CPCWiki forum

This is the first game from CONDENSE
for the Amstrad GX-4000 / Amstrad Plus machines.......
The game is called Sonic GX

Coding: NoRecess / Condense
Graphic Enhancements: CeD / Condense
Audio: Targhan / Arkos
Thanks to our friends TotO, Overflow, Longshot for support & testing

Details with exclusive content to be published in BLAST ANNUAL 2020
Some gameplay videos here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55VGKeWUt5k) and here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WStLxy-Zacg)
Final version available end of 2020(http://norecess.cpcscene.net/uploads/6/0/2/5/6025013/sonicgx-titlescreen_orig.png)(http://norecess.cpcscene.net/uploads/6/0/2/5/6025013/sonicgx-actscreen_orig.png)
(http://norecess.cpcscene.net/uploads/6/0/2/5/6025013/sonicgx-game2_orig.png)
(http://norecess.cpcscene.net/uploads/6/0/2/5/6025013/sonicgx-game5_orig.png)
(http://norecess.cpcscene.net/uploads/6/0/2/5/6025013/sonicgx-bossfight_orig.png)

It's NOVEMBER first, you silly, not April.

Very nice GFX, have I seen this palms before? Or is my memory corrupted?  :laugh:

it's nice, it's moving fast and it is FUC4ING FULLSCREEN !!!!!

For our son you will be heroes now.  8)
Anybody who wants to sell a GX?  :D

Looking very impressive!!  8)

No way!!
:o :o :o

Awesome game !!!  :o :o

This is really impressive !!!  :o

Aaaaand here comes my first stroke.
You are responsible for this.

Absolutely amazing work, guys. Can't wait to test the final version :)

Well the boss in first level should be higher...  :P seriously... FANTASTIC!  :o
I love the first Sonic and this looks amazing!
I hope to get one of those machines some day (I am only on 464 now...)

Wow! This caught me completely unaware!


On the bright side, this will be the best GX4000 game ever released. Forget Chase HQ II!  ;D

Amazing! Well done!

Absolutely stunning, great work everyone!
Keep it up!

Impressive. Smooth, fast, it's Sonic. Fullscreen. (only Amstrad makes...  ;D )
Excellent cover of the tunes with even more, sound FX that sound like on the megadrive.

That's incredible !!!  :o

Quote from: Token on 02:13, 02 November 19
Impressive. Smooth, fast, it's Sonic. Fullscreen. (only Amstrad makes...  ;D )
Excellent cover of the tunes with even more, sound FX that sound like on the megadrive.

Actually this is the same version as the MasterSystem/GameGear.
I used to finish this game on my GG back then, complete with all emeralds.
Later had it on the Megadrive but the 8bit version was for me.



Now on this version you have console quality scrolling, polished gfx and "copper" style backgrounds.
The sound sounds identical with the Sega's psg but with a twist. There is more bass and in a particular moment you hear starkos like aggressive attack.


This port kills the console in every way.

Really impressive!


The first decent game for GX 4000, 30 years later...


Thumb up for fullscreen!  ;D

Helllloowww --- still @ Alchimie, quite tired, completely jet-lagged  :doh: but fun !!! :)
Thanks all for your initial reception! Twitter is hot and burning, my initial Tweet got retweeted 100+ times, it's completely crazy -- never experienced that, even with phX

QuoteVery nice GFX, have I seen this palms before? Or is my memory corrupted?  (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/Smileys/SoLoSMiLeYS1/laugh.gif)

Hehe, good catch. Prehistorik 2 (Amstrad Plus version, not PC or any other version) also features the same palm tree (http://https://www.mobygames.com/images/shots/l/144711-prehistorik-2-amstrad-cpc-screenshot-game-start-on-the-amstrad.png (http://https://www.mobygames.com/images/shots/l/144711-prehistorik-2-amstrad-cpc-screenshot-game-start-on-the-amstrad.png)). Viva Elmar ! :)

QuoteActually this is the same version as the MasterSystem/GameGear....
This port kills the console in every way.

OK, this statement is incorrect, and I have to bump on this.YES, visually it's slightly better - we actually took the original tileset of the GameGear's version, applied a vertical ratio of 1:2 and then CeD added his usual touch. And yes, the rasters in background added more deepness into the game, no question about that. But gameplay-wise, Master System's version will remain the best. The GX-4000 also comes with its limitations, and hey, I don't pretend having better skills than the gods @ Sega ;-) I will be doing my best to bring interesting gameplay, but many little things will be missing. Don't forget @TotO (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=290) is also involved in this project, he is the best designer I actually know so the project is in good hands. :)
Sonic GX IS NOT a remake, a conversion, a port or whatever - someone on Twitter defined it as a "fan-game" and I 100% agree with that definition.

QuoteThe first decent game for GX 4000, 30 years later...

Sincerely, thank you ! Your voice counts a lot for me, I understood what you mean and I really appreciate this. But fullscreen is a feature, not a goal. Let's not forget @Xifos (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=186) ' Ghost'n'Goblins -- to me that's impressive in every aspects, and I'm not even talking about @Golem13 (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=1887) 's GnG, which from what I experienced @ Alchimie 2019 will take the GX by storm (nicely detailed, everything is tailored with love in it, it's highly promising).


Finally, I would like to take some time to credit the one that allowed all of this. Of course I'm talking about @gerald (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=250) , with his C4CPC (allowing for the first time to use cartridge images on real hardware); the GX-4000/Plus really started its "second life" only when? 4-5 years ago? As usual with my communications - I will write in BLAST ANNUAL 2020 detailed article about the game, the challenges, what we are planning and all the thing. Go grab it when available (sometimes next year).


Overall ---- super excited by the reception, you all motivated us like crazy and I can't imagine how I could stop development now.  ;D ;D ;D

OK, back the to the party -- few hours remaining for some solid AMMMMMMMSSSSTRAAAAADDD shouting @ Alchimie. LOL. 

This looks awesome.

Looks great! I wish I had a Plus machine here...

Stunning stuff! Not a big Sonic fan but this shows just how much the hardware is really capable of!

What a beautiful and interesting project!
Congratulations to everyone involved, for the little that is shown at the moment, there is a superb job in every aspect.

Btw, the main video can give the feeling that the screen is not very big, but it is full overscan! Maybe because the sprites are zoomed x2? In any case, it must be impressive to play it on the real hardware.

Truly amazing !!

Quote from: Rhino on 12:52, 03 November 19
What a beautiful and interesting project! Congratulations to everyone involved, for the little that is shown at the moment, there is a superb job in every aspect.

Exactly. Great to have the team at the event!

This looks amazing! Good work guys, even getting to this stage :-)

Great project.
I know it's ripped from the gamegear it reminds me the neogeo pocket port.
Targhan did an amazing work too.

Looks fantastic. I've always said the Plus hardware could be pushed much further when unshackled from trying to produce something that will also run on original models. This, along with GnG, is really starting to show how true that is.


Looking forward to actually playing it.

Awesome! Tested in real. Impressive work. :)

Wow, this looks really impressive. Incredibly fast (I wonder how you manage to draw such huge parts of the screen when scrolling really fast) and colorful and oh the music and everything. This is the surprise of the year to me. Way to go!


PS: and this was coming from a Nintendo fanboy :D

AMAZING PROJECT!!!  :) :) :)

This is the KILLER APP for the GX4000!!!  8)

CONDENSE, YOU MADE IT AGAIN!!!   ;)

In this moment I can not think in other thing except all the times that I have read in the EAB Amiga forum about how it is impossible to convert this game to that machine (my second computer after the CPC and a machine that I loved too) because a lot of shitty reasons. And I am sure that if somebody would open a thread there for announcing this game, those lazy trolls will complain about this wonderful game by using the most stupid reasons that you can imagine... instead of moving their lazy asses and working in making a game at least half of great like this in a much more powerful platform  :P

Quote from: SyX on 15:23, 09 November 19
except all the times that I have read in the EAB Amiga forum about how it is impossible to convert this game to that machine (my second computer after the CPC and a machine that I loved too) because a lot of shitty reasons.

why would it be impossible?  I have Kid Chaos for Amiga and it does a lot of Sonic-style stuff.  More than the Master System/Game Gear ports of Sonic manage anyways.

Quote from: Carnivius on 15:54, 09 November 19
why would it be impossible?  I have Kid Chaos for Amiga and it does a lot of Sonic-style stuff.  More than the Master System/Game Gear ports of Sonic manage anyways.

Mind you, the Amiga is not as powerful as the GX-4000. Or a plain CPC 6128.

Kid Chaos, Body Blows, Great Giana Systers... All those "canada dry" games...  ;D 

Sure the Amiga can, but nobody does (except Hudson for BC Kid?).
All those "clone games" looks homebrews and not first parly.
Sonic GX is really promissing, because the demo looks pro.

Quote from: Carnivius on 15:54, 09 November 19
why would it be impossible?  I have Kid Chaos for Amiga and it does a lot of Sonic-style stuff.  More than the Master System/Game Gear ports of Sonic manage anyways.

Read that forum filled with trolls and you will see... but oh my God! I should not open my mouth anymore, everytime that I speak we get another off-topic  :-[

Quote from: BSC on 16:07, 09 November 19

Mind you, the Amiga is not as powerful as the GX-4000. Or a plain CPC 6128.

Dunno about that but it is more powerful than the SNES for sure


  ;D

Quote from: BSC on 16:07, 09 November 19

Mind you, the Amiga is not as powerful as the GX-4000. Or a plain CPC 6128.

This means OAS/Hypnom(ega) was right all the years?  :o Time to come back to CPC right now.  :laugh:

Quote from: VincentGR on 17:29, 09 November 19

Dunno about that but it is more powerful than the SNES for sure


  ;D

Well 'at least as good as' according to Cliff Lawson  :P

I was obviously kidding about the Amiga. It should be crystal clear that the Plus/GX4000 tech is not in the same league as any Amiga.
But yes, HypnOAS must have been right all the time when a GX4000 can achieve things which the Amiga never did.

I am really looking forward to the final game and hope that NoRecess will also provide some kind of insight into the tricks he used.

Ahah, thank you all for the amazing reception of this project. This motivates us to bring our very best to complete this through next year ! :)
@BSC (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=480): honestly, no super-advanced tricks as you could find in demos, just regular usage of hardware!

