2600 Homebrew of the Year 2005

[Thomas Jentzsch]

That's all right, though. I still had fun making Solar Plexus, and I still accomplished my lifelong goal of creating my very own 2600 game. On top of that, all the effort I put into this game (and make no mistake, I spent many hours with it) was justly rewarded with over a hundred dollars in royalties from the Atari Age store. Sorry, Cybergoth, but the way I look at it, I'm a winner... even if my game isn't.

You have every right to feel like this. We all know, that creating (and finishing!) a 2600 game requires a lot of efford and stamina, even when using bBASIC.

 

BTW: Any game on the list above deserves by several magnitudes more respect than almost any of those hacks which are sometimes also sold in larger quantities.

 

So please don't base you pride on royalties. Those are only the icing on the cake, often paid by collectors who would probably buy even a sealed, nicely packaged brick.

 

Base your pride on knowing that you are one of the few who ever wrote a homebrew for the 2600. And then use that encouragement for improving and writing more, even better games.

 

I was on the 2600 game development mailing list briefly and was stunned by the elitism I found there... several of the people on the list went out of their way to make me feel unwelcome, despite the fact that the list was requesting entries for a Batari BASIC coding contest. It's fine if you want to keep the list exclusive, but don't invite me, then tell me to leave once I arrive!

I suppose you have followed the discussion. IMO AA is the far better place for discussing bBASIC related questions, keeping [stella] for assembler and hardware related questions. I just voiced my oppinion. You can call that elitism if you prefer too, IMO its just convenient.

[+Nathan Strum]

Those are only the icing on the cake, often paid by collectors who would probably buy even a sealed, nicely packaged brick.

YES!!! This is exactly what I've been waiting for!

 

 

Now just bring me those sweet, sweet royalties!!

 

[vdub_bobby]

 

Nice brick...gotta get me one of those!

 

Regarding Solar Plexus - I just played Fire Fly and Solar Plexus and IMO Solar Plexus is far, far superior.

 

Fire Fly has shitty controls, annoying music, no title screen, no game over screen, bad, glitchy graphics, no sound effects, only a 4-digit score. That game truly sucks.

 

By contrast, Solar Plexus has responsive controls, good sound effects, a title screen, a fancy game over screen, a six digit score, and ok graphics. Also, no graphic glitches that I've seen.

 

It is simplistic and the gameplay isn't compelling enough to have a lot of replay value (unlike, say, Kaboom!, which is even more simplistic), but I don't think it is in anything close to the same class as Fire Fly.

 

On the other hand...

I dunno, maybe you should have told me this back when the game was in development... and I repeatedly asked for suggestions as to how it could be improved. It's a little late for them now that the game is finished.

That's weak. Take responsibility for your own game; it isn't other folks' fault that they didn't take their own unpaid time to help you develop your game.

 

All that said, I don't think Jess' comments have been out of line or overly sensitive (for the most part). I don't really understand why you wrote this, Manuel:

So what's wrong with you? Seriously.

Just as it is completely fair to give a game the review/rating you think it deserves, it is likewise fair for the author (or anyone else) to dispute that review/rating. If you think he is being biased call him on it - but just to say that he is out of line to defend his game at all is ridiculous.

Edited April 7, 2006 by vdub_bobby

[+batari]

Those are only the icing on the cake, often paid by collectors who would probably buy even a sealed, nicely packaged brick.

YES!!! This is exactly what I've been waiting for!

 

 

Now just bring me those sweet, sweet royalties!!

 

Funny!

 

This compells me to post this useless program I wrote a while ago for fun. It produces 4096 random bytes (well, it tries to avoid JAM opcodes and puts in a valid start vector.) So all you need now is an infinite number of monkeys and an infinite number of computers, and you, yes, YOU can create your very own 2600 program with no programming knowledge whatsoever!

 

I also included a few random binaries I generated that actually do something interesting even if what they do is completely useless. Someone should do a social experiment and release a cart containing one of these binaries.

 

To create your own binary, type randgame>game.bin at the command prompt.

randgame.zip

[Cybergoth]

All that said, I don't think Jess' comments have been out of line or overly sensitive (for the most part). I don't really understand why you wrote this, Manuel:

So what's wrong with you? Seriously.

 

This was because I thought it pretty weird when Jess said himself he voted for Strat-o-Gems, while complaining at the same time that others didn't vote for his game.

 

Also I still think comparing it to Firefly was totally in order, so I was more or less trying to return an opposite opinion imitating his own style by copying his semantic.

