Thomas Jentzsch Posted July 9, 2006 Share Posted July 9, 2006 Yup, the bug is fixed now. I also noticed a slight color problem with the dots at the very right. I hope you can fix that one too. BTW: Any chance for a PAL or PAL-60 version? The flicker just doesn't work that well in PAL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+johnnywc Posted July 9, 2006 Author Share Posted July 9, 2006 Hi Thomas Yup, the bug is fixed now. Good. I also noticed a slight color problem with the dots at the very right. I hope you can fix that one too. Probably won't be able to fix that. PF color change can either be 2 pixels early or 1 late. 1 late looked weird as there were white dots in the maze. 2 early looks a bit better IMO, especially if you lighten up the maze a bit with the difficulty switches. BTW: Any chance for a PAL or PAL-60 version? The flicker just doesn't work that well in PAL. I should be able to do a PAL-60 version. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Jentzsch Posted July 9, 2006 Share Posted July 9, 2006 Probably won't be able to fix that. PF color change can either be 2 pixels early or 1 late. 1 late looked weird as there were white dots in the maze. 2 early looks a bit better IMO, especially if you lighten up the maze a bit with the difficulty switches. I see. Maybe a gap in the out borders would be the cleaner solution. Well, it's a matter of personal taste. Hm, maybe you could reverse the whole playfield graphics (using backgroud as foregroud and vice versa, maybe only in the dot rows). Then you might be able to use the ball for masking the wrong color pixels. I should be able to do a PAL-60 version. That would be very nice. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gregory DG Posted July 9, 2006 Share Posted July 9, 2006 It makes me glad that Coleco never released their version of the game, because I strongly doubt that it would have been as good as this one. Agreed. Now, if someone could just remake Donkey Kong for the 2600. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PacManPlus Posted July 9, 2006 Share Posted July 9, 2006 (edited) Let's see... flaws, flaws... hmm, it may take a while to find one... all right, how's this? The cheery little sound effect that plays when you finish a maze seems to run a little too fast. Hmmm.... The sound at the end of the level seems almost exactly the same to me: But you be the judge I've included both the arcade and the 2600 sounds here: EndPart_2600.wav EndPart_Arcade.wav Edited July 9, 2006 by PacManPlus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxsolo2000 Posted July 9, 2006 Share Posted July 9, 2006 Just wanted to say that it is a hell of an achievement. I never believed it could be done on the 2600, glad to be proved wrong. Excellent work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Nathan Strum Posted July 9, 2006 Share Posted July 9, 2006 Hmmm.... The sound at the end of the level seems almost exactly the same to me: But you be the judge Sounds pretty much spot-on, to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sukotsu9 Posted July 10, 2006 Share Posted July 10, 2006 This is truly outstanding! If ever a game deserved to see the light of day, it's this Ladybug for the 2600. A lot of fun too (I don't remember playing in the arcades). Note for CC2 owners: F6 bankswitching worked for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djmips Posted July 10, 2006 Share Posted July 10, 2006 Let's see... flaws, flaws... hmm, it may take a while to find one... all right, how's this? The cheery little sound effect that plays when you finish a maze seems to run a little too fast. Hmmm.... The sound at the end of the level seems almost exactly the same to me: But you be the judge I've included both the arcade and the 2600 sounds here: It sounds like it's D4 C#4 B4 C#4 D4. The length is just about the same but the 2600 doesn't quite resolve back at D4 but then it might be a little flat because of the notorious tuning... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
espire8 Posted July 10, 2006 Share Posted July 10, 2006 Just finished downloading and playing the game tonight. !! I can see (and hear) why this is done so well. I must congratulate all the talented people who contributed and are involved. I remember 'Ladybug' in the arcades but was not a big fan of it but this version transported me! WoW! a very worthy translation, amazingly unmatched for this hardware ('Berzerk VE' is a close 2nd & 'Stargate' 3rd IMO). Although the arcade was vertical, the graphics on the 2600 is so pleasing to look at -it match the original as I remember it! Feels exactly the same too-- From someone who did'nt care much for the original game back in the days-- I must say: players are really gonna appreciate this one as I have tonight. It's a shame I missed out on this one for so long --until now! Carts for this title is a must-- Who needs xbox??? Atari 2600 owners wins again!