Not a trick, but a clue -> the amount of generated code (like every other modern scroll engine on other machines) for graphics

@roudoudou (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=1714) Oh yes, of course. Z80 programming involves precalculated code and all the stuff, no news here  :P That would be sad to not use that when you can have half a Mb on a cartridge :-)

Actually, this seems to be the first game which does use the full(?) potential of the Plus architecture. Great work! Hope you guys can finish it. Thumbs up!  :)

Quote from: villain on 16:42, 01 November 19
Anybody who wants to sell a GX?  :D

Sure, I got a new one here, never used, with Burnin rubber cart. Since this great game is coming out: I'm asking for 300 Euros now (yes, they get expansive now)  :P ;D

This one will be another masterpiece of GX/CPC Plus series  ;)

Seems the only way for France scèneurs to compete with those naughty Spani"hards is to use the PLUS... hahaha can't wait for Rhino to go the PLUS way as well...

;D

WOW i can honestly say i would never have thought i'd see this, i am amazed.

Hello all ! (this message was also cross-posted on my website http://norecess.cpcscene.net/)
:)

I realize I did not give major updates regarding progress on development of Sonic GX since the Alchimie Treize (held in November 2019 in France). So today after months of silence (and some published articles), I would like to share with you an official update regarding the project.

What was done since PREVIEW 1 ?

   
• 4-6 months following the Alchimie party, I spent most of my time rewriting some parts of the game, with better technical approaches. The tile engine got a major refactor, providing better performance and a reduced memory footprint.
• This summer, I had lots of fun adding the support of sprite multiplexing into the game engine. The game engine can now manage up to 40 rings on screen !
• The game engine now supports multiple ground positions for the same horizontal position in the world ; in other words, the Level 2 is featuring tunnels. :)
• Gameplay improvements: new sprite animations bringing more life to the game (a small "smoke" animation is now displayed when Sonic jumps onto an enemy, and a set of tiny "stars" is displayed when Sonic takes a ring) ; the sky (made of horizontal lines) in background is now always slightly animated vertically ; enemies can now fire projectiles (that Sonic must avoid); when Sonic jumps too high and gets hidden from the game's viewport, a small arrow is now displayed to determine what will be the position of the landing ; added support of water (Sonic walks slower in it)...
• Levels 1 & 2 are now finalized. They both feature new visuals. Level 3 is a WIP. CeD did a great job by providing new visuals for the tiles, new enemies too!
• Audio improvements: @Targhan (https://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=110) did an amazing job by translating new musics and sounds.
• Various bug-fixings / other internal optimizations / improvements..

Remaining work to provide / the future

   
• With the help of @TotO (https://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=290) , we now have a better idea of the game content. We focus on providing a coherent game experience, featuring a progressive difficulty for the gameplay and finally -- a game fun to play.
• There are still some low-level stuff that bothers me in the game engine..
• More enemies, new levels.. it's actually bigger and more ambitious from what we initially envisioned during the Alchimie Treize. Right now the original direction did not change, the game still features a completely new level design, taking a large inspiration from the SMS/GameGear versions -- so it's not a remake, but clearly a new "episode".
• We are planning a Bonus zone!
• I estimate that we reached approx. 50%-60% of what should be the final game. So it means we still have a long way to go before releasing this game..
• Consequence of the above point ; as you could expect, the game won't be released this year. 2021 will be a very intense year for me on the professional side, I plan to be more exhausted than usual. So, the new target for release is 2022 (in other words: "it will be ready when it's ready"). I know this will be a disappointing news for some ; but really, there is no rush here.

The first preview of the game shown on Youtube was quite popular (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WStLxy-Zacg). Based on that success, I initially planned to release this today's update as a video. But we finally decided to keep this private to avoid revealing too much the game. So instead, I'm releasing here some exclusive screenshots of the game. Please keep in mind this is WIP -- the final version of the game may be slightly different.

I want to thank a lot my friends (they know who they are) that are helping me to keep the motivation on this project !! And I also would like to send a special mention to @Novabug (https://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=1170) (youtube: Novabug (https://www.youtube.com/user/Novabug)) and @Xyphoe (https://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=109) (youtube: Xyphoe (https://www.youtube.com/user/xyphoe)), they made a great job on Youtube to advertise the game and bring general interest to the Amstrad GX-4000.

You guys did an incredible job. Hope you can finish it up till 2022. Thar would be awesome!  :) :) :)




... Then send it to Amstrad, to show them how game shall look like.  ;)

Quote from: GUNHED on 15:38, 29 November 20
You guys did an incredible job. Hope you can finish it up till 2022. Thar would be awesome!  :) :) :)




... Then send it to Amstrad, to show them how game shall look like.  ;)

Imagine sending a Alan sugar a copy in cartridge oh man :D.

This looks awesome. Of course a video is a video but even these shots are amazing...

Very exciting about GX-exclusive level design!!  8) 

Please give us more :D Even a gif!

Just wondered if there was any update on this project, really looking forward to seeing more of it.

Quote from: jockavelli on 11:51, 14 June 21Just wondered if there was any update on this project, really looking forward to seeing more of it.

Nice avatar, @jockavelli (https://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=3468)  8)
Yes I have good news, I will provide a project update later this month. We are still targeting a release for end of 2022!

Quote from: norecess on 12:38, 14 June 21
Nice avatar, @jockavelli (https://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=3468)  8)
Yes I have good news, I will provide a project update later this month. We are still targeting a release for end of 2022!

Thanks :)


Amazing can't wait, no chance of a sneaky wee 1 level demo slipping out is there :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: ?

Hello all -- and specifically @jockavelli (https://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=3468)   ;) (this message was also cross-posted on my website http://norecess.cpcscene.net/ (http://norecess.cpcscene.net/))

Today I'm sharing with you an update on Sonic GX's development !

What was done since the last update:

   
• The game now features 4 unique zones, with their own set of visual styles, each made of 2 levels: the Green Hill Zone, the Bridge Zone, the Climb Zone and finally the Sky Scrap Zone. This was made possible thanks to newer technical approaches and re-organizing (AGAIN) the data. All of that remains perfectly coherent with the game story.
• The complete game-through of the game is achieved ! Yes, you read it: the game is now fully playable from Level 1 to end of Level 8, without any blockers. Of course there are many remaining things to tweak, but this represents a major step for us that we finally reached.
• Because of level-design restrictions (the Climb Zone required a vertical layout, while the Sky Scrap Zone features a labyrinth in DrEggman's bunker), we had to upgrade our tile engine to support squared-maps, vertical-maps... this means the engine is not stuck anymore to horizontal levels only.
• We also added a new enemy - Spike - and added few new screens (a new dedicated "Act Screen" for the Sky Scrap Zone, the Scoring Screen that appears at the end of each levels, etc).
• Our musician Targhan delivered all the audio required for the game: levels (including the newer additions), act screens, bonus level, end screen, game sounds and more. What I can say is that his work completely match the game theme as we know on Sega consoles !

Remaining work:

   
• We are still good regarding our development plan. Our target is to get the game "feature completed" end of this year (major work to focus: implement the Bonus Level + the End Screen of the game).
• Next year will be the year of the bug-fixings / game improvements. Since we don't want to disappoint, we won't release the game till we don't consider it's good for shipping -- or, in other words: till TotO is not satisfied with :)
• Hopefully End of 2022 as Release Date, if everything still goes OK! :)

Find here attached some new screens (that completes the ones in the previous update). Please keep in mind all of that remains a work in progress: many things can change.

From my point of view (doing some graphics) the deepest respect for the gfx efforts.
(sadly I can't imagine the programing efforts but it seems very talented).

Quote from: HAL 6128 on 20:17, 20 June 21
From my point of view (doing some graphics) the deepest respect for the gfx efforts.

CeD did not do yet his graphical pass on the bunker level (cf. as shown in the images above), they are presented as straight port from the originals. As a reminder, compared to the GameGear/MasterSystem counter-parts, in SonicGX the tiles resolution is twice higher. CeD will do his magic and bring details there in the following months...

Absolutely stunning, I've played most Sonic games but this could be my most anticipated ever! (Or at least a close second to Sonic Adventure)

One word; phenomenal!

Quote from: norecess on 19:37, 20 June 21
Hello all -- and specifically @jockavelli (https://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=3468)   ;) (this message was also cross-posted on my website http://norecess.cpcscene.net/ (http://norecess.cpcscene.net/))

:o :o :o  Wow i didnt expect an update for a while..... maybe i should ask more often :laugh:


Amazing... Honestly it really does look amazing even at this stage.


The sad thing for me is that this highlights how many excellent games the GX & CPC+ missed out on via lack of development & just not being ported, such a shame.


However i cannot wait to play this & hear the fantastic soundtrack coming via the GX.


Fantastic work by everyone involved.

These screens are almost unbelievable. Wow.

This is the case when you add a 4th A to a triple A title.

Quote from: jockavelli on 10:10, 21 June 21The sad thing for me is that this highlights how many excellent games the GX & CPC+ missed out on via lack of development & just not being ported, such a shame.

Well, I'm with you all the way but it's a bit unfair, here.

In the end (for the programming side) I will probably spend 4 years of my hobby time on this.. with all those incredible cross-platform tools called "emulators", "assemblers", "audio trackers" and such. And not even mentioning the few available technical documentation.

Back then, professional game creators had to 1) discover the platform 2) release a game as fast as possible -- all of that in only few weeks of development..

Really, I can't really blame them.
What we can blame, is that Amstrad did not invest massively on a GOOD launch line-up (investing time & quality, not only $$$ in marketing).

Quote from: norecess on 18:39, 21 June 21
Well, I'm with you all the way but it's a bit unfair, here.

In the end (for the programming side) I will probably spend 4 years of my hobby time on this.. with all those incredible cross-platform tools called "emulators", "assemblers", "audio trackers" and such. And not even mentioning the few available technical documentation.

Back then, professional game creators had to 1) discover the platform 2) release a game as fast as possible -- all of that in only few weeks of development..

Really, I can't really blame them.
What we can blame, is that Amstrad did not invest massively on a GOOD launch line-up (investing time & quality, not only $$$ in marketing).

Amstrad made an informed decision to semi-out-source that task to Amsoft. Due to the very tight time to market they went for, meant that developers only got usable hardware to develop games on shortly before launch. Alan would have been left with the decision: Delay going to market to have better software support at launch, but risk completely missing a potential market (things were moving fast at the time) or go as early as possible to market, let the hardware speak for itself and hope that the software industry catches up. Amsoft gave him at least a line-up of games / utilities to go to market with. I think he made the right choice, there'd probably be a lot less CPC's in circulation today if he had gone the other way.

Bryce.

