing the arcade machine. :-D

Definitely an insta-buy.

Andromeda Stardust · January 14, 2019

Video of the most current build.

Not crazy about the bumper sound, and that the 'pinball entry' & pacscalator/evenup sounds are so similar.

Amazing! :grin: :grin: :grin: :grin: :grin: :thumbsup:

I do collect any and all pinball related games. This will be my second Pinball themed homebrew, after 8-bit Xmas 2016 from RetroUSB. Pacman plus Pinball? Best of both worlds, although I'll admit the ghost behavior is very... odd ...in maze mode. I am glad you included the option to revert classic behavior.

imstarryeyed · January 14, 2019

@Bob & @Kurt

This latest version looks great Bob! I think you did an amazing job on the sound effects and the polish is really showing! I have to say watching that video gave me a great feeling that this game is a amazing duplication of the actual arcade game!

TrekMD · January 14, 2019

That is just awesome! Great job!

Swami · January 14, 2019

Fantastic sound effects, Bob. Really genuine pinball sound.

Baby Pac-Man

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