Astrododge

Astrododge

by Jorito on 05-12-2012, 17:54
Topic: Software
Tags: Astrododge, game
Languages:

While browsing the Youtube bar on the MRC homepage, we encountered Astrododge. Astrododge, created by Revival Studios is a new game for the MSX that hasn't been widely announced until now. Attentive visitors might have noticed photos from the 2012 Nijmegen MSX fair, where Revival Studios demo'ed a first version of the game but the game is relatively unknown.

The goal of Astrododge is easy enough to explain, here's the game's storyline:

Quote:

Armageddon is upon us, the skies are filled with asteroids that are approaching our planet at rapid speeds. You have been chosen to go on a special mission and make your way through the hordes of asteroids!

How long can you survive the onslaught?

You control a ship flying through space, and you have to avoid the rogue asteroids as long as possible. And because your ship has no weapons to destroy the asteroids, dodging is all that's left.

Here's the game's features:

  • For MSX and MSX2 computers
  • Enhanced graphics on MSX2 machines
  • Animated multicolor sprites
  • Versus mode
  • Internet highscore uploading
  • Online rewards system

Especially the concept of linking the MSX game to the internet is interesting. After each game you will see your highscore and a highscore code. You can use these to upload your highscores to the Revival Studios website and compete with other players of the game around the world. It also features a kind of achievement system, as known from modern game consoles, which works in a similar way.

The website features more information and a preview movie is also available. Astrododge will be available in December/early January, comes with a cartridge and manual, and is packaged in a nice box. The price is € 29,- for the game, worldwide shipping will add another € 5,-. Orders can be placed through the mail address listed on their website.

Astrododge is also available for the Colecovision, Sega SG-1000 (and similar computers) and the Videopac.

Relevant link: Astrododge

Media browser (3)

  • Astrododge
  • Astrododge
  • Astrododge

Comments (44)

By mars2000you

Enlighted (6561)

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05-12-2012, 18:13

There's also a freeware version for the Chip8 and SuperChip8 systems :

http://www.revival-studios.com/?page=103

By hbarcellos

Hero (649)

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05-12-2012, 20:48

Hmmmmmmmmm, this is really WEIRD! Who did this?

By hap

Paragon (2043)

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05-12-2012, 21:10

mufster: Revival Studios did this (duh)
I like the PSG music in the preview vid, will that be in the game too? Smile

By syn

Prophet (2135)

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05-12-2012, 21:28

Awesome music! Big smile

By hbarcellos

Hero (649)

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05-12-2012, 21:39

Muffie showed me an iOS game called Asteroids No Guns.
Which was actually this game: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05KVcYVt7yc

With retro graphics...

By mars2000you

Enlighted (6561)

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05-12-2012, 21:42

Revival Studios is actually Martijn Wenting as indicated at the end of the page about the game.

All about this Dutch fan :

http://www.revival-studios.com/?page=3

By ARTRAG

Enlighted (6977)

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05-12-2012, 23:15

Nice, even if it seems a bit repetitive in the long term (asteroids move vertically and it seems there is no variation in the game play). Anyway, the rotation of asteroids is very well animated.

By WORP3

Paladin (864)

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06-12-2012, 00:35

Cool intro trailer Martijn, i would like to see the complete package (box, cart and game) !

By PingPong

Enlighted (4156)

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06-12-2012, 10:48

Quote:

Enhanced graphics on MSX2 machines

Bleah, the usual and stupid palette redefinition.

By Jorito

Mr. Ambassadors (1803)

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06-12-2012, 11:16

PingPong wrote:
Quote:

Enhanced graphics on MSX2 machines

Bleah, the usual and stupid palette redefinition.

Why so bitter? I think it's great to have a new party develop new MSX software, and having an improved palette on MSX2 is definately a nice extra. He didn't have to do it, you know? Just appreciate it Smile

By PingPong

Enlighted (4156)

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06-12-2012, 12:40

Jorito wrote:
PingPong wrote:
Quote:

Enhanced graphics on MSX2 machines

Bleah, the usual and stupid palette redefinition.

Why so bitter? I think it's great to have a new party develop new MSX software, and having an improved palette on MSX2 is definately a nice extra. He didn't have to do it, you know? Just appreciate it Smile

This is actually a usual thing: 'Improved on msx2'. More honestly i say "MSX1 game, with redefined palette on MSX2". It's more near to the reality, instead of claiming what so "beautiful" improvement on msx2 machines.
Or more honestly define this as a MSX1 game.
Redefine the palette is too much a little effort to say "MSX2 ehnanced grafphics."
I did this on the old days in the tape basic loader of the msx1 games.

By hap

Paragon (2043)

hap's picture

06-12-2012, 13:05

Show us your awesome (work in progress) MSX stuff, maybe then your blunt feedback will be taken a bit more seriously.
Otherwise, it's getting old and boring fast; same demotivational whining from PingPong on each and every new development. Eek!

By PingPong

Enlighted (4156)

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06-12-2012, 13:12

PingPong wrote:
Jorito wrote:
PingPong wrote:
Quote:

Enhanced graphics on MSX2 machines

Bleah, the usual and stupid palette redefinition.

Why so bitter? I think it's great to have a new party develop new MSX software, and having an improved palette on MSX2 is definately a nice extra. He didn't have to do it, you know? Just appreciate it Smile

This is actually a usual thing: 'Improved on msx2'. More honestly i say "MSX1 game, with redefined palette on MSX2". It's more near to the reality, instead of claiming what so "beautiful" improvement on msx2 machines.
Or more honestly define this as a MSX1 game.
Redefinition of the palette is too much a little effort to say "MSX2 ehnanced graphics."
I did this on the old days in the tape basic loader of the msx1 games.

By mars2000you

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06-12-2012, 14:20

hap wrote:

Show us your awesome (work in progress) MSX stuff, maybe then your blunt feedback will be taken a bit more seriously.
Otherwise, it's getting old and boring fast; same demotivational whining from PingPong on each and every new development. Eek!

Solution : zap all PingPong messages ! Hannibal

By Oscar

Guardian (587)

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06-12-2012, 15:19

Please, be always grateful with new releases. You are not forced to "like it" but respect each of the releases. If you want a better game, try to do yourself. I think the worst to do is to criticize... and just before playing. All MSX new games are always welcomed for me! Thank you Revival Studios.

By PingPong

Enlighted (4156)

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06-12-2012, 16:42

mars2000you wrote:
hap wrote:

Show us your awesome (work in progress) MSX stuff, maybe then your blunt feedback will be taken a bit more seriously.
Otherwise, it's getting old and boring fast; same demotivational whining from PingPong on each and every new development. Eek!

Solution : zap all PingPong messages ! Hannibal

I've not injured anyone, only said the truth.
And this is a lot disturbing i see.

By PingPong

Enlighted (4156)

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06-12-2012, 16:48

hap wrote:

Show us your awesome (work in progress) MSX stuff, maybe then your blunt feedback will be taken a bit more seriously.
Otherwise, it's getting old and boring fast; same demotivational whining from PingPong on each and every new development. Eek!

the only old and stale thing here is the usual MSX1 orientation of MRC.

By hap

Paragon (2043)

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06-12-2012, 16:55

bring in your MSX2 game then, or at least show some proof you're actually not all-talk-and-no-show.

By Samor

Prophet (2222)

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06-12-2012, 17:02

PingPong wrote:

the only old and stale thing here is the usual MSX1 orientation of MRC.

wait, what? you want them to only report on MSX2 developments then?
There's always going to be more MSX development than MSX2 development, because it's a much more common system. I like MSX2 too, but saying MRC has MSX1 orientation... if anything, it would be the other way 'round (it's not) because the founders are from the Dutch MSX community which has been very MSX2-oriented traditionally.

By PingPong

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06-12-2012, 17:13

Samor wrote:
PingPong wrote:

the only old and stale thing here is the usual MSX1 orientation of MRC.

wait, what? you want them to only report on MSX2 developments then?

I want to tell what is this game is for. MSX1 machines. What i do not like is the usual stupid sentence "enhanced .... blah blah on MSX2 machines". Anyone can make such 'enhanced' games by changing with some instructions the palette before start up. Defining this enhanced is a little bit exagerated. And of course, there is no need to do this in 'new' games. anyone can make this even of old zx speccy games ported to msx.

If you want to tell this game is for msx2 or take advantage of MSX2, use the msx2/+/TurboR features. Changing the palette is not making a game for msx2 and higher machines.

About dutch community i do not know. I only see the fact.

By Jorito

Mr. Ambassadors (1803)

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06-12-2012, 17:25

The only reason MRC is reporting about MSX1 so much is that the community is only creating MSX1 products. All we do is report on MSX activity, and if all that activity is MSX1, well, you'll see lots of MSX1 oriented stuff.

Thought that was pretty obvious. Awell...

By Samor

Prophet (2222)

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06-12-2012, 17:36

PingPong wrote:

I want to tell what is this game is for. MSX1 machines. What i do not like is the usual stupid sentence "enhanced .... blah blah on MSX2 machines". Anyone can make such 'enhanced' games by changing with some instructions the palette before start up. Defining this enhanced is a little bit exagerated. And of course, there is no need to do this in 'new' games. anyone can make this even of old zx speccy games ported to msx.

If you want to tell this game is for msx2 or take advantage of MSX2, use the msx2/+/TurboR features. Changing the palette is not making a game for msx2 and higher machines.

About dutch community i do not know. I only see the fact.

well, the feature list was taken from the products website, which lists the "MSX2 enhanced" feature. It was not made up by the writer of the article on MRC.

By Paulbrk

Hero (611)

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06-12-2012, 17:52

Good small game, thanks Revival Studios, anyway, I will not buy this kind of games because I like to shoot to something. But lets talk only about the good things of the game.

Cool rendered asteroids,
Multicolor ships
Great Soundtrack
A lot of movement on screen.

By PingPong

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06-12-2012, 17:52

Jorito wrote:

The only reason MRC is reporting about MSX1 so much is that the community is only creating MSX1 products. All we do is report on MSX activity, and if all that activity is MSX1, well, you'll see lots of MSX1 oriented stuff.

Thought that was pretty obvious. Awell...

You have missed the point. MRC can report anything, even a game for NES!
What is not acceptable for me is seeing the usual stupid sentence. "Cool palette colors, etc... when running on msx2".
Thought that was pretty clear. If not, i hope now it is.

By Paulbrk

Hero (611)

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06-12-2012, 17:54

MSX2 needs cool SC4, SC5 or SC8 graphics of course, that's because I am making some games for MSX2 only BA-team

By Paulbrk

Hero (611)

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06-12-2012, 18:02

Pin pong, if you get tired of MSX1 games that only use a "palette change" on MSX2, do like me, don't buy new MSX1 game of this kind, buy only true MSX2 games.

By JohnHassink

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06-12-2012, 18:09

PingPong wrote:

I did this on the old days in the tape basic loader of the msx1 games.

I did too! Good memories. Smile

By PingPong

Enlighted (4156)

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06-12-2012, 18:13

Paulbrk wrote:

Pin pong, if you get tired of MSX1 games that only use a "palette change" on MSX2, do like me, don't buy new MSX1 game of this kind, buy only true MSX2 games.

I think this is a great game for msx1. It has great gfx. As said, by you i'm only tired of this aspect.
And that's very curious: most msx1 owners complain about zx speccy convertions, and this is accepted.
but as one complains about msx1 games 'sold' as msx2/TR games, this results always in a debate.
It's exactly the same thing.

By PingPong

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06-12-2012, 18:16

JohnHassink wrote:
PingPong wrote:

I did this on the old days in the tape basic loader of the msx1 games.

I did too! Good memories. Smile

Let's start a competition! Find the best arrangement of palette on MSX2 for every MSX1 game. ;-)

By PingPong

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06-12-2012, 18:17

sorry double post

By anonymous

incognito ergo sum (116)

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06-12-2012, 18:32

PingPong wrote:
Quote:

Enhanced graphics on MSX2 machines

Bleah, the usual and stupid palette redefinition.

I accept your opinion but not your manners, there are many ways to say what we think. And yes, I miss a MSX2 games as well, same as everybody but we must to thank Revival Studios to offer us a brand new MSX game in 2012. I'll buy!

By hbarcellos

Hero (649)

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06-12-2012, 18:57

hey, just saw the "battle"...
How crazy and stupid! This is a web portal from a community with common interests. News are part of the idea. No matter how simple a game is or how small something should look like, it must be posted as news. How many entries do we have per week? And this game looks good! I'm really glad someone took the time to do it and release it.
I would be even interested in #crap #2hourparty #madeinanafternoon MSX BASIC games!
Look at how many 10-line entries we have when compared to MSXDEV with higher specs!

I really miss MSX CRAP GAMES contest...

By wolf_

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06-12-2012, 18:58

Ahwell, much ado about nothing.

Without rewriting the whole engine (as far as this is possible in the first place!) changing the palette is pretty much the only thing you can do between MSX1 and MSX2. The only exception *I* know is KV2, but that is really a sprite game anyway, not much of a VDP bottleneck. Another possible entry would be Montana John, which has slightly altered tiles for MSX2 (it remains screen 2 though) to prominently show extra colour shades.

By PingPong

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06-12-2012, 19:43

wolf_ wrote:

Ahwell, much ado about nothing.

Without rewriting the whole engine (as far as this is possible in the first place!) changing the palette is pretty much the only thing you can do between MSX1 and MSX2.

I do not agree. This is the most *EASY* thing you can do. And it's so much easy that you can do this with MSX-BASIC!.

About sprite engine it's a common sense that because of the extra 512 bytes overhead no one can do anything.
Most of us forget that THE MAJORITY of msx1 games do the sat rotation in the most simple and unoptimized way. By simply blit, always, the entire SAT by starting at different offsets each frame. Often enemies have fixed relationship with sprite planes ( the sprite representing a bullet or an enemy is bound to the same sprite plane ). In those situations simply by creating 4 different SAT copies on msx2 do the sprite plane rotation at the same cpu cost of msx1.

The difference is the approach. MSX1 developers literaly go crazy to overcome MSX1 limitations, with HUGE efforts.
When coding for MSX2 however, every little obstacle make developers complain. They never try to use the brain. They only complain.

By wolf_

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06-12-2012, 20:07

With those sprites I meant that sprite collision is as far as the VDP bottleneck goes in KV2. In screen 5 you can only copy a limited amount o' bitmap gfx (fast!) per int. You certainly can't update the whole screen per int, which is what you can do with tile mode (screen 2/4). That's the major issue here. Only when (apart from sprites) there's little or nothing happening on screen can you create an MSX2 version from it, otherwise: palette is all there is (maybe a little bit o' scrolling here and there).

And as for MSX1 coders going crazy: I'm sure they do. But foremost they pick game genres or visual limitations that just matches what an MSX1 can do. That's something else than MSX1 coders being better than MSX2/+/g9k coders. Apples 'n oranges really..

By PingPong

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06-12-2012, 21:28

wolf_ wrote:

With those sprites I meant that sprite collision is as far as the VDP bottleneck goes in KV2. In screen 5 you can only copy a limited amount o' bitmap gfx (fast!) per int. You certainly can't update the whole screen per int, which is what you can do with tile mode (screen 2/4). That's the major issue here. Only when (apart from sprites) there's little or nothing happening

This is where the ability make the difference.
In overcoming the limitations. YS series games did ominidir scroll in screen 5. on a machine with so little power.
They did not needed a ATI radeon to blit the screen in an interrupt. Results were good.
(By the way, also i can make a Pong like game for a modern PC, probably)
It's true that the vdp does not have a fast blitter and you can't update the screen in an int (neither AMIGA with OCS can do this in the time the MSX cpu blit the nametable, so teoretically one should code only static games on AMIGA. Have you looked to the quality of amiga games?).
It's also true, that despite this limit, there are examples of gems, like coredump etc.
The time showed that a lot of things can be done on msx2 even if the legion of 'complaining developers' told 'impossible'.

For example, when prodatron started with MSX SymBOS, the "legion" started to complain 'the vdp is slow, cannot do this, cannot do that, cannot be done, etc.'. Later prodatron proved that the char printing routine was, on msx 1.7 times faster than the CPC one.
ARTRAG proved that despite the limitations, one can achieve screen 5 or even screen 8 (!) smooth scroll on msx2 with relatively little CPU time. The same is for manbow 2.
Bombaman is another example of using vdp blitter to move things on screen relatively fast using vdp.
There are others examples. Even on old '80 software.

A lot depends on the effort. You may be a genius, but if you do not want to use your ability (brain), results will be of low quality.

By Paulbrk

Hero (611)

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07-12-2012, 01:34

I know some people that are making some good games on MSX2, they are using very well the VDP:

Artrag
Norakomi
Samsaga2

Do not worry if some people complain about MSX2 VDP, I am making with Samsaga2 a very fast diagonal smooth scroll game for MSX2, using 1MB rom space, very cool for a big game.

Norakomi is making Street Fighter 2 for MSX and I have to say that the game runs at 30fps on SC5 with the two characters on static background, music on FMpac and use Moonsound for samples speech and SFX. SF2 is much better than the Amiga and AtariST versions. Deva is on development and another platform game with smooth omnidirectional scroll.

Artrag is doing some games that he will end someday.

There is very good coders on MSX2 that makes very good use of VDP9938 capabilities.

Patience Ping Pong, MSX2 will have very good releases and of course, games that not work on MSX1.

By syn

Prophet (2135)

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07-12-2012, 16:10

Just want to say that I personally

1. Love the fact that this game is made by someone who started out outside the msx scene. I do hope that he gets enough positive encouragement from our scene to give him a good feeling to continue his efforts here.
2. Think it is rather nice that he added additional palet for msx2. Although some may feel it is not something very hard to do, it tells me more about his vision/attitude, the fact that he polishes his games well. He didnt HAVE to go the extra mile to please next gen msx users, but he did. See it as a bonus feature.

By revivalstudios

Supporter (13)

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07-12-2012, 19:07

hi all,

Just joined here at msx.org.
First of all, thanks to jorito for submitting the news article and everyone that mailed me (or posted) feedback. This is my first game for the MSX and therefore i had 3 goals:

1) Make a game that is easy to pick up and fun to play
2) Have a multiplayer mode (i for one always enjoy local-multiplayer games with my friends)
3) make the graphics look decent enough so it wouldn't fall totally flat on its face compared to some other msx homebrews.

I believe i succeeded in these goals , so that hopefully i can do a few more titles for this great system.

I've just briefly looked at the discussion above and both parties are right. This is by design a 32kb MSX1 game. I have always owned a MSX1 system since the 80s and love the Konami MSX1 stuff (there is even a pic of my konami msx collection on my website). I've played MSX2 games as well, but for me personally (but to each its own) it never gave me the same nostalgic vibe as popping in a msx1 classic like knightmare or kings valley. But again: that is just me personally, and surely lots of people disagree.
Like mentioned by others, the MSX2 palette is indeed added as an extra for those that prefer to play the game on a MSX2.

Anyways, I hope that people will enjoy the game (i will be bringing it to the nijmegen 2013 event for everyone to play), so far people that played it really seemed to enjoy the game so i hope the msx-scene will feel the same way!

Kind regards,

Martijn / Revival Studios

PS> Since i spend most of my spare time developing instead of lurking around forums, i usually won't be commenting a whole lot. MSX1 and MSX2 purist are ofcourse welcome to exchange meaningless arguments all they like.

By Jorito

Mr. Ambassadors (1803)

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07-12-2012, 20:42

Thanks for the answer. Not sure it was a good thing to add the PS, since the discussion died down only moments ago Smile

By hit9918

Prophet (2932)

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08-12-2012, 11:49

But why is the Videopac video having the same sound? It got no AY?
It sounds like all videos got just dubbed with same sound. Does the MSX version have this sound?

By mars2000you

Enlighted (6561)

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08-12-2012, 11:56

I think this sound is only promotional. Besides, we don't see the real intro screen on the different machines.

By PingPong

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08-12-2012, 18:50

revivalstudios wrote:

hi all,

PS> Since i spend most of my spare time developing instead of lurking around forums, i usually won't be commenting a whole lot. MSX1 and MSX2 purist are ofcourse welcome to exchange meaningless arguments all they like.

Then, (from all msx1 & msx2 purist), thank to allow us to do meaningless discussions.

By ericb59

Paragon (1126)

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05-12-2014, 06:52

Astrododge is now available at www.repro-factory.com