Let's Compare: Pinball Power (aka. 3D Pinball) - C64 vs. CPC vs. Spectrum (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvnCbhBOB3c#ws)
a really nice Pinball simulator.
As I expected :
=speccy version clashes a lot.
=C64 version has sad palette.
=CPC version could have has somewhat better colour choices...
still a really nice game.
I mean, dark cyan ball over grey is not the easier to see, could have redesigned the ball a little bit.
I've heard Pinball simulators are quite hard to make on those 8bit machines...
I mean, quite hard to get the rebounces done rights.
here it is also harder due to the perspective.
Magic pinball was a nice attempt, despite no perspective.
I guess it was one of the latest Pinball game ever released.
To me it's a bit of a shame no pinball in vertical full screen was ever tried on CPC.
Arkanoid2 and Titan (by titus) show a bit what it could be like. ::)
On the other hand most of those games were done to have version on many machines, hence graphic portability...
Magic pinball is ported from 16bit versions (the classic 4 colour AtariST graphics on the CPC version) and as such those games stayed on other machines specs (320x200 or 256x192...)
Good point with this one is that it uses C64 graphics, not Speccy. ;D
one of my dream :
PC Engine Longplay [103] Devil´s Crush (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-7iC8z6q8s#)
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_-lKiQNdfEZo/TMYC0hN5gSI/AAAAAAAAA7E/5lg8bG52A4E/s1600/dcrushfull.png)
this shows a bit that a 256x256 sized screen could really be nice on a CPC game.
Extra bits for multiscreen, perhaps even bits of vertical scrolling...
I like the way those pinball games can get a nice "wallbreaker-breakout" feeling indeed.
but the physical engine for the ball can really be a pain in die arschen.
Good point the ball is a simple sprite.
Super Magic pinball on PLUS cartridges seems to suffer a little bit from the classic "GX4000" limitations :
only128K ROMs and 64K RAM...
I guess with bigger 256k ROM it could have featured better sounds and some extra graphics here and there and be even more compairable to ST/Amiga versions.
Still CPU doesn't seems to be pushed to the limits. ;)
The Hardsprites helps a lot, and the only video from Atari ST version doesn't seems as smooth as the GX4000 version.
GX4000/Plus :
[AMSTRAD GX4000] Super Pinball Magic (Gameplay Run-through) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtjPLaIbvrA#)
couldn't find a lot of videos for it... no CPC Mode1 version ?
(http://www.cpc-power.com/extra_lire_fichier.php?extra=cpcold&fiche=1636&slot=4&part=A&type=.png)
Looks like a CGA version lol...
ST :
ATARI ST PINBALL MAGIC (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UkFTte4RfU#ws)
(plays in the end, not really smooth but should verify on real hardware)
PC "dos" version (VGA and beeper) :
Loriciel - Pinball Magic - 1990 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvWDdjz1sA0#)
also not really smooth and awfull beeper is awfull...
Amiga :
Pinball Magic (Amiga) (Gameplay) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26DbVPc8bsg#)
The beST as usual...
Let's see something nice with some Demoscene feeling :
Starball. Atari ST game played on a Falcon. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Kh5M0Wqzrw#)
I love the Falcon...
erf, sorry for the spam... somewhat related to topic anyway.
So like I was implying :
CPC had to much Pinball simulations in Mode1 with speccy sized screens and very little tiny ball (see Macadam bumper, basically a speccy port... yeah...despite being french game)
Still could be great in Mode0 "vertical full screen" :
=no side scrolling
=actually not a lot of masked sprites
=Modern Multiload or better use of tricks or extra RAM or whatever...
Because, well... too many of those :
(http://www.cpc-power.com/extra_lire_fichier.php?extra=cpcold&fiche=1975&slot=2&part=A&type=.png)
(http://www.cpc-power.com/extra_lire_fichier.php?extra=cpcold&fiche=585&slot=2&part=A&type=.png)
(http://www.cpc-power.com/extra_lire_fichier.php?extra=cpcold&fiche=1324&slot=2&part=A&type=.png)
Look at the ridiculous size of some of those screens/playfields/balls...
still found this one perhaps : Spin Ball
(http://www.cpc-power.com/extra_lire_fichier.php?extra=cpcold&fiche=4748&slot=2&part=A&type=.png)
No wonder this one is one of the best on the "market" :
(http://www.cpc-power.com/extra_lire_fichier.php?extra=cpcold&fiche=1637&slot=2&part=A&type=.png)
Message to all of you video makers : would be great to have a big video tribute to all those pinball games...
Also one with Magic Pinball in CPC mode1... or even both version to compare (split screen ?) the smoothness and so on...[/size][/font]
Yep nice game. I didn't played it yet, I should soon. I remember macadam bumper and mainly cobra pinball. I never enjoyed macadam.
I played Titan on CPC a week ago, it's not a pinball simulation with physics, but very nice and smooth. Edit, oops I see, pinball fantasies on CPC, fuck yeah :D It has been done as demo on C64. [CSDb] - Pinball Dreams C64 Preview (2006) (http://csdb.dk/release/?id=32484)
Macadam managed to have a "design your own flipper" construction set... nice... the advantage from the simpler graphics.
Enjoyable and nice scantely clad hottie... still... very tiny ball.
No Timescanner mentioned?
yeah, couldn't post all pictures, got some bugs because of chrome being a shitty browser...
also it is not even mentionned as "pinball" at CPCpower.
(http://www.cpc-power.com/extra_lire_fichier.php?extra=cpcold&fiche=2238&slot=5&part=A&type=.png)
(http://www.cpc-power.com/extra_lire_fichier.php?extra=cpcold&fiche=2238&slot=6&part=A&type=.png)
Nice and multilevel, with some ramps even...
But small screen and could benefit from mode0.
another quite nice looking one :
(http://www.cpc-power.com/extra_lire_fichier.php?extra=cpcold&fiche=237&slot=2&part=A&type=.png)
I'm not familiar with that Codemasters game, is that Pro Pinball Simulator or something?
I haven't played Timescanner though I remember AA reviewing it in AA47 and giving it a rave. The Screenshots you posted look a bit ordinary, though some of the other levels look a bit better than that even though it's only Mode 1.
Quote from: AMSDOS on 02:28, 24 February 14
I'm not familiar with that Codemasters game, is that Pro Pinball Simulator or something?
Advanced Pinball Simulator.
QuoteThe Screenshots you posted look a bit ordinary, though some of the other levels look a bit better than that even though it's only Mode 1.
Well...
I choose those because it enables to see the 2 screens for the same level. But yeah, poor ink choices.
=speccy port : despite no colour clashes on CPC
=some palette may lack constrast...
it lacks proper lightings or better ink choices sometimes.Red and orange are not well separated per example...
on the other hand B&W&Grey&anythingelse is always great.
Mode1 has very few colours, it is always better to aim for colours with contrast with each others...
You wouldn't make nice graphics with dark cyan+dark yellow+ grey + black indeed..
Nor with Pink (pastel red)+Orange+"medium" red+ darkRed...lol...
I've only played Pinball Power and Pinball Magic.
Pinball Power has a good engine, nice smooth movement, but there are some irritating bugs such as how the lights on the right dont light up when hit, the ball often goes through the paddles, and it defies the laws of physics on occasions, presumably due to the RNG. The graphics tend to glitch quite a bit too. The lack of music on the title screen, lack of tilt, just one table, and having to lump it when the ball goes straight out of play without hitting anything, all let it down. But its still an enjoyable game which I spent hours playing back in the day.
Pinball Magic looks good, but its really difficult even with 9 balls. Its a great concept with its multi-table/levels, but I have more fun playing Pinball Power.
I may try out some of the others, might even do some youtube videos if I can get the winape record to work properly.
Yeah Pinball power had potential , but the table layout , are ridiculous , making it pretty difficult to play with skill, Pop bumbers directly in front of you etc.