R-Type

[TotO]

NOW LOADING

[ukmarkh]

Simple answer is A Redefine Option then everyone's happy !

Thank u, it's just common sense is all.

[ukmarkh]

So, you miss many good games on computers and consoles by refusing to play with a joystick.
In arcade too, because you have to use the control panel thought for the game. It's your choice and you deal with.

That's a bit elite... I said it was one of the reasons I didn't get on with the other computers. Of course I played with joysticks and gamepads on these other computers, but when playing on the CPC I preferred the choice mentioned. Loads of commercial games came with QAOP as the default key settings, and a redefine option, so I think my comment holds some weight. 

[TotO]

"QAOP" games allow to redefine keys, because it was a poor default choice.
Games like Barbarian or Renegade use a custom mapping and everybody was happy.

Anyway this subject is closed because we miss to put better features than "redefine keys" by lack of memory.

[andycadley]

Thank u, it's just common sense is all.

From a developers point of view, writing a redefine keys routine is a right pain in the butt. Whilst I'd have preferred the choice, when it comes down to it I'll live with different controls if memory constraints would have otherwise meant compromising the overall quality of the game.

[Puresox]

From a developers point of view, writing a redefine keys routine is a right pain in the butt. Whilst I'd have preferred the choice, when it comes down to it I'll live with different controls if memory constraints would have otherwise meant compromising the overall quality of the game.

If this is the case then that is fair enough. It is better to have a better game. Unfortunately while my actual Amstrad is out of use, I rarely play the game cos I don't  enjoy the game with those keys on the emulator.

[fano]

From a developers point of view, writing a redefine keys routine is a right pain in the butt.

Hey ! leave my butt alone  The problem is more a space problem as we need to get a complete strings table for all keys , this is the main reason we do not own a key redefine menu.We thought about keyboard layout and button 3 recognition but i must admit i never thought some people would pleased to use QAOP layout as i always found this unpratical.

[andycadley]

Well yes, that's what I figured. I think anyone who hasn't tried it in pure assembly can miss a lot of the subtlety of just how much is involved in writing a redefine keys routine. You need graphics for all the keys (letters and some puncuation/arrows etc), a complete set of  keyboard mappings and then a bunch of code that actually handles the process. It's not exactly hard, but can end up surprisingly more memory intensive than you might expect, especially if your coding experience is limited to just the firmware or BASIC.

[steve]

Maybe Bryce could design a keypad that plugs into a joystick port.

[TotO]

Or simply stickers (QAOP) to glue over arrows

[fano]

No need of a such advanced feature , a GX pad would be enough 

[TFM]

From a developers point of view, writing a redefine keys routine is a right pain in the butt. ...

Why? Just save the line (0-9) and the row (0-7, best as bit mask).

However I don't miss it in this case.

[TotO]

Look like a missing entry in CPC Wiki ! 

http://www.dizionariovideogiochi.it/doku.php?id=r-type_remake_cpc&s[]=rtype

[TotO]

Looking the Youtube video of the Retrogamer issue #101, R-Type CPC get an article. (9:50mn)
Mark Vergeer look to be very enjoyed by our game.


Thumbing Through it: Retrogamer Issue 101 starring some youtubers

If someone can buy and send it for me in UK ? Thank you.
I ordered it online.

[TotO]

OK, I'm reading the test. The first picture is labeled [C64] ... It's not serious.  
One full page, only for our game. A objective review and a good "final" score. Thank to him.

However, it may have not seen the Casual Mode.
He focuses mainly on the game difficulty, while a novice can finish it in this mode and top players asking for an harder "second loop".

[MacDeath]

seems that it was actually badly reviewed


those guys would still give 95% score to the speccy version but give poorly to CPC.
Also they are not hardcore gamers, which is what R-Type was about.

Too difficult ? WTF, it's R-Type you sticky jar of jelly... yust try the arcade with only 5 credits and you won't even pass the first level...

Anyway the screenshots talks for themselves.

[beaker]

Down with Retro Gamer - those Speccy/C64 loving swines!

I got my copy of issue 101 earlier last week and 82% seemed fairly harsh but the reviewer, Jason Kelk, mentioned that he would revise the score accordingly when the crashes he experienced were sorted. Hopefully he'll also notice the casual mode as well in the next version he reviews and put the score above 90% which it deserves IMO.

So was he reviewing an early version of the game?

Right back to reading the rest of the magazine 

[ukmarkh]

I agree with bits of the review, but this is a massive herculean effort. And the review deserved a full feature.

R-Type on the CPC isn't as good as the Speccy version (There, i said it, but only on the grounds of accessibility!), but it's a damn near close run thing. It deserved at least 90% in its current form, and a difficulty level should have been added. My eleven year old nephew loves the look of it, but can't get past the first level... on the Speccy version he can!

Saying that, I love it... and I've recently bought a GX4000 PAD to play it with, and the control is great. The harder the game, the better for me, but I'm in the minority.

A proper review of R-Type CPC coming soon... 


In other news! I don't like the way Retro gamer has just released a joint Speccy and C64 book, but left the CPC out in the cold... we should all boycott at least one issue of the next magazine, just to make our feelings known     

[Xyphoe]

I was going to come post this here too that Retro Gamer had reviewed it and I had quite a shock at the score and mark!

But then, the previous issues BB4CPC (Bubble Bobble) had been reviewed and only given 87%

That's still a high mark but the mind boggles!! Given the playability and how much work has gone into it making it close to arcade perfect as possible...... it's like - what more do you expect?!

I always felt like TMR - who does post on this forum and is an all round nice guy - was always seeming fair and balanced, but this time I think he's wayyy off here on both reviews. Sure it's still high marks but like Orion Prime review (which actually did get a high score 90%+) the review is hardly glowing - the nasty cynic in me as a knee jerk reaction would be to say 'C64 fan jealous of superior CPC releases!'. I don't think it's the case but I'd like to hear more of his reasoning behind these 3 key CPC game reviews - considering some of the games that get high marks in comparison. Sorry mate!  A bit of a bummer

[Puresox]

Speccy version of R-type better than the Amstrad version?? No chance .


Bubble Bobble is excellent,  still think the Jump Action needs tweaking,tis a little stiff.


Would like to read the reviews for myself.

[MacDeath]

Speccy version of R-type better than the Amstrad version??

please, be more precise...
R-type CPC or R-Type128 CPC ?

Down with Retro Gamer - those Speccy/C64 loving swines!

Also notorious Consolefags...

[Puresox]

Well The Retro Magazine review was discussing/Reviewing '128 R-Type', So I presume that was where the comparison was between?

[beaker]

Also notorious Consolefags...

Yes, them too! I say as I put my console collections (Snes, N64, Gamecube, GBA * 3, SMS, Megadrive * 2, Saturn, Dreamcast, Playstation * 2, PS2 * 2, XBOX * 2, XBOX 360) and "consoles rule" poster hurriedly in a skip... 

I have to admit, the last iteration of R-Type I played was on the PC-Engine and I didn't find the new CPC version a million miles away from that version; it was certainly as playable to me. I can't comment on the Speccy version as the nearest I got to that was playing the CPC port on my 464 back in the day.

[TMR]

I always felt like TMR - who does post on this forum and is an all round nice guy - was always seeming fair and balanced, but this time I think he's wayyy off here on both reviews. Sure it's still high marks but like Orion Prime review (which actually did get a high score 90%+) the review is hardly glowing - the nasty cynic in me as a knee jerk reaction would be to say 'C64 fan jealous of superior CPC releases!'.

Hmm... looks like i'm probably damned either way (and i'm off to hide behind the sofa in a minute) but okay, here goes...

R-Type was a really difficult one to score. On the one hand i liked it hugely and enjoyed playing it but then again i had it crash out on me several times, with quite a few being around the same place (the level 4 boss if memory serves, possibly under similar circumstances to those that fano mentioned in post 324 of this thread) and losing all that hard fought for progress was almost painfully frustrating to me as a player so i simply couldn't ignore it when writing the review.

The first screenshot caption should have said [Amstrad CPC] Just like the seaside crane machines! by the way, which is a shame because i was rather fond of it.

[MaV]

R-Type was a really difficult one to score. On the one hand i liked it hugely and enjoyed playing it but then again i had it crash out on me several times, with quite a few being around the same place (the level 4 boss if memory serves, possibly under similar circumstances to those that fano mentioned in post 324 of this thread) and losing all that hard fought for progress was almost painfully frustrating to me as a player so i simply couldn't ignore it when writing the review.

Fair enough! I liked it just for the balls to appear and defend your score.