Demon Attack [Imagic] - "What If Series" Concept

[rsiddall]

What if Rob Fulop/Imagic developed the 2600 version of Demon Attack after the Intellivision version was released?

Or what if M Network had made their version of Demon Attack (Attack of the Demons)?

 

Another idea for an existing game and how it might have looked had things been different.

 

Easter Egg: there is a second screen.

 

This isn't a work in progress - concept only.

Demon_Attack.bin

Edited July 5, 2023 by rsiddall

[+Gemintronic]

Not that you need it, but, I highly approve of exploring concepts by actually making a ROM mock up.

 

Now make this Quadtari with each player being a demon attacking the ship

[rsiddall]

LOL! I think it definitely helps sell the idea. 🙂

 

I remember looking at image/screen mock-ups and then seeing someone comment on how it couldn't be done (i.e. resolution wrong or couldn't have color combinations overlap). This at least gives some credence to the concept.

 

Quadtari - I think you're on to something...heh!

[+Gemintronic]

My hunch is that you could get somewhere between Intellivision and 2600 Demon Attack with "just" the multi sprite kernel.

 

* Edit the 6lives mini kernel to have the solid floor color

* Use the playfield for the earth and/or boss

* Use player0 as the demon laser shots (both scattered and long)

* Use a virtual sprite for the player but use the ball for collisions with laser shot

* Use the rest of the virtual sprites for demons timesharing missile1 for collisions

* Use missile0 for player shot

 

You can't completely avoid soft collisions as the ball and missiles are only 1 pixel tall.  But, they help save variables at least.

 

The demon AI should take into account their own zones to minimize flicker.  Unless diving or being temporarily aggressive they should stick to their own zones.

[rsiddall]

I jumped to DPC+ without much thought to the multi sprite kernel just to get the 1 scanline playfield. I didn't think about manually adjusting the playfield height.

 

The other thing I realized is the big demons are 14 pixels wide (one 8 pixel sprite, flipped). 

 

 

[+Gemintronic]

I mean, what's easy for you might not be easy for me   I haven't wrapped my head around DPC+ so I default to multi sprite kernel.

[rsiddall]

More like laziness on my part.

 

Plus, the multi sprite kernel doesn't default to 32k... Allowing the concept to be closer to the actual rom size.

 

Have you found the second screen?

Edited July 5, 2023 by rsiddall

[alfredtdk]

I found the second screen on my cell phone.

[rsiddall]

Just now, alfredtdk said:

I found the second screen on my cell phone.

That was quick!

What emulator are you using on your phone?

[alfredtdk]

48 minutes ago, rsiddall said:

That was quick!

What emulator are you using on your phone?

Emu2600XL.

[TrekMD]

Very cool!

[rsiddall]

49 minutes ago, TrekMD said:

Very cool!

Thanks!

[alfredtdk]

I hope it's not just the concept, it shows that the Atari 2600 has the ability to approach Intellivision graphics. The concept game is very beautiful, my congratulations. You just gave me an idea for another 2600 hack, the Evil Attack is already done, if you want to check it out in the 2600 hack section. I also made a new change to DK, now available for download, made the upper scaffolding thicker and there's an opening on level 2.

[rsiddall]

7 hours ago, alfredtdk said:

I hope it's not just the concept, it shows that the Atari 2600 has the ability to approach Intellivision graphics. The concept game is very beautiful, my congratulations. You just gave me an idea for another 2600 hack, the Evil Attack is already done, if you want to check it out in the 2600 hack section. I also made a new change to DK, now available for download, made the upper scaffolding thicker and there's an opening on level 2.

It is just a concept as Demon Attack already exists. My intent on this game was to show a playfield could have been used to create the backgrounds. Not sure if BitHack allows for this and I have no way of taking the original code and modifying it (with my skillset).

 

I don't know the effect of adding those graphics (increasing original file size) to the memory in the rom, either. So it's more speculation than reality. But a remake could be done and that is why I like pushing past a mocked-up up image.

[+Gemintronic]

Someone on Facebork wished the landscape and earth had more colors.  Is that an easy update?

[rsiddall]

21 hours ago, Gemintronic said:

Someone on Facebork wished the landscape and earth had more colors.  Is that an easy update?

The purpose behind this concept was if backgrounds could be inserted into the original rom using just pfcolors and bkcolors. Not changing the gameplay or altering the existing program (just pretend screen 2 doesn't exist). I made the devil screen because I thought it looked cool. That WOULD alter the original rom because it adds additional gameplay ala Phoenix.

 

So the question of "would it be an easy update" might be accomplished in the following ways:

 

1) Manipulation of bkcolors and pfcolors - clever use of masking (i.e. allowing a color to peek out from beneath the other). I explored this initially but I don't think I've found a working solution. Hence the black continents on the blue Earth (background peeking through).

 

2) Turning on PF0=$FF to extend image to edges. Of course this causes other issues with hidden playfield colors showing up in columns on both sides. I exploited this effect in the attached image below. Moon going all the way to edges but it makes the Earth look strange now (no bkcolors other than $00/black above the yellow moon) . I could remedy that by moving the Earth up and turning it into a round sphere so it no longer appears to be cut in half. Would still have to figure out how to add green which leads to the next solution...

 

3) Using a quad-sized sprite to mimic the green landmass but it will add additional flicker.

 

4) Using gradients to introduce additional colors. Could make Earth solid but have a blue to green to brown gradient similar to Solaris.

 

 

Edited July 8, 2023 by rsiddall

[rsiddall]

Here's a bin (just screen 1) with some of the other solutions added. The Earth will cause flicker because it has an additional sprite. I just have the birds positioned advantageously.

 

This would be gradient fills and sprite for landmass. Also, the ball is missing from this version (earlier file), but could be set to any color since I'm dealing with a smaller Earth (blue). So it's still set to blue.

 

Demon_Attack.bin

Edited July 8, 2023 by rsiddall