Jump to content
IGNORED

Beware the Solar Plexus!


Jess Ragan

Recommended Posts

A failed experiment to create an artificial energy sorce has created the Solar Plexus, the wildly unpredictable miniature sun that has wrecked havoc throughout the galaxy. Space travellers everywhere pray during takeoff that they never cross paths with this flaming star, and for good reason... once your ship has been drawn into the gravitational field of the Solar Plexus, death is almost certain to follow.

 

You're a star scavenger, collecting valuable parts from the remains of abandoned space ships. Life has been good to you so far, but your luck is about to change. While on a mission to recover fuel pods scattered through space by a damaged transport ship, you encounter the dreaded Solar Plexus. Your ship is agile enough to dodge its relentless attacks, but repelling its powerful gravitational field takes a heavy toll on your shields. Your only chance of survival is to collect fuel pods to replenish your ship's steadily dwindling energy supply, all while staying one step ahead of the increasingly dangerous Solar Plexus. Will you be the first to escape its crushing grasp?

 

Solar Plexus is a brand new 2600 game, designed by JessCREATIONS*, Co. using Batari's excellent BASIC compiler. Elements from Solar Fox and the Fairchild Channel F release Dodge It are combined to create a simple, yet maddeningly addictive action title that demands quick thinking and reflexes from the player. There are four different speed levels and six different panic levels, so the better you get, the more relentless the Solar Plexus becomes!

 

JR

solplex.bin

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've got a new version of the game (home)brewin'... I've added extra lives at the request of another playtester and will look into making the fuel timer more lenient. I find the prospect of adding sound a little intimidating, but know that it will never be a complete game without it.

 

JR

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I like the game.

 

Please change the graphic of the solar plexus. I know you're kind of limited, but the nazi-esque/buddhist temple symbol just looks strange.

 

You COULD increase that initial timer, but the game is simple enough to get the hang of. I didn't have any problems after the second time I "died".

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah, the Solar Plexus is a little strange. I wanted to make it look like a spinning pinwheel, but it ended up looking a bit more controversial than I would have liked. I'll tweak the graphic a little to make it more pleasant.

 

The game is nearly finished... all that's left is sound and, if I'm feeling really generous, a better title screen. :D Due to popular demand, the difficulty has been reduced. I actually liked it the way it was, but most people seem intimidated by the difficulty, so down it goes! Just a friendly warning, though... it's not going to get any easier than it is in the latest revision.

 

JR

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Looks good and plays well - perhaps you should get together with some of the other BASIC developers and put together a multigame cart?

My only suggestion would be to limit the number of "boosts" that you get. The game is much easier if you hold down the fire button the whole time.

 

Chris

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here come the latest versions of Solar Plexus! The first is family friendly, and can be played by anyone. However, the other one is rated AO. A hacker slipped some naughty code into the game... but it's really well hidden, so JessCREATIONS*, Co. is confident nobody will ever find it. :D

 

JR

solplex.bin

xsolplex.bin

Edited by Jess Ragan
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wow.. it's awesome. Now I think the timer is too slow. It was almost perfect the first time, just a tad slower.

 

I think the seizure inducing title screen should go. Maybe try to draw a picture of something solar along with a Solar Plexus logo. Would like to see a song at the title screen as well.

 

Like the new in game sounds.

 

I think the game would be cool to have different levels. This would give the user a small rest. After the title screen it would say "Level 1 - Press Button" and this would start the level. I think it would be cool to leave the first level as is.. you get so many points and the Solar Plexus blows up. You are greeted with a "Level 2 - Press Button" screen. The difference in levels would be how the Solar Plexus moves. You could make one move in a zig-zag pattern, etc. When all the levels are completed by the user it flips back to the first level.

 

Anyway, just my suggestions. Maybe they're for Solar Plexus 2. :) Good game. Easy to learn and fun. Would like to see it in a cart.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here come the latest versions of Solar Plexus!

 

Here are the changes I've made:

 

* Reset button returns you to the title screen. This occurs whether you're playing the game or are already at the title screen. The only way to begin a game is to press the fire button.

 

* Dynamic boundary resizing keeps the Solar Plexus from wrapping around to the other side of the screen no matter how many pieces it splits into, keeping the player from being unfairly destroyed in the later panic levels.

 

* New gameplay feature... daring pilots get double the points for collecting fuel pods while flying at normal speed. It takes a perfect balance of restraint and reflexes to earn the highest possible scores!

 

The AO rated version of Solar Plexus will no longer be updated or officially supported. If you're wondering how to access the hidden goodies, here's the deal... at the title screen, press up, down, left, and right at the title screen, then the color switch. The title will turn pink, indicating that you've found the NUDE SHIP code! Perform the code again for a darker skin tone.

 

Finally, there's the "Hot Java" mini-game, which lets you really stick it to the Solar Plexus, if you get my drift! This code in conjunction with another button on the 2600 console opens up this mini-game (shouldn't be too tough to figure out which one). Move the ship back and forth in rhythm to score points, carefully watching the meter at the bottom of the screen. Press the fire button at the appropriate time to unleash missiles on the Solar Plexus, but don't unload prematurely or you'll have to start from the beginning! See how much you can SCORE before time runs out! (Geez, I sound like one of those corny Playaround instruction manuals...)

 

The official game is very nearly complete... no further changes will be made to the core gameplay. I think I've achieved a good difficulty balance with Solar Plexus... if I made it any easier, the game would be pointless. Any harder and it would be too frustrating. I felt a great sense of accomplishment when I finally reached the last panic level while extensively playtesting the game. That's how I know the difficulty is right on target.

 

All I need to add to the official release is a new title screen (Solar Plexus AO will retain the old, flickery one) and a new hidden Easter Egg... nothing as elaborate as "Hot Java", but perhaps a short message crediting Atari Age and one of my playtesters. The code used to activate it will be changed, and probably hidden a little better than it was here.

 

That's pretty much it. Give the new versions of the game a spin and tell me what you think of them. Thanks!

 

JR

 

JR

solplex.bin

xsolplex.bin

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I hereby announce the completion of Solar Plexus. The game's got a new title screen and a new surprise hidden inside. It's anyone's guess as to what that may be, but it's up to you to find it... no spoilers will be granted this time!

 

I've thoroughly bug tested the game over the night and everything seems fine, but if you happen to find anything that seems amiss, let me know. No further changes to the gameplay or audiovisuals will be made, however... what you see here is what you get!

 

JR

solplex.bin

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So THAT'S where I put it! It's detachable, you know.

 

Anyway, Solar Plexus is finished. Seriously. I'm not updating it any longer, simply due to the fact that there's no room left for code. I was able to squeeze my company's title and a tiny copyright notice into the two remaining lines of empty hex, a far cry from the novel I planted into the AO rated version of the game.

 

The boundaries in Batari BASIC are surprisingly spacious, however. I don't recall ever being able to cram this much stuff into a VIC-20 game without relying on double boots from its miserably slow tape deck. The main game, a slick title screen, an even cooler game over screen (seriously, you've got to check this out), and even some secret content is all crammed into 4K, and I'm still not sure how it all fits. Guess that's one of the benefits of using a compiler instead of an interpreter...

 

But I digress. Here's the final version of the game. Dig in, folks... but leave some room for the eventual cartridge release.

 

JR

solplex.bin

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...