Dan's Remakes - May Update

After a quiet couple of months on the remakes front I'm back in business.

There have been a couple of issues that I've been wanting to resolve before moving on with newer stuff, one relating to Windows, the other to Windows and Linux.

The main one with Windows is to do with BlitzMax and they way it works (or fails to) with some graphics cards. The method I'd been trying of autodetecting what display mode should work (DirectX or OpenGL) doesn't always work - sometimes leaving you with a black screen.

I didn't want to have to go back to having two binaries for Windows, so I've set RetroRoids up to accept command-line parameters to force it to use one method or the other. I've also used an MSI installer package to distribute the game, which includes shortcuts for both modes (and for the readme).

Hopefully that should sort things out permanently for Windows.

The other issue relates to packing games. If RetroRoids is going to work for regular users when installed then the configuration file needs to be written somewhere other than the install directory. This is true on Windows as well as on Linux. So the other change is for the configuration files to be written into the users home directory / user profile.

Now that this is sorted I'll be putting some effort into trying to provide Debian / Ubuntu packages of my games.

RetroRoids - Games4Mac Game of the Week

I've just had a nice surprise courtesy of Games4Mac - a German MacOS games site. RetroRoids has been named as their "Spiel der Woche" (which roughly translates as Game of the Week).

Wow! Fame at last!

Released: RetroRoids v1.10 - RetroRoids Deluxe

RetroRoids 1.10 (codename: RetroRoids Deluxe) is now available for Linux and Windows. The MacOS version will be ready later on tonight.

So what's new I hear you ask?

Quite a bit. There are now two game modes: RetroRoids and Original.

Original mode is basically the same as RetroRoids 1.00 (minus the power-ups). As in the original asteroids there is a chance of the ship exploding when using hyperspace. The speed of the asteroids has been reduced slightly, and the ship rotates slightly faster.

RetroRoids mode is the new version of the game. The asteroids start slower (but increase in speed with each new level). Destroying the UFO (which now appears from both sides of the screen) drops a random power-up.

Clearing a level without loosing a life activates the bonus multiplier (x2 and x4 all scores).

After the first level as well as the standard asteroids you may also (but not always) encounter the Killer Satellite. Shooting the Satellite causes the fragments to home in on you - so make sure you've got somewhere to run to. . . .

There are other tweaks to the graphics and sound (and some bugfixes too) - check out the changelog for the full list.

Available to download now at http://dans-remakes.sytes.net.

Released: RetroRoids v1.00

RetroRoids, the second in the series of "Retro" games from Dan's Remakes is now available for download from http://dans-remakes.sytes.net.

Featuring asteroids, animated backdrop, power-ups and more. As with RetroVaders the look of the game can be tweaked from the options menu.

Currently available for Windows and Linux, with the MacOS X version following soon.

RetroRoids: Update 1

As promised, here are some more details on RetroRoids.

The game itself is pretty much the same as the original arcade game Asteroids. Shoot the large 'roids which split into medium ones, the medium into small. Clear all the 'roids from each stage to go onto the next. Each level has more asteroids than the previous one.

A bonus life is awarded at 10,000 points.

Every so often a bonus UFO will appear, shoot it for extra point and a bonus item. Collect the bonuses for shields (5 seconds worth), triple shots. (100 shots worth) or an extra life.

I may add in extra bonuses later.

Announcing: RetroRoids

Announcing: RetroRoids.

In case you can't tell from the title, this is my take on the old classic Asteroids.

Available soon for Linux, Windows and MacOS X from http://dans-remakes.sytes.net

More details soon. . . .