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New game: Krunel

tygrystygrys
edited October 2013 in Brand new software
krunel_00.png


Game name: Krunel
Type: logical
Author/group: speccy.pl
Platform: ZX Spectrum + AY interface
Also works on: ZX Spectrum 128K+, Timex 2048/2068, SAA 1099

Game is the competition entry for RetroKomp / LOAD ERROR 2013 Game Compo.


Idea and coding: Tygrys
Graphics and tests: Atom
Music and sound effects: V0yager
Loading screen: CatMan
Additional tiles sets: CatMan, Slayer, Ziutek
SAA 1099 music: Ziutek
YouTube: http://youtu.be/wrr_2G3kIe0

Copyright (C) 2013 Speccy.pl
speccy.pl - waking up the polish demoscene

Files can be downloaded at http://www.speccy.pl/archive/prod.php?id=245

Available polish and english version in formats: .tap, .dsk (TOS FDD3000 version), .trd



The game is a clone of a japanese Puyo Puyo (attempt to compete with Tetris in the logical games market) for one player. Player's aim is to match the at least 3 tiles of the same type vertically, horizontally or diagonally. Increse of game level increases speed of the falling blocks. To make the game more attractive you can select one of the 16 different tiles sets. During the game you can switch between the music and sound effects pressing F. You can also hold the game and display game statistics pressing H.

Keyboard control:
Q, M SPACE - rotate block
A or Z - drop block
O - move left
P - move right
F - switch between music and sound effects
H - hold game and display statistics

Joysticks: Kempston, Sinclair I or II, Times Computer 2068 port 1 or 2.
Up - rotate block
Down - drop block
Left - move left
Right - move right
Fire - rotate block

Timex Computer 2068 / Unipolbrit 2068 was a licensed ZX Spectrum clone popular in Portugal and Poland equiped with 2 joystick ports and AY-3-8912 sound chip working on different I/O ports than the ZX Spectrum 128K+. For many years no program was created that would use full capabilities of this computer. Krunel is the first modern game that does it fully.

There is a separate version of the game for TC2068 without the ZX Spectrum ROM cartridge. There is no support for SAA 1099 in this version as it couldn't be used anyway. This version also works on standard ZX Spectrum.

Before that Timex 2068 cupport was implemented in another - as yet unreleased in final version - game also by speccy.pl - "Dziurak - go to hole". The game will be published as soon as levels design will be finished.

SAA 1099 is a sound generator chip used in Sam Coupe and in early models od Sound Blaster PC sound cards. The game can use this chip only to play some music - there is only one track and no sound effects.

For testing SAApierdalator interface from zaxon was used. It's based on VELESOFT's design. SAA chip works with the same ports as Sam Coupe's version - 255 and 511. It's not compatible with Timex computers - in this case SAA can't be used.

As all chip's registers are write-only there is no way to detect it's presence. If the game can't detect the AY chip it defaults to SAA, otherwise user is presented with the sound chip choice.

SAA music was made by Ziutek/ESI - a famous musician. Especially for Krunel he did some changes in the track he made over 20 years ago - cover of Moby's 'Sea of Love'.

Links:
Authors - http://www.speccy.pl/
SAA1099 - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philips_SAA1099
SAApierdalator - thread on speccy.pl forum (in polish) http://speccy.pl/forum/index.php/topic,975.0.html
VELESOFT's SAA1099 page: http://velesoft.speccy.cz/saa1099-cz.htm
Post edited by tygrys on

