Atari ST to Amiga Conversion: Ranarama

Galahad/FLT · 06 January 2016, 23:25

Fear not, Starquake is not forgotten, and 'should' be ready for release at the end of this month.

As a diversion from all things Starquake, and Christmas, and kids, and shouting, and building FUCKING Lego sets, I thought i'd take a look at Ranarama.

I say take a look, but an hour later it was ready for its first trial run......and bugger me, it was working first time

A few bug fixes later and a working joystick routine and the Frog is moving around the game.

Still plenty of work to be done, but just an example of where we are right now.

[ Show youtube player ]

Higgy · 06 January 2016, 23:52

There is nothing like taking a rest by doing more things

Lazing infront of the TV just does not cut it!

Looking forward to seeing the finished game.

Amigajay · 07 January 2016, 00:08

Good job! Whats the min spec Amiga needed do you reckon?

Galder · 07 January 2016, 02:48

Thumbs up, hopefully 68000 will be OK to play it.

tomcat666 · 07 January 2016, 10:05

Nice... slowly we are getting all the forgotten classic on the miggy

thanx Galahad !

Predseda · 07 January 2016, 10:09

Never liked Ranarama as a game, but always liked its C64 box art.

A comment from Lemon64:

Quote:

bronstein - 2009-05-14
This game is famous for looking ugly but playing fine. Nevertheless I think the programmers should've cared a little bit more about presentation.

And I think this is valid also for this ST version.

DamienD · 07 January 2016, 10:17

Good stuff sir Galahad, will give it a bash

NorthWay · 07 January 2016, 11:30

And there is an ST port of Thrust too. Just sayin'.
(Though I think it was perhaps not that good.)

Devlin · 07 January 2016, 14:13

Oh my yes! I can't wait for this

Will be doing well to test this one thoroughly. I /destroyed/ this game when I had an actual ST to play this on.

Asman · 07 January 2016, 15:06

Good job!

Vot · 07 January 2016, 15:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by Predseda

Never liked Ranarama as a game, but always liked its C64 box art.

I liked it on the c64 but couldn't ever determine why.

Shatterhand · 07 January 2016, 15:56

Had never heard about this game before. Took a look at a longplay video of the Spectrum version, it seems to be rather complex... it took more than 2 hours to be finished, it has spells and some other things.

Looking at Galahad's video I thought it was a simple arcade game.

tomcat666 · 07 January 2016, 17:32

The game is a lot like Paradroid (or Paradroid'90 on Amiga)... it is complex yes

rare_j · 07 January 2016, 21:11

You don't like building Lego sets... ?

BarryB · 07 January 2016, 22:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by rare_j

You don't like building Lego sets... ?

I know, there are some grumpy bastards around

Greyfox · 07 January 2016, 23:35

Great work fella. Keep us updated with the great progress

Galahad/FLT · 07 January 2016, 23:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by rare_j

You don't like building Lego sets... ?

Not 5 fucking sets that take an hour and a half each to build i dont

rare_j · 08 January 2016, 00:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by Galahad/FLT

Not 5 fucking sets that take an hour and a half each to build i dont

Ha ha! Good point.
So how does this St conversion thing work then? Do you make a patch and leave the original disk image/files intact? Or do you have to take the game all apart and fix it then wrap it in some kind of custom interpreter that is different every time?
Just wondering if this one is so straight forward,maybe others are as well and you could have a sort of whdload style system for St games.

Galahad/FLT · 08 January 2016, 01:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by rare_j

Ha ha! Good point.
So how does this St conversion thing work then? Do you make a patch and leave the original disk image/files intact? Or do you have to take the game all apart and fix it then wrap it in some kind of custom interpreter that is different every time?
Just wondering if this one is so straight forward,maybe others are as well and you could have a sort of whdload style system for St games.

Theres no universal system you can employ to do these conversions, has to be done by hand and each game is individual.

Ranarama is very ST system intensive, you just need the knowlege or access to the knowlege of what each TRAP #1/TRAP#D/TRAP#E function does, what to emulate, what to remove, and what to Amigafy.

The screen conversion routine is the same each time, the joystick routine is the same, but their implementation isn't.

Its not overly difficult, just time consuming.

Ranarama took me an hour to sort before i could even remotely try and run it.

Shatterhand · 08 January 2016, 04:20

I guess the sound part gotta be really different though, isn't it? Someone must compose a .mod music to go along, and then you have more memory usage and stuff, am I wrong?

By the way, thank you for all this work

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Atari ST to Amiga: Starquake Amiga Conversion	Galahad/FLT	Amiga scene	361	20 November 2018 21:09
New Atari ST conversion coming to Amiga	Galahad/FLT	Amiga scene	158	30 April 2017 18:05
Ugly Ass Atari St Doom conversion	Fred the Fop	Retrogaming General Discussion	18	07 May 2016 21:22
Super Sprint - Atari ST Conversion	Galahad/FLT	Retrogaming General Discussion	83	12 March 2012 21:34
Old Atari ST ? Game...not sure if there was an Amiga conversion..	HCF	Looking for a game name ?	14	17 October 2004 17:43

06 January 2016, 23:25	#1
Galahad/FLT Going nowhere Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: United Kingdom Age: 50 Posts: 8,986	Atari ST to Amiga Conversion: Ranarama Fear not, Starquake is not forgotten, and 'should' be ready for release at the end of this month. As a diversion from all things Starquake, and Christmas, and kids, and shouting, and building FUCKING Lego sets, I thought i'd take a look at Ranarama. I say take a look, but an hour later it was ready for its first trial run......and bugger me, it was working first time A few bug fixes later and a working joystick routine and the Frog is moving around the game. Still plenty of work to be done, but just an example of where we are right now. [ Show youtube player ]

06 January 2016, 23:52	#2
Higgy Registered User Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Somerset, UK Posts: 547	There is nothing like taking a rest by doing more things Lazing infront of the TV just does not cut it! Looking forward to seeing the finished game.

07 January 2016, 00:08	#3
Amigajay Registered User Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: > Posts: 2,881	Good job! Whats the min spec Amiga needed do you reckon?

07 January 2016, 02:48	#4
Galder Amiga is my Goddess Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Future world Posts: 140	Thumbs up, hopefully 68000 will be OK to play it.

07 January 2016, 10:05	#5
tomcat666 Retro Freak Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Slovenia Age: 51 Posts: 1,647	Nice... slowly we are getting all the forgotten classic on the miggy thanx Galahad !

07 January 2016, 10:17	#7
DamienD Banned Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: London / Sydney Age: 47 Posts: 20,420	Good stuff sir Galahad, will give it a bash

07 January 2016, 11:30	#8
NorthWay Registered User Join Date: May 2013 Location: Grimstad / Norway Posts: 839	And there is an ST port of Thrust too. Just sayin'. (Though I think it was perhaps not that good.)

07 January 2016, 14:13	#9
Devlin Bane of Magic Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Bradford, UK Age: 37 Posts: 335	Oh my yes! I can't wait for this Will be doing well to test this one thoroughly. I /destroyed/ this game when I had an actual ST to play this on.

07 January 2016, 15:06	#10
Asman 68k Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Somewhere Posts: 828	Good job!

07 January 2016, 15:56	#12
Shatterhand Warhasneverbeensomuchfun Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Rio de Janeiro / Brazil Age: 41 Posts: 3,450	Had never heard about this game before. Took a look at a longplay video of the Spectrum version, it seems to be rather complex... it took more than 2 hours to be finished, it has spells and some other things. Looking at Galahad's video I thought it was a simple arcade game.

07 January 2016, 17:32	#13
tomcat666 Retro Freak Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Slovenia Age: 51 Posts: 1,647	The game is a lot like Paradroid (or Paradroid'90 on Amiga)... it is complex yes

07 January 2016, 21:11	#14
rare_j Zone Friend Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: London Posts: 1,176	You don't like building Lego sets... ?

07 January 2016, 23:35	#16
Greyfox Pixel Blender! Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Dublin, Ireland Age: 51 Posts: 267	Great work fella. Keep us updated with the great progress

08 January 2016, 04:20	#20
Shatterhand Warhasneverbeensomuchfun Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Rio de Janeiro / Brazil Age: 41 Posts: 3,450	I guess the sound part gotta be really different though, isn't it? Someone must compose a .mod music to go along, and then you have more memory usage and stuff, am I wrong? By the way, thank you for all this work

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)