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Tech and Homebrew => Turbo/PCE Game/Tool Development => Topic started by: Nando on March 08, 2012, 04:13:43 AM

Title: Run N Gun - PCE
Post by: Nando on March 08, 2012, 04:13:43 AM
Since there were no Contra's for the PCE tell me what are your favorite Run N Gun/Contra like games and what you'd like to see on a RnG game for the PCE.


Title: Re: Run N Gun - PCE
Post by: soop on March 08, 2012, 04:17:05 AM
Midnight Resistance with 3 button Support
Title: Re: Run N Gun - PCE
Post by: Nando on March 08, 2012, 04:40:20 AM
Cyber lip!
Title: Re: Run N Gun - PCE
Post by: nectarsis on March 08, 2012, 04:43:19 AM
Cyber lip! (with added horizontal shooting)

Fixed that for you ;)
Title: Re: Run N Gun - PCE
Post by: KingDrool on March 08, 2012, 04:51:09 AM
The Contra-like game I would like to see on PCE is Contra.
Title: Re: Run N Gun - PCE
Post by: Arkhan on March 08, 2012, 04:56:17 AM
Well if anyone ever gets around to the coding, Fragmare did PC Gunjin.

I myself would like to see that.  None of this Turrican shit.  That run n gun blows balls.


I'm up for anything run n gun as long as the controls and action are good.  Cho Aniki run n' gunner!
Title: Re: Run N Gun - PCE
Post by: Nando on March 08, 2012, 04:56:54 AM
Cyber lip! (with added horizontal shooting)

Fixed that for you ;)


HAHAH thanks man, I stand corrected.

Here are some more:


Gunstar heroes
Gunners Heaven
Sunset Riders
Robocop Arcade
Top Hunter
Commando: Steel Disaster / Metal Slug clone
Title: Re: Run N Gun - PCE
Post by: Nando on March 08, 2012, 05:00:15 AM
Well if anyone ever gets around to the coding, Fragmare did PC Gunjin.

I myself would like to see that.  None of this Turrican shit.  That run n gun blows balls.


I'm up for anything run n gun as long as the controls and action are good.  Cho Aniki run n' gunner!

I'm trying to help Rove revive the Obeyblaster game. Collecting information and ideas beyond the ones we have so far.

Are there any screen shots or vids of PC Gunjin?
Title: Re: Run N Gun - PCE
Post by: nodtveidt on March 08, 2012, 05:05:14 AM
There are only mockups and sprites of PC Gunjin since it was never coded.
Title: Re: Run N Gun - PCE
Post by: KingDrool on March 08, 2012, 05:05:41 AM
Cyber lip! (with added horizontal shooting)

Fixed that for you ;)


HAHAH thanks man, I stand corrected.

Here are some more:


Gunstar heroes
Gunners Heaven
Sunset Riders
Robocop Arcade
Top Hunter
Commando: Steel Disaster / Metal Slug clone


Ah shit, Gunstar Heroes on PCE would be unreal! Gunner's Heaven is cool too, but for me Gunstar Heroes is the holy grail.
Title: Re: Run N Gun - PCE
Post by: Nando on March 08, 2012, 05:05:58 AM
There are only mockups and sprites of PC Gunjin since it was never coded.

That would work too.
Title: Re: Run N Gun - PCE
Post by: Nando on March 08, 2012, 07:13:05 AM
Midnight Resistance with 3 button Support

3 button = shoot / jump/ special?
Title: Re: Run N Gun - PCE
Post by: Nando on March 08, 2012, 07:55:48 AM
Ah shit, Gunstar Heroes on PCE would be unreal! Gunner's Heaven is cool too, but for me Gunstar Heroes is the holy grail.

The animations on that title are UNREAL! the PC-E can totally do it!

Title: Re: Run N Gun - PCE
Post by: lord_cack on March 08, 2012, 08:31:54 AM
Complete PC Gunjin would rock. The mock up pics were fantastic and two player Simultaneous would have been great. Keep your Gunstar I would totally take hot fresh Homebrew over a remake anyday.
Title: Re: Run N Gun - PCE
Post by: Arkhan on March 08, 2012, 08:34:49 AM
I'm leaning towards Gunjin never happening.

mainly because if I'm pessimistic and vocal about it never happening, someone will probably take it up just to shut me up. 

;3
Title: Re: Run N Gun - PCE
Post by: lord_cack on March 08, 2012, 08:37:11 AM
I'm leaning towards Gunjin never happening.

mainly because if I'm pessimistic and vocal about it never happening, someone will probably take it up just to shut me up. 

;3

I agree on both counts.... but it was a damn nice looking game concept....
Title: Re: Run N Gun - PCE
Post by: spenoza on March 08, 2012, 08:38:10 AM
I definitely wouldn't want to see Gunstar Heroes remade. It was clearly a game designed, from the ground up, for the Genesis. If a game has to be rehashed, I'd prefer to see the original NES Contra (maybe with some arcade Contra spliced in) remade. Even better than that, though, would be a Contra-inspired game that is otherwise totally new.
Title: Re: Run N Gun - PCE
Post by: Nando on March 08, 2012, 11:12:56 AM
Even better than that, though, would be a Contra-inspired game that is otherwise totally new.
That's the ideal idea :)
Title: Re: Run N Gun - PCE
Post by: Nando on March 08, 2012, 11:31:55 AM

I agree on both counts.... but it was a damn nice looking game concept....

Pics?
Title: Re: Run N Gun - PCE
Post by: nodtveidt on March 08, 2012, 11:41:30 AM
Even better than that, though, would be a Contra-inspired game that is otherwise totally new.
This is the whole idea behind Obeyblaster... to create an entirely new game based on Contra-like gameplay... multi-directional firing, super unrealistic flip-jumps while throwing bullets in every direction, plus lots of power-ups and huge enemies and explosions.
Title: Re: Run N Gun - PCE
Post by: lord_cack on March 08, 2012, 12:38:33 PM
This is the ONLY image I could scroung up on this title. You can see it looks pretty damn amazing:

(http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/2599/st1boss01.gif)

Its not even the best image....
Title: Re: Run N Gun - PCE
Post by: nodtveidt on March 08, 2012, 01:44:00 PM
Fragmare's been working on the character sprites for it lately... new animations and whatnot. Maybe he'll show it off here. :)
Title: Re: Run N Gun - PCE
Post by: Arkhan on March 08, 2012, 02:44:26 PM
i THINK WE MAY finally be taking the word "OBEY" too far into the land of the Corny/overdone.

lol.

Title: Re: Run N Gun - PCE
Post by: nodtveidt on March 08, 2012, 03:34:25 PM
Quite possibly. But that's part of the charm. :D
Title: Re: Run N Gun - PCE
Post by: Arkhan on March 08, 2012, 03:50:48 PM
Quite possibly. But that's part of the charm. :D

I wouldn't call it charm at this point lol.

Tome of Obey is pushing it too
Title: Re: Run N Gun - PCE
Post by: Keranu on March 08, 2012, 04:00:07 PM
Quite possibly. But that's part of the charm. :D

Tome of Obey is pushing it too

I warned you about that name! (http://www.pcenginefx.com/forums/index.php?topic=9343.msg180226#msg180226) :D
Title: Re: Run N Gun - PCE
Post by: Arkhan on March 08, 2012, 04:30:40 PM
Quite possibly. But that's part of the charm. :D

Tome of Obey is pushing it too

I warned you about that name! (http://www.pcenginefx.com/forums/index.php?topic=9343.msg180226#msg180226) :D


yeah.  it works OK for sites.  I coined the word with Obeybrew in my signature, and made tome of obey, and it blew up from there.
Title: Re: Run N Gun - PCE
Post by: Nando on March 09, 2012, 01:57:57 AM
This is the ONLY image I could scroung up on this title. You can see it looks pretty damn amazing:

(http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/2599/st1boss01.gif)

Its not even the best image....


I hope I can at least come close. Even at that small size, that pic would have driven me NUTS, when I was a kid.


Ark! MEME CREATOR!!!!
Title: Re: Run N Gun - PCE
Post by: soop on March 09, 2012, 02:24:10 AM
Midnight Resistance with 3 button Support

3 button = shoot / jump/ special?

Nah, it was shoot, jump, and lock firing direction

But I changed my mind, Sunset Riders would blow my mind!
Title: Re: Run N Gun - PCE
Post by: fragmare on March 09, 2012, 03:55:59 AM
I'll stick some new mockup pics of PC-Gunjin up here soon.  In the meantime, there is this: http://fragmare.mindrec.com/pc-gunjin.htm

As for what I'd like to have seen on the PC-Engine?  Contra Hard Corps or GTFO.
Title: Re: Run N Gun - PCE
Post by: fragmare on March 09, 2012, 04:03:11 AM
Oh, and here are a few player animations I've been working on lately.

(http://fragmare.mindrec.com/p1shoot01.gif) (http://fragmare.mindrec.com/p1shoot02.gif) (http://fragmare.mindrec.com/p1slide02.gif)

(http://fragmare.mindrec.com/p2run01.gif)
Title: Re: Run N Gun - PCE
Post by: Nando on March 09, 2012, 04:26:57 AM
I'll stick some new mockup pics of PC-Gunjin up here soon.  In the meantime, there is this: http://fragmare.mindrec.com/pc-gunjin.htm

As for what I'd like to have seen on the PC-Engine?  Contra Hard Corps or GTFO.


That looks sweet!
Title: Re: Run N Gun - PCE
Post by: KingDrool on March 09, 2012, 04:42:48 AM
I'll stick some new mockup pics of PC-Gunjin up here soon.  In the meantime, there is this: http://fragmare.mindrec.com/pc-gunjin.htm


God...that looks like it could (could've?) be amazing.
Title: Re: Run N Gun - PCE
Post by: Arkhan on March 09, 2012, 04:45:18 AM
Make a game with a buncha brits called CUNTRA: HARD TWATS
Title: Re: Run N Gun - PCE
Post by: spenoza on March 09, 2012, 04:53:04 AM
One thing I worry about is 2 player mode and sprite line limits. I know there are ways around them, using coordinated flicker and whatnot, but too much flicker could kill a good run n' gun.
Title: Re: Run N Gun - PCE
Post by: nat on March 09, 2012, 06:35:54 AM
There is nothing worse than dying from a bullet invisible due to flicker.
Title: Re: Run N Gun - PCE
Post by: spenoza on March 09, 2012, 07:12:24 AM
Well, deliberate flicker is better than accidental/unintended flicker. If you simply display something on every other frame, you at least ensure that the item will be predictably visible, and not have bullets and enemies just disappearing randomly. And you don't want to put too many constraints on how much stuff you have going on in a run n' gun.
Title: Re: Run N Gun - PCE
Post by: fragmare on March 09, 2012, 08:52:28 AM
One thing I worry about is 2 player mode and sprite line limits. I know there are ways around them, using coordinated flicker and whatnot, but too much flicker could kill a good run n' gun.

Eh, look at Contra III on the SNES.  They managed just fine with the same sprite buffer as the PCE/TG16 (256 sprite pixels per line).  They just alternately flickered the player bullets in 2p co-op mode afaik.
Title: Re: Run N Gun - PCE
Post by: Keranu on March 09, 2012, 09:50:14 AM
I think Hard Corps used the same flicker trick on 2 players.
Title: Re: Run N Gun - PCE
Post by: Tatsujin on March 09, 2012, 09:34:46 PM
Ark! MEME CREATOR!!!!

lol, not exactry, this time \o/
Title: Re: Run N Gun - PCE
Post by: spenoza on March 10, 2012, 02:47:45 AM
One thing I worry about is 2 player mode and sprite line limits. I know there are ways around them, using coordinated flicker and whatnot, but too much flicker could kill a good run n' gun.

Eh, look at Contra III on the SNES.  They managed just fine with the same sprite buffer as the PCE/TG16 (256 sprite pixels per line).  They just alternately flickered the player bullets in 2p co-op mode afaik.

Really? I thought the SNES could put more sprite pixels on a line... I know it can put more sprites on a line, at least. Don't know about actual pixel limits.
Title: Re: Run N Gun - PCE
Post by: ccovell on March 10, 2012, 03:20:44 AM
Really? I thought the SNES could put more sprite pixels on a line... I know it can put more sprites on a line, at least. Don't know about actual pixel limits.