Comments

  • Alessandro GrussuAlessandro Grussu
    edited October 2013
    Not bad, although like many games of this kind it can get somewhat repetitive after a while. I managed to reach level 9 and score 11075 points on my first attempt. Nice music and catchy, colorful graphics are the features I like best.
    Spectrumpedia, the most comprehensive book ever written about the Spectrum - Zankle Soft - Corrections for games incompatible with the +2A/+3 - TAP files for DivIDE/DivMMC - SetoLOAD fast tape loading scheme
  • WhenIWasCruelWhenIWasCruel
    edited October 2013
    nice, thank you.
    1987 ZX reviews
  • LCDLCD
    edited October 2013
    Beautiful game. Thank you.
    Tygrysie, nie wiedzialem ze jestes taki aktywny.
  • ANDREW RYALSANDREW RYALS
    edited October 2013
    fantastic game, please keep them coming!
  • RalfRalf
    edited October 2013
    Polish power ! :D
  • velesoftvelesoft
    edited October 2013
    I test this game on SAM COUPE and :
    - not show menu for select AY/SAA chip. SAA music not play.
    - game is out of controll, very chaotic, fast,....
    - if I select SAA music and save SNA file in ZX emulators, then SAA music on SAM COUPE play, but game controll is unusable...

    Game use bad kempston joy routine. If I replace IN A,(C) and IN A,(1F) instructions (in kemp.joy routines) with LD A,0 then game work on SAM COUPE without problems. Game run at 200% speed (CPU in ZX mode on SAM COUPE run about 20% faster than on real ZX). Can help add game timing via HALT instructions and game speed will correct also on CPU at 7MHz(turbo) and more...
    SAM COUPE not use kempston joy port, then in games is better add manual selection on autodetection (HALT, IN A,(1F), INC A, RET Z = return if joy not connect).
  • tygrystygrys
    edited October 2013
    Thanks ;)

    @LCD: może jeszcze coś napiszę.

    @VELESOFT: Wrong platform! Read first post and use machine from Platform: and Also works on: ;)
  • def chrisdef chris
    edited October 2013
    looks good, will check it later
  • def chrisdef chris
    edited October 2013
    21280 on my first go if anyone wants a challenge

    like it. really nice presentation/graphics, good music. kind of agree with Alessandro about the longevity factor. good work though :-)
  • R-TapeR-Tape
    edited October 2013
    Addictive and hypnotic this! Especially with that music.

    I favoured the robot blocks, you can't get your eye in with a lot of the others.

    Tried to reach defchris' HiScore but only managed a poxy 19000 or so :-(, it's a test of endurance as much as anything.
    My speccy games.
  • pkerseypkersey
    edited October 2013
    Wonderful work!

    Kudos!
  • MorkinMorkin
    edited October 2013
    I made it to level 8.

    Like R-Tape, I went for the robot icons. I like the way there's a choice.

    Fun game. Very simple but I like that..! :smile:
  • TimmyTimmy
    edited October 2013
    I gave up on level 10.

    The thing I like the most are the graphics. But the game and the music is good too. Nice.
    How to write a simple BASIC* horizontal scrolling game (Tutorial) - How to write a simple C+asm horizontal scrolling game (Tutorial, z88dk)
    Games List 2016 - Games List 2015 - Games List 2014
  • Einar SaukasEinar Saukas
    edited October 2013
    Nice game! It's very polished (pun intended!) with good presentation, graphics and music :)

    I played it quite a few times already. At level 14 the speed becomes insane so I doubt it's possible to get any further. I always loose the game as soon as I reach this level...

    20m42f.png

    I'm providing below a few playing tips that should be quite useful in later (faster) levels:
    • Select a tileset where it will be easiest to distinguish each tile instantly. You won't have time to look at a tile twice in later levels.

    • After you have positioned a falling block properly, avoid pressing the DROP key. Instead, simply leave the block falling by itself, while using this time to look at the next block and already start choosing the best place to put it also.

    • In later levels you won't have enough time to plan "chain reactions", so you better concentrate on simpler rules: If you see an opportunity to align 3 tiles in any direction, take it. Otherwise create a new "alignment opportunity" by aligning a tile already on the board, a tile from the falling block, and an empty tile slot.

    • Learn to recognize and prepare diagonal alignments. It's usually easier to create new "alignment opportunities" in diagonal (in comparison to other directions), you just need some practice.

    • In later levels, I have the impression that quickly moving the falling block sideways will slow down falling speed (perhaps the extra time required to process sideways movement makes the game miss a few frames?). So you can try this trick when you need a little more time to choose a proper place for the falling block.
    Creator of ZXDB, BIFROST/NIRVANA, ZX7/RCS, etc. I don't frequent this forum anymore, please look for me elsewhere.
  • tygrystygrys
    edited October 2013
    Thanks again ;)

    Due to a most peculiar request from VELESOFT to make the game work on SAM COUPE (under ZX Spectrum emulator) I've added Sam to the hardware detection subroutine. Game should now works on Sam without any problem. If you are interested please re-download the game.
  • R-TapeR-Tape
    edited October 2013
    def chris wrote: »
    21280 on my first go if anyone wants a challenge

    Going to try and beat ^this^ at the weekend. Oh yeah!
    Einar Saukas wrote: »
    20m42f.png

    Ah.
    My speccy games.
  • DeusXDeusX
    edited October 2013
    You'll find a little surprise with your score if you manage to reach 64k points. Shown here:
    http://www.rzxarchive.co.uk/k.php#krunel

    I recommend to increase the CPU speed to the max while playing it back or you'll have to wait about 50+ minutes. :) The included txt file tells about it anyway...

    EDIT: Completely agree with Einar. For level 14 and further, the game becomes close to impossible. I completed my run (stopped at level 16) with a hardcore usage of Rollback.
  • velesoftvelesoft
    edited October 2013
    tygrys wrote: »
    Thanks again ;)

    Due to a most peculiar request from VELESOFT to make the game work on SAM COUPE (under ZX Spectrum emulator) I've added Sam to the hardware detection subroutine. Game should now works on Sam without any problem. If you are interested please re-download the game.

    Game work on SAM COUPE, but run at 200%.... too fast... :-(
  • stephenw32768stephenw32768
    edited October 2013
    I like this! Fun to play, and really superb presentation. As with many puzzle-type games, it probably plays pretty well on a touch screen too, so I'll try it on my tablet as well.

    Great work :-)

    -Stephen
  • tygrystygrys
    edited October 2013
    @VELESOFT: Please watch this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibCoVII_MF8

    Krunel works on "real" SAM COUPE without any problems with sound and speed.
  • TurricanTurrican
    edited October 2013
    Played it this weekend.
    Very good game.
    It?s a bit too fast when you click on down key, but very very good game.
  • velesoftvelesoft
    edited October 2013
    tygrys wrote: »
    @VELESOFT: Please watch this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibCoVII_MF8

    Krunel works on "real" SAM COUPE without any problems with sound and speed.

    Yes. Sorry, bug is in my SNAPER utility (bad interrupt position setup). Now is bug in SNAPER fixed and ZX games timing is correct:
    http://velesoft.speccy.cz/sam_zx128.htm
  • tygrystygrys
    edited October 2013
    Retro Game Compo @RetroKomp 2013 results:


    1. Krunel (ZX) - 284 pts
    2. Montezuma (Amiga) - 210 pts
    3. CBM Asteroids (C64) - 208 pts
    4. Elixir Vitae (ZX) - 205 pts
    4. Kiki Pong (Atari8bit) - 205 pts
    6. Deadly Labirynt of Lord Xyrx (ZX) - 204 pts
    7. Metro Cross (Amiga) - 199 pts
    8. Magic Ball (Amiga) - 197 pts
    9. Solomon's Key (Amiga) - 197 pts
    10. Bomber (Amiga) - 194 pts
    11. Castle Hack (Amiga) - 186 pts
    12. Key Master (Amiga) - 165 pts
    13. Crazy Crane (Amiga) - 149 pts
  • YerzmyeyYerzmyey
    edited October 2013
    Congratulations for Tygrys and Ralf for their excellent work.
    ZX81/ZX Spectrum/Amiga/Atari music: http://yerzmyey.i-demo.pl/
  • RalfRalf
    edited October 2013
    And to you too :) We all scored really good fighting against Amigas.
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