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Minigun Miner (WIP) - Beta 2B released


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Minigun Miner is a unique digging game for the Atari 2600 (VCS) home console.

 

gameplay_short.gif.f1be54cd9b80d27932c2121b568357a8.gif

 

Using a minigun, dig holes to collect buried treasures (coins, diamonds, rubies, etc.). But be careful to never touch the ground, or you'll explode! Thankfully, each time you fire your minigun, the recoil will send you flying in the air.

How to Play

- Hold Fire to shoot to fly up and dig holes. Move the joystick while holding the fire button to aim in any direction.

- Move joystick Left and Right while Fire button is released to move left and right.

- There are items to collect (earn points), and enemies to avoid (loose game) or to shoot down (earn points).

 

About

A first version prototype of this game was created last year for the Retro Platform Jam #6. Since then I've been (slowly) working on improving and extending the game. Compared to the prototype, the full version of the game now features :

 

  • 3 game modes:
    • Arcade Mode : aim for the highscore in a randomly generated level (this was also how the prototype worked)
    • Contest mode : aim for the highscore in a unique non-random level. This is great for contests, as everyone will experience the same (quite difficult) level :)
    • Challenge mode : clear a series of 16 finite levels. Instead of making a highscore, you'll have to collect several treasures to complete a level. Your score will start at a high number, and will decrease each time you earn points. Reach a score of 0 to complete the level. Also, you can't "skip" a treasure (or a skull) in this mode. If you dig down past it, it'll reappear at the bottom of the screen until you collect it / destroy it (I mean, it's a "Challenge" mode :)). The game keeps track of the levels you've completed.
       
  • Faster and improved gameplay:
    • The game now plays much faster than previously, and should be less frustrating too.
    • You now have several lives instead of a unique chance. In Arcade and Contest modes, you can earn extra lives when you reach 100, 200, 600 and 1000 points of score.
    • The scoring system was revamped as below:
      • Coin: +3 points
      • Diamond: +4 points
      • Ruby: +5 points
      • Skull (small foe): +10 points
      • King Skull (giant boss): +35 points
      • Razor blades: +0 points, they are invincible and must be avoided
         
  • Polished / improved code:
    • The game should now never drop a frame for a steady 60fps (tested on Stella to check for constant 262 lines :) )
    • It also offers a menu, with the ability to change the color palette on the fly, so you can play on NTSC, PAL, SECAM / Black&White with the same ROM.

 

The game is now a 16kb SuperChip ROM, developed with the wonderful batariBasic and its very helpful documentation by RandomTerrain - thanks a lot for your hard work making tools allowing us to make new games for the 2600! :)

 

So, if you are interested in trying the game, here is the latest beta of the full game version (released 09/27/2024):

minigunminer_beta2b.bin

 

And for archival purposes, the previous beta versions are available below if you need them:

minigunminer_beta1.bin(released 08/14/2024)

 

I hope you'll enjoy the game, and of course any feedback is welcomed and appreciated!

 

Edited by drludos
New beta released, updated the first post with the binary and updated description
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Very cool! It's challenging and fun. The physics are smooth! Nice acceleration and deceleration. The sounds are really great, too!

 

I was hoping it would return to the title screen after a little time on the game over screen, and maybe show me my highest score. That way I could explore some of the other options in the menu without having to restart.

 

Solid game, overall.

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8 hours ago, 8bitPoet said:

Very cool! It's challenging and fun. The physics are smooth! Nice acceleration and deceleration. The sounds are really great, too!

 

I was hoping it would return to the title screen after a little time on the game over screen, and maybe show me my highest score. That way I could explore some of the other options in the menu without having to restart.

 

Solid game, overall.

Thanks a lot for your feedback, and I'm glad you're enjoying the game!

 

Saving and displaying the highscore is a planned feature, I'm currently working on it alongside adding the "levels".

For now, you can quit the game to go back to the main menu by pressing the reset switch at any time (during game play or game over), and it'll send you back to the main menu to try other modes, without fully reseting / clearing the game to keep the highscores in memory.

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I love games with gravity.

 

Very cool, but really hard.

