Editing other platforms

[Spider]

I was thinking a while back about this...

 

Has anyone given any thought to editing other machines versions of JSW and/or MM ?

 

In particular perhaps the BBC Micro and Amstrad versions.

 

 

I am aware of one slightly modified MM Amstrad game but from memory only the first couple of caverns were edited and nothing else.

 

In theory at least MM and perhaps JSW1 on the Amstrad (but I've not looked if they use the compression stuff they do with JSW2 in JSW1 on here) ought not to be that difficult to do.

 

The BBC version (not Electron version!) despite being 6502 based may not be that bad either, although I'm not sure how the room data is stored in that, I am well aware that it would be sensible to avoid JSW2 on this platform given there's two versions of it but that's something detailed in another topic. Suffice to say the tape/disc versions of JSW1 and MM are single loaded and work 'as is' without further input data requests. This JSW version -does- play really well I think, MM would be OK had the sprite flicker been fixed, I understand there's actually a theoretical fix for that.

 

 

Plenty of screenshots of this and other versions in their appropriate topic(s)

 

So the question remains, are there any thoughts to editors on these platforms perhaps ? I've purposely excluded some other variants for being too poor and/or too similar. C64 (square stairs -sigh- and bugs galore) and MSX (near ZX identical) etc. The Oric Atmos version of MM is not bad though p[rovided you use the third party fixed release not the original release, but no-one ported JSW to it yet.

 

 

[Norman Sword]

Amstrad version of Jet Set Willy 2. 

 

The Amstrad(CPC) version of Jet set willy. Was written as Jet set willy, where the programmers decided to fix the weird layout of Jet Set Willy. By adding some extra rooms into the gaps of a neatly planned layout of jet set Willy. From the outset of  writing the game on the amstrad(CPC) it was decided to use a very simple run line compression. The compression was added to a room designer written on the CPC. This was written in a few lines of basic. Each designed room was then output in  compressed form. As a set of data statements and sent via an RS232 link. The RS232 link was via  a z80dart connected to the CPC. The receiving Machine was a Tandy model 4. All rooms received by the tandy model 4 from the CPC were of the compressed data.  Any room that needed to be edited was either re-drawn or the compressed data was hand edited.

 

This data and the code that was written for the cpc was the basis of the version released on the Spectrum called JSW2 the final frontier. The room data is an exact copy of the CPC data with editing of that data to change the way the spectrum uses colour compared to the CPC four colours.

 

 

At a later date. After JSW2 was released on the zx spectrum. A need arose for the CPC to have a version that was more inline with the other versions of JET SET WILLY e.g. only had 60 rooms.

 

This was necessitated for the release of "they sold a million" compilation tapes. Which had been released on other machines, and a version was planned for  release on the CPC.  For the "they sold a million" version on the CPC it was decided to remove all the extra rooms and leave the game with only 60 rooms. This later version on the CPC was released in the compilation "they sold a million" on the CPC.

 

 

The net result is that the data for both CPC versions are very similar to the spectrum version of jsw2. And all are compressed with that simple run line encoding. Written in a couple of lines of CPC basic.

Edited June 22, 2020 by Norman Sword

[Spider]

Thanks Norman.

 

I did strongly suspect the Amstrad version of JSW1 was 'based' on the JSW2 version, the other clue to this is the "fall off the platform" thing too.

 

Also explains why I had so much trouble trying to find a stand-alone release on tape of JSW1 for the Amstrad, ended up using the TSAM compilation release. Thankfully it was only protected with an early (Spectrum) Speedlock so taking it apart was not too difficult. This resulted in me being able to present a tape based infinite lives variant of JSW1 Amstrad while still retaining its original loader, reasoning was most "trained" (I hate that word somehow) versions were nearly always disk based. Was well received by the AMS site too.

 

Although there's an entry here for those, the actual 'modified' AMS tape file I built is attached merely for reference. Note this is an Amstrad CPC tape :D despite it being a .tzx instead of a .cdt, mind you there's not much in that other than extension naming I suppose. Works properly on the CPC6128 too:

 

JSW1_Infinite_Lives.tzx

 

Screenshot combi, Loading Screen/Initial HighScore Table/Title+Splash Screen/Starting Room:

 

Edited June 22, 2020 by Spider

[andrewbroad]

I used to have an Amstrad CPC 6128 (in addition to my 48K Spectrum and then Spectrum +2). I didn't have any MM/JSW games for the Amstrad, but I did have a brilliant platform game named Radzone.

[Spider]

I used to have an Amstrad CPC 6128 (in addition to my 48K Spectrum and then Spectrum +2). I didn't have any MM/JSW games for the Amstrad, but I did have a brilliant platform game named Radzone.

Will check that out, have heard of it but that's as far as I know. I do appear to already have it, AMS version, does not appear to be a ZX version, not to immediate hand anyway. Not 100% sure why as in theory its not a complete rewrite to move software between the CPC and the ZX

 

 

Plot

 

The colonisation team had almost completed their task when a nuclear power unit went super-critical. The base had to be abandoned. It is now down to you to make the planetoid safe again! You do this by moving around the planetoid, "decontaminating" it - collecting all the radioactive objects - and when each screen is cleared, it becomes a Safe Zone. A screen which no longer exposes you to radiation - something which happens all the time in non-safe screens. Of course, there are highly radioactive life forms to avoid as well. Once all screens have been made safe, you complete the game. You have a few spare radiation suits (lives) on the start screen. Without a suit, you are highly vulnerable.

 

 

So similar in one way to our games here, "collect the bits and move on!" :D

 

I have a CPC464 , wish I'd got the 128 at the time, this was a few years ago when they were at their lowest prices "retro sales" wise I mean before the resurge in interest. To be honest I may sell it anyway as its hardly used. One thing is its length, at least if you place it next to a +2 its huge! :lol:

Edited June 23, 2020 by Spider