For some reason I've become interested in the game Popeye recently.
Arcade version, C64 version, Atari version.... but where's the CPC version?
The CPC seems to have a completely different version of this game.
Does anyone know if there exists a Popeye clone with a different name that looks and plays more like the original arcade game?
Popeye (1986) screenshots - MobyGames (http://www.mobygames.com/game/popeye_/screenshots)
and for sale too
Popeye for Amstrad CPC by Macmillan Software on Tape | eBay (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Popeye-for-Amstrad-CPC-by-Macmillan-Software-on-Tape-/161313096221)
And downloadeable
http://www.genesis8bit.fr/amstrad/game-rom/amstrad-game.php?prog_id=3592 (http://www.genesis8bit.fr/amstrad/game-rom/amstrad-game.php?prog_id=3592)
Yes, but as I say: The Popeye game for the CPC is a completely different game, compared to the other platforms.
Can't see the difference when looking at screenshots. Ok, colors of course. But...?
This is the version I'm talking about:
Popeye arcade, level 1. (M.A.M.E.) - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEM88QzpI5I)
Popeye - Atari 2600 - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=974vHJMPGms)
Nice and Games -- Popeye [Atari 8bit] - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZT0_ZnBuVkQ)
Popeye - c64 longplay - Commodore 64 - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCwGxOTfUXM)
Amiga Longplay Popeye (PD) - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgOmLTsFe1E)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYNFWm4sJO8 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYNFWm4sJO8)
Even ZX Spectrum also had this version:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuKL05Bbms0&t=3m20s (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuKL05Bbms0&t=3m20s)
A substandard version of donkey Kong?
Quote from: dcdrac on 13:23, 16 October 14A substandard version of donkey Kong?
Sure are a lot of games people like to claim are just Donkey Kong versions.
I've heard it about Pickaxe Pete for the Phillips G7000 / Odessey II too.
But I really feel that Popeye and Pickaxe Pete are two unique games. Neither of them feels like Donkey Kong at all to me.
Ok, there are two games with the name Popeye. :)
Popeye was some sort of speccy port.
it uses a character based engine, this enables for freakinghuge "sprites"... also gives the feeling of colours with no colour clashes on the speccy.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=faRcLg_n3f8 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faRcLg_n3f8#ws)
sadly the music is also speccy48 ported... beeper feeling that hurt the ears harder than a neurasthenic SID.
Not even sure the game actually uses more than 8 colours like abasic speccy with no tricks...
Such sort of game's "engine" could actually have great result with more proper CPC mode0 graphics, and real use of CPC palette, and perhaps a real 160x200 or even overscan display.
160x256xmode0 ?
another intredasting video :
www.youtube.com/watch?v=2O-O0pkvaWM (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2O-O0pkvaWM#ws)
I knew of three versions of Popeye which his the CPC, non of which looked or played anything like the arcade or Atari version.
The first "Popeye" was coded by Don Priestly and features large characters and an original game idea.
Popeye 2 was based on Kong while Popeye 3 was a play on Wrestlemania.
Both Popeye 2 and 3 were simply game ideas thrown together on the back of the Popeye licence which Alternative has acquired at the time.
At no time was any previous version of Popeye ever looked at when the game designs for P2 or P3 were cobbled together.
Would also point out that all three of the POPEYE games on the CPC were straight ports from the SPECCY code.
Strange that there is no mention of Popeye 2 on the CPCwiki site, anyone know why?
Speccy port ?
(http://www.cpc-power.com/extra_lire_fichier.php?extra=cpcold&fiche=1666&slot=2&part=A&type=.png)
yeah but real Mode0 saves it from being a rushed straight speccy ports with graphics in one bit per pixels.
The speccy version doesn't look bad actually, the CPC version looks good as well.
Also the Game database on the CPCWiki is far from complete.
other sites are more dedicated to cover games specificaly.
CPC GAME REVIEWS (http://www.cpcgamereviews.com/)
CPC-POWER, sauvegarde du patrimoine de l'Amstrad CPC (http://www.cpc-power.com/)
http://cpc.devilmarkus.de/news.php (http://cpc.devilmarkus.de/news.php)
wanna play popeye 2 at JavaCPC ?
http://cpc.devilmarkus.de/game.php?id=-P-&title=popeye2 (http://cpc.devilmarkus.de/game.php?id=-P-&title=popeye2)
Popeye vs Alien? Haaaaahaha I had forgotten about that one :D
Quote from: MacDeath on 23:11, 07 November 14
Speccy port ?
(http://www.cpc-power.com/extra_lire_fichier.php?extra=cpcold&fiche=1666&slot=2&part=A&type=.png)
yeah but real Mode0 saves it from being a rushed straight speccy ports with graphics in one bit per pixels.
Also the Game database on the CPCWiki is far from complete.
other sites are more dedicated to cover games specificaly.
CPC GAME REVIEWS (http://www.cpcgamereviews.com/)
CPC-POWER, sauvegarde du patrimoine de l'Amstrad CPC (http://www.cpc-power.com/)
http://cpc.devilmarkus.de/news.php (http://cpc.devilmarkus.de/news.php)
wanna play popeye 2 at JavaCPC ?
http://cpc.devilmarkus.de/game.php?id=-P-&title=popeye2 (http://cpc.devilmarkus.de/game.php?id=-P-&title=popeye2)
Yes was a Speccy port, I still have the source code in my loft :)
QuoteI still have the source code in my loft
Have you dumped your sources on modern format so we may get our hands on those or publish them to the community ?
Do you have the hardware to convert disks into .dsk files ?
I guess some peoples here may who still code on CPC would be quite interested by those, if you are ok with that of course.
We often talk about patch or edit/mod games into some remakes but it is often quite difficult because no source codes are available.
Thez R-Type128k project started like this... Fano tried to hack the code to simply mod and patch it the way he already did with rick Dangerous to run in 128K and PLUS extra hardware features (palette, some hardsprites things, sampled sounds...). then Goodyear came in and explained us about the dreadfull 3 week he had to complete his commitment... then Bob Pape came in and gave the source code from the speccy version... then lots of work from the Easter Egg team
And the end result was R-Type128 on CPC6128.
Fact is : now passionate coders are only "those guys coding from their bedroom with no serious deadlines despite too few spare time for that", we often hope to correct some rushes of the past and get speccy ports done right when they weren't.
Otherwise it is always good to find some technics and tricks used to port speccy code or simply get a game to work as it can inspire other games or demos.
As many if not all speccy ports were done to run on stock 64K, to simply patch them in 128K RAM gives some margin to redo details the right way. Mostly, CPC graphics are twice heavier to store in RAM sothe 1bpp can now easily become 2bpp mdoe1/4bpp mdoe0 to begin with... then add extra bits like nicer intros, menus, extra sounds and so on.
This said, Popeye 3 looks like a speccy port "done right" = graphed in CPC graphix modes, not the despicable Mode1 in 1BitPerPixels (yeah, deadlines and mens in suit are despicable to begin with).
We often talk about "speccy-CPC cross development" at this point of work on the port, because the game doesn't just emulate speccy display and 1bpp graphics with attributes artefacts.
Don't get why all the characters have Simpson-skin in the first game when the more appropiate fleshy tone is actually being used elsewhere so is available.
All three games are appealing in their own ways though and have charming graphics.
Oh that reminds me. I did a Popeye sprite back in early 2006 as part of some challenge or something where everyone submitted Popeye sprites in their own style and 48x48 pixels with max 16 colours (including 1 for transparency). Not CPC-style but I thought you might like to see anyways. :)
(http://fc04.deviantart.net/fs6/f/2006/353/e/d/Popeye_by_Amon_Devilman.png)
QuoteDon't get why all the characters have Simpson-skin in the first game when the more appropiate fleshy tone is actually being used elsewhere so is available.
because it was a somewhat straight speccy port, up to the palette... as it is character based engine, to pass it in mode0 doesn't change a lot and graphics were simply ported into lower resolution, CPC only re-creating the attribute/character system.
That's the typical example of game that could look so much better with SourceCode and some modern extra work from a coder and Graphic artist.
QuoteAll three games are appealing in their own ways though and have charming graphics.
the original Popeye comics from Segar are nice to begin with.
Quote from: MacDeath on 14:58, 08 November 14
because it was a somewhat straight speccy port, up to the palette... as it is character based engine, to pass it in mode0 doesn't change a lot and graphics were simply ported into lower resolution, CPC only re-creating the attribute system.
