I have a new ColecoVision game waiting for release...

[opcode]

Hi there!

I have a new ColecoVision game almost ready to be released, but I want to know as much interest CV fans would have on it.
I was able to port the MSX game Sky Jaguar, which was created by Konami back in 84. As many CV fans possibly know, Konami had started to port most of its MSX games to the CV just before the vg crash. 3 games got released, Antarctic Adventure, Monkey Academy and Athletic Land (aka Cabbage Path Kids). All of them are superior efforts.
Now Sky Jaguar would be a nice addition for the CV library. The game is somewhat similar to Xevious but without the ground targets. The scenarios are varied, as are the enemies. Two huge bosses types add to the fun, and we get ever power-ups and bonus points.
My port is running as just small glitches but no sound yet. I hope it will be ready late this month.
My question: would people here want a well rounded release, complete with a nice package similar to SIC? The price would be the same as my previous game, $25. Depending on as much pre-orders I get I will decide about the package or ever the release feasibility.
I will have a playable demo in just a few days, so all of you could try this nice game.

Opcode

http://www.opcodegames.com/modules/pictures/scr35.gif
http://www.opcodegames.com/modules/pictures/scr36.gif[/img]

[Griking]

Put me down for copy #1 :D







Hi there!

I have a new ColecoVision game almost ready to be released, but I want to know as much interest CV fans would have on it.
I was able to port the MSX game Sky Jaguar, which was created by Konami back in 84. As many CV fans possibly know, Konami had started to port most of its MSX games to the CV just before the vg crash. 3 games got released, Antarctic Adventure, Monkey Academy and Athletic Land (aka Cabbage Path Kids). All of them are superior efforts.
Now Sky Jaguar would be a nice addition for the CV library. The game is somewhat similar to Xevious but without the ground targets. The scenarios are varied, as are the enemies. Two huge bosses types add to the fun, and we get ever power-ups and bonus points.
My port is running as just small glitches but no sound yet. I hope it will be ready late this month.
My question: would people here want a well rounded release, complete with a nice package similar to SIC? The price would be the same as my previous game, $25. Depending on as much pre-orders I get I will decide about the package or ever the release feasibility.
I will have a playable demo in just a few days, so all of you could try this nice game.

Opcode

http://www.opcodegames.com/modules/pictures/scr35.gif
http://www.opcodegames.com/modules/pictures/scr36.gif[/img]

[ubersaurus]

Sounds awesome. More shooters are always fine for me.

[Jorpho]

Looked a bit like Cosmo Fighter 3 when I first looked at the pics.

Cabbage Patch Kids is a sprite hack of some other game? I did not know this.I wonder what other MSX games can be similarly ported.

[wberdan]

definetely finish it and release it.. whether or not to go through the trouble of the packaging is up to you- but i would say "go for it!"

awesome

willie

[ventrra]

Sounds like a decent deal to me, although, as you know, I'm not very concerned with packaging.

[opcode]

Looked a bit like Cosmo Fighter 3 when I first looked at the pics.

Cabbage Patch Kids is a sprite hack of some other game? I did not know this.I wonder what other MSX games can be similarly ported.

Sky Jaguar is a very, very obscure Konami arcade game. Athletic Land, the game which became Cabbage Path Kids is also an obscure arcade game. Indeed I have ever played it in arcade form when I was a kid.
There are several other Konami games for the MSX computers which would be ported: Konami's Ping Pong (available in MAME, and a blast 2 players game), Yie Ar Kung Fu, maybe Circus Charlie, Comic Bakery, Magical Tree.... The only problem with many of them would be the necessary RAM size. Few games use just 1KB...

Opcode

[opcode]

definetely finish it and release it.. whether or not to go through the trouble of the packaging is up to you- but i would say "go for it!"

awesome

willie

Ok, so lets start an official reservation list. If I get a decent amount of orders I will release it complete, with box and manual...
I will try to make it available at the same time as SIC second edition. This way you would save in shipping if ordering both games...
Please, contact me if you would be interested.

eduardo@opcodegames.com

Opcode

[Castelak]

E-mail sent. Wewt!

