Results and Downloads posted [2014 Compo] / Double Action 53

[tepples]

I'm working on combining the category 2 entries into a single PRG bank. The more efficiently I pack programs, the more category 3 entries we can include on a 4 Mbit cart. I have source code for SFX Editor. Are there any parts of RAM that PCB Artist and Theremin are guaranteed not to use, so that I can use those addresses for NMI dispatch?

[infiniteneslives]

Here's a copy of the source code for PCB artist if it's of any use.

I'm not using $0400-04FF in SRAM.

Oh and I fixed the embarrasing typo in my name on the title screen and changed the directions for the B button as multilayers is not yet implemented. The build is included in that .zip above.

[tepples]

[PCB Artist is] not using $0400-04FF in SRAM.

Neither is SFX editor. Now I have their NMIs routing through $04FA.

Oh and I fixed the embarrasing typo

Thanks. Now I have all three category 2 entries in one 32K PRG bank.

The first preview version of the second volume's multicart is attached. Category 1 and 2 mostly work, except for a corrupted "Red Moon Games" intro, which I assume to be due to lack of mirroring control in the current menu software. If your emulator doesn't play mapper 28, change the mapper to 34 and everything but Theremin should still work.

My next steps:

• Make tool to combine two NROM-128 games into one bank (which is a lot simpler for mapper 28 than mapper 34)
• Patch Denine's entries to explicitly set mirroring
• Start adding category 3
• Keep polishing RHDE

[Tom]

Theremin isn't using $2B-$FF or $47E-$7FF. When's the deadline for getting bug fixes submitted for the carts?

[JRoatch]

Thanks. Now I have all three category 2 entries in one 32K PRG bank.

I'm guessing there's still enough ROM space in that bank for my entry. If I finish it, what address should I build it at?

... NMIs routing through $04FA.

noted.

...lack of mirroring control the current menu software...

Should I add some code to set my entry to Single-screen?

Edit: on second thought I could assume horizontal mirroring, and make it work for both single-screen (AxROM) and horizontal mirroring.

[tepples]

$8000-$9FFF (8K) is still open in the "Apps 3-pack" bank, as is $CC00-$DFFF (5K).

Yes, you can change mirroring if needed. Use this, where mirrtype is $00 (single screen), $02 (PA10, vertical mirroring), or $03 (PA11, horizontal mirroring):

Code: Select all

  LDA #$80
  STA $5000
  LDA #mirrtype
  STA $8000

[tepples]

I'm having second thoughts about including certain games in their current states.

• Pong 198x title: "Pong" is a trademark of Atari.
• Pong 198x copyright: A lot of its graphics and musical cues appear ripped straight from Nintendo products.
• Pong 198x quality: Play is more frustrating than that of a similar game included in volume 1. The gimmicks are unpredictable, it's next to impossible to return a serve, there's no way to control the direction of the return, etc.
• Sliding Blaster quality: Severe control issues without a mouse. The developer has reassured me that he will work on this once the school year ends in a few weeks.

As Shigeru Miyamoto put it: "A delayed game is eventually good, but a rushed game is forever bad." Action 52 was rushed, and I want to be one better. Consider that the first Action 53 volume drew from two compos (see "I Wanna Flip the Sky" for the other) and had ample time to fill its equivalent of category 3.

Finally, a lesson learned: Require app entries in the next compo to route NMI through a vector in RAM.

[infiniteneslives]

I'm having second thoughts about including certain games in their current states. (Pong 198x title):

Yeah I brought this up with WhatULive4 previously. I appreciate the entry to the compo, and think we should still award the special edition cartridge. However, because of the trademark/copyright issues, it's not safe for us to include in the multicart. I beleive this falls along the lines of how we intended to handle entries if they didn't have appropriate material. Submit whatever you please into the compo, but it's not guaranteed to be included on the multi cart. If the trademark/copyright issues were removed, along with the frustrations I would be willing to entertain it's inclusion to the cart.

I could go either way on Sliding blaster. If the developer has bigger and a more complete game play planned, I'd question if they'd really like to include a partial build. Putting a partial game in this year will only tarnish a complete game in a future cart.

[NovaSquirrel]

I could go either way on Sliding blaster. If the developer has bigger and a more complete game play planned, I'd question if they'd really like to include a partial build. Putting a partial game in this year will only tarnish a complete game in a future cart.

