HorvatM wrote:
I don’t think you should give up before even starting. The VB may have only 64K of WRAM but that didn’t stop T&E from making Red Alarm, a game with huge and detailed 3D levels, which, by the way, uses 24K of that RAM just for the replay buffer.

I’m not giving up or anything, I’m just merely rethinking my strategy on how I’m going to tattle development on Virtual Boy.

HorvatM wrote:
On PCs and disk-based consoles, you have to load data from disk to memory before you can use it. On cartridge-based consoles, the CPU can access ROM data as if it were RAM, so this means you really only need the WRAM for the game state.

Really? That is awesome! I’ve not done much in the way of cartridge development so that is awesome!

HorvatM wrote:
And 20 MHz is probably faster than you think. It isn’t quite fast enough for texture-mapped 3D graphics but probably fast enough for pretty much anything else. So I don’t think you’ll have to throw away your scripting language, although writing the interpreter (or parts of it) in assembly is not a bad idea if you really need it to be that fast.

Yeah,I might as well write an interpreter for my scripting language.

Maybe if you gave us some examples of games you would like to port, we would be able to suggest optimizations. You will certainly need to cut down on graphic quality etc. but I think nobody has used the VB yet to its full potential.[/quote]

Okay, I’m currently developing a side scrolling hand-drawn Hack ‘n’ Slash RPG. Here is a screen shot. (VERY MUCH IN WIP)

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blitter wrote:

affection wrote:
Do you think I could use the Flash memory from the FlashBoy to off load some of the files from RAM? Also is there any VRAM in the VB or does it just use the normal RAM for graphics?

If you include the OAM area, which is shared between the graphics processor and the CPU, then the VB has a grand total of almost 200K of usable RAM, but this area of memory is physically located elsewhere on the motherboard and isn’t as fast as the WRAM (http://www.planetvb.com/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=5369&forum=2) The Flash memory on the FlashBoy is an EEPROM which is programmed using the FlashBoy software on a Windows PC. Once programmed it’s no different than ROM to the VB itself. A good idea as mentioned in my previous post is to precompile graphics and lookup tables into ROM, rather than generating them dynamically in the sparse RAM, especially if they’re static once created.

Wow, 200kb? I know it was under powered by I never knew by that much. I think I’ll just write the games in ASM intead really and not bother with the Virtual Boy Target. it’s a shame really as I was really hoping to make a console like experience with minimum ease. Anyway, thanks for that URL, that’ll definitely come in handy.

HP Lovethrash wrote:
Jack Bros. uses the left D-pad to move the characters around (in a top-down view). If you push/hold B while moving like that, the character will use his weapon in whatever direction you’re running. If you move with the left D pad and use the right D-pad for the weapon, they will attack in whichever direction the right side is pressed. That way you can run one way but shoot in the opposite direction without stopping.

You may also look at the N64 and see how the yellow C buttons were used, since the right D-pad would be the same approximate setup :). I liked in Mario 64 when those buttons would pan/zoom the camera angle.

Oh, that is very cool way of handling the second d-pad, Thanks everyone for helping me with the ideas, I know what I’m going to do and how I’m going to do it. More info on it later though.

Yeah Mario 64 was and still is sweet, but I’ll look into some games that used the dpad and c buttons on n64 too.

Hmmm, that’s going to be a problem as my co-workers don’t know alot of programming so I created the easy to learn scripting language so i could have the game’s progress going at a steady pace whilst I create ports to other platforms, So I’m going to have to teach them C what is going to be a pain. Do you think I could use the Flash memory from the FlashBoy to off load some of the files from RAM? Also is there any VRAM in the VB or does it just use the normal RAM for graphics?

Haha, an equivalent of GCC, I think not, more like a hours and hours of reading “Let’s Build a Compiler, by Jack Crenshaw” and questioning the folk at stack overflow haha. The joys of being a self taught programmer.

SirGuntz wrote:
What platform(s) are you porting from? Dreamcast? You’d get better speed from the Virtual Boy if you build the engine from the ground up, it’s not exactly a beast of a console.

I’m porting from Dreamcast, Visual Memory Unit and X86 PC’s however we just got a dev kit from Sony for the PlayStation Vita and we’re waiting for word from Mircosoft and Nintendo about the Xbox One and Wii U. We know that the Virtual Boy is’t a powerhouse but our own programming langauge called ‘CrystalScript’ cuts out alot of hassle over high level programming langauges have, by still allowing some low level features such as memory allocation so you still have the control and better optimation than most high level languages. Now what we’re most happy about over here is the the compiler we’ve created, it isn’t like C where the compiler is Trans-compiled, our language is compiled using a technique called Machine code generation, that compiles staight to Binary without steping down to an other language.

RunnerPack wrote:
Mario Clash uses it as a set of directional “throw” buttons (so you can be facing left and throw right, etc).

BTW, there’s a complete set of game manuals on the site; feel free to browse them and check their button configurations.

Awesome! I’ll be sure to check out the game manuals.

Its open for non commercial use however the whole point of setting up my company was to make money and good games, so porting it wouldn’t be in my best intrest right now.

SirGuntz wrote:
*Visual Memory Unit (VMU)

You should worry more about your ability to produce a Virtual Boy port than whether publishing is available. The tools and resources available for Virtual Boy pale in comparison to Dreamcast. If your game is good, publishing will find you.

Sorry I was on my phone when i wrote this, so auto correct will be playing up lol. Also creating a port will not be too much hassle as I all ready have my own game engine for my company that me and are a couple of friends are starting up so one piece of code for multiple platforms. So its really just learning how the VB ticks and basing it off that.

SirGuntz wrote:
You forgot 3D Tetris, both D-Pads are used differently to allow a Tetrimino to be moved and rotated in a 3D space.

If there was a VB Zelda game, it would have been cool to have Link obtain an item that could create a mirror image of himself, which would be controlled by the right D-Pad.

There needs to be a first person shooter, maybe Wolfenstein 3D. The two D-Pads would work great for moving and aiming. Somebody has to make one!

Oh that zelda concept sounds extremely intresting. I might incorporate that to my prototype but anyway A first person shooter sounds intresting too. I wouldn’t know where to begin with 3D development on VB but maybe one day I could port my old FPS project to it.

My first person Shooter project on PC.
http://www.sandbox.yoyogames.com/extras/image/name/san2/782/326782/original/warforcess2.jpg

KR155E wrote:
Red Alarm uses both D-Pads combined to let the player steer in any direction in a 3-D room.

In Teleroboxer each D-Pad + Trigger controls one hand.

VUE Snake has a “Double” mode where you control two snakes at once, one with each D-Pad.

BLOX 2 has a similar mode, where you control two players at once to solve the puzzles.

In a Virtual Boy Zelda version, I’d use the right D-Pad to place items on it.

Another thing I could imagine is to let the user switch between left- and right hand modes.

I hope that can give you some inspiration. 🙂

Hmm, Intresting. I like that BLOX2 idea. seems intresting.