[Ed Oscuro]

Were all the games Konami was to port to the CV (sounds odd typing that when it doesn't mean Castlevania) MSX-one games? They had a fair amount of good MSX2 stuff but I doubt it could've run on the CV.

Thoughts?

[opcode]

Were all the games Konami was to port to the CV (sounds odd typing that when it doesn't mean Castlevania) MSX-one games? They had a fair amount of good MSX2 stuff but I doubt it could've run on the CV.

Thoughts?

Yep, Konami ported 3 MSX1 games to the CV: Antarctic Adventure, Atlethic Land and Monkey Academy. Interestingly those games were the first three in Konami MSX catalog (RC 700, 701 and 702) so it seems like Konami was planning to release them in the same order. Video Hustler is RC 706 and was also planned. RC 703, 704 and 705 would have been skipped since they were games already available for the CV: Time Pilot, Frogger and Super Cobra respectively. Sky Jaguar is RC 721, and we have several other games in the way which would be nice candidates to be ported too.
But not all Konami MSX1 games can be ported. Some games will require more than 1KB and later games used SCC sound chip, which is a custom part.
MSX2 games can't be easily ported due to the powerfull new video and memory architeture differences. So games like Metal Gear 1 and 2 (the real deal, created by Mr. Kojima himself) and Akumajio Dracura (Castlevania) aren't possible...

Opcode

[Aswald]

Put me down for a copy, too! It looks great!

Does Nemesis 3 take more memory?

[digitalpress]

Put me down for one too, Senor Mello.

BTW I still have a few copies of Eduardo's "Space Invaders Collection" for ColecoVision. The packaging is brilliant and simply states the elegant nature of the game itself. I've never seen a "first effort" done so completely RIGHT.

If anyone's been looking for one, e-mail me.

[Chunky]

I'm in for this one, looks great!

[ManekiNeko]

Here's what I'D like to see... Penguin Adventure, the sequel to Antarctic Adventure, on the ColecoVision.
Of course, given the size and complexity of that game, your head would probably explode trying to port it. So I'll accept just about anything else Konami made instead.

JR

P.S. I need to go back and play Sky Jaguar again. Anyone know where I can find some MSX games? :D

[Raccoon Lad]

http://www.classicgaming.com/jmsxemu/

I used to have this online emulator on my website, but with EVERY game that it could run well. Unfortunately, this emulator doesn't work on my new server for some reason.

Anyway, Sky Jaguar is available in this link to try out.

[Aswald]

Thanks for the link, Raccoon Lad; all of those games are great! And they all actually work here!

[ManekiNeko]

Dah-yamn! I wasn't expecting the game to be so good! Yeah, I'd definitely like to have this available on the ColecoVision... the system's got plenty of shooters, but none of them are this intense, or graphically diverse.
I've got one question, though... after fighting through a few waves of enemies, I found a POW symbol that looked remarkably like Capcom's. Had Okamoto left Konami and joined Capcom by the time this game was released?

JR

P.S. Here are two MSX games I'd absolutely LOVE to see on the ColecoVision, if it wouldn't be too much trouble. The first is Exerion. The second is Mr. Do!'s Wild Ride. I can think of at least one other person who would second that vote.

[opcode]

Dah-yamn! I wasn't expecting the game to be so good! Yeah, I'd definitely like to have this available on the ColecoVision... the system's got plenty of shooters, but none of them are this intense, or graphically diverse.
I've got one question, though... after fighting through a few waves of enemies, I found a POW symbol that looked remarkably like Capcom's. Had Okamoto left Konami and joined Capcom by the time this game was released?

JR

P.S. Here are two MSX games I'd absolutely LOVE to see on the ColecoVision, if it wouldn't be too much trouble. The first is Exerion. The second is Mr. Do!'s Wild Ride. I can think of at least one other person who would second that vote.

Yeah, Sky Jaguar is very cool. That was my first MSX game ever and I still have the cartridge here.
About the POW, I am not sure. Maybe Konami just riped-off the idea...
Do you know there are two different ports of Exerion for the MSX. I think one of them came from the SG1000. Interestingly there are two Zaxxons too. One came from the SG1000 and the other from the CV!
Now, isn't Mr Do! Wild Ride a MegaRom game?

