Donkey Kong Advanced

[Ophelius]

Here's a Donkey Kong arcade game I've made. It's meant to be more difficult than the original giving players new levels and new challenges.


Video Clip:

It's programmed from scratch and is pretty close to feeling like the real game. It's not a rom hack. There's a few differences in how the game feels, but nothing a novice would notice. Even though you can play this on a pc, it's meant to play in a mame/PC-based arcade cabinet. It comes with a config tool that allows you to map keys, rotate the screen, make it free play, etc. I'm pretty satisfied with it. I'm not sure if it needs more levels or features. It's challenging enough that a regular DK expert might need a bit of time to get through the first 4 levels. After a bit of practice, you can get pretty far.

If anyone actually puts this game in their Mame cabinets, send me a screenshot or video and I'll post it on the game's homepage . Thanks for any feedback.

[Version 1.1.0]: https://ophelius.itch.io/dk-advanced

[Bug Reports] Contact me at justinbohemier@gmail.com if you find a bug. Please try to be as detailed as possible and include system specs and your configuration settings.

[Updates]
-Added an attract screen demo
-Fixed Rendering bug which made the aspect incorrect in full-screen mode when rotated on certain monitors
-Fixed key-mapping issues
-New Render options in the config app for more screen control.
-Fixed Heart bonus item bug. If you were on your last life and you got the heart and died without completing the level, it wouldn't be there in level 1 if you started a new game.
-Added 16-bit support for older video cards
-Added the option in the config tool to manually enter a specific resolution.
-I included a tool to map out keyboard keys if you're using a joystick.

[Changes from the original]
-Obviously the levels look different, some completely new, and others have the same level structure with some differences
-New switch, laser, and key system to save Pauline.
-Mario can jump off high platforms and land without killing himself(c'mon, he's mario)
-New heart bonus items are worth 2000 points but are tricky to get.
-No intro scene, I might add one though.
-Barrels rebound off the floor higher than before
-Hitting barrels with the hammer doesn't pause the game during the explosion
-Level 4 is icy, with a shoe item you can get that makes it not slipery
-and some other stuff

[Possible Future Changes]
-More levels. I'm tempted to have 1 long game that doesn't repeat. Instead of repeating every 4 levels, you might have 12 levels with an actual end to the game.
-Bonus level if you collect all the hearts.
-Intro to the game when you push start.
-Cut scenes

[wp34]

That looks really cool. I like that you Incorporated some other Mario elements in the game.

[thomas_surles]

Looks fun. When can I have it?

[Ophelius]

Looks fun. When can I have it?

As soon as I polish up a few things I'll release it. I'll post it on this thread.

[pbj]

This looks well done and way too hard.  Don't fall into the same trap that Donkey Kong II did.

[Ophelius]

This looks well done and way too hard.  Don't fall into the same trap that Donkey Kong II did.

I agree, making a game too hard will deter some people. And as a game developer it's difficult to find that balance since as you're developing it, you're also getting really good at it. For me it's a good challenge right now because of that, but someone who never played it won't last a minute at first. It is meant for expert DK players which they'll have an easier time with. I might release it as a Beta version first to get people to test it so I can fine tune the difficulty.

[jmike]

Looks like a lot fun can't wait to give it a try.
I vote for adding more levels but let us try and figure them out
You'll get more posts from members on how they got passed the next boards.

Great job so far

 

[mafiafan123]

This looks so cool! A lot more work than some of the other hacks! Keep it up!

Ill happily be waiting for the release :-)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Wyo]

Holy crap dude! This is amazing!  I have a feeling this is gonna be right up there with d2k and remix! Have you posted this on KLOV yet? Nevermind, I'll do it for you!

[wp34]

-Mario can jump off high platforms and land without killing himself(c'mon, he's mario)

You have a lot of cool changes but this might be my favorite.   

[FrizzleFried]

Awesome... will be going in to my vertical MAME for sure when available...

[WunderCade]

Clearly this is an awesome creation. If you are open to recommendations though, how come Mario can walk right over the missing rivets in the Rivet stage? On the original he'd die if he didn't jump over them.

[Ophelius]

Clearly this is an awesome creation. If you are open to recommendations though, how come Mario can walk right over the missing rivets in the Rivet stage? On the original he'd die if he didn't jump over them.

Thanks for the feedback. The collision points on mario when checking for floors are a bit wider than the original so he ends up just walking over. At first I thought I should change that so he can fall through like the original, but since mario now doesn't get hurt when jumping off high ledges, it made it more fun to just walk right over it. But it's worth putting more thought, I'll modify it and test it out to see if it's better when falling through and not dying. Some people might not like the fact that this means you can now jump off the ledge at the top of the rivet stage and land at the bottom without dying, but it also adds different strategy elements because of it.

Edit: Some more thoughts on the rivets. Since you don't die from jumping from high platforms, if you could pass through the rivet holes you could simply just go to the top one, jump through, and land on the rivets below which would take away from the challenge. Also, the surface is icy so it would be a lot harder to not fall in those holes since you accelerate slowly and would need to start running further away if you want to make that jump. So I'll probably leave it as it is, it's not a big loss.

[Le Chuck]

Watched the video start to finsih.  I'm a fan.  Post that shiz up for the community have a crack at.

[vwalbridge]

Watched the video start to finsih.  I'm a fan.  Post that shiz up for the community have a crack at.

I'm with Le Chuck.

[Wyo]

Will you be building a cabinet for this project?

[Ophelius]

Will you be building a cabinet for this project?

