The thing that I noticed with Andrew's book is that he doesn't go for the obvious games, the best-selling games, the famous games.
He goes for the *interesting* games. These either have interesting back-stories, game designs, quirks, features, etc.
R-Type was also a game that I missed in the book, but whilst it's technically superior to other games, it's not actually all that interesting. It's a shoot'em-up with power-ups. Granted, it's very slick and polished, but actually nothing new, even at the time.
For a coffee-table book, people unaware of the scene will dip into now and again whilst you're in the kitchen making food or drinks, that's what you want.
The book's stronger for that, I think, and I wish it was an approach appropriate for the YSRnRY documentary, but the documentary is really meant to be both a historical retrospective crossed with a showcase for the Speccy, and covering the less-good-but-more-interesting games wouldn't really translate well into the YSRnRY documentary format.
But don't you think that R-type deserves more of a mention than Maze-Mania? To me, your synopsis basically says: "this game is a piece of turd." It is especially obvious when you compare it to the technical achievement of the rest of the 1988-89 crop.
True... But including Maze Mania really illustrates the decline of Hewson from the powerhouse that they used to be to an also-ran releasing whatever they could get their hands on... A sad story, but one I wanted to show.
R-Type is a conversion (albeit an excellent one) that everyone knows about and has played on many other systems... I did include some conversions - but not that one... (on the whole, i did try and steer away from arcade conversions, unless I could find some interesting info about them.)
So no R-Type... However, I am toying with the idea of putting a small 'ones that got away' chapter online once the printing is done.
True... But including Maze Mania really illustrates the decline of Hewson from the powerhouse that they used to be to an also-ran releasing whatever they could get their hands on... A sad story, but one I wanted to show.
R-Type is a conversion (albeit an excellent one) that everyone knows about and has played on many other systems... I did include some conversions - but not that one... (on the whole, i did try and steer away from arcade conversions, unless I could find some interesting info about them.)
You make a fair point, and it is obvious from the synopsis of Maze-Mania that this was one of the key reasons for its inclusion. If it had come from an average software house I'm sure there would not have been any reason for it to make the cut. I'm sure that when I see the finished book everything will fall into place better... now, since you added Rex, I better go order a copy :)
...however, I feel a little guilty about that request (whether or not it helped you to include Rex, I do not know). But it seems to me that you are not all that enthusiastic about the game, so maybe it shouldn't make the cut?
For me, Rex stands above the rest of the genre due to the incredible attention to detail that the programmers made. The sprite and level design are a real cut above the competition - suggesting, to me, a labour of love. Compare it to, for example, Cybernoid, which came out the same year - itself a deserved hit, and a fave of mine - but Rex's screen layouts and graphics are just so much more varied and detailed. Add-in interesting enemy movement patterns, and real suggestions of artificial intelligence in the spacemen (not just the random floating aliens that pervade Exolon, Cybernoid1+2). Then add-in route choices, and secret paths to find, and you are left with an awesome tactical flip-screen shooter, which still amazes me that it fits into 48K. (Ok, with one multiload :))
Finally, I'm really intrigued that the programmers (The Light) have no credits to anything else in the WoS database despite obviously having exceptional talent. It makes me wonder what happened to them: Were they just too late for the 1980's Spectrum party?
...however, I feel a little guilty about that request (whether or not it helped you to include Rex, I do not know). But it seems to me that you are not all that enthusiastic about the game, so maybe it shouldn't make the cut?
Actually, that is *exactly* why I added Rex :)
I played the game and liked it, even though I sucked...
I *thought* I'd given it a fairly positive spin, but I'll double check... Of course, you sound like a bit of a Rex fanboy, so anything other than gushing praise is probably negative to you ;) Hehe.. I'll see if I can include anything from your comments on the game.
Thanks for all your input so far by the way...keep it up.
Thanks for all your input so far by the way...keep it up.
Here's some feedback on the 1987_usf chapter:
Academy: "It was extremely playable and technically accomplished arcade adventure", should be "It was an extremely playable...."
Game Over: Dynamic should that be Dinamic?
Martianoids: "As the game progressing, more and more aliens attack", would be "As the game progresses"
Nebulus: "Nebulus had the distinction of not only being converted to almost as many hardware platforms..." I had to re-read this a couple of times, and I think it would be better to remove the "not only", making it "Nebulus had the distinction of being converted to almost as many hardware platforms..."
Shockway Rider: "it's more likely that T'zer got her press releases is a twist", substitute "is" for "in"
Tai-Pan: "Crews can be find by either hiring or press-ganging", substitute "find" for "found".
Thrust II: "the main one being the replacement of the replacement of the ship's standard gun" - maybe it's actually "the replacement of the replacement of the replacement of the ship's standard gun" ;)
The Enigma Force entry states that it was the "third Denton Designs game to be published by Beyond." Unless I'm much mistaken it was the second, with Bounces the third and Infodroid the fourth.
Also, both for it and Shadowfire, the credits in the manuals list not only the people you have mentioned but the entire Denton Designs team.
I just hope the books a great success, not too much of a nightmare for him and i would love to see at some point in the far future Part II featuring a ton of other games
Can see it happening if this is a huge success !
Either way i cant wait to get this book, its going to be brilliant and i'm happy as hell its coming out !
I just hope the books a great success, not too much of a nightmare for him and i would love to see at some point in the far future Part II featuring a ton of other games
Can see it happening if this is a huge success !
Either way i cant wait to get this book, its going to be brilliant and i'm happy as hell its coming out !
So I suggest that the book has VOLUME 1 in the title:
... Of course, you sound like a bit of a Rex fanboy...
Oh, Shit. There is just no way that that word can ever have a positive connotation :o
But while we're on the subject of Rex :D, your description of what you have to do in the tower (part II) isn't really accurate. You actually just fight your way through to the top, and blast the squishy blob, at which point you're presented with a short message about...well I better not spoil it...
Nothing so exciting as deploying explosives and escaping...but, something that would be an interesting inclusion for a Rex remake... Oh crap, there I go again...
A great idea! But, really, Andrew: Would you want to go through all of this again?!?
Yes and no... I had great fun doing it, but it took me too long...
I started the project when I had a lot of free time, only to have that free time eaten up by other commitments...
So, just recently, it's become a slog - just because I'm working 16 hour days and then having to work on the book in my downtime...
Yes and no... I had great fun doing it, but it took me too long...
I started the project when I had a lot of free time, only to have that free time eaten up by other commitments...
So, just recently, it's become a slog - just because I'm working 16 hour days and then having to work on the book in my downtime...
Last few nit-picks, from the 1988 and 1989 chapters. The 1989 ones are in addition to those posted earlier in this thread.
1988_ylf:
Ikari Warriors: "even when the player's aren't safely" - remove the apostrophe in "player's".
Mad Mix Game: "emulated by the Donkey Kong Country series of game from Rare" - should be "series of games"
Rex: "the enemies remained a formidable foe" - this could be real nit-picking, but it would seem to me that "the enemies remained formidable foes" would read better.
1989_xwg:
Carrier Command: "carrier takes one of the players islands" - add an apostrophe to "players" - maybe use the spare one from above? :)
Chase HQ: "a police officer in a pursuit of a bunch of nefarious criminals each of which" - I'd recommend taking out the bold "a" above and changing this sentence to read: "a police officer in pursuit of a bunch of nefarious criminals, each of whom..."
I've incorporated all of the changes included so far in this thread...
I'll be generating and uploading the latest set of pdfs hopefully by this weekend...
(including the two chapters that haven't made it yet if all goes well.)
Any update on this? Its been around a year since we ordered...
I'm reviewing the print proofs as we speak. Once I've corrected all the typos, some pages will be re-proofed to verify colour accuracy, and then if all goes well and the pdfs need no further tweaking, it will be printed. It'll probably take a week or two to fully review the first set of proofs.
