Zool - Fan Thread to the Nth degree!!

[Anubis]

There are people who liked this game?



Interesting...

[Gilbert]

Originally Posted by d4rk3lf

Yeah, that's exactly the reason why I like A500 version much more.
They wanted to show a lot's of stuff, parallax, but it hurt's the eye.

One perfect example where "Less is more".

I read a review in a magazine that said the AGA version slowdowns more but I don't know if this is true. The busy background doesn't bother me but they also said that in the review.

Originally Posted by Doctor Clu

That was cool seeing the Zool cabinet. And I'll have to agree, looks like he was just "playing" the intro screen in that video. But nice cabinet.

I'm sure someone at this point has wired an Amiga or CD32 into a cabinet at this point and played Zool with the arcade stick. We are nerds and geeks, that is how we roll..

That was hilarious the way he was playing it.

I've heard the Amiga CD32 has been put into arcade cabinets - arcade quality hardware guys! Wonder if it was used for any commercial arcade games? CDs would have been very cheap for arcade operators to buy.

[Tsak]

Originally Posted by d4rk3lf

Not sure if it's technical possible, but if they only "dimmed" BG clouds and stuff (far away stuff) to the the color more closer to the sky color, it would be drastic visual improvement....

Here's a quick Photoshop sketch.

If I had to guess from the colors used for the backs, the game runs in plain 16 color mode. Which is a total waste, given they could have made it dual playfield and still have 16 colors for the foreground plus another 16 colors for the backs (for AGA of course).

Another thing that baffles me is why they went with sfx or music only in the a500 version. And Zool 2 for both AGA and OCS versions does the same.

Having said the above, Zool 2 is clearly the better game and a major improvement overal.

[DamienD]

Originally Posted by Gilbert

I've heard the Amiga CD32 has been put into arcade cabinets - arcade quality hardware guys! Wonder if it was used for any commercial arcade games? CDs would have been very cheap for arcade operators to buy.

Ever heard of the Cubo CD32?

Some games listed here, but you'd find virtually all in MAME.

[Foebane]

As far as I'm concerned, Zool was meant to be an AMIGA EXCLUSIVE, like Mario was to the SNES and Sonic was to the MegaDrive, so I was EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED to learn that the game was being ported to other platforms.

The game is also extremely disappointing, with those damn climbing mechanics and the whole "killing blobs" thing and the Chupa Chups endorsement. I don't think the console characters like Mario and Sonic had any such endorsements just to make the game pay for itself, now did they?

[Doctor Clu]

Foebane I can see your disappointment. Sometimes it is fun to have something as an exclusive. I was also more amazed that Zool got around as much as he did. Also surprised that Zool 2 didn't have a regular Amiga port. Wonder if anyone every ported the CD32 Zool 2 back to the other Amigas?

As for backgrounds (turns on Jag version of Zool 2), on this one the background at least for the first candy level has purple faint mountains in the background. Doesn't compete with the action.

Just got in the Zool promotion pin today. Would love to know of other promotional items if people know of any.

[gimbal]

Originally Posted by Tsak

Another thing that baffles me is why they went with sfx or music only in the a500 version. And Zool 2 for both AGA and OCS versions does the same.

Not because they thought it would be fun obviously, so they must have been struggling with resource management. It'd be nice to read a post mortem on it.

[mirthturtle]

The puzzle with the piano in Music World is so hard! Between traversing the level to get the notes and the mechanic of jumping on the right keys, it's so brutal. I never got past that world without freeze states.

It bugs me too that you have to choose one music track and listen to it the whole game. They couldn't have changed it up every world?

That said: still so much fun. The game embraces chaos. The AGA backgrounds really lean into that.

[Gilbert]

Originally Posted by DamienD

Ever heard of the Cubo CD32?

Some games listed here, but you'd find virtually all in MAME.

That's great! Looks like a powerful arcade system and great you can just pop a new CD in and have a new game. It does seem though like they were saving the schmup and run n gun games for alter on in the hardwares life.

They should have put Zool on there and enhanced it a bit. Don't know why they wasted time and money designing new arcade hardware. Just add some Fast Ram to CD32 and you are sorted.

[saimon69]

Zool was a 16 color mode game but for me problem was the palette: so darn bland and uninspired :/ Some copper on OCS/ECS would have helped too

[DamienD]

Originally Posted by Gilbert

That's great! Looks like a powerful arcade system and great you can just pop a new CD in and have a new game.

No not really, it's just a CD32 at the end of the day... so not really powerful at all when you compare it with the majority of arcade machines around that time.

[jotd]

I must say I hit a wall on world 2-2 with that stupid piano thing (note: I play the piano, but that doesn't help a bit).

I had bought the original but I stopped playing at this very point. Maybe I used the cheatmode to see other worlds, not sure.

I watched the longplay a few months ago and ... how can people figure this out... seriously. I would have understood if you could use the piano for a secret room, but to end the level... whaaaat? after an obvious level 1 and 2.1...

[Doctor Clu]

Originally Posted by jotd

I must say I hit a wall on world 2-2 with that stupid piano thing (note: I play the piano, but that doesn't help a bit).

I had bought the original but I stopped playing at this very point. Maybe I used the cheatmode to see other worlds, not sure.

I watched the longplay a few months ago and ... how can people figure this out... seriously. I would have understood if you could use the piano for a secret room, but to end the level... whaaaat? after an obvious level 1 and 2.1...

Wow, this piano sounds really horrible. :P Reminds me of the objects in Rayman that you have to outrun with only a few inches of screen to manuver as a thing chases you. Wasn't what I call fun, just something to get past.

[Biscuit]

Originally Posted by Doctor Clu

Just got in the Zool promotion pin today. Would love to know of other promotional items if people know of any.

