Freeway 7800

[saxmeister]

Some updates:

• More bug fixes
• Optimization of the routines that animate the cars
• Optimization of the routines for scores/timer
• Graphic tweaks to the numbers used for scores/timer
• Color change at the 10-seconds left mark
• Graphical tweaks to the sidewalks and median for perspective
• Tweaks to the sounds

 

JS7800 Link: https://raz0red.github.io/js7800/?cart=https://forums.atariage.com/applications/core/interface/file/attachment.php?id=973742&key=43c7cbebbc25191d0ae36d743a3a8301

 

freeway_088.78b.a78 freeway_088.78b.bin

Edited October 10, 2022 by saxmeister

[TIX]

Some more chickens 🙃,

I guess it would be cool to have a different colored chicken for the 2nd player so there..

I have also included a new puff of smoke.

 

 

There seem to be something wrong with the cars.. I can't pinpoint it exactly,

going by eye, the car sprite is still 16 pixels wide but shrunk to 12 pixels height, am I right ?

if yes, they need to be redrawn

 

 

Edited October 10, 2022 by TIX

[gambler172]

Works great on real hardware. My best score is 15 😁

[saxmeister]

Great, @gambler172! Good to know. I don't know that I've gotten 15 yet. 😆

[+Atarius Maximus]

Freeway was one of the few games my parents bought me as a kid, so I’ve had a great time playing this just for the nostalgia. I would have loved this version back then! My high is also 15 at the moment.

[Traxx]

Tix should do some pixels for Krull,encourage the dev with work he can use.

[saxmeister]

I began experimenting with 320 modes for this. I first thought about a monochromatic 320A that would look like a grown up Gameboy version, but I attempted some 320C multicolor goodness to see how it would look.

 

There are some things to iron out and the palette limitation will be problematic, but I can work around these things. I've started from scratch on the artwork for this resolution and see where I am going to have to make some tweaks.  But, if I can pull off 320C, then I may do that.

 

Edited October 20, 2022 by saxmeister

[Defender_2600]

3 hours ago, saxmeister said:

I began experimenting with 320 modes for this. I first thought about a monochromatic 320A that would look like a grown up Gameboy version, but I attempted some 320C multicolor goodness to see how it would look.

 

There are some things to iron out and the palette limitation will be problematic, but I can work around these things. I've started from scratch on the artwork for this resolution and see where I am going to have to make some tweaks.  But, if I can pull off 320C, then I may do that.

 

 

I love the high resolution! One option to get more colors is to use different palettes for each horizontal zone, it works very well with this type of playing field.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[saxmeister]

@Defender_2600 that is exactly what I'm working on right now!

[SlidellMan]

This is looking quite good.

[+ZeroPage Homebrew]

 ZeroPage Homebrew is playing Freeway on TODAY's stream LIVE on Twitch, hope you can join us!

 

Fri Oct 21, 2022 @ 6PM PT | 9PM ET | 1AM GMT+1Day

WATCH LIVE: https://www.twitch.tv/zeropagehomebrew/
WATCH LATER: https://youtube.com/zeropagehomebrew/

 

Games:

• Space Race (2022 7800) by Michael Myers @saxmeister
• Freeway (2022 WIP | 7800) by Michael Myers @saxmeister
• It's Conner Time! (2022 7800) by Ecernosoft @Ecernosoft

[Ecernosoft]

Hey @ZeroPage Homebrew, make sure that you know these two things before playing my game:

1. There's a level select (On title screen) by holding select

2. Start the game by pressing a direction

 

Thanks. I know this is the wrong post. 

[+Muddyfunster]

4 minutes ago, Ecernosoft said:

Hey @ZeroPage Homebrew, make sure that you know these two things before playing my game:

1. There's a level select (On title screen) by holding select

2. Start the game by pressing a direction

 

Thanks. I know this is the wrong post. 

Why are you posting this in the Freeway thread? 

 

Would it not make more sense to post this in your own project thread? I'm sure anyone playing your game would find them useful. 

 

[Ecernosoft]

52 minutes ago, Muddyfunster said:

Why are you posting this in the Freeway thread? 

 

Would it not make more sense to post this in your own project thread? I'm sure anyone playing your game would find them useful. 

 

I did again, it's just I forgot to say that. 

[Lauren Tyler]

This looks great.  I remember this well.

[saxmeister]

@ZeroPage Homebrew thanks for playing this one as well! It's so much fun to see you guys play.

 

Feedback I heard:

• The hit box with 3/4, semi-3D view still needs some massaging. I started out completely top-down and it has morphed a bit.
• Original vs 7800: On the original Freeway the chicken got knocked back a bit on regular difficulty, but on hard difficulty the chicken was sent back to the bottom of the screen. So there is more code to add for this functionality.
• 320: I'm already working on the 320 mode with all new graphics
• Different cars: I have artwork I have been working on for different cars, ambulances, trucks, school buses, etc. that will be included
• Cars adjusting their speed: This is another item to add. I'm working on some random events including speed changes, ambulance/firetruck emergencies, and maybe some other items.

