The Ice Guardian has now been ported to Android devices

[Mark Eaton]

A third game written by my father, Barrie Eaton, has now been released to Android devices.

This text adventure game was originally released in 1991 in the U.K.

Like Moonbase 3 and Mystery of the Dark Manor, this uses the same engine to maintain a consistent user experience.

The demo links here: The Ice Guardian Demo - Android-apps op Google Play, and if you like it, the full release is here: The Ice Guardian - Android-apps op Google Play

Hope people have as much fun playing it as I did converting it for Android  :-)

[ukmarkh]

What about iPhone...

[TFM]

Can somebody please move this thread to the appropriate section. It's neither CPC, nor retro.

[Bryce]

We don't have a "Shameless Plugging" section

Bryce.

[Gryzor]

Heheheh


Well, it *was* released on the CPC, so it's a remake on another platform - quite appropriate for this forum methinks...

[TFM]

Heheheh


Well, it *was* released on the CPC, so it's a remake on another platform - quite appropriate for this forum methinks...

Ah no! He is writing about a release on an Android phone! That's in no way CPC related!

The damn whole world had been released on Amstrad before (not always first though), so you basicly can put EVERYTHING in this form, because 20 years ago there was something similar on Amstrad??? No, that's no argument

[Mark Eaton]

Sorry guys, didn't mean to cause this.


I should have said in my opening post that it was originally created on the Amstrad CPC6128, my bad.


TFM/FS:  The Amstrad was my first computer when growing up, starting with a CPC464, green monitor and tape drive. I loved playing games on it back then, particularly text adventures. I even created text adventure games when I was 13 at the time selling them in the Australian Amstrad User Magazine.


I have a lot of fond memories of those days and I personally do enjoy it when other programmers have ported other retro games. Currently I'm still enjoying Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and I find the phone is ideal for these types of games due to their convenience. And I think it's great that a whole new generation of people are being introduced to these types of games thanks to the original forerunners like the Amstrad computers.


In fact you could say it was the Amstrad that developed my love for programming. At the time, by memory, it had a great Basic interpreter and you could use about 38K out of 64K. It was ahead of its time when compared to other computers like the Commodore 64.


I'm converting these games in my own time outside of my regular full time job. I'm enjoying it and am looking forward to coding more of my dad's original Amstrad games.


However I don't wish to upset people either, this is not my intent.


BTW, ukmarkh, I would love to port these over to iPhone as well. It's just cost. Google is AUS $25 for a lifetime membership. However for Apple I need to buy a Mac to program on, then an iPhone, iPad and iTouch to meet their Q/A. Plus as I registered as a company it costs AUS $299 per/year. I will need to make some serious money before I can consider this


The games have been coded so they can easily port to iPhone/WP7.

[Gryzor]

Don't worry Mark, I think it's perfectly appropriate to post it here...

[Executioner]

BTW, ukmarkh, I would love to port these over to iPhone as well. It's just cost. Google is AUS $25 for a lifetime membership. However for Apple I need to buy a Mac to program on, then an iPhone, iPad and iTouch to meet their Q/A. Plus as I registered as a company it costs AUS $299 per/year. I will need to make some serious money before I can consider this

This has me totally stumped too. How can there be so many iOS apps developed when Apple make it so hard to develop for it. (I actually do have iOS running over VirtualBox on my laptop, but if I consider developing for iOS I'll probably get Delphi/C++ Builder XE then I can develop it all on my Win 7 laptop).

[Mark Eaton]

Thanks Gryzor  :-)


Executioner, I do agree that Apple makes it hard to develop apps. They are a successful platform so I'm surprised they don't make it easier for programmers who can't justify all the setup fees (let alone the ongoing membership costs of $299 year as a registered business).


That's why the Android Market is now so viable. $25 for a lifetime membership and that's it as you can code on either a PC or Mac. So it gives us small time developers a chance.


If you do go ahead making an app for the iPhone I would like to know how it went on the win 7 laptop.

[TFM]

So I hope Android kicks iphones butt out of bussiness 

[Executioner]

So I hope Android kicks iphones butt out of bussiness 

Mee too, but iThings are still looking very strong here and in the US/UK.

@Mark: I got the upgrade version of Delphi/C++ Builder XE2 for AU$486. Paid for by my company. I'd have a go at creating an app using it if I a) Had an iPhone/Pod/Pad and b) Knew how to get the code onto it. I'll look into it a bit further, and maybe can put something on my Uncle's iPhone, even if it's just a "Hello World!" app. If I manage this, what else is required to put stuff on the App market?

[TFM]

True this, people only buy flashy things from the advertisments. 90% don't care about technology, software, fair-trade, anything else...

[Gryzor]

Android has already kicked Apple's butt. Here in Greece 2011 was 55% vs 5% (!!). Similar results are to be found elsewhere - in the US, and for the three first months of 2012, Google is ahead: 49% vs 29%.

[TFM]

Offtopic: Well, it's know that Apple has introduced backdoors for their phones (in India this is known by public f.e. since Apple has been only allowed to sell their phones in India, because the added an additional backdoor for Indias secret service). So pretty much evey secret service has his own backdoor in apples iphones.
Now my question: What's about Android phones?

[Gryzor]

There was an uproar in the States - you should know - about not a backdoor but a reporting tool built in by the carriers. Root all the way, man!