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General Category => Games => Topic started by: polomint on 21:16, 09 June 14

Title: Blues Brothers
Post by: polomint on 21:16, 09 June 14
Hi,


I've popped over from the World of Spectrum forums because a thread has appeared there about the possibility of porting/rewriting The Blues Brothers game for the ZX Spectrum - [size=78%]http://www.worldofspectrum.org/forums/showthread.php?t=47736[/size]


Now, I was wondering if anyone had the map data for this game or knew the rough location in memory for the level data?  I could just watch the game on youtube and try to create the maps from scratch but thought I would check with people who know the CPC a **LOT** better than I do :)


I'm not guaranteeing that I can/will do this for the Speccy, but I definitely would like to take a look into it :)

Thank you all for any help or further information :)




John
Title: Re: Blues Brothers
Post by: Carnivius on 22:06, 09 June 14
I can't even find an screenshotted map on cpcpower. 


Not keen on some of the comments on that thread.  Always thought of CPC Blues Brothers to be kinda nice looking for a Mode 1 game and one of the rare ones that isn't a simple Spectrum port (for good reason it seems as this whole topic points out).
Title: Re: Blues Brothers
Post by: MacDeath on 22:37, 09 June 14
gameboy port ? that makes sense...

Anyway no speccy because it is a french game.

CPC : 192x144
Gameboy : 160x144

The funnier part is that it could actually be displayed in glorious 16 colours+ square pixels in fullfullscreen mode 0 with "magnified 1x2 pixels...

Mode0 fullfullscreen : 192x288... sort of... ;D

Not sure if it would be smooth and fast though... hell it wasn't anyway.


Better in CGA indeed...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5hK6w26Jtg (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5hK6w26Jtg#ws)
Title: Re: Blues Brothers
Post by: CraigsBar on 23:30, 09 June 14
I've just had a quick game on the Amiga version. Oh what a difference.


Whilst I actually enjoy the game one the CPC, I always thought the screen was a little to, erm small and blue!


Oh what it could / should have been.


Regards


Craig
Title: Re: Blues Brothers
Post by: Carnivius on 08:55, 10 June 14
Quote from: MacDeath on 22:37, 09 June 14

Better in CGA indeed...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5hK6w26Jtg (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5hK6w26Jtg#ws)


Ewwwww...  magenta brothers.
Title: Re: Blues Brothers
Post by: Gryzor on 18:30, 10 June 14
I actually find the comments on WoS pretty spot-on... I never really played the game so as to testify about its quality, but indeed its looks... ugh.
Title: Re: Blues Brothers
Post by: MacDeath on 20:16, 10 June 14
QuoteEwwwww...  magenta brothers.
:D
well, isn't blue betwen magenta and cyan ?

Was just showing it was 4 colours graphics done right... ::)
Title: Re: Blues Brothers
Post by: polomint on 20:30, 10 June 14
No-one have any joy finding a map?  Looks like I better start playing the game and taking screenshots, lol


I was messing about with ZX-Paintbrush and quickly came up with the screenshot below (only a draft), but I am looking into using 8x2 attributes for it instead, :)

(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/77288/The%20Blues%20Brothers%20-%20ZX%20Spectrum%20Remake/bb1.png)
Title: Re: Blues Brothers
Post by: Snake_Plissken on 07:54, 11 June 14
I've played with game boy version,the same as the CPC but with a scrolling.
Title: Re: Blues Brothers
Post by: Carnivius on 12:14, 11 June 14
Quote from: MacDeath on 20:16, 10 June 14
Was just showing it was 4 colours graphics done right... ::)

Can't say I agree about 'done right'.  Magenta and cyan almost never work together and kill most of the depth the shading of the graphics would otherwise have had.  That colour scheme would have me deleting the game within seconds. 

Really I don't have much problem with the CPC version.  I've always liked the sprites and most of the tile work (on the later levels at least) and found the game very playable.   I personally prefer Mode 0 resolution on CPC games sure, but this is one of the better attempts at a non-Spectrum looking Mode 1 game.   Perhaps it could have gone with a slightly brighter palette of blues but I really just got used to it the more I played it.

EDIT: I just remembered it was actually one of the inspirations for my own attempt at a Mode 1 platformer with slightly cartoon-like characters.
(http://fc08.deviantart.net/fs43/f/2009/165/e/6/Hotel_of_Hell___09_Shot_1_by_Amon_Devilman.png)
Title: Re: Blues Brothers
Post by: CraigsBar on 12:45, 11 June 14
Changing the way this thread is going. I wished the Cpc version let you go into rooms etc in the background like the other platforms did. The manual even gives the Cpc controls to do so, and only in passing then says 'not on cpc'

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

Title: Re: Blues Brothers
Post by: TotO on 12:52, 11 June 14
Quote from: Carnivac on 12:14, 11 June 14I just remembered it was actually one of the inspirations for my own attempt at a Mode 1 platformer with slightly cartoon-like characters.
Nice MODE 1 mock-up.
The day when you will be OK for making a game will be great for the CPC community!  :)
Don't forget that (sadly) you have to manage with the rasters constraints...
Title: Re: Blues Brothers
Post by: MacDeath on 16:30, 11 June 14
Well, CGA had a really poor choice concerning palettes in 4 colours modes, but the graphics are well designed regardless used colours, could be even better with proper CPC ink choices.
Title: Re: Blues Brothers
Post by: polomint on 20:33, 17 June 14
Well, myself and 4throck on the WOS forums have started doing something. I've got a editor written for maps/tiles and he is playing around with the editor to see what he can do, :)


(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/77288/The%20Blues%20Brothers%20-%20ZX%20Spectrum%20Remake/editorv1.1.png)




Here is a screenshot of what he has come up with so far, :)


(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/77288/The%20Blues%20Brothers%20-%20ZX%20Spectrum%20Remake/wip.png)


I'm hoping to do the game justice on the ZX Spectrum, :D
Title: Re: Blues Brothers
Post by: Joseman on 22:45, 17 June 14
Quote from: polomint on 20:33, 17 June 14
I'm hoping to do the game justice on the ZX Spectrum, :D

And then, port back to the CPC  :P , because the titus port... cough cough... I played (and ended) on amiga and PC, the game has much more things, enemies, tricks... the cpc version is very very poor.

Ok, this game was ported to CPC because Titus was french, this make me think... if the speccy disappeared sooner than the CPC, then the target machine port was going to be the gameboy? ??? Come on man, we suffer from speccy ports since the beginning and in the end we were going to suffer ports from the game boy? ??? ?  :laugh:


Title: Re: Blues Brothers
Post by: polomint on 22:48, 17 June 14
Lol, I know nothing about coding for the CPC. Maybe I can learn sometime :D
Title: Re: Blues Brothers
Post by: MacDeath on 22:54, 17 June 14
Superior :
www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVZhTNs5TP8 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVZhTNs5TP8#)

anyway Titus was a false good company...
they often had good looking games with despicable gameplay and they did a huge lot of trashcan matter.

But some games were good or good looking so I get they could pass crap under the radar.

All their GX4000 cartridges were freaking wasters of hardware and time.


Still Prehistorik 1&2 weren't bad (sluggish Prehistorik2 on amstrad, sadly).
Blues brother was a good game beside the CPC version.

Titus the fox/les aventures de Moktar was great on 16bits.

Knight Force is maybe one of the best looking game ever on CPC.

Titan is nice yet not great gameplaywise.

Wildstreet is a laughing stock to me.


Really strange mixed bag, this titus.
Cool company logo anyway.

Loriciel, infogrames and titus really had cool logos...
Title: Re: Blues Brothers
Post by: McKlain on 22:54, 17 June 14
Quote from: Carnivac on 12:14, 11 June 14
(http://fc08.deviantart.net/fs43/f/2009/165/e/6/Hotel_of_Hell___09_Shot_1_by_Amon_Devilman.png)


Is that Basil Fawlty on the reception desk?
Title: Re: Blues Brothers
Post by: Joseman on 02:05, 18 June 14
Quote from: MacDeath on 22:54, 17 June 14
Still Prehistorik 1&2 weren't bad (sluggish Prehistorik2 on amstrad, sadly).
Knight Force is maybe one of the best looking game ever on CPC.
Wildstreet is a laughing stock to me.

Ahhhh good games under the sun

Prehistorik 2 is a superb game on CPC, little sluggish but, can the game run faster with that graphics and sprites?

Knight Force, curious game, as you say, very good looking game

Wildstreets, i must admit, i like this game, the music, the graphics... Ok, gameplay is shit, but... the memories influence too much in this game :D.

Title: Re: Blues Brothers
Post by: CraigsBar on 18:43, 18 June 14

OK on those three games


Prehistorik 2 - A wonderful game, if only the "real" GX4000 releases from titus had been of this quality

Knight Force, not heard of this until yesterday, Yes certainly a good looking game, but a little hard to get into... I keep dying on the first 3 screens LOL

Wildsteets - absolutely the WORST GX game ever, a direct port of the disk version, and even that was bad - And yes I bought it and have it here, I think it might become a shell and ACID donor if I ever need one.

and on the earlier mentioned ones

Blues Brothers, I like this one CPC, although as I said earlier the the ability to "explore" the backgrounds was sadly missed

Titus the Fox, Loved it, still do, I have a Cart mod copy here just for the fun of it.

Craig
Title: Re: Blues Brothers
Post by: MacDeath on 22:03, 18 June 14
QuoteWildsteets - absolutely the WORST GX game ever, a direct port of the disk version, and even that was bad - And yes I bought it and have it here, I think it might become a shell and ACID donor if I ever need one.
:D

still gotta admit Titus managed to get graphics always imrprouved with the GX4000...
As I told they had good graphics.

CPC
(http://www.cpc-power.com/extra_lire_fichier.php?extra=cpcold&fiche=1784&slot=2&part=A&type=.png)
PLUS/GX4000
(http://www.cpc-power.com/extra_lire_fichier.php?extra=cpcplus&fiche=3566&slot=5&part=A&type=.png)

but yeah, the easiest and shitiest game ever...
Just rush on the right then kill the boss.
Title: Re: Blues Brothers
Post by: SyX on 01:22, 19 June 14
The thread in WOS is being really interesting and now instead of porting from CPC, they are taking the maps directly from the NES and GB versions, maybe a better port using this work could be made for improving the CPC version.
Title: Re: Blues Brothers
Post by: polomint on 22:47, 21 June 14
My intention is to attempt a really great version for the spectrum and then possibly do the same for the CPC :)
Had a bit of bad luck today, ny gfx card in my PC died :(
I'll get it sorted somehow so that I can get some more things added to the map/tile editor.  I have all my z80 development stuff on that PC too, so I have to get it working hehe.
Title: Re: Blues Brothers
Post by: SyX on 23:54, 21 June 14
Quote from: polomint on 22:47, 21 June 14
My intention is to attempt a really great version for the spectrum and then possibly do the same for the CPC :)
Feel free to ask in the forum about any doubt or problem that you have with the CPC, we helped to Jonathan to port AGD to CPC :)

And a new and improved version of BB (in mode 0 for being more similar to the C64 and more colourful of course) would be great and will be very well received :)


Title: Re: Blues Brothers
Post by: polomint on 18:41, 22 June 14
Quote from: SyX on 23:54, 21 June 14
Feel free to ask in the forum about any doubt or problem that you have with the CPC, we helped to Jonathan to port AGD to CPC :)

And a new and improved version of BB (in mode 0 for being more similar to the C64 and more colourful of course) would be great and will be very well received :)


Cheers, :)


I'm working on the map/tile editor for the ZX version at the moment, and have written a little Z80 for testing some ideas for how I want to update screen etc.  Once I am happy with the editor I will probably put in a mode select for ZX/CPC/C64 so that I can create the maps for other computers.  I will have to learn a bit about the CPC, but I hope to port this back to the CPC and, fingers crossed, make a better version of BB than the CPC currently has, :)

Title: Re: Blues Brothers
Post by: SyX on 19:08, 22 June 14
Quote from: polomint on 18:41, 22 June 14
I'm working on the map/tile editor for the ZX version at the moment, and have written a little Z80 for testing some ideas for how I want to update screen etc.  Once I am happy with the editor I will probably put in a mode select for ZX/CPC/C64 so that I can create the maps for other computers.  I will have to learn a bit about the CPC, but I hope to port this back to the CPC and, fingers crossed, make a better version of BB than the CPC currently has, :)
Sounds really great polomint :)

The map editor that i use those days is Tiled (http://www.mapeditor.org/) (i make the spanish translations and minor help with bug fixing), although at the beginning is a little complex, the time used pays well.

Take a look to it, because it can give you great ideas for yours and a less complex and more 8 bits oriented mapeditor is always a fantastic thing for everybody.

For example, i love defining layers, i put the map in one layer, in other put the enemy sprites, in other the collision map, in other objects and you are free for adding your own attributes associated to those "objects", for example for the enemies i define type of enemy, speed, ... what you like and then i export everything in an XML and with a few python scripts you can extract/convert all the information that you are interested for your game.
Title: Re: Blues Brothers
Post by: polomint on 12:40, 19 June 16
Wow, 2 years already!?!?  I finally decided to get back to it and attempt to get this done, :)

I restarted on this from scratch 2 days ago and seem to be getting along pretty well.


It is for the ZX Spectrum 128K, using the AY and shadow screen etc.  I am hoping to eventually port it to CPC and other systems (for the fun of it heh)


The link to the .tap is here (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/zx-speccy.co.uk/TBB/TBB128K_20160619.tap)


One question: Can anyone advise if there is a way to get hold of the CPC tunes? And also which format they are?  I am currently using PT3 files for my tunes.  I have a load of midi files of BB tunes, but cannot seem to find a way that they can be converted. :/  Any information or guidance is very much appreciated, :)




(http://zx-speccy.co.uk/Copy2WebServerData/2016619_12361.png)


(http://zx-speccy.co.uk/Copy2WebServerData/2016619_123636.png)


(http://zx-speccy.co.uk/Copy2WebServerData/2016619_12371.png)



















Title: Re: Blues Brothers
Post by: Joseman on 12:33, 20 June 16
Quote from: polomint on 12:40, 19 June 16
I am hoping to eventually port it to CPC and other systems (for the fun of it heh)

Hi

I saw your posts on some speccy forum about 1-2 years about the cpc blues brothers and the concept to port it to the speccy.

I followed the thread but there were no news and i thought that the project was abandoned.

I must admit that i don't like the cpc version of blues brothers, first i have it on PC, last on Amiga (ended the game here) but when i saw the CPC version... well for me it's ugly, ugly colors, cut everywhere, even boring compared with amiga or pc versions. The CPC can do this game much much better as the game is simple enough.

I'm very interested on your project as Blues Brothers is a game that i have some affection. If you tell that your project is make a CPC version too, for me its perfect!.

Here are a lot of people with big knowledge about CPC graphics, music and coding that can help.

I will follow this project closely!










Title: Re: Blues Brothers
Post by: dlfrsilver on 21:04, 22 June 16
Hello,


The difficulty with blues brothers CPC is that it uses a double map system. This system assembles small tiles in big ones, big ones that once assembled make the BIG maps of the game.


I did the maps for this game with an amiga friend, Codetapper. And boy it's a game using a not easy to apprehend mapping system.


As Syx said, using Tiled is a good idea, and you'll have to make your own mapdata (easier).
Title: Re: Blues Brothers
Post by: polomint on 10:55, 23 June 16
Quote from: dlfrsilver on 21:04, 22 June 16
Hello,


The difficulty with blues brothers CPC is that it uses a double map system. This system assembles small tiles in big ones, big ones that once assembled make the BIG maps of the game.


I did the maps for this game with an amiga friend, Codetapper. And boy it's a game using a not easy to apprehend mapping system.


As Syx said, using Tiled is a good idea, and you'll have to make your own mapdata (easier).

The actual system for creating the maps etc is done.  I created that editor just for creating BB maps, :)

It's the audio that I am having trouble with, I have located MIDI versions of the tunes, but cannot find a way to convert to a format that I can use.  I'm currently using PT3 format running on the interrupt.
Title: Re: Blues Brothers
Post by: Sokurah on 00:18, 07 July 16
Quote from: polomint on 10:55, 23 June 16
It's the audio that I am having trouble with, I have located MIDI versions of the tunes, but cannot find a way to convert to a format that I can use.  I'm currently using PT3 format running on the interrupt.


In my opinion you shouldn't think too much about the music right now. Just get the game working first and then worry about the music later. Chances are that if you have a fully working game then you'd have a good chance attracting a musician to do the music, or conversion of it, for you.
Title: Re: Blues Brothers
Post by: ivarf on 06:59, 07 July 16
Quote from: MacDeath on 22:03, 18 June 14
:D

still gotta admit Titus managed to get graphics always imrprouved with the GX4000...
As I told they had good graphics.

CPC
(http://www.cpc-power.com/extra_lire_fichier.php?extra=cpcold&fiche=1784&slot=2&part=A&type=.png)
PLUS/GX4000
(http://www.cpc-power.com/extra_lire_fichier.php?extra=cpcplus&fiche=3566&slot=5&part=A&type=.png)

but yeah, the easiest and shitiest game ever...
Just rush on the right then kill the boss.
Play games in shades other than brown! Woo-hoo!  😉
Title: Re: Blues Brothers
Post by: TFM on 18:12, 07 July 16
Quote from: Sokurah on 00:18, 07 July 16
In my opinion you shouldn't think too much about the music right now. Just get the game working first and then worry about the music later. Chances are that if you have a fully working game then you'd have a good chance attracting a musician to do the music, or conversion of it, for you.


And the music can be made in a way to fit with what's shown in the game.  ;)
Title: Re: Blues Brothers
Post by: NiNxPe on 02:07, 13 July 16
...for an idea : One of the 6 levels of the game :

[attach=3]
Title: Re: Blues Brothers
Post by: ||C|-|E|| on 10:25, 13 July 16
That looks awesome!
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