Tempest is possible

[CunningFellow]

Thanks for compliments.

I think I am actually at the stage that I wouldn't mind some play testing / feedback on the game (and bug reports).

From me playing it I feel that

Powerups are a bit hard to catch. Maybe they need a stationary swirly particle thingy appear before they start moving Z.
The levels all need to be longer (have more enemies in the "generator")
None of the enemies fire often enough
Pulsars and Mirrors have way too wide a window of vulnerability.

Overall that makes it a bit too easy for me. I am probably not a good judge though 'cause I have been playing it (and other versions of T2K a lot)

[CunningFellow]

Sorry - last one exceeded the 60K limit to work with bootloader. Edited it to work on real hardware not just the emulator.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B2E4a ... authuser=0

Have done some gameplay tweeks.

Powerups are still a bit hard to catch.

I have doubled the rate powerups are released

I have increased the number of enemies per level and increased the release rate

I have disabled infinite superzaps and disabled always having jump (you have to earn it)

Also I have just realised that I need to do a screen for between the levels that gives you bonus points

Domination Bonus
Collector Bonus
Superzapper Bonus

Still also on the todo list is bonus lives and the highscore table.

[CunningFellow]

Id say this is done apart from sound FX and bug fixes

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B2E4a ... authuser=0

or

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B2E4a ... authuser=0

Please playtest and comment.

[kivan117]

I tested it out running in version 1.20 of the emulator and on my hardware. I'm using an old sandisk 2gb micro sd and a micro sd to standard sd adapter with no problems. I do seem to get a bug on hardware though where sometimes (I think it might be related to picking up a power up, not sure though) a yellow line just spazzes about bouncing around the web for a second or two. Can't reproduce it on the emulator. It only seems to happen right after killing an enemy and I'm decently sure it's related to power ups somehow. Also during high score name entry, it's possible to input letters that look like they're used to draw the lives icons during gameplay. It's after you go past Z and space, the next 4 are just yellow jibberish. Other than that, no bugs so far that I've noticed.

I've said it before but again, this looks really amazing. It's shocking that it can run so well on such limiting hardware. I do feel like the green used for the high score list might be a tad dark though. On the emulator it's clear as day of course but on hardware with the natural slight blurring it gets pretty dark in my opinion. Also if you could make it so that during name entry holding the up or down arrow makes it scroll through letters on its own after a second or two, it would make it a lot easier to find the letter "v" each time.

This game NEEDS a custom controller with a proper rotating control method. The dpad entry works of course but it just doesn't do the game justice. It deserves a rotary encoder with a large knob and a couple buttons.

[CunningFellow]

I do seem to get a bug on hardware though where sometimes (I think it might be related to picking up a power up, not sure though) a yellow line just spazzes about bouncing around the web for a second or two. Can't reproduce it on the emulator. It only seems to happen right after killing an enemy and I'm decently sure it's related to power ups somehow.

That yellow line is the super zapper. Your "smart bomb" that you get one of each level (push the UP button to activate it) Every 7th (?) power up releases one.

The superzapper is meant to look like lightning emanating from the claw to destroy all the enemy. Tried for that look. Ran out of RAMTiles very quickly - so i just did the spazzey yellow line.

Also during high score name entry, it's possible to input letters that look like they're used to draw the lives icons during gameplay. It's after you go past Z and space, the next 4 are just yellow jibberish.

Yeah - that was intentional. I just let it use all 64 chars in the font. It's something that 80s games used to let you do.

Other than that, no bugs so far that I've noticed. I've set it before but again, this looks really amazing. It's shocking that it can run so well on such limiting hardware. I do feel like the green used for the high score list might be a tad dark though. On the emulator it's clear as day of course but on hardware with the natural slight blurring it gets pretty dark in my opinion.

Thanks again. I've spent a lot of hours on it and am pretty pleased with how it turned out.

I will check out the green on a real TV.

[kivan117]

Cool cool cool. I guess I have to be more careful about not pressing up when I don't mean to
Considering you can enter an omega symbol I thought the character part might be intentional but wasn't sure.
Overall though, very fluid and no real issues. Looks great man. Wish I had an old tube TV to see how it looks on there though.

[uze6666]

I just received a new 2G SD card, my others died lately so I could not test. Will report soon.

This game NEEDS a custom controller with a proper rotating control method. The dpad entry works of course but it just doesn't do the game justice. It deserves a rotary encoder with a large knob and a couple buttons.

Totally agree on that one. And it would be useful for other games too like Arkanoid.

[CunningFellow]

I also found on the NES controller it was a bit easy to press UP, so I have changed super-zap to button B

I have also

- made the text colour on the high score screen lighter
- given the power ups a stationary spinny thing before they start moving
- increased the fire rate of the enemy
- increased the release rate of the enemy
- reduced the speed of all enemies
- increased the particle laser spike destroying power
- reduced the default scores on the high score table (1000000 would be impossible)

Here is the latest hex file

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B2E4a ... authuser=0

here is the uze file

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B2E4a ... authuser=0

Here is the lvl file if you don't already have it

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B2E4a ... authuser=0

[CunningFellow]

More bug fixes

clear the status line before writing so

GAME OVER being written after
PARTICLE LASER no longer ends up
GAME OVERER

Bug still needing to be squashed

You loose your "collector bonus" if you don't catch the first powerup in the line of 3
If han solo shot first.. um i mean if you shot a flipper and it catches you at the same time, it gets destroyed and you are caught by nothing.
If you get an "outta here" level skip power up the aliens (apart from spikes) should not be able to harm you
The spikes move not quite right during zoom


I am just now working out how to make sound effects happen - so that may get added if I can

[CunningFellow]

Todays Update.

One bug fixed. One bug found.

Fixed:
No longer lose collector bonus if you only get catch the last ring.

Still Not Fixed:
Flippers can be shot after you are caught
Aliens can still kill you in an "outta here" zoom
Spikes not moving quite right
If you get the highest score on the high score table the whole thing crashes

Here are the files
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B2E4a ... authuser=0
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B2E4a ... authuser=0

And here are some pics for people who are away from their machines

Title Screen

P01-TitleScreen.png (10.45 KiB) Viewed 3336 times

Credit Screen

P02-CreditScreen.png (5.48 KiB) Viewed 3335 times

High Scores

P03-HighScoreScreen.png (4.12 KiB) Viewed 3338 times