Pac-Man emulator for CPC

[Joseman]

Thanks!!!

When i have some time to play, i'll do the trick and see

[folkoh]

Hello,

1st post! CPC-owner since 1984.

First I like to express my gratitude for everyone keeping the CPC alive and bringing all these great new achievements to the lurking public like me 

At first I also thought about this being an April's Fool prank - but then I dared to check this in WinCPC first and it worked fine. Well actually, it lagged a bit here and there, but I thought it was some emulation issue.

So I copied the dsk to an old trusty 3" and loaded the game on real hardware (6128 classic) and watched it coming to live on a CTM 644. And what a wonderful experience that is: The overscan, the colours - this is the arcade look and feel that I remember from the late 70ies in some Italian arade. It's so much better than MAME on a PC with an LCD monitor!

But I have to pour a little water into the wine: The lagging I experienced with WinCPC reproduces exactly on the real hardware. It's everywhere, in the start screen, the demo mode, the real game, the interlevel animations (especially with the latter and big sprites). The speed just goes down a bit then after 2-3 seconds it goes back to full speed. This does not happen at fixed times or situations it's more or less unpredictable. So I checked with my CPC 464 (classic) - same story. It's still playable, it even adds another challenge: ghosts speed up all of a sudden!

Even though it remains a great achievement (I couldn't have lived with the Spectrum having this alone), thanks a lot!!! I don't know if there is a chance to fix this or of it's just the limits of the hardware - in any case: thanks for making me happy!

Greetings,

Folko

[00WReX]

Hi Folko...welcome.

Have you tried the PACMANF version...this version has been considerably speed enhanced.
You shuld be able to find the files easily, but you can PM me with your email address if you want me to send you a .DSK of this version.

Cheers,
Shane

[folkoh]

Wow thx! I don't have the F version. PM sent.

[00WReX]

Email sent 


Let us know what you think...
 
 
Cheers,
Shane

[Gryzor]

I have only tested the F version. While there's some slowdown, I really, clearly do not care. It's just amazing


Oh, and welcome mate!

[TFM]

Hello,

1st post! CPC-owner since 1984.

Very welcome here!
 

[folkoh]

Yeehahh!
Thanks Shane, the F-Version totally solved the issue. Now running (almost, just very little lags at the startup music and the interlevel sequences but not during the game at all) flawlessly on the real hardware (and on WinCPC, too).
Me happy. 
Thanks for the welcome, too TFM/FS.
Keep on doing great stuff, guys.
Cheers,

Folko

[00WReX]

That's good, It's still putting a smile on my face too 
 
SyX & TotO are the reason you (and I) are happy, their skills brought this to life on the good old CPC 
 
Cheers,
Shane

[SyX]

Thanks again for the amazing feedback!!! 

Kukulcan, the webmaster of CPC Power, has added it and made a great cover and sticker for the floppy

[Gryzor]

Wow, the tape jacket is great!!! I see no floppy sticker though? - ah yes, in Les Goodies section...

[Joseman]

Of course, you can

The correct order is:
pir1 +pir5 = pacman.6e
pir2 +pir6 = pacman.6f
 pir3 +pir7 = pacman.6h
 pir4 +pir8 = pacman.6j
 

I tryed this combination and didn't work , only blank screen, have you tested this?

and the remaining files pir9.bin pir10.bin pir11.bin pir12.bin are not needed?

[TotO]

Hade you added the AMSOFT header on files to make them "BINARY" compatible ?

[SyX]

I tryed this combination and didn't work , only blank screen, have you tested this?

Are you sure is Pirahna? Piranhao doesn't work, because the roms are encrypted... but don't worry, take a look to the CPC Power link, because somebody has put there all the supported versions ready to use

and the remaining files pir9.bin pir10.bin pir11.bin pir12.bin are not needed?

Those are the arcade graphics, we don't need those, we are using the wonderful graphics made by TotO

[SyX]

Well, two months after the launch and as i promise, the sources are available, enjoy them and if somebody have any doubt, only need to ask 

[TotO]

Hehehehe !   






I'm surprised that there was no video of this game on Youtube...
Xyphoe and Metr are not enough good for it ? 

[TFM]

Well, two months after the launch and as i promise, the sources are available, enjoy them and if somebody have any doubt, only need to ask 

Just had a look at it, which assembler do you use? Err.... is it possible to convert it for MAXAM? I'm just curious...

[SyX]

Just had a look at it, which assembler do you use? Err.... is it possible to convert it for MAXAM? I'm just curious...

I use VASM, remember that i don't code only for cpc... although i don't like maxam at all (never liked its awkard syntax ), i was more in devpac (i bought the cpc and amiga versions) or the Amstrad Personal assembler. Also, maxam requires a cpc or winape, and the 99% of my computing free time is in my linux desktop.

But sure, the pac-man sources can be changed to maxam syntax.

[TFM]

Well, you know my friend, I always try to make everything available on CPC. Just waiting for the day when no PC will run anylonger - but the CPCs will 

[TotO]

Well, you know my friend, I always try to make everything available on CPC. Just waiting for the day when no PC will run anylonger - but the CPCs will 

May be the time to get a new powerfull ASM on CPC/FutureOS, using the same syntax as VASM so ?

[SyX]

Add to the list an editor with syntax highlighting (but mode 1 is not enough colour and mode 0 is not enough resolution), a python shell (instead of basic ) and a lovely keyboard like this (you can put a pair of nice Amstrad keys ):

Extra points for getting the cpc in a nice case as the Mac Mini, Amiga 1000, CDTV, C128D or the MSX2 8280 from philips

[TFM]

May be the time to get a new powerfull ASM on CPC/FutureOS, using the same syntax as VASM so ?

If you like to do it - that would be great.
 
I must admit that - at this time - I'm deeply into chicken, I mean cyber chicken. Err, no, it's a game I'm working on. For example yesterday... I thought about how to make the collision detection (up to 21 bullets on screen, and up to 64 chicken) the best... so I stranded in a bar. Well, as you see, I do work not efficient enough 

[arnoldemu]

If you like to do it - that would be great.
 
I must admit that - at this time - I'm deeply into chicken, I mean cyber chicken. Err, no, it's a game I'm working on. For example yesterday... I thought about how to make the collision detection (up to 21 bullets on screen, and up to 64 chicken) the best... so I stranded in a bar. Well, as you see, I do work not efficient enough 

2d sweep and prune?

or use a grid... or...

[SyX]

... or sort by coordY for skipping collisions fast (bucket sort is your friend)

[TFM]

Thank's for the offered ideas 
 
But, naaaaaaaa.... all tooo slow (at least the way I understand them, if I understood at all  ).
 
What I do now is to ...
 
- Check all (maximum 21) Shots for a Z-Koordinate which can cat a chicken.
   (Chicken can be hit only at some Z coordinates, that makes it more easy).
- If a Shot/Bullet can hit, then ckeck the X-coordinate of all chicken, see if it is close the X of shot.
- ... then check Y
 
Using a nice lookuptable I can project the 3D on a 2D grid (originally it was made for positionating sprites). That may be what you suggested to me 
 
 
That's running nicely so far... I worked around that 3d problems... I just have to do the fine tuning (size of bullet and sprite must be taken in account, all that small crap )
 
 
 
EDIT: Sorry, back to topic !!!