My old Astrocade Gorf project

[Gorf]

For those interested....

 

 

Here are a few shots...

 

 

 

 

[riffraff]

Hey nice looking screenshots on gorf, and yeah it's nice to meet another astrocade coder. Let me know if you ever want to work together on any future bally games =)

 

I still need to make labels and possibly a manual for Bally War and it will be ready.

[mos6507]

You're going to have to rotate the monitor to play it?

[Gorf]

Hey nice looking screenshots on gorf, and yeah it's nice to meet another astrocade coder. Let me know if you ever want to work together on any future bally games =)

 

I still need to make labels and possibly a manual for Bally War and it will be ready.

 

 

Finding cart shells has to be close to impossible...how will you deal with that?

Also, what kind of followng do we have left in the astrocade world? Is Bally

Alley even still around?

 

 

Yup....still there...in case anyone is interested.... ...here is a link.

 

http://ballyalley.classicgaming.gamespy.co.../misc_docs.html

[Gorf]

You're going to have to rotate the monitor to play it?

 

 

Hehe..yeah...I could always do both but again as with all things Gorf...the most you will ever see

are screen shots unfortunately. Rights and all.

[Lord Helmet]

You should do a better 2600 version

[128Kgames]

Hey nice looking screenshots on gorf, and yeah it's nice to meet another astrocade coder. Let me know if you ever want to work together on any future bally games =)

 

I still need to make labels and possibly a manual for Bally War and it will be ready.

 

 

Finding cart shells has to be close to impossible...how will you deal with that?

Also, what kind of followng do we have left in the astrocade world? Is Bally

Alley even still around?

 

 

Yup....still there...in case anyone is interested.... ...here is a link.

 

http://ballyalley.classicgaming.gamespy.co.../misc_docs.html

 

You might find this link a little better:

 

http://www.ballyalley.com/

 

As far as what type of following is left in the Astrocade world, many of us are also on the yahoo group:

 

http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/ballyalley/

 

So let's just say, if you build it, we will come.

[Gorf]

You should do a better 2600 version

 

 

I at one time planned to redo every Gorf release because none of them

had galaxians. I has the VIC-20, CV, 8 bits , 2600. I also wanted to do it

on the SMS, NES, SNES, Genny, Atari ST series, and the O^2. I did for

Jaguar and unfortunately found out I was not allowed to as the author

was not the only one with rights to the game still. Midway never reverted

those rights as they did with Robby Roto( also authored by Jamie Fenton

whoalso had OODLES to do with the Astrocade....OODLES.)

[Gorf]

Hey nice looking screenshots on gorf, and yeah it's nice to meet another astrocade coder. Let me know if you ever want to work together on any future bally games =)

 

I still need to make labels and possibly a manual for Bally War and it will be ready.

 

 

Finding cart shells has to be close to impossible...how will you deal with that?

Also, what kind of followng do we have left in the astrocade world? Is Bally

Alley even still around?

 

 

Yup....still there...in case anyone is interested.... ...here is a link.

 

http://ballyalley.classicgaming.gamespy.co.../misc_docs.html

 

You might find this link a little better:

 

http://www.ballyalley.com/

 

As far as what type of following is left in the Astrocade world, many of us are also on the yahoo group:

 

http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/ballyalley/

 

So let's just say, if you build it, we will come.

 

 

 

Wow!....I think I'll be popping in then! Excellent bud! Thanks.

 

Hey do you know what was stopping video ram expasion on the expander connector? It's been

so long I forgot.

[128Kgames]

Wow!....I think I'll be popping in then! Excellent bud! Thanks.

 

Hey do you know what was stopping video ram expasion on the expander connector? It's been

so long I forgot.

 

Sorry but no, I'm more the die hard Astrocade collector than the tech head on it. But the guys on the Yahoo group really know their stuff, and I'm sure could answer it (riffraff is a member there as well).

 

As far as cart shells go, I don't think finding them would be as hard as you think. I know a guy (doesn't everyone?) who could probably help out in that department, who regularly sells carts on eBay six at a time (new/sealed). I tried buying out all his stock a few years back but he just keeps coming up with more (has a shed somewhere piled high with them if I remember correctly).

 

While I'm not a big fan of saccing perfectly good carts like this, it's for the greater good if it means a new Astrocade game. Besides, the game boards don't have to be sacrificed, unless they are needed for as well.

[Gorf]

Wow!....I think I'll be popping in then! Excellent bud! Thanks.

 

Hey do you know what was stopping video ram expasion on the expander connector? It's been

so long I forgot.

 

Sorry but no, I'm more the die hard Astrocade collector than the tech head on it. But the guys on the Yahoo group really know their stuff, and I'm sure could answer it (riffraff is a member there as well).

 

As far as cart shells go, I don't think finding them would be as hard as you think. I know a guy (doesn't everyone?) who could probably help out in that department, who regularly sells carts on eBay six at a time (new/sealed). I tried buying out all his stock a few years back but he just keeps coming up with more (has a shed somewhere piled high with them if I remember correctly).

 

While I'm not a big fan of saccing perfectly good carts like this, it's for the greater good if it means a new Astrocade game. Besides, the game boards don't have to be sacrificed, unless they are needed for as well.

 

 

Do you have a link? Also, any game I do for the Astrocade would NOT be Gorf...I've already fought that battle once and that was

more than enough.

 

I want to do a collection of some O^2 styled games on a multi game cart.

 

 

I was thinking games like UFO, Attack of the Time Lords, Freedom Fighters, Cosmic Conflit and Invaders From Hyperspace.

 

Version of these games would be nice on the astrocade.

[potatohead]

That's a sweet idea for the Astrocade, IMHO.

[Gorf]

That's a sweet idea for the Astrocade, IMHO.

 

 

Obviously though, they will be 'based on' those games to avoid any IP confilcts.

The Astrocade is not real hard to get something up and running on even in asm.

 

There is 8k of system rom routines for just about everything you need for the

basic of a game there...you just really need to draw sprites and do game logic.

[potatohead]

I've always loved the Bally machine. One of these days, I'll get one.

 

Yeah, just keep it low key. It's not like the Bally audience is huge, and it's still a hobby thing. UFO! needs some ports. It's a great game.

[Gorf]

I've always loved the Bally machine. One of these days, I'll get one.

 

Yeah, just keep it low key. It's not like the Bally audience is huge, and it's still a hobby thing. UFO! needs some ports. It's a great game.

 

 

They are not the easiest to find but you can get lucky from time to time. UFO! is easily the best asteroids wannabe

out there.

[holygrailvideogames.com]

Is Gorf playable on a real Astrocade machine? If so can you post a video of it working?

[Lord Helmet]

You should do a better 2600 version

 

 

I at one time planned to redo every Gorf release because none of them

had galaxians. I has the VIC-20, CV, 8 bits , 2600. I also wanted to do it

on the SMS, NES, SNES, Genny, Atari ST series, and the O^2. I did for

Jaguar and unfortunately found out I was not allowed to as the author

was not the only one with rights to the game still. Midway never reverted

those rights as they did with Robby Roto( also authored by Jamie Fenton

whoalso had OODLES to do with the Astrocade....OODLES.)

 

 

 

 

 

That really sucks. Gorf has always been one of my absolute favorite arcade games. It would be really cool to have a complete version for at least one of my classic systems...especially if it was the 2600

 

Maybe someday!

[jboypacman]

This looks great along with RiffRaff's WAR game i might have to fire up my Astrocade and give her a play or too.

[Vic George 2K3]

I even created a GORF costume the first year I was in St. Vincent's Home, just a week after I even started going to school there, and it was a Halloween costume winner that year.

 

I'd surely love to see this game be released for the Astrocade system, even though I never actually owned such a system.

Edited December 24, 2007 by Vic George 2K3

[Gorf]

I even created a GORF costume the first year I was in St. Vincent's Home.

 

Now that's dedicated!

[Bill Loguidice]

What's the problem again with just calling the game something else and maybe tweaking a graphic or two to avoid any legal conflicts?

[Gorf]

What's the problem again with just calling the game something else and maybe tweaking a graphic or two to avoid any legal conflicts?

 

 

I gave Midway my word I'd lay off it altogether. They were very cool about this whole mess so I want

to extend them thier due respect. My contact was a really nice guy and very helpful. Maybe someday

it can happen. For now its a dead issue but the conversation was left as such, that if I came up with a

good idea of how it can be done, reasonably and cheaply, I will and they said they will listen. Hope

and Pray is all I can say. It's not like I want it this way...Gorf is my all time fav 2D space shooter.

Im the most sorry out of all of you and for all of you that want it.

[Bill Loguidice]

What's the problem again with just calling the game something else and maybe tweaking a graphic or two to avoid any legal conflicts?

 

 

I gave Midway my word I'd lay off it altogether. They were very cool about this whole mess so I want

to extend them thier due respect. My contact was a really nice guy and very helpful. Maybe someday

it can happen. For now its a dead issue but the conversation was left as such, that if I came up with a

good idea of how it can be done, reasonably and cheaply, I will and they said they will listen. Hope

and Pray is all I can say. It's not like I want it this way...Gorf is my all time fav 2D space shooter.

