Magic Pockets remake - work started

[Gzegzolka]

Yeah, I would love to play some new levels

[Qube]

Jotd,

It may be easiest to get these custom levels of yours working in the MS DOS version first, presumably you will be creating new level PAP and PIN files for the game, which are no doubt RNC crunched versions of MAP and MIN files?

If this is a proven route then perhaps you can get the Amiga version to run next,

Q;

[Kroah]

Hey Jotd,

Nice to see you lurking around the forum and working on some projects.

You'll always have our support for such great idea.

And you know the proverb: "The journey matters more than the destination".
Have fun doing it, whether you achieve it or not.

Kroah

[Qube]

Do you think it is possible to inject modified and packed custom level files back into one of the crack versions of the game (directly into the ADF), or would that just break the original game loading code and crash it out - it's unlikely a modified level would have the same filesize or checksum as the original game files did.

Kroah - I see your viewer used the Elite ST crack version, looks like both the ST and Amiga versions used the same RNC packer for their files, but they may differ in version/keys etc. Elite took the time to hide some messages in their disk for people who go looking lol.

From memory there was a strange bug in the ST Format coverdisk demo where you could do your whirlwind spin attack and fall through the floor (collision bug) and land on platforms in a different part of the map, empty of enemies. Hard to replicate the bug but I think I witnessed it twice.

Q;

[jotd]

@Qube: yes the PC PIN and PAP files contain data/map. I can change data from those unpacked files (PC game works even on unpacked files) and the game reflects the change so that's my first step.

Current state is: I can reuse my editor that I wrote many years ago for the remake, and a python script that reads my .mlv files to re-create the PIN and PAP files. ATM only PAP files can be created, PIN files are in the works (making good progress).

Then, I'll be able to create "patch" files and a modified whdload slave (I wrote the slave, that will be easier ) which can accept patch files before diskimage data.

Ultimately, it is perfectly doable to repack the files (using ProPack) and patch the diskfile (of a crack, preferably) to create a standalone disk which would work on any emulator, Gotek, A500 ... It's a more tedious production phase, but should be rather easy, since all files have RNC header and can be located easily on the disk image, and I doubt that there are checksums at file level. There are checksum at floppy lowlevel, checksums in RNC format, but rarely somewhere else (except for protection purposes, in that case, the code has checksums, like in Dungeon master or Lemmings)

Also, if people are interested in creating new levels, that will be very easy (easier than for Gods Deluxe because there's no coding involved). Afterwards they can generate the original datafiles themselves or/and send me the levels. I was thinking of doing a full alternate level set, but that's a lot of work, so if people are inspired, you are welcome to help.

BTW even on the Amiga version you can reach empty rooms using the spin, that's true. Got stuck once in the jungle, and once in Level 1-2 (big level full of bonuses) in the stairlike-teleport level. Better not try that, because it's game over when it happens.

God I love this game. It looks banal at start but has hidden depth you can't imagine when you have played only the first level... A little tedious on the jungle level, but globally amazing (and coded by only 1 guy: Sean Griffiths, I located him on LinkedIn but I don't have the courage to send him a message!)

@Kroah thanks for the support (and the IDA resourced file, that I improved), I hope to collect enough info about the A.I. to resume my remake. But it seems hand-coded all along. A masterpiece but also very tough to understand fully.

[jotd]

okay, just a small test so you can see a (slightly) altered level 1 (PC/NTSC) version, ATM only for MS-DOS version (playable with DosBox).

Just replace (rename) NEW1.PIN & PCMAP.PAP files and look out for new contents.

Edit: use the new "DATA.ZIP" file in the latest post for more modified levels.

[Qube]

Hi there!

Played through this, found a lot of your secret areas already, looks good!

I did spot that you have a stack of coins which you can't collect so to speak - see pic.

Good work so far!

Q;

[jotd]

yes, the stack of coins doesn't work. I don't know why ATM. But I'm investigating. The secret areas are not too hard to find, but I wanted to create a level looking almost exactly like the US/NTSC original levels, with a few twists (there are 3 secret areas added)

Still working on the converter/editor to try to create more complex levels and understand why some items don't display/don't work.

[vulture]

Very very nice!

[Qube]

Hi Jotd,

The Warp to W2 also still works fine from within your custom level, so that is cool.

Q;

[jotd]

@Qube: stack of coins problem fixed at least Also: I can put a moving jellyman anywhere (there's only 1 in the game, deep in a level 1.2 remote teleport room: get it you get 5 gold coins)

[Qube]

Sounds good, looking forward to your next test file release!

I did also notice some slight 'walking in the air' collision issues in one secret area where there is a long stepped region, perhaps a few tweaks to the tile/collision code will fix that, or it may be just the choice of tile used?

Excellent work though so far!

Q;

[jotd]

Note that I'm not changing the code. So the tiles should be changed to be wider. ATM I'm struggling with subtleties of multi-levels in a file, and multi-blocks for a level, hardcoded stuff, ... the road will be long until I can publish a full level set.

making slow progress, but progress. Funny fact: the PC version doesn't have the gold chalice anywhere, however, if I put it in the level, it works, and you get super-powered like in the original UK version!!
So it was coded, but probably removed because it was too "easy" (gold chalice + passwords: that kills the game, level warps ...)

Does someone know if it's possible to make teleport sections longer in time? or it's just hardcoded? Didn't find the answer but there are some teleport areas in 1.2 where you don't have enough time to reach the farthest items.

[Qube]

I think Cave 1.2 has the most amount of teleport rooms from memory, perhaps 6? Two of them being a long stepped room where you run out of time, I think the level designer was just being a tease in those cases!

An interesting pick up was the 'marble ball', found in the Jungle and Lake worlds, if you got it and got a cocktail, you could throw 5 balls, they then turn into coins when you jump on them.

In the demo version of the game there were graphics for a Cola bottle from memory, but this went unused in the end and removed I think.

I would still like to see any pictures of videos of the supposed early version which was used on a children's TV game show as a phone-call-in type game, but no evidence exists or it was an incorrect memory, who knows!

Q;

[jotd]

the game was used for a phone-call-in type game (like Hugo BTW, except that Hugo is much more adapted to that). I read that on retrogamer. Not the proudest moment for that game though

cave 1.2 is just huge. There are also blocking walls to prevent you to come back (I suppose that the engine cannot handle all the objects in memory at the same time) so it's impossible to pick all the bonuses. I know about that stair-like room, which is used many times for several teleports, except that the bonuses are different. The game engine is very good. Too bad there are so many hardcoded parts (teleports locations, blocking walls probably, to name the main ones). So the editor is limited. But I still want to create alternate levels.

[FOL]

Originally Posted by jotd

the game was used for a phone-call-in type game (like Hugo BTW, except that Hugo is much more adapted to that). I read that on retrogamer. Not the proudest moment for that game though

Hey, kept me entertained as a kid on a Saturday morning. Screeming at TV, because they were being to slow at pressing phone keys, lol.

[jotd]

Small update: I'm now able to read, edit and dump back all levels of the game. So now there's nothing to stop me from creating a whole new set of levels. That'll take time, of course.

[Predseda]

Bosses too?

[jotd]

For levels 1 & 2 there's not much I can do, but I could change the level 3 treasure hunt, and the level 4 ending as well.

[jotd]

Small update: re-did world 1, levels 1, 3, 4, 5. Files attached for MS-DOS version only ATM. Working on level 1.2. As soon as done, I'll zone an amiga ADF version with fully reworked world 1.

DATA.zip