Quote from: jockavelli on 10:10, 21 June 21
The sad thing for me is that this highlights how many excellent games the GX & CPC+ missed out on via lack of development & just not being ported, such a shame.

You're not really comparing like for like in terms of situations. During the 80s and early 90s, the video game industry was a fast moving industry and we're talking big money from software houses to be made to capitalise on certain markets, particularly the arcade and movie licence markets.


As a result, developers didn't have a lot of time to milk the best out of machines and Amstrad owners weren't the only ones to suffer that fate, there are some woeful Speccy and C64 games out there too.


Comparing a game developed by hobbyists with no deadlines that had all the time in the world to play with is grossly unfair. For what it's worth, the Speccy has seen some awesome remakes recently too, including Kung Fu Master, and if you ever played the Speccy KF Master, you'd understand exactly why it needed to be remade! 😂

Quote from: Bryce on 19:17, 21 June 21Amstrad made an informed decision to semi-out-source that task to Amsoft.

Wasn't Amsoft already history when the Plus/GX4000 came out? Afaik Amstrad completely relied on third party companies to come up with modules. Amsoft was probably THE reason for the unexpected success of the CPC range as they managed to take the risk from the publishers so they didn't wait IF the CPC is successful and at the same time the customers saw a totally fresh computer on the shelf AND lots of games were available. High quality and the availability of the hardware as announced were also important, but without software, it would have probably sold 10x less.

And with the GX... well... there was basically no Software that could justify buying a GX4000 or a Plus. Almost only slightly enhanced titles for much more than it costs on tape.

I don't know the history of amsoft in UK.


I know that the spanish part(poogaboo ro land in the ropes etc...).


Was dismantled time later soon  and they go to  dinámic opera soft etc...  Because José Luis dominguez want sell more hardware that software.

Quote from: norecess on 19:37, 20 June 21Today I'm sharing with you an update on Sonic GX's development !

Wow, Arnaud, this looks utterly great! Much respect to everyone involved. Seems the Plus range is finally gaining some traction. I am massively looking forward to the final game.

Quote from: Bug Powell on 16:17, 28 July 21
norecess: it would be truly amazing if you plan to make a cpc version too.

Hehe. The Amstrad Plus' ASIC chip is at the core of Sonic GX's game engine. It relies on hardware sprites, pixel-precise horizontal / vertical scrollings, screen split techniques, scanline interrupts, audio facilities through DMA channels, 4096 palette, hardware sprite multiplexing etc etc.

In its current form, it's impossible to convert this game to the regular Amstrad CPC.

Not sure what will be my next Amstrad project. One project at a time... and let's finish this one first.  :)

Makes me wish I had a Plus/GX  :(

Quote from: Animalgril987 on 14:32, 30 July 21
Makes me wish I had a Plus/GX  :(

Bad timing ? I saw prices have skyrocketed on eBay....

That and the fact that I only have space for one retro machine, and there's a 464 in that space!

Quote from: Animalgril987 on 16:15, 30 July 21
That and the fact that I only have space for one retro machine, and there's a 464 in that space!

Go get a 464 PLUS then! ;-) Kidding  ;)

What?? After the hours I put in fixing the tape deck and giving the CPC a damn good cleaning?


Besides, a 464 was my first computer, back in the eighties. :D :D

Warning! Slight topic distraction ahead: I do own a GX4000 which I bought in London back in 1993. What additional hardware would I need to run e.g. Sonic GX or Soundtracker DMA? I am thinking of a keyboad mainly, but afaik there's no such thing as an external keyboard for the GX. This might have been asked in the forums before, so if that's true: linky please :)

Quote from: BSC on 19:05, 02 August 21
Warning! Slight topic distraction ahead: I do own a GX4000 which I bought in London back in 1993. What additional hardware would I need to run e.g. Sonic GX or Soundtracker DMA? I am thinking of a keyboad mainly, but afaik there's no such thing as an external keyboard for the GX. This might have been asked in the forums before, so if that's true: linky please :)

Make another journey to an european capital (no Six-Pack this time), visit Paris and buy a Plus somewhere in France.  ;D


If all this COVID-Kacke is over one day I will make a trip to Grand Est and hope to find something suitable on leboncoin.fr...

Quote from: BSC on 19:05, 02 August 21
Warning! Slight topic distraction ahead: I do own a GX4000 which I bought in London back in 1993. What additional hardware would I need to run e.g. Sonic GX or Soundtracker DMA? I am thinking of a keyboad mainly, but afaik there's no such thing as an external keyboard for the GX. This might have been asked in the forums before, so if that's true: linky please :)

Actually, that's a good question ! Sonic GX requires 64Kb of RAM so it will run on an unmodified GX-4000. But, you need to buy a C4CPC to be able to launch cartridge .CPR files (unfortunately, we don't plan to distribute original cartridges that you can directly plug into the console). You can PM @gerald (https://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=250) for more information about the C4CPC, it's a powerful device for a decent price.

Regarding the Soundtracker DMA from @Zik (https://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=1798) , it requires an Amstrad Plus. I don't recommend you to try extending an existing Amstrad GX-4000 into a "computer", as you would kill a working GX-4000 for such a project, and the result would be a bunch of wire + visible hardware... So instead, my recommendation would be to try buying the real thing, I mean the Amstrad Plus - good luck to find one at cheap price  :-X

@norecess (https://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=2409)


Maybe you are interested to take a look at this conversion:


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jGp4a00OeRs (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jGp4a00OeRs)

Thanks @villain (https://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=210) for sharing this :)


I won't enter into the discussion "it's using a RAM expansion ! it has bad colors !" etc etc.

Their version just looks awesome for the machine, it looks and feels like a Sonic game !

A lot of work has been put there for sure, I'm sincerely excited for all C64 users :)

Quote from: norecess on 19:13, 13 December 21
A lot of work has been put there for sure, I'm sincerely excited for all C64 users :)

He wrote of app. 1200 hours...  :o

Quote from: villain on 19:41, 13 December 21
He wrote of app. 1200 hours...  :o

I'm not be surprised.

I'm not counting hours on Sonic GX (but I can count years, ahah!)
The private git repo of Sonic GX states about 3037 commits as in date of today  8)
Which is the largest program I ever worked on so far!

Is-it the REU (RAM Expansion Unit) that not only add 256K memory but DMA transfer to speed-up the display?

Quote from: norecess on 19:24, 02 August 21don't recommend you to try extending an existing Amstrad GX-4000 into a "computer", as you would kill a working GX-4000 for such a project, and the result would be a bunch of wire + visible hardware..

Never gonna break my GX-4000! But obtaining a Plus is no mean feat, I suppose, and even if I get one, the price is gonna make me cry ..

Quote from: TotO on 20:16, 13 December 21
Is-it the REU (RAM Expansion Unit) that not only add 256K memory but DMA transfer to speed-up the display?

Yes, it is.

Quote from: norecess on 19:13, 13 December 21
Thanks @villain (https://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=210) for sharing this :)


I won't enter into the discussion "it's using a RAM expansion ! it has bad colors !" etc etc.

Their version just looks awesome for the machine, it looks and feels like a Sonic game !

A lot of work has been put there for sure, I'm sincerely excited for all C64 users :)

I loaded this up on my C64g last night. It is amazingly impresseive. Albeit on PAL machines the music (and game itself) play slower as expected. It is still a truly amazing product and I intend to play a lot more of it over the coming days!

Quote from: CraigsBar on 10:22, 23 December 21
I loaded this up on my C64g last night. It is amazingly impresseive. Albeit on PAL machines the music (and game itself) play slower as expected. It is still a truly amazing product and I intend to play a lot more of it over the coming days!

Official frown of disapproval to you for praising anything C64 related on an Amstrad forum....

:(

Consider yourself "frowned upon".

Bryce.

Quote from: Bryce on 16:25, 23 December 21Official frown of disapproval to you for praising anything C64 related on an Amstrad forum....

Well, yes and no? I'm not against seeing the great things happening on other 8-bit machines. Especially when it's related to Sonic franchise, cf. the topic of this thread :)

Ah people still don't get the Bryce humor😉

Quote from: CraigsBar on 10:22, 23 December 21
I loaded this up on my C64g last night.

Craig, I would have thought better of you than to be showing that filth on a family forum!

Lego's response:


https://www.lego.com/de-de/product/sonic-the-hedgehog-green-hill-zone-21331?cmp=emc-c%3DPROMO-eid%3D3107-d%3D1%2F7%2F2022-n%3D2022_01_DEDICATED_PROJECT_RINGS_TEST-sid%3D4599176-jid%3D31733-s%3DLAUN-t%3DIDEAS-a%3DACTIVE-tst%3DVariant_B_10086&j=31733&sfmc_sub=4599176&l=259_HTML&u=3295860&mid=510004361&jb=2489 (https://www.lego.com/de-de/product/sonic-the-hedgehog-green-hill-zone-21331?cmp=emc-c%3DPROMO-eid%3D3107-d%3D1%2F7%2F2022-n%3D2022_01_DEDICATED_PROJECT_RINGS_TEST-sid%3D4599176-jid%3D31733-s%3DLAUN-t%3DIDEAS-a%3DACTIVE-tst%3DVariant_B_10086&j=31733&sfmc_sub=4599176&l=259_HTML&u=3295860&mid=510004361&jb=2489)


😂

Quote from: Gryzor on 17:50, 23 December 21
Ah people still don't get the Bryce humor😉

Nor do they know that @CraigsBar (https://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=482) and I are extremely good friends in real life and enjoy nothing better than sharing a pint and taking the piss out of each other!

Bryce.

P.s Craig, move your arse, it's your round! Mine's a Guinness, and get get a Ginger tea for @Shaun M. Neary (https://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=728) , or whatever lame beverage he happens to be on at the moment.

Quote from: villain on 19:09, 07 January 22
Lego's response:


https://www.lego.com/de-de/product/sonic-the-hedgehog-green-hill-zone-21331?cmp=emc-c%3DPROMO-eid%3D3107-d%3D1%2F7%2F2022-n%3D2022_01_DEDICATED_PROJECT_RINGS_TEST-sid%3D4599176-jid%3D31733-s%3DLAUN-t%3DIDEAS-a%3DACTIVE-tst%3DVariant_B_10086&j=31733&sfmc_sub=4599176&l=259_HTML&u=3295860&mid=510004361&jb=2489 (https://www.lego.com/de-de/product/sonic-the-hedgehog-green-hill-zone-21331?cmp=emc-c%3DPROMO-eid%3D3107-d%3D1%2F7%2F2022-n%3D2022_01_DEDICATED_PROJECT_RINGS_TEST-sid%3D4599176-jid%3D31733-s%3DLAUN-t%3DIDEAS-a%3DACTIVE-tst%3DVariant_B_10086&j=31733&sfmc_sub=4599176&l=259_HTML&u=3295860&mid=510004361&jb=2489)


😂

Perfect for creating level mock-ups!  :D

Quote from: Bryce on 16:25, 23 December 21
Official frown of disapproval to you for praising anything C64 related on an Amstrad forum....