I designed another unique arcade game a while back that I built a cabinet for, so I might just put it in that one with a menu selection. I don't feel like buying and designing a second cabinet for this. I would be more interested in seeing this game in other people's cabinets 
What I would love to see is Billy Mitchell play this game one day 

[romshark]

Looks great! I look forward to adding this to my cabinet.

Hope Nintendo doesn't shut this one down (such was the fate of things like AM2R).

[Ophelius]

Added version 1.0 to my 1st post. Check back there for updates.

[thomas_surles]

This does support full screen on a vertical monitor right?

[Ophelius]

This does support full screen on a vertical monitor right?

Yes, use the config tool for that. You can also rotate the game 90 deg or 270 deg so it fills up the entire screen.

[Le Chuck]

My 9yr old approves but got really frustrated lol

I also totally approve, although having barrels sneak under the hammer is dirty pool. Fun game, thanks for sharing. Will definitely add it to the lineup.

No weirdness or bugs found yet. Plays clean. Nice job!

[pbj]

Fun game, a few suggestions.

Needs joystick support.  I think a lot of us have moved away from keyboard encoders.  I think default mapping should have credit as 5, start as 1.

Get rid of the space on dk config.exe.  Typing that in a command line environment fires up the game unless you put it in quotes.

Cannot get it to go full screen on my Konkey Dong cabinet.  Gives some graphics mode error.  Granted, the computer inside is a piece of ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- and I think it might be running Windows 98.



Would love to get this game added to my Konkey Dong....

[Ophelius]

Fun game, a few suggestions.

Needs joystick support.  I think a lot of us have moved away from keyboard encoders.  I think default mapping should have credit as 5, start as 1.

Get rid of the space on dk config.exe.  Typing that in a command line environment fires up the game unless you put it in quotes.

Cannot get it to go full screen on my Konkey Dong cabinet.  Gives some graphics mode error.  Granted, the computer inside is a piece of ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- and I think it might be running Windows 98.



Would love to get this game added to my Konkey Dong....

Sorry you can't get it to work.
-I haven't tested it on Win 98, but that's as outdated OS known for problems. Try installing DirectX 9, it might work then. I suspect the game library I use needs DX9, but I could be wrong.
-For now just rename dk config.exe to dkconfig.exe to save you the hassle. It's a good idea, I will remove the space in the next update.
-I will look into adding joystick support, although there are lots of utilities out there that can map your joystick buttons to keyboard presses.

Edit: I uploaded a new config version which might help you. See the update on my first post.

I would also love to see this work on your cabinet

[Rattus]

Looks awesome, thanks ☺ I can't wait to get home and try it out on my mame cab - Astro City. I will let you know how I go with it.

Sent from my SM-G920I using Tapatalk

[Ophelius]

My 9yr old approves but got really frustrated lol

I also totally approve, although having barrels sneak under the hammer is dirty pool. Fun game, thanks for sharing. Will definitely add it to the lineup.

No weirdness or bugs found yet. Plays clean. Nice job!

I'm glad it works well and you're both enjoying it. Tell your son not to feel bad since this game is made for DK pros. It takes practice 

[8BitMonk]

Just gave it a try, very fun, nice work! I ran it on my desktop PC at 2560x1440 with Xpadder/Xbox 360 controller and no problems. Thanks for sharing.

[romshark]

I hooked up a PC with Arcade VGA and ran this, so here it is on an arcade CRT.

Note that I don't have a permanent setup for using a PC with an arcade monitor, so that's why it's not a perfect fit on the screen, and there's some distortion near the top (I'm running the Arcade VGA through my Naomi Jamma adapter.)



Also ran the program in vertical mode, to see how it looks.



I haven't actually played much, but looks great so far!

[Ophelius]

I hooked up a PC with Arcade VGA and ran this, so here it is on an arcade CRT.

Note that I don't have a permanent setup for using a PC with an arcade monitor, so that's why it's not a perfect fit on the screen, and there's some distortion near the top (I'm running the Arcade VGA through my Naomi Jamma adapter.)

Also ran the program in vertical mode, to see how it looks.

I haven't actually played much, but looks great so far!

Haha, looks great on a crt monitor  I'm glad that people like yourself are enjoying this game and are taking the time to place it in their cabinets. That's what I designed it for. I am curently living my childhood dream seeing this. Thanks a lot

[pbj]

After spending over an hour yesterday trying to find a mouse, and constant headaches with the USB ports, this game prompted me to run to Microcenter and grab a powered hub and a couple mice.  Should have done that like two years ago.

Anyway, the PC is running a stripped down installation of XP service pack 3.  I installed DirectX 9c.  Tried various resolutions.  Cannot get this thing full screen.  Graphics are some onboard Intel thing, I'll try updating those drivers next.

[Ophelius]

After spending over an hour yesterday trying to find a mouse, and constant headaches with the USB ports, this game prompted me to run to Microcenter and grab a powered hub and a couple mice.  Should have done that like two years ago.

Anyway, the PC is running a stripped down installation of XP service pack 3.  I installed DirectX 9c.  Tried various resolutions.  Cannot get this thing full screen.  Graphics are some onboard Intel thing, I'll try updating those drivers next.

I'm sorry you're having so much trouble. Did you try manually setting the resolution from the config tool? I uploaded a new version which allows you to do that. Make sure you use the same resolution your desktop is set to and you don't have the Auto-Detect Res option selected. If that's not the problem I would make sure you have the correct video drivers installed. The graphics engine had been tested on Windows XP without any problems. If you do find a solution, let me know. Thanks

Edit: If you continue to have trouble, I can send you a very bare-bone graphics test. It would be the most-minimal code possible to get a full screen going. If you can get it to work full screen with minimal code, the we know there's problems in my graphics engine. If we can't even get the bare-bone version working, then it's your computer. Send me a private message if that interests you. Thanks

[cj138]

This awesome! Thanks for making this game!