Yeah I'd possibly understand if it didn't use the pink flesh colour at all (since the Spectrum doesn't have that colour) but it DOES use it in other parts. Bluto's shirt for some reason uses the CPC's fleshy colour. What colour shirt did he have in the Spectrum version?
edit: checked WoS. Bluto's shirt is magenta in the Spectrum version. ???
Hi Mac
No I never converted any of my disks over to any other format, in fact it has only been recently that I opened my archived boxed, which have remained in my loft since 1991.
With regards to the previous comment about Popeye 3 not being a port, I can assure you it is, I wrote both the Spectrum and Amstrad versions. Just because the game was in Mode 0 does not mean the code wasn't ported, infact it was and all we had to do was do a little work on the screen rendering section. Even a game in Mode 1 has to have some work done to the graphics rendering, although, obviously not as much.
Of all the games I ever worked on, on the CPC only a couple were written from scratch; Shorts Fuse, Die Alien Slime. Certainly everything I coded while at Bizarre developments used the same code as the Speccy; Popeye 2 & 3, Bangers & Mash, Double Dare & Fireman Sam.
(http://www.mobygames.com/images/shots/l/458065-popeye-zx-spectrum-screenshot-look-popeye-can-go-behind-things.png)
It uses magenta.
They kept the palette the way it was used for the tiles = no redefinitions of inks per tiles, tile set is the same ink wise.
hence the game uses a straight speccy 8 colours scheme.
They just changed a bit the colours used for some inks.
Magenta became Pink...
Not quite sure but it also looks like the Green became the Lime green... that's all.
To have the flesh becoming pink, you would have to recode the tiles so parts of the background supposed to be in yellow wouldn't also become Pink, this takes time, and speccy port were done to gain time.
Could have been great to redo the graphics a bit betterly so it could get the whole 16 inks with more colours from CPC...
I haven't verified but in Popeye 1 the graphics may be stored in 1bit per pixel then there may be a colour lookup table to convert and emulate the speccy's colour attribute, so it would keep the 2 inks per character. needs to be verified of course, just guessing. other tricks or way to do it are possible.
Must remember there were few efficient modern graphic tools with mouse and so on at the time, not every devs had access to an Amiga with deluxe paint2, was it even released at the time ?
:D
Many 8bit devs graphic artist would actually have to use homemade tools on 8bit computers, same with sound/musicians, they would often have to code their music actually... I guess, must depend if they were the bedroom style or professional style, and would depend on the company they worked with, or the year. 1984 devs was certainly different than 1990 devs concerning tools available.
QuoteOh that reminds me. I did a Popeye sprite back in early 2006 as part of some challenge or something where everyone submitted Popeye sprites in their own style and 48x48 pixels with max 16 colours (including 1 for transparency). Not CPC-style but I thought you might like to see anyways
could be somewhat done in CPC Mode0 with doubled vertical pixels... would become a 48x92 then... big pixels and few palette modification perhaps, but totally CPC friendly. ;)
Would be harder to include it in a big fast game though. :laugh:
QuoteWith regards to the previous comment about Popeye 3 not being a port, I can assure you it is, I wrote both the Spectrum and Amstrad versions. Just because the game was in Mode 0 does not mean the code wasn't ported, infact it was and all we had to do was do a little work on the screen rendering section. Even a game in Mode 1 has to have some work done to the graphics rendering, although, obviously not as much.
Of course it is.
But I often differenciate between the different degrees of port.
when graphics are redone, it is a port done right as there is at least job from someone to redo the graphics, so there is a specific CPC job anyway.
But most of the Z80 stuff is somewhat the same basis of course.
To me there is a (slight) difference betwen having a routine to convert 1bit per pixel speccy graphics into CPC2bpp mode1 when the graphic is put into the screen RAM, or having the graphics re-done to begin with in the proper bit per pixel so no attributes or 3 or 4 colours per element or tiles.
From a coder's perspective it doesn't change a lot : a port is a port.
But from a snotling young gamer perspective it changes a lot : you don't get boo'ed by speccy owners because the game on your computer looks like the exact speccy version with even less colours or resolution, and "your amstrad sucks and is inferior to speccy you loser..." or other joys of being a youths... yeah, those little details count when you are 9 years old.