 

Mi humble suggestions:

 

- 6 digit score is too big for a game you can score so few points

- vertical scrolling could be improved. When going down the object seems not scroll accordingly with the cave

 

Goot work!

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12 hours ago, drludos said:

Saving and displaying the highscore is a planned feature, I'm currently working on it alongside adding the "levels".

This is a great game and I would be very happy if you would consider adding it to the PlusROM HSC. The bB code for the PlusROM functions is only 50 bytes. So PM me if you are interested.

 

 

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Posted (edited)

Thanks everyone for your feedback and kind words, it's very motivating! :)

On 8/14/2024 at 2:53 PM, Silvio Mogno said:

- vertical scrolling could be improved. When going down the object seems not scroll accordingly with the cave

 

Thanks for your suggestions. Can you please elaborate on this one? What bother you during the vertical scrolling?

Technically, the objects do scroll at the same speed as the ground, with one exception : when you decide to not collect an object (or avoid an enemy), it will move up faster than the ground once it's 30 pixels above the player avatar. I did this to reduce the waiting time before getting a new object to interact with. I tried to make it not too obvious, but if you pay attention, yes it's noticeable that the game "cheats" to try to maximize the "fun time" :).

 

Another point is that the color gradient doesn't scroll at all, (well it can "jitter" a bit during fast scrolling) while the ground shape does scroll. So maybe that's what is bothering you?

 

I'm very interested in honest feedback here, as I'm so used to playtest the game that I no longer notice things like that.

 

20 hours ago, Al_Nafuur said:

This is a great game and I would be very happy if you would consider adding it to the PlusROM HSC. The bB code for the PlusROM functions is only 50 bytes. So PM me if you are interested.

 

 

 

Thanks a lot for the suggestion. Actually, after all the features are finalized, I plan to try to support AtariVox/Savekey to save the highscores. So adding support for PlusROM too is a very nice idea, thanks for the heads up and the help offer! I'll PM you when I'll start working on highscore saving/restoring.

 

Edited by drludos
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1 hour ago, drludos said:

Thanks a lot for the suggestion. Actually, after all the features are finalized, I plan to try to support AtariVox/Savekey to save the highscores. So adding support for PlusROM too is a very nice idea, thanks for the heads up and the help offer! I'll PM you when I'll start working on highscore saving/restoring.

If you plan to use PlusROM functions later in your project you should already add these 3 files to your project directory:

2600basicfooter.asm

banksw.asm

PlusROM_functions.asm

 

and add at the top of your bB code the line:

inline PlusROM_functions.asm

 

This will keep the PlusROM hotspots clear (reduces the free space in each bank by 4 bytes) and prepares your project for using PlusROM functions later. It doesn't initiate any "network activity" in your ROMs, therefor you will have to define the backend URL and the code for sending/receiving data from this backend later.

 

 

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On 8/15/2024 at 10:30 PM, drludos said:

Thanks for your suggestions. Can you please elaborate on this one? What bother you during the vertical scrolling?

Technically, the objects do scroll at the same speed as the ground, with one exception : when you decide to not collect an object (or avoid an enemy), it will move up faster than the ground once it's 30 pixels above the player avatar. I did this to reduce the waiting time before getting a new object to interact with. I tried to make it not too obvious, but if you pay attention, yes it's noticeable that the game "cheats" to try to maximize the "fun time" :).

 

Another point is that the color gradient doesn't scroll at all, (well it can "jitter" a bit during fast scrolling) while the ground shape does scroll. So maybe that's what is bothering you?

I don't really know what is it. Maybe is that you did explain. I think is what you call an "exception" that gave me impression that the object is not buried in the ground but somehow floating in it.

 

But hey, I'm not criticizing your game! 🙂After all we are talking about a funny "switch on and play" 2600 game 😎, not a "start, wait a minutes loading time, set 50.000 options, wait for other players" super complicated multi-player network game 😵!

And personally I really prefer the first kind of game😎

 

Silvio

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Thanks for the detail, I guess it the "objects flying faster to reduce waiting time" that may be bothering you then. I see if I can make it a bit less disturbing then. Thanks a lot for taking the time to make a detailed feedback!

