Just finished off the third of a series of game/development jams a couple of friends and I have been doing over the last year or so - we livestreamed most of the first, but that was too much hassle so we haven't bothered for these last two :P
I've been working on a port of a game I wrote for phones a few years ago and I've finally gotten to the point where most of the major mechanics are implemented - so here it is!
https://youtu.be/pykN9eE-VRc
I've written the whole thing on the machine itself with the help of Orgams, though I've written a good amount of python on my PC to process and convert art (all by my partner) into something readable on the machine. It runs at 50Hz in overscan 384x256 mode 1 - mostly thanks to the hardware sprites available on the Plus.
It currently works from a disk on a 64k machine, but I expect sound/music may require 128k, or I'll need to figure out cartridge development... Still a huge amount of stuff left to do, though I dare say it's past the halfway mark now!
This looks lovely, at least from what we can decipher from the video😅
Looking forward to seeing more of it.
Finished converting the level assets and writing the new level-loading code so that everything pertaining to a single level is stored in one file - pretty pleased with how these are looking! All mode 1, 384x256, up to 35 on-screen colours, running at 50Hz with plenty of spare cycles right now (so hopefully sound/music won't be too big a deal...) Most of the game is there now except the things that make it an actual game (so no lives, no score, no speed progression, no balancing). Lots of polish still missing too, I have some plans :)
Damn, that overscan...
Clever usage of the border to be integrated to the sea and the ground.
Quote from: TotO on 19:49, 16 October 22Clever usage of the border to be integrated to the sea and the ground.
Thanks! I'll wait until more of the game is finished, but I think I could probably be a little smarter and change the border colour at the top and bottom of the screen to hide it even better... But I'll wait till the end now to see how many cycles I have left. Same with changing the sky colour to a water colour and avoiding having shaded water (though I do like it stylistically as it is too, so we'll see :))
Quote from: Cwiiis on 21:11, 16 October 22I could probably be a little smarter and change the border colour at the top and bottom of the screen to hide it even better
I have expected you will answer that. ;)
I'm curious to play with/discover the chute physics !
Way to go anyway ! Good luck with the project.
Nice original idea. The overs an is superb.
The game is at beta stage now - still some work to do, but not too much longer! I've recorded some direct-capture footage of me playing it and trying to demonstrate some of the new features (as well as some of the bugs...) - Hope you enjoy!
https://youtu.be/y2a40v1tF3Q
Wow, that looks awesome! Congratulation!
How lovely and unique!
What a wonderful and original game!!!!
I'm not much of a gamer but I look forward to playing this one!
d_ef
Looking great
Yes, looks really nice! :)
It is something like a funny Game & Watch game.
What a great looking game! - Featured on IRN too
Quote from: TotO on 17:01, 08 November 22It is something like a funny Game & Watch game.
Well, it's an expanded version of the arcade game Rip Cord. Looks brilliant, can't wait.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhoWuPYNmMg&t=235s
Ok, I need a little push on this I think - the game is basically complete, just needs some graphic touch-ups, bug-fixes and a cartridge version...
I'd quite like a list of things to fix before releasing, is anyone up for testing? This should work on any 464+ or 6128+ machine with disk access - I much prefer real hardware, but if you're up for testing on emulator, I suppose that's fine as long as you can be very verbose with any error reporting :)
Anyone interested, please PM me and I'll send the files over soon.
Thanks to testers and another coding party with some friends, this is now almost complete. Just a few small polish items and it'll be done minus art touch-ups (which my partner will be handling :))
I'd love to do a physical release for this - it now works from both disk and cart, and given it's a Plus/GX4000 game and cartridges aren't too expensive to make, it's certainly doable. I need to work out the logistics of production, maybe see if any company is interested in partnering for it (Bitmapsoft would make a lot of sense for me, given I'm in the UK...)
If I did a limited physical run (cart, box, manual(, stickers?)), would anyone be interested in purchasing a copy? I'll almost certainly make the files freely available regardless, so this would just be for people that want a physical cart/enjoy collecting this sort of thing.
Quote from: Cwiiis on 14:15, 23 March 23cartridges aren't too expensive to make, it's certainly doable
If I did a limited physical run (cart, box, manual(, stickers?))