[DarakuTenshi]

Do you have any footage of the game running? Looks interesting.

[Ophelius]

Do you have any footage of the game running? Looks interesting.

There's a youtube link on the first post

[Le Chuck]

Do you have any footage of the game running? Looks interesting.

! No longer available

There's a youtube link on the first post

Which if you take the "s" off the http peeps won't have to jump off the site to watch FYI. 

[pbj]

Been browbeating the poor author of this game, and now it's running great on my 15 year old PC!



Right now I've got this set so it fires up Joy2Key and then this game, so it's basically a dedicated cabinet.

 

[Ophelius]

Been browbeating the poor author of this game, and now it's running great on my 15 year old PC!



Right now I've got this set so it fires up Joy2Key and then this game, so it's basically a dedicated cabinet.

 

Awesome man, I'm glad we got it working. It looks awesome in there! 
You should stretch out the screen in the config so it fills it up. The original donkey kong resolution wasn't a 4:3 aspect, it was 8:7, so on a 4:3 monitor you'll have little black bars at the top and bottom. If you use the Stretch feature in the config, it'll fill up the screen nicely. The distortion is very minor on a 4:3 monitor after stretching.

[pbj]

I've spent the last four hours barefoot on a concrete floor... And those black bars didn't bother me until now.

 

Had some fun in Level 1.  You can leap of faith off the second floor onto the single block by the turtle.  Getting that heart is brutal but turns out it's not mandatory.  And thank god you keep the key even if you lose a life in Level 2.  (This may all be in your video, I watched just enough to determine I wanted to play this game and quit watching).  Didn't survive the first jump on Level 3.

[Le Chuck]

Gotta say, this is one of the best homebrews I've seen. What's next? (Do Popeye!)

That game desperately needs a fight Bluto level like on the Nintendo Tabletop version.

[Ophelius]

Gotta say, this is one of the best homebrews I've seen. What's next? (Do Popeye!)

That game desperately needs a fight Bluto level like on the Nintendo Tabletop version.

Popeye would be cool to remake, especially with the Bluto fight. I checked out the table top version you mentioned and I would for sure add something like that. We'll see. DK was more sentimental to me which is why I made this.

[Ian]

Man... that game is awesome and hard.... playing on the keyboard isn't ideal. Can't wait to put it in my cab! Great job thanks!!!!

[Rattus]

Put this on my cab last night and have played a few games and I think it's GREAT thanks very much for releasing this. For some reason I couldn't get LControl 105 to work on my cab after mapping with the config, it worked on the keyboard but not the cab (PC - Jpac - cab) didn't matter as the third button mapped OK. Also Refresh seems to just Quit for me instead of restarting?

As for your ideas for upcoming releases in the first post, although I have not got through the third level yet I'm all for more levels. BUT I'm totally against the idea of having an END to the game instead of looping back to the start at a harder difficulty. One of my favourite things about the classics is they have no end, if you can get it to ramp up in difficulty each loop up to a point where it is VERY difficult after about 4 loops, but still possible then that would be awesome.

[Ophelius]

Put this on my cab last night and have played a few games and I think it's GREAT thanks very much for releasing this. For some reason I couldn't get LControl 105 to work on my cab after mapping with the config, it worked on the keyboard but not the cab (PC - Jpac - cab) didn't matter as the third button mapped OK. Also Refresh seems to just Quit for me instead of restarting?

As for your ideas for upcoming releases in the first post, although I have not got through the third level yet I'm all for more levels. BUT I'm totally against the idea of having an END to the game instead of looping back to the start at a harder difficulty. One of my favourite things about the classics is they have no end, if you can get it to ramp up in difficulty each loop up to a point where it is VERY difficult after about 4 loops, but still possible then that would be awesome.

Dude! My game looks soo sexy in your cab! Thanks for giving it a good home! And thanks for posting pictures. I think you have the official high score so far (21200).

I think you're right about not having an end, it wouldn't feel like a donkey kong game.

Not sure why you're getting key conflicts. It sounds like something internal is conflicting with the game's key presses. And by Refresh do you mean Restart? Make sure the Restart key code isn't the same as the Quit code, not sure. Like I said there's something conflicting. The reset works for me and it just brings you back to the title screen. Does the reset work with a keyboard on your regular pc? Let me know if you get to the bottom of it.

Anyways, thanks again.

[pbj]

A fairly easy idea for additional levels is taking the existing levels from the arcade game and flipping them left->right.  That was always the dream with Konkey Dong.

 

[wp34]

Gotta say, this is one of the best homebrews I've seen. What's next? (Do Popeye!)

That game desperately needs a fight Bluto level like on the Nintendo Tabletop version.

This please.  Popeye is one of my favorites and it could stand an update.   

[Le Chuck]

A fairly easy idea for additional levels is taking the existing levels from the arcade game and flipping them left->right.  That was always the dream with Konkey Dong.

 

Good call!

[pbj]

Stretch enabled.  Konkey Dong engaged.

 

[Generic Eric]

*shazzle*

What else have I missed?  This looks great!

[Mike A]

I need to get this installed on my vertical cab.

[Hutt]

Dude, this is badass... I stumbled upon this after reading through the BananaRoyale thread (which I'm still trying to figure out how to get running)...
But this just worked... remapped a few keys and perfect. I'm redoing my cabinet frontend at the moment. This will be a welcome addition!
Thank you for the great work.