Assuming this laptop doesn't finally give out and/or I finally get a replacement (edit: on a new laptop with all my source still), once finals and big projects are out of the way I do fully intend on finishing Sliding Blaster and putting the last thing I wanted in DABG before the carts are made. I'm also open to suggestions as to how I can improve play with a controller in SB while keeping the same gameplay.

[tepples]

Assuming this laptop doesn't finally give out

Make sure to back everything up to Dropbox so that if all else fails, I can help you get ca65 going on the mother in law computer.

I'm also open to suggestions as to how I can improve play with a controller in SB while keeping the same gameplay.

I've added my suggestion in a new topic about Sliding Blaster. (Spoiler: Make it handle like Gyruss.)

[tepples]

For the moment I've removed Sliding Blaster and Pong 198x and added DABG and Sir Ababol, and we still have 8 32K banks left. So with a running total of 7 games (compo top 4 + DABG, PCB, Ababol) and 2 toys, these remain:

• Polish Sliding Blaster, DABG, and RHDE
• Sanitize Pong 198x
• Fix the mirroring for Function and MilioNESy
• Ask Roth about more games to include (PM sent 05-23)
• Ask about Sgt. Helmet Training Day
• Get me a serial boot cable so that I can stash the client in the app bank
• Ask Krill to slim Auge down to 16K if possible so I can pair it with another 16K game; I noticed it had a lot of unused space
• Make sure everything has a screenshot and a description
• Choose a headliner for the label and title screen

[tepples]

I just received a PM from Roth granting permission through PM to include Snail Maze Game.

[JRoatch]

Nice.

While trying to find a lost file in my archives, I saw Chase by Shiru, the example game for Programming NES games in C. I kind of miss seeing a game by Shiru. So would it be OK to include this? (it's marked "Public Domain")

As for the headliner, oddly enough I'm always thinking of DABG because of the word "action". That would make a easy to remember pack name of something like "Double Action Pack".

[Denine]

Made some changes in my entries.

MilioNESy:

• Fixed a small bug with 50\50 and Double Dip.
• Changed one question's answer to "SHREK", if that's ok.

Function:

• Now player can hold B button to speed up function execution.
• Some small changes in code.

Also, both ROMs now set mirroring by doing:

Code: Select all

lda #$80
 sta $5000
 lda #$03
 sta $8000

I have a small problem with milioNESy-doing a sta $8000 changes bank at $8000 in some emulators (Nestopia and Nintendulator). The ROM works fine in FCEU, though. The thing is, UNROM is supposed to have bus conflicts, so I need to write to a ROM location that have same value as I'm writing. I know, I know, I checked the value at $8000 and it is 0x8E, shouldn't it be 0x03 for me to be able to switch bank?

I attached both ROMs, I can send source code, if MilioNESy will not work when combined with action53.

[tepples]

Changed one question's answer to "SHREK", if that's ok.

Perfect. (Shrek and Pinocchio appear together in Shrek Super Slam for GameCube, but that's three console generations after the era that MilioNESy covers.)

I have a small problem with milioNESy-doing a sta $8000 changes bank at $8000 in some emulators (Nestopia and Nintendulator).

I thought Nestopia was discontinued before mapper 28 was created. And try setting the ROM's mapper to 0 or 34 instead of 2 to keep the bankswitch from affecting the lower 16K.

The ROM works fine in FCEU, though. The thing is, UNROM is supposed to have bus conflicts, so I need to write to a ROM location that have same value as I'm writing. I know, I know, I checked the value at $8000 and it is 0x8E, shouldn't it be 0x03 for me to be able to switch bank?

Though mapper 28 isn't supposed to have bus conflicts, some emulators might either A. have a faulty implementation or B. not support mapper 28 at all. But the data port at $8000 is available throughout $8000-$FFFF. So you can do this:

Code: Select all

 lda #$80
 sta $5000
bcavoid:
 lda #$03
 sta bcavoid+1

I will try the new ROMs on my PowerPak tonight. Thank you for the update.

Tonight: Replace MilioNESy, replace Function, add Chase, add Snail Maze, draw a title screen
Tomorrow: Work on interbank CHR+NAM image loading for a more detailed title screen