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So, does this mean some games look for chances to change a sprite to a background tile if it's aligned advantageously?

Also, would a pseudo random distribution look better than the front/back technique?

P.S. Thank you for a heads up on the correct keyword to look for!

Are there now standard or typical flicker mitigation techniques for sprites? If so, what are the most common ones?

A script interpreter is how LucasArts built Maniac Mansion. But a script interpreter is even slower than C. It'll work fine for turn-based games and simplistic action games, but I don't see how it'd work for anything like Recca. Okay, maybe not a full fledged runtime engine for scripts. How about j...

Maybe questing for a cross-compiler isn't the answer.

Probably need to write system specific game engines that can take in assets and game event scripting. Something akin to Dezaemon or RPG School.

I hope you continue this project. There is definitely room for a more accessible language than C or assembly.

Why bother with asking user to perform some crazy actions to initialize a RNG? Initial RAM state combined with measured delay between start up and first button press should be enough. You are right. I was thinking a little too far ahead. What if the guy wanted the cart ROM emulated? There's no way ...

Another option may be to avoid anything touchy enough not to be implemented properly on a NOAC.

What about simulating a paint program and having the user draw via joypad for a set period of time. That should create enough "noise" methinks.

The answer to your question is really quite easy: retain legal counsel who has familiarity with intellectual property and copyright law. I cannot stress this enough. If you're asking these kinds of "what if?" questions, expecting a black-and-white answer (at least in the United States), t...

It's typical Micronics "quality". Ikari Warriors is one of the slowest NES games. Starting takes several seconds of black screen while it loads the level, and the game likewise runs at less than 30 frames per second. Both Super Pitfall and Ikari Warriors were ghost-developed by Micronics ...

Super Pitfall is one of the slowest NES games. Starting takes several seconds of black screen while it loads the level, and then I believe the game runs at less than 30 frames per second, topping even Rambo. Since we're taking this off-topic anyway: why is this so? The main map was huge but I don't...

How would one pay tribute to, say, Super Pitfall without fear of C&D? Start by writing it in interpreted BASIC. Could you explain this in greater detail? I'm not entirely acclimated to your humor. :) Are you talking about using an interpreted language so that you can freely post the source inst...

How would one pay tribute to, say, Super Pitfall without fear of C&D? .. I dunno how many people would be interested in that game if it weren't a piece-for-piece remake of SMB .. I have some data points on that. I personally worked on a side scrolling platform game for the Atari 2600: http://at...

tepples wrote:Super Pitfall? I don't think the developers of Spelunky got sued.

Does that mean they did it right or got lucky? There IS an NES game called Spelunker.

Spelunky also comes within inches of La Mulana
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La-Mulana

Thanks for the discussion, guys! I think the victims here are anyone who wants to create original but respectfully similar games. I classify these kinds of games as tribute or homage. Honestly I was fishing for what people consider appropriate to make a non infringing but clearly paying tribute to c...

I'm glad nesdev continues to side with open discussion on issues that effect the devs who rely on this forum for information and support. Silence means harassment wins. Tribute games that use all original programming and assets are not hacks: They are works of art and love. Not informing ourselves i...