 

Just as it is completely fair to give a game the review/rating you think it deserves, it is likewise fair for the author (or anyone else) to dispute that review/rating. If you think he is being biased call him on it - but just to say that he is out of line to defend his game at all is ridiculous.

 

It shouldn't have been interpretable like that and I apologize for that, Jess. Of course I wasn't suggesting you have mental problems or so. I was just wondering how you can misjudge your game so much, when I thought it was rather obvious that it's not playing in the same league than most of the assembly titles in the list.

 

I guess that was my fault, I shouldn't have listed it in the poll.

[vdub_bobby]

Ah. That makes a little more sense, I guess.

 

Using a poll to determine this kind of question will always give a resulting tally that should absolutely *not* be used to determine some kind of ranked order, due to the all-or-nothing character of it.

 

Just go browse the series of polls that attempted to determine the best 2600 game to see how it just doesn't work. Using an ordered, weighted ballot gives much better results for determining a ranked list. See the pinned "Top 100 2600 games..." thread in the 2600 forum to see that the top 20 in that list, even with only ~50 votes, is a very, very good list. (Though you may not agree with exact order/games, of course.)

 

A 1-choice poll like this needs to be interpreted correctly:

The fact that zero people have voted for Solar Plexus (and Ultra SCSIcide, FlapPing, Poker Squares, and WWII) while two people have voted for Go Fish! doesn't indicate relative quality or appreciation - it means that zero people think that Solar Plexus is the *best* game on that list and 2 people think Go Fish! is the best game on the list.

[Thomas Jentzsch]

 

Now just bring me those sweet, sweet royalties!!

How many? How much? Will you sign it? Are there any variations I could buy too?

 

[Thomas Jentzsch]

A 1-choice poll like this needs to be interpreted correctly:

Exactly!

 

Currently 5 people think SWOOPS! is the best game and 37 people think it is 2nd best (being almost a tie to their personal #1).

[+batari]

* casts sympathy vote

[Nukey Shay]

This compells me to post this useless program I wrote a while ago for fun. It produces 4096 random bytes (well, it tries to avoid JAM opcodes and puts in a valid start vector.) So all you need now is an infinite number of monkeys and an infinite number of computers, and you, yes, YOU can create your very own 2600 program with no programming knowledge whatsoever!

 

I also included a few random binaries I generated that actually do something interesting even if what they do is completely useless. Someone should do a social experiment and release a cart containing one of these binaries.

 

To create your own binary, type randgame>game.bin at the command prompt.

 

lol

In the old thread, there was also the timeframe you could expect such a program to produce anything worthwhile. Anywhere from that minute, to the projected death of the Universe.

 

Unless you had an infinite number of computers, of course. But think of all that playtesting involved! The monkeys would be useless.

[vdub_bobby]

I also included a few random binaries I generated that actually do something interesting even if what they do is completely useless. Someone should do a social experiment and release a cart containing one of these binaries.

 

To create your own binary, type randgame>game.bin at the command prompt.

Here's one that plays a song!

randgame.bin

(Note: It doesn't play correctly in Stella (though it is still kinda interesting) because Stella isn't handling the BRK opcode correctly.)

Here's another one (that also only works in z26): randgame.bin

 

That one is actually pretty cool. I might steal that effect for a game - if so, who should I credit?

 

Others...

randgame.bin

Edited April 7, 2006 by vdub_bobby

[+stephena]

Here's one that plays a song!

randgame.bin

(Note: It doesn't play correctly in Stella (though it is still kinda interesting) because Stella isn't handling the BRK opcode correctly.)

Can you elaborate on how the BRK opcode isn't being handled correctly? Any info at all might help in fixing this bug.

[+batari]

This compells me to post this useless program I wrote a while ago for fun. It produces 4096 random bytes (well, it tries to avoid JAM opcodes and puts in a valid start vector.) So all you need now is an infinite number of monkeys and an infinite number of computers, and you, yes, YOU can create your very own 2600 program with no programming knowledge whatsoever!

 

I also included a few random binaries I generated that actually do something interesting even if what they do is completely useless. Someone should do a social experiment and release a cart containing one of these binaries.

 

To create your own binary, type randgame>game.bin at the command prompt.

 

lol

In the old thread, there was also the timeframe you could expect such a program to produce anything worthwhile. Anywhere from that minute, to the projected death of the Universe.

 

Unless you had an infinite number of computers, of course. But think of all that playtesting involved! The monkeys would be useless.

I posted to the original thread (which I didn't know existed.)