[Ophelius]

Dude, this is badass... I stumbled upon this after reading through the BananaRoyale thread (which I'm still trying to figure out how to get running)...
But this just worked... remapped a few keys and perfect. I'm redoing my cabinet frontend at the moment. This will be a welcome addition!
Thank you for the great work.

Thanks man, send me a screenshot if you put it in your cab. Would love to see it.

[Le Chuck]

Dude, this is badass... I stumbled upon this after reading through the BananaRoyale thread (which I'm still trying to figure out how to get running)...
But this just worked... remapped a few keys and perfect. I'm redoing my cabinet frontend at the moment. This will be a welcome addition!
Thank you for the great work.

Hutt, try here: http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,153361.0.html

[EMDB]

Thanks for this great Donkey Kong version. I added it to my cab which already contained pretty much all decent donkey kong versions as I really like this classic (from Atari 2600, 7800, NES, Colecovision, Arcade, Pauline Edition and now also DK advanced). I already incorporated it in my Hyperspin wheel but need to make some a dedicated wheel and theme. It really looks great on my LCD with scanline generator as you can see in the 2nd screenshot!

[Ophelius]

Thanks for this great Donkey Kong version. I added it to my cab which already contained pretty much all decent donkey kong versions as I really like this classic (from Atari 2600, 7800, NES, Colecovision, Arcade, Pauline Edition and now also DK advanced). I already incorporated it in my Hyperspin wheel but need to make some a dedicated wheel and theme. It really looks great on my LCD with scanline generator as you can see in the 2nd screenshot!

That looks amazing! I had no idea you can get an external scanline generator. Looks way better that way. Anyways, your screenshot was added to the game's homepage. Thanks

[Titchgamer]

Just gave this a quick go on the lappy, I will load it onto my machine next time I have a uploading session.

Thanks, Fun game 

[Hutt]

Dude, this is badass... I stumbled upon this after reading through the BananaRoyale thread (which I'm still trying to figure out how to get running)...
But this just worked... remapped a few keys and perfect. I'm redoing my cabinet frontend at the moment. This will be a welcome addition!
Thank you for the great work.

Hutt, try here: http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,153361.0.html

Thank you Sir! I'll be sure to check that out ASAP!

[pbj]

Those scan lines are going the wrong direction....

[EMDB]

Those scan lines are going the wrong direction....

Sure. I like them anyway 

[Minwah]

First I like to say thanks Ophelius for making & sharing this, it's got some nice ideas which are well implemented I've only had a few goes so far but am already very much enjoying it.

However, I do have a bit of a problem with the video. I'm trying to run it vertically in a mode closest to it's native mode as possible. Firstly am I right in thinking it is 224x256 like the original DK? If so, the closest mode I have available is 256x240 (in normal horizontal orientation terms). When I use this mode (or anything else I've tried, more or less), it seems to stretch/distort the picture (in both axes) *even* with the 'stretch' option turned off. See attached pic...for example you can see the 0's are stretched vertically, and the left part of the second H in 'HIGH' is stretched horizontally.

It seems like perhaps the 224 is being scaled up to 240? Not sure... Compared to MAME running DK in the same mode (unstretched), it fills more of the screen.

If I turn off rotation and try say 320x256, I do get a nice 1:1 (+ borders) unstretched picture.

One other thing about the gameplay itself - should the heart always be there when you start a level (assuming you haven't already collected it)? I noticed once on a new game that it wasn't there on level 1.

Thanks!

[yotsuya]

Just gave this a quick go on the lappy, I will load it onto my machine next time I have a uploading session.

Thanks, Fun game 

Oh ---steaming pile of meadow muffin---, he cracked out the "lappy"!

[Ophelius]

First I like to say thanks Ophelius for making & sharing this, it's got some nice ideas which are well implemented I've only had a few goes so far but am already very much enjoying it.

However, I do have a bit of a problem with the video. I'm trying to run it vertically in a mode closest to it's native mode as possible. Firstly am I right in thinking it is 224x256 like the original DK? If so, the closest mode I have available is 256x240 (in normal horizontal orientation terms). When I use this mode (or anything else I've tried, more or less), it seems to stretch/distort the picture (in both axes) *even* with the 'stretch' option turned off. See attached pic...for example you can see the 0's are stretched vertically, and the left part of the second H in 'HIGH' is stretched horizontally.

It seems like perhaps the 224 is being scaled up to 240? Not sure... Compared to MAME running DK in the same mode (unstretched), it fills more of the screen.

If I turn off rotation and try say 320x256, I do get a nice 1:1 (+ borders) unstretched picture.

One other thing about the gameplay itself - should the heart always be there when you start a level (assuming you haven't already collected it)? I noticed once on a new game that it wasn't there on level 1.

Thanks!

Correct, the original DK had a 7:8 aspect ratio with a resolution of 224x256. My game is being drawn internally on a surface of 448x512 which is the same aspect ratio. If you play in Windowed mode, you are seeing the surface drawn unaltered. If you are playing it in fullscreen, the software stretches the surface to fill the screen while maintaining the aspect ratio. So if your screen's resolution is set to anything but 448x512, it has to stretch or shrink the image to fill the screen. If the Stretch option is selected, it will fill the entire screen which would change the aspect ratio. If your computer is set to a low resolution, you will notice more stretching artifacts like the example you provided. If you want a more mathematical explanation of what's going on and why it does this, let me know. So, in order to get the best picture in full screen, it's better to choose a much larger resolution than what you selected. Basically the resolution you're choosing is much too small. Pick the largest one possible. I would say minimum 1024x768 is large enough to not notice the stretching artifacts, but try for a res even higher than that if you can. Hope that helps

The heart can only be picked up once per level. If you already got it, it won't appear if you die and start the level again. If you're saying you started the level and it wasn't there at all, then there's a bug. Let me know which you mean.