What is your estimated cost (to you) for a cart board, cart housing and reproduction plastic box? Those are the expensive bits. I'm not sure the economies of scale are there for it to ever be feasible. But someone has to be the first to make it work, could it be you? 8)
I'm interested 👍👍
I'm certainly interested & I can most likely rope a friend of mine in :)
Makes we wish I had a Plus...
Any news on this?
Quote from: BlinkyMcGoo on 14:29, 04 July 23Any news on this?
Code is done, just waiting on the artist to have time to put the finishing touches on things and design box-art - No ETA, but this year one way or another :)
Five weeks to go... :laugh:
Quote from: BlinkyMcGoo on 20:24, 22 November 23Five weeks to go... :laugh:
I reserve the right to miss my arbitrary, self-imposed deadline :) (it is still in progress though!)
tbh, I don't think I'll be able to get the physical version produced before the end of the year, but hopefully all the assets will be ready for early 2024 and I'll put the game up on itch.io as pay-what-you-want for digital at the same time. Disk and cartridge versions.
Not too much longer ;)
https://mastodon.social/@Cwiiis/111778181387638458
Looks really nice!
So I have most of the parts winging their way to me now, PCBs, chips, etc. - I'm not sure whether to go for just FDM printing for the case and print it at home (where I not only have beige filament that matches the Plus beige pretty closely, but where it would also save me money that I could reflect in the final price) or go with JLCPCB's resin printing (which costs a bit over double what it costs me to personally print in FDM, but is still very reasonable, would have a more professional-looking but non-matching finish and save me a bunch of labour).
I guess for the people that have expressed interest in a physical edition, any thoughts? I'm hoping to hit the price of £35 or less. Cost is looking good at the moment, but I do want to be able to give a few away and have a tiny, tiny reimbursement for our time... Is that an affordable/reasonable price?
Reasonable, yes, cheap, no. What kind of run are you considering?
Quote from: Gryzor on 17:33, 22 January 24Reasonable, yes, cheap, no. What kind of run are you considering?
I'm doing a run of 10 to begin with - I want to keep one of course, and I plan on giving away a couple and have a friend that wants one, so worst-case scenario, we've spent a bit of cash and have 6 spare boxes lying around :) Most of the costing is worked out, to some extent I think it would be a premium of £2/box for a white resin case vs a beige FDM-printed case (though the resin case will likely also be higher accuracy and certainly nicer finish). I may end up going with the resin to save myself the time/hassle, but I'd be interested in people's opinions.
I'm torn - the Alcon 2020 cart seems to be resin printed and has badly yellowed from the sun for me, but there's no denying the quality of the feel and finish. On the other hand, I don't mind my own FDM printed cases and the PLA+ filament doesn't seem to be affected by the sun at all (or at least, not enough to show any change over a period of a few years). The latter costs me more time but less money. And the former has an element of risk in that I've not tested my model with a resin printer before and don't know what the tolerances are like. It's tough!
You keep your retro gear under the sun? 😁
I'd say, go for the nicer option. You'll probably regret it later if you don't.
This cool game suddenly made me interested in parachute arcade games like Ripcord. ;D
Quote from: cwpab on 20:09, 22 January 24This cool game suddenly made me interested in parachute arcade games like Ripcord. ;D
Ripcord is great practice for Oh Chute, though it'll feel a little retro in comparison ;)
Quote from: Gryzor on 18:57, 22 January 24You keep your retro gear under the sun? 😁
I'd say, go for the nicer option. You'll probably regret it later if you don't.
Well, not directly under the sun but I don't keep it in a cupboard 🙂
And yeah, let's go with the resin...
And now for something not totally unrelated, here's the Ripcord 1979 arcade machine manual: https://ia904703.us.archive.org/22/items/ArcadeGameManualRipcord/ripcord.pdf
(I just played it on MAME and it's fun, but it's only about high-scores sadly).
Quote from: cwpab on 20:57, 23 January 24And now for something not totally unrelated, here's the Ripcord 1979 arcade machine manual: https://ia904703.us.archive.org/22/items/ArcadeGameManualRipcord/ripcord.pdf
(I just played it on MAME and it's fun, but it's only about high-scores sadly).
Oh Jeez, this makes me think that I need to add 2-player mode before release... Hmm...
