This game is designed in ANTIC mode 4, a character
mode which allows up to four colours to be displayed within the
same character. Each character is set up in a 4 x 8 grid giving
a total screen resolution of 160 across by 192 down. To use ANTIC
mode 4 it is basically a matter of changing a Graphics 0 display
list, then redefining the character set. You are welcome to experiment
with the techniques we have used. The game was originally in Graphics
5 but ANTIC 4 increases its visual impact tenfold.
How to play
This is a game where you control a giant lengthening
caterpillar, and have to eat the apple. The quicker you eat the
apple, the more points you get, but if you take too long, it will
disappear to a new location and you will lose five points. If you
run over yourself or hit the wall, you lose a life. You have three
lives per game. Every time you eat an apple, the caterpillar is
'cut up' and your speed increases by 1 k/mh.
Program notes
The concept behind this game is a familiar one, but
don't let that fool you. This game is totally original.
When the program begins, a title page is scrolled
up the screen. This is for visual impact only and serves no useful
purpose, however anyone wishing to examine the code will find it
quite interesting. Firstly let me assure you that it is NOT genuine
scrolling, but display list manipulation. It works by writing your
own display list (lines 1010 to 1030) consisting of a screenful
of blank mode lines and a few GRAPHICS 2 lines which begin at the
bottom of the screen. (This is cheating the system and I suggest
that you avoid such things unless you know what you are doing.)
The number of blank mode lines is gradually reduced using the simple
FOR-NEXT loop in line 1060, so that the GRAPHICS 2 lines slowly
creep up the screen. The technique is crude, but it works. You'll
notice a certain degree of jerkiness, as the movements are not
synchronised with the vertical blank. You can experiment with the
speed by changing the delay (i.e. FOR W= 1 TO 15: NEXT W) in line
1060.
When the scrolling is finished, the character set
is copied from ROM to RAM (line 1070) using the machine language
routine out of Stan Ockers Doggies, then seven of the special characters
are redefined (line 1100). I was going to draw up some pretty pictures
to show how this is done in ANTIC mode 4 but unfortunately I ran
out of time.
The screen is then cleared and another custom display
list is created (line 1160), this time for a screenful of ANTIC
mode 4 with 3 lines of Graphics 0 at the bottom for scoring information.
If you want an entire screen of ANTIC mode 4 in your own programs,
then change the loop to read FOR I=DL+6 TO DL+28. This completes
the initialisation.
If you care to draw a flowchart of the main program
(lines 20 to 370) you'll notice that it follows a very efficient
and logical flow. Beginners should take particular note of this.
It is something that you should always strive for to achieve peak
efficiency without losing readability. This is something I can
never stress too much. Too many programs are written with a spaghetti
- like structure! As a result, they run slow and use up about twice
the memory necessary. In Grab an Apple, the effort has paid off.
Speed is no longer a problem despite the delays for sounds. In
fact, I had to insert a lengthy delay loop (line 240) to slow the
game down. The game becomes more difficult as it progresses by
reducing the length of this loop every time you eat an apple. You'll
also notice a certain 'beat' to the program, which starts the adrenalin
flowing as the pace increases. (This was the secret to Space Invaders
success.) You have to eat 50 apples in one game to reach the fastest
speed. I certainly can't do it! If you want to see the game at
maximum speed, change the loop to read FOR I=1 TO 1:NEXT I.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy playing Grab an Apple as
much as Jamie and I did writing it.
This article and program originally appeared in
INSIDE INFO, the newsletter of Atari Computer Enthusiasts (N.S.W.)
- Australia.
|
|
|
 |
top