You've probably seen all this - it has the obligatory t-shirt etc.
https://www.gremlinarchive.com/?s=zool

But let's skip to the post analysis beer.
https://untappd.com/b/tiny-rebel-bre.../435839/photos

[Foebane]

Originally Posted by Doctor Clu

Wow, this piano sounds really horrible. :P Reminds me of the objects in Rayman that you have to outrun with only a few inches of screen to manuver as a thing chases you. Wasn't what I call fun, just something to get past.

This immediately reminded me of the PC game of the first Harry Potter movie, in which it's a third-person shooter view, but in REVERSE. Yes, Harry is at the bottom of the screen as the turning corridor moves AWAY from the viewer, and he has to jump over holes in the floor, but they appear at the bottom of the screen, with no time to prepare. The idea is you memorise the path, so you can defeat the puzzle, but I remember finding it frustrating at the time.

[Doctor Clu]

Originally Posted by Foebane

This immediately reminded me of the PC game of the first Harry Potter movie, in which it's a third-person shooter view, but in REVERSE. Yes, Harry is at the bottom of the screen as the turning corridor moves AWAY from the viewer, and he has to jump over holes in the floor, but they appear at the bottom of the screen, with no time to prepare. The idea is you memorise the path, so you can defeat the puzzle, but I remember finding it frustrating at the time.

The irony of such things in games is they become the easiest things to beat in replays. "left left,right right, jump jump done." Or something like that. But gotta admit, things like that also take me out of the immersion and fun of the game. Even in replays I would say to myself "Ok, get this pain in the a$$ thing out of the way." Or even "It was fun aside from that moment...."


And this is something that is becoming apparent on Zool. Were there a lot of puzzles in the first Zool like the Piano one? Are they all that frustrating?

Originally Posted by Biscuit

You've probably seen all this - it has the obligatory t-shirt etc.
https://www.gremlinarchive.com/?s=zool

But let's skip to the post analysis beer.
https://untappd.com/b/tiny-rebel-bre.../435839/photos

ZOOL HAD A BEER!?! That is so cool. Anyone try it? Was it a good beer? What was the flavor like?


See. THIS... THIS is what started this thread for.

[gimbal]

Originally Posted by jotd

I must say I hit a wall on world 2-2 with that stupid piano thing (note: I play the piano, but that doesn't help a bit).

I had bought the original but I stopped playing at this very point. Maybe I used the cheatmode to see other worlds, not sure.

I watched the longplay a few months ago and ... how can people figure this out... seriously. I would have understood if you could use the piano for a secret room, but to end the level... whaaaat? after an obvious level 1 and 2.1...

I did get past it way back when... I guess the solution was printed in a magazine.

[quantum8]

Originally Posted by d4rk3lf

Not sure if it's technical possible, but if they only "dimmed" BG clouds and stuff (far away stuff) to the the color more closer to the sky color, it would be drastic visual improvement....

Here's a quick Photoshop sketch.

I wonder how easy it would be to edit the backgrounds for the whdload version to do this.

Originally Posted by Gilbert

I read a review in a magazine that said the AGA version slowdowns more but I don't know if this is true. The busy background doesn't bother me but they also said that in the review.

It's pretty noticeable when there's a lot of things happening on screen: bullets flying everywhere, a couple of enemies on screen who are also shooting out stuff and you're jumping at the same time.

[Gilbert]

Anyone played the console ports? How do they compare to the Amiga versions?

[Doctor Clu]

Originally Posted by gimbal

I did get past it way back when... I guess the solution was printed in a magazine.

That is how I played the later levels of Zool 2 on the Jaguar. I know with a LOT of gameplay I could get through the whole thing with the original set of lives, but right now I am dying by the second world.

Originally Posted by quantum8

I wonder how easy it would be to edit the backgrounds for the whdload version to do this.

Now that would be interesting to see. You play with whdload much?

Originally Posted by quantum8

It's pretty noticeable when there's a lot of things happening on screen: bullets flying everywhere, a couple of enemies on screen who are also shooting out stuff and you're jumping at the same time.

Sounds about right. I think the Jaguar (also 68000 based) runs into some of that. Not sure how much that version of Zool 2 used the other Jag processors.

Originally Posted by Gilbert

Anyone played the console ports? How do they compare to the Amiga versions?

There was a video I watched called Battle of the ports that talks about first Zool game:


[ Show youtube player ]


So here are the notes I took from that:


Amiga - Uses full screen, no border. No need to collect all crap. Has a Space ship scene. Game is Long (and video through the game was crap, but he thinks all the ports are basically crap.)

CD32- Intro screen. Has the backgrounds (which he liked) Less slow down. Now has a jump button! Improved playability. No in game music still.

Acorn Archimedes - Couldn't get it to load past intro. Looked pretty good.

Atari ST -No background. Lacked parallax scrolling. No background music

MSDOS -Nice graphics. Sound options. Crappy controls. Good scrolling

Mega Drive - Cool intro. controls are better. Three action fire jump spin. Fire across entire stage. Good Graphics. Controls are still slippery. Stage design not much from original. Music good

Super Famicon. Larger enemy sprites. No introduction like Genesis.

Sega Master System. Moves smoothly. Now to collect 100% of items. Still ultra slippery controls.

Game Gear- Stage designs have changed. Still must collect 100%. with music

Gameboy -Gives the big platform experience, good considering platform.


Ultimate thoughts (from me from that video). --------------------------

I like the idea of not having to collect 99% of the items so that is appealing to me on everything before the Sega Master System release.


The Jaguar release which I know the best so far I think has the best of most of the improvements (and the last release), but has the 99% collect thing, and some thing the sprite looks squat and messed up. I like him but hey..






https://www.deviantart.com/josh366lo...ison-597970612




So what do you all think of the various ports you've played?