Arkanoid [WIP]

[Synthpopalooza]

This also means you can use 320A for your scoring text ingame too.

[PacManPlus]

Yes - I do this in Bentley Bear.

[+mksmith]

Thanks everyone - will check that out ?

[Synthpopalooza]

Music!

 

 

arkanoid-title.A78 arkanoid-title.asm arkanoid-title.bin arkanoid-levelstart.128 arkanoid-levelstart.A78 arkanoid-levelstart.asm

[+mksmith]

Wow - they sound great!!

[Synthpopalooza]

Csn someone get me MAME screenshots of all the unique backgrounds used in the game (arcade version).  Going to transcribe these by hand but the screenshots on the wiki are very fuzzy.

[+FujiSkunk]

It's not all of them, I don't think; if I'm not mistaken, a couple of the later levels have unique backgrounds.  But this can get you started.

[RevEng]

10 hours ago, mksmith said:

Wow - they sound great!!

Agreed!

[Synthpopalooza]

2 hours ago, FujiSkunk said:

It's not all of them, I don't think; if I'm not mistaken, a couple of the later levels have unique backgrounds.  But this can get you started.

A very good start!

 

So it looks like we need to reserve 24 blocks of 4x8 characters for the background each level.  12 shaded and 12 non-shaded.  

[+mksmith]

Try here:

https://www.spriters-resource.com/arcade/arkanoid/sheet/52829

[Synthpopalooza]

1 hour ago, mksmith said:

Try here:

https://www.spriters-resource.com/arcade/arkanoid/sheet/52829

Great!  This has given me also ideas on retooling those shimmering gold and silver blocks too

[+mksmith]

Hi everyone - new build available with the following changes:

• added all levels (32) which are fully playable (bricks only) - Press Select (or E in A7800) to increment level
• added specific game over screen
• fixed the scoring to work correctly
• additional lives at 20,000 and then every 60,000

Might be a little while before the next release - need to work in some animation transitions and hopefully we might also have some sounds!

 

[+Kaboomer]

On 5/28/2019 at 11:09 PM, mksmith said:

Thanks guys - would love to one day release a cart then my wife might understand the time and joy I get back from all this retro stuff! Anyway hopefully one day!

Is a cart seriously being considered?

[+mksmith]

1 hour ago, Kaboomer said:

Is a cart seriously being considered?

Let's try and finish first ? ??

[+FujiSkunk]

@Synthpopalooza, it looks like you have all you need at the Spriters Resource link.  Do you need any further MAME screencaps?  If so, I might have time later today (Monday), if someone else doesn't get to them first.

[Synthpopalooza]

1 hour ago, FujiSkunk said:

@Synthpopalooza, it looks like you have all you need at the Spriters Resource link.  Do you need any further MAME screencaps?  If so, I might have time later today (Monday), if someone else doesn't get to them first.

Just the ones using the nonstandard backgrounds.  Thanks.  Want to see how they are laid out.

Edited July 1, 2019 by Synthpopalooza

[+mksmith]

Added the full capsule dropping map (thanks Bob for the tool!) - pretty much the same as the arcade where appropriate but some have minor variations. Need now to determine which capsule to drop - not sure what the values are there but hopefully a scan of the internet will provide some further information. 

 

Also completed the brick animations for the grey/gold brick/ball collisions.

 

Procrastinating a little over the Vaus animations - need to get on with that now! 

[NRV]

If you need help with some of the rules there is always the StrategyWiki:

https://strategywiki.org/wiki/Arkanoid/Getting_Started

 

There was an old utility to edit the levels inside the arcade roms, don't know if this is the one that you used:

http://www.ionpool.net/arcade/arkedit/arkedit.html

 

I don't know if the probability for every type of capsule is documented somewhere.. well, in the source

For my own clone I assigned this values:

 

E (enlarge, expand) 50/256
D (disrupt.. multi ball, x3) 40/256
P (extra player) 4/256
C (capture ball, catch) 51/256
S (slow ball) 31/256
B (next board, break) 2/256

 

These should add to 256, but I don't have the Laser, and have another type of powerups.

