[WIP] Phoenix conversion

[jotd]

Another easy task you think?

C64 can certainly take it while decrypting RSA-encrypted messages?

Well.

Game uses 12 colors, so no biggie... but... uses 2 layers of tiles, which means... dual playfield, which means 8 colors max per playfield... It's also a tile-only game which is cool but at the same time annoying because tiles are 8x8 and we can't use the blitter or HW sprites... We'll have to use the blitter for double buffering I think.

So after a lot of head scratching, I figured out color approximations and adaptation of palette according to current level (not all colors are present at the same time).

Then transcoded game from Z80 disassembly (originally intel 80xx shit but Christopher from arcade museum had the bright idea to disassemble using Z80, which adapts perfectly to my Z80 translater!)

Some quite fast but deep RE and transcode from your servant, solving errors & link problems, and all (and after a graphics mockup), and at FIRST boot the amiga version of the game displays this:




not bad for a few evenings work.

https://jotd666.itch.io/phoenix500

[kamelito]

Impressive skills!
I can hear the sound fx in my head.

[PascalDe73]

WOW

maybe a little too early but I've already created an icon

Best regards,

Pascal

[PascalDe73]

I've created a Second Glow Icon

Best regards,

Pascal

[stx2199]

Phoenix was the 1st arcade machine which I played back in 1981 or 1982
also the 1st arcade game that I learned to play well

It was a popular arcade that attracted masses but of course not at the level of ghost'n goblins or double dragon 1

anyways in the era you always had to wait to play because there were always 2 or 3 morons waiting for

[demoniac]

I also played a bit of Phoenix. I had access to a Phoenix counterfeit arcade upright. I believe it was a counterfeit at least as the cabinet art didn't match the official one. Anyway, I'm interested in seeing how this turns out. Great progress so far!

[lmimmfn]

Not sure that dual layers of tiles automatically translates to dual playfield unless there are problems with the blitter performance due to onscreen sprites/bobs?

Game has a single layer backdrop with stars and enemy sprites, am I missing something?

BTW not trying to annoy you, I just don't see the necessity for dual play restrictions and would absolutely love to have this on the Amiga so thanks for considering it.

[saimon69]

Originally Posted by lmimmfn

Not sure that dual layers of tiles automatically translates to dual playfield unless there are problems with the blitter performance due to onscreen sprites/bobs?

Game has a single layer backdrop with stars and enemy sprites, am I missing something?

The boss level ship is in the same playfield as the stars - ok the destructible part can migrate in the other playfield probably

AND for those that do not know, that boss design is a reference to the Comet Empire in BattleShip Yamato - also called Star Blazers

[DanyPPC]

This is my first arcade shoot'em up I played, some time ago I asked jotd if a conversion was possible, and today to my great surprise I will be satisfied.

[Pyromania]

Nice, I always loved that game in the arcade.

[drHirudo]

Phoenix is a nice game that has lots of spinoffs, bootlegs and clones.

Licensed releases:
"Phoenix [Maxi model]" (Centuri, Inc.)
"Phoenix [Upright model]" (Centuri, Inc.)
"Phoenix [Japanese Cocktail Table]" (Taito Corp.)

Known Bootlegs/Hacks:
Phoenix (Irecsa G.G.I Corp.)
Phoenix (T.P.N.)
Griffon (Videotron)
Falcon (BGV)
Vautour (Jeutel)
Condor (Sidam)
Batman Part 2

I have 17 different playthroughs with the name Phoenix, and also many of the others.
I guess after adapting the game to the original version, the rest will be easy to implement/add as options.

[DanyPPC]

Even Towebyte is working on a Phoenix conversion:
http://www.towerbyte.co.uk/software.html?i=3

but it never released it.

So a new arcade port from Jotd is very appreciated.

[jotd]

Originally Posted by lmimmfn

Not sure that dual layers of tiles automatically translates to dual playfield unless there are problems with the blitter performance due to onscreen sprites/bobs?

Game has a single layer backdrop with stars and enemy sprites, am I missing something?

BTW not trying to annoy you, I just don't see the necessity for dual play restrictions and would absolutely love to have this on the Amiga so thanks for considering it.

Yes, I have done that for KarateChamp but the background was static.

Since background is scrolling and there are max 11 colors per layer originally, using dual playfield is the logical choice. The color adaptations I had to do are either completely negligible or unnoticeable (color not present on that layer on that level).

Using the blitter brutally to redraw everything is never a good idea as it's then very difficult to make a 50Hz game. I've made that experience with Moon Patrol backgrounds in ECS (not enough colors to go DPF) and it was not a full success...

[str0m]

High score on this at my local arcade and that's without doing the stage 2 birds bug

[Coagulus]

Pheenix on the Spectrum was an excellent version

[PascalDe73]

I Found This Cover ART Box for ZX81

Credit : JohnsBargs

https://www.sinclairzxworld.com/view...p=41846#p41846

2nd Picture ... a small modification ....

[acidbottle]

Fantastic this is next in the que! One of my very favorite games of all time, amazingly very few console or computer adaptations or clones. Guess it was a tricky one to replicate!

Pheenix on the Spectrum, as mentioned above, was about the only good one I ever stumbled upon.

Thanks jotd again on taking the mantle of this utter classic

[agermose]

Originally Posted by jotd

Yes, I have done that for KarateChamp but the background was static.

Since background is scrolling and there are max 11 colors per layer originally, using dual playfield is the logical choice. The color adaptations I had to do are either completely negligible or unnoticeable (color not present on that layer on that level).

Using the blitter brutally to redraw everything is never a good idea as it's then very difficult to make a 50Hz game. I've made that experience with Moon Patrol backgrounds in ECS (not enough colors to go DPF) and it was not a full success...

Looking forward to yet another classic from your hand

In my opinion Phoenix can also be done in single playfield mode, and run at 50hz, especially if it can run in 16 colours.
Barrel scroller for the background gfx, and bobs for the enemies (foreground layer).
The character scores can be done with hw sprites.

I'm sure you'll solve it regardless of which way you're going.

[jotd]

you're seeing it from a "redo from scratch" point of view.

With transcode there are some constraints which are difficult to transpose specially for that game. But you'll get a 1:1 game noone is going to see the difference anyway

[demoniac]

Originally Posted by drHirudo

Phoenix is a nice game that has lots of spinoffs, bootlegs and clones.

I took a look at the cabinets of each bootleg/clone and they don't seem to match the one I played. Another interest tidbit about the one I played is that a similiar sized denomination that is 1/5 the normal price could work with the machine. Clearly, not enough effort was done here!

Let's see how JOTD end up implementing the original version.