ChaoticGrill (Atari 2600)

[+splendidnut]

ChaoticGrill is an attempt to bring a new version of the arcade classic BurgerTime to the Atari 2600.

With a grill in the midst of chaos, you control Pete the chef to build burgers for eagerly awaiting customers. Sounds like an easy job, right? Well it would be if it weren't for some other pesky ingredients trying to interfere with your burger assembly line. It's chaos on the grill. But you can manage, right?

To play, navigate your chef around the kitchen and knock down pieces to build your burgers while avoiding the hot dogs, pickles and eggs. You can use the FIRE button to spray pepper on the enemies. Knock down all the pieces to complete a level and move on to the next one.

Controls:
JOYSTICK - Move player around
FIRE BUTTON - Spray pepper (also start game)
SELECT - Switch levels

RESET - Reset to title screen
RIGHT DIFFICULTY - Turn on/off music

 

Credits:

splendidnut - programming, sound

NostAlgae37 - graphics

Kurt_Woloch - misc (some logic, some music / sound tweaks)

 

--------------

 

This is currently a work-in-progress, but pretty much feature complete at this point, so I figured I would post it here also.

 

Information on development can be found here:

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/246769-chaoticgrill-burgertime-remake-in-progress/

 

Latest version (as of November 13th, 2022):

 

chaoticGrill_NTSC_20221113.bin

chaoticGrill_PAL60_20221113.bin

 

Older version (as of August 18th, 2019):

 

 

chaoticGrill-2019-08-18--NTSC.bin

chaoticGrill-2019-08-18--PAL60.bin

 

NOTE:  DO NOT REDISTRIBUTE THESE FILES.  If you want to share, please link to this thread instead.  Thanks!

 

chaoticGrill-2018-12-31.bin chaoticGrill-2019-01-08.bin chaoticGrill-2019-01-20.bin chaoticGrill-2019-02-17.bin chaoticGrill-2019-07-05--PAL60.bin chaoticGrill-2019-07-05--NTSC.bin

[MemberAtarian]

Looks promising, love the music. The only thing I can't really understand that like nowadays every game, it uses DPC+.

 

Chaotic Grill is an attempt to bring a new version of the arcade classic BurgerTime to the Atari 2600.

With a grill in the midst of chaos, you control Pete the chef to build burgers for eagerly awaiting customers. Sounds like an easy job, right? Well it would be if it weren't for some other pesky ingredients trying to interfere with your burger assembly line. It's chaos on the grill. But you can manage, right?

To play, navigate your chef around the kitchen and knock down pieces to build your burgers while avoiding the hot dogs, pickles and eggs. You can use the FIRE button to spray pepper on the enemies. Knock down all the pieces to complete a level and move on to the next one.

Controls:
JOYSTICK - Move player around
FIRE BUTTON - Spray pepper (also start game)
SELECT - Switch levels

RESET - Reset to title screen
RIGHT DIFFICULTY - Turn on/off music

--------------

 

This is currently a work-in-progress, but pretty much feature complete at this point, so I figured I would post it here also.

 

Information on development can be found here:

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/246769-chaoticgrill-burgertime-remake-in-progress/

 

 

Latest version (as of December 31st, 2018):

chaoticGrill-2018-12-31.bin

[DirtyHairy]

Chaotic Grill is an attempt to bring a new version of the arcade classic BurgerTime to the Atari 2600.

 

I've been following the development progress, and this is coming along great

 

like nowadays every game

 

 

Sorry, but this is nonsense.

 

it uses DPC+

 

Your problem with that being what? Imho, this project is particularly interesting from a technical perspective as it is one of the few games that actually use DPC+ for the extended DPC-like data fetchers it provides, without running ARM code.

[MemberAtarian]

 

I've been following the development progress, and this is coming along great

 

 

 

Sorry, but this is nonsense.

 

 

Your problem with that being what? Imho, this project is particularly interesting from a technical perspective as it is one of the few games that actually use DPC+ for the extended DPC-like data fetchers it provides, without running ARM code.

Nowadays 4 of 5 games are using DPC+, mostly batari Basic games where the programmer is just lazy with doing the sprite overlays manually or creating a more detailed playfield with programming tricks. I think extra RAM and ARM abilities should be only used as it the programmer really requires it, like Scramble or Mappy, thouse would be really hard without it (looking at Robomechanik, it's not impossible, but a really hard work).

I myself was really disappointed that I had to use superchip RAM for my current project, but I can't just save variables for 44 tiles with various possibilities, sprite placement counters and even the population's attributes, like money, number of people, steps left, etc., with only using the original 128 bytes.

[KevKelley]

I think the use of DPC+ is neat and while there may be some use that seems lazy, I am sure that overtime people will find creative ways to utilize this tool.

 

As for the game, cool!

[xybot67]

Awesome! What a great way to start 2019. Thanks Spendidnut

[+splendidnut]

Looks promising, love the music. The only thing I can't really understand that like nowadays every game, it uses DPC+.

 

 

I was trying to figure out what whether you were just complaining, or attempting to ask a question... but then you said:

 

Nowadays 4 of 5 games are using DPC+, mostly batari Basic games where the programmer is just lazy with doing the sprite overlays manually or creating a more detailed playfield with programming tricks. I think extra RAM and ARM abilities should be only used as it the programmer really requires it, like Scramble or Mappy, thouse would be really hard without it (looking at Robomechanik, it's not impossible, but a really hard work).

I myself was really disappointed that I had to use superchip RAM for my current project, but I can't just save variables for 44 tiles with various possibilities, sprite placement counters and even the population's attributes, like money, number of people, steps left, etc., with only using the original 128 bytes.

 

So it sounds like it's a bit of both.

 

A bit of history on this project (which you may or may not have read): http://atariage.com/forums/blog/614-splendidnuts-blog/

 

I originally started this project without DPC/DPC+ and found that I wasn't going to be able to do much better graphically than the original M-Network Burgertime. Potentially add a little more color. I then switched to DPC (Pitfall 2):

 

 

From: http://atariage.com/forums/blog/614/entry-12174-burgertime-remake-the-start/

 

...to be able to display 2 sprites updated as a 1-line Kernel. Currently only 1 of the sprites has their color updated every line. The other is just a solid color. I don't quite have enough cycles to do both.

 

I needed a little more than that... at least both sprites multi-color and time to switch kernels and/or move data around during the display.

 

Switching to DPC+ gave me the following:

- fluid burger dropping

- fully detailed burgers (PF and color update in 10 cycles using fast fetch)

- multicolor single-line sprites (for both)

 

Yes, this project could be done without DPC+ (since I use no ARM code... I've only written 6502 assembly with DASM macros), but the burgers (a key element of the game) would sacrifice the most graphically. The project would look more or less like the screenshot in "BurgerTime Remake: The Start" only without the multicolored chef. It would still need 256 bytes of extra ram (a la... M-Network's E7 mapper )

 

I grappled a lot with whether or not to use DPC+, but at the end of the day, I'm really glad I chose to use it. My compromise has been to write only in 6502 assembly.

[+splendidnut]

 

I've been following the development progress, and this is coming along great

 

 

Thanks! And thank you for the work you put into the latest versions of Stella.

[+Muddyfunster]

I think it looks great with all its DPC goodness!

[hizzy]

This is better than the commercial version released for the C64. BRAVO!!!!

[F34R]

Ugh, doesn't work on the NT Mini.

 

edit: apparently it's me somehow. I'm not able to load anything on the 2600/7800 cores.

Edited January 1, 2019 by F34R

[+sramirez2008]

This latest version is AMAZING! Thank you.

 

We’re just a couple of days into the new year and it already looks like another banner year for homebrews.

[Thomas Jentzsch]

I grappled a lot with whether or not to use DPC+, but at the end of the day, I'm really glad I chose to use it. My compromise has been to write only in 6502 assembly.

 

As far as I can tell DPC+ would have been feasible back then (~1984).

[orange808]

Nowadays 4 of 5 games are using DPC+, mostly batari Basic games where the programmer is just lazy with doing the sprite overlays manually or creating a more detailed playfield with programming tricks. I think extra RAM and ARM abilities should be only used as it the programmer really requires it, like Scramble or Mappy, thouse would be really hard without it (looking at Robomechanik, it's not impossible, but a really hard work).

I myself was really disappointed that I had to use superchip RAM for my current project, but I can't just save variables for 44 tiles with various possibilities, sprite placement counters and even the population's attributes, like money, number of people, steps left, etc., with only using the original 128 bytes.

 

Wow.

 

Thanks.

 

And, people ask why I packed up and found a new project elsewhere...

 

Jeepers. Can't imagine why...

[+D Train]

 

As far as I can tell DPC+ would have been feasible back then (~1984).

 

To me, that is what is so interesting and compelling about the work being done for the 2600 these days. The memory boosts, extra chips, etc were all possible back in the day, they just would have been *very* expensive, or they were commercially possible but never had the opportunity to flourish because of the game crash.

 

The main difference (pls correct me if I am wrong) is that the cost for a programming station is much less now than it was in the early to mid 80s (although people were programming on the Apple II) and that it takes much less time and fewer resources to compile code now. The fact that people are using c and not programming directly into assembly is also a time saver.

 

Would be interested to hear from the experts what they think is happening now that would not have been possible in early to mid 80s.

[Thomas Jentzsch]

The memory boosts, extra chips, etc were all possible back in the day, they just would have been *very* expensive, or they were commercially possible but never had the opportunity to flourish because of the game crash.

Not every hardware used today in a cart was even technically possible back then.