It's actually 280 pixels (35 sprites) per scanline.   Er... or so my old SFC press release says.
Title: Re: Run N Gun - PCE
Post by: spenoza on March 10, 2012, 03:36:33 AM
I did some web searching and found support for the 256 sprite-pixels per line limit. But the SNES can put more sprites on a line than the PCE and it can also display larger sprites (up to 64 x 64), which means the SNES's sprite-pixel limitation is much more restrictive than the sprites per line limitation. Unless there's a level of interpretation here I'm not getting, like the sprite pixels are per scan line and the sprite per line limit is screen regions called lines and not merely scan lines.
Title: Re: Run N Gun - PCE
Post by: nodtveidt on March 10, 2012, 05:51:29 AM
spenoza, it seems you are indeed missing something here. The sprite-pixels-per-line (yes, that means scanline) limit is absolute. The SNES is capable of 256 sprite pixels per line. If you put more, then sprites are clipped. It works that way on all the 16 bit consoles (yes, including the Neo Geo, but its limits are way higher... close to 1000 pixels, iirc). You can put as many sprites on a line as you want but that doesn't mean they're all going to be displayed. The SNES is a sprite monster but developers still have to follow the rules.
Title: Re: Run N Gun - PCE
Post by: spenoza on March 10, 2012, 07:36:29 AM
What I mean is, if there is a sprite pixel per line limit and a sprite object/tile limit per line, does the most conservative value always trump?
Title: Re: Run N Gun - PCE
Post by: fragmare on March 10, 2012, 07:55:24 AM
Really? I thought the SNES could put more sprite pixels on a line... I know it can put more sprites on a line, at least. Don't know about actual pixel limits.


It's actually 280 pixels (35 sprites) per scanline.   Er... or so my old SFC press release says.


Hmm, I've never heard 280px for the SNES.  It's always been 256px worth of sprite data that I've heard.  I'm not sure how accurate this is, but this is similar to what I've always seen http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Super_NES_Programming/SNES_Specs

I *do* know the SNES (and Genesis) had a smaller minimum sprite size than the PCE.  That is, they could display an 8x8 sprite and it would only count as 8px towards the scanline limit.  In contrast, the smallest valid sprite size on the PCE was 16x16.  The smaller sprites came in handy for tiny bullets and whatnot.  As an artist, I sometimes wish the PCE incremented sprite cells in 8 pixel increments (like it does with bg tiles) but alas, that's not how things panned out.  :/
Title: Re: Run N Gun - PCE
Post by: nodtveidt on March 10, 2012, 08:13:21 AM
What I mean is, if there is a sprite pixel per line limit and a sprite object/tile limit per line, does the most conservative value always trump?
Tiles do not work the same way as sprites. Tiles do not have a "per line" limit; tiles never overlap and cannot be placed in random locations on the screen. Sprites can be placed anywhere, and can overlap all day long. They are two completely different schemes.
Title: Re: Run N Gun - PCE
Post by: fragmare on March 10, 2012, 08:19:14 AM
What I mean is, if there is a sprite pixel per line limit and a sprite object/tile limit per line, does the most conservative value always trump?

The sprite pixel per line and sprite object per line limit is one in the same.    When you hear people say the PCE's limit is 256 pixels or 16 sprites they mean you can have sixteen 16px wide sprites on a given scanline.  You can also have eight 32px wide sprites on a line.  You can also combine them and have, say, six 32px sprites and two 16px wide sprites.  But at no time can you have more than 256px worth of sprite data on any given scanline, else it'll start dropping the lowest priority sprite's graphic data for that line.  The Genesis is the same way, but its limit is 320px of sprite data per line (at least in 320x240 res mode).  The SNES is similar to the PCE, except for the fact that instead of dropping the bottom-most sprites when it flickers (i.e., the lowest priority sprites), it'll drop the top-most sprites (highest priority).  This can be good or bad, depending on if the flicker is intentional or not.  Also, as I stated one post up, the Genesis and SNES differ from the PCE/TG16 in that they have a smaller minimum sprite size.  Their smallest sprite size is 8x8 as opposed to the PCE/TG16, which has a minimum sprite size of 16x16.  The SNES and Genesis also have larger maximum sprite sizes (up to 64px wide, iirc).  So on the SNES and Genesis, that means more combinations of various sprite sizes are possible on a given scanline.  Either way you look at it, though, the limit is absolute for each respective system and cannot be exceeded.  Hope that helps clarify things a bit for you.
Title: Re: Run N Gun - PCE
Post by: nodtveidt on March 10, 2012, 08:31:18 AM
Almost, Frag. The Genesis is limited to a max size of 32x32. Only the SNES can do 64x64.
Title: Re: Run N Gun - PCE
Post by: fragmare on March 10, 2012, 08:38:52 AM
Ah okay.  I'm not as familiar with Genesis/SNES graphical limits, obviously, since I only draw pixel art for the PC-Engine.  But my point still stands regarding sprite buffer limits.  That is to say, whether you're using 8, 16, 32 or 64 pixel wide sprites for whatever system, it all counts towards the scanline limit the same way.  You can mix and match and combine various sprite sizes on a line however you like, but you can't exceed a particular system's sprite buffer and expect to see all the sprites on a line.
Title: Re: Run N Gun - PCE
Post by: nodtveidt on March 10, 2012, 08:47:18 AM
Yeah, everything else was spot-on correct. :)
Title: Re: Run N Gun - PCE
Post by: spenoza on March 10, 2012, 09:28:41 AM
OK, thanks Fragmare. That's the direction I was leaning, but I was having trouble sussing it out because of the way things were worded. I was looking at that wikibooks site as well.

