Berzerk - ZX Spectrum update

[redballoon]

I'm currently working on an update of the classic Arcade game, Berzerk, and have opted not for the direct top top-down (but side on sprite) approach. As well as giving it a graphic overhaul and a set map, I've started on the graphics. Only done a single frame for the sprites so far, they'll all have 8 directions each with 4 frames of animation. Here's the single frame for the sprites done so far, a mock-up of the game screen (no borders or score or anything) and the updated logo for the game. The vast majority of the background graphics have been finished - I must post them up later. Still got quite a bit of graphics to do.

[Mathias]

Yikes, that mockup look painful to play. What are your restrictions here? How does the palette work, what colors included?

[BladeJunker]

Yikes, that mockup look painful to play. What are you restrictions here? How does the palette work, what colors included?

Here you go.
http://www.wayofthepixel.net/pixelation/index.php?topic=10784.0#post_zx

[infinitegames]

I suggest not using the stone pattern on the yellow floor (that's what it is, right?) It's too busy, maybe break it up or just remove it, I know the spectrum has bizarre requiremtns

[Mathias]

Here you go.

Yes bladejunker, I know where to find the specs, but thanks.

The ZX Spectrum - what happens when programmers control art. Same thing happened to the Commodore - no artists on staff when the arbitrary palette was chosen. The C64 had a little better outcome, though.

[redballoon]

Here's the available :



So, 8 colours, but 16 if you include the BRIGHT 0 and 1 as shown. 2 colours per 8x8px and those 2 colours have to both BRIGHT or non BRIGHT therefore, you cannot have non BRIGHT yellow and BRIGHT yellow or non BRIGHT dark blue and BRIGHT red, for example. Pretty much as standard, the INK will always be black. The sprites will always pick up the PAPER colour of the background (as can be seen by the Humanoid and Robot at top left).

Yeah, I think the background could be too busy. Here's mock-ups without the floor tile in both yellow and white.



I'd rather have some sort of floor tile, though, but the thing I'll have to watch is that the bullets don't get lost in the background.

The sprites are 16x24 px in size and will have a mask (extending 1px around the sprite) so as the background doesn't show through. I'm considering having levels that venture outside, therefore, I'd have to do a grass tile (which I've got already) and that means the background (PAPER) will be the green.

The floor tile is a repeating 8x8px tile. There is no hardware sprite control on the Spectrum, everything is done by software....and it all has to fit into 48K (well, actually about 42K..or 128K, if we ignore the 48K machine and just plump for the upgraded model).

[Ryumaru]

How about yellow with more bare, selective tiling? so most of the floor is blank but the floor texture appears in spots?

[infinitegames]

How about yellow with more bare, selective tiling? so most of the floor is blank but the floor texture appears in spots?

I think this is the best solution

[redballoon]

Yip, I do like that idea. It's funny that I gave almost that same advice to the graphic artist of another ZX Spectrum game currently in progress, yet couldn't see the same the solution for myself!

[Rydin]

The white tiles are much more visually appealing.

As a rule of thumb, warm colors are closer to a viewer, where cool colors are farther away.  So it the adverse reaction some are having may in part be due to that your reversal of this commonality. You currently have yellow representing background tiles and blue for things that are closer. Switch it around. Try blues as the background and yellows as the foreground.