Bubble Bobble PCE

OldRover · 04/04/2008, 04:22 AM

At Sinistron's request, I have decided to dedicate some of my spare time to bringing Bubble Bobble to the PCE. Unlike most other versions of the game, I am attempting to recreate the actual arcade experience on the PCE rather than re-interpreting the game or making a hack of the NES ROM. So far, I have coded most of the attract mode, but it lacks sprites. Screenshots:

/bbpce-attract-001.png /bbpce-attract-002.png

/bbpce-attract-003.png /bbpce-attract-004.png

/bbpce-attract-005.png /bbpce-attract-006.png

Here's the latest build of the project:
http://www.nodtveidt.net/bbpce-attract.rar

Note that it does not respond to user input, it's just a continual loop of the attract mode.

More updates to come. Stay tuned.

EDIT: Almost forgot...here's the original arcade screens:

/seq1.png /seq2.png

/seq3.png /seq4.png

/seq5.png /seq6.png

Turbo D · 04/04/2008, 04:23 AM

Very nice rover

I'm very excited for this project!

ccovell · 04/04/2008, 06:13 AM

Well, it looks beautiful. I hope you can get it to play as well as the arcade too.

Nazi NecroPhile · 04/04/2008, 09:47 AM

Bub and Bob say kick-ass and looking good.

Ceti Alpha · 04/04/2008, 10:56 AM

Most impressive!

Very, very exciting!

nat · 04/04/2008, 11:00 AM

Quote from: OldRover on 04/04/2008, 04:22 AMAt Sinistron's request, I have decided to dedicate some of my spare time to bringing Bubble Bobble to the PCE. Unlike most other versions of the game, I am attempting to recreate the actual arcade experience on the PCE rather than re-interpreting the game or making a hack of the NES ROM. So far, I have coded most of the attract mode, but it lacks sprites. Screenshots:
/bbpce-attract-001.png
/bbpce-attract-002.png

I put a coin in the slot on my TurboGrafx-16. I heard a POP!, and the screen went dead. Did I break it?!?

Sinistron · 04/04/2008, 12:40 PM

Rover rover rover. You RULE.

PCEngineHell · 04/04/2008, 04:10 PM

Awesome stuff for sure!

nat · 04/04/2008, 04:15 PM

Here's a great question: How is the music going to be handled for this port? Seems to me the easiest way is to do redbook tracks of the actual arcade music. But that would mean this would have to be an ISO/CD game.

PCEngineHell · 04/04/2008, 08:15 PM

maybe he should do the port and hide it as a easter egg in mysterious song. Maybe have like a crappy mid evil arcade with a table with chess on it,and a few other boring games they played in yea olden days,and ff in the corner have a bubble bobble machine sitting there you can play like in Shenmues arcade. In the process you might be able to sneak it by Taito,ect..

OldRover · 04/04/2008, 11:29 PM

Quote from: nat on 04/04/2008, 04:15 PMHere's a great question: How is the music going to be handled for this port? Seems to me the easiest way is to do redbook tracks of the actual arcade music. But that would mean this would have to be an ISO/CD game.

I intend on using the four-channel music player I've developed for the PCE, which is loosely based on Trilinear's old code and Bt Garner's snd.c. To convert the music, a tool called mid2tgm will be used with modified versions of soundtracks I've found on vgmusic.com's website. The game will be a normal hucard image, and will be the first game by me to be built on the NeoHuCard developed by myself, Dave Shadoff, and Charles MacDonald.

As far as Taito goes, I plan on licensing the name once it's near completion. Just presenting the idea right now is rather fruitless, but presenting it when it's a viable product will be a lot more effective in making it completely legal.

ParanoiaDragon · 04/05/2008, 04:00 AM

Aw man, NOW you decide to do Bubble Bobble!

Though, my idea, was to make it better, with backgrounds that scroll like Parasol Stars, & music that changes ever 5 or 10 levels. I still have the updated sprites that Keranu did as a test. Oh well

OldRover · 04/05/2008, 04:24 AM

Everyone does Bubble Bobble reinterpretations though...I wanted to avoid that and try to make one as close to the arcade as possible.

Turbo D · 04/05/2008, 04:29 AM

I would prefer it to be as close to arcade as possible too. From the testfont, I know its possible.

Sinistron · 04/05/2008, 04:31 AM

possible and a dream perhaps to come true. rove can singlehandedly seal the trilogy for pce freaks. this makes my month.

Keranu · 04/05/2008, 05:42 AM

Quote from: Sinistron on 04/05/2008, 04:31 AMrove can singlehandedly seal the trilogy for pce freaks.

Ahh, so that's the main reason for this!

Ceti Alpha · 04/05/2008, 11:20 AM

Quote from: OldRover on 04/04/2008, 11:29 PM
Quote from: nat on 04/04/2008, 04:15 PMHere's a great question: How is the music going to be handled for this port? Seems to me the easiest way is to do redbook tracks of the actual arcade music. But that would mean this would have to be an ISO/CD game.
I intend on using the four-channel music player I've developed for the PCE, which is loosely based on Trilinear's old code and Bt Garner's snd.c. To convert the music, a tool called mid2tgm will be used with modified versions of soundtracks I've found on vgmusic.com's website. The game will be a normal hucard image, and will be the first game by me to be built on the NeoHuCard developed by myself, Dave Shadoff, and Charles MacDonald.

As far as Taito goes, I plan on licensing the name once it's near completion. Just presenting the idea right now is rather fruitless, but presenting it when it's a viable product will be a lot more effective in making it completely legal.

Neo HuCARD>? I like the sound of this.

OldRover · 04/05/2008, 11:36 AM

Quote from: ceti alpha on 04/05/2008, 11:20 AM Neo HuCARD>? I like the sound of this.

That's the name I gave the new hucard design we created. Corny perhaps, but it works.

Quote from: Keranu on 04/05/2008, 05:42 AMAhh, so that's the main reason for this!

I don't get what you mean...

esteban · 04/05/2008, 11:44 AM

Quote from: OldRover on 04/05/2008, 11:36 AM
Quote from: ceti alpha on 04/05/2008, 11:20 AM Neo HuCARD>? I like the sound of this.
That's the name I gave the new hucard design we created. Corny perhaps, but it works.

NEO HuCard is a good name. The other options would be, hmmmmmmmm... Super² SystemCard², SuperDuper System Card, etc.

And, as always, good luck with the project. Everything you've shared sounds fantastic.

Ceti Alpha · 04/05/2008, 11:53 AM

Quote from: OldRover on 04/05/2008, 11:36 AM
Quote from: ceti alpha on 04/05/2008, 11:20 AM Neo HuCARD>? I like the sound of this.
That's the name I gave the new hucard design we created. Corny perhaps, but it works.

Quote from: Keranu on 04/05/2008, 05:42 AMAhh, so that's the main reason for this!
I don't get what you mean...

Oh, so we could actually see new HuCARDs released?!

Nazi NecroPhile · 04/05/2008, 03:14 PM

Quote from: The Old Rover on 04/04/2008, 11:29 PMAs far as Taito goes, I plan on licensing the name once it's near completion. Just presenting the idea right now is rather fruitless, but presenting it when it's a viable product will be a lot more effective in making it completely legal.

Sounds great. I hope Taito recognizes that a little bit of cash from an ancient system is better than nothing at all, but I fear that they won't want to 'waste' their time on such small poTaitos (he-he).

Quote from: The Old Rover on 04/05/2008, 11:36 AM
Quote from: ceti alpha on 04/05/2008, 11:20 AM Neo HuCARD>? I like the sound of this.
That's the name I gave the new hucard design we created. Corny perhaps, but it works.

Bad choice in my opinion, unless you want to associate yourself with Neo Flash for some reason.

OldRover · 04/05/2008, 04:46 PM

No intention of being associated with Neo Flash. Neo is simply a word that means "new", so NeoHuCard just means "new hucard".

Dark Fact · 04/05/2008, 11:13 PM

And here I thought you got the idea of NeoHuCard from neo-nazi.

Anyways, that is fantastic work judging from those screenshots, Rover.

QuoteAs far as Taito goes, I plan on licensing the name once it's near completion. Just presenting the idea right now is rather fruitless, but presenting it when it's a viable product will be a lot more effective in making it completely legal.

I don't get what you mean here. Are you saying you can actually get this game legally printed?

OldRover · 04/06/2008, 12:33 AM

Quote from: Dark Fact on 04/05/2008, 11:13 PMI don't get what you mean here. Are you saying you can actually get this game legally printed?

That's the idea.

Dark Fact · 04/06/2008, 11:24 PM

Taito (or whoever is the rights holder for the game) will actually be cool with this?

TR0N · 04/06/2008, 11:44 PM

Quote from: Dark Fact on 04/06/2008, 11:24 PMTaito (or whoever is the rights holder for the game) will actually be cool with this?

Not unless sqaurenix steps in they do own taito

OldRover · 04/07/2008, 12:07 AM

Yeah, I wasn't aware of the acquisition by Square Enix. Since the names weren't merged, it's not common knowledge unless you actively follow this stuff.

ParanoiaDragon · 04/07/2008, 09:50 PM

So, if this happens, 2 things, 1, will it be under the Frozen Utopia banner, & 2, will us Frozen Utopians have first dibs on buying the Neo Cards?

OldRover · 04/08/2008, 07:57 AM

1, dunno...never really thought about it
2, of course

ParanoiaDragon · 04/09/2008, 01:18 AM

2=Cool. As for the banner it's under, I'm figuring it'd be best to be under FU, since, that's your group/company/gang for making Turbo games, as opposed to your other venture, whose name escapes me, something to do with horses I think?

Keranu · 04/09/2008, 03:51 AM

Quote from: ParanoiaDragon on 04/09/2008, 01:18 AMas opposed to your other venture, whose name escapes me, something to do with horses I think?

Epona Soft!

OldRover · 04/09/2008, 07:18 AM

I can't release it under the Eponasoft label anyways, since that's reserved for PC and NDS titles. I suppose I could release it under the Frozen Utopia label, as long as it's okay with everyone else on the team.

/bbpce-newtitle.png

Keranu · 04/09/2008, 07:17 PM

Fine with me.

ParanoiaDragon · 04/10/2008, 02:32 AM

Quote from: Keranu on 04/09/2008, 07:17 PMFine with me.

Ditto

nat · 04/10/2008, 10:52 AM

Stay tuned for Seldane's vote, coming in 2023 to a forum near you.

ParanoiaDragon · 04/11/2008, 12:55 AM

After this, we'll have to do the NES Bubble Bobble 2, but re-envisioned

PCEngineHell · 04/11/2008, 09:30 PM

Quote from: nat on 04/10/2008, 10:52 AMStay tuned for Seldane's vote, coming in 2023 to a forum near you.

Does he still actively contribute to the Frozen Utopia projects?

OldRover · 04/11/2008, 10:13 PM

Quote from: PCEngineHell on 04/11/2008, 09:30 PMDoes he still actively contribute to the Frozen Utopia projects?

Not really...I dunno where he's gone to. We've been wanting to get back to N3 for quite some time now, and he's the tile artist for that project...without him around to do the work, I've got very little to do. The same applies for our other projects...no tiles = nothing to do. lord_cack does tiles but he has his own projects he's working on, plus he's been a bit absent as of late too. Seems only Keranu and Paranoia Dragon are around regularly, but then again, the three of us are founding members of the group and have been in it since the beginning.

ParanoiaDragon · 04/12/2008, 03:27 AM

Though, personally, I've been extra busy lately, & haven't been able to get a single thing done

Was feeling like crap for awhile too, so, I'm looking for a good time to get in gear & finish what's left of the couple of songs to touch up for Mysterious Song, & then finish what I got for the secret project.

nat · 04/12/2008, 05:13 AM

Despite having shown nothing, I really have been working on stuff for MSR. Stay tuned... I'll having something before summer

I promise.

Tatsujin · 04/21/2008, 01:25 AM

freakin' cool. do the cd-rom

PCEngineHell · 04/21/2008, 05:07 AM

Quote from: OldRover on 04/11/2008, 10:13 PM
Quote from: PCEngineHell on 04/11/2008, 09:30 PMDoes he still actively contribute to the Frozen Utopia projects?
Not really...I dunno where he's gone to. We've been wanting to get back to N3 for quite some time now, and he's the tile artist for that project...without him around to do the work, I've got very little to do. The same applies for our other projects...no tiles = nothing to do. lord_cack does tiles but he has his own projects he's working on, plus he's been a bit absent as of late too. Seems only Keranu and Paranoia Dragon are around regularly, but then again, the three of us are founding members of the group and have been in it since the beginning.

Ahh well,If I knew what to do,Id be glad to help,but I have no idea how to do them or what is needed

. I always have free time here and there to burn,and don't know what to burn it on lol.

Rainbow_Bright · 04/21/2008, 06:41 AM

kick ass man!

esteban · 04/21/2008, 08:10 AM

Alt-Nintega · 05/05/2008, 08:10 PM

Wait. You are trying to port Bubble Bobble for PCE systems?!

How? O_o

OldRover · 05/06/2008, 12:13 AM

The same way all other games are ported to the PCE...one byte of code at a time.

Alt-Nintega · 05/06/2008, 09:33 AM

Quote from: OldRover on 05/06/2008, 12:13 AMThe same way all other games are ported to the PCE...one byte of code at a time.

So how will I play it when you finish with your port? Are you going to make copies and sell them to everyone? Will it be on CD?

Arjak · 05/06/2008, 10:33 AM

Nope, it's apparently going to be on newly made HuCards!

Nazi NecroPhile · 05/06/2008, 10:35 AM

Quote from: Psycho Alt-Nintega on 05/06/2008, 09:33 AMSo how will I play it when you finish with your port?

I'll wager with a controller.

Seriously though, Arjak is correct:

Quote from: The Old Rover on 04/04/2008, 11:29 PMThe game will be a normal hucard image, and will be the first game by me to be built on the NeoHuCard developed by myself, Dave Shadoff, and Charles MacDonald.

Sinistron · 05/06/2008, 11:02 AM

At the risk of me sounding like a jerk here Nintega- all of your questions were pretty much answered already on this thread. It wouldn't hurt to have read it