:(

Consider yourself "frowned upon".

Bryce.

sheesh, I went out of my way to use the C64g too. You know that lovely white(ish) Breadbin that was exclusive to the German market? I thought you woudl at least approve a little bit!

Quote from: Bryce on 20:42, 07 January 22
Nor do they know that @CraigsBar (https://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=482) and I are extremely good friends in real life and enjoy nothing better than sharing a pint and taking the piss out of each other!

Bryce.

P.s Craig, move your arse, it's your round! Mine's a Guinness, and get get a Ginger tea for @Shaun M. Neary (https://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=728) , or whatever lame beverage he happens to be on at the moment.

The hell dude? I was on hot whiskey and a pint of Guinness the last time we met!! You don't get more stereotypical Irish than that!!

As I own a Plus now and my daughter shows Sonic-fever (Megadrive...) I just wanted to ask if there are any news concerning the release date... But no need to hurry.  8)

Hi,

Quoteno need to hurry.  (https://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/Smileys/SoLoSMiLeYS1/cool.gif)

That's exactly my state of mind regarding Sonic GX.

I'm not providing any release date anymore because I honestly know it will take time (years) to complete the project and reach the quality we are targetting.
Plus, I'm getting many events in my private life this year that slow down my productivity.

If you want an info about the game, we are currently working on the Bonus Stage, which has to be both technical / fun to play. It's basically another game in the game ahah!!

So no worries, all is fine -- it's my only project for the Amstrad and the game will ship one day for sure :)
I'm keeping the fun at creating this game and that's the only thing that matters for now :)

Hi,

thanks for the update! 

My deepest respect for the ability to keep up your motivation for years. Take the time you need. 

Amazing!! I just wonder if you made sonic a bit smaller, would help, and center the screen a bit higher.

I've been replaying Sonic 1 again, MD, sometimes enemys catch you out as you jump.

Thats the issue with Sonic, he moves so fast, its open to off screen enemys catching you unaware.

I think that will not help at all, because it is based on the Game Gear version. But, who know!

Maybe you could make Sonic a bit more wearing some overalls, maybe a red cap and also a mustache would be pretty cool, I think. I also strongly believe (and thusly expect you to obey) that there should be some mushrooms to play with (you get the grip) and the game would be a lot better with tubes allowing you to go underground. Please implement all my suggestions as to make your game not a total failure. You're welcome. 

Hola a todos, lo primero norecess gracias por estar trabajando en el nuevo sonic gx... somos muchas las personas que estamos pendientes de tu trabajo en sonic gx y decirte que cada pequeño avance que hagas nos sentará genial, ya que es mucha la ilusión que ha generado esta version para amstrad plus y gx4000, maquinas con grandes posibilidades y a las que la industria les dió la espalda de una manera tan cruel.

Este post no solo es de agradecimiento, querría pediros como ha ocurrido en otros proyectos, y teniendo en cuenta que se acercan pronto las navidades..que subierais a la red una pequeña demo aunque fuese solo de una pequeña parte del primer nivel , y así poder  empezar a ver realmente el potencial de tu version sonic gx.

Espero considereis la peticion., y teniendo en cuenta la larga espera, ya que con nuestros amstrad plus y c4cpc esto ya seria posible.


Muchas gracias .. esperamos noticias frescas!

Thank you @nanrc20 , your message counts a lot for me !!

Nope, unfortunately, a public release of a preview of the game will never happen, that's not how I like to work. I know it may appear to be a very frustrating process, but from my past experience I consider the releasing of previews as a personal motivation killer...

Entiendo tu postura norecess.. y creo que en el fondo yo haría exactamente lo mismo.
Muchas gracias por responder, solo podemos darte las gracias por todo el esfuerzo que conlleva un proyecto de este calibre.


Estaremos atentos a cualquier noticia..

Muchas gracias!


P.D:Demostradle a todo el mundo de lo que es capaz un Amstrad plus.

Quote from: norecess on 19:24, 02 August 21

Quote from: BSC on 19:05, 02 August 21¡Advertencia! Ligera distracción temática por delante: tengo un GX4000 que compré en Londres en 1993. ¿Qué hardware adicional necesitaría para ejecutar, por ejemplo, Sonic GX o Soundtracker DMA? Estoy pensando en un keyboad principalmente, pero afaik no hay tal cosa como un teclado externo para el GX. Esto podría haber sido preguntado en los foros antes, así que si eso es cierto: linky por favor :)

En realidad, ¡esa es una buena pregunta! Sonic GX requiere 64Kb de RAM, por lo que se ejecutará en un GX-4000 sin modificar. Pero, necesitas comprar un C4CPC para poder lanzar el cartucho. CPR (desafortunadamente, no planeamos distribuir cartuchos originales que pueda conectar directamente a la consola). Puede PM @gerald (https://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=250) para obtener más información sobre el C4CPC, es un dispositivo potente a un precio decente.

En cuanto al Soundtracker DMA de @Zik (https://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=1798), requiere un Amstrad Plus. No le recomiendo que intente extender un Amstrad GX-4000 existente a una "computadora", ya que mataría un GX-4000 en funcionamiento para tal proyecto, y el resultado sería un montón de cable + hardware visible ... Entonces, en cambio, mi recomendación sería intentar comprar la cosa real, me refiero al Amstrad Plus: buena suerte para encontrar uno a un precio barato.

Hola Norecess, ¿algún progreso? No nos subes capturas nurvas de si Sonic GX4000 está evolucionando ?. ¿El desarrollo sigue en curso? o lo has dejado de lado. Gracias y salu2

Thanks for asking for an update, your interest in this project is really appreciated !

So, some news...
The engine for the Bonus Stage is now partly done and we are now tweaking it for better gameplay / visuals.

A source close to the project said "it's looking like a Genesis game". 8)

More news about it later this year !

Thanks for the update! Really looking forward to the game!  :) :) :)

Quote from: nanrc20 on 19:14, 05 November 22Hola a todos, lo primero norecess gracias por estar trabajando en el nuevo sonic gx... somos muchas las personas que estamos pendientes de tu trabajo en sonic gx y decirte que cada pequeño avance que hagas nos sentará genial, ya que es mucha la ilusión que ha generado esta version para amstrad plus y gx4000, maquinas con grandes posibilidades y a las que la industria les dió la espalda de una manera tan cruel.

Este post no solo es de agradecimiento, querría pediros como ha ocurrido en otros proyectos, y teniendo en cuenta que se acercan pronto las navidades..que subierais a la red una pequeña demo aunque fuese solo de una pequeña parte del primer nivel , y así poder  empezar a ver realmente el potencial de tu version sonic gx.

Espero considereis la peticion., y teniendo en cuenta la larga espera, ya que con nuestros amstrad plus y c4cpc esto ya seria posible.


Muchas gracias .. esperamos noticias frescas!

Thanks for your post. This is an english forum, you know? 

Quote from: BSC on 11:46, 29 March 23

Quote from: nanrc20 on 19:14, 05 November 22Hola a todos, lo primero norecess gracias por estar trabajando en el nuevo sonic gx... somos muchas las personas que estamos pendientes de tu trabajo en sonic gx y decirte que cada pequeño avance que hagas nos sentará genial, ya que es mucha la ilusión que ha generado esta version para amstrad plus y gx4000, maquinas con grandes posibilidades y a las que la industria les dió la espalda de una manera tan cruel.

Este post no solo es de agradecimiento, querría pediros como ha ocurrido en otros proyectos, y teniendo en cuenta que se acercan pronto las navidades..que subierais a la red una pequeña demo aunque fuese solo de una pequeña parte del primer nivel , y así poder  empezar a ver realmente el potencial de tu version sonic gx.

Espero considereis la peticion., y teniendo en cuenta la larga espera, ya que con nuestros amstrad plus y c4cpc esto ya seria posible.


Muchas gracias .. esperamos noticias frescas!

Thanks for your post. This is an english forum, you know?

i tought gryzor was greek, my apologies!

Apology not accepted, nanrc.fr

Here is some news regarding the development progress of Sonic GX, with a focus on the new Special Stage introduced today.

While still being a WIP (disclaimer: expect some changes); it's now advanced enough to provide a preview.

The gameplay is inspired (not a copy!) from the Special Stage as found in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 on the Sega Megadrive. Of course, it has been adapted to match the Amstrad GX-4000 limitations.

Gameplay description: with the Special Stage, Sonic can't lose anything, only wins an extra new life. He must collect rings on time, while avoiding holes and bombs.

We are still working hard on Sonic GX. For sure, it's taking more time than expected, but there is no need to rush its development  ;)
 


(http://norecess464.weebly.com/uploads/6/0/2/5/6025013/sonicgx-specialstage-start_orig.png)

(http://norecess464.weebly.com/uploads/6/0/2/5/6025013/sonicgx-specialstage-ringsandholes_orig.png)

(http://norecess464.weebly.com/uploads/6/0/2/5/6025013/sonicgx-specialstage-bombs_orig.png)

Absolutely STUNNING!
The parallax, the road effects, the sprite movement.
Wow!

There are no words to describe what I see, everything is wonderful

so smooooooooth
i love the reverse effect when you hit an enemy!
well done!

Amazing! Simply stunning work!

Amazing!  A whole other engine in itself!! 

Wow, absolutely crazy!! :o First I couldn't believe that this is a CPC (even not a plus)!

Fantastic!

Very, very cool gfx and what a smooth flow! Lot of parallel scrolling, moving, shifting...
Who are the lucky tester?

This is a pact with the devil  :o

It's amazing!!!

To everyone: thanks!  8) :-* :)

Quote from: HAL6128 on 13:03, 27 June 23Who are the lucky tester?

;D

Quote from: TotO on 14:55, 27 June 23

Quote from: HAL6128 on 13:03, 27 June 23Who are the lucky tester?

;D

@TotO is much more than a "tester" on Sonic GX. He has an excellent background in gaming (in general) and has also a good experience in shipping great games for the Amstrad (R-Type, Alcon 2020, etc).