[Titchgamer]

Just gave this a quick go on the lappy, I will load it onto my machine next time I have a uploading session.

Thanks, Fun game 

Oh ---steaming pile of meadow muffin---, he cracked out the "lappy"!

Yup, makes a change from my Iphone

[Minwah]

Correct, the original DK had a 7:8 aspect ratio with a resolution of 224x256. My game is being drawn internally on a surface of 448x512 which is the same aspect ratio. If you play in Windowed mode, you are seeing the surface drawn unaltered. If you are playing it in fullscreen, the software stretches the surface to fill the screen while maintaining the aspect ratio.

Ok, thanks for the explanation. That does explain what's happening.

So if your screen's resolution is set to anything but 448x512, it has to stretch or shrink the image to fill the screen. If the Stretch option is selected, it will fill the entire screen which would change the aspect ratio. If your computer is set to a low resolution, you will notice more stretching artifacts like the example you provided.

I understand.

So, in order to get the best picture in full screen, it's better to choose a much larger resolution than what you selected. Basically the resolution you're choosing is much too small. Pick the largest one possible. I would say minimum 1024x768 is large enough to not notice the stretching artifacts, but try for a res even higher than that if you can.

The problem is, I'm using a low resolution 15khz CRT arcade monitor. I can run it as high as 640x480 which improves the artifacting, but this is an interlaced mode. This means flicker, and basically defeats the point of using a low res arcade monitor...

Would it be possible for you to implement an extra option, for 'manual scale factor'? Basically what I'd like to do is specify a resolution as I am (256x240), but scale the surface (448x512) by 0.5 to achieve 224x256. The scale factor (if specifed) could override the 'stretch' option. (Edit: the scaled surface would need to be centred in the overall screen)

If it seems like I'm the only one wanting this, I'm pretty sure it will be useful for many others - ie those that have 256x240 mode available, but not 256x224 (due to hardware/driver restrictions). Anyone using ArcadeVGA, Soft15khz and possibly CRT Emu_Driver (depending on hardware) will have the same problem.

The heart can only be picked up once per level. If you already got it, it won't appear if you die and start the level again. If you're saying you started the level and it wasn't there at all, then there's a bug. Let me know which you mean.

That's what I thought. In that case I think there's a bug. I played one game and got the heart on level one, and got to level 2 or 3. Died (all lives). Started a new game, and the heart wasn't there. I took a pic if it helps (only got 900 pts so you can see I haven't already got the heart):

[Ophelius]

Correct, the original DK had a 7:8 aspect ratio with a resolution of 224x256. My game is being drawn internally on a surface of 448x512 which is the same aspect ratio. If you play in Windowed mode, you are seeing the surface drawn unaltered. If you are playing it in fullscreen, the software stretches the surface to fill the screen while maintaining the aspect ratio.

Ok, thanks for the explanation. That does explain what's happening.

So if your screen's resolution is set to anything but 448x512, it has to stretch or shrink the image to fill the screen. If the Stretch option is selected, it will fill the entire screen which would change the aspect ratio. If your computer is set to a low resolution, you will notice more stretching artifacts like the example you provided.

I understand.

So, in order to get the best picture in full screen, it's better to choose a much larger resolution than what you selected. Basically the resolution you're choosing is much too small. Pick the largest one possible. I would say minimum 1024x768 is large enough to not notice the stretching artifacts, but try for a res even higher than that if you can.

The problem is, I'm using a low resolution 15khz CRT arcade monitor. I can run it as high as 640x480 which improves the artifacting, but this is an interlaced mode. This means flicker, and basically defeats the point of using a low res arcade monitor...

Would it be possible for you to implement an extra option, for 'manual scale factor'? Basically what I'd like to do is specify a resolution as I am (256x240), but scale the surface (448x512) by 0.5 to achieve 224x256. The scale factor (if specifed) could override the 'stretch' option. (Edit: the scaled surface would need to be centred in the overall screen)

If it seems like I'm the only one wanting this, I'm pretty sure it will be useful for many others - ie those that have 256x240 mode available, but not 256x224 (due to hardware/driver restrictions). Anyone using ArcadeVGA, Soft15khz and possibly CRT Emu_Driver (depending on hardware) will have the same problem.

The heart can only be picked up once per level. If you already got it, it won't appear if you die and start the level again. If you're saying you started the level and it wasn't there at all, then there's a bug. Let me know which you mean.

That's what I thought. In that case I think there's a bug. I played one game and got the heart on level one, and got to level 2 or 3. Died (all lives). Started a new game, and the heart wasn't there. I took a pic if it helps (only got 900 pts so you can see I haven't already got the heart):

Ok, I understand the problem. I don't think it will be a problem to implement the option for custom scaling. I have to put a bit of thought into the best way to go about this to accommodate the most people. Expect an update in a few days. For now, you'll have to live with the scaling artifacts.

As for the heart bug, you are correct. An internal flag for the heart wasn't properly being reset after the game was done. That has been fixed. Thanks a lot for all this great feedback. 

P.S. What's that red blob between the 2 spinys in your screenshot?

[Minwah]

Ok, I understand the problem. I don't think it will be a problem to implement the option for custom scaling. I have to put a bit of thought into the best way to go about this to accommodate the most people. Expect an update in a few days. For now, you'll have to live with the scaling artifacts.

Brilliant, many thanks!

As for the heart bug, you are correct. An internal flag for the heart wasn't properly being reset after the game was done. That has been fixed.

Excellent, good work.

P.S. What's that red blob between the 2 spinys in your screenshot?

Just the reflection of a lamp.

By the way I think you've done a good job on the difficulty. I like that the levels seem to get progressively harder, although I haven't got past level 3 yet...

[EMDB]

Some small observations:
1) I expected to be able to kick the turtle once it is on its back like in Super Mario Bros.
2) In Europe we had the Japanese version of DK in the arcades (dkongj romset in MAME). This had a feature (among other differences) which was really nice: when you are at the top of a ladder (even with the next layer) the barrels could not come down that ladder. That would be a nice addition 
3) I really hated not being able to put my full name at the hiscores but only 3 characters. Could you make it a bit larger (e.g. ?

[Ophelius]

Ok, I understand the problem. I don't think it will be a problem to implement the option for custom scaling. I have to put a bit of thought into the best way to go about this to accommodate the most people. Expect an update in a few days. For now, you'll have to live with the scaling artifacts.

Brilliant, many thanks!

As for the heart bug, you are correct. An internal flag for the heart wasn't properly being reset after the game was done. That has been fixed.

Excellent, good work.

P.S. What's that red blob between the 2 spinys in your screenshot?

Just the reflection of a lamp.

By the way I think you've done a good job on the difficulty. I like that the levels seem to get progressively harder, although I haven't got past level 3 yet...

Hey Minwah, I've uploaded a new version that can help you. I added a bunch of rendering options in the config tool. Choose the Custom Size option and select 224x256 with your resolution of 256x240 and rotate it 90 degrees. I believe that should center it nicely with no stretching artifacts. You can also move the on-screen position with the Offset boxes as some of those old crt monitors don't place the image correctly. I think that should do it. Let me know if I need to tweak things or if you find bugs.

[Malenko]

are all the levels based on backtracking?

[Ophelius]

are all the levels based on backtracking?

Since the playing area is very small, in order to make the levels seem larger and more challenging I have the player go back to previous locations to get items/switches in order to lengthen the total path you need to follow. I know it may feel like by backtracking you're not making progress, but that's just an illusion. The last level doesn't really have backtracking, only the first 3.

[Ophelius]

Some small observations:
1) I expected to be able to kick the turtle once it is on its back like in Super Mario Bros.
2) In Europe we had the Japanese version of DK in the arcades (dkongj romset in MAME). This had a feature (among other differences) which was really nice: when you are at the top of a ladder (even with the next layer) the barrels could not come down that ladder. That would be a nice addition 
3) I really hated not being able to put my full name at the hiscores but only 3 characters. Could you make it a bit larger (e.g. ?

1. I'm sure not being able to kick the koopa is making people frustrated haha. I could have easily implemented that, but made a decision not to since it adds to the challenge by keeping the koopas around.
2. This game is trying to emulate the original US version of DK so the way the ladders work is how it was in the real game and that's how I want to keep it.
3. That's how it was in the original and a lot of early arcade games. It's meant to be for your initials and not a full name.

Thanks for your input

[Minwah]

Hey Minwah, I've uploaded a new version that can help you. I added a bunch of rendering options in the config tool. Choose the Custom Size option and select 224x256 with your resolution of 256x240 and rotate it 90 degrees. I believe that should center it nicely with no stretching artifacts. You can also move the on-screen position with the Offset boxes as some of those old crt monitors don't place the image correctly. I think that should do it. Let me know if I need to tweak things or if you find bugs.

Many thanks Ophelius, that is brilliant! I had chance to quickly test it last night, and it works perfectly. I didn't need to use the offsets as it the picture was centred anyway, but that is definitely a worthy addition.

I'll try to get a good picture of my cabinet running it when it's light enough...but attached is how the screen looks now.

Thanks again!

[Rattus]

Yeah I agree with keeping three letters like in the classics. If your name doesn't fit then change it like I did in the 80s ☺
The ability to go up and down in the letter selection is a very welcome addition even though it is not technically authentic I will let that one slide 😉

Sent from my SM-G920I using Tapatalk

[Ophelius]

Hey Minwah, I've uploaded a new version that can help you. I added a bunch of rendering options in the config tool. Choose the Custom Size option and select 224x256 with your resolution of 256x240 and rotate it 90 degrees. I believe that should center it nicely with no stretching artifacts. You can also move the on-screen position with the Offset boxes as some of those old crt monitors don't place the image correctly. I think that should do it. Let me know if I need to tweak things or if you find bugs.

Many thanks Ophelius, that is brilliant! I had chance to quickly test it last night, and it works perfectly. I didn't need to use the offsets as it the picture was centred anyway, but that is definitely a worthy addition.

I'll try to get a good picture of my cabinet running it when it's light enough...but attached is how the screen looks now.

Thanks again!

Awesome, I love it when things just work

[Ophelius]

Yeah I agree with keeping three letters like in the classics. If your name doesn't fit then change it like I did in the 80s ☺
The ability to go up and down in the letter selection is a very welcome addition even though it is not technically authentic I will let that one slide 😉

Sent from my SM-G920I using Tapatalk

As long as it mostly feels like the original, I don't mind removing a few choice annoyances 

[yotsuya]

Here's another vote for keeping just initials. It just isn't the same if you're able to spell out DIK and FUK .

[thomas_surles]

Cant wait untill i build my tully kong caberet so i can put this on there.

[Rattus]

Finally got to play some more of this, I noticed that at the settings I had previously I was getting some screen tearing that I had not seen on my first play but was actually quite obvious and crappy looking.
So I downloaded the latest version and played with the settings as discussed above, I found that setting desktop to 640x480 in settings manually rather than auto detect then custom size 448x512 so far gives me the best results. It doesn't fill the screen vertically but is very close horizontally and doesn't look stretched and 99.9% of the screen tearing is gone, I did still notice just a little bit once.

