ZX Spectrum Double Dragon remake WIP

[redballoon]

After the original travesty of the original Double Dragon conversion for the ZX Spectrum away back in 1989, a small team has decided to re-write the conversion for the ZX Spectrum 128 from scratch. I've been tasked with producing the sprites with another artist doing the background graphics.
I've started with Billy Lee, one of the main 'heroes' that you play from the game and I've only just started on the basic walk sprite. Other than the colour limitations imposed for ZX Spectrum games, the only limitation I have is that the characters have to be 48pixels high rather than the original arcade 64pixels high but the number of pixels wide remain the same. So, here's what I've produced so far. Although it's an arcade conversion, I'mpretty keen to have my version of the graphics to have some element of my own in them and as for the walk animation, the arcade is pretty basic also with only 4 frames. Anyway, what do you think, comments would be welcome. There are 4 Spectrum versions of the sprite as I can't decide which one to choose.

Individual frames with arcade at the top


Animated
     

[STE 86]

ok as a old guy who used to do this stuff for real my advice if u are going for a semi authentic conversion would be to:

a) ignore the fact that the arcade walk cycle is awful and just live with it

b) reverse out the boots so they are black and pick out the highlight instead. ( i am assuming full proper masking will be done)

c) maybe add a black belt to divide him a bit

d) use a couple of pixels on the arm to delineate his bicep like the arcade and see if u can add the chest muscles with a 3 pixel inverted Y.

also it may look good if u gave him a dark jacket too just to break up the flesh areas.

these could obviously all be done an any of the variations u choose to use.

Steve

[redballoon]

Hang on, how close to completion was Armalyte for the Spectrum? 

a) ignore the fact that the arcade walk cycle is awful and just live with it

Ach, it is isn't it.

b) reverse out the boots so they are black and pick out the highlight instead. ( i am assuming full proper masking will be done)

Yep, full masking will be done. You know, the filled in boots never even occurred to me.

c) maybe add a black belt to divide him a bit

In my original, he did have a black belt, but I removed it for these versions. I'll re-instate that bad boy.

d) use a couple of pixels on the arm to delineate his bicep like the arcade and see if u can add the chest muscles with a 3 pixel inverted Y.

I'll try the inverted Y for the chest - I did try it with a couple of sparing pixels but it was starting to look too cluttered (I thought).

also it may look good if u gave him a dark jacket too just to break up the flesh areas.

One of the original things I had but altered for these variations. I think my problem was that in the arcade the jacket is the same colour as the trousers which isn't going to be the case here. I'll give it another go

Cheers.

[STE 86]

Armalyte really was only a 1 level evaluation piece done for Thalamus by John Wildsmith and myself.

all that exists of it at my end are several sheets of mono sprites ported from ST to PC years ago (sprite dev was done on ST). the backgrounds were going to be touched up c64 charset with the Hi res bit set to make it mono. i remember retouching the c64 first level chars in the native c64 editor so john could piece a level together but i dont have that.

Steve

[Helm]

Do you *have* to stick to four frames of animation? Remember it's the one animation the player will see the most of (especially since enemies use the same animation if memory serves). If not, I urge you to go with something more fluid and expressive (even if it's just 6 frames) it's definitely possible in 1bit. What are the memory limitations of the ZX? Given how it'll be the most popular animation in the code, couldn't you prioritize it up?

[STE 86]

double dragon i assume from memory will be quite a graphics intensive game to shove into an 8bit in what i assume is a single load. if its transient (or multiload as it used to be called) then many things are possible.

however i get the impression that the objective is as close a copy of the arcade game as humanly possible in 256x192 in mono (+attributes?).

which means basically u stick to the brief.

Steve

[Stickman]

If you could squeeze in an extra frame or 2 as in Helm's suggestion, then I think you could incorporate some up and down motion.

[redballoon]

Well, we've barely got 128k to play with, not really a great deal. A PSD file, 256x192pixels with the words 'Double Dragon' in black on white in the centre is saved as 158k. There's the background graphics, AI, front-ends, music/sfx and the game engine (maybe even simultaneous 2 player option and the programmers have decided to go for a single load and not a multi-load).
There's 4 frames of walking animation, another 4 required for walking up the screen, 2 for ladder climbing, 2 each for left and right punch, 2 for kick, 1 for straight-up jump, 1 for flying kick, 1 for head-butt, 1 for being hit in the face, 1 for crouch, 1 for lying on the ground, 1 for elbow hit, 1 for being hit a flying through the air and 1 for jump 2 fisted hit then there are a couple of variations for carrying weapons. Some of these have already been cut down frame-wise and there's the consideration that some moves just might have to be taken down to 1 frame and, if necessary, culled completely. And that is because we have to do all of the above for another 4 or 5 characters and one of those will be 64 pixels in height.

Really, I'd love extra frames but space is already tight. There are certain techniques that may have to be reconsidered like a couple of variations of legs that all the sprites can share and the top half of the sprite is the only truly unique part of the sprite.

So, yeah, I'm afraid Steve's got it spot on - stick to the brief then be prepared to cut that brief in half. But, there's a certain thrill in pulling something off with such limitations  

[Stickman]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnAYiCYcu-U&feature=PlayList&p=618B4DD306200930&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=9

This is the Amstrad CPC version. There were 2. I had the Melbourne House version which wasn't as good as the Virgin Mastertronic version. The still managed to fit in the trade mark head knee and throw (albeit a little rough, but it's there). Apparently they managed to fit all the moves into this version. Your artwork looks much nicer and I really support this project

[STE 86]

there's a certain thrill in pulling something off with such limitations  

oh yeah

which is why i am involved with current projects looking at ramming Paradroid and Exploding fist into the atari 800

and have fairly recently finished converting 200 odd frames of PC prince of persia classic to c64/atari 800 specs



if your team or the speccy community have any use for the armalyte spriteset i will post them on here. just ask.

Steve