151 replies to this topic

[Propane13]

Let's start with a teaser mockup.



-John

[jaybird3rd]

Looks nice!

Do you plan to include support for the paddles? I've heard that paddle support is difficult on the 7800 due to screen timing issues.

[Albert]

Can't wait to see how this progresses, as I'm a huge Arkanoid fan! Paddle support really seems necessary for any Breakout-style game.

..Al

[Shawn Sr.]

Wow, another cool title coming down the 7800 pipe!!

[Propane13]

Re: Paddle Support--
I'd definitely like to give it a shot.

I do agree that there could be timing problems due to technical limitations.
But, I figure you never can know unless you try. So, if worse comes to worse, there's always the "Alleyway" style, which is to use the controller left and right, and then push the button for speed boosts.

More updates to come.

-John

[DracIsBack]

oooohhh ... me want!

[Wickeycolumbus]

Would using driving controllers be possible on a 7800?

[Propane13]

Wickeycolumbus, on Tue Dec 1, 2009 2:54 PM, said:

Would using driving controllers be possible on a 7800?

I know the circuitry is in place, since the 7800 can play 2600 games.
If memory serves, I believe that such support is still defined in the registers for the 7800.

But, I'll defer to someone more technical.

-John

[GroovyBee]

If you want some more Arkanoid type sprites there are a good set in Ari Feldman's SpriteLib which can be found here :-

http://www.flyingyog.../spritelib.html

I'm not sure how well they'd map to the 7800's palette tho.

[PacManPlus]

You beat me to it. That was going to be one of my next projects.

Very cool!

P.S. - I was also thinking of the driving controllers

Regarding the Arkanoid graphics in the above graphics library, it looks like there are too many colors used: for the paddle alone, 24 colors make it up.

We can get the actual pallette/graphics using MAME and (I believe) the 'F4' key, and do a screen capture.

Bob


***Edited for clarity

Edited by PacManPlus, Tue Dec 1, 2009 4:27 PM.

[DracIsBack]

Check out Opcode's Colecovision version too.





I sooooo cannot wait for this! I love Arkanoid!

Anyone remember the CoCo 3 rip off? The description in Rainbow said something like "it's just like a game that we can't mention but sounds like "Art Ganoid".

Edited by DracIsBack, Tue Dec 1, 2009 6:30 PM.

[Wickeycolumbus]

Propane13, on Tue Dec 1, 2009 4:03 PM, said:

Wickeycolumbus, on Tue Dec 1, 2009 2:54 PM, said:

Would using driving controllers be possible on a 7800?

I know the circuitry is in place, since the 7800 can play 2600 games.
If memory serves, I believe that such support is still defined in the registers for the 7800.

But, I'll defer to someone more technical.

-John

Just checked, looks like driving controllers are read with SWCHA, so you should be able to do it Here is some sample code Thomas Jentzsch wrote:

http://www.bjars.com...ces/driving.txt

[TrekMD]

Oh this would be a cool game to have on the 7800!

[8th lutz]

Arkanoid is one of the games that I always felt the Atari 7800 was made for.

I am a big fan of Arkanoid.

I am looking forward to future updates.

Edited by 8th lutz, Tue Dec 1, 2009 7:24 PM.

[[d2f]Iggy*SJB]

I know it's early.... but could I please get dibs on cart #3 if they are numbered?

[Underball]

You might even want to think about making it cx-80 trak-ball compatible.

Ask kenfused how he did CentipedeTB.

[Propane13]

Well....

I guess I could share a *tiny* update.

It's just a static screen, but it shows the potential.



Here are the bin and a78 files:
 20091201_arkanoid.a78   32.13K   206 downloads
 20091201_arkanoid.bin   32K   188 downloads



-John

[SoundGammon]

Atari Games had a cool Breakout/Arkanoid game called OFF THE WALL, not the 2600 game. Have it on M.A.M.E. and it plays like Pong with Breakout in the middle of the screen. One cool thing is that the ball changes to the color of the last player to hit it. Here's a screen shot:

Attached Thumbnails

• 

[Mayhem]

Looking good... though I agree, it must have paddles/driving controller support, I can't real play most Arkanoid type games with a joystick...

(and if you use a button to speed up, it means you won't be able to easily use the other button for the lasers)

[PacManPlus]

Looks great so far!

Are you using 6 raster high zones? That's funny; that's what GCC did with Ms. Pac-Man to get most of the maze on the screen.

[DracIsBack]

Mayhem, on Wed Dec 2, 2009 5:06 AM, said:

Looking good... though I agree, it must have paddles/driving controller support

I think it's a "nice to have" but shouldn't impede the game from coming out. If I had to choose between not having a 7800 Arkanoid cart and not having paddle support in that cart, I know what I would choose.

[Trebor]

DracIsBack, on Wed Dec 2, 2009 7:37 AM, said:

I think it's a "nice to have" but shouldn't impede the game from coming out. If I had to choose between not having a 7800 Arkanoid cart and not having paddle support in that cart, I know what I would choose.

100% Agreed

A joystick only Arkanoid on the 7800 is better than no Arkanoid on the 7800.

-Trebor

[Bakasama]

An interesting project. I do think the game should the driving controllers because if Kenfused can make Centipede use a trakball then Arkanoid could use those driving controllers too.

[Underball]

my 2 cents:

Atari Trak-balls are much easier to come by and cheaper to obtain than driving controllers. Atari pretty much abandoned the driving controllers in 1978/79. The trak-balls were still made until the 1990's, and are plentiful at places like Best and Video61.

Why not make 2 versions?

[gambler172]

Hi John
Looks good,cannot wait to see a first playable version......
greetings Walter