Pyramid Plunder update

[Arkhan Asylum]

Hey look, something non dramatic.

The Pac Man clone is coming to a complete state.  Lord_cack was kind enough to do some nice tilesets so my shitty graphics wont mess things up again.

There are 5 worlds:

Mummies, Snakes, Bats, Skeletons, and Scorpions.  The worlds each have a different theme.

There are some things that make the game better than Pac Man feature wise, so it should be pretty good, and then the rest of the games can be tackled, and should oddly enough probably be less work.

[NecroPhile]

This thread is worthless without pics! 

[shubibiman]

-We want pics. Pics. Pics.
-The new number 2.
-Who is number 1?
-You are number 6.
-I am not a number! I am a free pic!

[Arkhan Asylum]

Step 1) Click my banner or go to www.aetherbyte.com
Step 2) Click PCE button
Step 3) Click Retrocade and follow the Pyramid Plunder link...



or www.aetherbyte.com/pp.htm

I know I keep saying demo demo demo soon soon soon.  I think if I hold out a little longer the demo will basically be a timed demo of the entire game, like Insanity was.

If anyone has an idea for a jungle hunt theme, that'd be cool.  My thought was reverse-roles, where you're a gorilla or something saving your ape-whore from poachers.

[NecroPhile]

But those are old pictures.  This is supposed to be an update, dammit!!!!!

[Arkhan Asylum]

But those are old pictures.  This is supposed to be an update, dammit!!!!!

Oh, you want to see the other tilesets?   I see.

I have a busy weekend after work complete with lazertag and beating scott pilgrim on ps3, but maybe on Sunday I'll thrust up some new pictures.

[JoshTurboTrollX]

will this be an actual release? like hard copy?

[NecroPhile]

will this be an actual release? like hard copy?

It's a digital download only, so good luck finding a Tsushin Booster.

[Arkhan Asylum]

will this be an actual release? like hard copy?

Yeah.  No special or signed ones or bonus soundtracks this time though.  Just a mess of pressed CDs.  It'll be pretty good I think.

[NecroPhile]

Maybe get a sticker sheet made up (like Snatcher); that'd be pretty boss.

[Arkhan Asylum]

Maybe get a sticker sheet made up (like Snatcher); that'd be pretty boss.

I'd have to get as many made as there are copies of the game then,   otherwise they'll be on ebay and some misinformed sap will pay 900$ for a bunch of stickers that cost nothing to make. 

I almost got the gold CD-ROM^2 badge stickers made for Insanity to slam on each case.

[ParanoiaDragon]

Concrete Jungle Hunt!  You're an ape swinging thru the city!

[Arkhan Asylum]

Concrete Jungle Hunt!  You're an ape swinging thru the city!

I thought of that actually.  Lord Cack did too.   It seems like a definite possibility if 3 people are all for it.

[ParanoiaDragon]

Yeah, I was there on IRC when LC mentioned the idea, I love it, the role reversal is awesome!

[Arkhan Asylum]

Yeah, I was there on IRC when LC mentioned the idea, I love it, the role reversal is awesome!

especially if when you miss the vines, you slam into a building or bust through a window, lol

[lord_cack]

Yeah, I was there on IRC when LC mentioned the idea, I love it, the role reversal is awesome!

especially if when you miss the vines, you slam into a building or bust through a window, lol

How about, swing through the city on clothes lines strung between buildings, then level two swim through the sewers.... still avoiding crocodiles of course, next level..... the last two levels throw me.... Im not sure what we can do for the dodge boulder level and the end.... of course the end you could have to save your girlfriend by avoiding bullets shot from gang memebers as your lower her from the roof of a warehouse.... something like that.... maybe the dodge boulders section could be dodge bullets from drive bys or something like that.... hell I dont know the idea is very abstract anyway hehe

[Arkhan Asylum]

lol, drivebys!

that would be pretty funny.  Hopefully it wouldn't be offensive.

[OldMan]

How about, swing through the city on clothes lines strung between buildings

Sorry, I just don't see how that would work in a side-view game... And I can't think of anything
else that would work either :-(

I'm not sure what we can do for the dodge boulder level

Riff on mario. Have him dodging barrels :-)


I like the ape idea, I'm just not sure how some of the stages would work out ...

[lord_cack]

I think a better idea would be to play as the masked men and you have to swing through the jungle, swim up the river, dodge boulders, finally you have to avoid the Safari Guy and his dogs to get into his house and steel his girlfriend. It can be the prequel to the original game (well the original Jungle Hunt, as Jungle KING you played a Tarzan guy.... but you get it....). Hmm I wonder where we can get sprites for this game     

[TheClash603]

Just release Pyramid Plunder as a $20 game instead of the full product with all of the games...

After playing your last effort, I really enjoyed it, and want to play more!  Make five $20 games and we don't have to wait as long, and you can get some cash money to get you through the remaining games.

[OldMan]

I think a better idea would be to play as the masked men and you have to swing through the jungle, swim up the river, dodge boulders, finally you have to avoid the Safari Guy and his dogs to get into his house and steal his girlfriend.

I like it with the monkey...And maybe steal one of the Safari Guys dogs <lol> instead of the girl :-)

Just release Pyramid Plunder as a $20 game instead of the full product with all of the games...

After playing your last effort, I really enjoyed it, and want to play more!  Make five $20 games and we don't have to wait as long, and you can get some cash money to get you through the remaining games.

Glad you liked Insanity, but it's a real pain getting the pressed cd's done. As nice as pp is, it's not worth the hassle to release it alone. Besides, Arkhan promised....

However, if he ever gets the demo up, there might be enough levels there to hold you. And if you ask real sweetly, Arkhan might even make a .cue for it, so you can play it on a real duo (but don't hold him to that)
And FYI, Money isn't the problem - It's time. He's busy with a new job, and doesn't have any time to spend on the other things he likes to do.

Anybody else have an opinion? Would it be worth it to release the whole series, 1 game at a time, as they get done for $20 a shot ?

[Senshi]

I would buy them at $20 a shot but I really don't mind waiting, there is plenty out there in the way of gaming to stay busy. btw, what would be the estimated price be for the compilation?

[Arkhan Asylum]

Just release Pyramid Plunder as a $20 game instead of the full product with all of the games...

After playing your last effort, I really enjoyed it, and want to play more!  Make five $20 games and we don't have to wait as long, and you can get some cash money to get you through the remaining games.

Glad you liked Insanity, but it's a real pain getting the pressed cd's done. As nice as pp is, it's not worth the hassle to release it alone. Besides, Arkhan promised....

However, if he ever gets the demo up, there might be enough levels there to hold you. And if you ask real sweetly, Arkhan might even make a .cue for it, so you can play it on a real duo (but don't hold him to that)
And FYI, Money isn't the problem - It's time. He's busy with a new job, and doesn't have any time to spend on the other things he likes to do.

Anybody else have an opinion? Would it be worth it to release the whole series, 1 game at a time, as they get done for $20 a shot ?

Yeah time for me isn't as plentiful now.     I'll get that demo up as soon as all the tilesets are done.  It'll be a better demo that way.  Give you the full taste of everything.

As far as releasing it by itself, I'd almost say lets fire out some hucards, but that'll end poorly. 

[ParanoiaDragon]

For the bouldar part, I imagined him running in the streets, hopping over tires n' stuff.

[Arkhan Asylum]

For the bouldar part, I imagined him running in the streets, hopping over tires n' stuff.

yeah man what'd be really funny is if it had a 1950s greaser theme to it actually.


call it Rumble Hunt.

lol

[Charlie]

I can't believe you favored PP over Jungle Hunt.  No, wait, I mean Defender.  Quick, make more Joust.  Ah shit.  Just make them all, yesterday.  And don't forget Aztec Warrior, and Lawnmower Man, and Chopper, and....

Charlie

[TheClash603]

Just release Pyramid Plunder as a $20 game instead of the full product with all of the games...

After playing your last effort, I really enjoyed it, and want to play more!  Make five $20 games and we don't have to wait as long, and you can get some cash money to get you through the remaining games.

Glad you liked Insanity, but it's a real pain getting the pressed cd's done. As nice as pp is, it's not worth the hassle to release it alone. Besides, Arkhan promised....

However, if he ever gets the demo up, there might be enough levels there to hold you. And if you ask real sweetly, Arkhan might even make a .cue for it, so you can play it on a real duo (but don't hold him to that)
And FYI, Money isn't the problem - It's time. He's busy with a new job, and doesn't have any time to spend on the other things he likes to do.

Anybody else have an opinion? Would it be worth it to release the whole series, 1 game at a time, as they get done for $20 a shot ?

Yeah time for me isn't as plentiful now.     I'll get that demo up as soon as all the tilesets are done.  It'll be a better demo that way.  Give you the full taste of everything.

As far as releasing it by itself, I'd almost say lets fire out some hucards, but that'll end poorly. 

Why would it end poorly?  Me want hu!

Just don't do anything to the hus that will give them any resale value...

When will you do an updated Custer's Revenge?

[OldMan]

I can't believe you favored PP over Jungle Hunt. 

We already had a fairly good start on PP before we finished insanity. It's using a lot of the same code
the was in the pacu-pacu demo :-)
And, as we see it, it was kind of pointless to start Jungle hunt before we knew how to draw into tiles/sprites;
You can see that's one of the new things in pp. Now we get to expand it to draw the vines.

As far as releasing it by itself, I'd almost say lets fire out some hucards, but that'll end poorly. 

Why would it end poorly?  Me want hu!
Just don't do anything to the hus that will give them any resale value...
When will you do an updated Custer's Revenge?

First, we'd have to find someone to make and program HuCards.
Second, they would cost a lot more than CD's, due to the need to fabricate the boards, solder on the chips, etc. We're not a big company, and we don't have the leverage to order 10,000 or so specially fabricated chips. We have talked about it, and may someday do a special limited run of something on HuCard compatible boards, but don't hold your breath waiting on it.
And Finally....I just finished getting it to run the way we want on CD! We went that way so we could pack in
a lot of boards and extras. And now you want me to cut all that code? Not looking too likely right now....


And, on the subject of HuCards.... Has anyone here actually made one of them? I know, I've read all the stuff on how to, but I've never talked to anyone who's actually done it. (Well, except maybe Charlie. He might have done it for a test, to see if it would work.) I'd like to find out what someone who has actually done it thinks about producing them. I think a small Hucard with some of the test stuff we did would be neat :-)

[nat]

The only "homemade" HuCARDs I know of are the two PCE flash carts. The PCE Pro is a kludge, but the NeoFlash is pretty slick.

[Arkhan Asylum]

I'd be worried HuCards would end up being royvegas'd on ebay a week after being sold because people want to buy food, or make a car payment, or their kid suddenly has some made up disease they have to pay for.


any homebrew hucard thats pretty pro-looking automagically has resale value.


I think pacman given its free-roaming but locked movement setup, was the hardest game to do of the new batch.  The rest are sort of "on rails" with the exception of defender but thats basically just a big scrolling insanity with different tiles if you think about it

[Charlie]

==> Has anyone here actually made one of them?<==
Well, yes...sort of.  It was a lot bigger than the typical "credit card" card, because I used a standard through-hole ROM in a socket (which doesn't quite fit the height requirement -- ha!).  You can see it in the thread here someplace that references the EPROM emulator.  It's the same board, I just pull out the ribbon cable and plug in the ROM.  I'll see if I can find the link, then edit this post.

Charlie

Found it: https://www.pcengine-fx.com/forums/index.php?topic=6480.15
Go there and look for the pictures.

[OldMan]

Wow. I don't know how I missed that whole thread, especially since you were discussing it with Arkhan. !

So, my first question is: assuming I'm a complete neophyte at electronics (which I'm not, btw, but I'm no EE major, either), How hard would it be to layout and etch say a half-dozen of these boards? And, assuming I'm uber-careful abut following instructions exactly, could I expect a > 50% good board yield?

Next, I notice your board is set up for two different EPROMS. If I wanted to use a completely different EPROM, is there anything major I should look out for? (ie, does the EEPROM have to be 5V?) I also notice you have U1 and U4 in there - what are they / what are they for?

I guess what I'm really trying to find out is how hard it would be to replace the EPROMS you are using with 'more modern' equivalents. I'm thinking its gonna be a little hard to find good 27256 PROMs. :-( I know the stuff I was looking at used more modern flash chips, but even those are getting hard to find at a reasonable price.

(And, fyi, I have a 27256 eprom burner - just not for the pc. But, I can serial send the file from the pc and burn it on the eprom no problem....I think. Have to check and make sure the old hardware still works)

Thanks Bunches. I'll be sure and go through that thread much more carefully in the near future.

[Charlie]

The most important part of the layout is the connector represented by the "fingers" of track at the bottom of the board.  You need to exactly match the size, spacing and position of the original HU card so your PCB will slide dead center into the TG.  This problem is easily(?) resolved by track positions within 0.003 inches (that's 3 one-thousandths of an inch!).  I say easily because it's just(?) a matter of dead-on exact design.  A more significant problem is the realization that the PCB thickness is NOT the standard 0.032 inches or 0.064 inches, but is in fact 0.096 inches.  This non-standard value means a more expensive PCB, as it is a special fabrication.  I solved this by ordering .064 boards, then gluing some .032 stock to it on the other side.  You should get a 90+% board yield, just probably not on your first try.

Generally, all legacy proms match about 95% in their pinouts.  It was only after prom sizes made "fantastic" advances to 512K and 1 meg that the  pinouts started deviating.  So, I chose two common sizes (at least, common at the time) that had compatible pinouts.  I have not looked at newer SMT chips, but I would expect some commonality there also.  As for the 5 volt issues, I can say two things.  The first is that the TG is 5V on the HUcard ports, so generally you want to use 5V parts.  The second is that there is a commercially available programmable card that uses 3.3V parts, but has the ability to work compatably with 5V stuff.  However, those parts are very expensive.

The particular board in that picture includes a RAM chip.  I did that because I had not fully determined the proper pinouts for the EProm, and so had no access to the RAM inside the TG.  Your board will not need this.

Hope this helps.
Charlie
 

[lord_cack]

How about we make a new thread somewhere else and continue this line of discussion. Nothing wrong with it, but its derailing Arkhan's original topic.

[OldMan]

Okay. I'll take it back to the original topic.

[Arkhan Asylum]

Not at home right now, but all the tilesets are done.  I will make new and improved screenshots when I get in from the lolbor day festivities.


shits off the hook yo.

[Arkhan Asylum]

screen shots are made, ready to be posted, as soon as this dumbass PHP photogallery piece of shit decides its going to work and whatnot so you can see them.

If it doesnt work tomorrow after I wake up, Ill just spew me some <img> tags

[lord_cack]

Im excited, I can't wait to see the new graphics   

[JoshTurboTrollX]

Im excited, I can't wait to see the new graphics   

Me too!

I saw Ark was on a little earlier- but no new pics...

lol, I'll keep on checkin back.

[Arkhan Asylum]

Im excited, I can't wait to see the new graphics   

Me too!

I saw Ark was on a little earlier- but no new pics...

lol, I'll keep on checkin back.

yeah im not at home til like 6pm EST and then I will punch it in the cock and make it work.

with or without the fancy PHP photogallery.

[Arkhan Asylum]

SCREW THE DUMBASS PHP PHOTO GALLERY.   IT REFUSES TO ACCEPT MY .PNG'S, .JPGS GIFS ETC. ETC.

FIGHT THE POWER.


im uploading new shit and imgtagging as we speak.  check in 10 minutes

[Arkhan Asylum]

http://www.aetherbyte.com/pp.htm

GET SOME

[touko]

eh cool tiles sets !!!
Do you plan to let fall player caracter in level 6 ??

[NecroPhile]

Yippee!  It only took 18 days to make this thread non-worthless. 

Looking good, but the player's sprite should have a black outline around his legs (like the rest of his body).

[Arkhan Asylum]

Yippee!  It only took 18 days to make this thread non-worthless. 

Looking good, but the player's sprite should have a black outline around his legs (like the rest of his body).

he does, lol. 

In the .pcx file that is totally not being used because its on a different machine.

It'll get thrown in with the enemies, power-up thingies, and actual warp tiles when they're all done.

That red dot with the black outline is a warp tile.   You can stand on them and have them move you across the maps,

eh cool tiles sets !!!
Do you plan to let fall player caracter in level 6 ??

Nooooo, that would be plain mean.  haha



the game as a whole is just about complete.  now to think about bonus-stuff for it.

[JoshTurboTrollX]

looks great ark!!  Will this have leaderboards and online support?

lmao ;)

[Arkhan Asylum]

looks great ark!!  Will this have leaderboards and online support?

lmao ;)

yeah it will man!  We're working on a ethernet adapter and PCE-LIVE

Only 24.95/month.

THERE WILL BE ACHIEVEMENTS TOO!!!!!

[TheClash603]

Square pellets makes me think of the Atari 2600...  which is awesome, because I love that underrated Pac!

Let's put your programming skills to the real test.  Try to tackle a remake of the greatest maze game of all-time, KC's Crazy Chase!  Give the people what they want!

[Arkhan Asylum]

Square pellets makes me think of the Atari 2600...  which is awesome, because I love that underrated Pac!

Let's put your programming skills to the real test.  Try to tackle a remake of the greatest maze game of all-time, KC's Crazy Chase!  Give the people what they want!

theyre actually gold bars but the shit screenshoops dont show it so well. 

they look nice on a real machine for sure though!



KCs crazy chase was fun...

a snakemaze game would be neat actually.

[Keranu]

Square pellets makes me think of the Atari 2600...  which is awesome, because I love that underrated Pac!

I've been defending the Atari 2600 port of Pac-Man for years! Hell I think I like it more than the arcade version; the sound effects and controls are what I love about it.