StarFighter 3000

[wiz12]

I just saw this interesting video comparing different ports of StarFighter 3000 and the original Archimedes version looks very impressive even today and compared to the other ports.

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Was a game like this not possible on Amiga hardware back then or given the new hardware options we now have - Vampire, PiStorm - would it be doable today?

[kamelito]

I enjoyed it on my brother’s 3DO

[derSammler]

Originally Posted by wiz12

Was a game like not possible on Amiga hardware back then or given the new hardware options we now have - Vampire, PiStorm - would it be doable today?

Most likely possible with a fast 030 already (certainly with a 040). I have the game running on my Acorn A3020, which has about 8 MIPS. So a 40-50 MHz 030 has at least enough horse power.

[DisasterIncarna]

looks like a souped up version of Epic

[Matt_H]

I have the Saturn version of this game but haven't played much of it. I always knew it was kind of mediocre, but that 3DO version absolutely blows it out of the water. I had no idea the 3DO hardware was that capable.

I think an Amiga port on par with the Archimedes version definitely would have been possible with a fast 030. Something at the 3DO level probably would have needed an 060 and would certainly be possible with modern post-68K accelerators.

[trixster]

I run it on an 25mhz Arm3 A420/1 (about 12 mips I think) and an overclocked 24mhz A3020 (about 15 mips) and it runs great on low or medium texture detail. The overclocked A3020 is fastest as it’s ram runs at full clockspeed

[Seiya]

it is a beautiful game with some features that in that period wasd innovative like destroying mountains, hills and building in small pieces (all textured polygons)

[BigD]

Originally Posted by Seiya

it is a beautiful game with some features that in that period wasd innovative like destroying mountains, hills and building in small pieces (all textured polygons)

Agreed, it was the only killer app for the Archimedes in my view. I have the PS1 version under emulation but the draw distances are low on that version.

[derSammler]

Originally Posted by BigD

Agreed, it was the only killer app for the Archimedes in my view.

Really? IMO, that was Zarch from 1987. StarFighter 3000 was a 1994 game. At that time, the Archimedes had no chance to survive anymore. Just like the Amiga and Atari ST. PCs and consoles were the winners.

[Coagulus]

Originally Posted by derSammler

Really? IMO, that was Zarch from 1987. StarFighter 3000 was a 1994 game. At that time, the Archimedes had no chance to survive anymore. Just like the Amiga and Atari ST. PCs and consoles were the winners.

Elite on archimedes was an awesome version as was Zarch/Lander and Conqueror

[Seiya]

i playd with StarFighte 3000 in dos version and it was amazing. Later i tried Archimedes version, but not impressend me so much compared to dos version (missing texture). DOS version run also in 3dfx mode, so marvellous!!

archimedes version:
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dos version:
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dos 3dfx version:
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i know that existed a cd-rom version for Archimedes, but today is very very rare. Sometimes try to search this rare iso, but it seems impossibile to find.
http://www.starfighter.acornarcade.com/

[wiz12]

Originally Posted by Seiya

i playd with StarFighte 3000 in dos version and it was amazing. Later i tried Archimedes version, but not impressend me so much compared to dos version (missing texture). DOS version run also in 3dfx mode, so marvellous!!

archimedes version:
[ Show youtube player ]

dos version:
[ Show youtube player ]

dos 3dfx version:
[ Show youtube player ]


i know that existed a cd-rom version for Archimedes, but today is very very rare. Sometimes try to search this rare iso, but it seems impossibile to find.
http://www.starfighter.acornarcade.com/

Both DOS versions look and sound amazing, the only thing I find disappointing with them is the close draw distance or fog effect, was there need to have so much of it?

[BarryB]

Reminds me of Terminal Velocity.

[Seiya]

yes, very similar to Terminal Velocity.
I don't know if the fog in dos version is to avoid slowdown showing all the world like in Archimedes, but the effect is very nice.

[trixster]

Originally Posted by BigD

Agreed, it was the only killer app for the Archimedes in my view. I have the PS1 version under emulation but the draw distances are low on that version.

Zarch in 1987 was somewhat astonishing.

ArcElite is the best version of Elite on any platform.

I’d consider both to be ‘killer’ however both games had excellent versions on other systems so the Arc ones perhaps got under appreciated.

[VladR]

Originally Posted by derSammler

Most likely possible with a fast 030 already (certainly with a 040). I have the game running on my Acorn A3020, which has about 8 MIPS. So a 40-50 MHz 030 has at least enough horse power.

If we're getting technical, it would actually run on 7 MHz OCS. 0.1 fps, but it would run

030 at playable framerate with all textures at 64 colors ? I don't think so. 5-7 fps (if even).

16-color (4 BPL) version could have playable framerate on 50 MHz 030.

[Seiya]

there is a demo version of engine similar Starfighter 3000 with your spaceship that can destroy enemy and some things on terrain in various pieces. it was called "Justice".
It run on Amiga OCS wiht 1 MB RAM, but reccomended very fast processor

[ Show youtube player ]

[Adropac2]

this was my pride when I had an Archi 3000 with arm 3 because it was quite the step up at the time. Eventually got rid of the machine because needed money but I didn't want to. At least I had the Amiga still

[VladR]

Originally Posted by Seiya

there is a demo version of engine similar Starfighter 3000 with your spaceship that can destroy enemy and some things on terrain in various pieces. it was called "Justice".
It run on Amiga OCS wiht 1 MB RAM, but reccomended very fast processor

[ Show youtube player ]

That's a nice find, but the 3D scene complexity in Justice isn't even 10% of StarFighter. And I say that respecting how much work it is to get something like that running in that framerate on OCS (a whole different topic).

Looks like the textured ground can reach up to 70-75% of screen height in StarFighter. That's a crapton of chipmem R/W with 6 bitplanes, choking up even 030. C2P is requirement here, for sure...

The polygonal terrain, explosions and other objects are merely cherry on the top


What Amiga game featured textured terrain like that ? I wonder what kind of config is needed just for that kind of texturing (without any additional rendering cost of the 3D world (terrain, ships, props, etc.)).

[Arc Angel]

Originally Posted by derSammler

Really? IMO, that was Zarch from 1987. StarFighter 3000 was a 1994 game. At that time, the Archimedes had no chance to survive anymore. Just like the Amiga and Atari ST. PCs and consoles were the winners.

The Archimedes survived very well with its successor, the RISC PC, that Acorn could sell in all kinds of flavors ( ARM610 33 Mhz, ARM710 40 Mhz, DEC Strong ARM 160 Mhz, then 200, 233, or Turboed at 287 thanks to APDL card with the 'T' revision ) until 1998.

When Castle Technology bought the remaining stock of machines they kept selling them, all Strong ARMed equipped, and then they produced their own RISC OS machine, the Iyonix, with an XSCALE at 600 Mhz ( an INTEL ARM chip ).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iyonix_PC
They also produced the Kinetic CPU card, available in 2000, with a Strong ARM CPU and onboard fast RAM, too, to boost even further the performances of the RISC PC range. https://www.iconbar.com/forums/viewt...php?newsid=918


There were many other good or excellent 3D games on the Archie : Air Supremacy, Conqueror, Saloon Cars, Stunt Racer 2000, Aldebaran, Magnetoid, Elite, Cobalt Seed, Guile, Ixion, Chocks Away with its Extra Missions, Birds of War, Mig 29 fulcrum, Interdictor 1 and 2.
You can add Wolfenstein 3D, and Doom, too.

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