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PET: New PET game for 2021 (DH), runs on tape!

V

voidstar78

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May 25, 2021
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Hi! I am putting finishing touches on a new game I've written for the Commodore PET. It started over spring break as a project to see what I could do with CC65 (C compiler for 6502).

www.destinyhunter.org

It is a short game, intentionally, to be a quick "let's show what the PET could do!" tribute. I also avoided any external files, so it could be loaded from tape and work with original 2001's!


Funny thing is, it takes longer to load from TAPE (9 minutes!) than it does to complete the game :)


I've also added support to the USER-PORT SNES GAMEPAD adapter! (same as used in Attack of the PETSCII Robots), and that does make it a bit more enjoyable (and doesn't stress the keyboard - making it ideal as a presentation game, by being hands free of the keyboard). The C-code (and assembler) to use that gamepad adapter is also available as a separate package (works on C64 also), links at my DH site.


Speaking of C64, I did make a COLORized C64 build of the game as well - but since it doesn't take advantage of the SID and full 64K, and is PETSCII only, most C64 folks might find it rather disappointing. Perhaps in time I'll expand the C64 64K version, but for now it is simply a PET game that happened to easily cross-compile to the C64. My hope is the project might be useful as an educational baseline (I really hope the Commander 16 becomes available someday, and I'm told a new-kind of MiniPET is due out soon!).


I tried to keep the game relaxing, but also somewhat challenging. One little tip that I'm still excited about (just finished it!): the sound when firing an arrow varies based on how much health you have - it's a small thing, but it means you can focus on the combat without diverting your eyes to the health remaining.


My physical PET is a 4016. The game runs in the online PET 2001 emulator (with 32K). If anyone has a physical 2001 (with 32K), I'd be very curious to verify that it actually does run correctly.


Also, does anyone have a PHOTO of the CB2 audio mod? My understanding is this same mod can be applied to the user-port of the C64 - my game uses the CB2 ports in the C64 build, but I haven't been able to verify if that actually works yet (hopefully will next month). Meanwhile, I was hoping to borrow an image of what the mod looks like for the website.


The game PRG and github info are at the site: www.destinyhunter.org

Thank You!
v*
 
Looks very good! I will try it out next time I'm in front of a PET. Had a question for you on it - unfortunately the PM system seems mostly broken for users with low post counts. So I emailed you to what I think is your address on your site. Thanks for making PET games in 2021!
 
Stirring the pot, when can we expect the Apple II, 8086, TRS-80, & Spectrum versions? !

Looks great other than running on a system I don't have here.
 
I am partial to the TRS-80 CoCo II, that is the system I started with long ago. Although targeting to Z80 or x86 would have some challenges.

The game is mostly in C, and cc65 *does* support an apple][ target.


The issue, however, is the unique usage of the PETSCII character set. Then again those other systems were more flexible in software-defined character sets, correct? I imagine someone has done the work of providing a PETSCII character set for Apple, and the others... And if that's the case, then I won't have much excuse :)


Actually I'm not sure if a reliable C-compiler for the TRS-80/Z80 exists.


Well, this started as a PET tribute game, that being the "first" personal computer :) But, the first Wright Flyer wasn't very practical either.... I consider the Sol-20 to be more like the Wright Flyer, in which case I'm not really sure what the "trinity" of 1977 computers would then be analogous too in early airplanes... (the first plane safe enough for grandma to fly on?) Wasn't the first "car" some 1886 Benz tri-cycle? Technology tends to have a bit of a rough start ;) (3d printers still aren't quite there... but it'll happen, we'll be printing hamburgers before too long)

:) Well after I figure out the C64 SID audio and get that working reliably, then I'll at least see what options for getting an Apple ][ build going -- there's a chance that might just need a few address updates (but adjusting the character set will need some study).
 
TheDrip:

Sir, the Apple ][ build that you requested is now ready.

However, I must say, the PET version is better :) I'll continue to polish up the Apple ][ build (add joystick support, for example; and some sound). The Apple ][ build works in AppleWin and in the virtualconsoles.com online site (I had to prepare a DSK file). Both the DSK and binary executable are available for download:

https://github.com/voidstar78/Destin...al/dhunter.dsk
https://github.com/voidstar78/Destin...inal/dhuntera2


Or links at my DH Download page: https://destinyhunter.org/downloads/
(I'm preparing more detailed instructions shortly, after dinner)

I was amazing to learn the Apple ][ has no standard real-time clock (there are plenty of add on option, but no standard way to say 1/60th or 1/30th of a second has elapsed -- so the final "time elapsed" at the end of the game is not accurate -- as it is on the Commodore versions!!). And adjusting all the PETSCII codes into something reasonable did take the most time.

EDIT: The Apple ][ build has been finalized TODAY, June 1st 2021 - includes joystick support, sound, "flicker effect" when hit, improved map symbols. And will now be included as part of the dhunter_final.zip . See www.destinyhunter.org for updates.



Now, a Z80 and x86 build, eh? I actually have found a Z80 C compiler, so we shall see...

EDIT: Also -- TRS-80 Model 3 and Model 4 builds have been prepared and being finalized/tested. Some code adjustment is necessary due to the 16 ROW difference (where as Apple ][ has 24 and Commodore systems have 25 rows). A TRS-80 model 1 build probably won't be possible due to that system being limited to 16KB (and I don't yet understand the memory expansion board that was available for the TRS-80 1, or if the emulators model it).


- v*
 
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I'm not sure which 8086 system to target. Oddly enough, I feel like I want to demonstrate that a self-booting tape-loaded program would be possible for the IBM 5150. However, I can't quite find a C compiler to target a configuration like that. I may have to resort to a typical MS-DOS configuration, which is unfortunate since there is nothing from DOS that I really need (except I suppose the ability to be loaded from a disk itself). But I'm viewing it from the perspective of: what if no disk drive were available at all? It's a standalone "on chip" program - essentially like a classic arcade machine game. The ROM basic of the 5150 should be able to load this and run it. As one of the last systems with ROM BASIC, and still in the 64K era of late 1981, I think it's a suitable matching target. I'll keep studying. Meanwhile, a regular MS-DOS version loaded from disk should be fairly easy.
 
The IBM PC 5150 (x86) port is now available as well! (color only, not yet MDA since I didn't realize MDA actually has no 40x25 mode - only 80x25 -- but CGA/EGA/VGA all support a 40x25 text mode). Also no sound support yet -- I know the interrupts and resolved the frequency of a few notes, but the problem is if someone uses a 4, 8, 10, 12, 20 MHz system, I don't have a reliable way to "throttle" the sound. Will think on it more - there are a few options, but just need more time to integrate.

Thanks to TheDrip for proposing the challenge :) I think that's all the ports I'll do, so sorry no Spectrum version. One thing I learned in all this is that the 1975 old IBM 5100 also has a 64x16 screen like the TRS-80 -- so I'm very curious if that's related to why Tandy chose that resolution (but I suspect it was more likely that they didn't "choose" this resolution -- it was just probably more related to just what chip components they could get their hands on at the time). Anyhow, learning the keyboard and screen addresses of a 5100 would be pretty difficult, plus also not likely to find a C compiler for whatever processor it had -- plus at a $20k original price, I doubt I'd find any functional 5100's that I could verify if my conversion truly does run on it (however, Norbert did make a nice online 5100 emulator).

If I ever do another conversion of this -- I think a viable target wound be the Ardinuo, if can construct a system, and make it like a miniature arcade game with just the few buttons that are required. But I'll have to focus on other projects for awhile first :)

Cheers and have a great weekend!


www.destinyhunter.org
 
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