2-player mode is functional and almost finished. It will feature in the final product 🙂
I put together a prototype cartridge today with the resin cases I have - it's very nice and I think people will be pleased :) Most everything is done at this point, but we've had the hardest time finding a good box manufacturer that will let you order a short run without charging ludicrous prices. I'm pretty set on having a good box, but it does make a difference in the cost. £35 is looking like the likely price-point at the moment, which is a little higher than I'd like (though not out of keeping with other releases). Is £35 too dear for people?
With a massive compromise in packaging quality I could hit £30, but personally I don't think that saving is worth it. The difference would be a very nice box that's very similar to the boxed disk games of the late 80s/early 90s and will fit next to them on the shelf, and an oddly-sized box with a sleeve (that would still look nice, but nowhere near as nice and not in keeping with other games).
Thoughts?
I'd pay £35 if that means a nice packaging.
Do you have pictures of both versions?
Quote from: ldaneels on 06:52, 03 February 24I'd pay £35 if that means a nice packaging.
Do you have pictures of both versions?
Nice would be just like this Turtles box but a little thicker:
IMG-20240202-WA0007.jpg IMG-20240202-WA0005.jpg IMG-20240202-WA0006.jpg
Cheap would be a black A6 mailing box with a nice sleeve wrapped around it:
Screenshot_20240204-091313~2.png Screenshot_20240204-091340~2.png
Realistically, the difference would be about £5. Tbh, I don't think I'd be happy with the latter, so we'll be going with the former and I just hope people will appreciate it 😅
There's also the option to use cases like the ones used for Bears and SOH Tactics shown in a thread currently a couple of posts below this one.
My cases are made by a company called BitBox who are based in the USA. Their feasibility is order quantity dependent because there is a qty discount but also quite high shipping from the USA and also import charges to consider. The cartridge shell size is also important for them to clip in and hold. They have very good customer service if you give them your cart dims and see how they can help. Sorry, I did mean to give
@Cwiiis some further info on this.
A nice printed hard card box like the Turtles one would be a very tasty alternative though 8) ;)
I think I prefer the boxes on the whole, it feels more nostalgic for me - and we have a very nice design to go with it ☺️ All the pieces have fallen into place now I think and I made a nice polish change today that I'm very pleased with, so should all be ready in a few weeks... I'll be back with a trailer and order information 🙂
Either option beats the mailer box IMO; even with a nice sleeve they are ugly boxes, and a sleeve is not something you'd want to be dealing with when taking the cartridge in and out over and over.
Quote from: Cwiiis on 14:15, 23 March 23Thanks to testers and another coding party with some friends, this is now almost complete. Just a few small polish items and it'll be done minus art touch-ups (which my partner will be handling :))
I'd love to do a physical release for this - it now works from both disk and cart, and given it's a Plus/GX4000 game and cartridges aren't too expensive to make, it's certainly doable. I need to work out the logistics of production, maybe see if any company is interested in partnering for it (Bitmapsoft would make a lot of sense for me, given I'm in the UK...)
If I did a limited physical run (cart, box, manual(, stickers?)), would anyone be interested in purchasing a copy? I'll almost certainly make the files freely available regardless, so this would just be for people that want a physical cart/enjoy collecting this sort of thing.
Why aren't you utilising the same boxes and cover style artwork as Dethrone?
It's not only effective and visually appealing, but also clever in its execution.
If you choose to create entirely new box art, it will require significant time and expense.
Unfortunately, no one has been able to locate the original case to work from.
However, if you consider using say a cardboard case, similar to what is used for Atari Homebrews, it could be a costly option.
Nonetheless, I'm confident that Dethrone would be willing to assist you in sourcing the display cases you need, allowing us to maintain some level of standardisation for homebrews on the GX4000 and Plus range of systems.
As fans, we're all here to keep the GX4000 and Plus range of systems alive, and by doing so, we can encourage other developers to release their homebrews in hardware format.
The Atari and Vectrex cartridge Homebrew scene is thriving, and we should strive to be a part of it.
Quote from: overange on 10:08, 05 February 24Quote from: Cwiiis on 14:15, 23 March 23Thanks to testers and another coding party with some friends, this is now almost complete. Just a few small polish items and it'll be done minus art touch-ups (which my partner will be handling :))
I'd love to do a physical release for this - it now works from both disk and cart, and given it's a Plus/GX4000 game and cartridges aren't too expensive to make, it's certainly doable. I need to work out the logistics of production, maybe see if any company is interested in partnering for it (Bitmapsoft would make a lot of sense for me, given I'm in the UK...)