Comments
He goes for the *interesting* games. These either have interesting back-stories, game designs, quirks, features, etc.
R-Type was also a game that I missed in the book, but whilst it's technically superior to other games, it's not actually all that interesting. It's a shoot'em-up with power-ups. Granted, it's very slick and polished, but actually nothing new, even at the time.
For a coffee-table book, people unaware of the scene will dip into now and again whilst you're in the kitchen making food or drinks, that's what you want.
The book's stronger for that, I think, and I wish it was an approach appropriate for the YSRnRY documentary, but the documentary is really meant to be both a historical retrospective crossed with a showcase for the Speccy, and covering the less-good-but-more-interesting games wouldn't really translate well into the YSRnRY documentary format.
True... But including Maze Mania really illustrates the decline of Hewson from the powerhouse that they used to be to an also-ran releasing whatever they could get their hands on... A sad story, but one I wanted to show.
R-Type is a conversion (albeit an excellent one) that everyone knows about and has played on many other systems... I did include some conversions - but not that one... (on the whole, i did try and steer away from arcade conversions, unless I could find some interesting info about them.)
So no R-Type... However, I am toying with the idea of putting a small 'ones that got away' chapter online once the printing is done.
Andrew
I believe you have... PM me to remind me and I'll check later...
Of course, you could always order an extra copy to be sure :lol:
You make a fair point, and it is obvious from the synopsis of Maze-Mania that this was one of the key reasons for its inclusion. If it had come from an average software house I'm sure there would not have been any reason for it to make the cut. I'm sure that when I see the finished book everything will fall into place better... now, since you added Rex, I better go order a copy :)
...however, I feel a little guilty about that request (whether or not it helped you to include Rex, I do not know). But it seems to me that you are not all that enthusiastic about the game, so maybe it shouldn't make the cut?
For me, Rex stands above the rest of the genre due to the incredible attention to detail that the programmers made. The sprite and level design are a real cut above the competition - suggesting, to me, a labour of love. Compare it to, for example, Cybernoid, which came out the same year - itself a deserved hit, and a fave of mine - but Rex's screen layouts and graphics are just so much more varied and detailed. Add-in interesting enemy movement patterns, and real suggestions of artificial intelligence in the spacemen (not just the random floating aliens that pervade Exolon, Cybernoid1+2). Then add-in route choices, and secret paths to find, and you are left with an awesome tactical flip-screen shooter, which still amazes me that it fits into 48K. (Ok, with one multiload :))
Finally, I'm really intrigued that the programmers (The Light) have no credits to anything else in the WoS database despite obviously having exceptional talent. It makes me wonder what happened to them: Were they just too late for the 1980's Spectrum party?
Actually, that is *exactly* why I added Rex :)
I played the game and liked it, even though I sucked...
I *thought* I'd given it a fairly positive spin, but I'll double check... Of course, you sound like a bit of a Rex fanboy, so anything other than gushing praise is probably negative to you ;) Hehe.. I'll see if I can include anything from your comments on the game.
Thanks for all your input so far by the way...keep it up.
Andrew
Here's some feedback on the 1987_usf chapter:
Academy: "It was extremely playable and technically accomplished arcade adventure", should be "It was an extremely playable...."
Game Over: Dynamic should that be Dinamic?
Martianoids: "As the game progressing, more and more aliens attack", would be "As the game progresses"
Nebulus: "Nebulus had the distinction of not only being converted to almost as many hardware platforms..." I had to re-read this a couple of times, and I think it would be better to remove the "not only", making it "Nebulus had the distinction of being converted to almost as many hardware platforms..."
Shockway Rider: "it's more likely that T'zer got her press releases is a twist", substitute "is" for "in"
Tai-Pan: "Crews can be find by either hiring or press-ganging", substitute "find" for "found".