I appreciate Tix's artwork. He is a phenomenal artist and I appreciate all he has contributed. We will see what happens as this game morphs with the artwork and the style.

 

Someone mentioned Barenaked Ladies in the chat. Oddly enough, former bandleader Stephen Page was filming his "Illegal Eaters" TV show here in North Carolina, where I live, and I ran into him. Such a surreal thing!

 

And when you mentioned ketchup chips! Yum! To fully allow Americans to appreciate them you could call them "Eastern BBQ" or "Lexington BBQ" chips and it would work. Near where I live we have Piedmont/Lexington style BBQ which is basically vinegar and ketchup with some peppers. It is delicious. I would eat those.

 

And I hate that I missed the message or I would have jumped in on Twitch to watch live. Thanks, guys! Much appreciated.

[desiv]

I have to remember not to test things when I am way too tired.  

I spent a while testing this last night, wondering why I couldn't move left or right.  (I apparently didn't remember the original Freeway as well as I thought.) 

No one else was commenting about the "issue," so it must be something on my system.

 

Not sure how I missed: 

• Possibly add moving left and right (again, Frogger territory)

from the first post...

 

Then I went to check the original Freeway...  OOOOHHHHHHH...  Of course!!!  D'OH!

Great looking port so far...     

 

[Ecernosoft]

5 hours ago, desiv said:

I have to remember not to test things when I am way too tired.  

I spent a while testing this last night, wondering why I couldn't move left or right.  (I apparently didn't remember the original Freeway as well as I thought.) 

No one else was commenting about the "issue," so it must be something on my system.

 

Not sure how I missed: 

• Possibly add moving left and right (again, Frogger territory)

from the first post...

 

Then I went to check the original Freeway...  OOOOHHHHHHH...  Of course!!!  D'OH!

Great looking port so far...     

 

In some of my games, you will find "DONTMAKEGAMESAT??:??" or something like that. It basically says I was programming at that time.

[TIX]

On 10/22/2022 at 10:53 PM, saxmeister said:

• 320: I'm already working on the 320 mode with all new graphics

I appreciate Tix's artwork. He is a phenomenal artist and I appreciate all he has contributed. We will see what happens as this game morphs with the artwork and the style.

 

Hey @saxmeister,

 

thanks for the good word,

don't feel bad for not using my sprite set, I occasionally tend to butt into projects when it's something I love..

they all go to my archive anyway !

 

Nevertheless I couldn't miss the chance to draw a 16x16 version just for fun  😉

 

 

 

 

[saxmeister]

Your artwork is great! I may stick with 160A after my experimentation. I really like the look and feel of what you did.

[Defender_2600]

3 hours ago, TIX said:

 

Hey @saxmeister,

 

thanks for the good word,

don't feel bad for not using my sprite set, I occasionally tend to butt into projects when it's something I love..

they all go to my archive anyway !

 

Nevertheless I couldn't miss the chance to draw a 16x16 version just for fun  😉

 

 

 

 

 

Great sprites, TIX.
However, your chickens need an update to work in 320C mode, as each pair of pixels must include the same color or one color + the background color. It requires patience because you need to manually check each pair of pixels but in some circumstances it can be more versatile and colorful than the 320B mode.

 

Regarding animation, I would like to suggest using three frames instead of the current two, in order to make the animation a little slower and more progressive to help distinguish the detail better. Thank you.

 

 

 

 

 

[Defender_2600]

6 minutes ago, saxmeister said:

Your artwork is great! I may stick with 160A after my experimentation. I really like the look and feel of what you did.

You beat me on time, I was writing and I hadn't read your last message.

[TIX]

3 hours ago, Defender_2600 said:

Great sprites, TIX.
However, your chickens need an update to work in 320C mode, as each pair of pixels must include the same color or one color + the background color. It requires patience because you need to manually check each pair of pixels but in some circumstances it can be more versatile and colorful than the 320B mode.

 

Thanks man,

I have to admit I don't know the first think about the technical limitations of the 7800, I just churn out sprites and wing it from there.. 😮

 

3 hours ago, Defender_2600 said:

Regarding animation, I would like to suggest using three frames instead of the current two, in order to make the animation a little slower and more progressive to help distinguish the detail better. Thank you.

 

It's actually a 4 frames sequence..  just animated too fast !

 

 

Edited October 24, 2022 by TIX

[TIX]

3 hours ago, saxmeister said:

Your artwork is great! I may stick with 160A after my experimentation. I really like the look and feel of what you did.

 

Great, let me know !

[+ZeroPage Homebrew]

On 10/22/2022 at 12:53 PM, saxmeister said:

@ZeroPage Homebrew thanks for playing this one as well! It's so much fun to see you guys play.

 

On 10/22/2022 at 12:53 PM, saxmeister said:

And I hate that I missed the message or I would have jumped in on Twitch to watch live. Thanks, guys! Much appreciated.

 

You're so welcome, it was a lot of fun to play your port of a classic game! Sorry you missed watching it live, it was definitely a last minute posting about the game lineup for the show, usually I post about it the day before. Looking forward to playing more of your games on the stream in the future!

 

- James