Dodgy Rocks 2600 Game Idea

[cd-w]

This fun little game would be very doable on the Atari 2600 as a paddle game - essentially Kaboom in reverse:

https://nivrig.itch.io/dodgy-rocks/devlog/178970/dodgy-rocks-released-on-amiga

 

 

I would make it myself but have too many other projects at the moment

Chris

 

Edited October 11, 2020 by cd-w

[+Karl G]

So, you get points for dodging rocks, and for breaking them with your head, but you lose a life for getting hit by a rock without jumping to break it with your head? It also looks like some of the rocks shoot some kind of projectile, too? 

[+fdr4prez]

1 hour ago, Karl G said:

So, you get points for dodging rocks, and for breaking them with your head, but you lose a life for getting hit by a rock without jumping to break it with your head? It also looks like some of the rocks shoot some kind of projectile, too? 

Yeah, I was a little confused on the scoring and game play...  It looks likes you get more points for smashing rocks, so why's it called Dodgy Rocks?

 

It should be called Smashy Rocks, and you should get a -1 for missing a rock

 

Dodgy Rocks makes it sound like you should be dodging the the rocks.

[+ZeroPage Homebrew]

8 hours ago, cd-w said:

This fun little game would be very doable on the Atari 2600 as a paddle game - essentially Kaboom in reverse:

Extremely doable on the 2600 and looks like it would be a lot of fun!

 

Converting it to paddle controls would probably change the gameplay as it looks like your character moves one position at a time at a constant speed and stops exactly in the middle of each of the columns.

 

1 hour ago, fdr4prez said:

It should be called Smashy Rocks, and you should get a -1 for missing a rock

Smashy Rocks would be a good name for the 2600 port.

 

- James

[+fdr4prez]

3 hours ago, ZeroPage Homebrew said:

Extremely doable on the 2600 and looks like it would be a lot of fun!

 

I still can't quite figure out the exact game play from the video.

 

It looks like you can do a slow left<>right movement and you move to the column next to you, but if a rock hits you while you are moving then you die.  And you can do a quick left<>right movement and you smash the rock in the column next to you and you end up in the following column.

 

 

So why isn't he jumping to smash every rock and why isn't he smashing for every left/right movement?

 

He jumps to smash a rock and then he does other things for a bit before he jumps again.

 

He moves quickly L<>R to smash a rock and then he does other things for a bit before he does that L<>R smashing movement again.

 

So what's the deal?  You can't constantly jump and you can't constantly do the quick L<>R smashing.

 

What are the game mechanics?

 

 

3 hours ago, ZeroPage Homebrew said:

Converting it to paddle controls would probably change the gameplay as it looks like your character moves one position at a time at a constant speed and stops exactly in the middle of each of the columns.

 

I can see using UP on the joystick for jumping and then Left/Right for the slow movement to the column next to you, and then you can press/hold the fire button while you press L/R to do the quick/hyperspeed side movement so you can smash a rock while going left/right.

 

Now sure how to do all that with a paddle or DC controller

 

 

 

 

[+ZeroPage Homebrew]

3 hours ago, fdr4prez said:

So why isn't he jumping to smash every rock and why isn't he smashing for every left/right movement?

I couldn't figure it out either but then I downloaded the game and dug into the instructions.

 

"Keyboard and joystick are supported. Left and right move left and right.
Double-tap left or right to perform a dash special move if available.
Fire or up performs a kick special move.
Icons at the lower right indicate the availability of the special moves."

 

You can only do the special moves when it indicates you can, otherwise you're pretty much limited to dodging the rocks. This makes a lot of sense, otherwise you'd be smashing all the rocks!

 

3 hours ago, fdr4prez said:

I can see using UP on the joystick for jumping and then Left/Right for the slow movement to the column next to you, and then you can press/hold the fire button while you press L/R to do the quick/hyperspeed side movement so you can smash a rock while going left/right.

 

Now sure how to do all that with a paddle or DC controller

I think it would be best to stick to the joystick on this one but if you wanted to use the paddle/DC, these movements could work:

 

Rotate: Move to next column to L or R

Button + Rotate: Dash L or R

Double Button: Jump

 

- James

[+fdr4prez]

19 hours ago, ZeroPage Homebrew said:

I couldn't figure it out either but then I downloaded the game and dug into the instructions.

 

"Keyboard and joystick are supported. Left and right move left and right.
Double-tap left or right to perform a dash special move if available.
Fire or up performs a kick special move.
Icons at the lower right indicate the availability of the special moves."

 

You can only do the special moves when it indicates you can, otherwise you're pretty much limited to dodging the rocks. This makes a lot of sense, otherwise you'd be smashing all the rocks!

Yes, thanks, I can now see that indication on the lower right corner of the video 

 

 

19 hours ago, ZeroPage Homebrew said:

I think it would be best to stick to the joystick on this one but if you wanted to use the paddle/DC, these movements could work:

 

Rotate: Move to next column to L or R

Button + Rotate: Dash L or R

Double Button: Jump

 

- James

Yes, I can see how that could work, but you'd need to be quick on that double button clicking

 

You could program support for all three controllers