Crazy Balloon Public Relase

[Cybergoth]

Hi there!

 

Well, none of my 2600 kernels have been overly complex, but I sometimes rewrite them between one version and the next.  My seven-color paint kernel, for example, was limitted to making the cursor be red or icky-yellow.  By totally rewriting it, I was able to make the cursor be any color I want.

 

I'll do that early in the "game" as well, but at some point you have to consider a kernel *done* and move on or you'll never get a project finished.

 

Greetings,

Manuel

[Cybergoth]

Hi there!

 

Is Crazy Balloon compatible with non-modified Superchargers?

 

At one point it actually reset me to the Supercharger loading screen, making me think maybe it was hitting the Supercharger's hot spots.

 

Hm... the last bank is filled to the last byte, so I'd also think I probably hit them.

 

Greetings,

Manuel

[HermChase]

How about a "timed" safe zone instead of a physical? Like if you hit something within the first second, your position is reseted to the starting point?

Greetings,

Manuel

882445[/snapback]

 

 

How about making the game wait until the joystick is released following the end of a level or balloon pop?

882547[/snapback]

 

Both of those are equally good ideas, either having the level "stall" till you let go before it puts you back in (thus not losing any precious swaying or ticks off the clock), or the timed mode, where you just have one second that if you run into anything, you get sent back to the start.

 

I personally think Cybergoth's would be simpler (maybe?), because it would flow a little more with the gameplay, and it's close to what the original did. Sorry if I'm too obcessive, but CB was at one time my very favorite arcade game.

 

But, yes. I think the timed way is the best way to go for it, because it's the most loyal to the original, and noone's going to hold the joystick once they see themselves tempt death.

 

 

Oh, and I didn't mention it before, but I really love beginner mode, too. It really helps newbies through learning the game before they try it the "real" way, because that could be kind of intimidating. Good job!

 

--------

Chase Hermsen

[Jacob Rose]

This could be there's too many or too few scanlines, or may be related to the 9-byte VSYNC macro, which was suspect as the cause of rolling problems in at least one game.  If you're producing a correct number of scanlines and it still rolls, try changing the VSYNC macro to Manuel's old code, which is something like this I believe:

 

LDA #2

STA WSYNC

STA VSYNC

STA WSYNC

STA WSYNC

LSR

STA WSYNC

STA VSYNC

882481[/snapback]

 

Thanks for the suggestion! Yeah, I suspect the VSYNC zone, but I haven't tried to fix that yet. So far, my game consists of: a) a title screen (soft, gentle roll) and a game screen with a fancy playfield and a mouse (the mammal of the order rodentia, not the plastic gadget) you can control with the joystick, where the number of scanlines isn't even constant, let alone correct. =)

[kirin jensen]

Finally played this! Great work!

 

Pluses: The song coda at the end of each round. Short, but satisfying - and nowhere near as annoying as a song at the beginning of each round (a la Pressure Cooker)

 

Maneuverability - actually getting through the miiddle hole on level 1 is doable but difficult. Excellent!

 

Quibble: Do you get extra men somehow? It might just be my sucky point totals, but it doesn't appear so.

[Cybergoth]

Hi there!

 

Sorry if I'm too obcessive, but CB was at one time my very favorite arcade game. 

 

Actually that's pretty good for me. So I get a real fans feedback on wether I managed to capture the games spirit faithfully.

 

Oh, and I didn't mention it before, but I really love beginner mode, too. It really helps newbies through learning the game before they try it the "real" way, because that could be kind of intimidating. Good job!

 

Thanks!

 

I forgot to mention that earlier, but in beginner mode, when you bring home a damaged balloon, you aren't rewarded with the level completition bonus points as a punishment

 

Greetings,

Manuel

[Cybergoth]

Hi there!

 

Wow, you just registered for the Beta Test?

Cool!

 

Maneuverability - actually getting through the miiddle hole on level 1 is doable but difficult. Excellent!

 

I even made it through the left passage once. Not sure about the shortcut in level 6 though...

 

(It's explained somewhere earlier in this thread. The VCS version aspect ratios may not 100% match the arcade one.)

 

Quibble: Do you get extra men somehow? It might just be my sucky point totals, but it doesn't appear so.

 

That's still one of the things on my ToDo list. I actually really forgot about them until 2-3 weeks ago

 

Greetings,

Manuel

[yuppicide]

I don't know if this has been mentioned before, but I found a bug in the game.

 

I play this on Stella for Windows. Goto level 2.. the one with the bouncing things. Get to the end of the level and time it so that you clear the level exactly when a bouncing thing hits the wall and makes that "boink" noise. The boink noise will keep going as the ending song goes and it'll sound like an annoying high pitch sound.

 

I accidentally did it, but am trying to time it again to reproduce the bug.

Edited July 11, 2005 by yuppicide

[Cybergoth]

Hi there!

 

Thanks a lot for finding this!

 

Greetings,

Manuel

[yuppicide]

What's the max points you can score on level 1?! I got 2375 just now using the middle path, but I think I got 2425 or 2400 once going the middle path and hardly stopping at all.

 

Here's a screenshot of my best score:

 

Edited July 11, 2005 by yuppicide

[Cybergoth]

Hi there!

 

What's the max points you can score on level 1?! I got 2375 just now using the middle path, but I think I got 2425 or 2400 once going the middle path and hardly stopping at all.

889776[/snapback]

 

Hm... no clue. Just depends on how quick you are. If you're faster through the middle path, then you score more. The arcade does a more complicated scoring, but on the VCS a simplified solution must do

 

Greetings,

Manuel

[yuppicide]

I reproduced that high pitch bug again, but it was by accident. Was on the second level again. Here's a screenshot of my new highscore:

 

 

I died on level 8.

 

Here's a shot of me getting 2425 on the first level:

 

 

Can anyone beat either of them?!

 

I can do that 2425 on either the left path or the middle path. It's just about without stopping all the way through to get that score. I have yet to get higher.

 

Here's a shot of me getting 2300 on level 3:

 

 

That is pretty much going non stop and taking the left path.

 

.... sorry for all the edits here.. I just broke my high score for level 1. I got 2475 by taking the left path and going non stop.

 

Edited July 11, 2005 by yuppicide

[yuppicide]

Know what's really nice?! I can beat levels 1-7. I can also beat levels 9-15. I can almost do 8 and 16 is a lot harder. But what is nice is there's easy levels then level 8 presents a challenge, but then some easy ones come after that before I hard one again.

 

It's sort of like how Arkanoid did it. Remember how hard stage 3 was?! I think that was the one. Where it had all the unbreakable bricks and the row was very close to the bottom and when the ball got fast it was pretty hard. But then after that stage was some easy ones. I always prayed for a warp.

[yuppicide]

Finally beat level 8. I make it there without losing a life everytime, always lose atleast 2 on level 8.

 

[yuppicide]

What's awesome is that every path on every level is doable without hitting anything. Just those damn moving levels are very hard (ie: 16).

 

Here's my high score:

 

 

I think my other post didn't get through. I found another bug. It relates to the first bug I found. On level 6 with the green level and the magnet in the top center. When I got to the end of the level the balloon moved to the right at the exact moment, so both sounds played. The ending music and the bzz from hitting the side, but the bzzzzzzzz kept going. Same as with the first bug I found.

 

I think you just need a routine that says soon as the end level music plays stop all other sounds.

Edited July 14, 2005 by yuppicide

[Cybergoth]

Hi there!

 

I think you just need a routine that says soon as the end level music plays stop all other sounds.

 

That is the plan! Thanks for reporting again. I'm glad you're enjoying the game. I'll definitely send you the final version for beta testing!

 

Also an amazing score. I need to talk with Al, maybe we can do another patch contest for the game!

 

Greetings,

Manuel

[Albert]

Also an amazing score. I need to talk with Al, maybe we can do another patch contest for the game!

891403[/snapback]

I'd be glad to do that again, I think it's due time. I know everyone enjoyed the Star Fire Elite Squadron patches, and I've been asked on more than one occasion when we'd be doing another.

 

..Al

[yuppicide]

Bug on Level 13?! When you finish the level you're behind the head and he still is able to blow you. I kind of like it that way, but it's not realistic. Level 13 is in the last screenshot I posted.

 

New high:

 

 

I can make it up to about 11 before I die.

Edited July 14, 2005 by yuppicide

[Cybergoth]

Hi there!

 

I'd be glad to do that again, I think it's due time.  I know everyone enjoyed the Star Fire Elite Squadron patches, and I've been asked on more than one occasion when we'd be doing another. 

 

Yay, lets do it!

 

Bug on Level 13?! When you finish the level you're behind the head and he still is able to blow you.

 

Yup, that's a known bug, I already have it in my list. About time to start bugfixing

 

Greetings,

Manuel

[yuppicide]

Another bug possibly:

 

Where: On Level 3 (I haven't tested this on other levels)

 

What: I notice that on some levels (say Level 1 for instance) once you get to the end you can't help but go into the goal. But, on level 3 part of the goal isn't there.. and you can go right past it by mistake and die.

 

 

Looks like the goal is missing on the right side. As you can see in the screenshot I've managed to get past on the right side.. and I can actually keep going down and colliding with that wall.

 

Would be nice to have some secret levels or something.. or a mode selection where you can play "Arcade Classic" mode or a mode with completely different leveles. Maybe try some of the levels from the C64 version or something.

Edited July 14, 2005 by yuppicide

[HermChase]

Another bug possibly:

 

Where: On Level 3 (I haven't tested this on other levels)

 

What: I notice that on some levels (say Level 1 for instance) once you get to the end you can't help but go into the goal. But, on level 3 part of the goal isn't there.. and you can go right past it by mistake and die.

 

 

Looks like the goal is missing on the right side. As you can see in the screenshot I've managed to get past on the right side.. and I can actually keep going down and colliding with that wall.

 

891724[/snapback]

 

 

I think I addressed this one earlier, suggesting he move the goal contact zone one box up, because it would feel more natural, and you don't have to go searching for it. I'm gunna have to try to challenge your scores now.

 

Edit: Also, yes, the scoring is slightly different in the arcade (referring to Cybergoth saying it had "more complicated scoring", but I can't seem to get a quote to work in an edit. .

If you've never played the original, I believe KLOV has the original scoring diagrammed out in the manual. It's all VERY complicated, but I used to know all the highest scoring patterns. To sum it up: There was a delayed timer that gave you bonus points for finishing (it didn't start ticking for like 20 seconds though), and you gained points for movement, where some spiked areas were coloured differently, and would be worth different point values depending on difficulty. Also, you only gained points if you went through the area in the "intended direction" (so if you went under the block on level 3, then tried to loop back over, you'd get no points for those), and any area you touched could not give you points more than once. Yet they weren't marked out visibly when you'd been through them already. Wow. That was more than summing it up.

 

But, for the VCS version, this scoring works just fine. I'm really loving this game CG, and can't wait for the next beta (Gold Master?), or the final release! Good work!

 

If I think of any more last minute suggestions, I'll let you know, but I think, other than the sound bug (I've encountered the squeal when the moving spike hits the wall during crossing as well) the behind the face blow bug, and the moving of the 3-based level goals one block up, all is good! Thanks again!

---------

Chase Hermsen

Edited July 14, 2005 by HermChase

[Albert]

I'd be glad to do that again, I think it's due time.  I know everyone enjoyed the Star Fire Elite Squadron patches, and I've been asked on more than one occasion when we'd be doing another. 

 

Yay, lets do it!

Okay, I will write Lee Krueger and Dave Exton and see if they are both interested in working on another patch.

 

..Al

[yuppicide]

Yeah I PM'd him about the scoring and then later realized he already looked at the manual.. guess I should have did some research on Stella's List, but I haven't gone there in a long time.

 

My latest score:

 

 

Damn I was so close to finally getting through all 16 levels in one game! I didn't lose my first life until level 14 or 15 (I forget) then I lost the other two on 16 in very stupid mistakes.

 

Been timing myself. Takes a little over a minute to get to level 6.

Edited July 15, 2005 by yuppicide

[Cybergoth]

Hi there!

 

Yeah I PM'd him about the scoring and then later realized he already looked at the manual..

 

I saved all your suggestions and will see what can be done.

 

Greetings,

Manuel

[retrocon]

I can't recall if I said this in this thread already, but I think this is an awesome achievement. It really is an accurate port of the arcade game, but most importantly it is fun, fun, fun.