Resource centre for ZX Spectrum games
using Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy game engines
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Message: 5264
Author: jet_visy
Date: 10/12/2005
Subject: Jet Set Willy ST
I just had a thorough playtest of JSW ST (no secret rooms yet), but
I've noticed some funny things about it:
As the site states:
"Our Atari ST version was created in two stages."
"First of all, we disassembled the original Z80 code and reverse
engineered it into C. Then, we re-coded some of Matthew Smith's
graphics and sound routines for the Atari ST. We worked using a
Sinclair Spectrum with the Zeus Disassembler and the original Jet-Set
Willy program, and an Atari ST 520FM with the Sozobon C compiler. We
had no physical link between the computers - the disassembled code was
listed on the Spectrum screen, and entered into the Atari by hand!
Each screen's data was dumped as hex, and dictated to a typist who
entered it into struct { } statements in the C program."
The ST version seems to be almost a perfect port of JSW! I couldn't
get WRITETYPER to work, maybe it has something to do with the 1-5 keys
controlling the game speed (oo - er).
The walk-right key seems to get stuck sometimes, but this could be a
sideeffect of the emulator I'm using. The port ensures this version
has probably all the quirks of the spectrum one (maybe even the
dreaded Attic bug). I tested some of JSW quirky features, and they
seemed to work as expected.
The engine has some problems with block-type PAPER color (or at least
a clone of the spectrum "feature" coloring), which bleeds the color on
Willy funnily sometimes. Also, there's some bugs with the ramps, as
sometimes the "falling down" blip can be heard in the bottom of the
stairs (last pixel or so). The conveyor-bed in Master Bedroom seems to
behave differently than in JSW (at least, how I remember it).
All and all, it was a nice experience to find this game. I just
wonder, if the room format is exactly the same as the text says, It
*shouldn't* be too hard to get JSWED to read the PRG file, as it is
the program file itself. When I have time I'll look into this. Maybe
John will be interested in it.. ;o)
I myself would love to have 48k JSW games ported ST. That would be a
new and unknown territory for the JSW & MM scene.
Visa-Valtteri 'jet_visy' Pimiä
visa.pimia@...
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