[Jess Ragan]

The fact that zero people have voted for Solar Plexus (and Ultra SCSIcide, FlapPing, Poker Squares, and WWII) while two people have voted for Go Fish! doesn't indicate relative quality or appreciation - it means that zero people think that Solar Plexus is the *best* game on that list and 2 people think Go Fish! is the best game on the list.

 

Yeah, I can definitely see your point. I guess I forgot that Solar Plexus is up against games by experienced programmers capable of pushing the 2600 to its limits, rather than other Batari BASIC efforts. Heck, even I couldn't vote for my own game after playing Strat-O-Gems (and I'd feel like a self-absorbed heel if I had).

 

Put me down for one of those bricks! I'm building a house and I'm running out of Combat carts.

 

JR

[vdub_bobby]

Here's one that plays a song!

randgame.bin

(Note: It doesn't play correctly in Stella (though it is still kinda interesting) because Stella isn't handling the BRK opcode correctly.)

Can you elaborate on how the BRK opcode isn't being handled correctly? Any info at all might help in fixing this bug.

Whoops, my bad. I looked a little closer and it is handling BRK fine (in this case). I don't know why it behaves so differently in Stella vs. z26, then.

[+Nathan Strum]

That one is actually pretty cool. I might steal that effect for a game - if so, who should I credit?

 

Whichever monkey you were using at the time.

 

Which reminds me... I've come to the conclusion that the reason one of the departments where I work never seems to get anything done is because they either don't have enough monkeys, or enough typewriters.

[Cybergoth]

Using a poll to determine this kind of question will always give a resulting tally that should absolutely *not* be used to determine some kind of ranked order, due to the all-or-nothing character of it.

 

Yup. I thought of doing this just as a replacment for the no-show we had this year regarding some real HotY ceremony. Of course the result doesn't mean anything, it's intended to be just for fun. All entries on the list are already winners.

[+batari]

That one is actually pretty cool. I might steal that effect for a game - if so, who should I credit?

I'd say Fortuna, the Roman goddess of luck.

[supercat]

In all fairness, the game WAS designed with Batari BASIC, and it IS my first effort. Although it's nothing special audiovisually, there aren't many games that play like Solar Plexus. Dodge It on the Fairchild and Solar Fox on the 2600 (both strong influences) are the only ones that come to mind.

 

IMHO, the question a reviewer should try to answer is "If a reader buys this product, will the reader enjoy it." That a game was developed with a rather dodgy version of bB may be impressive technically, but it won't enhance a player's enjoyment of it.

 

Scott, don't you think comparing Solar Plexus to a MYTHICON game is hitting a little below the belt? Seriously.

 

I was trying to figure out how to be most diplomatic in my reply above. A line I'd considered, but dropped, but which I hope you find humorous: "Solar Plexus: Sorta like Fire Fly, except it's fun."

[Omegamatrix]

I would have voted for the 1K version of Go Fish! if it had been released as a homebrew and included on the list.

 

I find the 1K version is a fantastic game. The full version didn't appeal to me like the 1K did. I was really hoping that it was going to be included on the multicart, but c'est la vie.

 

 

Those are only the icing on the cake, often paid by collectors who would probably buy even a sealed, nicely packaged brick.

YES!!! This is exactly what I've been waiting for!

 

 

Now just bring me those sweet, sweet royalties!!

 

That's awesome! Does it support the driving controllers though?

[Thomas Jentzsch]

I was really hoping that it was going to be included on the multicart, but c'est la vie.

Read between the lines!

 

[Thomas Jentzsch]

No more votes during the last days. Looks like RR wins.

[+Nathan Strum]

I would have thought that more than 47 people bought homebrews last year. Too bad this wasn't a "poll of the week". It probably would have gotten a larger sampling.

Edited April 14, 2006 by Nathan Strum

[Thomas Jentzsch]

I would have thought that more than 47 people bought homebrews last year. Too bad this wasn't a "poll of the week". It probably would have gotten a larger sampling.

We could repeat it as "Poll of the Week" and compare the results. Might be quite interesting.

[tmont]

I would have thought that more than 47 people bought homebrews last year.

 

Probably so, but it wouldn't be very relevant to vote for the only homebrew you own. The only homebrew I own is Ultra SCSIcide, and I don't think it's qualified to be Homebrew of the Year. But since it's the only one I own, it's really the only one I can intelligently vote for (well, that's not true, but I feel a little biased voting for the ones a relative of mine made). So I refrained from voting.