--- BOMBAMAN v1.0 [STe 1Mb Version] by KEVIN CALLAHAN --- THE FASTEST, MOST FUN MULTIPLAYER BATTLE GAME AVAILABLE FOR THE STE --- Please distribute this file with the executable. --- [CONFIGURATION]: Requires 1Mb STe minimum.. [OVERVIEW]: Blittered sprites DMA (Pre-Emptive-Prioritised) Sound Palette Switching Lower Border removed for extra playarea 50 Frames Per Sec Original chip music(!) [SUPPORTS]: Normal joysticks. STe Joystick Ports. Printer Port Joysticks...? Keyboard...? [SOFTWARE]: 100% written in heavily optimised 68000 assembler. FULLY commented source-code available.. [HISTORY]: Bomberman (again?). Well I decided that the ones available did not show the STe capabilities very well; so I thought I'd write one that did! ---------------------------------------- [HISTORY]: There was a preview version of this game (called BOMBARD) released in 1997. I've added MANY different things since then, despite the abysmal response I got from the preview! ( Only 2 (TWO!) people bothered to contact me ). As such this version is pretty heavily crippled (some code is missing), also you can only play 3 games in total without restarting the game. Enough to get you hooked hopefully and an added incentive for you to register! Sorry I've had to do this! I don't expect to make my fortune, but some registered interest would be incentive enough to continue developing for the Atari platform. Otherwise I won't bother any more.. Your choice. [PLAYING THE GAME]: A simple game; little explanation req'd. Your little guy runs around an arena trying to kill the other little guys. This is accomplished by laying bombs to destroy blocks until you find yourself facing your enemy (who's doing the same thing). In the meantime bonuses and powerups, hidden by some explodable blocks can be picked up to aid you. Bombs always explode in four directions: up/down/left/right. Certain blocks cannot be destroyed. Explosions trigger other bombs,resulting in chain-reactions. The last player left wins the round. An ongoing score is kept (until you clear it within the OPTIONS screen). This UNREGISTERED shareware version allows only 3 battles before exiting. To kick a bomb, hit fire to lay it, then hit fire a second time whilst on it to kick it in the direction you are facing. To throw a bomb, hit fire to lay it; face a wall and then hit fire to throw it over any blocks. They bounce off the arena walls so be warned. If you require more than two players (normal joysticks) to play, go to the OPTIONS screen, choose SELECT PLAYERS and hit fire to enable your guy. This unregistered shareware version allows the full four players, but the extra two players must use the STe extra joystick ports. Could put in support for the printer port joystick extension if I get enough interest.. Okay, now a list of possible effects! (*=temporary) Extra bomb (GreyBomb) Increase layable bombs. Explosion range (YellowSun) Explosion spread increase. Kickability (Hand) Ability to kick/throw bombs. Molotov* (Bottle) All thrown bombs are molotov cocktails.. Try it, but don't be nearby when it hits a wall or the ground (1 square spread)! Speedup* (RollerSkate) Double your Bombaman's speed. Flakjacket* (Jacket) Immunity from explosions. Extend Coin (XCoin) Extend the time you have a temporary powerup. Timeout Clock (Clock) End your current powerup. Wild Star* (Asterisk) Global effect on all players. Detonator (Plunger) Detonate all bombs on-screen. Ghost Bombs* (SmallBlackBomb) Lay a bomb, it vanishes and reappears just before exploding. "Surprise!" Try kicking and throwing these! Yinyang Effects* (YinYang) Random selection including: Short/Long fuses Mega/Mini Explosions Speedup/Slowdown/Reverse Immunity Invisibility Autolay Nobombs [STRATEGY/TIPS]: If you pick up a molotov bottle before you can throw/kick, it's wasted. Well it stops others having it anyway. Thrown bombs bounce off the arena edges. Use global effects to confuse the other players who've just laid a bomb or to strip them of a good powerup they've picked up (like the molotov!)! Watch other guys aren't stood next to a detonator when you plant a bomb! Use kick/throw to bomb the other side of the screen quickly. Use throwing to block others in confined areas then throw more bombs in any gaps! "Trapping them in the bathroom". Throw or kick bombs at ones that are about to explode, but remember to get out of the way! Watch out for the chasing zombies if the game takes too long. They set off bombs for you..... [INGAME KEYS]: Q - quits current battle P - Pause on/off M - Music on/off (whilst paused) [OPTIONS SCREEN KEYS]: arrows - move selection enter/space - pick/choose Also reads joystick in port 1. [FUTURE WORK]: I would like to develop more games for the STe. Does anyone else still want to play games on it though? I am starting work on other titles. But won't bother if there's no response to this one. I don't see much point in writing stuff if there's no interest in it. I intend my subsequent releases to be much better - and am considering some titles at the moment (if no-one else writes them before me!). Since I have the basic routines now, any future productions will be quicker to develop! I've actually just got hold of a PC and this will be used to help develop STe games (and play the odd game I suppose). [SHAREWARE]: This is an EVALUATION COPY of the full game. If you don't like it, you don't pay a thing! Shareware programs are commercial programs, in which the programmer retains copyright. The user is allowed to run the program for a specific amount of time, and when this period is up, the user is obliged to pay the shareware fee. Otherwise, the program must be deleted as it becomes an unauthorised copy. If software authors receive few registrations they are unlikely to continue supporting your machine (why should they?). If you're not sure an author's address is still valid, send a letter or card first, he'll be pleased to hear from you. It's up to you. Support cheap, good quality software or buy a PC, and expect to spend money upgrading it every year in order to run anything new. It's always nice to get some response to the hours of work that programmers put into their creations! Due to past experience and an added incentive to register, this version is slightly crippled (Sorry!). [FUTURE GAMES]: MACROMACHINES/MICRODRIVE Multiplayer tabletop car racing. [Most likely next release - using STe HW scrolling + everything else] GERMS: Multiplayer bazooka-firing combat. COSMIC GUERILLA Noone else has written it for the ST. But I liked it. [If anyone remembers this game I'll be surprised] SOME SORT OF FAST ROBOTRON-TYPE GAME WITH HW SCROLLING AND... [Well I liked llamatron, but preferred the original] A PLATFORM GAME... Based on Rainbow Islands type... A DEFENDER-LIKE GAME... But easier to progress through! They will use as much of the STe's HW as possible - BLITTER, MIDI/MOD/CHIPMUSIC, (I'd like a midi-music option - good quality & cheap on processor time! What do YOU think?) DMASOUND, HARDWARE-SCROLLING, PALETTE-SWITCHING, EXTENDED-JOYSTICK-PORTS, BORDER-REMOVED-SCREEN-RESOLUTIONS. [LASTBIT]: I have spent many (happy / frustrating) hours writing all the routines and would appreciate some response from YOU. Nowadays, ANY Atari chat is better than none.. Any programming questions I'd be happy to help as well - email address would be useful! Feel free to review(!) or release this on a compilation CD -- all I ask is that you inform me if possible. Enjoy! Kev Callahan (June-1998) ======================================== ---------------------------------------- [PRICING]: Registration of BOMBAMAN is only FIVE POUNDS STERLING (No other currencies). You should register if you play it more than a couple of times, I reckon. In return you'll get an uncrippled copy in the post! (Allow a week or so). If no-one registers, I'll soon get the message! **************************************** Please remember to send a self-addressed envelope (with relevant stamp) to cover postage of the disk. An email address would be very useful! **************************************** Also send any bug-reports to the same address, but don't expect a reply unless you've registered! -- to.. FAO: Kevin Callahan 97 Egmont Road, Poole Dorset England BH16 5AN ---------------------------------------- ======================================== ---------------------------------------- EXTENDED JOYSTICK PORT(A/B) CONNECTIONS 15pin 'VGA' Hi-D-type to two 9pin D-type ---------------------------------------- PORTA JOY 0 JOY 1 1 1 - 2 2 - 3 3 - 4 4 - 5 - - 6 6 - 7 7 7 8 - - 9 8 8 10 - 6 11 - 1 12 - 2 13 - 3 14 - 4 15 - - PORT B splitter is the same. One player on each port at the moment. ----------------------------------------- The printer port joysticks are MUCH easier to make then the STe ones! Require only one 25 pin RS232 connector and two 9 pin JS connectors (plus wire!) They also work with: Gauntlet 2, KickOff 2, Leatherneck, etc. I'll sort out the code if enough people are interested and send it to registered users as a patch (or a new version). KC *