 

And yes, I prefer games that you can play right away too - sometimes when you have very few time or simply want to clear your mind, you definitively don't want to waste 10 minutes just booting / updating / navigating menus! ;)

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ZeroPage Homebrew is playing Minigun Miner on tomorrow's ZPH stream LIVE on Twitch! Hope you can join us!

 

Games:

 

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Posted (edited)

Wonderful, thanks a lot for featuring the game in the show! Sadly I won't be able to watch it live (it'll be the middle of the night here :p), but I'm eager to watch the replay tomorrow!

 

It's always very helpful for me to see you playing my games on video, it always gives me good feedback on what to improve in the game :).

 

I hope you'll enjoy all the four games during tonight show!

Edited by drludos
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49 minutes ago, drludos said:

Wonderful, thanks a lot for featuring the game in the show! Sadly I won't be able to watch it live (it'll be the middle of the night here :p), but I'm eager to watch the replay tomorrow!

 

It's always very helpful for me to see you playing my games on video, it always gives me good feedback on what to improve in the game :).

 

I hope you'll enjoy all the four games during tonight show!

 

Very looking forward to playing the updated Minigun Miner tonight, thank you again for making this great game @drludos! So happy to help in any way I can by playing your extremely creative games on ZPH. 🙂

 

- James

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Hi James, I've finally been able to watch the latest @ZeroPage Homebrew episode, and I had a blast watching Tanya and you playing my game live! I discovered many new issues to fix, thanks again for your help!

 

I'm happy that the movement in the game now feels good, and that the game is less frustrating as a result. Congrats on reaching 100 points by the way, and for finding an "exploit" allowing you to do it safely :). I'll now work on fixing this issue and the "repetitiveness" of the game. First, I'll rework the random distribution of buried objects, there are way too many coins compared to the enemies and other treasures. I'll also seek to make the coins worthwhile again so players are no longer enticed to "skip them" :). I think rebalancing the points earned for each treasure should fix this issue.

 

And to answer one of the questions during the show, the "skull" that you encountered is NOT the "rare boss", but a (new) standard enemy. So it's normal that it appeared twice in a row :). The boss version is larger and tougher, and looks like this:

minigunminer-big-skull.png.7260f7f8f2e2843c27d2fa7fe483e2bb.png

 

I'll keep working on this game, my next goal / deadline is to have a new version ready for the PRGE 2024, as the game will be demoed on Atari Age booth. I will also share the new beta here when it's ready! So all of you who are interested in th project can expect a new version in September!

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hi everyone,

 

Since last month, I've been hard at work on this game, as it will be demoed on the Atari Age booth during the Portland RetroGame Expo at the end of this month.

 

Tonight, as I've just sent the "demo binary" to Albert, I'm happy to share with you the progress I've made so far. The binary of the game will be posted publicly here on the first day of the PRGE 2024, so on September 27th. But if you're eager to play the new version, it's already available on my Patreon, as usual: https://www.patreon.com/posts/beta-minigun-2-112251401

 

So, Here is what I've been working on for the past month, thanks to your feedback:

 

- There is a new "challenge" mode with 16 levels to clear, offering a variation of gameplay from the previous modes. Instead of making a highscore, you'll have to collect several treasures to complete a level. Your score will start at a high number, and will decrease each time you earn points. Reach a score of 0 to complete the level. Also, you can't "skip" a treasure (or a skull) in this mode. If you dig down past it, it'll reappear at the bottom of the screen until you collect it / destroy it (I mean, it's a "Challenge" mode :)). The game keeps track of the levels you've completed.

minigunminer-menu.png.dd37ebdb5e09a56aff3813c64cd89064.png

 

- The gameplay was heavily revamped, mainly on the level design / random generation. The game should be less repetitive, with a wide variety of treasures to collect and more enemies to defeat. Previously you'll had an about 70% chance to get a coin, this is no longer the case! Instead you'll have more frequent encounters with skulls and razor blades enemies, and more chances to collect other kind of treasures.

minigunminer-skull.png.51894b3a2f8c3c95099bdd1174f21068.png


- Speaking of coins, the score system was also revamped. A coin now earn you 3 points, a diamond 4 points, and a ruby 10 points. You'll still get 10 points from killing a "skull", and 35 points if you defeat the "King Skull" boss:

 

- In Arcade and Contest modes, you can earn extra lives when you reach 100, 200, 600 and 1000 points of score.

