Megaman PCE thread

[ParanoiaDragon]

Decided that Ice Man was getting out of hand, so I shortened my plan for it, so I'm nearing completion of it.  However, I'm now leaning more towards adding 3 more songs to the game.  Basically, the Wily levels only have 2 tunes.  I'm thinking of making alternate versions of each of those.  Plus, I'm thinking of having a specific boss tune for Copy Mega Man.  I wanted to base that song on tunes that are related to any kind of copy of Mega Man thruout the series, like Quint in MMII GB(which barely has a tune for him) or Copy X from MM Zero(no song seems to fit from here however).  I haven't settled on anything yet though, I might skip that one.  Either way, this will mean the soundtrack itself will obviously take longer.....but that much doper!

I'm not 100% sold on this, so these would probably be the last songs I do, including after I do the Title screen.  But I do have some neat ideas for them, so, I probably will do it.  If anyone has any ideas of songs that might work well with Copy Mega Man, feel free to give me suggestions!  Quint, does also appear in MMV GB, but it just uses the standard boss theme.  Still, I have that one in mind as an idea.

[Windcharger]

I had a thought.  Besides my soundtrack added to this, what about Rushjet1's soundtrack?  It uses the NES sound engine, however, it utilizes some of the extra chips, notably, the VRC6.  Would that be possible to hack into this?  If nothing else, maybe atleast his renditions could be redbook.  Here's what I'm talking about, I think he did a great job on these!

http://rushjet1.bandcamp.com/album/mega-man-remade

Wow, this really is great.  Very impressive...

[NightWolve]

Here's what I'm talking about, I think he did a great job on these!

Yeah, that's a nice find, I think the title screen music is great and better than the original, but honestly, going through the stage music I found I prefer the originals somewhat more.

[TurboXray]

 I really need to put in a new PCE chip sound engine into the game, but converting over the sound FX too. Not a big deal, but it does mean either logging writes from the nes2pce sound emulation or learning the format of the original engine and decode the sound data.

 I have Air Zonk's engine already rebuilt as source code, so I can probably modify that for use with it. Squirrel is more powerful, but might be too resource heavy for kind of thing (squirrel+sample streaming). Dunno. I need to look at it still.

 For Air Zonk, I wrote a simple script engine to parse a text file. Though if anyone has more experience with writing script compilers, I could always use the help.

 I definitely want the use of a sample channel in the game (both for sound FX and for chiptune use). That alone is going to take up a little bit of cpu resource (interrupt driven). That's why I'm thinking of something more light on the sound engine side (narrow down the features to what's needed for this kind of game related music).

Also, I'll just leave this here:

. Dayman? Hmm.

[elmer]

For Air Zonk, I wrote a simple script engine to parse a text file. Though if anyone has more experience with writing script compilers, I could always use the help.

Depending upon the complexity of the syntax that you want to use, I've generally found that either doing a simple CRC32 of a string to tokenize it, or using RE2C (http://re2c.org/) should be enough.

Most simple scripting isn't even going to need a serious parser at all, and you can just hand-write everything.

If you really want to do a complex language, then even though the rabid Unix folks love lexx and yacc, I prefer the simplicity and debugability of a recursive-decent parser.

At that point I'd personally steer you towards Coco/R (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coco/R) rather than ANTLR (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ANTLR).

[ParanoiaDragon]

Finished Ice Man!  I do have a few teeny touch ups to do to it, nothing serious at all, so, it's done(which I didn't think I'd be able to do right now with my hard drive problems holding me back).  Now it's time for my mind to get in the mode for Dr. Wily's 1st Stage & thinking/obsessing on how I want to expand upon what I already composed for it well over a year ago!

[TurboXray]

If you really want to do a complex language..

Haha. I don't. Thanks for the links though. Writing the parser part wasn't that back actually. But I have no math support or embedding (stuff inside brackets), or symbol support (though I do have label support). So it's bare bones. It's enough for now though, if need be.

[TailChao]

If you really want to do a complex language..

Haha. I don't. Thanks for the links though. Writing the parser part wasn't that back actually. But I have no math support or embedding (stuff inside brackets), or symbol support (though I do have label support). So it's bare bones. It's enough for now though, if need be.

You're always welcome to tear apart any of the SASS compilers I've written.
The one in BupBoop is likely easiest to modify, it was written last and is the most documented.

[TurboXray]

If you really want to do a complex language..

Haha. I don't. Thanks for the links though. Writing the parser part wasn't that back actually. But I have no math support or embedding (stuff inside brackets), or symbol support (though I do have label support). So it's bare bones. It's enough for now though, if need be.

You're always welcome to tear apart any of the SASS compilers I've written.
The one in BupBoop is likely easiest to modify, it was written last and is the most documented.

You realize that means me bugging you with all sorts of questions - lol.

[elmer]

You realize that means me bugging you with all sorts of questions - lol.

Haha ... along as you stick within LALR(1), you're fine.

What you've already done in your NES-to-PCE work is years beyond what you're going to be asked to do going through CompSci courses.

You're going to hit all this stuff, and it's not that crazy.

At least until you contemplate C++ (created by a fraking academic) that's totally un-parsable without a complete knowledge of the language implementation and the precise current-state understanding of exactly what has gone before.

C++ breaks just-about-every maxim of sensible language design. 

[ParanoiaDragon]

Slight update.  Despite my PC problems, I have been able to work on Dr. Wily's 1st castle tune ideas.  I have an outline now for the entire song & how I want to go about it.  It'll be a 4+ minute song from what I can tell, & the plan I have sounds dope, so, when I have time, I'm gonna start putting it together proper.  I'll probably wait till I get my Windows disk in the mail to (hopefully) re-install W7 fresh & get my PC back in order.

[ParanoiaDragon]

Another update, I'm still working on Wily, I'm trying to keep it dark sounding, but there's a few things I'm working on that have a tendency to sound too happy for the occasion.  So, that's been slowing me down.  That is all.

[ParanoiaDragon]

I'm working on the finale of the first Wily Castle!  After that, just some adjusting of levels on drums n' such & that'll finish this tune!

[ParanoiaDragon]

Dr. Wily's Castle 1 is done!  I think I'll start working on Dr. Wily's Castle 2 next, which as stated before, will be partially be based on the Wily Castle 1, but the rest is built on a different Wily tune from the series.

[esteban]

Please sneak a Legendary Wings song into the PCE Megaman soundtrack.

Thank you.

[HailingTheThings]

Please sneak a Legendary Wings Bucky O'Hare song into the PCE Megaman soundtrack.

Thank you.

Fixed. :3

[esteban]

Please sneak a Legendary Wings Bucky O'Hare song into the PCE Megaman soundtrack.

Thank you.

Fixed. :3

Wasn't there another person here obsessed with Bucky O'Hare?

Don't worry, Paranoia will find a way to incorporate Legendary Wings.

[ParanoiaDragon]

Correction, I'm going to scrap my soundtrack for MM, & remake the NES Back to the Future soundtrack, & THAT is what will play during the entirety of Mega Man CD, enjoy!

If anything, I'd love to do tunes for the NES Legendary Wings, but have the game use the graphics from the arcade.

[HailingTheThings]

Please sneak a Legendary Wings Bucky O'Hare song into the PCE Megaman soundtrack.

Thank you.

Fixed. :3

Wasn't there another person here obsessed with Bucky O'Hare?

Don't worry, Paranoia will find a way to incorporate Legendary Wings.

Yes, there was. He had a "Critters" pic for an avatar, I forget names sometimes... ummm F**k, I can't remember.... oh yeah, it was MrFlutterPie.

*pretends he didn't have to go searching for 2 minutes to figure it out.*

[esteban]

^ Ha! That sounds familiar. I'm horrible keeping info in my brain, too.

Well, my brain is already filled with nonsense and tripe. Not much free space.

[OldMan]

my brain is already filled with nonsense and tripe. Not much free space.

Mine too. I'm waiting on a brain defrag routine, to squeeze out those last bits...

[esteban]

my brain is already filled with nonsense and tripe. Not much free space.

Mine too. I'm waiting on a brain defrag routine, to squeeze out those last bits...

Jahahajajaha.  Exactly. We are going to see how much performance we can get out of old hardware.

[HailingTheThings]

If only I could get rid of some of the useless shit in my head. Its amazing what still takes up space.

[ParanoiaDragon]

If only I could get rid of some of the useless shit in my head. Its amazing what still takes up space.

Ugh, you & me both, sometimes I feel like I need a lobotomy to get rid of the stuff that I wish to forget!

[HailingTheThings]

If only I could get rid of some of the useless shit in my head. Its amazing what still takes up space.

Ugh, you & me both, sometimes I feel like I need a lobotomy to get rid of the stuff that I wish to forget!

Hmm yes, hmm yes. lol

[esteban]

If only I could get rid of some of the useless shit in my head. Its amazing what still takes up space.

Ugh, you & me both, sometimes I feel like I need a lobotomy to get rid of the stuff that I wish to forget!

Hmm yes, hmm yes. lol

BACK ON TOPIC: I still have Mega Man 1-3 tunes permanently burned in my brain because I played those games a billion times, back in the day. This is actually a BAD thing, because I over listened to them and have become sorta "numb" to them after a short time.

This same sort of thing happens to any music I have been overexposed to. Sad.

[HailingTheThings]

If only I could get rid of some of the useless shit in my head. Its amazing what still takes up space.

Ugh, you & me both, sometimes I feel like I need a lobotomy to get rid of the stuff that I wish to forget!

Hmm yes, hmm yes. lol

BACK ON TOPIC: I still have Mega Man 1-3 tunes permanently burned in my brain because I played those games a billion times, back in the day. This is actually a BAD thing, because I over listened to them and have become sorta "numb" to them after a short time.

This same sort of thing happens to any music I have been overexposed to. Sad.

If only there was a way to forget, like legitimately forget, the best songs, no, the best albums ever. Only to experience them for the first time again.

[spenoza]

Putting them away for a while (a few months, or even a few years) can really help. You listen and they sound familiar, but a bit better, until there's just a particular moment in the music and you just swoon. Then it's all good.

[HailingTheThings]

Putting them away for a while (a few months, or even a few years) can really help. You listen and they sound familiar, but a bit better, until there's just a particular moment in the music and you just swoon. Then it's all good.

I've down done that with quite a bit of music, it is pretty wow, but nothing beats listening to something great for that very first time. <3

[ParanoiaDragon]

If only I could get rid of some of the useless shit in my head. Its amazing what still takes up space.

Ugh, you & me both, sometimes I feel like I need a lobotomy to get rid of the stuff that I wish to forget!

Hmm yes, hmm yes. lol

BACK ON TOPIC: I still have Mega Man 1-3 tunes permanently burned in my brain because I played those games a billion times, back in the day. This is actually a BAD thing, because I over listened to them and have become sorta "numb" to them after a short time.

This same sort of thing happens to any music I have been overexposed to. Sad.

Well, hopefully my MM soundtrack will give you a needed shot in the arm to invigorate you're love for the original, or at least I hope it does.  I'm sure there'll be people that don't like it, but I hope the majority will enjoy it.

[esteban]

If only I could get rid of some of the useless shit in my head. Its amazing what still takes up space.

Ugh, you & me both, sometimes I feel like I need a lobotomy to get rid of the stuff that I wish to forget!

Hmm yes, hmm yes. lol

BACK ON TOPIC: I still have Mega Man 1-3 tunes permanently burned in my brain because I played those games a billion times, back in the day. This is actually a BAD thing, because I over listened to them and have become sorta "numb" to them after a short time.

This same sort of thing happens to any music I have been overexposed to. Sad.

Well, hopefully my MM soundtrack will give you a needed shot in the arm to invigorate you're love for the original, or at least I hope it does.  I'm sure there'll be people that don't like it, but I hope the majority will enjoy it.

This is precisely why I am looking forward to your soundtrack!

It's also why I wish I could magically select an "alternate" soundtrack for chiptunes (as you know, creating an alternative Red Book soundtrack is possible...not that I have done it often)...but simply knowing it is possible makes my soul happy...for example, many years ago, I played Ys I & II with an alternate soundtrack...Darkman had simply swapped in some arrangements from Falcom's "Ys Perfect Collection"...that was awesome.

[ParanoiaDragon]

Yeah, one of my fav Ys 1 & 2 ost's is from Chronicles, love it, maybe strangely more so then the Turbob edition! Here it is if you ever want to listen to it, some of it just downright gives me flippin' goosebumps!

On another note, while coming up for ideas for 1 of my extra Wily castle tunes(for Wily Castle 2), I found this, pretty cool rendition of Mighty Obstacle from Ys 6, but made to sound like Mega Man X!

[the haze]

...for example, many years ago, I played Ys I & II with an alternate soundtrack...Darkman had simply swapped in some arrangements from Falcom's "Ys Perfect Collection"...that was awesome.

I am glad you enjoyed it.    I totally didn't see this until AFTER I posted this thread. 
https://www.pcengine-fx.com/forums/index.php?topic=20440.0

Funny the sudden interest or memory of this project, however vague makes me happy. 

[NightWolve]

Yeah, one of my fav Ys 1 & 2 ost's is from Chronicles, love it, maybe strangely more so then the Turbob edition! Here it is if you ever want to listen to it, some of it just downright gives me flippin' goosebumps!

Some of them are interesting, but Turbob edition still whips this OST's butt overall. ;)

[ParanoiaDragon]

I am, ever so slowly, working on that remixed tune for the 2nd Wily level.  It's pretty dope sounding, but still got a ways to go sadly.  Lack of time & energy, & the song itself being complicated.  Plus, I'm doing fake guitars in it, trying to make it as real sounding as possible!

[esteban]

I am, ever so slowly, working on that remixed tune for the 2nd Wily level.  It's pretty dope sounding, but still got a ways to go sadly.  Lack of time & energy, & the song itself being complicated.  Plus, I'm doing fake guitars in it, trying to make it as real sounding as possible!

Forget about guitars....just have crazy, in-your-face fake slap-bass in the song and I'll be happy.



The *slappiest* of slap-bass.

[ParanoiaDragon]

Actually, I have some slap bass in Gutman's theme!

[esteban]

Actually, I have some slap bass in Gutman's theme!

This is why I love you.

[sanjo]

Yeah, the goal is to upgrade the graphics. Like I stated in the other thread, PCE sprite ability is already hacked into the emulation code in a WIP build. Allows one to upgrade sprites as they go, yet leave other sprites as is until they're ready. A mixture of NES sprites and PCE sprites (sounds simple, but is has to handled via video emulation and the original game engine). The tiles will be upgraded in a similar way. It won't have the full power of the PCE, but it'll be more than the NES emulation as is. CDDA track code is in the WIP build as well. ADPCM code is next. And probably a simple but new PCE sound engine (I have a few lying around), if you can find someone to redo the tracks in a more PCE PSG spec'd format.

I'm the new guy here and I think what you are doing is super cool. Played Megaman to death when I was a kid and even joined Capcom's Megaman club ($30 and all you got was a poster and some inside info on MM4)..

What about using the sprites from the Genesis/MD version? I thought they were nice. The only let down of the Genny remake was the speed and especially, the music.  But if you made it a CD based game like the MM1 conversion, I'm sure there's a ton of nice remade songs out there you can use?

on the subject of capcom, I'd love to see a PCE version of Area 88 / UN Squadron

[tjsnh]

I saw a youtube vid about this but haven't been able to find a download.
Any links?

[Bernie]

I will pm you.

[TurboXray]

As far as the upgraded version of Megaman 1 (graphics and colors), I don't think I'm going to finish this project. I do want to finish Cutman's level and that will probably be it. A teaser of what can be done for nes2pce stuffs when upgraded with additional PCE features. That said, I'm going to release the source code for the whole thing. I really doubt anyone will pick this up and continue it, but you never know. I really need to go in and document a lot of stuff first, though. And that's going to take some time.

 The reason why I don't want to put anymore time into this, is because me time is very limited. I mean, it just keeps getting more limited as I progress in school. How Arkhan was able to fit his games into his school schedule is beyond me, but totally much respect to him for being able to pull it off. So that said, I really want to focus on original stuff. I realize at this point full games are probably out of my reach/scope as far as investments, but I really do like the 1-2 stage games out there like time-attack shmups and such, just not limited to shmups. That way I can get to do all the things I've always wanted, and genres I like, without an exponential investment on my part.

 Anyway, for the upgraded Cutman level; all the sprites except the Boss are upgraded. I just need to write a back end script/service for sprite layers and upgrade the BG graphics. I'm hoping to do this over winter break.

 Also, this winter, with the help of elmer's expanded system card for TED (512k ram), I'll release a CD version of MM2 with CD sound track like I did with MM1. That was pretty easy to do in MM1, so it should be the same with MM2.

 I actually had a WIP of Castlevania nes2pce that had CD sound tracks. It had a bug that I never tracked down. I should probably add that to the list. The whole thing about the CD sound track, is so anyone can make their own personal sound tracks. I dunno. Being able to personalize games like that seemed like a cool idea.

[ParanoiaDragon]

Bummer.  Though I do know about not having me time.  I think I'm finally getting back to the point of having some, so I will be continuing work on my version of the Mega Man soundtrack.  Since I have a few extra songs to be added(most notably, the Dr. Wily levels will have 3 extra tunes), I hope you'll be willing to do some re-programming of the cd seek track routines for my extra songs........I hope I hope I hope!

[esteban]

I actually had a WIP of Castlevania nes2pce that had CD sound tracks. It had a bug that I never tracked down. I should probably add that to the list. The whole thing about the CD sound track, is so anyone can make their own personal sound tracks. I dunno. Being able to personalize games like that seemed like a cool idea.

Absolutely! I think it is a wonderful option, rich with possibilities.



Also, I am praying at TurboShrine as I type this. You *will* win the lottery and become financially secure by the end of the current eon.

Free time approaching!

Bummer.  Though I do know about not having me time.  I think I'm finally getting back to the point of having some, so I will be continuing work on my version of the Mega Man soundtrack.  Since I have a few extra songs to be added(most notably, the Dr. Wily levels will have 3 extra tunes), I hope you'll be willing to do some re-programming of the cd seek track routines for my extra songs........I hope I hope I hope!

He will. I dreamt it will happen.

However, all three of us might be active members of AARP when it happens.

[esteban]

...

[FraGMarE]

Bonknuts, let me know if you need any new pixel art cooked up for this. 

[ParanoiaDragon]

Hell yeah, Frag is back!!!

[esteban]

Hell yeah, Frag is back!!!

HOLY SHITE!

[FraGMarE]

Lol, hey guys.

I remember doing the Megaman sprite and the background tiles for the Cutman level a few years back.  Always wanted to see something come of it    IIRC, I never drew the enemies or boss sprite

[TurboXray]

Hey Frag!

 Yeah, I don't have any updated graphics for the Cutman boss. I did a lot of hacking to get those graphics to work in Cutmans levels, so I definitely want to see that stage finished.