New Game: Ringo (128k)

[DenisGrachev]

Ringo is a logical platformer made in experimental graphic mode and inspired by classic arcade games.



You play as a young Snoogle named Ringo who needs to find as many magic stars as possible in the underground labyrinths of the twilight land.

The fact is that the Snoogles use the stars to illuminate their homes during the long winter evenings. And as you know, even a cup of hot lingonberry tea is no fun in total darkness!

Grab your copy at:
https://zxonline.net/game/ringo/

I hope you're doing well, because we're not so good.

Have a nice play!

[stupidget]

This is an excellent game. The incredible graphics, use of colour, great sound and smooth scrolling make you forget that you're actually playing a speccy game.

[Czarnikjak]

Interesting graphics.
This is not Nirvana i assume...alternating attributes every 4 scan lines? Would love some more technical details if you have anything to share.

I love all Retrosouls games, the smoothness of scrolling is just amazing.

[oO cozy Oo]

Game looks amazing as usual from You Guys!! keep it up and thank you for sharing!!!

благодарю вас

@DenisGrachev "I hope you're doing well, because we're not so good."

Улыбайтесь, друзья, скоро все будет хорошо.

[PeteProdge]

Every year, there's a new homebrew game out where I scream "that's simply not on the ZX Spectrum, that must be faked footage" and I'm delightfully proven wrong.

Yep, this got me. Absolutely a new landmark in technical innovation. Well done!

[oO cozy Oo]

Is the loading screen/title screen a Xmas hat he`s wearing!! nice touch for the release date

[Ralf]

Good game!

[Dodgypenguin]

Amazing graphics. Well done

[smurphboy]

Sometimes these games are technical marvels but lack gameplay. This has a real feel of Solomon's Key, which I loved in the arcade and on the Speccy. This really is a great game.

[DenisGrachev]

Thanks mates!

Interesting graphics.
This is not Nirvana i assume...alternating attributes every 4 scan lines? Would love some more technical details if you have anything to share.
I love all Retrosouls games, the smoothness of scrolling is just amazing.

Yes, it's not Nirvana ) For 64x48 i'm not alternating any attributes, just use 2 screens of 128k model and swap them every 4 lines. But it's actually just a simplest part of puzzle...

Maybe i'll make a little tech write up, but it will be on Russian. Hopefully a google translate helps )

[DenisGrachev]

And here is a small tech background about, hope Google Translate works well )
https://hype.retroscene.org/blog/dev/1092.html

[Czarnikjak]

And here is a small tech background about, hope Google Translate works well )
https://hype.retroscene.org/blog/dev/1092.html

Thanks, it’s certainly not straightforward, kudos for all the effort.

[Jbizzel]

ridiculously good!

[Lee Bee]

I can only echo what's been said already. It's one of those games that's so incredible it makes you check the calendar to confirm it's not April the 1st. A benchmark game for the Spectrum, obviously made by magical wizards!



Now who's going to find a way to get the pixels down to 2×2…?

[DenisGrachev]

Thanks, it’s certainly not straightforward, kudos for all the effort.

Looks like it will transform in some kind of engine|tsu with open sources. We already finded a lot of optimizations (tweaked a sprites part, move to swap every 8 lines vs 4 lines, etc), stay tuned )

[Ralf]

@DenisGrachev

I read the technical details but didn't get one thing.
When you shift things like sprites or background left or right by one 4x4 pixel, you get completely different data, just like when shifting normal pixels.

How do you deal with that?
Do you do all the calculations each time? Or keep two versions of each sprite (preshifted sprites)? Or do you use some tables to help with calculations?

[DenisGrachev]

@DenisGrachev

I read the technical details but didn't get one thing.
When you shift things like sprites or background left or right by one 4x4 pixel, you get completely different data, just like when shifting normal pixels.

How do you deal with that?
Do you do all the calculations each time? Or keep two versions of each sprite (preshifted sprites)? Or do you use some tables to help with calculations?

Yes @Ralf , everything in 2 copies, shifted by one 4x4 dot )

Sprites is in a byte per dot mode, tiles are packed in attributes with some tweeks for fast oring

[Czarnikjak]

@DenisGrachev

I made this comment on Facebook but not sure you still have access to it, so let's make it here as well.

General suggestion that applies to all your games (which are fantastic BTW).

There's no way to save progress between levels, forcing player to start from beginning every single time, very frustrating.

Some sort of password generated after each level would be great to save progress.

I only play games on real hardware, not emulators and not everyone can afford divmmc to save snapshots.

Thanks!

[DenisGrachev]

@DenisGrachev
I made this comment on Facebook but not sure you still have access to it, so let's make it here as well.
General suggestion that applies to all your games (which are fantastic BTW).
There's no way to save progress between levels, forcing player to start from beginning every single time, very frustrating.
Some sort of password generated after each level would be great to save progress.
I only play games on real hardware, not emulators and not everyone can afford divmmc to save snapshots.
Thanks!

Oh, usually all of my games can be finished in 15-30 minutes) In any case, this game already has no room for anything) If I ever make games for the Spectrum in future i will try to add password support!

Divmmc snapshots works bad with a stack based code, as i know.

There is some cheat help under spoiler. Hope it helps a bit.

Spoiler

Use B+N keys to skip a level

[Czarnikjak]

@DenisGrachev

Thanks, that worked great!
PS. Is there similar thing for Old Tower?

[just80sstuff]

Has.....or even is it possible to complete level 29?!?!
I collect the key but it seems impossible to get up to the level where the door is. Is there a simple trick I'm missing? Tried all the moves I've picked up getting to this level but.......HELP!!!!

Great game by th way...and the graphics make all the difference to the puzzle type platformers.

[Mpk]

Has.....or even is it possible to complete level 29?!?!

Go down!

[just80sstuff]

I went down..... About a minute after I posted on here!

Couldn't see the wood for the trees, as the saying goes.

Wouldn't these graphics and clean scrolling be superb used in a Scramble type game? That's the one thing, along with a decent Donkey Kong that I've been waiting (hoping) for since first owning a Speccy in 1983!

[gabriele amore]

fantastic game!

[gabriele amore]

I went down..... About a minute after I posted on here!

Couldn't see the wood for the trees, as the saying goes.

Wouldn't these graphics and clean scrolling be superb used in a Scramble type game? That's the one thing, along with a decent Donkey Kong that I've been waiting (hoping) for since first owning a Speccy in 1983!

i was thinking the same thing!