NES Sonic

[evildragon]

I think I'm gonna take up a challenge.. I'm probably known on the internet by now, for being the first person to successfully attach a DVD-ROM drive to an NES, and make movie playback possible on the NES too.. (overlay circuitry, using the "hot" color)... I know how to program the NES's 6502 clone, and want a challenge..

To port Sonic 2 to the NES, fully functional, with most of the sprites intact, AND the music... (well, the music and colors will be killed drasticly, but atleast as close as possible.)

I'll first work on the rendering engine, and the music engine, THEN make the game logic.. I'll post the results here in this thread.. The basics should be done quick, as I made my own special compiler that I used for my DVD-ROM drive attachment (which can be used to load game data, as long as it's programmed for it, sorta like the Sega CD)...

So, which levels should I try to keep intact the most? From sonic 2, for the NES? I can't make ALL levels perfectly intact, as though I can use a DVD-ROM disc for storage, I never got the NES to address more than a cartridge without a mapper can hold...

[Zebbe]

Chemical Plant Zone. It is kind of famous for letting you reach speeds so high Sonic goes out of the screen.

[Genesis Knight]

I've never heard of you. =D Got a website I can visit?

[evildragon]

no website.. i just post my stuff on forums.. i might still have screenshots of the NES DVD-Player somewhere... (i tend to lose them)

[Mr Smith]

The Mystic Cave and Oil Ocean zones are musts. They are both awesome.

[Alianger]

How about making 2 games eac with half the zones as intact as possible, for maximum quality?

[evildragon]

How about making 2 games eac with half the zones as intact as possible, for maximum quality?

i was thinking about that, but then that means i have to edit the levels layout, which would just kill the authenticity..

i'm gonna try a bank switching method on the DVD-ROM drive, and see if the NES likes it...

[108 Stars]

@Genesis Knight
Actually, evildragon really is pretty well known.

@evildragon
You think you can do better than the Sonic 1-pirate on NES?

[evildragon]

i know i can do better :P i want to try and port the real Genesis code to the NES as much as possible.. luckily i know M68k assembly, AND 6502 assembly, so i should be able to pull this off...

If i can't, i'll port the Master System Sonic to the NES, which is actually far more easier (and close screen resolution too)

[evildragon]

ok, here's how the music is to be played out... The NES, with all the fast moving sprites, can only handle ONE sound channel for music.. I chose the square channel for this, for it's harmonic sound, vs the triangle bassy sound...

well that totally blows..

it's turning into: NintenCan't...

[Mr Smith]

Why not have just one zone from each level to save on space and time?

[evildragon]

here's some first time screenshots:
http://blackevilweredragon.spymac.com/sonicNES1.jpg
http://blackevilweredragon.spymac.com/sonicNES2.jpg

(taken via RF, and with a Temporal Comb Filter)

As seen, I am only using 224 lines, where the NES can do 240 lines.. I did this because it allows easier porting...

Average Frame Rate for Emerald Hill Zone without music: 56

[evildragon]

Why not have just one zone from each level to save on space and time?

one word: authenticity.. it's also a challenge.. im trying some new band switching tech on my optical drive, and so far it "seems" to work..

[Zebbe]

Wow, it looks impressive!

[evildragon]

yea, it does.. i had to make some of the layers a single layer though.. for example, the tree going behind the grass.. normally on a genesis that's a layer.. on the NES port it had to be pre-rendered into a single image, as the NES can't handle that many sprites with layers..