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+johnnywc Posted July 10, 2006 Author Share Posted July 10, 2006 Hello all, Minor update: - fixes a scanline issue during the demo mode after a game has completed - fixes a graphic glitch when a bonus item was eaten during a color change - button reset works during the GAME OVER screen - object placement is more random now (SPCIL letter used to be on the left, XTR on the right - now can be anywhere) Thank you everyone for your kind words and comments/suggestions! ladybug.bin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PacManPlus Posted July 10, 2006 Share Posted July 10, 2006 Let's see... flaws, flaws... hmm, it may take a while to find one... all right, how's this? The cheery little sound effect that plays when you finish a maze seems to run a little too fast. Hmmm.... The sound at the end of the level seems almost exactly the same to me: But you be the judge I've included both the arcade and the 2600 sounds here: It sounds like it's D4 C#4 B4 C#4 D4. The length is just about the same but the 2600 doesn't quite resolve back at D4 but then it might be a little flat because of the notorious tuning... Yep, you're exactly right; I tried to get as close as possible, although the 2600 was a little flat with some of the notes. In certain cases, I went to another octave that had a more solid note so it wouldn't sound out of tune (you can hear it in the death sound if you listen closely). I used my judgement on which to leave alone and which to change; IIRC I did try and change the octave in the level clear sound but it sounded worse that what we have now. Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vic George 2K3 Posted July 10, 2006 Share Posted July 10, 2006 Still an excellent work so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+thegoldenband Posted July 10, 2006 Share Posted July 10, 2006 What can I say that hasn't been said already: phenomenal work, incredibly classy. I do have to question the algorithm used for choosing which letters come up -- I went ten levels without any I didn't already have. A lot of the fun of this game is working towards the "EXTRA" and "SPECIAL", and if you go 10 levels without making any progress, it's a little dispiriting. Any chance of tweaking it just a bit? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Helmet Posted July 10, 2006 Share Posted July 10, 2006 It's arcade translations like this that make me wish that some of you programmers were around to port arcade game sback in the day. This might go down as the best arcade port ever. It's that good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gregory DG Posted July 10, 2006 Share Posted July 10, 2006 It's arcade translations like this that make me wish that some of you programmers were around to port arcade game sback in the day. This might go down as the best arcade port ever. It's that good. It's definitely up there with what I consider to be the best arcade port: Tapper! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r_type2600 Posted July 10, 2006 Share Posted July 10, 2006 One more to join the legion of admirers for this marvelous arcade translation! Simply amazing... Hard to think of any further improvements for a such a masterpiece, just a few comments on itsy-bitsy details: - on the "game over" demo screen, is it possible to display along with the score the corresponding reached level (vegetable)? Right now, I believe, it always shows the cucumber. Since reaching ever higher levels is at least an equaly motivating challenge, it would be nice to have this reflected. - staying on the same screen: this may just be a personal preference, but would it be possible to (also) remember the high score/veggie for the whole gaming session? Should add yet another motivation factor. - on the game screen: I notice that it is possible to enter the bugs' lair and walk on them as long as they have not exit. Not sure if this is an overlook or intented ( forauthenticity with the arcade game?). Certainly negligeable, it just feels a bit unnatural... - this one is just an idea thrown in for consideration, since I think it would not require too much work to implement it. Question is whether it would add to the presentation? What about having an enemy bug run accros the screen after some time to enliven the title screen, before switching to either of the demo screens. To add a surprise element, the bug could randomly be entering from a different side. (idea inspired by the 8-bit Millipede title screen and its spider) I can't make any suggestions to the gameplay or sound, since they already are perfect! Hats off again for puting all this effort and love into another awesome port of a gameplay gem! Eric Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+johnnywc Posted July 10, 2006 Author Share Posted July 10, 2006 Hello there, One more to join the legion of admirers for this marvelous arcade translation! Simply amazing... Thanks! - on the "game over" demo screen, is it possible to display along with the score the corresponding reached level (vegetable)? Right now, I believe, it always shows the cucumber. Since reaching ever higher levels is at least an equaly motivating challenge, it would be nice to have this reflected. I believe the first GAME OVER screen will show the correct veggie; it probably resets when the demo starts. I will make it so the level doesn't reset during a demo *after* a game. - staying on the same screen: this may just be a personal preference, but would it be possible to (also) remember the high score/veggie for the whole gaming session? Should add yet another motivation factor. This is something I would love to do but it will not be possible. Saving the hiscore requires 3 bytes of RAM I just don't have (I'm overlaying so much RAM right now it's unbelievable). I may be able to