124 replies to this topic

[Vic George 2K3]

With Jess Creations logo added:

[Jess Ragan]

That does give an idea. Mind if I take a shot at this?

[thegoldenband]

Jess Ragan, on Thu Oct 1, 2009 2:54 PM, said:

Gah! That whole Kermit the Gorf thing drove me nuts! That kept popping up when I was looking for pictures to use in the art gallery. What's the story with that, anyway?

A skit from back when Sesame Street was one of the best things on TV! Voila:



A different Muppet-related skit (from the Jim Henson Hour) featured "Timrek the Gorf", who was a purple-skinned, hat-wearing frog from an alternate dimension...

Jess Ragan, on Thu Oct 1, 2009 2:54 PM, said:

The curious thing is that she didn't begin life as a woman... she helped start the long-running, head-scratching tradition of transgendered video game programmers

That's a great line -- I may have to steal that!

By the way, I caught a spelling error -- after a failed matrix challenge, it should read "persistEnce pays off" (not "persistAnce").

[Jess Ragan]

D'oh! There's always something, huh? I'll look into fixing that and another problem I noticed with the Mission Matrix (the mission number isn't reset when you start the Frenzy Mode, resulting in an incorrect count). Also, I'll take a look at that video in a while, probably after I head upstairs for the evening. For the record, I liked the old pre-Elmo Sesame Street too, particularly the pinball cartoon starring the Pointer Sisters.

[Goochman]

Jess - just saw this and tried it on my kids DS - very cool. 3 observations:

1. The players shot is very slow
2. Not sure I am digging the red lines coming out of the middle in the 4th screen
3. I basically destroyed the flagship (only the nose the tail existed) - it seems there is 1 pixel to blow it up and I finally got it but I think the sweet spot needs to be bigger.

[Jess Ragan]

Thanks. To address your three points:

1. Yeah, I noticed it's faster in the arcade game. I could change it, but I've gotten used to it at its current speed. Maybe I'll experiment a little and see how it looks and plays with the bullet traveling at faster speeds.

2. Sorry, that's the way it is! Others have complained about this as well, but I felt this was the best way to reproduce the effect on a system with tile-based graphics.

3. I actually did extend the collision detection area a little because I could never finish the last mission without a little more leeway. I don't really want to make it any larger, for fear of making the Flagship stage too easy. Also, there were versions of the game (especially on the VIC-20) where it was possible to destroy much or all of the ship without actually blowing it up.

[Goochman]

Jess Ragan, on Fri Oct 2, 2009 11:13 PM, said:

Thanks. To address your three points:

1. Yeah, I noticed it's faster in the arcade game. I could change it, but I've gotten used to it at its current speed. Maybe I'll experiment a little and see how it looks and plays with the bullet traveling at faster speeds.

2. Sorry, that's the way it is! Others have complained about this as well, but I felt this was the best way to reproduce the effect on a system with tile-based graphics.

3. I actually did extend the collision detection area a little because I could never finish the last mission without a little more leeway. I don't really want to make it any larger, for fear of making the Flagship stage too easy. Also, there were versions of the game (especially on the VIC-20) where it was possible to destroy much or all of the ship without actually blowing it up.

I thought on the arcade if you hit the 'red' fuel cell area the flagship was destroyed? Im happy you wrote this so its obviously up to you on how it plays - I would just say its really hard to clear the first level since you can get to the point where you dont even know what to shoot - add to that the slow bullet speed and the last stage is really frustrating. If you left the collision box the same it would help if there was some indicator where the box is - its hard enough with the shots and the flagship moving to hit anything, so maybe a darker red where to shoot?

[Jess Ragan]

I'll consider it. Frankly, I thought I was already finished with the game, but these niggling little problems keep popping up every time I think I've wrapped up the design. A misspelled word here, a bug there... it's quite irritating. I'm glad people are finally starting to notice the game, but to be honest, I'm eager to move on.

[Jess Ragan]

All right, the requested changes (except Kermit the Gorf) have been added. Please note that this is the FINAL version! No further content will be added, because I've got to draw a line in the sand somewhere.

