Star Driver Long-play | Mode 7 style SNES graphics on the Amstrad CPC

[ukmarkh]

[andycadley]

I always found it odd that this was described as "Mode 7 style scaling" when it's anything but. It's more like a kind of barrel scroll and while it's unusual to see on an 8 bit, I'm not convinced it made for a great game. The section in one of the Mickey Mouse games on the megadrive (where you are chased by a moose) used a similar technique to much better effect.

[ukmarkh]

For an 8bit, it's close enough  I like it, good challenge. 

[Sykobee (Briggsy)]

Yeah, it's a software barrel scroll, and a small one at that, but such is the limitation imposed by being a 4MHz Z80 with a 16KB display!

The car turns very nicely. The collision detection is a bit janky though. Levels are short and not very wide.

Gotta say it might have been better to remove the barrel to have a full-screen vertical scroll, but with the nicer turning animation...

I wonder if a modern demo group could knock up something a bit more impressive?

[ukmarkh]

Yeah, it's a software barrel scroll, and a small one at that, but such is the limitation imposed by being a 4MHz Z80 with a 16KB display!

The car turns very nicely. The collision detection is a bit janky though. Levels are short and not very wide.

Gotta say it might have been better to remove the barrel to have a full-screen vertical scroll, but with the nicer turning animation...

I wonder if a modern demo group could knock up something a bit more impressive?

I'd be interested to know for sure what type of scroll was used. I'm personally impressed. I don't know if Rob Buckley or Stephen Lond Baker peruse these parts, but would be good to know more. There's a section or two when the road becomes quite wide, so I suspect it could be improved. Star Driver 2?  

[andycadley]

Yeah, it's a software barrel scroll, and a small one at that, but such is the limitation imposed by being a 4MHz Z80 with a 16KB display!

The car turns very nicely. The collision detection is a bit janky though. Levels are short and not very wide.

Gotta say it might have been better to remove the barrel to have a full-screen vertical scroll, but with the nicer turning animation...

I wonder if a modern demo group could knock up something a bit more impressive?

I'd be interested to know for sure what type of scroll was used. I'm personally impressed. I don't know if Rob Buckley or Stephen Lond Baker peruse these parts, but would be good to know more. There's a section or two when the road becomes quite wide, so I suspect it could be improved. Star Driver 2? 

As mentioned above it's called a barrel scroll, because it sort of resembles a patterned barrel being rotated. Normally the effect would be continued such that it gets smaller again at the bottom, but that would look even weirder in a racing game. It already looks a bit like you're racing around a small moon.

It was pretty unique though, especially for such a late game and I wonder if the technique could have been optimised further. Adds an interesting feel to what is essentially a Spy Hunter-esque vertical scroller at least.

[ukmarkh]

Yeah, it's a software barrel scroll, and a small one at that, but such is the limitation imposed by being a 4MHz Z80 with a 16KB display!

The car turns very nicely. The collision detection is a bit janky though. Levels are short and not very wide.

Gotta say it might have been better to remove the barrel to have a full-screen vertical scroll, but with the nicer turning animation...

I wonder if a modern demo group could knock up something a bit more impressive?

I'd be interested to know for sure what type of scroll was used. I'm personally impressed. I don't know if Rob Buckley or Stephen Lond Baker peruse these parts, but would be good to know more. There's a section or two when the road becomes quite wide, so I suspect it could be improved. Star Driver 2? 

As mentioned above it's called a barrel scroll, because it sort of resembles a patterned barrel being rotated. Normally the effect would be continued such that it gets smaller again at the bottom, but that would look even weirder in a racing game. It already looks a bit like you're racing around a small moon.

It was pretty unique though, especially for such a late game and I wonder if the technique could have been optimised further. Adds an interesting feel to what is essentially a Spy Hunter-esque vertical scroller at least.

Yes, I only referred to it as scaling as that's what 'AA' called it. Rob Buckley referred to it as "impressive 3d scrolling". I believe there might have been plans for a sequel, but when 'AA' died, the scene died with it.