His role on Sonic GX is also on the design side, providing precious advices and suggestions. He has excellent attention to details and brings overall coherency, etc.

Example (fun fact!): initially (and in all honesty), for the Special Stage, I was targeting a pure Trailblazer clone: run, jump, and avoid holes. It was late in the development when I realized @TotO's expectations included gameplay elements on top of the checkboard (rings, bombs and the likes), adding unexpected complexity to the implementation...

Without him, no game. At least, not under that form.

ps. enjoy this day @TotO: that will be the only time where I will publicly show all the love you deserve :P

This is absolutely bloody spectacular!

Quote from: norecess on 16:26, 27 June 23

Quote from: TotO on 14:55, 27 June 23

Quote from: HAL6128 on 13:03, 27 June 23Who are the lucky tester?

;D

@TotO is much more than a "tester" on Sonic GX. He has an excellent background in gaming (in general) and has also a good experience in shipping great games for the Amstrad (R-Type, Alcon 2020, etc).

His role on Sonic GX is also on the design side, providing precious advices and suggestions. He has excellent attention to details and brings overall coherency, etc.

Example (fun fact!): initially (and in all honesty), for the Special Stage, I was targeting a pure Trailblazer clone: run, jump, and avoid holes. It was late in the development when I realized @TotO's expectations included gameplay elements on top of the checkboard (rings, bombs and the likes), adding unexpected complexity to the implementation...

Without him, no game. At least, not under that form.

ps. enjoy this day @TotO: that will be the only time where I will publicly show all the love you deserve :P

TotO deserves love every day  8)

J'vous fou quatres jours ! ;D

It's simply amazing!

If only the Plus/GX line would have had enough time to get great games like this one...

Quote from: robcfg on 20:32, 27 June 23If only the Plus/GX line would have had enough time to get great games like this one...

No remorse. It's exactly why this is so interesting to program for the GX-4000 nowadays. Let's all take our revenge on the past! ;)

Seriously impressive looking. Great to see the GX4000 getting some love.

Quote from: robcfg on 20:32, 27 June 23It's simply amazing!

If only the Plus/GX line would have had enough time to get great games like this one...

Better still, games like this when they were launched!

Quote from: ComSoft6128 on 18:34, 28 June 23

Quote from: robcfg on 20:32, 27 June 23It's simply amazing!

If only the Plus/GX line would have had enough time to get great games like this one...

Better still, games like this when they were launched!

I'm not sure I like what you're all insinuating here about No Exit and Wild Streets  :o >:( :-X

Quote from: robcfg on 20:32, 27 June 23It's simply amazing!

If only the Plus/GX line would have had enough time to get great games like this one...

The time was there imho. But the traitor-part of the so called scene went to PC and Amiga. That was the problem. Now they're crawling back...  :laugh: :-* ;) :) :) :)

Quote from: GUNHED on 20:42, 29 June 23But the traitor-part of the so called scene went to PC and Amiga. That was the problem. Now they're crawling back...  :laugh: :-* ;) :) :) :)

Thanks a lot for this great insight, I didn't know, that Norecess is now crawling back from the PC/Amiga. :picard:

No, I guess he arrived years ago!  :laugh:

Quote from: GUNHED on 20:56, 29 June 23No, I guess he arrived years ago!  :laugh:

I may be lost into English->French translation.
I started Amstrad demoscene in 1993 -> pursued on PC in 1997 -> GBA->PS2 stuff in 2002 -> PSP stuff in 2007 -> then I bought back an Amstrad in 2008 because of nostalgia. :)
It's all listed in the Productions section of my website (link in my signature!).

My comment was a humorous one.  :) BTW: Just before I saw the special stage - looks better than any kind of car race on CPC. Looked three times at it, just a real beauty.  :) :) :)

So after all this time, you thought that Sonic GX was vaporware, right? How wrong you are!  ;)
 
Many things happened to the game in the last months...

(http://norecess464.weebly.com/uploads/6/0/2/5/6025013/1-titlescreen_orig.png)

First, we rewrote the title screen, this time it's almost a 1:1 with the SEGA Mega Drive/Genesis version. Of course, it's fully animated with all the horizontal scrollers, if you had a doubt.

(http://norecess464.weebly.com/uploads/6/0/2/5/6025013/2-bridgezone-zonename_orig.png)
(http://norecess464.weebly.com/uploads/6/0/2/5/6025013/3-greenhillzone-scoring.png)
(http://norecess464.weebly.com/uploads/6/0/2/5/6025013/4-bridgezone-gameover.png)

Actually, now many elements are highly inspired from the 16-bit version of the original game.

Above: the "zone name", the "scoring" and the "game over" messages are now displayed directly into the game viewport...

And below, those are screenshots of the new boss-fights, all of them featuring unique gameplay.

(http://norecess464.weebly.com/uploads/6/0/2/5/6025013/5-bossfight-greenhillzone.png)
(http://norecess464.weebly.com/uploads/6/0/2/5/6025013/6-bossfight-greenhillzone2.png)
(http://norecess464.weebly.com/uploads/6/0/2/5/6025013/7-bossfight-bridgezone.png)
(http://norecess464.weebly.com/uploads/6/0/2/5/6025013/8-bossfight-bridgezone2.png)

Now each zones have their own unique Bonus Stages...

(http://norecess464.weebly.com/uploads/6/0/2/5/6025013/9-bonusstage-greenhillzone.png)
(http://norecess464.weebly.com/uploads/6/0/2/5/6025013/10-bonusstage-bridgezone.png)(http://norecess464.weebly.com/uploads/6/0/2/5/6025013/11-bonusstage-climbzone.png)

Sonic now moves faster and features small/long jumps (as a consequence, the camera moves faster, too).

Checkpoints have been added in the middle of the maps to avoid restarting from the beginning when loosing...

(http://norecess464.weebly.com/uploads/6/0/2/5/6025013/12-checkpoint_orig.png)

Many levels were enhanced with better gameplay. Also, many bugfixes were provided, and all the numerous collision issues we had are now gone.

Those previewed screenshots/video are probably the last ones before the final release of the game. We don't want to spoil anything...

So the eternal question -- when does this game will be available to everyone !?? Well, the answer is simple: this game is a labor of love, we keep adding stuff till we can, and we will continue till we are satisfied enough with the final result. Also, we actually raised the technical bar again and again since we thought that the GX-4000 could handle it (and with reason), meaning more work for us. A tentative release now could be end of 2025, but I don't promise anything now loll. =)

To conclude this post, here is a video showing the various elements of the gameplay... here it's running on emulator (that was more practical to record the various parts of the game) but the game behaves exactly the same on the real hardware.

This is the best thing I've ever seen for the hardware and in the 8bit world.

Is that road med res?
A thing that feels different from GG, is the camera movement that locks on sonic.

Jesus.

Now all that remains is building a time machine, going back 35 years and wiping the floor with the competition.

I mean, a time machine must be easier than this, right? 😁

o my god it's hypnotising! and what happiness!
if it's true, it's still vaporware, it's all a series of bitmaps ;)

heart on you my friend :)

That just looks awesome.  8)

This. This is exactly what I used to rant about when I said the Plus hardware was capable of so much more than had ever been demonstrated. That it was worth emulating, worth spending time advocating for and building rewritable cartridges that sounded like madness because why would anyone bother for a crap system with 26 games.

There has been so much that's started to show how much the system was underestimated over the past few years, but this absolutely knocks it so far out of the park. Even I didn't imagine it ending up looking so polished. 

This is just so f*ing cool, I have no words for this!
I still most love the 3D "racing" levels at the end of the video, this looks better than 16bit stuff!

It looks absolutely stunning, wow, thanks for sharing and take your time.

Looks simply brilliant. Nice job.  :D

Excellent work!!!  :) :) :)

So gorgeous, I'm paralyzed

I can't add much to what everyone else has said! Simply stunning!  :o

This is simply awesome and breathtaking. If only this kind of game had been released back in the days, on many points it seems... no it IS superior to the SMS version.
Kudos to the whole team and that surely leads the way for other productions ...

Unbelievable :o
Absolutely fantastic work.
Such a great project.

This will be setting new standards for the GX4000 and Plus range.

It's beautiful. Always great to see an update on this great project, or indeed any GX project. But this one I am especially looking forward to. 

Thanks all for your positive feedback! After so many hours invested into this project, you have no idea what it means to me.

As a reminder, this is a collaborative effort:
- CeD for the graphics. It's not a simple "copy-paste" of bitmaps into the project, CeD provides his best work to enhance those assets to the GX-4000 constraints
- Targhan for the audio part. If the game feels and plays like Sonic, it's mostly because the audio plays a big part in this!
- TotO for the overall design of the game. He is the "guard", telling me what is good and what is not. For example, it's him that insisted to "do something with the horrible scoring screen" (the previous version was a separate screen), or "the clouds in the Bonus Stage are not the ones from Sonic game!" (it took me time to realize that the reworked clouds of Shadow Of The Beast game weren't appropriate).
- and me for the programming part

Once again, thanks all!

After watching the video numerous times a question has sprung to mind. In no way is it a criticism @norecess464.

It was interesting to see that you have now added extra bits to Robotniks end of level boss graphics. Such as the swing balls etc. In the Sega games the swinging platforms over gaps also have rings swinging with the platform. Am I right to assume you just don't have enough machine resource available to do this when the environment is scrolling and doing so much other stuff?

Quote from: Maniac on 17:20, 31 July 24After watching the video numerous times a question has sprung to mind. In no way is it a criticism @norecess464.

It was interesting to see that you have now added extra bits to Robotniks end of level boss graphics. Such as the swing balls etc. In the Sega games the swinging platforms over gaps also have rings swinging with the platform. Am I right to assume you just don't have enough machine resource available to do this when the environment is scrolling and doing so much other stuff?

>  After watching the video numerous times
Ah! So it was you that bumped the number of views in the Youtube video!  ;D

More seriously, the 2d engine I wrote for the GX-4000 can refresh 1 hardware sprite per frame, so refreshing multiple sprites for anything is totally doable (it will take several frames to update a set of sprites, but that's fine while scrolling etc., because they are still hidden and about to be displayed into the game viewport).

No, the real limitation is the number of sprites of the console itself. 16 sprites are a lot, but if you take in account that 4 sprites are used for the hud (ring/live count) + 2 sprites for Sonic + 6 sprites for the rotating rings, we are already using 12 sprites (out of 16). The 4 other sprites are dynamically refreshed while playing and used for enemies, moving platforms, etc.