The final build is right here:

http://www.lakupo.co...rf_final_03.zip

[Goochman]

Jess Ragan, on Sun Oct 4, 2009 9:33 PM, said:

All right, the requested changes (except Kermit the Gorf) have been added. Please note that this is the FINAL version! No further content will be added, because I've got to draw a line in the sand somewhere.

The final build is right here:

http://www.lakupo.co...rf_final_03.zip

Thanks - Ill give it a whirl tonight.

Gorf is one classic I still love to play and have the Jag version. This is only the 2nd release to have all the arcade screens

[Jess Ragan]

And the first one you can actually play!

(Wait, how'd you get the Jaguar version? I thought they decided not to sell it after discovering that they couldn't get the rights from all three holders)

Edited by Jess Ragan, Mon Oct 5, 2009 1:49 PM.

[Goochman]

Jess Ragan, on Mon Oct 5, 2009 1:47 PM, said:

And the first one you can actually play!

(Wait, how'd you get the Jaguar version? I thought they decided not to sell it after discovering that they couldn't get the rights from all three holders)

Much better on the shot speed - I am curious if you also sped up the enemies? It seems the 2nd and 3rd waves were alot tougher but no worries its fun.

I was lucky enough to get one of the original release Gorf Jag CDs

[Asaki]

I wish I could provide feedback, but I've never really played Gorf before.

I think I tried the 2600 version once, and said "Oh...I'm not really in the mood for Space Invaders right now..."

[Gorf]

As programer of Gorf for the Jaguar, I have one burning question....why is there no movie or screen shots for
this version? I can tell you exactly how close you are. I've owned two version of the Arcade machine for
decades now.

[Jess Ragan]

I've got screen shots on my Facebook page.

http://www.facebook....5&id=1062935253

As for movie clips, I used to have a YouTube page, but don't use it very often now. YouTube's "bend over backward for copyright owners and bend over the users in the process" attitude pretty much made me give up on video production. However, if you played the game, you could get a really good idea of how it compares to the arcade version!

[Gorf]

Jess Ragan, on Tue Dec 15, 2009 10:44 PM, said:

I've got screen shots on my Facebook page.

http://www.facebook....5&id=1062935253

As for movie clips, I used to have a YouTube page, but don't use it very often now. YouTube's "bend over backward for copyright owners and bend over the users in the process" attitude pretty much made me give up on video production. However, if you played the game, you could get a really good idea of how it compares to the arcade version!

I dont have and never will have an account on FaceWhore, so how about posting a few shots here?

[Gorf]

Jess Ragan, on Mon Oct 5, 2009 1:47 PM, said:

And the first one you can actually play!

(Wait, how'd you get the Jaguar version? I thought they decided not to sell it after discovering that they couldn't get the rights from all three holders)

We actually had sold about 200 copies before doomsday. So though rare, it is the first
arcade accurate home version of Gorf ever released...but hey # 2 aint so bad.

Edited by Gorf, Tue Dec 15, 2009 10:56 PM.

[save2600]

Gorf, on Tue Dec 15, 2009 10:53 PM, said:

I dont have and never will have an account on FaceWhore, so how about posting a few shots here?

Looks great Jess! While always distracting IMO, the eye candy that is the bezel sides are cool looking. Gives it that extra arcade 'touch'.

And Gorf: I think you have FB confused with MySpace. FB is a much more mature and different crowd than that MySpace garbage.

[Jess Ragan]

All righty then... these are slightly old snapshots but the finished game looks pretty much like this, with the addition of sparkling shields.

(whoo, there's a whole lot of animosity toward Facebook these days. They never should have switched to a public view...)

Save2600: Yeah, I'm ambivalent about bezels too, but my only two options were add borders or flip the whole game on its side. I dreaded the thought of turning the game sideways... it would have been murder to program and playing it would have been incredibly awkward too.

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[Gorf]

save2600, on Tue Dec 15, 2009 11:00 PM, said:

Gorf, on Tue Dec 15, 2009 10:53 PM, said:

I dont have and never will have an account on FaceWhore, so how about posting a few shots here?

