QUIKMAN 2008 for the unexpanded VIC 20

Discussion, Reviews & High-scores

Moderator: Moderators

wimoos
Vic 20 Afficionado
Posts: 348
Joined: Tue Apr 14, 2009 8:15 am
Website: http://wimbasic.webs.com
Location: Netherlands
Occupation: farmer

Post by wimoos »

Why not do a BPL ? This is known less than a couple of instructions earlier.

Regards,

Wim.
VICE; selfwritten 65asmgen; tasm; maintainer of WimBasic
matsondawson
The Most Noble Order of Denial
Posts: 343
Joined: Fri May 01, 2009 4:44 pm

Post by matsondawson »

wimoos wrote:Why not do a BPL ? This is known less than a couple of instructions earlier.
.
Even better!
matsondawson
The Most Noble Order of Denial
Posts: 343
Joined: Fri May 01, 2009 4:44 pm

Post by matsondawson »

For the SSSINIT:
I'm saying you don't need the CLCs, as the ASL will CLC, and since you now ASL once before the ADC you'll need to double the ADC value.

Code: Select all

SSSINIT:
		; SSS geometry
		LDA VIC+$02
		AND #$1F
		STA PLAYCOLS
		ASL
		ADC #$04
		ASL
		ASL
		STA SSSCLIPX
		LDA VIC+$03
		AND #$7E
		LSR
		STA PLAYROWS
		ASL
		ADC #$04
		ASL
		ASL
		STA SSSCLIPY
matsondawson
The Most Noble Order of Denial
Posts: 343
Joined: Fri May 01, 2009 4:44 pm

Post by matsondawson »

Can save 2 bytes, and 4 cycles by using a table lookup in SSSIMAGE.

Edit: I've modified the code to remove the PHA and PLA... should double check this is correct though. This should save another 3 cycles (total of 7!)

Code: Select all

SSSIMAGE: 
      TAY
      ASL 
      ASL 
      ASL            ; x8 
      TAX            ; save image low byte 
      TYA
      ROL            ; set carry bit
      LDY #0         ; point to custom chars 
      BCC @cont      ; is character reversed? 
      INY 
@cont:ROL 
      ROL 
      ROL 
      AND #%00000011 
      ORA table, y   ; 4 
      TAY            ; save image high byte 
      RTS 

table:  dcb $1C, $80
rhurst
Omega Star Commander
Posts: 1371
Joined: Thu Jan 31, 2008 2:12 pm
Website: https://robert.hurst-ri.us
Location: Providence, RI
Occupation: Tech & Innovation

Post by rhurst »

@MODERATOR: post #137 thru this previous one should really be moved to Programming: Software sprites? thread. TIA!

After all that, Quikman+8k decreased 28-bytes in size. 8)

You can download the latest program binary, archive, or review the repository. Enjoy!
Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced.
https://robert.hurst-ri.us/rob/retrocomputing
User avatar
Spectrum
Vic 20 Hobbyist
Posts: 113
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2011 10:15 am
Website: https://www.facebook.com/honeyvenom666/
Location: Rome, Italy
Occupation: comic artist

Quickman and Repel

Post by Spectrum »

Rhurst,

I am a big FAN of Pac Man, and I totally LOVE Jelly Monsters.
So I am always cautious when I approach a Pac Man clone.
But...wow.... Quickman is great!
I'm playing it in the 8k version. Right now only on the VICE, on my Mac (sigh, I still have to resurrect my Vic) but I've to say that it looks amazing!
You really did a great job. I feel I'll become addicted to your game.
Graphic, controls and sound are very good, although I'm sure that on the real Vic the sound and music will look better. VICE on Mac isn't perfect about Vic sound emulation. Now I surely have to give a try to Omega Fury... :wink:

I would like to spend some words for REPEL. I know that it isn't a program you wrote, but you posted it, right?
Well, I think it is a very good Space Invaders and I truly find it very addictive. I began to play it last night and I couldn't stop to play. It made me re-discover the potentiality of our good ol' Vic and of simple, brilliant concepts. Great work, really!
rhurst
Omega Star Commander
Posts: 1371
Joined: Thu Jan 31, 2008 2:12 pm
Website: https://robert.hurst-ri.us
Location: Providence, RI
Occupation: Tech & Innovation

Post by rhurst »

Thanks for the high praises, always a good thing to hear from someone that got that old playable video game enjoyment... very cool.

Yes, REPEL was a game program from a high school friend, Darren Lee, back in the day. He helped me understand the significance of programming in machine language, and I loaned him my VIC Machine Language monitor cartridge so he could complete REPEL. It was my gift back from him, and I had kept it on cassette since... until about 3 years ago I was able to transfer it over to PC digital format suitable for VICE.

Had you the opportunity to try my recent Sprite Invaders? Unlike REPEL, it uses memory expansion to leverage "hi-res" for everything and has a couple of modes of play with 1 or 2 player options. I think its nifty.
Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced.
https://robert.hurst-ri.us/rob/retrocomputing
User avatar
Spectrum
Vic 20 Hobbyist
Posts: 113
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2011 10:15 am
Website: https://www.facebook.com/honeyvenom666/
Location: Rome, Italy
Occupation: comic artist

Post by Spectrum »

rhurst wrote:Thanks for the high praises, always a good thing to hear from someone that got that old playable video game enjoyment... very cool.