So you get your answer: not enough sprites to manage the swinging rings for the platforms.

For comparison purposes: the Sega MasterSystem features 64 sprites 8x8 pixels (which is equivalent to the 16 sprites 16x16 pixels of the GX-4000). The Sega Mega Drive/Genesis can display up to 80 sprites (I don't know the limitations). The SMS does not display swinging rings for platforms.

If other people have questions (technical or not!) feel free to ask!

I've asked this in a previous post.

Is that road mode 1? Looks better than 160x200.
And also the camera movement. Will it stay lock on sonic, or it will have more freedom like the GG version. It is a bit weird being like this cause it moves very fast when you move sonic.

The game is perfect as is, just asking  :)

Quote from: VincentGR on 18:48, 31 July 24I've asked this in a previous post.

Is that road mode 1? Looks better than 160x200.
And also the camera movement. Will it stay lock on sonic, or it will have more freedom like the GG version. It is a bit weird being like this cause it moves very fast when you move sonic.

Ah yes, the intent was not to skip you, sorry.

> Is that road mode 1? Looks better than 160x200.
Yes it's MODE 1. My early prototypes used MODE 0 but really, the pixels were too big, and it wasn't nice. The MODE 1 was more complex to manage because with fewer inks I could not get 1 tile->1 ink, but in the end with some clever programming (involving switching to another set of internal chessboard in VRAM for holes) the MODE 1 was a much better approach.

> And also the camera movement. Will it stay lock on sonic, or it will have more freedom like the GG version. It is a bit weird being like this cause it moves very fast when you move sonic.
Yes I see what you mean.
As for now, it's subtle but it's not really "locked" to Sonic. There is a small "cage" around Sonic, cf. when Sonic looks to the right, he is positioned a little bit at the left (of the center of the screen). When Sonic moves quickly from right to left, the camera is slowly moving to right position, and Sonic gets positioned at right (from the center).
Same behavior when jumping, btw.
All of that is about tweaking. Right now, the Sonic management can be tweaked again a little bit, but it feels much better than in the previous internal versions and TBH, I'm satisfied with what is implemented right now in the game.

Those days when I need a comparison, I put my eyes first on the Mega Drive version of the game (especially for game design ideas like the boss fights etc.) and sometimes I look at the Master System (for its tileset usage and enemy interactions, mostly). I admit I have not watched the GameGear version for a very long time.

Quote from: norecess464 on 18:26, 31 July 24

Quote from: Maniac on 17:20, 31 July 24After watching the video numerous times a question has sprung to mind. In no way is it a criticism @norecess464.

It was interesting to see that you have now added extra bits to Robotniks end of level boss graphics. Such as the swing balls etc. In the Sega games the swinging platforms over gaps also have rings swinging with the platform. Am I right to assume you just don't have enough machine resource available to do this when the environment is scrolling and doing so much other stuff?

If other people have questions (technical or not!) feel free to ask!

Technical questions here please :D

Is the aim to fit the final product in 512kb or an expanded cartridge like Bubble Quest?

Are there any interesting new GX4000 emulator / hardware discrepancies you've come across?

Quote from: dthrone on 00:40, 01 August 24Is the aim to fit the final product in 512kb or an expanded cartridge like Bubble Quest?

Are there any interesting new GX4000 emulator / hardware discrepancies you've come across?

> Is the aim to fit the final product in 512kb or an expanded cartridge like Bubble Quest?
Sonic GX requires a 512KB cartridge and 64KB of RAM. I use the C4CPC from @gerald to test on the real hardware. Those specs won't change for the release date.

> Are there any interesting new GX4000 emulator / hardware discrepancies you've come across?
I use my own fork of CPCEC from @cngsoft to develop Sonic GX. With this emulator, I noticed few technical issues (mostly interrupts vs. ASIC) but I was able to make work-arounds, cf. make it work as I wished on both real hardware and CPCEC.
I did personal tests with RetroVirtualMachine, ACE and WinAPE and they all run Sonic GX very well (to be noted: I'm puzzled by WinAPE that implemented the ASIC emulation at a time where only few homebrews existed!).

Quote from: norecess464 on 01:08, 01 August 24(to be noted: I'm puzzled by WinAPE that implemented the ASIC emulation at a time where only few homebrews existed!).

It was very much a "build it and they will come" situation. I had to twist Paul Hodgsons arm to get him to include Plus emulation in his MultiMachine emulator (which IIRC was first), including writing my own JSW+ that mostly existed to encourage Plus emulation development. That got some interest in imaging real cartridges, so then CaPriCe picked up some Plus features. Then WinAPE came along as the first emulator really focused on just Plus emulation. The rest is history, as they say.

There are a few known issues with WinAPE's emulation as a result of it being so early. Hopefully one day we'll see ASIC details make it into something as comprehensive as the CRTC Compendium and Plus emulation can get even closer to perfect. I'm sure things like Sonic GX will raise the interest level once more.

Quote from: norecess464 on 01:08, 01 August 24(to be noted: I'm puzzled by WinAPE that implemented the ASIC emulation at a time where only few homebrews existed!).

Richard Wilson's work is truly remarkable, and I applaud the existence of his emulator every day.

It looks & sounds fantastic, you've all done an amazing job with it.

Can't wait to sit back relax and run through it.

Amazing work, absolutely stunning

Probably the best game in Z80 world and beyond!  :) :) :)

Fluff in 1994 was supposed to be a CPC+ answer to Sonic, providing a game especially made for the system, but with Sonic GX the gap is unbelievable. Such games like Zool 1/2, Superfrog or Kid Chaos were possible on the system in fact.

I'm agree with you. Now eveyone saw what the game is. Now don't spoil anymore until final release.

Absolutely amazing, glad to see the continued progress and really looking forward to playing it :)

If I can make one suggestion, just in case it isn't already planned (I expect it is, but still), I think it'd be worth spending some time polishing the physics. By the looks of it, holding a direction instantly gives Sonic an amount of horizontal velocity, but the acceleration is much slower in original Sonic (on both mega-drive and master system) and the amount of acceleration in the air is much, much slower still. Sonic's velocity shouldn't instantly stop when letting go of a direction either, which seems to happen multiple times in this demo - I notice it especially with Sonic's air control, which looks very different to conventional Sonic. I think having velocity and acceleration tracked consistently would make it feel much more polished and more like a Sonic game. But like I said, you're probably already aware too :) I'm just putting it out there as no one seems to have mentioned it and in case it had slipped, it'd be a shame in what is otherwise such an amazing presentation.

Another physics difference, Sonic clips through Robotnik during the boss stages here, which is inconsistent with Sonic's physical interactions with other enemies and with Sonic on other systems - but I expect this is just another work-in-progress thing.

Yes @Cwiiis those details will be tackled next year!

Hello! Just discovering this thread and checking if it is still alive, the game looks stunning!

Quote from: Djbunyan on 15:53, 02 March 25Hello! Just discovering this thread and checking if it is still alive, the game looks stunning!

Thanks for asking! Yes, the project is very much alive, and you can expect the game's final release by the end of this year!

Here's our current roadmap:

• Right now, we're focused on crafting a memorable ending for the game. Over the past few months, we've been refining and expanding the gameplay (with a focus on the last levels).
• At the beginning of summer 2025, no new content will be allowed -- we'll focus solely on stabilization, bug fixing, and minor gameplay adjustments.
• The official release is planned for the Benediction Coding 5 event in France at the end of October (I'll be travelling from Canada specifically for this event.)

We're no longer sharing new screenshots or other game content to avoid spoilers.
Thanks for your interest and patience with this project!

Great news!

How do you plan to release it?
With a physical copy we can buy ? A file we have to transfer in some way?
Both?

Quote from: norecess464 on 16:16, 02 March 25

• The official release is planned for the Benediction Coding 5 event in France at the end of October (I'll be travelling from Canada specifically for this event.)

Another good reason to join again! :D

Quote from: krusty_benediction on 08:26, 03 March 25How do you plan to release it?
With a physical copy we can buy ? A file we have to transfer in some way?
Both?

The game will be released as a simple .CPR file, freely accessible to everyone.

For two reasons:

• We don't want Sega to think we are making a financial profit from the game. From the beginning, this project has been made by fans for fans!
• We want our game to be played as much and as easily as possible. The more it is played, the more attention it brings to the GX-4000 console!

Great attitude and decission!

Great news!!!  :) :) :)

btw: Is a version for floppy disk planned too? 
Or does the game use the special features of the ROMs in the cartridge and is the use of ROMs therefore a prerequisite for the game to function properly?

Quote from: norecess464 on 12:34, 03 March 25

Quote from: krusty_benediction on 08:26, 03 March 25How do you plan to release it?
With a physical copy we can buy ? A file we have to transfer in some way?
Both?

The game will be released as a simple .CPR file, freely accessible to everyone.

For two reasons:

• We don't want Sega to think we are making a financial profit from the game. From the beginning, this project has been made by fans for fans!
• We want our game to be played as much and as easily as possible. The more it is played, the more attention it brings to the GX-4000 console!

ok. I would have bough a physical version ;)
good luck for the last steps

Quote from: GUNHED on 17:14, 03 March 25btw: Is a version for floppy disk planned too?
Or does the game use the special features of the ROMs in the cartridge and is the use of ROMs therefore a prerequisite for the game to function properly?

Sonic GX relies on the Lower ROM mapping from the RMR2 of the ASIC. In other words, the first 8 physical ROM banks of the cartridge are frequently used as Lower ROM.
Because of that constraint, running Sonic GX from a floppy disc is impossible/unsupported.

Quote from: norecess464 on 17:24, 03 March 25

Quote from: GUNHED on 17:14, 03 March 25btw: Is a version for floppy disk planned too?
Or does the game use the special features of the ROMs in the cartridge and is the use of ROMs therefore a prerequisite for the game to function properly?

Sonic GX relies on the Lower ROM mapping from the RMR2 of the ASIC. In other words, the first 8 physical ROM banks of the cartridge are frequently used as Lower ROM.
Because of that constraint, running Sonic GX from a floppy disc is impossible/unsupported.

Well, I expected that. Thanks for the information nevertheless.

The world of ROM-banking inside the 6128plus is heavily underestimated by people doing software for non-ROM media. But it can work wonders for sure.

Great that you use all the powerful features of the new hardware!!!  :) :) :)

Quote from: GUNHED on 17:31, 03 March 25The world of ROM-banking inside the 6128plus is heavily underestimated by people doing software for non-ROM media. But it can work wonders for sure.

