I got side tracked with
grit, adding the ability to share a palette between various images. Now that this problem is solved (Cearn sent me an interesting program to merge image palettes after I sent him a patch against grit to do something similar) Elite AGB compiles for the DS. All that's left is to get it working! :-)
At the minute the NDS file just shows 2 white screens; a familiar situation for anyone who has coded anything on the DS. So now to
start debugging...
EDIT: heh. here's a screenshot of the first build running in
desmume.
Yes, it is a straight GBA port.
Yes, it is a straight GBA port.
What is Elite DS? I've never heard of it?
ReplyDeleteNothing at the minute. It's a WIP remake of Elite, a space trading game.
ReplyDeleteFantastic! Your two ports of Elite for the GBA were amazing! I even reported a bug or two on them. I have a request. I found control in AGB Elite hard because it was no longer possible to turn and change acceleration at the same time. This is essential for playing Elite. Please map the shoulder buttons back to deceleration and acceleration in the DS version, or allow custom key mapping.
ReplyDeleteI eagerly await your first alpha!
Good call - the DS has more buttons and a great big touch screen, so something should be possible. Why didn't you tell me sooner? :-)
ReplyDeleteThis is fantastic news! Do you have any ideas when you'll be able to release a working version?
ReplyDeleteWell, I think that in it's current state it's almost playable, but is lacking lots.
ReplyDeletecurrently needed:
1) sound. the music plays now, but the xm files are pretty crap. not sure how to go on with this.
2) sound 2. the DS doesn't have GB hardware so the old-skool "emulated" sounds will have to be redone somehow. not sure about this either.
3) controls. need to rethink these to use more buttons and what not.
4) saving. no more magic sram saves - need to save to files on the cartridge
5) testing it all out. 80% is old code, but there may be hidden bugs in there as it is a brand new compiler.
Sound is the biggest, trickiest failure/headache ATM.
quirks,
ReplyDeleteI forgot to report a bug in your AGB_Elite. When I bought a new ship, all my old weapons were functionally transfered to the new ship, but the text of my beam weapon was incorrect. Don't remember the exact text. I had the most powerful beam weapon but the text described it as the starting beam weapon.
And how about one very expensive ship upgarde that carries more cargo and is faster than the starting ship? I remember finally getting anough cash to buy a new ship, and went with a faster model with one less cargo space that the starting ship. I was disappointed to see that all ships that carried more cargo were slower. Please, one ship with 1.5 times cargo and speed of starting ship? At least that's what I remember...might be wrong.
ps - you any relation of a quirk that used to live in halifax nova scotia?
brendan: I shall keep an eye out for the bug. The ship upgrade sounds like a good idea, I'll have a ponder. Nope, never been to nova scotia.
ReplyDeleteAny update on this!? :-(
ReplyDeleteThis is fantastic news to me. Is this an A500+ conversion? As a suggestion, are you putting a Virtual Keyboard on the bottom screen?
ReplyDeleteThis would save having to decide what buttons to map, to what functions.
I cannnot wait. this is one of my favourite games from my child-hood, Good luck.
No need to wait! there's a release out already (has been for a while), and recently I've squashed 2 killer crash bugs that I introduced in the GBA -> DS porting.
ReplyDeleteThats great but where can I get my hands on it??? Been googleing with no avail. Help.
ReplyDeleteSee the link on the right column there? http://code.google.com/p/ds-elite/
ReplyDeleteAnd googling "elite ds", it's the first link :-)
got it. thank you.
ReplyDeleteThis is awesome news! I'll be checking it out tonight. :-)
ReplyDelete