"The Last V8" with speech

[nobody]

I create a version with the speech from C64...

http://www.mushca.com/f/atari/index.php?idx=T#051|THE_____

Looks like they "forgot" it in the good old times

[Mr Robot]

Thank you for doing that, the title and speech really improve the experience.

 

[walter_J64bit]

Is the timing fixed for NTSC users? The time runs out too fast making it unplayable.    

[patjomki]

Great. I always wanted a version with samples like on C64.

 

Any chance of a patch where they are played without deactivating the screen output?

[tjlazer]

The extended version?

[Gunstar]

I assume so, that's the one I downloaded, and since it's the only one listed on that page...I haven't tried it yet as my PAL computer (assuming it still won't work right on NTSC machines for time-limit), is temporarily down for cleaning and minor repairs for a couple days.

[patjomki]

The extended version deactivates the screen when playing samples.

[R0ger]

Wait, there is ANY playable version ? Nice screen and all, and the 'thing' has nice music, but calling it a game ?

[tane]

In my childhood I was able to cross the bridge several times, in an NTSC version, but never reached the house. I never knew I was so close.

 

 

[+Adam+]

On ‎9‎/‎18‎/‎2019 at 12:00 AM, nobody said:

I create a version with the speech from C64...

http://www.mushca.com/f/atari/index.php?idx=T#051|THE_____

I'm not sure I get it - this is a new thread, but you are referring to the content of disk number 051, from some years ago?

[_The Doctor__]

051 is updated 9/17 , 264 is older last v8

[Gunstar]

1 hour ago, R0ger said:

Wait, there is ANY playable version ? Nice screen and all, and the 'thing' has nice music, but calling it a game ?

It's "playable" on PAL format since you have enough time to get there if you take a lot of time to learn to control the car, which has too sensitive control if you are going slow, and very sluggish control the faster you go. I spent way too much time with the "NTSC version" (which was really still PAL, but it "worked" on NTSC) back in the day, and the farthest I got was the first level, I could see the building to the "inner city" but just a second or two shy of ever making it. Then I turned my 1200 into a PAL machine, and while the control still sucks, I have time enough to make it to the second level. But had yet to reach the base. But had I known that was the entire game, I never would have wasted so many hours in my youth trying the impossible. And now that I have seen the movie, if that is the "full game" as it says, then I agree 100% with you. That's not a game, that's a game demo. They obviously got away with it because it's so near impossible, even on a PAL machine, for most people to make it to the end of that very short "game." It's obviously a cracked version being played in the video posted above, as it's all zero's on the timer, so the person playing had all the time they needed to complete it. But even without a time limit, it is still very difficult just due to the crappy controls. I am so disappointed because I was planning on delving into the PAL version more one day, and finally "check out" the rest of the game. But if that's it in the video, it's not worth my time anymore and a game I desperately wanted to love I now hate for wasting my time on it in the first place.

 

I will, however, give it one more go, just to check out the digital voice I never heard before, or knew existed in other versions. Is the C64 just as pitiful? Anyone? Or is that video a lie and there is more to the game? I noticed different "zones" or ways the player did not go in the video. Could there be more to it?

Edited September 18, 2019 by Gunstar

[R0ger]

I played the PAL version only, and I thought PAL version is the buggy one. It certainly feels impossible ?

[tane]

 

That game was so difficult I thought there was a trick, so I spent no less time trying to find a path to the upper road between the rocks. In the end disappointed, it could have been an interesting idea for the game, but anyway it kept me busy back in the day.

 

[nobody]

Use an Emulator and change the byte at adress $1935 to #$ad and you got every time you need to finish the game...

[patjomki]

So, did you patch the samples in or were they already there but not activated?

 

BTW C128 has three levels instead of two in the C64/A8-Version.

Edited September 19, 2019 by patjomki

[+Adam+]

11 hours ago, Gunstar said:

I will, however, give it one more go, just to check out the digital voice I never heard before, or knew existed in other versions. Is the C64 just as pitiful? Anyone? Or is that video a lie and there is more to the game? I noticed different "zones" or ways the player did not go in the video. Could there be more to it?

Here you have an analysis of all versions of The Last V8 (C128/C64/A8/CPC). According to that comparison blog, all of them have similar problems with playability and C128 version is the only with 3 levels.

[nobody]

1 hour ago, patjomki said:

So, did you patch the samples in or were they already there but not activated?

I convert the sample data from C64 and integrate it to the A8 version which got no speech until now...

[patjomki]

Great! Thanks for your work!

[Rybags]

Using Pokey Timers the speech should be doable on an active screen with minimal loss of quality.

[patjomki]

That was my idea as well. I mean during speech there is no music in this game so losing pokey channels for sound output doesn't hurt, right?

[Gunstar]

4 hours ago, +Adam+ said:

Here you have an analysis of all versions of The Last V8 (C128/C64/A8/CPC). According to that comparison blog, all of them have similar problems with playability and C128 version is the only with 3 levels.

Well, that article is certainly more interesting and entertaining than the game itself. This would be a perfect game for some hacker to fix the controls and add more color to for the Atari version. I did learn that there is no time limit on the second level, so now that I can complete the first level on my PAL computer, I know I can finish the game without cheating in an altered emulator version. I was trying to get through it as fast as I could, like the first level, in the past, so I always ended up crashing into a wall before I could reach the end. I now know I can take my sweet time.

 

The most interesting bit I found to be the extra FIRST level of the C128 version, which, besides the colors and use of a different vehicle, is a dead ringer (even screen layout and mission description or game play) for a better and more complete game on the Atari (and C64?) called RED MAX: http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-400-800-xl-xe-red-max_4327.html

 

It actually controls very similar to The Last V8, but is somehow easier to control in Red Max. I guess they re-used and slightly improved the game "engine" of V8 for Max. So I guess if you start out by playing Red Max and then move on to play The Last V8, you get what I'd call a complete game between the two at least. Even if Red Max has more levels, which I don't know as I've only seen the first exterior and first interior levels of it so far, but it has much bigger maps to cover and much more freedom of movement in some areas of the maps. Other areas are just as tight as The Last V8, but since you don't have a count-down timer to worry about, it also makes Red Max more playable since you can be careful and take your time (except when lowering force-fields and getting in and out of that area).

 

 

Edited September 19, 2019 by Gunstar

[patjomki]

On 9/19/2019 at 3:39 PM, patjomki said:

That was my idea as well. I mean during speech there is no music in this game so losing pokey channels for sound output doesn't hurt, right?

@Rybags: Sorry for my newbie question but was my assumption correct that when using pokey timers one (or more) pokey channels get lost?

[Rybags]

You use a channel for digital playback anyway, so you can just use the AUDF from that same voice to drive the timer - except #3 since it doesn't have one.

With Timers the AUDC value doesn't matter (pure, poly, digital), only the AUDF and overall base frequency that the voice uses (AUDCTL)

[patjomki]

Ah, thanks. I think I understand now.

Edited September 22, 2019 by patjomki