If I did a limited physical run (cart, box, manual(, stickers?)), would anyone be interested in purchasing a copy? I'll almost certainly make the files freely available regardless, so this would just be for people that want a physical cart/enjoy collecting this sort of thing.
Why aren't you utilising the same boxes and cover style artwork as Dethrone?
It's not only effective and visually appealing, but also clever in its execution.
If you choose to create entirely new box art, it will require significant time and expense.
Unfortunately, no one has been able to locate the original case to work from.
However, if you consider using say a cardboard case, similar to what is used for Atari Homebrews, it could be a costly option.
Nonetheless, I'm confident that Dethrone would be willing to assist you in sourcing the display cases you need, allowing us to maintain some level of standardisation for homebrews on the GX4000 and Plus range of systems.
As fans, we're all here to keep the GX4000 and Plus range of systems alive, and by doing so, we can encourage other developers to release their homebrews in hardware format.
The Atari and Vectrex cartridge Homebrew scene is thriving, and we should strive to be a part of it.
I don't think choosing to use a card box is going to destroy the Plus homebrew scene and I'm not a fan of the look of the plastic case to be honest. Like I said, we already have our box art, there's no extra expense there.
I expect the box cost is going to cost in the region of 2-3x what the plastic cases cost per unit, but I've kept costs down on cartridge production quite effectively. If you want to encourage people, document your processes and costs rather than criticising other people's choices - that would be the most helpful.
Quote from: Cwiiis on 11:39, 24 January 24Quote from: cwpab on 20:57, 23 January 24And now for something not totally unrelated, here's the Ripcord 1979 arcade machine manual: https://ia904703.us.archive.org/22/items/ArcadeGameManualRipcord/ripcord.pdf
(I just played it on MAME and it's fun, but it's only about high-scores sadly).
Oh Jeez, this makes me think that I need to add 2-player mode before release... Hmm...
I'm glad I accidentally influenced the development of a video game! ;D Oh and you must be a really good programmer if you added this mode in only a few weeks. What other secret abilities do you have? Playing banjo (yes, I have seen your Youtube channel)? :P
What I think would be really helpful is if we could organise a consortium to do a run of injection-moulded cartridge shells that could supply all the homebrew cart makers with a top quality shell at a low per-unit cost. I'm curious as to how low the price of a loose cart could practically go.
Quote from: Anthony Flack on 11:04, 05 February 24What I think would be really helpful is if we could organise a consortium to do a run of injection-moulded cartridge shells that could supply all the homebrew cart makers with a top quality shell at a low per-unit cost. I'm curious as to how low the price of a loose cart could practically go.
That would be great, though beyond my skill-levels. I think once there are a few Plus or Plus-form-factor games out there and a bit more development interest, it'd be worth considering that more seriously. For what it's worth, the per-unit cost of resin shell casings is pretty low from JLCPCB, even counting shipping and duties. They do a great job too.
The original boxes have always been the problem because they're not realistic to 3 d print. So I've got my solution, Cwiiis has got his, I'm sure the authors of Bubble Quest, Sonic GX, 6128 plus G&G etc. have things in the works too. The other components are easy, shells, boards, labels and the rest of it have been around for years now. The challenge is to keep the costs down to a feasible level and balance batch size with qty discounts. Good luck to everyone because the process does all take some time!
Quote from: Cwiiis on 10:27, 05 February 24Quote from: overange on 10:08, 05 February 24Quote from: Cwiiis on 14:15, 23 March 23Thanks to testers and another coding party with some friends, this is now almost complete. Just a few small polish items and it'll be done minus art touch-ups (which my partner will be handling :))
I'd love to do a physical release for this - it now works from both disk and cart, and given it's a Plus/GX4000 game and cartridges aren't too expensive to make, it's certainly doable. I need to work out the logistics of production, maybe see if any company is interested in partnering for it (Bitmapsoft would make a lot of sense for me, given I'm in the UK...)
If I did a limited physical run (cart, box, manual(, stickers?)), would anyone be interested in purchasing a copy? I'll almost certainly make the files freely available regardless, so this would just be for people that want a physical cart/enjoy collecting this sort of thing.