Opcode

[opcode]

http://www.classicgaming.com/jmsxemu/

I used to have this online emulator on my website, but with EVERY game that it could run well. Unfortunately, this emulator doesn't work on my new server for some reason.

Anyway, Sky Jaguar is available in this link to try out.

Strange, the emu is too fast in my machine. Beside, there are a lot of glitches. Maybe it would be a better idea if a release a demo so you can play on MESS, a far more trustable emu...

Opcode

[opcode]

Here's what I'D like to see... Penguin Adventure, the sequel to Antarctic Adventure, on the ColecoVision.
Of course, given the size and complexity of that game, your head would probably explode trying to port it. So I'll accept just about anything else Konami made instead.


Wahahaha! Penguin Adventure is just a matter of extra RAM. Wait till next year when I release my Expansion Module #4... Many things will be possible... 8-)

[opcode]

Put me down for a copy, too! It looks great!

Does Nemesis 3 take more memory?

Yep, Nemesis 3 (aka Gradius 2 Gopher's Ambition - Episode II, wow) take more memory than the poor CV can offer. But it isn't the main problem. This game featured a special custom sound chip capable of 6 channels wavetable sound. A friend of mine is working on something related to it, so maybe, maybe it becomes a possibility in the future...

opcode

[opcode]

Ok, I have got a good deal of reservations so it's now official: Dale Crum will create the package for Sky Jaguar and it will include a BOX!
Also, the program is now fully playable and just music and sound are still missing.
Check the new pics bellow showing the first 3 scenes in the game...

Opcode

http://www.opcodegames.com/modules/pictures/scr40.gif
Starting point, power-up, leaving the city, force fields

http://www.opcodegames.com/modules/pictures/scr45.gif
River delta, facing the first boss

[ghsqb]

BTW I still have a few copies of Eduardo's "Space Invaders Collection" for ColecoVision. The packaging is brilliant and simply states the elegant nature of the game itself. I've never seen a "first effort" done so completely RIGHT.

100% agree.
The SIC was my first Homebrew game that I've ever acquired and man is it awesome!

Packaging, label, manual all first class.

I am in for Sky Jaguar also.
Hell, just put me down in advance for anything you release!

[Raccoon Lad]

Just wondering, would it be possible to port the Goonies to the Colecovision, or would that require extra ram as well?

[Aswald]

Put me down for a copy, too! It looks great!

Does Nemesis 3 take more memory?

Yep, Nemesis 3 (aka Gradius 2 Gopher's Ambition - Episode II, wow) take more memory than the poor CV can offer. But it isn't the main problem. This game featured a special custom sound chip capable of 6 channels wavetable sound. A friend of mine is working on something related to it, so maybe, maybe it becomes a possibility in the future...

opcode


How about Salamander?

As for Sky Jaguar; as good as it looks with screenshots and on an emulator, it will look even better on an actual television set!

[Aswald]

Put me down for a copy, too! It looks great!

Does Nemesis 3 take more memory?

Yep, Nemesis 3 (aka Gradius 2 Gopher's Ambition - Episode II, wow) take more memory than the poor CV can offer. But it isn't the main problem. This game featured a special custom sound chip capable of 6 channels wavetable sound. A friend of mine is working on something related to it, so maybe, maybe it becomes a possibility in the future...

opcode


How about Salamander?

As for Sky Jaguar; as good as it looks with screenshots and on an emulator, it will look even better on an actual television set!

[opcode]

Just wondering, would it be possible to port the Goonies to the Colecovision, or would that require extra ram as well?

There are several brilliant Konami MSX games which requires extra RAM: Goonies, Knightmare, Twin Bee, Peguin Adventure, Gradius, King's Valley, Road Fighter. If everything goes right we could see a few of them next year, when I release my planned Expansion Module. Before someone start complaining about my apparent change of focus, the main reason for this module is to allow me creating some complex arcade ports. :D

Aswald, about Salamander, it also uses a SCC sound chip. Aside the original Gradius, all remaining games in the serie uses this chip, including Parodius! (the original game, released way before the arcade version).

opcode

[ventrra]

I, personally, am amused by all of the requests for MSX games to be ported to the Colecovision. Almost a year ago, I made a list of the games that I thought would be nifty to port to the system. ... To say the least, there are a LOT of high quality games on the MSX.
1942
A.E.
Actman
Alibaba
Alpharoid
Anaza
Angelo
Aquapolis SOS
Back to the Future
Battleship Clapton 2
Becky
Bee & Flower
Boggy '84
Bomberman
Bomberman Special
Boogie Woogi Jungle
Borfesu
Bosconian
Break Out
Baru to Marty Kikiippatsu
Cabbage Patch Kids
Cannon Ball
Car Fighter
Car Jamboree
Castle Excellent / the Castle
Championship Lode Runner
Checkers in Tantan Tanuki
Circus Charlie
City Connection
Coaster Race
Come On Picot
Comet Tail
Computer Billiards
Craze
Crazy Train
Danger x4
David II
Demon Crystal
Devil's Heaven
DoorDoor MK2
Dodoron
Dragon Attack
E.I. - Exa Innova
Eggerland Mystery
Exerion
Exerion II
Exoide - Z
Exoide - Z Area 5
F1 Spirit
Fairyland Story
Fantasm Solier Valis
Fantasy Zone
Final Justice
Fire Rescue
Flash Splash
Flicky
Formation Z
Funky Mouse
Galaga
Gall Force
Gofer no Yabou Episode 2
Golvellius
Goonies
Gozira 3D (Godzilla)
Gozira-Kun
GP World
Gradius
Gradius 2
Guardic
Gulkave
Gun Fright
Gyrodine
Hadesu no Monsho
Heli Tank
Hustle Chummy
Hyper Rally
Ice World
Indian no Bouken
J.P. Winkle
Jump
Jump Coaster
Juno First
Kick It
King & Balloon
King's Valley
King's Valley 2
Knither Special
Konami's Baseball
Konami's Tennis
Koneko no Daiboken
Laptick 2
Lode Runner
Lode Runner 2
Lunar Ball
Macross
Magical Tree
Magnum
Majyo Densetsu
Mappy
Maze of Galious
Megalopolis SOS
Meikyushinwa
Midnight Building
Mini Golf
Moai no Hibou
Mobile Planet Sulthirus
Mobile Suit Gundam
Monster's Fair (Mothra)
Moon Patrol
Mopi Ranger
Mouser
Mr. Chin
Ninja Jajamaru Kun
Ninja Kage
Ninja Kun
Ninja Kun - Majyo no Bouken
Ninja Princess
Pac-man
Pairs
Panther
Parodius
Pipi
Pippols
Pooyan
Poppaq the Fish
Rally-X
Red Zone
Road Fighter
Roller Ball
Rotors
Salamander
Scion
Scope On
Scramble Eggs
Senjyo
Ski Command
Skooter
Sky Jaguar
Snake It
Space Maze Attack
Space Trouble
Star Force
Star Soldier
Stepper
Stone of Wisdom
Super Billiards
Super Drinker
Super Snake
Takahashi Meijin no Boukenjima
Tank Battalion
Tensai Rabbian Daifunsen
Theseus
Trial Ski
Trump Aid
Turmoil
Twinbee
TZR Grand Prix Rider
Vaxol
Video Hustler
Warp & Warp
Xyxolog
Yellow Submarine
Yokai Yasiki
Yume Tairiku Adventure
Zanac

Probably a number of these would be difficult or impossible for various reasons to port, but it's a nice thought.

BTW: I'm not certain about some of the names on this list. The roms are labled that way, but I know from the title screens and such that they aren't always accurate.

And Sky Jaguar is on this list :D

[Aswald]

Just wondering, would it be possible to port the Goonies to the Colecovision, or would that require extra ram as well?

There are several brilliant Konami MSX games which requires extra RAM: Goonies, Knightmare, Twin Bee, Peguin Adventure, Gradius, King's Valley, Road Fighter. If everything goes right we could see a few of them next year, when I release my planned Expansion Module. Before someone start complaining about my apparent change of focus, the main reason for this module is to allow me creating some complex arcade ports. :D

Aswald, about Salamander, it also uses a SCC sound chip. Aside the original Gradius, all remaining games in the serie uses this chip, including Parodius! (the original game, released way before the arcade version).


opcode

A sort of Supergame Module?

Would it deal with games of more than 128K, or 64K?

By the way, how does memory on a Commodore-64 match memory on a ColecoVision? In other words, if I program a 32K RAM game in both BASIC and some machine language subroutines (SYS), but all total it took up 32K, would it fit in the ColecoVisions normal 32K ROM size, or would someone competent with a ColecoVision be able to compress a mostly BASIC program?

[opcode]

I, personally, am amused by all of the requests for MSX games to be ported to the Colecovision. Almost a year ago, I made a list of the games that I thought would be nifty to port to the system. ... To say the least, there are a LOT of high quality games on the MSXProbably a number of these would be difficult or impossible for various reasons to port, but it's a nice thought.

BTW: I'm not certain about some of the names on this list. The roms are labled that way, but I know from the title screens and such that they aren't always accurate.

And Sky Jaguar is on this list :D

Wow! That's a big list! Probably mine is smaller... :)
Many MSX games are arcade ports of popular games (like several Namco and Taito titles), so these are ruled out right away, since I want to deal with them personally. Many won't fit in the CV memory, since the MSX standard defined 8KB for minimum RAM (the CV has just 1KB!)
Zanac has a special place in my heart, as the MSX1 version was the first to come out and it really pushed the envelope for this machine...
But wait, where is Yie Ar Kung Fu II? X_x Man, this game is the mother of all modern fighting games, and you can even play versus... (the flatulent fat guy is my favorite) LOL

Opcode

[Arcade Antics]

:eek 2:

Eduardo. Is. Awesome.

[ubersaurus]

What about one of the Zanac sequels? the good one, I mean :P

Zanac was awesome.

[Aswald]

:eek 2:

Eduardo. Is. Awesome.


The understatement of 2003.

[opcode]

:eek 2:

Eduardo. Is. Awesome.


The understatement of 2003.

Now I am a superstar I will start to demand one hundred towels on every hotel I go... 8-)

Opcode

[opcode]

What about one of the Zanac sequels? the good one, I mean :P

Zanac was awesome.

Which sequels? Zanac vs Zanac? The original Zanac was created by Compile and distributed by Pony Canyon. After doing well for the MSX the game was enhanced (32KB to 128KB) and ported over the Famicom. Later, the Famicom version was ported over again for the MSX2 computers. But I don't remember a sequel, beside Zanac vs Zanac, which is a PS game. And man, Zanac is one of the longest and challenging shooters I have ever played. But the last stage and boss is worth any sacrifice. Simply magnificent!

Opcode

[ventrra]

Wow! That's a big list! Probably mine is smaller... :)
Many MSX games are arcade ports of popular games (like several Namco and Taito titles), so these are ruled out right away, since I want to deal with them personally. Many won't fit in the CV memory, since the MSX standard defined 8KB for minimum RAM (the CV has just 1KB!)
Zanac has a special place in my heart, as the MSX1 version was the first to come out and it really pushed the envelope for this machine...
But wait, where is Yie Ar Kung Fu II? X_x Man, this game is the mother of all modern fighting games, and you can even play versus... (the flatulent fat guy is my favorite) LOL

Opcode
Yie Ar Kung Fu II wasn't on my list because I have a lot of difficulty with the controls. Probably I would like it better if there was someone else that I could play it against in versus mode.

My list actually ruled out a number of games that use the keyboard for control, otherwise the list would have been longer. :) Another feature was that the games weren't released here for the Colecovision.

I don't doubt your list would be shorter: You've spent far more "quality" time with a real MSX system while most of us in the U.S. have to make due with emulation! [/jealous mode] :D

[Jorpho]

How much RAM did the ADAM add again?

(I've heard some people say that the ADAM was not quite an MSX, but it did vaguely resemble one.)

[ubersaurus]

What about one of the Zanac sequels? the good one, I mean :P

Zanac was awesome.

Which sequels? Zanac vs Zanac? The original Zanac was created by Compile and distributed by Pony Canyon. After doing well for the MSX the game was enhanced (32KB to 128KB) and ported over the Famicom. Later, the Famicom version was ported over again for the MSX2 computers. But I don't remember a sequel, beside Zanac vs Zanac, which is a PS game. And man, Zanac is one of the longest and challenging shooters I have ever played. But the last stage and boss is worth any sacrifice. Simply magnificent!

Opcode

I coulda sworn they had made a Zanac 2 on the MSX. Dunno. Somehow I doubt the Coleco could manage Zanac Neo without losing alot of stuff.

I've never gotten to the last level of Zanac...level 5 always did me in. Weapon 7 and the superpowered normal gun can take you quite a ways in that game, though, I can tell that much.

[Zaxxon]

How much RAM did the ADAM add again?

(I've heard some people say that the ADAM was not quite an MSX, but it did vaguely resemble one.)

The stock ADAM came with 80k. They sold cards to add 64k, 256k and up. I don't know what the memory exp. limit is. I think the ADAM was based on the MSX standard but has a different OS with the built in word processor.

[opcode]

Was Yie Ar Kung Fu II an arcade game, or strictly an MSX game?

That's a good question. A time I saw an arcade machine which had Yie Ar Kung Fu II writen in the marquee, but the machine was turned off... :(

However a time I also saw a Knightmare machine, which was a game I had thought as being strictly a MSX game...

Opcode

[opcode]

How much RAM did the ADAM add again?

(I've heard some people say that the ADAM was not quite an MSX, but it did vaguely resemble one.)

The stock ADAM came with 80k. They sold cards to add 64k, 256k and up. I don't know what the memory exp. limit is. I think the ADAM was based on the MSX standard but has a different OS with the built in word processor.

The 80KB in ADAM was comprised of 64KB main RAM plus 16KB video RAM (which is almost standard with all TMS 9918 based machines, even the CV). But aside the video processor and the Z80, the remaining hardware and archtecture were very different. Furthermore, both machines were developed almost in the same time (and released winter 83), so I think the similaties are just coincidence.
However it seems to me the Sega SG1000 was indeed based on the CV, cause the whole archtecture is almost identical. The only difference seems to be the BIOS, which doesn't exist in the SG1000.

Opcode

[Mayhem]

YAKF2 was just a home release to my knowledge, on most major home formats of the time (MSX, C64, Spectrum etc)...

[opcode]

I've never gotten to the last level of Zanac...level 5 always did me in. Weapon 7 and the superpowered normal gun can take you quite a ways in that game, though, I can tell that much.

Too bad, cause the last level is incredible... But remember, you don't need to go through all levels.... hehe...
Not all totens are the same. If you know the way, you can be send to level 0 and right to last level from there... 8-)

[opcode]

YAKF2 was just a home release to my knowledge, on most major home formats of the time (MSX, C64, Spectrum etc)...

But the MSX version has nothing to do with the remaining versions cause it was created by Konami itself... i think the Spectrum/C64 version is just the 2nd half of the original game.

http://www.opcodegames.com/modules/pictures/yiear2.gif

Opcode

[Aswald]

Has anyone else here noticed that the MSX Zaxxon is better than the CV version? And Penguin Adventure is a great sequel to Antartic Adventure.

But any of these MSX games, including the Arkanoid-type game, would be a fine addition to the CV library. Salamander would be better than any side-scroller for the Atari 7800 (oh, right, it didn't have any!).

Sky Jaguar is great, even on emulation, with the awkward controls. On a CV cartridge, it'll be so much better.

[opcode]

Has anyone else here noticed that the MSX Zaxxon is better than the CV version?

There are two Zaxxons for the MSX: one is the CV version, no differences. The other came from the SG1000, made by Sega itself, and it has a lot of extras not found in the arcade. So I think you have seen the later. :)

Opcode

[Aswald]

It was the one with the starry background between the asteroid-fortresses, and the flashing enemy fighters. Just the fact that it's more difficult, and the vertically-launched missiles can hit you even when you're as low as possible makes it better.