As always, I'm working on articles for the next issue of Colour Personal Computing.
I'm planning on doing a feature on Nintendo games on the CPC. Either official ports such as Donkey Kong or Mario Bros, games that take heavy inspiration from Nintendo games like Frank Bruno's Boxing (Super Punch Out!!!, Star Firebirds (Space Firebird) or Great Giana Sisters (Super Mario).
Also, more recent games like La Culotte de Zelda, the Gameboy Tetris emulator or the Game & Watch games.
Can anyone think of any games from back in the day that I've missed? Either official ports or games that are effectively clones of Nintendo titles? Your input would be much appreciated! :)
Doctor Roland !
Also Bike Masters looks like a clone of Excite Bike.
https://youtu.be/FVvUjYM92Ss
Out of topic, but excellent fanzine! The writing, for one, is so much better than the usual not-even-my-spell checker-works efforts, much as I enjoy even those.
Ah, forgot about Dr Roland - that's definitely a good one!
And I did briefly play Bike Masters, will have to check that out again!
Quote from: Gryzor on 16:03, 22 January 23Out of topic, but excellent fanzine! The writing, for one, is so much better than the usual not-even-my-spell checker-works efforts, much as I enjoy even those.
Don't stray off topic, they run a tight ship around here! ;D
But seriously, thanks for the kind words. It's inevitable that I notice a load of errors only once it comes back from the printers (the mind has its own kind of 'autocorrect' when reading it seems), but I do try to keep them to a minimum!
Waiting for the email from Nintendo...
There were a couple of fairly mediocre Donkey Kong clones released commercially during the CPC's heyday. Killer Gorilla and Climb-It are two that spring to mind.
On Seymour Goes To Hollywood, there are a couple of screens inspired by Donkey Kong. You need to pick up a mallet to destroy the barrels in order for you to give Kong the banana sandwich.
Thanks Shaun.
They both look... interesting. I'll most certainly check them out! They're both very early CPC titles and pre-official port so I guess they're very much of the time.
Seymour Goes to Hollywood is one of my favourites but I'd completely forgotten about the Donkey Kong inspired room. It makes me wonder what other titles might be hiding small tributes such as that...
I'm thinking that Turrican is quite obviously inspired by the Metroid games, but is it obvious enough for the article?
Well... It's a run'n'gun game? Are they all considered Metroid inspired?
This might be a bit of a stretch, but Prohibition?
Granted it's more like one of the stages of Hogan's Alley, which isn't the most original of games but it is very similar to Wild Gunman.
Bearing in Mind that Wild Gunman is a Nintendo game that dates back to 1974 in Japanese arcades.
Does Kong's Revenge count?
https://www.cpc-power.com/index.php?page=detail&num=1266
And maybe Kong Strikes Back.
https://www.cpc-power.com/index.php?page=detail&num=1265
(Although it is of course a clone of Mr Do's Wild Ride).
Rocco.
https://www.cpc-power.com/index.php?page=detail&num=1818
Quote from: ervin on 14:21, 23 January 23And maybe Kong Strikes Back.
https://www.cpc-power.com/index.php?page=detail&num=1265
(Although it is of course a clone of Mr Do's Wild Ride).
Indeed , and Mr Do's Wild Ride was a Universal/Namco game. The Kong name was quite misleading.
Quote from: Skunkfish on 11:34, 23 January 23I'm thinking that Turrican is quite obviously inspired by the Metroid games, but is it obvious enough for the article?
Turrican was primarily influenced by arcade game Psycho-Nics Oscar in general look, sound, gameplay feel which is very clear if you play it but Turrican creator Manfred Trenz also said in an interview (from June 2000) that Psycho-Nics Oscar also had the main character "transforming himself into a spikey wheel" which I find no evidence of in that game (I even watched a full playthrough of it), so he must have gotten that part from somewhere else and mixed it up in his memories. And yeah, Metroid's morph ball seems the most likely inspiration for that. At least in function of the player character changing into a round shape and rolling around.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcZqkbqe_I8
Turrican is so much like what you might think Metroid is like, if you'd seen it being played but not had much time playing it yourself, that it's hard to believe that it didn't provide at least some inspiration.
Quote from: Carnivius on 16:10, 23 January 23had the main character "transforming himself into a spikey wheel" which I find no evidence of in that game (I even watched a full playthrough of it), so he must have gotten that part from somewhere else and mixed it up in his memories.
I do remember that spikey wheel from Turrican II on Amiga.
You had to duck + press space
The manual refers to it as "Gyroscope" :
Joystick down and press spacebar:
(For Amiga joystick down and press second fire button.)
The player will transform into a gyroscope. While in this state the player
is invincible and will destroy enemies on touch. The gyroscope spins
automatically, and can only be directed to move left or right with the
joystick. This shape also allows you to pass through narrow corridors.
Turrican may transform into a gyroscope as often as he wants to. Only in
the gyroscope mode he can place mines... The mine is placed on the ground
and explodes shortly afterwards. Various enemies around can be dealt with
in this manner.
Quote from: jaymanu on 13:52, 06 February 23I do remember that spikey wheel from Turrican II on Amiga.
You had to duck + press space
Yeah, it's in Turrican but it's not in Psycho-Nics Oscar which Manfred seemed to think. :)