[WIP] Pengo conversion

[jotd]

Originally Posted by mrv2k

I made some boxart for those that want some...

I don't know how to use it, but I'll just distribute it for those who want to create boxed copies, thanks

Originally Posted by saimon69

For a moment i did read "5 coins to start" - OK there is inflation but this is crazy...

You'll be able to donate a few euros once it's on itch. But then it's unlimited credits for you.

[zzbylu]

I've always been poor at playing Pengo....

[jotd]

Beta version published. Now runs on A500 1MB.

https://jotd666.itch.io/pengo500

@zzbylu: I uploaded a video of me playing my version. Lots of training (and still got my ass kicked that time)

[redblade]

Ahh excellent work with popcorn, It even has the sound fx when it's drawing the map

@jotd: Are you going to put a message "If you brought this game of EBAY or paid $$/Euros you got ripped off" ?

[jotd]

no boxed copies so no risk of e-baying

[TCD]

Originally Posted by jotd

Beta version published. Now runs on A500 1MB.

https://jotd666.itch.io/pengo500

Nice one I'll have a go later

[jotd]

Game now complete with most additions & bugfixes recently requested:

- alternate music (thanks no9 again!)
- hacked 2 rows so bottom status bar is almost completely visible now
- fixed demo which allowed me to see a big game bug that went unnoticed
- command line options (non whdload)
- and more...

I've tested some screens where a lot of tiles are changed:

- cycling sky in ice pack demo screen
- when diamonds are aligned

... and they crawl on A500 (still slow on unexpanded A1200 but better). It doesn't affect the game so I'm leaving it as is. The logical solution would have been a palette change but that's not worth the effort trying to bypass the tile mechanism just for that, when the in-game phase is super smooth.

[TCD]

Originally Posted by jotd

Game now complete with most additions & bugfixes recently requested:

Is that version available on itch?

[jotd]

Of course.

[TCD]

Guess I'll create a HOL entry for it then

Edit: Done https://hol.abime.net/6998

[jotd]

thanks for that! I'll have to publish a new version as that one is definitely too fast VS MAME (25% too fast). I was wondering why I wasn't reaching stage 8 when I reached stage 13 sometimes on MAME...

All the game is much faster so you need lightning reflexes from level 1.

[TCD]

Originally Posted by jotd

thanks for that! I'll have to publish a new version as that one is definitely too fast VS MAME (25% too fast). I was wondering why I wasn't reaching stage 8 when I reached stage 13 sometimes on MAME...

All the game is much faster so you need lightning reflexes from level 1.

I'm not good at the game, but I was wondering why I sucked that much at it

[Gordon]

Thank you! I won't have time to try this for a few days so can I ask, will there be any speed differences running this on a stock 1200 vs stock 500? If so, which is more similar to arcade?

[Bren McGuire]

amazing work thank you! but now it would be really good if i wasnt so terrible at this game why is it so hard?

[jotd]

Originally Posted by Gordon

Thank you! I won't have time to try this for a few days so can I ask, will there be any speed differences running this on a stock 1200 vs stock 500? If so, which is more similar to arcade?

The speed is the same, actually there's a speed limiter else game runs like crazy at 20 times the speed.

The only moments where it gets slower is when the game makes the full screen change tiles (diamond align for instance). Then you're happy to have a A1200. But during the game it's the same.

You can create a video of the demo vs the video of MAME playing the demo you'll see it's very close

Originally Posted by Bren McGuire

amazing work thank you! but now it would be really good if i wasnt so terrible at this game why is it so hard?

it's not that hard. It requires a good timing, and a good understanding of the strategy.

- don't stay at the same place too long
- don't get circled by the monsters
- don't walk out in the open if you can avoid it
- always flee diagonally, at the opposite of where they are
- always flee where there's a clear path. Destroying blocks makes you waste time. Pushing them is slightly quicker.
- when the monsters appear / one is killed, some ice cubes flash: they reveal the location of the eggs. Kill them before they hatch if you can
- monsters often go into a block breaking spree. They often stay on the same row/column. Wait until there's only one block separating from the monster and push it
- you can push the side walls to stun the monsters (better if you have a protected by wall of diamonds to lure them near the wall)

here's me playing the previous release that was much faster: [ Show youtube player ]

[redblade]

Originally Posted by jotd

thanks for that! I'll have to publish a new version as that one is definitely too fast VS MAME (25% too fast). I was wondering why I wasn't reaching stage 8 when I reached stage 13 sometimes on MAME...

All the game is much faster so you need lightning reflexes from level 1.

Interested on how the speed was done on the Arcade hardware compared to Amiga Hardware, Were they both VBlank?

What accounted for the speed difference?

[jotd]

on the arcade the game has 60Hz IRQ but mostly uses that to count the time.

The game logic runs in an infinite loop which isn't synced with that IRQ. It fully depends on the CPU speed. There are active cpu delays at some places for instance when there are only 3 monsters in play, a cpu delay loop wastes enough cycles to simulate the 4th one.

So I had to wait for vblank every once in a while, and calibrate that with a video to make sure it's not too fast or too slow.

There are delays which depend on the IRQ, but only in the non-game part (text displaying...). The game loop itself is very quick. You can't sync it with the IRQ each time, it would crawl.

[nikosidis]

Looking forward to play this one. Looks great! thanks

[S. Campbell]

Wow, that got a lot better fast from the beta! Lovely work.

[Bren McGuire]

so is this game out of beta now? and also any updates if the bottom text will ever be fixed? can it be changed to be half height?