Looks great Jess! While always distracting IMO, the eye candy that is the bezel sides are cool looking. Gives it that extra arcade 'touch'.

And Gorf: I think you have FB confused with MySpace. FB is a much more mature and different crowd than that MySpace garbage.

No, Im quite well aware of both and I do not like either one of them.

[Gorf]

Jess Ragan, on Wed Dec 16, 2009 3:56 AM, said:

All righty then... these are slightly old snapshots but the finished game looks pretty much like this, with the addition of sparkling shields.

(whoo, there's a whole lot of animosity toward Facebook these days. They never should have switched to a public view...)

Save2600: Yeah, I'm ambivalent about bezels too, but my only two options were add borders or flip the whole game on its side. I dreaded the thought of turning the game sideways... it would have been murder to program and playing it would have been incredibly awkward too.

Looks good...would still like to see a video of it. As far as You Tube goes, Vids of
Jaguar Gorf are all over the place. You could always post a video here too as well.
I really dont like the look of the side bar of info ( for any game really) but I do
understand why you used that given the screen on the GB. I was going to have a 90
degree mode in Jaguar Gorf too but realized it was not really necessary since the
Jaguar is capable of any kind of screen rez.

There is a secret way of getting an arcade bezel in Jaguar Gorf. But I'll never tell.
In fact there are a few dozen secrets in Jaguar Gorf that no one seems to have found.
In fact you have to get to most of them by how well you play the game.

There is a tribute to MS Gorf as well....

Edited by Gorf, Wed Dec 16, 2009 7:22 AM.

[save2600]

Gorf, on Wed Dec 16, 2009 7:20 AM, said:

There is a secret way of getting an arcade bezel in Jaguar Gorf. But I'll never tell.
In fact there are a few dozen secrets in Jaguar Gorf that no one seems to have found.
In fact you have to get to most of them by how well you play the game.

Aww! More teasing?!? Well if more people actually had the damn game to play instead of collectors sitting on them, collecting dust...

Knowing your situation, how in the heck was Jess able to get his GBA version ported? I see all three © holders on the box, so he must have been able to perform some kind of rain dance? Why they care so much about a port on the Jaguar is beffudling. Or are the IP holders banking on the premise that a GBA version is going to sell big time?

Edited by save2600, Wed Dec 16, 2009 8:18 AM.

[Gorf]

save2600, on Wed Dec 16, 2009 8:00 AM, said:

Gorf, on Wed Dec 16, 2009 7:20 AM, said:

There is a secret way of getting an arcade bezel in Jaguar Gorf. But I'll never tell.
In fact there are a few dozen secrets in Jaguar Gorf that no one seems to have found.
In fact you have to get to most of them by how well you play the game.

Aww! More teasing?!? Well if more people actually had the damn game to play instead of collectors sitting on them, collecting dust...

Knowing your situation, how in the heck was Jess able to get his GBA version ported? I see all three © holders on the box, so he must have been able to perform some kind of rain dance? Why they care so much about a port on the Jaguar is beffudling. Or are the IP holders banking on the premise that a GBA version is going to sell big time?

Well if JR can tell me how he managed to obtain these rights, I'd do the same and re-release Gorf Classic.

I think the ©'s on the Box are for effect but only JR would be able to tell the story behind that.

Edited by Gorf, Wed Dec 16, 2009 10:48 AM.

[save2600]

Gorf, on Wed Dec 16, 2009 8:39 AM, said:

Well if JR can tell me how he managed to obtain these rights, I'd do the same and re-release Gorf Classic.

Yah and a release that would be Skunk friendly too

Edited by save2600, Wed Dec 16, 2009 8:41 AM.

[Gorf]

save2600, on Wed Dec 16, 2009 8:41 AM, said:

Gorf, on Wed Dec 16, 2009 8:39 AM, said:

Well if JR can tell me how he managed to obtain these rights, I'd do the same and re-release Gorf Classic.

Yah and a release that would be Skunk friendly too

That would require a painful re-write so it would still be CD based.