Dragon's Lair Fans - Arcade Lifestyle
General Chat => Arcade Lifestyle => Topic started by: level42 on September 24, 2010, 04:31:00 PM
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...since this is my favorite forum....let's share some dreams I have. It's just some "thinking out loud" but let's just talk about it...
What if.......someone out there, maybe a couple of guys, would set out to write a brand new game using existing vector hardware, let's say Star Wars.
So, a brand new game, that uses the same PCB, same cab/controls. I have no idea how hard that would be. I know I'm not capable of it, but there are some wizzards around that also still make games for systems like the 2600. I know that the 2600 is probably much more and better documented than any dedicated arcade game, but wouldn't that just simply raise the challenge for these guys ?
Alternatively....but at least as exiting, what if we would let a modern day computer control a vector monitor and write a brand new game that would get the most out of the old vector monitors ( I have a little doubt that the Amplifones and the Wells-Gardners can be stressed much more than is done like with a game like Star Wars, but let's imagine that it won't hurt the monitor. Today's hardware would be easily capable of drawing LOADS of vectors VERY quickly.
I think I would prefer the first idea over the second, but think both would be exiting.
I'm a bit surprised that no-one has every really tried it, on vector or any other hardware. Of course there is D2K which is a brilliant effort, but it's not a whole new game.
I'm sure it would be a really complex thing to realize and probably will never happen, but hey, without dreams we would still be walking in tiger-skins and living in caves.....
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Well, some developers 'HUGE VECTORS FANS' done some incredible games, in a style that what 'vector games' would be now with more advanced technology. The spirit of the 'vector' game play & fast animation' is perfect... but unfortunately (for us), these games don't run on true XY monitors... it was the condition to publish these games in 2010 ... the names are : Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AP6TK2xFWZs) and Gravity Crash (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgnllZxcbuc) :-*
Few years ago I remember a dev. about a new Return Of The Jedi game, in vector style... Does this one was supposed to run on the original Star Wars hardware + XY monitor?
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Reprogramming an arcade game with dedicated hardware is not an easy task, you'd have to remain within some pretty strict limits. And, as you say, lack of documentation is not going to help.
There are guys still writing games for the Vectrex though. One of them is right here in Belgium (http://www.kristofsnewvectrexgames.comli.com/), his remake of Galaxians is very good.
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yes very good ;D
(http://img2.uplood.fr/free/p9og_dscf0004.jpg)
nice to play this game on Vectrex
(http://img2.uplood.fr/free/3ffx_dscf0010.jpg)
great overlay
(http://img2.uplood.fr/free/3a63_dscf0009.jpg)
(http://img2.uplood.fr/free/pytx_dscf0011.jpg)
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Hi,
There is also Kento Cho ' s games who remind vector games, for exemple
Mu-cade :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xa_MPoXLGwA (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xa_MPoXLGwA)
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This would be cool, and of course it can be done.... though it wasn't vector, the guy who did the video pinball 2.0 did it on a original video pinball PCB.
on the pouet.net site, there´s a bunch of great demo coders, who still writes demos for the atari 2600 etc., there´s even a guy who built his own "computer" and wroth a demo for it, and won a wild demo compo (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNCqrylNY-0) with it..
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Mmmm, the vectrex uses almost the same processor as the SW hardware does.... ;D
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I am not a programmer, but it must be possible..
if you see what the guys in the demo scene squeeze in 64kb...
But i think it will be difficult..
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yes very good ;D
nice to play this game on Vectrex
(http://img2.uplood.fr/free/3ffx_dscf0010.jpg)
Have this one too! Great to see someone make Vectrex games right now like the console is still made.
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maybe you may want to check this project http://urbaninteractive.wordpress.com/
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Level42, I share your dream. I have been thinking about this on and off the past few years, and am in the process of writing such a game (link is in the above post). I've opted just for the PC route as its the one I'm most comfortable working on, plus I don't have access to vector monitor (yet).
I've often thought that with a modern PC with a Zektor ZVG card (http://www.zektor.com/zvg/index.html) and a Vector monitor it should be possible to create something. I'm keeping my eye open to see if I can get such a graphics card, with the thought that if I can get my hands on one then I can do some tests to convert some of my existing code. I've looked at the API for it and it doesn't look too difficult. The real test will be how many vectors the monitor can handle.
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Wow.......just wow......I imagine playing that finished in my cockpit....
http://youtu.be/SbgO93wpCBk
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Whoooo! Finally a reason for having 4 SW cockpits!!!!
That looked supercool!!!!
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pretty funny , i always wanted to do an arcade game (but not vector). if you ever want to do a game on a motorola 68000 system (like neogeo, mega tech) call me :D:D
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pretty funny , i always wanted to do an arcade game (but not vector). if you ever want to do a game on a motorola 68000 system (like neogeo, mega tech) call me :D:D
Can you convert an Amiga500 game onto a NEO GEO cartridge?? (Turrican, Twin World, Super Frog)
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actualy, i converted Rick Dangerous to a megadrive/genesis cart :)
www.pascalorama.com
binary available here : http://www.pascalorama.com/article.php?news=40&cat=25
i tried some neogeo programming in the past
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Very cool, i love rick Dangerous!!
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Fan of vector-like games, here's... coming from nowhere (the studio "BIZARRE CREATION" behind the original game no longer exists :()... Geometry Wars™ 3: Dimensions
Watch the launch trailer : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmfmcAPaFaw
Twin stick shooters rulez! (Robotron Legacy... ;))