368 replies to this topic

[SS]

Thomas Jentzsch said:

Rob Mitchell said:

Played Vectrex Spike Goes Down also;  High score today:  770.

Is that ROM public available? I really would like to try the original.

I was thinking the same thing.

[Big Player]

Alex H said:

StanJr said:

The heli-pack is pretty cool.  However, there is something intrinsic in the nature of the game about falling, the heli-pack kind of defeats that a bit.  I was hoping for something more along the lines of the parachute from Raiders of the Lost Ark.  It slows your fall, but you are still essentially falling, which is the backbone of the gameplay.

I agree, it does seem to go against the whole nature of the game, and against the nature of the code. Yet it is kind of fun. But I'm not entirely happy with the way it is, so it might end up being closer to how you envisioned it.

What I love about the heli-pack is that it completely reverses the player's mindset. Suddenly you have to avoid the platforms that you've spent the entire time trying to land upon. It's a great challenge to pick up the fruit while not touching the platforms or flying off the top of the screen. And once you get to the section overloaded with platforms, you don't want to have the heli-pack anyway.

Oh and I re-read my earlier post and I don't want to give the impression that you weren't capable of optimizing the code. It was just that some of the programmers more experienced with the 2600 might know of some techniques specific to the system that can reduce the bytes. I should probably just shut up about programming now since it's been 15 years since I've done any serious amount of it.

[StanJr]

Big Player said:

 
And once you get to the section overloaded with platforms, you don't want to have the heli-pack anyway.

Right, but then this makes EVERY heli-pack you find late in the game useless when I'd MUCH rather be getting a skateboard. I do agree with the converse nature of the heli-pack being an interesting twist, but its only useful for a short period of the game (unless there is a lot of open space below the blue area I have not yet reached???)

[StanJr]

also are the bonuses no long cumulative? I grabbed all four basics, and then a stopper "!" and it reset to cherry again. Same for the skateboard and heli-pack!

[Big Player]

StanJr said:

Big Player said:

 
And once you get to the section overloaded with platforms, you don't want to have the heli-pack anyway.

Right, but then this makes EVERY heli-pack you find late in the game useless when I'd MUCH rather be getting a skateboard. I do agree with the converse nature of the heli-pack being an interesting twist, but its only useful for a short period of the game (unless there is a lot of open space below the blue area I have not yet reached???)

I never gotten past the blue area and I don't know if there is much past it. Has anyone gotten further? This is a work in progress remember.

But yeah, the heli-pack works best at the beginning of the game. You have to cheat and hit select to get it to come right up, but it is perfectly suited to the layout of the early sections. And it doesn't make the game easier, at least if you are trying to pick up the fruit, so maybe cheat is not the right word.

[Rob Mitchell]

Thomas Jentzsch said:

Rob Mitchell said:

Played Vectrex Spike Goes Down also;  High score today:  770.

Is that ROM public available? I really would like to try the original.

Not yet. Most people here would not be interested in the Vectrex version. Spike Character not as animated as Atari Character. (Sorry Spike .. No offense intended!) No fruit or power ups in the Vectrex version. Maybe Alex will update Spike Goes Down with more game elements.

Rob Mitchell, Atlanta, GA

[bjk7382]

Quote

...hopefully you'll find this fun too. This one makes use of the button too.

I love that powerup, reminds me of hero.

[Elllleeott!]

This game is looking fantastic so far, but that blue level is waay too hard. And I agree with Stan Jr. about the skateboard being the better of the two items. If I could somehow manage to get either of them by the time I reached the blue level the skateboard would definitly be the most useful. In place of the heli-copter, I would rather there be a jack-hammer or something which allows you to go through the platforms. Which brings me to another suggestion. How about adding the ability to jump? Sometimes that last fruit is so close yet so far away--the ability to jump would give you an extra chance to finish the set and earn the special item.

Just my two cents. Keep up the good work.

[Godzilla]

I have yet to play the latest power-up riddeled version of this 2600 rom, when I first played it it had no power-ups. I have played spike goes down for about a year now and I am still addicited to it, its a perfect example of why i like classic games over modern games. Is it based on something else? Or did Alex come up with it? What I love about the vectrex version is the pure gameplay. I hope the latest 2600 version still keeps to that as much as possible. I am looking forward to trying it. I was REALLY impressed with the early 2600 versions. I hope he can add a version of the spike soundtrack with a decent length, I love the music in that game. Great work alex :-)

[Godzilla]

Humm just starting to play the new version and just a simple question, is there any way to make the platforms random like in the vectrex spike goes down? The pre-determined nature of the platforms takes a lot away from the immediacy and spotaniety as well as the sheer reflex element.

[StanJr]

after the first 3 platforms they ARE random as far as I can tell????

[Elllleeott!]

Yeah, as far as I can tell too. Hey, has anyone managed to get past the blue level yet?

[SS]

Elllleeott! said:

Yeah, as far as I can tell too.  Hey, has anyone managed to get past the blue level yet?

Is that the one with the really looooooong platforms? If so, not yet. I managed to get quite a few levels down through 'em the other day but got caught up eventually.

[bjk7382]

My highest is 74 on the newest binary (not using the "select" cheat)

[ATARI TROLL]

This and cave I would love to see at the Atari Age store! Groovy action packed little game....very addictive! Cheers

[Elllleeott!]

bjk7382 said:

My highest is 74 on the newest binary (not using the "select" cheat)

Wow, that's impressive...my highest is 61 on the original binary!

[Big Player]

My highest score is 87 on the new binary--no cheating of course, though I actually get lower scores if I use select to get the heli-pack early. I got caught up still in the blue levels.

Now quit bumping this thread. I keep looking here expecting an update from Alex!

[Godzilla]

hmm just went back and played it again and the platforms are all in the same place. is this because of emulation not allowing the randomness to be set properly? The skateboard is neat :-)

[StanJr]

what emu are you using? I'm using z26 and I get random platforms, I think, I'll double check

[~llama]

I'm using z26 too, and the platforms are random, but they happen in places very close to the same... or i just dont remember from one game to the next that theyre in the same place.

The first three are definitely not random, but i think they are until the green part, which i havent really played enough to know.

btw, my high score is 49

[Godzilla]

well i've made it up to 76 points, but it does appear that the players manueverability is not quite up to task for very long in the blue zone unless you just get really lucky and get a lot of holes close together.

One thing I noticed that was a bit different from spike is that several times I have died after walking the ledge of a platform while near the top of the screen but still got carried off the top of the screen to my death instead of the plummeting carrying me down. Also, I've fallen through a platform on the bottom of the screen once or twice while in a plunge. (im using z26,)

another problem is that I cant tell where the end of my manuevering area is and many times (especially in the blue area,) run to the end of a platform thinking I'm going to fall off, but die instead. Some kind of simple line or indicator here would be very helpful.

[Big Player]

My new high score: 88.

[StanJr]

86 BP, I'm gunning for YOU!

[mika]

it's brilliant. and not the 'i'm going to do knight rider game' type, but a real effort. fun to play and very addictive, even if it have some bugs, and is not finished yet.

coding skills + good idea (even if not the most original) = great game.
the sprite is so coooool... can't wait to see final release.

and i score 86!

Attached Thumbnails

• 

[Jacob Rose]

This is the right URL to subscribe, which I just did myself:

http://stella.biglist.com/sub

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction!