Spikie Goes Skiing - My first 'full' Spectrum game

People are still making stuff for the Sinclair related machines. Tell us about new games and other software that runs on the Spectrum, ZX80/ZX81, Pentagon and Next.
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chilledgamer
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Spikie Goes Skiing - My first 'full' Spectrum game

Post by chilledgamer »

Hi everyone, I learned a lot from all of you guys during my first steps into assembly language coding.

I even set up a Twitch and YouTube channel called RetroCoder TV , and have some subscribers and followers etc it is growing very nicely.

After a couple of failed attempts to make a complete game (normally ran out of memory space), I have finished the first version of Spikie Goes Skiing!

There were compromises made due to many factors (ie. my programming ability, time constraints, unforeseen system limitations and a whole host of other problems), and overall it is nowhere near as good as the original game it is inspired by. However it is a fun little game in it's own right and is sufficiently different enough from the 80's original title.

In coming weeks I will be making another, even smaller game for the 48k. After that, I will be porting this game to the ZX Next and hopefully learning all about how to make the graphics look sweet on that system

Like I say in the title, this is my first game on Speccy and I made a lot of shortcuts/compromises. Mainly I think it will serve to help attract some new viewers (beginner and experienced programmers) to come visit my stream and grow the community.

Lots more games to follow. Also will be making a cassette cover/insert with instructions etc.

Tap file: https://gofile.io/d/HF70Qe

Github repo: https://github.com/RetroCoderTV/RetroCoderASM-TV-ZX_Dev

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Re: Spikie Goes Skiing - My first 'full' Spectrum game

Post by R-Tape »

This is nice to see. The frogger style road section is a bit easier than the 'original', and the skiiing section is very hard to control. Maybe that's what skiiing is really like.

Sending you a PM.
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Re: Spikie Goes Skiing - My first 'full' Spectrum game

Post by chilledgamer »

haha Thanks for the feedback. I did struggle at first with the road being either too hard or too easy. But actually now it will increase through about 10 different difficulties in road (every time you go past 'finish' in ski level , road gets harder). I should probably start it from slightly harder by default.

.. Looking out for your PM :D
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Re: Spikie Goes Skiing - My first 'full' Spectrum game

Post by chilledgamer »

R-Tape wrote: Wed Sep 16, 2020 3:20 pm This is nice to see. The frogger style road section is a bit easier than the 'original', and the skiiing section is very hard to control. Maybe that's what skiiing is really like.

Sending you a PM.


At the danger of sounding like a noob. My reply to your PM is stuck in my outbox on the website. Not sure if that is normal, or I did something wrong.

To answer your questions: The name RetroCoder TV is perfect to use in all cases. And the TAP file is freely available. (People are also free to edit and use the code if they wish for their own project, or amend this one on Github. Also of course, if anyone wishes to release it in other format (.z80 .tzx etc) please feel free.

I will also be making a printable cassette cover and insert for the physical tape (one day when I made more games I will do a small print run and sell them at cost-price to my YouTube/Twitch supporters) :D Fun times ahead....
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Re: Spikie Goes Skiing - My first 'full' Spectrum game

Post by Andre Leao »

WASD for the keys?
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Re: Spikie Goes Skiing - My first 'full' Spectrum game

Post by R-Tape »

Andre Leao wrote: Wed Sep 16, 2020 3:39 pm WASD for the keys?
Kids today eh :roll:
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Re: Spikie Goes Skiing - My first 'full' Spectrum game

Post by smurphboy »

R-Tape wrote: Wed Sep 16, 2020 3:41 pm
Andre Leao wrote: Wed Sep 16, 2020 3:39 pm WASD for the keys?
Kids today eh :roll:
WASD really grinds my gears... esp in a retro context. I mean, it tooks YEARS to establish that ZXOKP was the one true control scheme /ducks /runs
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Re: Spikie Goes Skiing - My first 'full' Spectrum game

Post by R-Tape »

chilledgamer wrote: Wed Sep 16, 2020 3:31 pm At the danger of sounding like a noob. My reply to your PM is stuck in my outbox on the website. Not sure if that is normal, or I did something wrong.
Yep that's normal. It stays in your outbox until the recipient reads it. That way you can edit or delete right up until it gets received.

Ta for the info.
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Re: Spikie Goes Skiing - My first 'full' Spectrum game

Post by RWAC »

Andre Leao wrote: Wed Sep 16, 2020 3:39 pm WASD for the keys?
I guess it beats 67890
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Re: Spikie Goes Skiing - My first 'full' Spectrum game

Post by RWAC »

This is extremely good for a first game.
The Skiing part is impossible! Do you have to go through all the flags?

I struggled a bit with WASD and would've preferred QAOP.

Well done, you've made a game more playable than Kosmic Kanga on your first attempt!
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Re: Spikie Goes Skiing - My first 'full' Spectrum game

Post by cmal »

Not a bad game and very playable! Good job!
I found a bug while playing so let me know if you're needing bugs to be reported at this stage.
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Re: Spikie Goes Skiing - My first 'full' Spectrum game

Post by Morkin »

Nice work for your first game, hope you had fun coding it.. :) Quite "rough and ready" (early Speccy style) but fun to play.

