Apple/early PC games worth porting to PCE

[Gredler]

IS it possible to do the terrain deformation that occurs in these games on the PCE? I wouldn't begin to guess how that would be achieved.

I would assume so since they ported Worms to Gameboy. Of course I have no clue how because I couldn’t port 10 PRINT “SIGNOFZETA RULES” 20 GOTO 10 to a Gameboy.

Sorry I should have been more specific - I wonder if this is something HuC could do - AFAIK that is predicated on using Tile Maps + Sprites for all visuals. I would imagine this is done with raster fills of some sort? Plot points and fill with a color, then add remove points to change the fill based on radii of the impact point and stats of the attack.

I'd love to hear an experienced non-artist explain the potentials of it being possible.

[SignOfZeta]

On the Gameboy they built the ground out of sprites. Mainly it’s columns of sprites like Connect 4.

[Gredler]

On the Gameboy they built the ground out of sprites. Mainly it’s columns of sprites like Connect 4.

Wow that's super impressive, I just looked up a video thanks for suggesting it.. MATH! I assume the sprites change based on the angle and distance to the point of impact to create those nice craters?

[SignOfZeta]

The more I watch the thing the more I don’t know what’s going on. Now I’m wondering if the graphics are independent of the hit boxes and rendered in different ways. 

Alternatively, what’s the highest resolution screen wide Tetris Attack engine you can make? That’s the ground. You couldn’t do cliffs this way but it could be cool.

[Keith Courage]

I grew up with an apple II and these were some of my favorites.

Apple
Diamond Mine 

Aztek

Zaxxon

Drol

Cannon Ball Blitz

Snack Attack

Donkey Kong

Speedway Classic

Lode runner

County Carnival

Dos
Street Rod 2 

Stunts

I also 2nd Scorched Earth

No idea why Diamond Mine has never received a console port or conversion of any sort. Such a great game. Drol and Aztek also seem like games that should have had a console port.

[Arkhan]

street rod sounds like a hobo porn title.


Anyway, Worms is totally possible.  We had Lemmings.


It does the same shit.

[gilbert]

As Karateka was mentioned already, I'll say Prince of Persia.

Yes, there is a SCD port of this game, and it's not a bad one, but I think some aspects of it are a bit off. Some of these are possibly related to the later enhancements, but anyway:
1. It seems that there aren't as many frames as in the original versions, making the movements a bit stiff.
2. I personally don't like the speed setting(I think this was an additional feature originally introduced in the Japanese computer ports). IMO as the characters were originally rotoscoped they should only be played at one single speed to get the correct frame rate and smooth movement. While setting it to fast speed help you play the game in faster pace it just looks hilarious as hell, and even at the "default" (?) setting I still find it a bit off. Maybe this is one factor that causes problem 1 above.
3. The music cues and jingles. Personally I liked the original ones more. Granted that the original version didn't even have BGM played throughout and that the musics in the PCE version aren't bad, I still find the original ones more suited to the settings, even if you have to emulate how they're coming from Apple ]['s speaker (ideally it's even better if they're based on the PC DOS version, out of soundcards). When Mechner designed his games the presentations were very much related to film making, so the sounds of the original versions were carefully designed to make the game as cinematic as possible (same goes to Karateka).
4. The player's turban. It's also an addition originated from the Japanese computer ports I think. IMO the lack of this turban and the plain outfit of the player in the original versions made it more convincing that you're ripped off of your stuff and become a prisoner. I think even Mechner himself loved the changed though, so every subsequent ports had this change. This is not that important though.

Now that the original design documents and the source codes of the Apple ][ version are publicly available I think it is possible to do a PCE conversion to be as faithful as possible, and see how it compares to the SCD commercial release. It would be great if this version includes an option to switch between the original Apple graphics/sound and  somewhat enhanced one too.

[gilbert]

As Choplifter! was also mentioned, I initially agreed but it at least has to be better than the SMS version (which was based on the Arcade version) to make it worthwhile. It would be just too primitive if it's based on the original Apple ][ version.
Also, I think the C64 or whatever version of this game was emulated in a pirated PAL ROM? The one with PAL SMB playing too fast under 60 Hz I think. (Or I just remember this wrongly.)
Okay. It seems that the VIC-20 version of Choplifter! was emulated in a pirate multicart called 15-in-1 Mega Collection (not the other multicart which contained Famicom games).

Better, Rescue Raiders:
Which I myself considered an enhanced spiritual successor/homage/rip-off of Choplifter!. I think this games had a number of keyboard commands for its strategic features though. Don't know whether they could be translated well to PCE's control.

Also, Wings of Fury:
This game is awesome. This game on the PCE will be super awesome.

[Punch]

do it.

[Arkhan]

Beyond Castle Turbostein!

ADOLF MIYAMOTO MUST BE STOPPED.

[Gredler]

ROBO MIYAMOTO MUST BE STOPPED.

[Zero_Gamer]

Definitely Oregon Trail.

I absolutely loved Choplifter in the arcade and the 7800. It would be pretty sweet on the PCE.

I had Karateka for the 7800 too. It was a bag of dicks, and I wouldn't wish it on any other platform.