The tile rendering routine greatly benefited from the combined lower and upper ROM banking. The code executes from ROM but writes data to RAM.

On the other hand, the GX-4000 has only 64KB of RAM.

The 6128plus, however, has its precious C2 mode, providing 64KB of fully aligned extra-RAM, which is absolutely fantastic too. 😉

Quote from: norecess464 on 17:48, 03 March 25

Quote from: GUNHED on 17:31, 03 March 25The world of ROM-banking inside the 6128plus is heavily underestimated by people doing software for non-ROM media. But it can work wonders for sure.

The tile rendering routine greatly benefited from the combined lower and upper ROM banking. The code executes from ROM but writes data to RAM.

On the other hand, the GX-4000 has only 64KB of RAM.

The 6128plus, however, has its precious C2 mode, providing 64KB of fully aligned extra-RAM, which is absolutely fantastic too. 😉

Indeed! But I love &C3 too, to allow upper ROM to access all 64 KB Video RAM. But the Plus can do more of course, as you described.  :) :) :)

Quote from: norecess464 on 17:48, 03 March 25

Quote from: GUNHED on 17:31, 03 March 25The world of ROM-banking inside the 6128plus is heavily underestimated by people doing software for non-ROM media. But it can work wonders for sure.

The tile rendering routine greatly benefited from the combined lower and upper ROM banking. The code executes from ROM but writes data to RAM.

On the other hand, the GX-4000 has only 64KB of RAM.

The 6128plus, however, has its precious C2 mode, providing 64KB of fully aligned extra-RAM, which is absolutely fantastic too. 😉

I'm dumb 😀, the C2 mode is just ram banking? How is that different from the standard 6128?

Quote from: lmimmfn on 02:17, 04 March 25I'm dumb 😀, the C2 mode is just ram banking? How is that different from the standard 6128?

No difference. :)
&C1, &C2, &C3 and all the rest -- they only work on an Amstrad CPC 6128 / 6128plus (or 464/664s with dedicated expansion).
It's quite funny because I clearly remember my mistake at the beginning -- trying to use &C3 RAM banking to swap &4000 <> &C000 VRAM addresses on the GX-4000 (which, of course, didn't work).
That was the first time I experimented with an Amstrad 64KB machine.

Quote from: norecess464 on 16:16, 02 March 25

• The official release is planned for the Benediction Coding 5 event in France at the end of October

That's great news! Also, would this be the first ever CPC release coming from the US? :D

(oh, wait!)

Quote from: rexbeng on 10:47, 04 March 25

Quote from: norecess464 on 16:16, 02 March 25

• The official release is planned for the Benediction Coding 5 event in France at the end of October

That's great news! Also, would this be the first ever CPC release coming from the US? :D

(oh, wait!)

I doubt Trump can annex Canada by October, but we already had several cool US releases from @prevtenet last year ;)

Quote from: norecess464 on 02:51, 04 March 25

Quote from: lmimmfn on 02:17, 04 March 25I'm dumb 😀, the C2 mode is just ram banking? How is that different from the standard 6128?

No difference. :)
&C1, &C2, &C3 and all the rest -- they only work on an Amstrad CPC 6128 / 6128plus (or 464/664s with dedicated expansion).
It's quite funny because I clearly remember my mistake at the beginning -- trying to use &C3 RAM banking to swap &4000 <> &C000 VRAM addresses on the GX-4000 (which, of course, didn't work).
That was the first time I experimented with an Amstrad 64KB machine.

Hmmm..... would &C3 work on GX4000 with 128 KB of RAM?

Quote from: rexbeng on 10:47, 04 March 25

Quote from: norecess464 on 16:16, 02 March 25

• The official release is planned for the Benediction Coding 5 event in France at the end of October

That's great news! Also, would this be the first ever CPC release coming from the US? :D

(oh, wait!)

Actually there was a game coming out for the CPC in the USA in 2013. It sold 111 physical copies. However it was coded in USA, Graphics and Songs from France, released from a German Software Company. But never mind, for sure the first release for the GX4000 / 6128plus on the North American Continent :-)

In addition LambdaMikel released quite some CPC stuff before (California actually).

Neglecting @prevtenet releases and anything involving chickens, it's still a Northern American exclusive though?  It doesn't involve any chickens does it @norecess464, right?  :-X :laugh: :-\

The programming of Sonic GX is from North America, but the audio, graphics, and design are from France! Team work!

Quote from: GUNHED on 23:37, 04 March 25Hmmm..... would &C3 work on GX4000 with 128 KB of RAM?

yes, if you piggy-back the RAM and add the resistor that signals the presence of 128K then it behaves exactly like a 6128 plus. 

Quote from: norecess464 on 01:30, 05 March 25The programming of Sonic GX is from North America, but the audio, graphics, and design are from France! Team work!

:o  Wait, considering the release date, are you suggesting that there's a possibility SonicGX could be the most significant collaboration between the States and Russia since WWII? CPC making history, gentlemen!

Jokes aside, looking forward :)

We're aiming for a final release on November 1st, 2025!

I can't believe that I'm finally writing this:
YES, we've reached the completion of our remake of Sonic the Hedgehog for the amazing Amstrad GX-4000!

The game is now fully playable from start to finish, just as it will be in the final version.
Level design is 100% complete, including all the boss fights, bonus stages, a proper ending, and much, much more!

This summer, we'll be focusing on final gameplay tweaks, balancing, minor bug fixes, audio enhancements, and a few other finishing touches.

Thank you all for your patience -- we're now in the final stretch!

Wooooo that's awesome news! Congrats on setting the date.
(Day before my Birthday, what a present ;D )

Quote from: norecess464 on 17:40, 17 May 25final release on November 1st, 2025!

But waitaminute, that can't be right! Evoke is happening in August .. https://2025.evoke.eu/ ;-)

Quote from: BSC on 20:49, 17 May 25

Quote from: norecess464 on 17:40, 17 May 25final release on November 1st, 2025!

But waitaminute, that can't be right! Evoke is happening in August .. https://2025.evoke.eu/ ;-)

With all the respect I have for people going to the Evoke demoparty (and I know few of them!);

I prefer releasing the game at a dedicated Amstrad event (Benediction Coding #5), triggering lots of discussions with friends about the game, the platform... than trying to compete for a prize with a bunch of random people/platforms.

Quote from: norecess464 on 01:48, 18 May 25With all the respect I have for people going to the Evoke demoparty (and I know few of them!);

I prefer releasing the game at a dedicated Amstrad event (Benediction Coding #5), triggering lots of discussions with friends about the game, the platform... than trying to compete for a prize with a bunch of random people/platforms.

I was joking :D And playing with the fact that Evoke is waaay closer to me than BND#5 :D 

Quote from: norecess464 on 17:40, 17 May 25We're aiming for a final release on November 1st, 2025!
I can't believe that I'm finally writing this:
YES, we've reached the completion of our remake of Sonic the Hedgehog for the amazing Amstrad GX-4000!

I played it last year on Benediction #4 thanks to Toto. It felt completely like a 16-bit game; it was just crazy that it still ran on a CPC! I look forward to seeing you on Benediction #5 this fall!

Quote from: norecess464 on 17:40, 17 May 25We're aiming for a final release on November 1st, 2025!
´

Great news, thank you so much. :)
The proud GX4000 owners and the whole community are eagerly awaiting the release.

Congratulations and thank you so much for all the work. Can´t wait to play it :)

But...but... but, November is so far away!

Quote from: Gryzor on 06:30, 21 May 25But...but... but, November is so far away!

Perfect release date!

Weather is usually already bad so we can stay inside - and still a few weeks before the Christmas rush.

Unfortunately (for me) I am attending a family event on that weekend but I will travel home on Monday by train for 6 hours - and I might carry a gamepad in my luggage ;-)

Speak for yourself! Weather is lovely here in November.

I'd say I can't wait, but I'm ok with waiting. Between this and the new GnG, the Plus is finally getting some games that show its true ability, and we only had to wait 35 years.

Quote from: Anthony Flack on 22:00, 21 May 25Between this and the new GnG, the Plus is finally getting some games that show its true ability, and we only had to wait 35 years.

My first real "wow" moment was the GnG remake originally programmed by @Xifos back in 2016, if I'm not mistaken.

IMO It set the standard and showed us the path to follow for all modern games on the GX-4000! Let's give him the credit he truly deserves!  ;)

Quote from: norecess464 on 22:15, 21 May 25

Quote from: Anthony Flack on 22:00, 21 May 25Between this and the new GnG, the Plus is finally getting some games that show its true ability, and we only had to wait 35 years.

My first real "wow" moment was the GnG remake originally programmed by @Xifos back in 2016, if I'm not mistaken.

2018?  ;D

Quote from: dthrone on 08:39, 22 May 25

Quote from: norecess464 on 22:15, 21 May 25My first real "wow" moment was the GnG remake originally programmed by @Xifos back in 2016, if I'm not mistaken.

2018?  ;D

If it was released in 2018, it was probably programmed in 2016. ;D

Quote from: norecess464 on 22:15, 21 May 25IMO It set the standard and showed us the path to follow for all modern games on the GX-4000! Let's give him the credit he truly deserves!  ;)

Could you describe your devkit please (tools...) ?

Quote from: kawickboy on 07:27, 26 May 25Could you describe your devkit please (tools...) ?

Sure.

I'm using Debian Linux using a Thinkpad X220.

I ask CeD (the 2D artist) new graphics. Here for example, the in-game sprite sheet.
I use GIMP to replace sprites in a more convenient order for me...
(https://user.fm/files/v2-fa5c8e6297aebaecafbfc1be1af4c381/gimp.png)

I also design all the levels myself with Tiled.
(https://user.fm/files/v2-23e6d5db4ee9b38aa2f613d5c493b3b1/tiled.png)

Then, I use Codelite, which is a nice small C++ IDE.
I created a simple command-line app that converts all the data (graphics, Tiled maps, etc) into a format suitable for the Amstrad GX-4000.
I'm also using that to generate sine curves, data tables, etc.
(https://user.fm/files/v2-8534029e190e4d75ee792c2d60e28871/codelite.png)

Then, I edit all my Z80 code using Geany.
(https://user.fm/files/v2-88f03c9f50f698ea3212792aa6442b68/geany.png)

I compile the game code (that references also the data) with SDCC C compiler / RASM Z80 assembler using a simple BASH script.
I also wrote separately my own SDCC Z80 converter to RASM Z80 (so the C code compiled by SDCC generates Z80 files suitable for RASM).
The source code will directly generate the final cartridge file.
(https://user.fm/files/v2-60e6a7003b949c80bd14c64a6f1654f0/cmdline.png)

To test the game, I use my own fork of CPCEC emulator (I extended it with a GTK UI).
The emulator will monitor for file changes on the cpr file, so each times a new build is completed I can immediately test it.
(https://user.fm/files/v2-f646a406af2fb653ddbc61366c2d4577/cpcec-gtk-1.png)
Here with the ASIC Inspector...
(https://user.fm/files/v2-2df8f51f03dedf6e05f8f64bc0e728c1/cpcec-gtk-2.png)

I test from times to times on the real hardware. I use a C4CPC cartridge inserted into my Amstrad Plus, with a cable connected from my laptop for quick CPR transfert.

