Game Developers Refuge

Sirocco wrote: ↑Sat Sep 18, 2021 4:23 pm That's very nice, and I love the startup sound when you "power on" the console

Thank you, this is something I always liked of classic systems. The Neo Geo startup in particular never failed to hype me back in the arcades

So, the first version of the project website is already online:
www.vircon32.com

As you can see it is available both in English and Spanish. Right now there are only 3 sections (the rest are shown in construction): the main page, the emulator and the specifications. I will slowly get to complete the other sections.

Some more important news as well: The 3 first parts of the Vircon32 specification are already written and available. You can download them in the specifications section. These 3 first parts cover the console architecture and the CPU. So if you would like to know how the console works, you can already start reading.

Out of curiosity, are you planning to support different display modes, or will it be fixed at 640x360? From a developer standpoint, having a fixed standard is good, although it's also cool to hack your way into an alternate display mode and do something tricky.

Nope, the console is intended to be simplified as much as possible. 360p at true color is the only video mode. But if you want to look for cool hacks there are other places to look.

For instance, since the console can only do 2D, I expect someone to find creative ways to simulate some 3D effects.

So, the website is now fully done (www.vircon32.com). I have been working on the emulator and the EditControls program. Both are now translated into Spanish, and now the D-Pad of XBox gamepads can be used without problem (which was not supported so far). I have also included a quick guide into the emulator menus.



What I am doing now is creating a basic platformer for the console. As you can see here the game engine is mostly done:



This is intended as a very basic game, that is quick and easy for me to create. As such I am taking shortcuts wherever I can: I use public domain music, physics are simplified, there are no menus... but it will have all the elements needed in a full game, and I will try to get them polished.

Being a game so basic and centered in the most needed elements, I want this game to also serve as a tutorial project for anyone wanting to create their own platformer for the console.

After some busy evenings last weeks, I have now integrated all gameplay elements in the game (which are not many). I am a perfeccionist, so I had to improve graphics a bit. I have also ordered a couple of songs for the game, since I wasn't too fond of the public ones I found.

I'm impressed with all the work so far. Now I'm looking forward to seeing you push the console
Do you have any more ideas for example projects?

Sirocco wrote: ↑Sat Nov 13, 2021 3:41 pm I'm impressed with all the work so far. Now I'm looking forward to seeing you push the console
Do you have any more ideas for example projects?

Yeah, I'm afraid I have too many to do on my own!

Some of them are on the simpler side: a solitaire, connect 4 (with option for 4 players)... I would also like to reuse this 2D engine to make a metroid style game. And I also need to finish the bubble game, but to do that properly I will need to include more features in the C compiler.

At some point I will try more complex things too. One thing I have been wanting to do is a raycasting engine, to make a simple wolfenstein style game. For floor and ceiling I will have to get creative, because the console has no way of interpolating fast enough for the screen resolution.

So, I have already done the first 20 levels (it will have 30 in total). Now it is only missing the last world, a couple of sound effects and the general adjustments.

At the same time, I have been doing some pixel art to make a solitaire game in Vircon. How do you like my poker cards?




Now, if anyone wants to create a cards game for the console I have made it easy for you

Nice work. The number cards look great. You might want to take a few minutes to clean up the thick outlines on the face cards, unless you're attached to the style. Otherwise I have zero complaints