 

Some other rules that I implemented, looking at the behaviors in Arkanoid:

- don't throw the same bonus when that power is still active (E,C,S,L, maybe D)
- don't throw the same bonus two times in a row
- there is a small possibility that a marked brick doesn't throw a capsule (I used 16/256)
- if we are moving at min speed don't give the "slow" bonus
- allow only one extra player bonus per level

 

 

[+mksmith]

2 hours ago, NRV said:

If you need help with some of the rules there is always the StrategyWiki:

https://strategywiki.org/wiki/Arkanoid/Getting_Started

 

There was an old utility to edit the levels inside the arcade roms, don't know if this is the one that you used:

http://www.ionpool.net/arcade/arkedit/arkedit.html

 

I don't know if the probability for every type of capsule is documented somewhere.. well, in the source

For my own clone I assigned this values:

 

E (enlarge, expand) 50/256
D (disrupt.. multi ball, x3) 40/256
P (extra player) 4/256
C (capture ball, catch) 51/256
S (slow ball) 31/256
B (next board, break) 2/256

 

These should add to 256, but I don't have the Laser, and have another type of powerups.

 

Some other rules that I implemented, looking at the behaviors in Arkanoid:

- don't throw the same bonus when that power is still active (E,C,S,L, maybe D)
- don't throw the same bonus two times in a row
- there is a small possibility that a marked brick doesn't throw a capsule (I used 16/256)
- if we are moving at min speed don't give the "slow" bonus
- allow only one extra player bonus per level

 

 

Thanks for the info NRV! Yes that is the site I have based most of the work on so far (very good info!). I like the way you have broken down the capsule possibilities - lots of little rules around how they apply.  All very helpful ?

 

Yeah the ArkEdit tool was the one Bob gave me - as we are using 11 bricks instead of 13 across there was some minor variations but for the most part is very much the same. For the most part i have used the NES layouts but the arcade colors - but have adjusted some to be closer to the arcade.

[+mksmith]

Hi everyone, a new build is now available with the following changes:

• Capsules with animations - locations mapped directly to the arcade with slight variations as required (we are using 11x16 bricks [nes] not 13x18 in the arcade)
• Capsule selection follow the known rules: completely random except that the extra life (p) and warp pills (b) are twice as unlikely to occur. Only one extra life capsule is possible per "vaus". If the randomiser selects a duplicate capsule based on the last capsule dropped, a multi-ball capsule is substituted. Thus, the multi-ball capsule is the only one you can get twice in a row.  
• Collection of the extra life (P) capsule with result in an extra life (others do nothing ATM)
• Removed the Vaus tip flash as the color used is no longer available ? will probably need to add frames to do this (spacing is tight ATM) ??
• Added hit animations to the grey and gold bricks
• Grey bricks correctly follow the arcade rules (2 hits initially but increases 1 hit every 8 levels)
• Stuffed the hell out of dmaholes in banks 2 and 8

Had to do some major graphics re-allocations in banks 2 and 8 to fit everything in - pretty much everything is now created graphically and in there ready to be used.  Saying that we no longer have the vaus tips flashing so not sure whether room will be available to re-add that (will check over the palette again soon to confirm).

 

Due to the major changes I've done around the graphics and starting to use dmaholes I would love if someone can confirm this still works on real hardware as I can't currently!

 

 

[+mksmith]

Just added capturing the ball with the vaus (collection of C capsule) and auto-release from new life or capture. Will be in next build ?

Edited July 4, 2019 by mksmith

[+mksmith]

Hi everyone, another new build (today) is now available with the following changes:

• Added enlarged (E) vaus, laser (L) and ball capture (C) features - activate by catching the appropriate capsule. Note: the laser fires (2nd button or C in A7800) but doesn't clear anything yet.
• Updated the vaus process internally to centrally handle the object rather than from the edge and updated all associated features
• Added auto-ball release on start/new life and when capturing the ball

Really at the point now where I need to add the transition graphics but the game is really taking shape now you can collect capsules and change the vaus. 

 

Also for the joystick I will probably swap the buttons around. Oh just remembered I haven't added the bullet firing for the paddles yet - next build.

 

 

[+FujiSkunk]

Turns out I was misinformed.  The Apple II version, which I played religiously for a while, had unique backgrounds for one or two levels before Doh.  The arcade game has a unique background only for Doh.

 

 

Between this and the ones I linked to earlier, I believe all the backgrounds are covered.

[+mksmith]

@FujiSkunk Thanks for the update ? Yeah the DOH has it's own background.

 

Currently working on the transition animation system - getting there but throwing up a couple of interesting issues for me.

 

Oh - if anyone can confirm this is still working on real hardware that would be awesome! 

[DracIsBack]

18 hours ago, mksmith said:

 

Oh - if anyone can confirm this is still working on real hardware that would be awesome! 

 

So this was my plan when I got out of the hospital. Then I was to plug in my sd card into my Cuttle Cart 2 and the sd Card holder (is that’s what it’s called?) came loose and I haven’t been able to re attach correctly. If I can get it working or if anyone has any tips, let me know!