I rely on git-cola for git management.
For every commit, I include the resulting compiled game.cpr file + memmap.txt file (the output provided by RASM, reporting all the memory taken so far). This proved to be a life-saver several times when chasing a bug that was introduced "many months ago".
To this day Sonic GX is made of 6021 commits over 2809 files and the repo age is 7 years!
(https://user.fm/files/v2-6995e7e107b4ee16e697090b7326be05/gitcola.png)

I use korganizer to keep tracks of the bugs.
(https://user.fm/files/v2-c4ba233130ac8b8737dc51ebb29ee9db/korganizer.png)

zim also for a local wiki (knowledge database, notes, etc).
(https://user.fm/files/v2-d7278ca42cfb48f44b1dbdecf716b59f/zim.png)

I also maintain separately a folder containing references for the game, such as downloaded gameplay of Sonic the Hedgehog on other systems, unused graphics, prototypes, previews etc.
(https://user.fm/files/v2-ca5031013803ace7c49e14782b682bd4/reference.png)

EDIT: I forgot to mention Arkos Tracker for the audio. I'm using an export of the SFX/songs directly into the game codebase.

I think that's a good overview...
Do not hesitate to ask if you have more questions!

We are far from a DAMS/Maxam + a CPC+ modded OCP indeed. That's nearly a professional devkit.

Wow, that's an amazing amount of organisation! And 7 years is a very long time too, how active was it being developed over that time? I'm also quite interested that you're using SDCC, what parts of the game do you use C code with? I'd be interested in hearing about the high-level structure of the game and how C fits into that...

Out of interest, does your engine allow for a frame to run over budget? What happens in that case? What's your interrupt management like, and how do you deal with register and shadow register use?

Maybe that's too many questions, I'm just so interested seeing someone else's process :)

Quote from: Cwiiis on 17:31, 26 May 257 years is a very long time too, how active was it being developed over that time?

For years, every Saturday morning, I've been sitting at my local coffee shop, programming for 2–3 focused hours.
My experience: the secret to long-term productivity isn't how much you get done in a single coding session -- it's how regular you are.

Quote from: Cwiiis on 17:31, 26 May 25I'm also quite interested that you're using SDCC, what parts of the game do you use C code with? I'd be interested in hearing about the high-level structure of the game and how C fits into that..

I use C for the high-level game logic:

• compute new Sonic's position in the world
• what to do when Sonic is colliding
• camera management (that drives the 2D vertical/horizontal scrolling)

Those are parts with lots of logic "if condition then...", it makes implementation easier to maintain.
It takes approx. 10 raster-lines to process, I'm fine with that.
(https://user.fm/files/v2-7de13d619b8aa3884a6034f87e745e86/ccode.png)

Quote from: Cwiiis on 17:31, 26 May 25Out of interest, does your engine allow for a frame to run over budget? What happens in that case?

I'm using classic raster lines to estimate quickly how a budget fits in the current frame.
Whatever happens, I have an interruption at the end of the visible area that triggers a new frame. It resets everything (the stack, the shadow registers, DMA list, etc) so the game loop gets looped.
The sprite copy routines are executed at the end of the frame, so if the copy process can't be completed that's fine, it will be updated again a few frames after.
(https://user.fm/files/v2-1ee1c7e521531b8a8bade3fbdcd0e5cf/rasters.png)

Quote from: Cwiiis on 17:31, 26 May 25What's your interrupt management like, and how do you deal with register and shadow register use?

I rely on the DMA-INT instead of PRI. With those interrupts, I mostly manage the screen split, the background (the blue rasters), the multiplexed rings and the end of the frame.
I never use shadow registers in the game code itself. They are reserved for interrupt code, a bit like the Amstrad firmware actually does. :) (credit: this was suggested to me by Overflow when I started to create the game engine).

wow... it would have taken me 7 years just to set up that tool chain.

QuoteMy experience: the secret to long-term productivity isn't how much you get done in a single coding session -- it's how regular you are.

I applied a similar method using my Sunday afternoons. Forced myself to do at least one or two things every week. Eventually, sure enough the project is complete. 

Quote from: norecess464 on 22:15, 21 May 25

Quote from: Anthony Flack on 22:00, 21 May 25Between this and the new GnG, the Plus is finally getting some games that show its true ability, and we only had to wait 35 years.

My first real "wow" moment was the GnG remake originally programmed by @Xifos back in 2016, if I'm not mistaken.

IMO It set the standard and showed us the path to follow for all modern games on the GX-4000! Let's give him the credit he truly deserves!  ;)

True enough, and I did enjoy that version of GnG; it was cool to see a decent scrolling arcade platformer appear on the Plus, even though as a fan of course I realise it wasn't QUITE arcade-accurate. 

I mean, to be fair there are other good games; Pang was always a good example of the hardware used well, but I think it's fair to say that this and the new GnG are really "pushing the limits" as Sharopolis would say. 

Quote from: Anthony Flack on 10:22, 27 May 25Pang was always a good example of the hardware used well

100% agreed, that's my preferred game from the launch titles. It really felt as a true console game!

Very interesting information on the development of this project, I'm taking notes... ;-)

Quote from: norecess464 on 18:38, 26 May 25

Quote from: Cwiiis on 17:31, 26 May 25What's your interrupt management like, and how do you deal with register and shadow register use?

I rely on the DMA-INT instead of PRI. With those interrupts, I mostly manage the screen split, the background (the blue rasters), the multiplexed rings and the end of the frame.
I never use shadow registers in the game code itself. They are reserved for interrupt code, a bit like the Amstrad firmware actually does. :) (credit: this was suggested to me by Overflow when I started to create the game engine).

This is interesting, how are you using the DMA-INT and how does it differ in practice to using PRI?

It sounds like your system is quite similar to the one in my current project at a high level; I also made the same choice re shadow registers - Sprite upload/properties, scroll registers, sound/music and screen splits are all managed in interrupt handlers and the game logic is designed to be interruptable and waits if it runs ahead.

I hadn't really noticed before, but that's an impressive amount of overscan you're using too, how are you managing RAM allocation, especially with that much reserved for the screen? I'm guessing that using overscan like that also prevented you from having a static split HUD, though it's not like Sonic ever had one anyway, so perhaps you didn't even consider it :)

I'm also interested in how you're managing scrolling with such a large screen too - I only render the rows or columns on-demand and that works pretty well, but I've picked a screen res that aligns nicely and makes the maths easier/quicker. I would guess you're using look-up tables, but maybe there's something even smarter? It must be pretty tricky updating the screen when there's both overscan *and* scrolling... Really looking forward to playing this come November!

Quote from: Cwiiis on 15:06, 28 May 25This is interesting, how are you using the DMA-INT and how does it differ in practice to using PRI?

The difference: PRI can be set only on visible parts of the screen, while a DMA interrupt can be triggered at any time in the frame. Plus, you can get 3 DMAs int per line (vs. 1 PRI per line).
This article on the wiki has been very useful to me: https://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/Plus_Vectored_Interrupt_Bug
Especially this line: " Put your code between &2000-&3fff, &6000-&7fff, &a000-&bfff, &e000-&ffff ", which I use and saved me many headaches I was experiencing at the very beginning of the project.
It made the interrupts working as originally intended by Amstrad.

Quote from: Cwiiis on 15:06, 28 May 25I hadn't really noticed before, but that's an impressive amount of overscan you're using too, how are you managing RAM allocation, especially with that much reserved for the screen?

I rely on 2 VRAM pages: &0000 and &C000.
I use &4000 with ASIC deactivated for map-specific data.
&8000-&A000 for temporary RAM (gameplay variables, global variables, temp buffers, etc).
&A000-&BFFF for shared code (ZX0 unpacker, music player, DMA callbacks, etc).
The very big secret: I make a heavy use of RMR2, allowing me to use any of the first 8 ROMs as Lower ROM. The tile code (a tile is a sequence of code in the engine) gets executed from both Lower ROM and Upper ROM during the same frame.
Keep in mind that with code executed (READ) from ROM, you can still WRITE pixels into the VRAM sections.
RAM+ROM+ASIC usage -> the GX4000 is a very blessed machine regarding the storage, it's much more than just "64KB of RAM".

Quote from: Cwiiis on 15:06, 28 May 25I'm also interested in how you're managing scrolling with such a large screen too

Well, that would deserve a complete article ahah!.. (it's too big to explain in a forum post).

I look forward playing your game too! I'm sure it will be great!

Quote from: norecess464 on 15:45, 28 May 25The very big secret: I make a heavy use of RMR2, allowing me to use any of the first 8 ROMs as Lower ROM. The tile code (a tile is a sequence of code in the engine) gets executed from both Lower ROM and Upper ROM during the same frame.
Keep in mind that with code executed (READ) from ROM, you can still WRITE pixels into the VRAM sections.
RAM+ROM+ASIC usage -> the GX4000 is a very blessed machine regarding the storage, it's much more than just "64KB of RAM".

Really interested to hear that. I've been saying for years that getting the most out of the GX really requires making the most of RMR2 and ROM write-through to give you basically 96K of address space. Glad to see that others have thought so too.

btw, if I can provide an advice -- don't get too fooled by hardware tricks as I did :)

With Sonic GX, I totally underestimated how long gameplay features would take to implement. That's really where your energy should go. If the game is fun, things like fullscreen will become secondary.

Quote from: norecess464 on 18:38, 26 May 257 years is a very long time too, how active was it being developed over that time?
For years, every Saturday morning, I've been sitting at my local coffee shop, programming for 2–3 focused hours.
My experience: the secret to long-term productivity isn't how much you get done in a single coding session -- it's how regular you are.

I think your 500 bytes an hour of finished code/data is a pretty good rate  8)