AuthorTopic: Kontora/Contra/Probotector/Gryzor  (Read 14972 times)

Offline Arne

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Re: Kontora/Contra/Probotector/Gryzor

Reply #10 on: May 18, 2009, 07:33:48 pm
Here's a video of the MAME arcade version of Contra.

And here's one of the graphically enhanced XBLA arcade version of Contra.  Well, not graphically enhanced as in new graphics or color calibration, but rather graphically enhanced as in impressive explosions. It's obvious that a lot of effort went into creating a highly diverse set of debris particles, and it's almost mind boggling how they managed to keep the explosions going for so long! This XBLA remake is certainly up there with the other XBLA remakes of old classics.
« Last Edit: May 18, 2009, 08:22:43 pm by Arne »

Offline junkboy

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Re: Kontora/Contra/Probotector/Gryzor

Reply #11 on: May 19, 2009, 06:47:42 am
I hereby declare that the arcade flyer chick is the best and most unwarranted fan art ever. And I can't believe I've played an inferior version of arcade Contra all along, I feel a little bit dirty now...

Offline Arne

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Re: Kontora/Contra/Probotector/Gryzor

Reply #12 on: May 19, 2009, 09:11:58 am
Gotta have a muscle guy, robot and chick in there though.

By the way, the sequel (Super Contra) (arcade) seems to have the same strange bleached palette.
Super Contra (arcade) reference page
And here's what my curve does.

I do not believe someone would place black pixel lines like that intentionally. If you look at the alien head (second last screen) on this image you can see some really jarring black pixels on the jaw. Since they aren't outlines they were probably meant to be just slightly darker spots.

Offline Arne

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Re: Kontora/Contra/Probotector/Gryzor

Reply #13 on: July 23, 2009, 08:40:36 pm
It seems likely that the cabinets had a tinted glass or something. If you look at the Mame driver for Contra you can see the offset of the palette, although I don't have the ROM so I can't plot it. It's 'high color' iirc. It was a while since looked into it.

The reason I came back to this thread was because of Alien Syndrome. I thought it had cute pastel colors as a part of the style, but it's quite possible that it's just an emulation thing similar to what we see in Contra. The blacks pop quite a bit:

http://www.klov.com/game_detail.php?game_id=6857

If it's true that several games needs to be darker, then it might warrant a Mame 'tinted glass' feature (or whatever) if there isn't one already. Gamma is not quite the same thing.
« Last Edit: July 23, 2009, 08:49:35 pm by Arne »

Offline ptoing

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Re: Kontora/Contra/Probotector/Gryzor

Reply #14 on: July 24, 2009, 03:07:42 pm
I highly doubt that the cabs had tinted glass on the monitors. It's not like you would get a standard Contra cab which was the same everywhere.
But as I said, Jamma Cabs usually have dials for RGB.
There are no ugly colours, only ugly combinations of colours.

Offline Arne

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Re: Kontora/Contra/Probotector/Gryzor

Reply #15 on: July 24, 2009, 10:44:31 pm
Well, It could just be a plastic film or something. I'm not sure where I got the idea, someone might have suggested it to me so I parroted it. It seemed plausible because it has to be outside of the emulation. Something as vital as palette settings should be emulated along with the game, I think, especially given the dreadful appearance of Contra. People do bother to make screen borders, so why not files for proper palette settings?

I can't find much info about Jamma color calibration. Shouldn't the settings of the 'palette dials' be in the service manual? They usually have instructions for the hardware switches and stuff.

Offline Akira

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Re: Kontora/Contra/Probotector/Gryzor

Reply #16 on: July 24, 2009, 11:33:25 pm
Tinted glass is to hide the screen bezel. Heaps of cabinets have it. It sits above the monitor. Uhhh I'll try contact my arcade maniac friend and see if he can run a couple of tests, contra with tinted glass above monitor and contra without tinted glass. I think he might have sold his MAME cabinet though.
thanks Dogmeat!