Galaga on ColecoVision

[opcode]

I have made some tests in order to determine how good would Galaga on the ColecoVision be. Below is a screenshot from my last experiment. MESS, running on ColecoVision mode, generated the screen.
Pretty graphics, eh? :)

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid41/p0979294630aa0050cbf10e82ef4ebe04/fcf3a6cc.gif

I hope the whole thing work out. I am going to need extra RAM on cartridge and bank switching too, but I am confident it would end being a very good port. I am a big fan of Galaga arcade! I have started thinking about a port many years ago, but just today I figured a good way to overcome some graphics limitations.

But over the next year I will be busy finishing another game... In fact the solution for the Galaga issue hit me when I was talking to a friend about a new way I found to implement an especific feature on that next game...

[digitalpress]

OOOOOOOH!

When will you be done with it?! Gimme gimme gimme.

[Arcade Antics]

WOW!!!

Very nice indeed. We'd love to see Galaga on the CV, keep up the great work! :-D

[Tempest]

Looks nice, but with Galaga it's the gameplay that's the thing. How smoothly would it run? The 7800 did a decent job on the graphics but ruined the gameplay with its jerkyness.

Tempest

[Arcade Antics]

I have 100% total faith in Opcode. He'll find a way to make it work flawlessly, just like he did with the awesome Space Invaders Collection Pack. :-D

[opcode]

Looks nice, but with Galaga it's the gameplay that's the thing. How smoothly would it run? The 7800 did a decent job on the graphics but ruined the gameplay with its jerkyness.

I completely 100% agree with you.
There is a Galaga version on MSX computers (a machine very similar to ColecoVision) that is pretty nice and play almost identical to the NES version or even the arcade game. In fact Namco itself made the MSX version. But ever think the graphics are nice, they are kind of monochromatic due to some graphic limitations in the TMS9918. Both versions have almost exact arcade gameplay, but the NES version is graphically superior.
My idea to improve graphics isn't perfect. But I think it will be as close to the arcade game as possible for the ColecoVision, and since I am not a real software house, I am not dependent on budgets or release schedules, so I can work on it as long as needed. Hehe... :-D

[Aswald]

Galaga on ColecoVision? You'll have a bestseller in classic gaming! Given how good Galaxian is, and how good your Space Invaders Collection is, it'll probably equal the NES version! By all means, go for it!

[opcode]

When will you be done with it?! Gimme gimme gimme.

A game a time. First I need to finish this one... ;)

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid41/p3775476fa15a3acc35d3ee22464e692b/fcf38dbd.gif

[sniperCCJVQ]

I always think the obscure arcade game "Metro-Cross" (try it in MAME)

http://www.klov.com/game_detail.php?letter=M&game_id=1961

could be a potential good game on then Colecovision if i have the time and ability to do programming.

Also a game concept name "Le Fou du Roi" that i played on the early 90's (i think the idea was already made before on the C64 but it was on disk only)

Anyway, i already ask Daniel to try it, but he said it was "too difficult" to do. Here's the Google's traduction of the game goal:

You can see a screenshoot here :

http://www.videotron.com/portail_fr/videoway/jeux/roi.htm

"Play of skill where it is necessary to gain the virtues which will be worth you the heart's beautiful princess. With this intention, it is necessary to explore the parts of the nine castles to drive out the phantoms of them and to get there the magic swords and powers which will help you in the tests. And as could do it the knights, it is also necessary to gather the flowers which will allure the princess."

[ManekiNeko]

Eduardo, are you familiar with the term "schwing"? Let's just say it means I'm very, very happy about this. :mrgreen:
Galaga is the best shooter ever made and I would be very grateful for a complete ColecoVision translation. Someone else had considered porting the SG-100 version of Galaga to the system, but that game was so ugly and watered down there wouldn't have been a point in doing it. I know you could do a lot better than that, even though Galaga would be a much more demanding translation than Space Invaders.

JR

[zektor]

To see more and more of these classic favorites finally turn up on the CV is awesome. Looks like I will be saving my extra cash (if I can get any extra cash that is) to purchase all of Eduardo's cool creations!

[k8track]

Eduardo,

I just wanted to chime in as well and tell you what a wonderful job you are doing. I just want to encourage you to keep up the good work. The screenshots look absolutely gorgeous.

I actually have a question about your family name. Is "Mello" a common or an uncommon last name in Brazil? I ask this because a colleague of mine in my academic department, Katia, also from Brazil, has that same last name. I didn't know how common it was, and what the chances were that you were related to her! I do realize that Brazil is a HUGE country and the chances for that would be like a needle in a haystack. I was just curious.

[digitalpress]

When will you be done with it?! Gimme gimme gimme.

A game a time. First I need to finish this one... ;)

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid41/p3775476fa15a3acc35d3ee22464e692b/fcf38dbd.gif

What the... ? You're doing a Pac-Man too? Will you adopt me please? How is it shaping up compared to the proto Atarisoft version that was sold last year?

[opcode]

Also a game concept name "Le Fou du Roi" that i played on the early 90's (i think the idea was already made before on the C64 but it was on disk only)

Do you know “Tower of Druaga”? Your game looks a lot like it. Are you a ColecoVision programmer yourself?


Someone else had considered porting the SG-100 version of Galaga to the system, but that game was so ugly and watered down there wouldn't have been a point in doing it.

I wasn’t aware Galaga was released on the SG-1000. It would be interesting to check this version. Below is the MSX version of Galaga, which I do like a lot, but the colors (or lack of) are a little disappointment. The game flow is almost arcade exact, the “Galaganian” ever keep moving closer and away of each other, exactly like the arcade. Namco itself made this port back in 84 and it even has the bonus stages and bonus aliens.
(The MSX computers were released in Japan around 83 and use the same CPU and display generator as the ColecoVision)

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid42/p8eda2114fcfa2f7ca069047b23a3215b/fcf34e06.gif


I know you could do a lot better than that, even though Galaga would be a much more demanding translation than Space Invaders.

Like Yoda uses to say, “high expectations lead to frustration, frustration leads to anger, anger leads to the dark side”… :) Just don’t wait an arcade exact port here… From the programming point of view, maybe Galaga isn’t any more demanding than Space Invaders, as the last doesn’t use sprites, everything is made by software and the video RAM structure is a lot different. But from the start we have a problem with Galaga: the screen layout. I was able to keep the Space Invaders playfield almost intact (just two rows were lost). The playfield for Galaga would require a lot more of rows to be swept out. Also, Galaga uses sprites, lots of, and the ColecoVision will need to use even more, since the ColecoVision sprites are monochromatic. I will need to combine two sprites for each alien (if we want good graphics). So it means: wait for lots of subtle screen flickering… Properly managed it wouldn’t be too bad, and I still think the resulting game would look gorgeous (for the ColecoVision standards) and play almost arcade exact. And as I said before, I am going to need extra RAM and bank switching, but I don’t think it would be a problem (just ask any VCS programmer) :)

But right now I am working on another game, since I don’t want to release two shooting games in a row. Below is a picture of Pac-Man on the MSX, released by Namco back in 84. The game play and sounds very arcade like, but again the lack of color is disappointing. And then I would be very happy with this version back in 84 (and indeed I was!), but today I think it has several weak points, like the maze isn’t 100% accurate, the sprites are too big, etc. The starting point to my version (pictured above) was designing an accurately reduced maze, since the original arcade maze was too tall to fit on the Coleco screen. Everything was reduced by a ¾ ratio, including the sprites. (You can count the maze dots if you wish :-D ) Ever the speed is being properly tuned down, so you still will travel between maze locations on proper arcade speed. Much like Space Invaders, I am using the original arcade code here too…

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid42/p5ed004ef4f6eae07fb8e6bfce0ef1009/fcf34e02.gif


To see more and more of these classic favorites finally turn up on the CV is awesome.

I feel the same! I have been thinking about how to convert those games to the ColecoVision and MSX for the last 15 years… :)
To bad I can’t do it fulltime… :(

Thanks for all the compliments. You guys keep me motivated. :)

Mello is a fairly common surname here, and a few years ago we even got a president called Mello (Fernando Collor) whose I don't want to be related. :) But here many surnames are composite. Mine is really Pereira de Mello. So if you found someone called XXXXX Pereira de Mello, chances are he/she is related to me.

[opcode]

Did I say Pac-Man will be a Collection [Pack] too? Ms Pac-Man shares too much code with Pac-Man to be ignored. :D
Just think Pac-Man will be the bonus game in the pack, much like Space Invaders is in SI CP...

[kainemaxwell]

Wow! I'm impressed! keep up the great work so far and keep us informed of their progress.

[ManekiNeko]

Hey, Ed, now that you've spilled the beans about Pac-Man Collection, can I publicly discuss some of my suggestions for the game?

JR

[opcode]

Of course! Please, go ahead! Let us know about your suggestions... :)

[opcode]

I have just checked the NES (Famicom) version of Galaga and did find the graphics and gameplay very faithful to the arcade. But the alien formation just doesn’t move right (too course). Since the NES isn't very good in redefining characters, it would be expected.
In other hand, the MSX computer version (picture above) isn't so good graphically (the gameplay is nearly identical to the NES version thought), but the alien formation moves more smoothly and arcade like. It's probably because the TMS-9918 is better in redefining chars than the NES display processor.

Anyway, a true to arcade port would prove very challenging, as it will require lots of char redefinitions going on in real time. The alien formation will need char updates, so will the stars background and even the alien sprites (the arcade has dozens of defined sprites and allows for automatic flipping and mirroring. The CV VDP doesn't have these features and moreover every alien will need two sprites, as the CV sprites are monochromatic).
To make things worst, the arcade features 3 processors!

But I still think it would be worth the effort, even if something needs to be compromised...