Played about 10 games in a row trying to get through the third screen and finally did and made it to the seventh screen on my second man and died multiple times game over. Timing the barrels is challenging on this screen, I'm too tired after night shift to work out a proper strategy but I'm sure I will get there

Cool to see and extra man for getting through round four (I assume it wasn't for score) it would be nice to see the difficulty increase on the second lap through, perhaps more enemies and some more barrels or something and less time? or a larger bonus time that counts down quicker so rewards getting through faster.

[Ophelius]

Finally got to play some more of this, I noticed that at the settings I had previously I was getting some screen tearing that I had not seen on my first play but was actually quite obvious and crappy looking.
So I downloaded the latest version and played with the settings as discussed above, I found that setting desktop to 640x480 in settings manually rather than auto detect then custom size 448x512 so far gives me the best results. It doesn't fill the screen vertically but is very close horizontally and doesn't look stretched and 99.9% of the screen tearing is gone, I did still notice just a little bit once.

Played about 10 games in a row trying to get through the third screen and finally did and made it to the seventh screen on my second man and died multiple times game over. Timing the barrels is challenging on this screen, I'm too tired after night shift to work out a proper strategy but I'm sure I will get there

Cool to see and extra man for getting through round four (I assume it wasn't for score) it would be nice to see the difficulty increase on the second lap through, perhaps more enemies and some more barrels or something and less time? or a larger bonus time that counts down quicker so rewards getting through faster.

I know there's no official score yet, but yours is the highest I've seen so far. 

-Sorry you're getting tearing. If your monitor is refreshing at 60hz, you can use the vsync option which should eliminate the tearing. If it does, then try again using Best Fit to see if that helps. Modern flat screen monitors tend not to have this sort of problem. It can be more noticeable on crt monitors, especially if the monitor is refreshing at a different speed than the game. I designed the game at 60fps since I live in north america(60hz NTSC). If you live in a PAL region(50hz) then the tearing might be more noticeable. Anyone else living in a PAL region notice a lot of tearing?

-The trick for the elevator stage is to always look ahead and anticipate where the barrels might be coming from. Don't be afraid to jump back to an elevator you came from in order to get out of the way of an upcoming barrel. And the only safe spots from the barrels are on the top-left ledge where the purse is, the ledge where the key is, where the heart is, and on that 1 block in-between the top 2 ladders. Everywhere else, the barrels can find you.

-You get an extra life every 25000 points. I might implement difficulty progression in the future, we'll see.

Thanks for your feedback.

[Rattus]

I'm not worried about the tearing anymore, like I said changing the settings already fixed 99.9% of it and it looks great I will have another look with fresh eyes after I have had some sleep, it has probably fixed it 100% and I was just seeing things.

I have the original arcade monitor in my Astro Cab - Nanao MS9 running at 15kHz

My next step is to work out how I can launch your game from my MaLa frontend, I know it's doable I should be able to find it just looking through the settings.

Thanks for the tips on the elevator stage, hmmm extra every 25k, I think people will be marathoning this soon if you don't get some difficulty progression happening. If you do decide to implement it don't rush it, difficulty progression can really make or break a game.

[Minwah]

-Sorry you're getting tearing. If your monitor is refreshing at 60hz, you can use the vsync option which should eliminate the tearing. If it does, then try again using Best Fit to see if that helps. Modern flat screen monitors tend not to have this sort of problem. It can be more noticeable on crt monitors, especially if the monitor is refreshing at a different speed than the game. I designed the game at 60fps since I live in north america(60hz NTSC). If you live in a PAL region(50hz) then the tearing might be more noticeable. Anyone else living in a PAL region notice a lot of tearing?

I've noticed a bit of tearing on level 3 (the elevators) BUT I haven't enabled vsync yet. I'm using a 60hz mode so should be ok...will enable vsync tonight.

I'm in a PAL region but I don't think that really matters as I doubt anyone would use a 50hz video mode for this.

-The trick for the elevator stage is to always look ahead and anticipate where the barrels might be coming from. Don't be afraid to jump back to an elevator you came from in order to get out of the way of an upcoming barrel. And the only safe spots from the barrels are on the top-left ledge where the purse is, the ledge where the key is, where the heart is, and on that 1 block in-between the top 2 ladders. Everywhere else, the barrels can find you.

Thanks for the tips. I haven't managed to master that level yet (far from it). I can get the first switch most times, and occasionally get the 2nd switch but normally die soon after. I've only got the key twice and didn't last long after that!

-You get an extra life every 25000 points. I might implement difficulty progression in the future, we'll see.

Not that I'm good enough to need to worry about it, but I think difficulty progression would be good too. I'm not sure how you'd do it on the first level, as there aren't really any random elements. I think that level is fine first time round but after getting through levels 3/4 it might be too easy the next time?

You could add wild barrels to the barrel board to increase difficulty on that one.

Level 3 is already too much for me, but if maybe reduce the no. barrels first time, and then increase each time round? Or maybe start with some of the laser barriers deactivated.

Out of curiousity, what's your hiscore? Rattus' is more than double my best 

[EMDB]

It would be cool if there was a HyperSpin theme available for this game (like the one created for DK Pauline Edition). I'm not really a graphical designer myself  . Maybe combining the standard DK theme with elements from the Mario Bros or Super Mario World themes? Anybody on this forum?

[Ophelius]

Not that I'm good enough to need to worry about it, but I think difficulty progression would be good too. I'm not sure how you'd do it on the first level, as there aren't really any random elements. I think that level is fine first time round but after getting through levels 3/4 it might be too easy the next time?

