Rockrush

[Ian Price]

Whilst putting the finishing touches to my SOTB demo, I've also been working on a port of a game I remade way back in 2001.

My game was called RockRush, and it was a remake of the classic C64 games BoulderDash 1 & 2. It included everything that the C64 did and also allowed you to have amoeba and slime in the same cave. It also had accurate physics based on the originals (ie. rocks fell in the same way, enemies moved in the same way etc. etc.) I've not seen any other remakes of BD that had all of the above. What's more my original game had a level editor.

And my PB remake has ALL of the above too :)

There's a few bits and bobs to do (including updating some of the graphics) and some collision work, but it's nigh on complete and already includes 30 levels.

Here are some screenies -


Title screen


Level 1 - Get the bug spray!


Level 2 - Not mushroom here (groan!)


Level 3 - Amoeba! Slime! Yuck!


The integrated level editor in action.

Hopefully you'll be able to play this early next week. :)

[BlinkOk]

very nice mr price! colours are great and it's lookin very complete.

[Ian Price]

Cheers :)

The colours are vivid and bright, as opposed to the drab and dull C64 version - however, the colour scheme on some levels may need a bit of toning down and touching up, although nobody ever criticised my original version, so it might be OK.

The game is pretty much complete and has only taken a few days to get to this stage, as I've been able to borrow some graphics and code from my earlier version. I've had to change graphics formats and alter the code to suit, but it's been pretty easy so far (just as well, as I tried re-creating a routine from scratch and failed dismally - I had to borrow it from my Div version. How I came up with it in the first place I don't know, but I don't remember it causing any problems first time around!)

It's more or less a case of bug hunting now (and I don't mean looking for fireflies or butterflies!). I've sorted a couple this evening, but there's still one or two remaining.

[BlinkOk]

lookin good.
i sometime use this to get a colour scheme.
http://www.colorschemer.com/online.html

[Ian Price]

That's pretty useful :)

In the mean-time, if anyone wants to create a colour scheme for the earth, fireflies and diamonds, then please use the "Lvl 1" colour scheme (the green earth one). Please keep the images the same, just alter the colour values and post them here. I'll see if they fit and maybe implement them into the game.

Question. Should I stick rigidly to the BoulderDash elements, or add a couple of my own?

I've an idea for a couple of new elements, one of which is a moth. The moth could behave like the butterfly, but instead of producing diamonds, it could produce rocks instead when it expires. This could be useful for creating rocks to block in the amoeba or for a magic mushroom (wall) to mill.

Another idea is for a bomb. If it falls and hits the ground/object it will explode - have to be careful when under it, not to get caught in the resulting explosion as it drops.

Hmmmm....

[BlinkOk]

my 2c. it's always better to play a game that has some surprises and changes from the origional.
one question; Is this a BoulderDash clone then? sorry for the stupid question but i'm not much of a retro gamer.

[Ian Price]

Yep, the game is completely faithful to Boulderdash in every way, and contains everything the original games did. Boulderdash is my favourite retro game of all time. I spent way too many hours playing with the original game and later the Construction Kit as a kid.

RockRush (the Div version) was my second ever full game, and to this day is my proudest achievement.

[stef]

Hi!

The more surprise the better!
Promisingly screenies!

Greetings
stef

[Big C.]

Ian if I have counted correctly then would be that your third game. Did you think once about writing a book "Programming 2D Games in PB"? I would buy it.  :)

[Ian Price]

When I said second game, I meant PC game, and in Div Games Studio (the first was PowerPac - a PacMan clone with loads of power-ups etc.), another games programming language that shares a few similarities to PB - to date I've written more than 20 full game games and at least trebble the number of WIPs and demos in other languages - AMOS, The Games Factory, Div and Blitz - forget about all the old 8bit stuff I did on my Amstrad CPC all those years ago.

To be honest Big C, you've probably more experience of PB than I do. I've barely scratched the surface of it yet. There is still a lot to learn, that I just haven't had time to fiddle with.

Rather than write a book, I'm happy to donate my code to the Code Tank, where it's pretty well commented, so users should be able to work out what bit does what. RockRush will be added to the CodeTank when it's done. :)

[Big C.]

I'm happy to donate my code to the Code Tank, where it's pretty well commented, so users should be able to work out what bit does what. RockRush will be added to the CodeTank when it's done. smile.gif

That is a very nice gesture of you which I estimate very much. Do not be so modest. I think, that your experience are by far larger than you assess her herself. Regardless in which language you develop your games. Incidentally asked, what does actually the development of Sokoban PB?  :)

[Ian Price]

That is a very nice gesture of you which I estimate very much. Do not be so modest. I think, that your experience are by far larger than you assess her herself.

Actually, most of what I have achieved was done by cheating the player. Making simple things appear complex. I also believe in sharing. There's always something I won't don't know and if I can swap some of my knowledge for a bit of someone else's than that sounds like a fair deal if you ask me.

Incidentally asked, what does actually the development of Sokoban PB?

Err... Look! Over there! It's a flying fish... :P

Actually, I do have a nice playable version of a semi-isometric (more top-down view than side view), which is what I was referring to as Sokoban Toxic. The graphics are truly crap at the moment, with only limited placeholders in. It's playable, and it uses the same levels as the other Sokoban. If you want more levels, then I can create more for you, but I'd rather complete SOTB and RockRush first.

[Big C.]

...and if I can swap some of my knowledge for a bit of someone else's than that sounds like a fair deal if you ask me.

I'm 100% with you..

If you want more levels, then I can create more for you, but I'd rather complete SOTB and RockRush first.

That would be splendid, but at the moment I don't come to the playing. Get stuck still with level 25. Very beautifully heavy...  :P

For the slight relaxation I would try out Rock Rush more with pleasure  :D

[Ian Price]

Re: RockRush -Gameplay is complete. Just a few bugs now. :)

As for RR being relaxing. Just you wait! You'll soon be going back to SokoBan :P

[EDIT] New Rockford sprite (x2 magnification)

Original. New.

[Ian Price]

Only one known bug remaining and it's finished :)

I haven't got time to sort it today, but hopefully it'll be done and dusted tomorrow.

BTW I'm not sure if I like the new sprite now...