 

- Last but not least, the game is now fully "couch compliant": you can go back to the main menu and change level / game mode from the game over screen using only the controller, thanks to a new menu that I've added.

 

So, I'm eager to let you play with this new version during the PRGE for those who can attend, and here on this forum, in about 10 days. Or if you are really impatient, you can check my Patron to get an "early access" to the ROM ;).

 

In any case, thanks again everyone a lot for your feedback, it's very helpful to make this project a better game!

 

 

Edited by drludos
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ZeroPage Homebrew has the Exclusive WIP Update of Minigun Miner on tomorrow's ZPH stream LIVE on Twitch! Hope you can join us!

 

Games:

 

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I finally add some time to watch the replay of the latest ZPH show!

 

Thanks a lot James for playing my game live again, it's always very helpful to see you play. It was cool to have one player discovering the game while the other was already familiar with it!

 

Regarding feedback, I noticed that i made a typo in my previous post: the "ruby" treasure (the green gem) does not award you 10 points, but 5 points.

 

For the Skull enemies, remember that you can shoot left and right without recoil, and also diagonally. So you are not obliged to shot them from above :). Depending on where they are coming from, it's often easier to kill them by shooting left or right.

 

Regarding the 16 levels, the "goal score" does increase in each level, but the level contents are also unique. Some levels feature many skulls and razors, while others are more focused on collecting treasures. I tried to have the difficulty increase slightly with each level, and each 4 level (so level 4, 8, 12 and 16) are a bit special, with a boss battle or a though pattern of enemies to dispatch.

 

I'm waiting to gather more feedback from the PRGE demo here (and from the show too) to see what to work on next, but I think I'll soon be able to start investigating adding savekey support to the game.

Edited by drludos
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Hey @drludos,

 

congratulations man, this is an awesome (old style) arcade game, simple, sweet and fun !

 

Since you are looking for feedback, I have one suggestion (not essential by any means, just nice to have):

  • it would be great if the gun could rotate to the direction it fires, just the four main directions would be enough, but including the diagonals will make the animation more fluid (I went ahead and prepared an example.. feel free to use it or not).

That's all, I'm going back for another go 🤘😀

 

minigun-4.gif.402f0ffa67da340f16e66d6bf5e624ad.gif         Sprite-0003.gif.031002d0a51351733ded71e4c1d466a2.gif

 

 

 

 

Edited by TIX
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On 9/26/2024 at 11:02 AM, TIX said:

Hey @drludos,

 

congratulations man, this is an awesome (old style) arcade game, simple, sweet and fun !

 

Since you are looking for feedback, I have one suggestion (not essential by any means, just nice to have):

  • it would be great if the gun could rotate to the direction it fires, just the four main directions would be enough, but including the diagonals will make the animation more fluid (I went ahead and prepared an example.. feel free to use it or not).

That's all, I'm going back for another go 🤘😀

 

minigun-4.gif.402f0ffa67da340f16e66d6bf5e624ad.gif         Sprite-0003.gif.031002d0a51351733ded71e4c1d466a2.gif

 

 

 

 

Woaw, thanks a lot for the animated and rotating sprite, it looks wonderful! I really love it, you are a talented artist (unlike myself).

 

I'm keeping note of this very good idea, and see what I can on this front :) (I'll need to free some rom space first!)

 

 

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Hi again everyone!

 

The PRGE 24 opens today (tonight), so as promised, here is the ROM of updated "Beta 2B" version of the game that will presented at AtariAge booth during the event. This is also the version that was played during the latest ZPH show.

 

The changes are detailed in this post:

 

As usual, any feedback is welcome, and I hope you'll enjoy it!

minigunminer_beta2b.bin

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22 hours ago, drludos said:

Woaw, thanks a lot for the animated and rotating sprite, it looks wonderful! I really love it, you are a talented artist (unlike myself).

 

I'm keeping note of this very good idea, and see what I can on this front :) (I'll need to free some rom space first!)

 

 

 

Glad you like it 🙂

let me know if you want to send you the individual frames !

 

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