With properly redone graphics on CPC you may have no colour clashes or awesome Mode0 graphics and so on. something the speccy cannot so the little snotlings can argue fairly. :D
We still often hear/read that these days... some on internet would say that the CPC was just a poor speccy clone. :D
They always get surprised when they see modern CPC productions, games or demos because they often only saw poorly converted speccy ports that would be the exact same game, just slower and even less coloured.
The Batman Begins Demo calmed so many peoples and hurted so many retro-butts.
There is no shame when a speccy port is "done right" so it accounts for the CPC graphics properly.
Mode1 ports can be good if the game is good to begin with and if it enables to have the sprites in colours different from the background with no attribues clashes.
It is bad when playfield is entirely in 2 colours as on speccy.
Yeah, it is speccy port. ;D
I edited my posts to to try to be more clear, English is not my native tongue.
Sorry I tend to make long posts as I post-edit them, quite often.
What sort of tools were you using to develop those mullti-platform games ?
@rs6060 (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=1222) , what are the chances of sharing the code? :)
@Gryzor (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=1) , what are the chances of peoples does someting with? :)
Who knows. Give it time and people may do something with it. Or not. Without it - certainly not. The code by itself would be very interesting to see.
Quote from: Gryzor on 17:52, 08 November 14
@rs6060 (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=1222) , what are the chances of sharing the code? :)
I don't have any hardware which would read the disks, plus I don't really have much time as I am forever on the go.
I also wouldn't imagine the code is very well put together, I used to throw a lot of stuff together.
Quote from: rs6060 on 15:11, 08 November 14
Hi Mac
No I never converted any of my disks over to any other format, in fact it has only been recently that I opened my archived boxed, which have remained in my loft since 1991.
With regards to the previous comment about Popeye 3 not being a port, I can assure you it is, I wrote both the Spectrum and Amstrad versions. Just because the game was in Mode 0 does not mean the code wasn't ported, infact it was and all we had to do was do a little work on the screen rendering section. Even a game in Mode 1 has to have some work done to the graphics rendering, although, obviously not as much.
Of all the games I ever worked on, on the CPC only a couple were written from scratch; Shorts Fuse, Die Alien Slime. Certainly everything I coded while at Bizarre developments used the same code as the Speccy; Popeye 2 & 3, Bangers & Mash, Double Dare & Fireman Sam.
As a progammer what was the CPC like to code for/
From memory it was good. Don't forget it's been a long time since I came off the CPC then onto PCs and consoles.
I still have everything but the hardware. I have my firmware books, which got sent to me by Firebird and utils galore.
Well, to manage to preserve Source codes would be nice even just for the "museum" aspect.
It may help apprentice coders of now or tomorrow to catch glimpses of old fashionned craftwork.
Preservation of the computing history, especially the software, is somewhat something that needs to be taken seriously these days as it is the crucial period where all is getting lost.
As the modern community/users, we too often regret the lack of source code, whatever they are.
Also it seems we often have the same sort of messages/excuse from old legends such as "all my stuffs were lost because my ex-wife binned them", "my roof leaked and they were lost", " a fire destroyed them", "those fucking Daleks exterminated them when they invaded cardiff for the last time" and so on... ;D
Missing tiles in roofs and angry ex-girlfriends actually erased many pieces of history of the Computer culture sometimes even more than faulty old floppies or backup fumbles. :(
Girlfriends... they would have killed the internet had we let them doing so. :D
BTW, you seemed active during the whole CPC era... what other computer were you working on at the time ? (Speccy too I guess).
No I haven't dumped the code, but not really something I am bothered about doing.
Just makes me laugh that a game which is nearly 25 years old is still discussed nowadays.
I guess it was because it was part of a lot of peoples growing up, I never played this game so it does not figure much in my nostalgia attacks, games like Elite Mercanry, Cholo, Starstrike 1 and 2, the PAwn all loom large.
and of course Leather Goddeses of PHoboes...
For me I like seeing the old hardware crank back into life, when I am assaulted by nostalgia
@Rich Stevenson (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=1665) that's retro for you... or, I guess, every item that figures highly in someone's childhood.