Yes, REPEL was a game program from a high school friend, Darren Lee, back in the day. He helped me understand the significance of programming in machine language, and I loaned him my VIC Machine Language monitor cartridge so he could complete REPEL. It was my gift back from him, and I had kept it on cassette since... until about 3 years ago I was able to transfer it over to PC digital format suitable for VICE.

Had you the opportunity to try my recent Sprite Invaders? Unlike REPEL, it uses memory expansion to leverage "hi-res" for everything and has a couple of modes of play with 1 or 2 player options. I think its nifty.
Well, I think this is a good story. It's so nice when we re-discover treasures or gifts from old friends. Expecially when the gifts are fruits of their creativity. Being a comic-artist (and having friends who are comic artists too) I understand it very well. It happened to me to find, among the many, many pieces I've got, some old drawing or panel from a comic that a friend gave me long ago, and it recalled such good memories to me.
Perhaps it was the same for you when you "resurrected" Repel.

No, I didn't give yet a try to your Sprite Invaders. I got "Avenger" on cartridge on my original Vic. But of course I'll get it and I will try it on VICE this week end.
Now I really want to learn how to transfer the prg files to tape (if possible) 'cause I want to play on the real Vic the games released on Denial. So, I will go to read the relative thread... :D
User avatar
orion70
VICtalian
Posts: 4341
Joined: Thu Feb 02, 2006 4:45 am
Location: Piacenza, Italy
Occupation: Biologist

Re: Quickman and Repel

Post by orion70 »

(OT)
Spectrum wrote:... on my Mac...
Aha! I should have imagined it!
C64 users --> WIN
Sp***** (sorry, can't write it) ---> MAC

:P
User avatar
Spectrum
Vic 20 Hobbyist
Posts: 113
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2011 10:15 am
Website: https://www.facebook.com/honeyvenom666/
Location: Rome, Italy
Occupation: comic artist

Re: Quickman and Repel

Post by Spectrum »

orion70 wrote:(OT)
Spectrum wrote:... on my Mac...
Aha! I should have imagined it!
C64 users --> WIN
Sp***** (sorry, can't write it) ---> MAC

:P
:D :D :D :D
Right, right!!! hahahaha!
User avatar
Witzo
Vic 20 Afficionado
Posts: 381
Joined: Thu Dec 01, 2011 9:14 am
Location: The Hague

Re: Quickman and Repel

Post by Witzo »

orion70 wrote:(OT)
Spectrum wrote:... on my Mac...
Aha! I should have imagined it!
C64 users --> WIN
Sp***** (sorry, can't write it) ---> MAC

:P
I beg to disagree:
VIC --> C128 --> Amiga --> Mac.
Strangely enough I never owned a C64 nor a PC.
User avatar
orion70
VICtalian
Posts: 4341
Joined: Thu Feb 02, 2006 4:45 am
Location: Piacenza, Italy
Occupation: Biologist

Post by orion70 »

The exception always proves the rule... :P
I'm joking. It was only to say: "cool people" did prefer niche computers.
User avatar
Spectrum
Vic 20 Hobbyist
Posts: 113
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2011 10:15 am
Website: https://www.facebook.com/honeyvenom666/
Location: Rome, Italy
Occupation: comic artist

Post by Spectrum »

OT: to be honest, I always loved the Spectrum over the 64 (although before to have a Speccy I wished a C64...)

In any case, I had a PC for many years and, tired of Microsoft DOS and Windows I turned to a Mac a couple of years ago...

But I know Orion is just joking.
rhurst
Omega Star Commander
Posts: 1371
Joined: Thu Jan 31, 2008 2:12 pm
Website: https://robert.hurst-ri.us
Location: Providence, RI
Occupation: Tech & Innovation

Re: QUIKMAN 2008 for the unexpanded VIC 20

Post by rhurst »

More than 2-years later, something popped into my head last night about Quikman and lead me to review my code during the train commute ride in. A run-time change of SPRITEDEF to enable float X OR Y, instead of allocating it entirely during SSSCREATE as float X AND Y -- the result of that alleviated 20 VIC graphic characters to re-use. Those characters and a little coding space allowed for some visible improvements to the game, but keeping it to only 8K memory expansion:
  • Really cool Pac-Man style font for numbers, 1UP, 2UP, and !
  • 1UP or 2UP flashes
  • new pink doorway to monster cage
  • sound feedback on PLAYERS and LEVEL change
This updated 2014 version is zipped and available to download. I will commit the source code to its SVN repository later today (hopefully). You can also play the game online courtesy of JarVIC.
Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced.
https://robert.hurst-ri.us/rob/retrocomputing
Alan
Vic 20 Devotee
Posts: 280
Joined: Wed Mar 24, 2004 11:20 am

Re: QUIKMAN 2008 for the unexpanded VIC 20

Post by Alan »

rhurst wrote:This updated 2014 version is zipped and available to download. I will commit the source code to its SVN repository later today (hopefully). You can also play the game online courtesy of JarVIC.
Two things: 1- Thank you so much for this and your other amazing bits of VIC magic. 2- the download link returns 'Download does not exist.'
Alan
Post Reply