Im the most sorry out of all of you and for all of you that want it.

 

 

Understood and admirable, but this is coming from someone who too is also a long-time fan, from the arcade and ColecoVision, as well as countless other formats, including a certain cat-based system, so let me ask it another way... From one fan to another, couldn't you take the basic concepts, the essence of the game mechanics that we like so much, and run with them? In other words, being a fan such as you are, surely you could program a purely spiritual "Super Gorf", one without the name and the directly iconic elements? That would be the real accomplishment in my opinion and the ultimate litigation free homage to Fenton and Midway's original property. You obviously already have the base, it would just be a matter of making it something else entirely.

 

I must admit that even though I usually buy every homebrew recreation of an arcade game I can, a little bit of me IS saddened by the "waste" of talent and energy on a non-original property. After all, as cool as it would be to have Gorf (or any other classic property) on every system, in reality it already is on a lot of systems, perfect or not, and reasonably available. A new property would be just that, though, new, and I am among the group that loves classic-style shooters rather than the hyperkinetic bullet-fests of today. Just the two cents of a mostly non-programmer, but obviously passionate collector, historian and writer...

Edited December 28, 2007 by Bill_Loguidice

[Gorf]

What's the problem again with just calling the game something else and maybe tweaking a graphic or two to avoid any legal conflicts?

 

 

I gave Midway my word I'd lay off it altogether. They were very cool about this whole mess so I want

to extend them thier due respect. My contact was a really nice guy and very helpful. Maybe someday

it can happen. For now its a dead issue but the conversation was left as such, that if I came up with a

good idea of how it can be done, reasonably and cheaply, I will and they said they will listen. Hope

and Pray is all I can say. It's not like I want it this way...Gorf is my all time fav 2D space shooter.

Im the most sorry out of all of you and for all of you that want it.

 

 

Understood and admirable, but this is coming from someone who too is also a long-time fan, from the arcade and ColecoVision, as well as countless other formats, including a certain cat-based system, so let me ask it another way... From one fan to another, couldn't you take the basic concepts, the essence of the game mechanics that we like so much, and run with them? In other words, being a fan such as you are, surely you could program a purely spiritual "Super Gorf", one without the name and the directly iconic elements? That would be the real accomplishment in my opinion and the ultimate litigation free homage to Fenton and Midway's original property. You obviously already have the base, it would just be a matter of making it something else entirely.

 

I must admit that even though I usually buy every homebrew recreation of an arcade game I can, a little bit of me IS saddened by the "waste" of talent and energy on a non-original property. After all, as cool as it would be to have Gorf (or any other classic property) on every system, in reality it already is on a lot of systems, perfect or not, and reasonably available. A new property would be just that, though, new, and I am among the group that loves classic-style shooters rather than the hyperkinetic bullet-fests of today. Just the two cents of a mostly non-programmer, but obviously passionate collector, historian and writer...

 

 

 

No, I hear you but it takes time...time I just dont have right now...once I find time after this contract work, it will

be for Jag games and PC games mostly. I do want to make some titles for Astrocade and O^2 as well as the 2600.

 

What we developers need is a almost impossible cross platform language for these consoles. Im sure I just caused

serious agony and torment to coders everywhere with that but if there was a way, it would be wonderful. If only we

could somehow adapt bB to the other systems. That is an amazing high level language tht wroks like a low level one.

 

Again, I have a Jaguar toolset to finish so I can have Scott write a smoking 3D renderer for Jag after the money

work is done. Then we'll see about all these other desires and things.

[A Sprite]

What makes Gorf special to you? If it's the sights and the sounds, the exact experience taking you on a ride somewhere we can never go, then I understand not picking up the pieces. Anything you create would be a fragile shell of what you're looking for, a glass wall between you and your past.

 

The temptation to break it, despite the promises you've given would always be there, and it's not fair to ask that of you.

 

But.

 

If it's the near death experiences, the thrill of reflexes carrying you to the next show of lights and sounds as nothing can touch you while the numbers fly by - you can do that.

 

Gorf was a patchwork game, in the same way a patchwork quilt takes the best of every material around. Making a spiritual successor would be taking the best of every arcade memory you have, and sewing them together to share those experiences with the rest of the world. Those of us watching you work can only wish we could do the same. Writers and artists can talk to the world, but you get the chance to have the world talk back - even if it's a curse as it dies again.

 

That's real art.

 

Nothing we can do comes close.

 

At least give it some thought...

 

Edit: And now I read what you wrote, and shall die of embarrassment...

Edited December 29, 2007 by A Sprite