Warhawk DS Release

Kaspal · **Reply #60 on:** July 10, 2009, 11:05:58 pm

argh!!!... im itching to play this man!... everyone is sayin its good, and here i am, willing to try it out, but uncapable of... yet.

headkaze · **Reply #61 on:** July 11, 2009, 12:55:05 am

I've spent all night updating Warhawk so that it will load the level data from attached ROM space. Were hoping this will solve the problems some cards are having. All we need to do now is some testing and then I will get the new uploads ready. Stay tuned!

EDIT: An alternate version has been released for testing. You can download it from here

Kaspal · **Reply #62 on:** July 11, 2009, 01:46:43 am

ok... downloading now, i'll let you know how it goes.

Kaspal · **Reply #63 on:** July 11, 2009, 02:07:29 am

im glad to announce that it works.

lemme explain.

since the game didnt work yesterday, i updated the cart FW to the latest (2.o RC3) version,which is faster and all that... the game didnt work.

with the new release, didnt work either, not even with the DLDI patch.

then, i downgraded the carts FW to the older version i had (1.86h), and used DSOrganize... didnt work.

so i took a leap of faith, and tried to boot it the old fashioned way (which i should have done at 1st), and, even tho, it gave me the same glitchy screen than yesterday, it wasnt the same, this time around, the screen flickered 2 times, and froze... so after a couple seconds, i pushed a button, and the game booted.

i played 2 levels, and the game worked flawlessly, with BGM and all that, i even heard the voice of the bald guy at the end of levels 1 and 2.

cant really comment on the game yet, since i have played 2 levels only... but i didnt like the ship's speed... felt it to slow sometimes.

anyway... thank youguys... maybe theres room for improvement, but so far, so good, at least on EZ5 flashcarts.

headkaze · **Reply #64 on:** July 11, 2009, 02:24:46 am

After level 2 you get powerups which speed up the ship

It's good to know the game worked for you. Just a point for others having problems when you run Warhawk the first time it has to search the entire card to find itself. This may take a while especially if you have alot of files on your card. Once it's found itself it should boot much quicker the next time you run the game.

Pete · **Reply #65 on:** July 11, 2009, 02:34:55 am

Ahhhh. That works now (my card is a DSTT)

Great piece of work guys.

I have a minor gripe though, centered around the way stuff moves between top and bottom screen: to me - and maybe (probably) I'm totally alone in this - it doesn't "feel" right that something moves from the bottom of the upper screen and is immediately at the top of the bottom screen. It's most obvious when an alien comes screaming down the screen - it feels as though the alien gets a boost when it hits the bottom of the upper screen so it gets down quicker than your mind thinks it should, because it takes zero time to traverse the "space" between the screens.

Does that even make sense?

headkaze · **Reply #66 on:** July 11, 2009, 02:55:37 am

I'm actually used of playing the game with the jump between screens but alot of people have already mentioned how it annoys them. We were going to add a gap there so it would appear as though the ships were passing behind the plastic hinge but we soon realised how big the task would be to change all the code. So I would agree with you it would have been nice to add but alot of work.

Glad the new version worked for you. When Flash gives me the thumbs up with his tests then I think we'll make it the official download and remove the other two.

BigLord · **Reply #67 on:** July 11, 2009, 04:03:58 am

So far, so good. Works like a charm. DSTT user here also.

I think it's safe to say that I haven't played a freeware DS shmup that was THIS good. I, if you'll pardon the expression, fucking love it. Thank you for this, crew.

Hydeux · **Reply #68 on:** July 11, 2009, 05:40:58 am

Quote from: headkaze on July 11, 2009, 02:55:37 am

We were going to add a gap

Don't you ever do so !

A gap between screens would mean a zone where your ship, bullets and the ennemies would be invisible, which is , IMO, quite a nonsense in a shmup !

The best I've done so far is a 1-life to level 14, but levels 13 & 14 are really hard (or at least seem so to me !) : a lot of "bullets following your moves sent by massive ennemies which take a while to be destoyed !", and the 13th boss gets on my nerves ! I think i'll have to learn them by heart.
Fortunately, the 2 following stages are much easier !

BaDToaD · **Reply #69 on:** July 11, 2009, 06:59:11 am

The gap between the screens is weird at first but after a while you get used to it. It took me a few hours of playtime before I felt really comfortable with it but after that you hardly notice the gap at all.

flash · **Reply #70 on:** July 11, 2009, 09:48:19 am

The gap between the screens is a nessecary evil i am afraid, but.. you do get used to it

I did modify the drawsprite code to add an area of 32 pixels between screens and it was then that HK and myself realised that this would create a lot of work. For on, the levels would all have to be modifed to get the start and end to line up again (as the levels would be in theory 32 pixels longer) and every single attack wave would have to be adjusted along with the base detect code and the alien detect code.

And the main thing, the 32 pixel addition made it worse? you could lose your ship.. it made it like there was a bit of the screen broken! LOL

Perhaps one day Nintendo will move the screens together a bit more... or... time to take that little tri-wing screwdriver out LOL

spacefractal · **Reply #71 on:** July 11, 2009, 10:24:00 am

I noticed that too, but I guess I did not have any problems with the missing gap after a little while. So personly it should not been changed, elsewice it would been do that in the development time before officiel release.

flash · **Reply #72 on:** July 11, 2009, 10:36:31 am

You do get used to it!

Creating a gap to account for it is like putting a large strip of PVC tape across your telly screen.. It makes it so you are missing something. So, the decision was made to keep it so the action is displayed correctly. You soon get used to it! Blame Nintendo

spacefractal · **Reply #73 on:** July 11, 2009, 11:37:55 am

I understand. Personly I did not have the problem. Its part of the gameplay.

Zefrem23 · **Reply #74 on:** July 11, 2009, 12:37:16 pm

Great news - the alternate version boots on Supercard DS One with patch *disabled*. The title screen and in-game music, however, don't play. This is a bit of a bittersweet realisation, as I have no doubt that the music will enhance the gameplay a lot. Still, it plays, and it's nice and fast too. Well done lads!

Lobo · **Reply #75 on:** July 11, 2009, 04:07:26 pm

Pity for the music not to play, you guys are missing there a lot as it really kicks ass.
As for the gap, yep, nothing to do there, if you play in emu you'll see that transition is seamless but on DS are eyes are expecting some kind of compensation for the lost space in between screens.
It's a devilish optical illusion set up by the evil engineers of nintendo

.

headkaze · **Reply #76 on:** July 11, 2009, 04:21:13 pm

I've uploaded a FAT version of Warhawk with the levels dynamically loaded. It may work better for some people. We only recommend this version if you have problems with the EFS version.

http://headsoft.com.au/index.php?category=warhawk&page=download

Kaspal · **Reply #77 on:** July 11, 2009, 06:39:24 pm

downloading the new version, even tho, i dont actually need it, since the EFS version works at full blast... music and all.

for the lil i've played of this game, i've noticed that 1st 2 levels are easy, level 3 is evil, and the next 4 or so levels are a breeeze. im gonna give it a go today to see how much i can advance with one life... taking into account that i haavent played much, i dont think i'll make it past level 10... but who knows.

flash · **Reply #78 on:** July 11, 2009, 06:46:26 pm

Level 3 is deliberatly harder, it is also the level that you gain the powerup. This really can help, hold fire and blast merry hell! With the second wave of large ships, stay central! It helps

BaDToaD · **Reply #79 on:** July 11, 2009, 07:51:05 pm

I am so glad other people are finding lvl 3 hard... I thought I was getting too old for shmups LOL

Kaspal · **Reply #80 on:** July 11, 2009, 10:06:46 pm

Quote from: Flash on July 11, 2009, 06:46:26 pm

Level 3 is deliberatly harder, it is also the level that you gain the powerup. This really can help, hold fire and blast merry hell! With the second wave of large ships, stay central! It helps

what i dont like about the power up, is the fact that even tho i lke the autofire thing, the ship passes from sloooooooow moving to very fast in a spit second. thats only good when you're used to it, but the 1st times you notice that, you cant help it but to crash on the asteroids and stuff.

if it wasnt for that, and the fact that all bosses i've fought, home in on you (and you dont now that at 1st), that level could be as easy as the 1st 2 levels.

BigLord · **Reply #81 on:** July 12, 2009, 12:52:49 am

Speaking of how epic the music (both in-game and title screen) is...

>_>

<_<

Can we get some free mp3 on that?

I've finished the game and gone mental, lol. Whoa, that's hard o_o

Lobo · **Reply #82 on:** July 12, 2009, 04:03:57 am

Just found this out today, a little Warhawk post on 2bears
http://www.the2bears.com/

Seems like they have some odd problem with 'artifacts on the top screen' ? I wonder what kind of a card are they running there? $:-\$

As for the music, they should make a remix cd and send it out to everyone who have completed at least the first ten levels in mental mode + warhawk t-shirt (and a complimentary video of Flash singing the tune in the bathtub divx).

Kaspal · **Reply #83 on:** July 12, 2009, 06:02:43 am

Quote from: Lobo on July 12, 2009, 04:03:57 am

Just found this out today, a little Warhawk post on 2bears
http://www.the2bears.com/

Seems like they have some odd problem with 'artifacts on the top screen' ? I wonder what kind of a card are they running there? $:-\$

As for the music, they should make a remix cd and send it out to everyone who have completed at least the first ten levels in mental mode + warhawk t-shirt (and a complimentary video of Flash singing the tune in the bathtub divx).

count me in... if that what it takes, i can even try to do that with one life

spacefractal · **Reply #84 on:** July 12, 2009, 07:06:12 am

hey, thanks for the music (its me, that created all ingame tunex). The music is really ment to been exclusive for the game and they got permission of course to use it. I do might release it to remix64 when they open the submission again (first end of aug). That even I have not bother with stereo at all, due the music was converted to mono anyway (so its not true cd quality, but close).

Howover if its ok with flash, I can post a MP3 version of the tune in a new thread. At least I do not upload the endgame tune, due I want a surprice for those who completed the game.

BaDToaD · **Reply #85 on:** July 12, 2009, 08:01:57 am

Quote from: Kaspal on July 11, 2009, 10:06:46 pm

what i dont like about the power up, is the fact that even tho i lke the autofire thing, the ship passes from sloooooooow moving to very fast in a spit second. thats only good when you're used to it, but the 1st times you notice that, you cant help it but to crash on the asteroids and stuff.

The dual speed and firepower power up is more or less the same as the original c64 version. I'm sure you'll get used to it in no time.

You have to remember that at the time of Warhawks c64 release other games had no power ups at all. In fact Warhawk may have been the first c64 shmup with a power up

bootlegger · **Reply #86 on:** July 12, 2009, 11:27:28 am

Just tried the new fat version, and now its now loading levels, but the game still plays - quite interesting - just get stars and planets scrolling in the background, but no scenery to shoot at! Didnt fix the music either for the GBAMP but as it didnt mention it would, i thought I would just try anyway. Still, keep up he patching.

Shameless plug time - if you lik the music, go and buy some of the other classic c64 audio stuff at:
http://c64audio.com/
In particular some other stuff by PPOT http://c64audio.com/productInfo.php?cat=PPOT2

Also if you can, get to one of the conventions - gotta be one of the best nights out you'll ever have.
Last time I went to one I got to my copy of Grid Runner signed by Jeff Minter, and met Ben Daglish.

flash · **Reply #87 on:** July 12, 2009, 11:32:13 am

I would love to go to one of the conventions...

The problem with the GBAMP is it was never intended as a backup card and does not support EFS at all. The levels are stored externaly from the game (FAT Version) but.. It still has to use a file system to find and access these files.. Sadly, it appears that the GBAMP also does not support this, and even more sadly, I do not think there is any solution?

Feel free to plug! C64audio.com is a great site for lovers of C64 music.. And we all know PPOT are awesome!

PS.. I rember meeting Ratt and Ben at Aligator software around the release of Warhawk in 86-87. Ben is a great guy. He had a whole room at Orange St (i beleive it was there?) with some great musical equipment in it! Me, Ian, and a friend called Peter went and visited - can't remember why now?

BaDToaD · **Reply #88 on:** July 12, 2009, 12:08:43 pm

It was when Warhawk c64 was still in Beta. We went to Alligator and was it Gremlin? to demo the pre release version. My mate Stuart did the driving if I remember correctly. 4 of us in his Toyota Starlett LOL.

flash · **Reply #89 on:** July 12, 2009, 12:34:17 pm

Yeah, that's right!

We went to both places, Gremlin was a waste of time and Ian Stewart (manager) was a bit of a waste of time!! They were coding fist 2 at the time - well some beatemup with large graphics anyway.
Aligator was where Ratt and Ben were and the owner Ken ?? reminded us of a dirtly ol' man LOL..