1942 - It needs a thread...

[+save2600]

Finally updated the bios in my Concerto and gave the 'small ROM' version with the C64 soundtrack a try... WOW! This game looks/sounds incredible in a video, but has to be played to fully experience all the goodness wrapped up in this conversion. Attention to detail is amazing. Love the diagonally scrolling water wave effect, plane animations, sound effects/music of course, color choices (Trebor's being my fav, ground/grass/water so vibrant!), the animated HUD display up top, etc. So much charm... and all this on the 7800?! Easily beats the original arcade game IMO, and is much more compelling to play. 

 

What a gift, thank you!! 

[+playsoft]

Many thanks to @desiv for testing, the attached "Extended" build with "bankram" switching runs on CC2 with the following config:

 

HOME: 1942-256R32PK                1942exb        256R32PK    78BIOS

 

This has all the backgrounds and the POKEY music. Very impressed by the CC2!

 

1942exb.bin

[+Muddyfunster]

I love the C64 music rendition. Growing up with the ZX Spectrum (no music) and C64 versions, that one is the most familiar to me. Great job @miker

[Jinks]

This is the kind of game that has been missing from the 7800. Probably my favorite game type. I think I asked for this 10 years ago on games you would like to see one day. Seems like a dream for this to be the reality today.

 

Thank you!

 

 

[RevEng]

Ok, I know others are thinking it, but I'm gonna be the one to say it. A game this beautiful needs a physical cart release, even if it's as a somewhat re-skinned clone...

On 9/30/2022 at 9:19 AM, x=usr(1536) said:

If they have any objections, rename it to MCMXLII.  Problem solved

On 9/29/2022 at 11:22 PM, Synthpopalooza said:

I may try a POKEY or Yamaha rendition of the tune ...

Call the game MCMXLII (I know it was a joke, but it's definitely avoiding infringing on the 1942 trademark), WWII Pilot, Wartime Pilot, or something else. You have a composition and pokey master interested in making music, which can be equal-but-different to the arcade - maybe some adapted music of Wagner, Prokofiev, or Holst,  So much opportunity here.

 

[+Defender_2600]

+1

 

Please, call the game MCMXLII. This masterpiece really deserves a physical edition.

 

[+sramirez2008]

38 minutes ago, Defender_2600 said:

Please, call the game MCMXLII

Nice👍

[+x=usr(1536)]

2 hours ago, RevEng said:

Call the game MCMXLII (I know it was a joke, but it's definitely avoiding infringing on the 1942 trademark)

I was only half-joking when I made the suggestion  After all, Capcom are still around and probably as litigious as every other manufacturer that's made it this far.

[+Karl G]

I strongly agree that a physical cart release would be welcome. I'll throw out a name suggestion of WW2 Ace to add to the other suggestions. 

[+DrVenkman]

It’s a P-38 in the game, right? Then how ‘bout Lightning Ace? Lightning Pilot? Lightning Strikes? 

Just spitballing here but homages and retitled clones are par for the course in retrogaming. This game deserves a cart, complete with YM score. 

[ZylonBane]

On 10/7/2022 at 9:53 PM, ALEXANDER said:

Great work guys !! Love your version of this game.

 

If this video is still representative of the current state of the, game I only have two criticisms:

 

The constant DUBYADUBYADUBYADUBYADUBYA sound of the player shots is pretty obnoxious and excessively dominates the soundscape. In the arcade version the player shots are more of a subtle white noise effect.

 

The decision to have the ocean waves scrolling in a different direction than the islands (unlike the arcade version) creates a parallax effect that makes the islands look like they're floating in the sky above the ocean instead of being in the same physical plane with it.

[Silver Back]

This game absolutely needs a physical release.  And really the name isn't that important. Use any of the suggested names, call it Plane Shoot Plane for all I care but it's so good it needs a proper release. Of course I understand why you don't want to but maybe consider making a few changes to where you do feel comfortable and make a few dollars on it. 

[+-^CrossBow^-]

23 hours ago, ZylonBane said:

If this video is still representative of the current state of the, game I only have two criticisms:

 

The constant DUBYADUBYADUBYADUBYADUBYA sound of the player shots is pretty obnoxious and excessively dominates the soundscape. In the arcade version the player shots are more of a subtle white noise effect.

 

The decision to have the ocean waves scrolling in a different direction than the islands (unlike the arcade version) creates a parallax effect that makes the islands look like they're floating in the sky above the ocean instead of being in the same physical plane with it.

The video above doesn't have the FM music playing and that makes a pretty big difference in the overall sound. The TIA with the shots from the player might still be a tad too loud but at least it all blends in much better if you have the background music going.

 

As for the waves and islands, I'm not sure there is much they can do about that? I hadn't noticed it looking odd until you mentioned it and then I had to really watch it a few times to get the feeling you were describing of the islands floating. It was pretty tricky to find room to add in the moving radar and wake from the carrier since originally it was just one large static object that scrolled onto the screen. I guess what you are asking or suggesting, is that some additional wave movements coming out from the around the islands should have been added?

 

[Synthpopalooza]

Name suggestion:  Eastern Solomon ... after the WWII battle my great uncle Bob was killed in, and who I got named after.

[+SmittyB]

Based on UK law the name 1942 is too generic to be protected, however the combination of name and font will be.

The use of the 633 Squadron theme is probably more problematic, but given other games have used it (almost certainly without permission) I doubt anyone would really care.

 

All that being said I'll throw my hat into the ring with an alternative name with a British spin - "1941: Battle over Medway". One could argue the P-38 is just a badly drawn Mosquito 🤫)

[ZylonBane]

22 hours ago, -^CrossBow^- said:

I guess what you are asking or suggesting, is that some additional wave movements coming out from the around the islands should have been added?

I'm only pointing out that having the waves scrolling in a different speed/direction from the islands creates an unintended parallax depth effect. If the waves scrolled in sync with the islands, this wouldn't happen.

 

Why are the waves on a different layer anyway? Is there not enough bandwidth to render the sea texture of the original? Though it is a very subtle texture... probably why most of the home ports make it more explicit.

[Cris1997XX]

3 hours ago, SmittyB said:

Based on UK law the name 1942 is too generic to be protected, however the combination of name and font will be.

The use of the 633 Squadron theme is probably more problematic, but given other games have used it (almost certainly without permission) I doubt anyone would really care.

 

All that being said I'll throw my hat into the ring with an alternative name with a British spin - "1941: Battle over Medway". One could argue the P-38 is just a badly drawn Mosquito 🤫)

1941 is already the title of one of the series' games, sadly. Maybe 1945? 😂

[Trebor]

On 10/22/2022 at 5:42 PM, -^CrossBow^- said:

The video above doesn't have the FM music playing and that makes a pretty big difference in the overall sound.

Indeed:

 

[CommodoreCEO]

I'm only just catching up on this now and I have to say that I'm extremely impressed!

 

This needs a physical release. Call it 'MCMXLII' or 'Shooty McPewPew'... whatever. It just deserves a physical release!

[willbilly]

Why not call it P-38?  Or is there a game by that name?

Edited October 27, 2022 by willbilly

[tkarner]

39 minutes ago, willbilly said:

Why not call it P-38?  Or is there a game by that name?

I don't think the name "1942" is the obstacle to a cartridge release because as far as I know, you can't trademark a number. That's why Chevy and Ram can both sell a 1500, or BMW and Ferrari both sold a 328. Any trademark experts can correct me but that's how I understand it.

[+DrVenkman]

5 minutes ago, tkarner said:

I don't think the name "1942" is the obstacle to a cartridge release because as far as I know, you can't trademark a number. That's why Chevy and Ram can both sell a 1500, or BMW and Ferrari both sold a 328. Any trademark experts can correct me but that's how I understand it.

IP law varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction all over the world - please don't try to give legal advice relative to jurisdictions in which you're not licensed (*). @playsoft has no shortage of suggested titles if a cart release ever comes to pass (I still stick with my own suggestion above as "Lightning Pilot" or "Lightning Ace").

 

 

(*) I'm an actual attorney with 26 years' experience but I'm probably not licensed or qualified to opine about law where you live.  

[Synthpopalooza]

On 10/27/2022 at 7:30 PM, willbilly said:

Why not call it P-38?  Or is there a game by that name?

There is.  It's by Jaleco

 

EDIT:  It's called P-47

 

 

Edited October 29, 2022 by Synthpopalooza

[AlecRob]

So why was the YM2151 chosen for this game? Are they just easy to get ahold of or cheap? I thought the arcade version of 1942 used PSG chips.

Edited November 4, 2022 by AlecRob

[Trebor]

On 11/4/2022 at 3:33 AM, AlecRob said:

So why was the YM2151 chosen for this game? Are they just easy to get ahold of or cheap? I thought the arcade version of 1942 used PSG chips.

A YM2151 can sound convincingly like a YM2149F, which sounds very similar to the AY-3-8910 that is used as part of 1942 Arcade hardware.  Though true, YM2151 sound chips are relatively easy to get a hold of and are inexpensive, this title was developed with the intent of digital distribution only.  In harmony with that purpose, the sound chip is supported in emulation for the 7800 under (at least) A7800 and JS7800, as well as via FPGA under Atari7800_MiSTer.

 

The YM2151 was included as part of the cartridge hardware conglomerate related aspects of the XM module for the 7800, that never came to full fruition and mass distribution.  Mentioned earlier in the thread, the YM2151 was chosen for inclusion with the XM module due to its popularity and very common use in many "Atari" and other manufactured Arcade games, in conjunction with the aforementioned availability and cost. 

 

Spoiler

As an example, even in the current market, 33,729 chips are available from a vendor, depending on quantity purchased, for a price high of $3.55 each, or as low as $2.75 each: