New version of Frogger (was: A demo of what is looking like a new Frogger for the beeb)

[tricky]

Latest .SSD in https://www.stardot.org.uk/forums/viewt ... 07#p410307.

I started on a tech demo based on frogger to show how much you could animate on a beeb if you picked the right type of game. The results are quite pleasing, so much so, that it is looking like I may make it into a complete (well nearly) game.

I'm posting here as I am running out of steam and thought that a shameless plug here may generate some more interest over at Retro Software
http://www.retrosoftware.co.uk/forum/vi ... f=19&t=978 and give me the push I need to make some more progress!

There are some pictures, videos and the latest playable demo in the above thread.

The music was written for the Famitracker by rockmanx2002. I wrote a converter and sped it up to match the in-game timer.

I'll take encouragement anywhere, but please post programming related comments over at our sister site Retro Software.

[Arcadian]

Tut! Posted three days ago and not a single response ...

Tricky: I've moved this to the games forum, where it should hopefully get more attention.

Everybody else!: check out Richard's new Frogger port and give the man some feedback/encouragement! It looks just like the arcade game and is somehow running 8 colours in MODE 1!!

It would be a tragedy of EPIC proportion should this little marvel fail to make it to the finish line due to lack of interest - so get Beta 12 loaded into B-Em ("other emulators are available") and post your thoughts either here or on Retro Software!

[lurkio]

I started on a tech demo based on frogger to show how much you could animate on a beeb if you picked the right type of game. The results are quite pleasing

Wow!

Someone's going to come along and burn you for being a witch if you're not careful.

[flaxcottage]

Nicely, nicely. Even I can play that.

[leenew]

Yep, quality work as usual
Lee.

[tricky]

Thanks guys, just uploaded tonights work at RS, main highlights are that you only have to wait for the start music and the all frogs home tunes and that you can now score points

Wow!
Someone's going to come along and burn you for being a witch if you're not careful.

They will have to catch me first and I have been practising my get away, I just need a road and a river

[billcarr2005]

This is looking fantastic, technically impressive and more polished already than many games released BITD.

[Kecske Bak]

When this is running in B-Em, it doesn't feel like a BBC Micro, it feels like MAME. Absolutely incredible - it's hard to believe this is technically possible on a BBC. In fact, it's so good I think everyone who bought a BBC Micro version of Frogger BITD deserves their money back plus interest.

[SimonSideburns]

It is very smooth, and quite playable just as it is.

I can't wait to see the final polished version (not much more to do).

I did find a couple of times the time bar sort of flickers just a few pixels wide in the middle of the screen, but it's not a show stopper. Also, when the tune starts again after losing a life, pressing the first key makes the tune stutter or maybe it restarts or something.

Anyway, a fabulous achievement.

Long may this renewed interest in 30+ year old hardware continue.

[tricky]

Simon, the stutter is pressing a direction to exit attract more, but without any prompt to tell you what it is doing.
Kecske, that was how I felt about carousel and the main reason I wrote carnival.
Frogger, like AstroBlaster, started out as a tech demo of what the beeb could do. I am hoping to finish it, and who knows, I may even get back to Phoenix one day.

[RobC]

In fact, it's so good I think everyone who bought a BBC Micro version of Frogger BITD deserves their money back plus interest.

Spot on. After playing this with the kids on Sunday, I loaded up Hopper and Superior's Frogger and they both looked so primitive in comparison.

[tricky]

Glad you like it,
not much time tonight as I brought home half our old office to set up a beeb habitat, but did add timeout death and timer and fly bonuses.
demo14.zip over at RS

[tricky]

Added increasing difficulty (demo15) by speeding everything up gradually (or not so gradually).

I'm a bit short of time tonight, so had to pick something quick to implement.

I can get to about 9000, buy cheating and going off the sides!

Should I make it easier to get into the "homes" or do you prefer the old school feel of having to hit dead centre?

[Arcadian]

Should I make it easier to get into the "homes" or do you prefer the old school feel of having to hit dead centre?

I've played beta 15 quite a lot this morning, and I'm finding that the only time I lose a life is when trying to hop a frog home, so yes - I'd definitely be in favour of loosening the requirement to hit dead centre!

[leenew]

I think it should be comparable to the arcade version.
Had anyone fired up MAME and done a rough comparison of how 'tight' the original was?
Lee.

[tricky]

I haven't checked, but I do remember it being quite generous, so if I get a chance later,I will double it from 4 valid pixels to 8 and see if that feels about right.

[tricky]

Practically no time tonight, so I have just "widened" the holes in the bank, they feel about the same as the arcade now, but although it makes it easier, I am also tempted and "miss" nearly as often as with the old homes. My new HIghScore is 11080.

[Arcadian]

Just had a quick go .. the more-generous collision detection on the homes is certainly fairer and is far less frustrating.

The rapid increase in speed seems to be a good alternative to making it harder, though it would be really good to see a couple more vehicles (e.g. race cars) in there on later levels - do you think that's an eventual possibility? Or are we already at our limit in terms of cpu time etc?

Oh yeah my score - 17840 on Level 6 (I wonder what the true games masters in the high score thread will make when this inevitably gets featured in a StarDot highscore challenge once complete? )

[vanekp]

looking good something went crazy when I was playing and the whole game froze up music stopped and the timer keeps running at the bottom and can’t move attached is a save state if that helps to find out what went wrong, this is demo12.zip that I was running not sure if it’s the latest demo.
Regards Peter.

[tricky]

Arcadian, I could add a couple more cars, as the logs disappear as the levels go up, it shouldn't be too tricky.
Vanekp, I'll take a look, but demo 15 has quite a lot of changes since 12.

[CMcDougall]

very nice indeed!
just had a blast at v16,
http://www.retrosoftware.co.uk/forum/do ... php?id=939
and a high score of 4,330
lovely music, and SOOOO smooth

only one thing that may upset you, I hate cursor key games , especially on a real beeb!
Z,X,*./ would be great

[JIM]

Hi, Tricky

Been some time since I posted on here.
I have been following you work over the years on here and retro software. I must say this version of frogger is fantastic and so slick!
You must have a go at something similar to Fire track or Pole Postion remake, you have all the programming skills. Excellent!

[tricky]

CMcDougall,I agree, I have just been lazy as until I redistributed my office, today, I couldn't get to a beeb and so have been running on emulators.
JIM, I did start a demo of a framework for writing vertically scrolling games and even got the windows based level editor working. It only has one ship flying over the map, but is smooth and fast at any number of pixels per frame. Some time I will add some frogger/Phoenix code and add more features.
I still want to get back to my rally-x game, but as it requires b-em, jsbeeb, beebfpga or a CRT, it has an even more limited audience. I should finish Phoenix while I am at it as well as adding two player cooperative mode to Carnival and some config screens for my Circus, RipVord and sprint emulators for the beeb.
So much to do, and no time to do it!

[chrisn]

Just given this a try and ... it's amazing, a very playable game as well as being a great tech demo. Scored 8,260 on my first go.

I saw your to-do list over on the retrosoftware forum, so I hope you decide to carry on development.

Would love to see you complete Phoenix too...

[tricky]

Short of time as ever but managed a quick tidy up and added diving turtles, they are missing the completely dived animation frame, but the safe ratio is about right. (demo18.zip at RetroSoftware).
I Phoenix needs quite a bit of tidying behind the scenes and all you will see on screen is no flicker, so that is going to have to wait for a really enthusiastic day!

[tricky]

I've added a couple more small changes at RS, fatal sides to the screen, no jumping down into the timer and after getting 10 frogs home, the large log should be swapped for a couple of extra sports cars.

URL:http://youtu.be/A5mZkHbt6Xc

[Arcadian]

On my way to RS... !

[1024MAK]

WoW!

Sorry I am late to the party

Well done Tricky

Please do keep on coding. If your "technical demos" keep turning out like this... Well, there will be more floods due to drool...

Mark

[jms2]

I've been following progress as well, but without, er..., actually playing it! I've finally had a go, very impressive!

It looks pretty much perfect, but I do have one small suggestion - is it possible to put a black border around the frog to make it stand out a bit better from the background?

[tricky]

I could probably just about squeeze one in when it is standing still, but not leaping. It would mean losing a colour on the turtles, but you probably wouldn't notice. I'll add it to the list.