Thrust II: "the main one being the replacement of the replacement of the ship's standard gun" - maybe it's actually "the replacement of the replacement of the replacement of the ship's standard gun" ;)
Thanks!
--
Matt
CGC2006 - www.mattrudge.net/cgc2006
The Enigma Force entry states that it was the "third Denton Designs game to be published by Beyond." Unless I'm much mistaken it was the second, with Bounces the third and Infodroid the fourth.
Also, both for it and Shadowfire, the credits in the manuals list not only the people you have mentioned but the entire Denton Designs team.
Can see it happening if this is a huge success !
Either way i cant wait to get this book, its going to be brilliant and i'm happy as hell its coming out !
So I suggest that the book has VOLUME 1 in the title:
ZX Game Book Volume 1
Saso
Oh, Shit. There is just no way that that word can ever have a positive connotation :o
But while we're on the subject of Rex :D, your description of what you have to do in the tower (part II) isn't really accurate. You actually just fight your way through to the top, and blast the squishy blob, at which point you're presented with a short message about...well I better not spoil it...
ftp://ftp.worldofspectrum.org/pub/sinclair/games-maps/r/Rex_SideB.png
Nothing so exciting as deploying explosives and escaping...but, something that would be an interesting inclusion for a Rex remake... Oh crap, there I go again...
A great idea! But, really, Andrew: Would you want to go through all of this again?!?
I started the project when I had a lot of free time, only to have that free time eaten up by other commitments...
So, just recently, it's become a slog - just because I'm working 16 hour days and then having to work on the book in my downtime...
Still... nearly there :)
Andrew
What if someone worked on it with you Andrew/
1988_ylf:
Ikari Warriors: "even when the player's aren't safely" - remove the apostrophe in "player's".
Mad Mix Game: "emulated by the Donkey Kong Country series of game from Rare" - should be "series of games"
Rex: "the enemies remained a formidable foe" - this could be real nit-picking, but it would seem to me that "the enemies remained formidable foes" would read better.
1989_xwg:
Carrier Command: "carrier takes one of the players islands" - add an apostrophe to "players" - maybe use the spare one from above? :)
Chase HQ: "a police officer in a pursuit of a bunch of nefarious criminals each of which" - I'd recommend taking out the bold "a" above and changing this sentence to read: "a police officer in pursuit of a bunch of nefarious criminals, each of whom..."
That's it! Congratulations again on a great read.
--
Matt
CGC2006 - www.mattrudge.net/cgc2006
PM me and we'll talk ;)
Andrew
(edited at request of wife ;) )
I've incorporated all of the changes included so far in this thread...
I'll be generating and uploading the latest set of pdfs hopefully by this weekend...
(including the two chapters that haven't made it yet if all goes well.)
Andrew
I'm reviewing the print proofs as we speak. Once I've corrected all the typos, some pages will be re-proofed to verify colour accuracy, and then if all goes well and the pdfs need no further tweaking, it will be printed. It'll probably take a week or two to fully review the first set of proofs.
Andrew
;)
Not yet, no... It's being printed. :roll:
Andrew
#"There is no book, you are receding..." :D
(to be read in a Pink Floyd voice, not the Scissor Smurfs -- they should be shot. Actually, they are shot -- with a slightly different vowel...)
misteaksmistrakesmisyaleserrurs— oh, sod it.that's progress, how long are they expecting the printing to take?
you must be feeling pretty good about this being almost over.
Cool, so we are close to completion then. I'd like mine signed, I sent you a pm.
:D
The whole process from start to finish is supposed to take three to four weeks or so after the final proofs are in...
I got those in at the beginning of last week...
And yes... I'm glad it's over, although there is now the nightmare of mailing to deal with...
(And of course, I'm dreading finding typos that I missed!)
Andrew
Yeah... but you spelt my name wrong in the news item :)
No book for you! Come back, one year!
at least give him some bread. :)
erm, Andy :lol:
grrrrr... :evil: