New Super Mario Bros (demo)

[djnzx48]

I was under the impression that typical 'noflic' filters used the last two frames for blending, rather than buffering even/odd frames, so the output remains at 50Hz (or whatever the monitor is capable of displaying). The artifacts seen during movement occur because of the interlace pattern switching syncing with the scrolling speed (for 1-pixel movements), and blending with moving objects which causes blurring.

[Joefish]

Yes, it uses the last two frames. So objects moving at 50fps will get half-tone pixels around the edges as a sort of 'motion blur'.
The bigger problem here is when the stipple moves by 1 pixel but also alternates the graphic, then the stippled pixels line up for two successive frames and DON'T blend to a half tone. When a sprite moves by 1 pixel, you need to NOT alternate the stipple pattern for that frame.

[4thRock]

It continuously mixes two frames.
Therefore, if you are working at 50fps... you can only get 25 clean non blurred frames.

Perhaps the engine could have a 50 / 25 fps option, depending on the user's hardware and taste.

[Joefish]

That still wouldn't work with the Gigascreen smoother option in emulators. Whenever you update the screen, whether at 25fps or 50fps or slower, the frame before the update and the frame after the update will still get blended for one frame, and appear to blur.

[ZXDunny]

It's not gigascreen, it's dependant on the progress through the level and the sprites' positions onscreen to give the impression that there's more horizontal resolution than there really is. Clever.

[4thRock]

That still wouldn't work with the Gigascreen smoother option in emulators. Whenever you update the screen, whether at 25fps or 50fps or slower, the frame before the update and the frame after the update will still get blended for one frame, and appear to blur.

Sorry I was not clear, it's a language barrier thing.
I meant motion blur, not frame mixing (also a form of blur...)
Frame mixing must of course be always present.

But I think I understand what you mean with continuous updates.

So even if you have these frames:
A|A|B|B|C|C

On Gigascreen you get:
AA|AB|BB|BC|CC

Right ?

If that's the case I was mistaken about Gigascreen

[Joefish]

Yes.

[Ivanzx]

Copied from comments from the author in youtube videos of the game:

"Physics works on a proprietary engine. The gameplay was converted "by eye". All code is written from scratch. The engine processes up to 16 moving objects, each object has 8 events and 8 reactions to these events. Each event can be parameterized. Therefore, the implementation of the physics of Mario is a special case for this engine. In fact, he can do much more.

Updates will definitely be. I need a little breath after demoparty. Btw, it is designed to run on real ZX Spectrum, so it is expected to be viewed via RGB output @50fps. Unfortunately, I don’t have ZX-HD, so I couldn’t check how it looks.

The fact is that if you make a colored background (for example, light blue), then it will be difficult to combine any INK color with such a background (a light blue matches fine only with black and blue INKs; other colors will not look as beautiful as on a black background). The engine will lose much in color. In addition, you will have to abandon the use of BRIGHT on a colored background, because it affects both INK and PAPER. But to be honest, the engine supports any background color - see underwater world 2-2.

The goal was to do all the work in one frame. Yes, this is something like a double buffer (page flipping). While one screen is showing, the other is being redrawn. The inner loop consists of the following steps: 1. playing music, sfx, and so on; 2. cleaning up previous sprites (~10%); 3. displaying a world map (~50..60%); 4. displaying sprites and color attributes (~20..30%); 5. handle user inputs. The addresses of sprites and attributes are simultaneously stacked, which will be used later for cleaning. After that, the logic pipeline starts (~15..20%), which processes every moving object in constant time. Then the screens are swapped and everything repeats from the beginning."

[5MinuteRetro]

I've just grabbed this to try on ZXDS on my DS. It looks and plays great but, like Alessandro, I'm stuck at those early pipes. Is it actually possible to get past these, and I'm therefore just being rubbish? It does seem like an impossible jump, even when still enough of the first pipe is showing to allow a fast running jump. There do appear to be further levels in this demo, so what am I missing?

Also, on gigascreen effects. I'll confess it's the first time I've heard of them. I get the concept, though. However, I'm not sure whether or not they're 'enabled' by default on ZXDS, or whether there's some setting buried somewhere that'll switch them on. I do see a tiny bit of flicker, plus stippling, which leads me to think these effects are *not* enabled by default in ZXDS.

So yeah, any tips on either of the above welcome. Thanks!

[R-Tape]

I've just grabbed this to try on ZXDS on my DS. It looks and plays great but, like Alessandro, I'm stuck at those early pipes. Is it actually possible to get past these, and I'm therefore just being rubbish? It does seem like an impossible jump, even when still enough of the first pipe is showing to allow a fast running jump. There do appear to be further levels in this demo, so what am I missing?

Are you holding down fire, run and jump at the same time? That gives a bigger jump when you need it. I haven't found an impossible jump yet.

Also, on gigascreen effects. I'll confess it's the first time I've heard of them. I get the concept, though. However, I'm not sure whether or not they're 'enabled' by default on ZXDS, or whether there's some setting buried somewhere that'll switch them on. I do see a tiny bit of flicker, plus stippling, which leads me to think these effects are *not* enabled by default in ZXDS.

My understanding is this: If you see Mario's hat as a continuous dull grey (or even very occasional flicker), then it's on. If you see continuously flickering pixels then it's off (maybe try it in SPIN 0.666 to compare).

I'm fairly new to gigascreen, first time I properly noticed it was on this game, and I didn't have 'gigascreen flicker smoothing' enabled in SPIN. For ages I thought it was meant to be like that. I even convinced myself it was a brave use of toggling pixels!

I know the whole idea is to be a demo, so whacky techniques are important, but to be honest—I'm more impressed by the Mario-like gameplay. I wish it focussed more on that, but maybe called him Marizio or something, to play safe (#cant_be_too_careful_these_days_eh).

[5MinuteRetro]

Are you holding down fire, run and jump at the same time? That gives a bigger jump when you need it. I haven't found an impossible jump yet.

So far as I can tell from the keyboard/joystick-selection screen there is only up/down/left/right and fire (for jump) -- there's no other button for 'run'. I can run by holding down right, obv, but I never seem to get as fast at the YouTube videos I've watched. So I get stuck between those early pipes. I've tried holding down fire (jump) but... no good.

My understanding is this: If you see Mario's hat as a continuous dull grey (or even very occasional flicker), then it's on. If you see continuously flickering pixels then it's off (maybe try it in SPIN 0.666 to compare).

I'm fairly new to gigascreen, first time I properly noticed it was on this game, and I didn't have 'gigascreen flicker smoothing' enabled in SPIN. For ages I thought it was meant to be like that. I even convinced myself it was a brave use of toggling pixels!

I know the whole idea is to be a demo, so whacky techniques are important, but to be honest—I'm more impressed by the Mario-like gameplay. I wish it focussed more on that, but maybe called him Marizio or something, to play safe (#cant_be_too_careful_these_days_eh).

Yeah, thanks. I now realise gigascreen is definitely 'on' in ZXDS. When I stop Mario and let him stand still, I can see that his body appears to be a 'solid' grey that the Spectrum could not manage otherwise. When he runs and/or the background scrolls, the stippling becomes evident. It looks amazing. I wonder why we never had this back in the day (or perhaps we did?)

[Ast A. Moore]

I've tried holding down fire (jump) but... no good.

Keep holding it down and get yourself a fair bit of a running start before you jump. Don’t let go of the fire button until you’re actually in the air.

[Turrican]

When Nintendo discover that game, they will try to stop and remove it from internet. They always do that.

[djnzx48]

Will they discover it though? Unlike the recent C64 Super Mario, which was closer to a straight port, this game hasn't really had any mainstream publicity. That may be because far fewer people know or care about the Spectrum than Commode machines, or because the graphics aren't as reminiscent of the original game.

Besides, right now there are no less than six unlicensed Mario games in the archive ranging from 1997 to 2010, and they've survived there for years with no takedown notices. And that's not including the countless versions of Donkey Kong.

[R-Tape]

I'll contact them to ask if it's okay.

(DON'T ANYBODY BLOODY DARE! )

[Turrican]

Nintendo does not allow even YouTube channels to use any music or video of their games
Hope they not care about this version.

https://venturebeat.com/2016/09/01/nint ... games/amp/

[Ersh]

When Mario is walking the background scrolls at 2 pixels, and when running it scrolls at 4. So there's no need for the game to 'select' the right pattern it can simply keep alternating between the two and they'll blend just fine.

I had some time to try it on a 50hz screen and the only time I noticed any hiccups is when you start/stop scrolling, then there seem to be a frame or two where the mixing skips a beat (or at least, so it seems).

Yeah, thanks. I now realise gigascreen is definitely 'on' in ZXDS. When I stop Mario and let him stand still, I can see that his body appears to be a 'solid' grey that the Spectrum could not manage otherwise. When he runs and/or the background scrolls, the stippling becomes evident. It looks amazing. I wonder why we never had this back in the day (or perhaps we did?)

I'm pretty sure ZXDS doesn't do frame blending for gigascreen. However the slow speed of the DS LCD will actually help reduce flickering, it should even be less noticeable than on a 50hz CRT.

[djnzx48]

When Mario is walking the background scrolls at 2 pixels, and when running it scrolls at 4. So there's no need for the game to 'select' the right pattern it can simply keep alternating between the two and they'll blend just fine.

The stipple problem does affect the sprites though, which move at odd pixel offsets. It's most visible with the Goombas and when Mario is jumping vertically.

[Ersh]

The stipple problem does affect the sprites though, which move at odd pixel offsets. It's most visible with the Goombas and when Mario is jumping vertically.

That's true. Being smaller, it's not that jarring though.

For those that have problems jumping over the pipes. While holding the run button, run left, run right and jump. Basic Mario stuff.

[Joefish]

Huh? That makes no sense!

[Ersh]

Huh? That makes no sense!

You can make the jump without going to the left first, just hold the run button at all times (no need to let go really).

In SMB on the NES you always clear those pipes even at a stand still, that doesn't work here, which means you can soft-lock the ZX version if you fall down the left side of a pipe that's too close to the border.

[Ersh]

You can make the jump without going to the left first, just hold the run button at all times (no need to let go really).

I'm tired today, what I meant was that you don't need to run left, turn and run right in order to make it. As long as you have around 2 blocks of running-space you should be fine.

[5MinuteRetro]

For those that have problems jumping over the pipes. While holding the run button, run left, run right and jump. Basic Mario stuff.

But what button is the 'run' button? There appears to be only left, right, down and fire - with fire being jump. And I can hold down right and Mario never gets to 'running' speed.

[Ersh]

But what button is the 'run' button? There appears to be only left, right, down and fire - with fire being jump. And I can hold down right and Mario never gets to 'running' speed.

In ZXDS either set the input to Kempston, then choose that in the games menu (Left/Right moves, Up = Jump and Fire = Run) or choose QAOPS and set the controls manually (O/P moves, Q = Jump, Space = Run).

[5MinuteRetro]

But what button is the 'run' button? There appears to be only left, right, down and fire - with fire being jump. And I can hold down right and Mario never gets to 'running' speed.

In ZXDS either set the input to Kempston, then choose that in the games menu (Left/Right moves, Up = Jump and Fire = Run) or choose QAOPS and set the controls manually (O/P moves, Q = Jump, Space = Run).

Ah... I think that's where I've been going wrong! I assume fire was purely for jump, so I'd been configuring accordingly. I didn't realise that there's a separate run control. I'll try it next week -- I left my DS at the office.