Why aren't you utilising the same boxes and cover style artwork as Dethrone?
It's not only effective and visually appealing, but also clever in its execution.
If you choose to create entirely new box art, it will require significant time and expense.
Unfortunately, no one has been able to locate the original case to work from.
However, if you consider using say a cardboard case, similar to what is used for Atari Homebrews, it could be a costly option.
Nonetheless, I'm confident that Dethrone would be willing to assist you in sourcing the display cases you need, allowing us to maintain some level of standardisation for homebrews on the GX4000 and Plus range of systems.
As fans, we're all here to keep the GX4000 and Plus range of systems alive, and by doing so, we can encourage other developers to release their homebrews in hardware format.
The Atari and Vectrex cartridge Homebrew scene is thriving, and we should strive to be a part of it.
I don't think choosing to use a card box is going to destroy the Plus homebrew scene and I'm not a fan of the look of the plastic case to be honest. Like I said, we already have our box art, there's no extra expense there.
I expect the box cost is going to cost in the region of 2-3x what the plastic cases cost per unit, but I've kept costs down on cartridge production quite effectively. If you want to encourage people, document your processes and costs rather than criticising other people's choices - that would be the most helpful.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts! It's cool to see different perspectives on this. I totally get where you're coming from with wanting to keep costs down and not being a fan of the plastic cases.
But hey, just to be clear, no one's here to criticise anyone's choices. We're all just brainstorming and looking for ways to make the Plus homebrew scene even cooler.
Consistency can be a big win for building a strong community and making these games more appealing.
Totally respect your efforts to keep production costs in check for cartridges and that's something I'm all for.
Let's keep the conversation going and see if we can find a sweet spot that works for everyone. After all, we're in this together to keep the GX4000 and Plus range of systems alive and kicking!
I don't even have any original cart boxes. I just have two copies of Burnin' Rubber! So I am quite keen to get some more. The original cases do look quite bulky though.
TBH my preference for collecting GX homebrew is probably cart only (same goes for the Vectrex) - but with such low production runs I do understand wanting to do it in a proper box. I suppose the original advantage to the cardboard box was that they could make a million of them, put whatever kind of disk or anything inside it, with a sticker to say what version it was. So if you were doing a multi-format release, like some people do these days, a cardboard box would be a good choice.
Quote from: Anthony Flack on 00:47, 06 February 24I don't even have any original cart boxes. I just have two copies of Burnin' Rubber! So I am quite keen to get some more. The original cases do look quite bulky though.
TBH my preference for collecting GX homebrew is probably cart only (same goes for the Vectrex) - but with such low production runs I do understand wanting to do it in a proper box. I suppose the original advantage to the cardboard box was that they could make a million of them, put whatever kind of disk or anything inside it, with a sticker to say what version it was. So if you were doing a multi-format release, like some people do these days, a cardboard box would be a good choice.
I was considering a disk physical release, but I imagine the market of people with a 6128 Plus that would actually want to play this on disk instead of cartridge (and thus massively increasing load times...) is pretty low :) I do love getting disk releases, but I don't think I'd ever pick it over cartridge and it's getting increasingly difficult to find 3" disks. I imagine the market of people with a Plus connected to a 3.5" drive is even more niche... But hey, if you're out there, I don't mind doing one-offs :P
Regarding boxes I did a tutorial some time ago... :)
Indeed I don't have a working 3" drive myself any more either, but I can see how a cardboard box would be economical if you were going to do loads of different formats, 3" disk, 3.5" disk, cassette, etc. for half a dozen different systems, as they did in the early 90s. It's the same box for everyone.
Hey Cwiis, you seem closer to 30 than 45-50 as your regular Amstrad fan.
If that's correct (sorry to assume you're younger if you're older like us!), may I ask... How did you discover the Amstrad CPC and GX4000 and why did you chose to develop for it? I'm curious about your story.
Quote from: cwpab on 18:18, 11 February 24Hey Cwiis, you seem closer to 30 than 45-50 as your regular Amstrad fan.
If that's correct (sorry to assume you're younger if you're older like us!), may I ask... How did you discover the Amstrad CPC and GX4000 and why did you chose to develop for it? I'm curious about your story.
Unfortunately for me, I'm pretty close to 40 😝 When I was a kid I used to go to an after-school club in the early 90s and they had some computers for the kids to play games on - an Atari STFM and a green screen Amstrad CPC 6128. Later on they got a GX4000 too, though it was very short lived... The platform always interested me though and I managed to get a very cheap GX4000 a few years ago. That lead to me discovering this forum, the Plus and it all spiralled from there... Z80 assembly was also one of my favourite languages to play with from making Ti83 and Gameboy homebrew in my teens, so moving to Plus development was a logical step 🙂
Cool story! Sorry to hear you're closer to 40 than 30, but I'm glad I was right in my suspicion that you didn't have an Amstrad CPC as a kid.
It's interesting because as you know, most Amstrad fans had an Amstrad machine in their homes as kids, but in your case you just interacted with one on computer classes. In the early 90s, we also had some (optional) computer classes (93-94) here in Spain, but they used 486 PCs (I discovered Zany Golf and PC Fútbol 2.0 here).
Which takes us to the question... What console or computer did you use to play games as a kid?
Quote from: cwpab on 21:19, 12 February 24Cool story! Sorry to hear you're closer to 40 than 30, but I'm glad I was right in my suspicion that you didn't have an Amstrad CPC as a kid.
It's interesting because as you know, most Amstrad fans had an Amstrad machine in their homes as kids, but in your case you just interacted with one on computer classes. In the early 90s, we also had some (optional) computer classes (93-94) here in Spain, but they used 486 PCs (I discovered Zany Golf and PC Fútbol 2.0 here).
Which takes us to the question... What console or computer did you use to play games as a kid?
I had PCs for most of my childhood (very briefly before that I remember us have an Epsom QX10 machine running CP/M) - games wise, I got a Sega Master System 2 when I was 6 and gaming was split between that and PC over the years, with a mix of handhelds and later consoles as I got old enough to earn/save money. I also spent a lot of time in arcades - the combo of cutting edge tech and social interaction was always pretty enthralling 🙂
Fwiw, our first PC was an Amstrad PC 😛
Any sign of this?
Quote from: BlinkyMcGoo on 22:38, 07 March 24Any sign of this?
Extremely close now. A week or two, tops.
Update; It will release this Friday on Xyphoe's Amstream :) I'm really happy with how it's come out - it's been a lot of effort, but worth it in the end! I'll do a write-up on my blog at some point soon after launch, hopefully some of the things I've discovered can help others in the future.
Great stuff
@Cwiiis! Very much looking forward to being able to play this. I know you're doing a physical version but will it be available for general download too please?
Quote from: Maniac on 18:38, 11 March 24Great stuff @Cwiiis! Very much looking forward to being able to play this. I know you're doing a physical version but will it be available for general download too please?
It will, yes - I was contemplating holding off so that physical buyers will be able to play it first, but I think the physical product is reward enough and I realise not everyone can afford that or has the capability to play physical carts. It'll be pay-what-you-want (including nothing :))
As a physical enthusiast, I will absolutely purchase the game. That being said, I don't think you should stagger the digital release. As you said, getting the physical edition is reward enough. Anyway, I am very excited to play the game.
Quote from: Cwiiis on 16:44, 11 March 24Update; It will release this Friday on Xyphoe's Amstream :) I'm really happy with how it's come out - it's been a lot of effort, but worth it in the end! I'll do a write-up on my blog at some point soon after launch, hopefully some of the things I've discovered can help others in the future.
Yay!
Yep
@Cwiiis will make it available for download during the AMSTREAM tonight :)
It'll be the launch party for the game.
Stream goes live at 9pm GMT, after the usual greetings and mucking about - we'll probably be firing up the game some time after 9:20pm (maybe nearer 9:30) if you want to avoid all that.
https://www.youtube.com/Xyphoe/live
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GItRTOyXwAAv3Gk?format=jpg&name=large)
And it's now available! Details here: https://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/news-events/oh-chute!-now-available-for-the-gx4000plus-physical-and-digital!/
Thanks to everyone for the encouragement, kind words, advice and help over the development period :)
(edited OP title)
Well, that was worth the wait :)
One of the crispest, smoothest games I've ever seen on the Amstrad. Lovely job.
Congrats on the release ! :D