And yes, Rover, I know BG tiles are different from sprites, but that one site Fragmare linked had some confusing wording, and I was trying to work out if the SNES did something in a different manner.

I'm used to assuming hardware behaves oddly, because of my familiarity with the Saturn. The Sega Saturn does almost nothing in a normal fashion.
Title: Re: Run N Gun - PCE
Post by: Bonknuts on March 10, 2012, 09:50:06 AM
Quote
         0 = 8x8    16x16    ;Caution:
         1 = 8x8    32x32    ;In 224-lines mode, OBJs with 64-pixel height
         2 = 8x8    64x64    ;may wrap from lower to upper screen border.
         3 = 16x16  32x32    ;In 239-lines mode, the same problem applies
         4 = 16x16  64x64    ;also for OBJs with 32-pixel height.
         5 = 32x32  64x64
         6 = 16x32  32x64 (undocumented)
         7 = 16x32  32x32 (undocumented)

 You can only have two sprite sizes on screen at the same time on the SNES (for that frame). That can be pretty limiting. If you want to optimize for sprite scanline flicker (overflow) and use 8x8 for one size, you're forced to use 16x16 or 32x32 or 64x64 for the other size. That last two pairs are rather useless for the most part IMO. So 8x8 paired with 16x16. A little limiting and it'll eat through the 128 entry OAM (sprite table) quicker.

 If you optimized for 8x8/16x16, then you hit the sweet spot for sprite cells per scanline limit. It's 34 8x8 cells per scanline or 272 pixels (byuu corrected me a couple of years back). I think most SNES games used 16x16/32x32 sprite mode. Which is pretty close to PCE for scanline pixel to cell limit. But the SNES has the advantage for another BG layer (and a 3rd low color one in some modes) to make larger enemies/bosses without cutting into that sprite scanline limit.

 There's a hardware trick on the PCE that you can do to make 16x8 sprite cells ( making the following sizes 16x8,32x8,16x16,32x16,16x32,32x32) instead of the usual 16x16 (16x16,32x16,16x32,32x32,16x64,32x64). Not as nice as 8x8, but still makes it more optimal in certain situations since it actually effects the scanline limit on a vertical plane/path.
Title: Re: Run N Gun - PCE
Post by: esteban on March 10, 2012, 03:55:46 PM
I'm up for anything run n gun as long as the controls and action are good.  Cho Aniki run n' gunner!


Clearly, you read my suggestions back in the day (http://forums.magicengine.com/en/viewtopic.php?p=10297&sid=39d9f66750d506bd09b35457a6b49605#10297). (http://junk.tg-16.com/images/pcg0.html)

I was totally serious about them (I still am). Sadly, I don't think fragmare wanted to implement any of them (http://junk.tg-16.com/images/pcgsad.html)
Title: Re: Run N Gun - PCE
Post by: Nando on May 23, 2012, 02:21:58 AM
Discovered this little gem just yesterday.

Toshi Tensou Keikaku - Eternal City
http://www.pcengine.co.uk/HTML_Games/Eternal_City.htm

(http://www.pcengine.co.uk/Images-Screenshots_A-K/Eternal_City_04.gif)

I REALLY like the pace and the amount of enemies thrown at you. You can only shoot in one direction, wish it were different, but it doesn't necessarily detract from the game.  I was able to jump over and avoid bullets like a pro and shoot a ton of really nicely animated robots and stuff. Really fun game so far, and it's animated beautifully.