You could add wild barrels to the barrel board to increase difficulty on that one.

Level 3 is already too much for me, but if maybe reduce the no. barrels first time, and then increase each time round? Or maybe start with some of the laser barriers deactivated.

Out of curiousity, what's your hiscore? Rattus' is more than double my best 

I think I will implement the increase in difficulty. The levels you see now will be difficulty 1, but level 4 I might reduce the fire guys from a maximum of 5 to 3, then 4 for difficulty 2, then 5 for difficulty 3. Then Difficulty 2 and 3 will be met with faster/more enemies, more barrels, shorter bonus times, etc. Not too much change, but enough to notice an increase.

I don't really have a hi-score because I never tried. Maybe around 35K if I were to estimate. I prefer designing games over playing them

[Le Chuck]

I prefer designing games over playing them

Well you seem to be damned good at it. 

So... how's *cough* Popeye *cough* coming along?

[Ophelius]

So... how's *cough* Popeye *cough* coming along?

You should get that cough checked out, sounds pretty bad.
It's almost done, just adding the last Nyan Cats and disco music to the levels. It's more of a 3d shooter now too.

[Le Chuck]

So... how's *cough* Popeye *cough* coming along?

You should get that cough checked out, sounds pretty bad.
It's almost done, just adding the last Nyan Cats and disco music to the levels. It's more of a 3d shooter now too.

As long as it has a quiz level and uses a Boong Ga Boong Ga style of control.

[Ophelius]

So... how's *cough* Popeye *cough* coming along?

You should get that cough checked out, sounds pretty bad.
It's almost done, just adding the last Nyan Cats and disco music to the levels. It's more of a 3d shooter now too.

As long as it has a quiz level and uses a Boong Ga Boong Ga style of control.

[Minwah]

I think I will implement the increase in difficulty. The levels you see now will be difficulty 1, but level 4 I might reduce the fire guys from a maximum of 5 to 3, then 4 for difficulty 2, then 5 for difficulty 3. Then Difficulty 2 and 3 will be met with faster/more enemies, more barrels, shorter bonus times, etc. Not too much change, but enough to notice an increase.

Sounds good to me!

Had about 15 goes last night, and after some swearing managed to beat level 3 on my last attempt. I think that was probably more luck than judgment. Then didn't last long on level 4...

[Rattus]

Going to try to find time tomorrow to have a go at adding DKadv to my MaLa frontend on my cab so I can have it on my DK list where I already have about 10 versions of DK.

Looking at the tutorial now after a few red wines I'm thinking ummmmm WTF but maybe it will be clearer tomorrow.....or maybe I will keep drinking and attempt this another time

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=91263.0

[Rattus]

[/quote]

I think I will implement the increase in difficulty. The levels you see now will be difficulty 1, but level 4 I might reduce the fire guys from a maximum of 5 to 3, then 4 for difficulty 2, then 5 for difficulty 3. Then Difficulty 2 and 3 will be met with faster/more enemies, more barrels, shorter bonus times, etc. Not too much change, but enough to notice an increase.

I don't really have a hi-score because I never tried. Maybe around 35K if I were to estimate. I prefer designing games over playing them
[/quote]

How is this going? are you still working on this game? I think if you get the difficulty curve right it will be a fully fledged stand alone classic

[Ophelius]

I think I will implement the increase in difficulty. The levels you see now will be difficulty 1, but level 4 I might reduce the fire guys from a maximum of 5 to 3, then 4 for difficulty 2, then 5 for difficulty 3. Then Difficulty 2 and 3 will be met with faster/more enemies, more barrels, shorter bonus times, etc. Not too much change, but enough to notice an increase.

I don't really have a hi-score because I never tried. Maybe around 35K if I were to estimate. I prefer designing games over playing them

How is this going? are you still working on this game? I think if you get the difficulty curve right it will be a fully fledged stand alone classic

I put it to the side for now, been a bit depressed lately. But there has been a lot of work done to it. One day I will release a big update here 

[Wyo]

I think I will implement the increase in difficulty. The levels you see now will be difficulty 1, but level 4 I might reduce the fire guys from a maximum of 5 to 3, then 4 for difficulty 2, then 5 for difficulty 3. Then Difficulty 2 and 3 will be met with faster/more enemies, more barrels, shorter bonus times, etc. Not too much change, but enough to notice an increase.

I don't really have a hi-score because I never tried. Maybe around 35K if I were to estimate. I prefer designing games over playing them

How is this going? are you still working on this game? I think if you get the difficulty curve right it will be a fully fledged stand alone classic

I put it to the side for now, been a bit depressed lately. But there has been a lot of work done to it. One day I will release a big update here 

 Depression sucks.  Always happens to me around winter time.   Hope you feel better soon!

[Mike A]

I hope you feel better soon.

[pbj]

Have you considered changing conditions to fibromyalgia?  You can apparently act however you want if you have that one.

In all seriousness, hope you're back in final form soon.  This is an amazing game and we miss your updates.

[Le Chuck]

Depression is no laughing matter, but if it was...

! No longer available

At any rate, hopefully brighter days are ahead but if not please watch out for your safety and well being.  If you feel like hurting yourself call someone, PM one of us in this thread, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-8255, or go check yourself into the hospital.  There is zero shame in getting help when help is needed.  Take it from a multiple tour combat vet, and take care of yourself bro. 

[nipsmg]

Have you considered changing conditions to fibromyalgia?  You can apparently act however you want if you have that one.

In all seriousness, hope you're back in final form soon.  This is an amazing game and we miss your updates.

Wow.....  I don't know whether to be annoyed or impressed with that one