save the high veggie/level, but it probably wouldn't be worth it, and still needs at least a byte of ram to pull off... - on the game screen: I notice that it is possible to enter the bugs' lair and walk on them as long as they have not exit. Not sure if this is an overlook or intented ( forauthenticity with the arcade game?). Certainly negligeable, it just feels a bit unnatural... Unnatural? Yes. Arcade authentic? Yes. It is intended. - this one is just an idea thrown in for consideration, since I think it would not require too much work to implement it. Question is whether it would add to the presentation? What about having an enemy bug run accros the screen after some time to enliven the title screen, before switching to either of the demo screens. To add a surprise element, the bug could randomly be entering from a different side. (idea inspired by the 8-bit Millipede title screen and its spider) Yes - this would be a great idea and was the original intention to do something like this (similar to the arcade title screen). Unfortunately, right now I have < 10 bytes of RAM free. I can't make any suggestions to the gameplay or sound, since they already are perfect! Hats off again for puting all this effort and love into another awesome port of a gameplay gem! Thanks again and thanks for all of the great suggestions! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vdub_bobby Posted July 10, 2006 Share Posted July 10, 2006 Just an emulation note...the screen jitters a bunch in Stella. This is most likely due to the fact that Stella doesn't handle the timers completely accurately (the jitter isn't there in z26 and probably not on real hardware either). But just a heads up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PacManPlus Posted July 10, 2006 Share Posted July 10, 2006 (edited) You're right about the real hardware, it works fine. I've been testing in with my CC2 on the 7800. The jumping in Stells is pretty recent; I tried it a few versions ago and it was fine (I just now noticed it too, but I use z26 for the most part so it wasn't an issue for me) Edited July 10, 2006 by PacManPlus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Nathan Strum Posted July 10, 2006 Share Posted July 10, 2006 (edited) I noticed the Stella jittering in the most recent build, but not in the previous ones. I'll check it on on real hardware tonight. Edited July 10, 2006 by Nathan Strum Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+thegoldenband Posted July 10, 2006 Share Posted July 10, 2006 (edited) What version? It looks fine on mine (OS X, 2.1.0), as long as I set the phosphorescence to "on" and the difficulty switches to bright. Edit: Oh, I may be playing the next-to-last build, not sure. Edited July 10, 2006 by thegoldenband Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+johnnywc Posted July 11, 2006 Author Share Posted July 11, 2006 (edited) Just an emulation note...the screen jitters a bunch in Stella. This is most likely due to the fact that Stella doesn't handle the timers completely accurately (the jitter isn't there in z26 and probably not on real hardware either). But just a heads up. Thanks. I've confirmed that it does do it in the new version on Stella - not on z26 or on real hardware via the CC2. Hmmm... not sure what's causing that. Any ideas? Timers have not been changed from each version - I've moved a bunch of code around and "optimized" to free up some ROM. This certainly has me concerned. Anyway, I did free up some ROM and added in a few more tweaks: - 1st bug doesn't start out of the pen on ADVANCED anymore (it was difficult enough) - letter selection should be better as the game tries twice to pick a red and yellow letter you need now. On NOVICE it will pick 3 times and on ADVANCED once. - last veggie is retained throughout the DEMO and GAME OVER screens until a new game is started Any and all feedback is welcomed, especially concerning the screen jitter on Stella. Thanks! EDIT: Fixed a bug that caused the game to start paused sometimes. ladybug.bin Edited July 11, 2006 by johnnywc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Feralstorm Posted July 11, 2006 Share Posted July 11, 2006 Finally got a chance to check out this game, and I'm mighty impressed. The gameplay is good and challenging, and about as accurate visually as the 2600 can manage. Been a while since I've played arcade Ladybug, but it sounds almost exactly like the arcade to my ear. Wonderful work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+stephena Posted July 11, 2006 Share Posted July 11, 2006 I noticed the Stella jittering in the most recent build, but not in the previous ones. I'll check it on on real hardware tonight. I notice jittering in both z26 and Stella if the phosphor effect isn't turned on. I think this is the 30Hz flicker that you're seeing. If I launch z26 with '-f77', the flicker goes away. But if you launch Stella with '-pp yes', it also removes the flicker. As a further test in Stella, run the game normally, without any commandline options. Now hit Alt-p (Shift-Cmd-p for OSX) and see if the flicker goes away. If so, then everything is working as it should be. Before a final release, I'll need a properties entry for this ROM, so that the phosphor effect will be set automatically. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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