Next game to port?

[d4rk3lf]

@alpine9000
Thanks for the explanation.

Considering how retro stuff (including games) are so popular these days, I am very surprised no one created some server, and patches for the (most popular) games that would overcome these issues.
I know it wouldn't be an easy task, but my guess is that server like that would be very popular, among thousands (if not, tens of thousands) of people.
Isn't Gog made a fortune, only by selling old games that work on new systems (and mostly, under the hood is just DosBoxx)?

@mcgeezer
Sorry for the of topic.

[jotd]

Anyway I'm going to attempt the Pacman port, using the work that has been done on the speccy, the Z80 to 68000 converter (that is coded in pascal and that I have adapted to compile on Windows with FPC) and native & hardware banging 16 color amiga screen.

I'll probably seek help from here, as I never coded a game on the amiga before.

[DanScott]

Originally Posted by jotd

Anyway I'm going to attempt the Pacman port, using the work that has been done on the speccy, the Z80 to 68000 converter (that is coded in pascal and that I have adapted to compile on Windows with FPC) and native & hardware banging 16 color amiga screen.

I'll probably seek help from here, as I never coded a game on the amiga before.

Go for it!!!!

I'm all fired up to re-convert a classic coin-op (that runs at 256x224) and then twist it into something new

[mcgeezer]

Nice one! Great project and happy to help out!

[Asman]

Originally Posted by jotd

Anyway I'm going to attempt the Pacman port, using the work that has been done on the speccy, the Z80 to 68000 converter (that is coded in pascal and that I have adapted to compile on Windows with FPC) and native & hardware banging 16 color amiga screen.

I'll probably seek help from here, as I never coded a game on the amiga before.

With Arcade Pacman I see only one problem: vertical resolution. Pacman use 224 (width in pixels) x 288 (height in pixels). I was able to set up 286 vertical lines, so you are going to lose only 2 lines. Or you can move down (8 pixels) score panel and set up 224x280 screen

Furthermore I am intrested how this converter works, mean what is on output. Can you make new thread about your Pacman attempt ?

[jotd]

as I'm going to have to redo the whole display, I see no problem in moving the score on the side. I've already done that for my Bagman SDL conversion.

I'm going to create a separate thread when I have some first results.

[Genlock]

I dont play many games , but from your List i would choose Gauntlet ,
Nice and simple and would not end up with a broken joystick

[dlfrsilver]

Originally Posted by Genlock

I dont play many games , but from your List i would choose Gauntlet ,
Nice and simple and would not end up with a broken joystick

for which machine, A500 or A1200 ?

This game uses a none-amiga friendly tile format.

[Genlock]

Originally Posted by dlfrsilver

for which machine, A500 or A1200 ?

This game uses none-amiga friendly tile format.

Hi dlfrsilver,
If i had a choice it would be an A1200 , but if not couldnt we use a degrader on it like
in da Old Day's

[jotd]

Wasn't Gauntlet ported from the ST version with success?

[Dunny]

Originally Posted by dlfrsilver

for which machine, A500 or A1200 ?

This game uses none-amiga friendly tile format.

I'm fairly certain that none of the arcade resources for Rygar were particularly Amiga-friendly either

If it's more complex than PacMan then it's probably not worth the while simply porting the actual Arcade version to the Amiga by reproducing the code or graphics precisely; just do the best the Amiga can do.

Gauntlet didn't have Spectrum-friendly tilesets either, but the Spectrum version was really, really good.

[DamienD]

Originally Posted by jotd

Wasn't Gauntlet ported from the ST version with success?

Yes exactly; by meynaf

See this thread for more details: Ports / Conversions --> Amiga

[dlfrsilver]

Originally Posted by Dunny

I'm fairly certain that none of the arcade resources for Rygar were particularly Amiga-friendly either

Half yes Half no.

The Amiga is made to work best with 16x16 and 32x32 tiles. 8x8 are definitely not the type of tiles it works best with.

For Rygar, the levels are made of 16x16 tiles, those are ok. It's the sprite tile format that i had to work out : those are built from 8x8 tiles.

The trick is to break the sprites as 16x16 instead of 8x8.

If it's more complex than PacMan then it's probably not worth the while simply porting the actual Arcade version to the Amiga by reproducing the code or graphics precisely; just do the best the Amiga can do.

Pacman is a very simple game made with 8x8 tiles (if i'm not wrong).

Gauntlet didn't have Spectrum-friendly tilesets either, but the Spectrum version was really, really good.

Same for CPC, but none of us is Tony Porter.

[SyX]

Originally Posted by jotd

Anyway I'm going to attempt the Pacman port, using the work that has been done on the speccy, the Z80 to 68000 converter (that is coded in pascal and that I have adapted to compile on Windows with FPC) and native & hardware banging 16 color amiga screen.

I'll probably seek help from here, as I never coded a game on the amiga before.

If you have any doubt understanding the z80 code, only ask me. I was the guy making the CPC version and i used every trick in my hat (even profiling the arcade for finding and patching an arcade delay loop) for making the arcade runs at 50 fps in the CPC

[d4rk3lf]

Sorry for my ignorance, but is there no good PacMan on Amiga?

I've been playing Pacman a lot on my C64, but when I got Amiga, there's a whole lot of other games I wanted to play, so I didn't play it.
I am looking at youtube now... and.. for example... Pacman '96 for Amiga. What is wrong with it?

Or the goal is to make a perfect arcade port?

P.S.
looking now on arcade on youtube.. yeah, exactly like I remembered on my C64. Same music.
Yeah, it's much faster then Pacman '96... I see...

So, there's no Pacman like this on Amiga?

[DamienD]

There's quite a few Pacman clones on the Amiga... but as HOL seems to be down ATM I can't list them

[jotd]

The idea is to create a perfect arcade port, yes. And with minimal effort (not redeveloping a pacman clone where the ghosts don't behave like the original) and reusing other people work as much as possible.

And since a lot of other good games from this early 80's era use Z80 and roughly the same tech, if this works, the "engine" made could be used for more games.

[d4rk3lf]

Originally Posted by jotd

The idea is to create a perfect arcade port, yes. And with minimal effort (not redeveloping a pacman clone where the ghosts don't behave like the original) and reusing other people work as much as possible.

And since a lot of other good games from this early 80's era use Z80 and roughly the same tech, if this works, the "engine" made could be used for more games.

Very Cool!

I guess, after it's done, a proper port of Wizards of Wor also can be done?
And many others.

Thanks man, and thanks for all Whdloads games you made possible (whenever I see jotd on loading screen, I think: "Ah... it's the guy from Eab").

[malko]

And Wonderboy has still the lead with 22 votes, followed by Shinobi with 17 votes...
Nice.

[DamienD]

No not really; as much as I love Wonder Boy, I love Shinobi much, much, much more

You don't know how tempted I've been to discretely edit the poll and put Shinobi in the lead

...but that's not honest or fair; and definitely not the type of person that I am; not to mention a massive abuse of power