[keebz]

WOOOOOW this has come a LONG way. Really well done. I know it is a WIP but I look forward to a cart release of this. At least I'm hoping for one. This is the Burger Time the Atari deserved.

[keebz]

if I could make one suggestion. It would be nice if the title screen showed your last score after you lose.

[Jinroh]

Amazing work Splendidnut! <3

 

I have been watching this with wonder since your first Demo, the latest one, it is so fun to play! It feels very perfectly like <copyright name>!

 

Keep it up! I am excited.

Edited January 6, 2019 by Jinroh

[+ZeroPage Homebrew]

We'll be featuring the updated version of Chaotic Grill on the ZeroPage Homebrew stream this Wednesday on Twitch at 11AM PT/2PM ET 6PM PT/9PM ET (UPDATED TIME)! Hope everyone can tune in to watch us play!

Twitch Stream: https://www.twitch.tv/zeropagehomebrew/

Games on Wednesday:
Dare Devil (2019 WIP) by Muddyfunster
Chaotic Grill (2018 WIP Update) by splendidnut
Shark Jaws + (2019 WIP) by winkdot
Snow Flakes 2018 (2019) by Lolkiu64
Tumble Temple (2019 WIP) by bluswimmer

 

EDIT: UPDATED WITH VIDEO OF EPISODE

 

Edited January 11, 2019 by cimmerian

[+splendidnut]

We'll be featuring the updated version of Chaotic Grill on the ZeroPage Homebrew stream this Wednesday on Twitch at 11AM PT/2PM ET! Hope everyone can tune in to watch us play!

 

Twitch Stream: https://www.twitch.tv/zeropagehomebrew/

 

Games on Wednesday:

Dare Devil (2019 WIP) by Muddyfunster

Chaotic Grill (2018 WIP Update) by splendidnut

Shark Jaws + (2019 WIP) by winkdot

Snow Flakes 2018 (2019) by Lolkiu64

Tumble Temple (2019 WIP) by bluswimmer

 

20190109-Let's Play.jpg

 

Just a heads up... I fixed a few things:

• Items should appear in the appropriate places for each level. Also fixed some graphical issues with them (i.e. coffee cup missing top line, etc...)
• Added extra life bonus for every 10,000 points.
• After completing level 6, the levels should loop back around without ending up at the title screen.

See first post for updated version.

[keebz]

 

Just a heads up... I fixed a few things:

• Items should appear in the appropriate places for each level. Also fixed some graphical issues with them (i.e. coffee cup missing top line, etc...)
• Added extra life bonus for every 10,000 points.
• After completing level 6, the levels should loop back around without ending up at the title screen.

See first post for updated version.

 

There seems to be a new bug in the updated version for 1-8-19

 

I'm not sure what does it, but sometimes I have lost a life and the game won't roll over to the next life in the game. It just gets stuck and pressing the button just cycles between the score and the amount of lives and salts you have in inventory.

 

I never encountered this with the previous build.

[christo930]

 

Just a heads up... I fixed a few things:

• Items should appear in the appropriate places for each level. Also fixed some graphical issues with them (i.e. coffee cup missing top line, etc...)
• Added extra life bonus for every 10,000 points.
• After completing level 6, the levels should loop back around without ending up at the title screen.

See first post for updated version.

I got a chance to play it some more and there is definitely a bug in the AI. The baddies get "stuck," especially in the 4th and 5th screen (though it also happened in the 2nd screen). They home in on you, but get stuck. If you move to another position on the screen, they will get unstuck.

 

I think I am being helpful. If I am annoying you telling you things you already know, please forgive me and just let me know.

[+splendidnut]

I got a chance to play it some more and there is definitely a bug in the AI. The baddies get "stuck," especially in the 4th and 5th screen (though it also happened in the 2nd screen). They home in on you, but get stuck. If you move to another position on the screen, they will get unstuck.

 

I think I am being helpful. If I am annoying you telling you things you already know, please forgive me and just let me know.

 

Annoying? Maybe... While it may be slightly annoying to hear the about the same issue over and over, it serves as a reminder to me that it's something that still needs to be fixed. There are definitely a few fun bugs currently in the enemy AI. It was really fun watching the Zeropage Homebrew crew yell "cheaters" at the screen when the enemies decided to use non-existing ladders.

 

Basically, I never finished reworking the enemy AI code after working on the level data structure/loader code over the Christmas holiday. I needed a break from it, so instead I worked on the missing game features. At some point in the future (not quite sure when), it will get fixed.

[+splendidnut]

There seems to be a new bug in the updated version for 1-8-19

 

I'm not sure what does it, but sometimes I have lost a life and the game won't roll over to the next life in the game. It just gets stuck and pressing the button just cycles between the score and the amount of lives and salts you have in inventory.

 

I never encountered this with the previous build.

 

Huh, some bit of code from my work-in-progress build must have snuck into the released build. Thanks for letting me know.