Pixelboy Posted August 17, 2006 Share Posted August 17, 2006 Wow, looks great. But wouldn't it be better if you use two sprites per enemy? When I design CV sprites, I'm always careful about flicker. That's why I used the GB version of Link (which uses two sprites) instead of the NES link (which requires three sprites). By having only one sprite per enemy, I can have Link, Link's sword and one enemy lined up on the same scan lines (as demonstrated in the dungeon screenshot) without any flicker. Here are two more concept screenshots... Those look great, but in the case of Moon Patrol, correct me if I'm wrong, but you could probably only scroll the backgrounds horizontally by increments of 8 pixels. Matt Patrol has smooth parallax scrolling... BTW, Casio had a game for the MSX that looked a lot like Zelda...Stone of Wisdom Looks nice, although a bit generic... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opcode Posted August 17, 2006 Author Share Posted August 17, 2006 When I design CV sprites, I'm always careful about flicker. That's why I used the GB version of Link (which uses two sprites) instead of the NES link (which requires three sprites). By having only one sprite per enemy, I can have Link, Link's sword and one enemy lined up on the same scan lines (as demonstrated in the dungeon screenshot) without any flicker. Hmm, that's a good reasoning, but for enemies I still prefer two sprites. Graphics look a lot better that way. Besides, after all these years, haven't you got used to flicker yet? Flicker wouldn't be that bad. 48Hz is pretty stable (34Hz for two enemies, still not bad). Those look great, but in the case of Moon Patrol, correct me if I'm wrong, but you could probably only scroll the backgrounds horizontally by increments of 8 pixels. Matt Patrol has smooth parallax scrolling... In both games you can't have smooth scrolling. Matt Patrol graphics has too many compromises in my opinion. Its background graphics are like a 32x32 block which repeats itself endless times. Same for the moon ground. If you think about it, those mountains and cities aren't really relevant gameplay-wise, so they can move in 8 pixels increments, albeit with much better graphics (and parallax is still there), while the moon ground moves smoothly, with more variations in the terrain (as the moon ground is relevant for gameplay). Eduardo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pixelboy Posted August 17, 2006 Share Posted August 17, 2006 Hmm, that's a good reasoning, but for enemies I still prefer two sprites. Graphics look a lot better that way. Besides, after all these years, haven't you got used to flicker yet? Me? Get used to flicker? Never!! In both games you can't have smooth scrolling. Matt Patrol graphics has too many compromises in my opinion. Its background graphics are like a 32x32 block which repeats itself endless times. Same for the moon ground. If you think about it, those mountains and cities aren't really relevant gameplay-wise, so they can move in 8 pixels increments, albeit with much better graphics (and parallax is still there), while the moon ground moves smoothly, with more variations in the terrain (as the moon ground is relevant for gameplay). I guess it all comes down to a choice between smooth scrolling and graphics. I rather like Matt Patrol, from a technical and visual standpoint. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opcode Posted August 18, 2006 Author Share Posted August 18, 2006 Hmm, that's a good reasoning, but for enemies I still prefer two sprites. Graphics look a lot better that way. Besides, after all these years, haven't you got used to flicker yet? Me? Get used to flicker? Never!! In both games you can't have smooth scrolling. Matt Patrol graphics has too many compromises in my opinion. Its background graphics are like a 32x32 block which repeats itself endless times. Same for the moon ground. If you think about it, those mountains and cities aren't really relevant gameplay-wise, so they can move in 8 pixels increments, albeit with much better graphics (and parallax is still there), while the moon ground moves smoothly, with more variations in the terrain (as the moon ground is relevant for gameplay). I guess it all comes down to a choice between smooth scrolling and graphics. I rather like Matt Patrol, from a technical and visual standpoint. You know, it's always possible to have smooth scrolling on the CV. You just need to follow the ZX Spectrum path, keep the background graphics monochromatic. Do you think it is always the best solution? I create a mockup screen for a new version of Zaxxon, which would need to scroll in 8 pixels increments, and took a screenshot from the ZX Spectrum version, which has smooth scrolling (by software). Which one would you prefer? Ok, the Spectrum version would look a bit better on the CV, with sprites for your ship and such, but still... Same for Elevator Action, would you prefer to play it monochromatic but with smooth scrolling, or like the screenshot above but with 8 pixels scroll? Maybe a good question for a pool... Eduardo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pixelboy Posted August 18, 2006 Share Posted August 18, 2006 You know, it's always possible to have smooth scrolling on the CV. You just need to follow the ZX Spectrum path, keep the background graphics monochromatic. Do you think it is always the best solution? Well, I think having monochromatic graphics can work in certain cases. Take the mock-up I attached below, for example. This is the result of a scrolling system which I devised about two months ago, which allows for scrolling by 2 pixels horizontally. I have a pretty clear idea of how this scrolling system works, but I don't have the knowledge to turn it into a real demo ROM. I create a mockup screen for a new version of Zaxxon, which would need to scroll in 8 pixels increments, and took a screenshot from the ZX Spectrum version, which has smooth scrolling (by software). Which one would you prefer? Ouch... The Spectrum version can barely be called "Zaxxon"... Same for Elevator Action, would you prefer to play it monochromatic but with smooth scrolling, or like the screenshot above but with 8 pixels scroll?Maybe a good question for a pool... In the case of Elevator Action, I certainly wouldn't mind 8-pixel vertical scrolling, because it wouldn't hurt the gaming experience, and the same could be said for several other games. Moon Patrol was just a special case, for me anyway. . o O (This is really turning into a battle of the mockups, isn't it?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vdub_bobby Posted August 18, 2006 Share Posted August 18, 2006 Just a note from a VCS guy: scrolling in big chunks (8 pixels, whatever) looks smooth if you do it fast enough. This gives you at least two options: 1. have a very fast scroll (i.e., Reindeer Rescue) *or* 2. do a Thrust+-style scroll - where the screen is static until you get to the edge of the screen, then it scrolls the player, quickly, back to approx. the center. This obviously won't work for something like Zaxxon or Moon Patrol, but it might work for something like Elevator Action. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Tomlin Posted August 19, 2006 Share Posted August 19, 2006 Just a note from a VCS guy: scrolling in big chunks (8 pixels, whatever) looks smooth if you do it fast enough. It looked pretty good in my RPG engine, since the screen was full of 16 pixel tiles. (I'd like to get some work done on that again, but I've had things take up a lot of my recent weekends, and I've been trying to do some cleaning up and dispersal of my Too Much Stuff) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pixelboy Posted August 19, 2006 Share Posted August 19, 2006 Just a note from a VCS guy: scrolling in big chunks (8 pixels, whatever) looks smooth if you do it fast enough.It looked pretty good in my RPG engine, since the screen was full of 16 pixel tiles.CV games like Bump 'n' Jump and Spy Hunter do scroll at an elegant pace. But when it's done slower, like in Destructor, it's a danger to epileptic people. Quest for Tires and 2010 aren't too bad... (I'd like to get some work done on that again, but I've had things take up a lot of my recent weekends, and I've been trying to do some cleaning up and dispersal of my Too Much Stuff)I'm confident you'll get back on that saddle eventually. The real question is how far you intend to go with the RPG project in the long run. As it stands now, your demo takes up quite a bit of ROM space, if I recall correctly, and there's still no fight mode sub-engine. Seems like you really need a cart that goes beyond 32K... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King_Salamon Posted August 19, 2006 Share Posted August 19, 2006 Question for Opcode... I don't recall which company made it but would it be possible for the ColecoVision to handle a conversion of the arcade game "Bagman"? Always wondered why it was never made for the home consoles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pixelboy Posted August 19, 2006 Share Posted August 19, 2006 Question for Opcode... I don't recall which company made it but would it be possible for the ColecoVision to handle a conversion of the arcade game "Bagman"? Always wondered why it was never made for the home consoles. Good question. Another one that would be cool to have on the CV is Arabian. It's another fun arcade game that hasn't been ported to many home systems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cybergoth Posted August 19, 2006 Share Posted August 19, 2006 Time for an oddball MSX suggestion. How about Xyxolog from Taito? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opcode Posted August 19, 2006 Author Share Posted August 19, 2006 Time for an oddball MSX suggestion. How about Xyxolog from Taito? Sweet Acorn is funnier. You need to "shake" the joystick left and right in order to fill the power meter, then release the acorn to destroy as many enemies as possible. Really addictive... Eduardo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opcode Posted August 19, 2006 Author Share Posted August 19, 2006 Question for Opcode... I don't recall which company made it but would it be possible for the ColecoVision to handle a conversion of the arcade game "Bagman"? Always wondered why it was never made for the home consoles. Isn't Spelunker funnier? Eduardo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cybergoth Posted August 21, 2006 Share Posted August 21, 2006 Besides, Elite is a disk/tape game, so probably it requires more than 16KB. Are disk based games generally a problem? Else I'd think having Beach Head converted to the Coleco would also be very cool Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pixelboy Posted August 21, 2006 Share Posted August 21, 2006 Are disk based games generally a problem? Else I'd think having Beach Head converted to the Coleco would also be very cool Looks a lot like SubRoc to me... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King_Salamon Posted August 25, 2006 Share Posted August 25, 2006 Question for Opcode... I don't recall which company made it but would it be possible for the ColecoVision to handle a conversion of the arcade game "Bagman"? Always wondered why it was never made for the home consoles. Isn't Spelunker funnier? Eduardo Yup.. Spelunker looks interesting (same style of game)... it's just that Bagman was a blast to play in the arcades. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cybergoth Posted August 25, 2006 Share Posted August 25, 2006 Are disk based games generally a problem? Else I'd think having Beach Head converted to the Coleco would also be very cool Looks a lot like SubRoc to me... Yesterday I wrote a first article with details about Beach Head for my blog, so you can see what it's all about. I'll soon write more about the other stages of the game Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Helmet Posted August 25, 2006 Share Posted August 25, 2006 Speaking of Matt Patrol...it is an Atarisoft proto is it not? Why is it named Matt Patrol? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pixelboy Posted August 26, 2006 Share Posted August 26, 2006 Speaking of Matt Patrol...it is an Atarisoft proto is it not? Why is it named Matt Patrol? The CV version of Moon Patrol was programmed by Matt Householder. He reworked the title screen and some of the in-game graphics (such as the bra UFO) before releasing the ROM on the net. Well, actually, I don't know if Matt "leaked" the ROM himself or someone else did. A sad casualty of the Video Game Crash of '84... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cybergoth Posted April 7, 2007 Share Posted April 7, 2007 - Bosconian That's a fine port, with smooth scrooll. Still, I would prefer to port the original arcade source Am I misinterpreting the MAME info on this, or does it really have 3 Z-80 CPUs? Would be pretty tough to get that version going on the Coleco then, or? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opcode Posted April 7, 2007 Author Share Posted April 7, 2007 - Bosconian That's a fine port, with smooth scrooll. Still, I would prefer to port the original arcade source Am I misinterpreting the MAME info on this, or does it really have 3 Z-80 CPUs? Would be pretty tough to get that version going on the Coleco then, or? That's correct. Several Namco games use this very same configuration: Galaga, Dig-Dug, Xevious and a few others. Simply an overkill, to make sure the game will never slowdown, ever. Eduardo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Thag Posted February 10, 2010 Share Posted February 10, 2010 (edited) Awesome work man. Zanac is my favorite shooter of all time. I've been out of the loop for awhile, but is this going to be available on cart, or will it require that expansion you've been working on for years? Either way, I want one Even if this is bumping an old thread. I just noticed it Edited February 10, 2010 by Lord Thag Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opcode Posted February 10, 2010 Author Share Posted February 10, 2010 Awesome work man. Zanac is my favorite shooter of all time. I've been out of the loop for awhile, but is this going to be available on cart, or will it require that expansion you've been working on for years? Either way, I want one Even if this is bumping an old thread. I just noticed it Please go to the new opcode website (www.opcodegames.com) and make sure your name is in our mailing list. This way you get notified when any new game is about to be released. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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