I noticed if you die on the ski section it starts the next game there, not sure if that was intentional? I think what makes that section tricky is the 'twitchy' controls, reminded me of 'Rally Driver'...
My Speccy site: thirdharmoniser.com
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Re: Spikie Goes Skiing - My first 'full' Spectrum game

Post by presh »

Good work, definitely reminds me of those early games! Love the Spikie sprite animation too :)
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Re: Spikie Goes Skiing - My first 'full' Spectrum game

Post by cmal »

smurphboy wrote: Wed Sep 16, 2020 4:39 pm
R-Tape wrote: Wed Sep 16, 2020 3:41 pm Kids today eh :roll:
WASD really grinds my gears... esp in a retro context. I mean, it tooks YEARS to establish that ZXOKP was the one true control scheme /ducks /runs
I actually like WASD in this particular game. It frees up my other hand to scratch an itch or whatever. Although a "redefine keys" would be an ideal option.
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Re: Spikie Goes Skiing - My first 'full' Spectrum game

Post by chilledgamer »

Hi guys, had to go to work...

I knew WASD would kill everyone lol. But i was brand new and the keys seemed easier to get than QZIP or something else. I had intended to make a few options for controls but ran out of memory space :[
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Re: Spikie Goes Skiing - My first 'full' Spectrum game

Post by chilledgamer »

Thank you to everyone with kind words, also those giving constructive criticism are much appreciated :D
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Re: Spikie Goes Skiing - My first 'full' Spectrum game

Post by chilledgamer »

RWAC wrote: Wed Sep 16, 2020 5:32 pm This is extremely good for a first game.
The Skiing part is impossible! Do you have to go through all the flags?

I struggled a bit with WASD and would've preferred QAOP.

Well done, you've made a game more playable than Kosmic Kanga on your first attempt!
You don't have to go through the flags, but you get a big score for doing so :] And yes it is very hard skiing haha, I have kinda mastered it now but still die often :lol:
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Re: Spikie Goes Skiing - My first 'full' Spectrum game

Post by chilledgamer »

Morkin wrote: Wed Sep 16, 2020 5:51 pm Nice work for your first game, hope you had fun coding it.. :) Quite "rough and ready" (early Speccy style) but fun to play.

I noticed if you die on the ski section it starts the next game there, not sure if that was intentional? I think what makes that section tricky is the 'twitchy' controls, reminded me of 'Rally Driver'...
Aaah good spot. I will fix this tonight. I had noticed that but then conveniently forgot about it
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Re: Spikie Goes Skiing - My first 'full' Spectrum game

Post by chilledgamer »

cmal wrote: Wed Sep 16, 2020 5:39 pm Not a bad game and very playable! Good job!
I found a bug while playing so let me know if you're needing bugs to be reported at this stage.
Thank you for playing the game and finding the bug. Please do let me know here, or by PM whichever you prefer. If it is the one about when you die on Ski Slope and restart from there, I am now aware of it and gonna fix it tonight on stream :D
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Re: Spikie Goes Skiing - My first 'full' Spectrum game

Post by chilledgamer »

Andre Leao wrote: Wed Sep 16, 2020 3:39 pm WASD for the keys?
Sorry my dude! (Auto reported to naughty corner!)
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Re: Spikie Goes Skiing - My first 'full' Spectrum game

Post by cmal »

chilledgamer wrote: Wed Sep 16, 2020 10:50 pm
cmal wrote: Wed Sep 16, 2020 5:39 pm Not a bad game and very playable! Good job!
I found a bug while playing so let me know if you're needing bugs to be reported at this stage.
Thank you for playing the game and finding the bug. Please do let me know here, or by PM whichever you prefer. If it is the one about when you die on Ski Slope and restart from there, I am now aware of it and gonna fix it tonight on stream :D
When I got run over while crossing the road, it left my splat remains on the road but I wasn't re-incarnated. The traffic kept moving as if nothing happened, and the game could not continue. I tested on SpecEmu in 48k mode.

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Re: Spikie Goes Skiing - My first 'full' Spectrum game

Post by chilledgamer »

cmal wrote: Wed Sep 16, 2020 11:26 pm
chilledgamer wrote: Wed Sep 16, 2020 10:50 pm Thank you for playing the game and finding the bug. Please do let me know here, or by PM whichever you prefer. If it is the one about when you die on Ski Slope and restart from there, I am now aware of it and gonna fix it tonight on stream :D
When I got run over while crossing the road, it left my splat remains on the road but I wasn't re-incarnated. The traffic kept moving as if nothing happened, and the game could not continue. I tested on SpecEmu in 48k mode.

Image
It is the F button to respawn lol (i know its not brilliant lol) . :D Btw I have updated the TAP file because there were a few other bugs which I have now fixed.

Correct TAP file is here: https://gofile.io/d/VYeX1C
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Re: Spikie Goes Skiing - My first 'full' Spectrum game

Post by zxbruno »

cmal wrote: Wed Sep 16, 2020 11:26 pm When I got run over while crossing the road, it left my splat remains on the road but I wasn't re-incarnated. The traffic kept moving as if nothing happened
Sounds like an Advanced Real Life Simulator :D
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Re: Spikie Goes Skiing - My first 'full' Spectrum game

Post by chilledgamer »

TAP file for this game is available on Itch Io https://retrocodertv.itch.io/spikie-goes-skiing-zx.

Also hoping it will be added to the database here, so that I can link to it from my channel in due course :D
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Re: Spikie Goes Skiing - My first 'full' Spectrum game

Post by Einar Saukas »

chilledgamer wrote: Wed Sep 16, 2020 10:42 pm I knew WASD would kill everyone lol. But i was brand new and the keys seemed easier to get than QZIP or something else. I had intended to make a few options for controls but ran out of memory space :[
If you need a really small routine to redefine and read keys, I suggest DEFKEY.

The documentation is here.
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