Knockabout

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bob_fossil
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Knockabout

Post by bob_fossil »

Knockabout is a port of 'Puzzle Boy' written in C using the z88dk. 'Puzzle Boy' was a homebrew title by maRk on the Nintendo DS - which in turn was based on the Gameboy title 'Kwirk' by Atlus. This also has additional levels taken from the Gameboy sequel 'Amazing Tater' and a PC Engine version called PuzzleBoy.

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Get our heroine to the flag to move on to the next level. You can't pass through walls but blue switches can be pushed to rotate them and yourself around - so long as there is nothing in the way of the switch. Yellow blocks also obstruct your path on some levels and need to be moved out of the way. They can also be used to fill in black holes if they are completely consumed by the hole.

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Some levels need you to enlist the help of your friends. You can change between players with the 'Swap/Ok' button. You can also press the Break key in game to access the game menu (select an option with left, right and swap/ok). This lets you undo your last move, see a map view (handy for the larger levels) restart the level if you get stuck or quit back to the main menu.

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Controls default to Q,A,O,P and Space but are redefinable as well as there being joystick support.

I couldn't figure out a way to auto convert the levels from the DS so I've been adding them in one at a time as I've been progressing through the game. I'm currently up to level 82 out of 136, so at least I'm over half way through.

You can get the latest version from here.

Thanks,

bob_fossil
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MatGubbins
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Re: Knockabout

Post by MatGubbins »

This is a puzzle game and a half, just done level 13 and gained a friend on screen.

It's a little confusing at first when trying to spin the blocks, but it soon becomes second nature.
The Break key to restart / undo has been used a few times when things fall the wrong way.
Yup, it's a great game.

Hope that you manage to solve the rest of those levels too.

Mat
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Ivanzx
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Re: Knockabout

Post by Ivanzx »

I saw this in the speccy21 page and I still have to give it a try, but looks like a good brainer!
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bob_fossil
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Re: Knockabout

Post by bob_fossil »

MatGubbins wrote: Wed Nov 15, 2017 10:06 pm Hope that you manage to solve the rest of those levels too.
Thanks for the positive feedback. In the interests of full disclosure, I did at one point resort to hacking the original DS game's filesystem to swap out levels I was stuck on with ones I'd already solved just to get past them. Later on, I managed to track down play guides for the original games to make progress - it really shifts up a gear after level 28. :)
Ivanzx wrote: Wed Nov 15, 2017 10:14 pm I saw this in the speccy21 page and I still have to give it a try, but looks like a good brainer!
Thank you. I always enjoyed the original DS game and thought it would be nice to have a version for the Spectrum.

Bob Fossil
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MatGubbins
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Re: Knockabout

Post by MatGubbins »

Graphical bug.
Level 15
It has a blue cross, 2 long, 3 short bars.
Spin the short bars clockwise and the rotate is fine.
Spin any of the short bars anti-clockwise 4 times and the graphic will change into the wrong graphic and stay wrong for the rest of the level.

Another bug
this is usually when the level starts, the player moves and the starting place is not deleted, this means that the level has to be restarted because the old position cannot be occupied.
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bob_fossil
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Re: Knockabout

Post by bob_fossil »

Small update available here.

I've fixed the graphics glitch rotating a 2 x 2 block anticlockwise. I have randomly encountered the stuck tile syndrome during development but my last attempt at stopping it seemed to fix it for me. I've had another go, so let me know if it's any better or worse. I've also added 3 more levels so we're up to 85 now.

Thanks for the feedback,

Bob Fossil
MatGubbins wrote: Thu Nov 16, 2017 12:59 pm Graphical bug.
Level 15
It has a blue cross, 2 long, 3 short bars.
Spin the short bars clockwise and the rotate is fine.
Spin any of the short bars anti-clockwise 4 times and the graphic will change into the wrong graphic and stay wrong for the rest of the level.

Another bug
this is usually when the level starts, the player moves and the starting place is not deleted, this means that the level has to be restarted because the old position cannot be occupied.
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MatGubbins
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Re: Knockabout

Post by MatGubbins »

Thank for the update, the rotate works on that level.

The UNDO feature seems to be rather bugged, I thought it would undo the last move, but it seems to either jump back to a random place in the last level, or have the blue screen with a few random green squares and wall/flag graphics - pressing the direction keys will move around.
Pressing Break and then restart usually gets things back up and running but completing the level will give the code for level 1 again. Things usually get a bit strange after that.

The deletion of the previous place bug is still happening, it sometimes happens when halfway through a level...
Up to level 20 at the moment.

Been testing on 48k and +2 grey.
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bob_fossil
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Re: Knockabout

Post by bob_fossil »

Appreciate you persevering with this. I've had no real feedback until posting here - it's been on the SpecNext forum since August and I've not had a single bug report it on it which depressingly suggests no one actually played it rather than me producing bug free code. :)

The undo will undo the last significant change on the screen. Significant is defined as an interaction with either a yellow block or blue switch. This is so that basic movement doesn't overwrite something you would actually want to undo. Previously, you could move a block and then move up, realise that you'd put the block in a stupid position and the undo would just move you back down rather than to before you moved the block.

I've fixed a possible issue with the undo and rewrote the player animation code which I think is responsible for the left behind tiles. Could you download this and give that a go?

Thanks,

Bob Fossil
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MatGubbins
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Re: Knockabout

Post by MatGubbins »

Downloaded the new version.
I don't mind testing and bug reporting for games.

Just glad that the game has a password system to allow level skipping.

Been testing the undo feature with level 17 as it requires a lot of pushing and thinking.
Push a block and the undo sometimes works, other times it will go into map scroll mode and then the blue squares appear. Pressing Break and restart will restart that level, completing the level will again give the level 1 code then the blue squares and random tiles appear, then things
fall apart after that.
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bob_fossil
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Re: Knockabout

Post by bob_fossil »

I've found and hopefully fixed a memory corruption issue in the undo code which may have been causing your problems - it certainly wasn't right. Are you still getting any stuck / dropped characters positions with the latest code?

Updated version here.
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MatGubbins
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Re: Knockabout

Post by MatGubbins »

Yup, works a lot better thank you.

I think that you've managed to solve it, bugs fixed - hopefully!
level 27 done... strolling on through.

Mat
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bob_fossil
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Re: Knockabout

Post by bob_fossil »

Good stuff! Your stroll might be interrupted as the levels do get noticeably harder around that point. :)

Bob Fossil
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MatGubbins
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Re: Knockabout

Post by MatGubbins »

bob_fossil wrote: Sat Nov 18, 2017 12:34 pm Good stuff! Your stroll might be interrupted as the levels do get noticeably harder around that point. :)

Bob Fossil
Yes, just stumbled onto level 29 and that's stumped me. I'll have another blast tonight.
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utz
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Re: Knockabout

Post by utz »

Great conversion of a highly addictive game! Thanks a lot :)
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bob_fossil
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Re: Knockabout

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utz wrote: Sat Nov 18, 2017 1:49 pm Great conversion of a highly addictive game! Thanks a lot :)
You're welcome. Glad you like it!

Bob Fossil
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Mike Davies
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Re: Knockabout

Post by Mike Davies »

I had a quick play of this on RVM on a Mac. Quite clever, neat little game. I haven't grasped how/when the blue switches can rotate yet, so solving largely by luck. I'll hav e to dub this to cassette tape and try it on proper hardware. :-)
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Re: Knockabout

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Cheers Mike! The switches rotate depending on where you push on them and the direction you're moving in. Switches can't rotate if there is a wall section or another switch at the position the switch would end up in after pushing.

Bob Fossil
Mike Davies wrote: Mon Nov 20, 2017 8:22 pm I had a quick play of this on RVM on a Mac. Quite clever, neat little game. I haven't grasped how/when the blue switches can rotate yet, so solving largely by luck. I'll hav e to dub this to cassette tape and try it on proper hardware. :-)
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Alessandro
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Re: Knockabout

Post by Alessandro »

Hi Bob, I just discovered your game, very nice job!

I didn't know about the original title, so it comes as a refreshing surprise to me. Well done.
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bob_fossil
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Re: Knockabout

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Alessandro wrote: Wed Nov 22, 2017 2:34 pm Hi Bob, I just discovered your game, very nice job!

I didn't know about the original title, so it comes as a refreshing surprise to me. Well done.
Thank you for your kind words Alessandro! I was only familiar with the remake on the Nintendo DS as I used to keep an eye on the homebrew scene for it. The Gameboy original and it's sequel passed me by.

Bob Fossil
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bob_fossil
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Re: Knockabout

Post by bob_fossil »

There's a new build of Knockabout available here - in the unlikely event that you've run out of levels to complete (now up to level 90) or made it past level 29. This also contains fixes for the bugs found so far and probably some new ones for Mr Gubbins to find. :)

You can also find more info in my blog posting.

Cheers,

Bob Fossil
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MatGubbins
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Re: Knockabout

Post by MatGubbins »

I've given the new version a blast from levels 16 to 26 and they seem to be working fine. Trying to do them again was fun!!

Level 29 is my limit and stumped me.
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RMartins
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Re: Knockabout

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I have been playing few levels (up to 15 right now), but I got a crash after using the undo feature.

Loading the game again, and going through without using undo, I reach level 15, fine.
However, by reading the rest of the thread, I noticed 2 more versions, that might have this issue already solved.
It would be nice to update the links, to prevent us getting stumped with old versions.

Very cool game, and reminds me a bit of Sokoban, with some extra twists.
I specialy like the "buddy" feature.

90 levels, that's great to know :)

Just passed to level 27 :)
Last edited by RMartins on Sat Feb 17, 2018 6:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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bob_fossil
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Re: Knockabout

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RMartins wrote: Sat Feb 17, 2018 5:16 pm I have been playing few levels (up to 15 right now), but I got a crash after using the undo feature.

Loading the game again, and going through without using undo, I reach level 15, fine.
However, by reading the rest of the thread, I noticed 2 more versions, that might have this issue already solved.
It would be nice to update the links, to prevent us getting stumped with old versions.
There was a memory corruption bug when using the undo. It was fixed in this build. If you still get problems with the undo then please report back. I can't seem to edit the first post (I think there has been a discussion about this) and didn't have the foresight to give the download a generic name, rather than one with a date. :)
RMartins wrote: Sat Feb 17, 2018 5:16 pm
Very cool game, and reminds me a bit of Sokoban, with some extra twists.
I specialy like the "buddy" feature.

90 levels, that's great to know :)
Thank you. Yes, 90 levels currently (only 46 more to add!) - though no-one seems to have made it beyond level 29 yet. <sound of a gauntlet being thrown>

Bob Fossil
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RMartins
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Re: Knockabout

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bob_fossil wrote: Sat Feb 17, 2018 5:52 pm ...
Thank you. Yes, 90 levels currently (only 46 more to add!) - though no-one seems to have made it beyond level 29 yet. <sound of a gauntlet being thrown>

Bob Fossil
Just reached level 30 :)
But level 29 was not tiny at all.
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Re: Knockabout

Post by RMartins »

Now on 31 :)
Level 30 required a more funky solution then level 29, but 28 seemed a lot easier than 27.
there might exist a difficulty balancing issue between these levels.
But you are probably following the original, so that is fine, and it also works as a breather :)

I would like to suggest an improvement in the control.
Keys sometimes do not feel responsive.

It happens several times during play, to press and release a key, and the game does not acknowledge it.
It seems you are not reading the keyboard often enough.
Are you reading the controls only once per frame ?

A quick solution, that works reasonably well, without requiring a keyboard queue, is to read the controls, and keep that info in an input control byte.
Then you can compare the entire control input (a new byte) by comparing the new data with the previous input control byte.
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