Two new DOS games

[reidrac]

#7824

Two new DOS games from yours truly!

I didn’t mention here the release of “Gold Mine Run!” last month, and I have just released “The Return of Traxtor”.

Both for DOS, but for different ages of DOS.

Gold Mine Run! is a 32-bit game using a DOS extender and requiring a 386. Needs VGA (and Sound Blaster if you want sound).

The Return of Traxtor is a 16-bit game targeting the original (?) IBM PC/XT with CGA and PC speaker.

Quite different games, but both fun to make!

They are both free to download and play (although a ko-fi is always appreciated). You can find them on my website:

https://www.usebox.net/jjm/gold-mine-run/

https://www.usebox.net/jjm/return-of-traxtor-dos/

Cheers!

[Tijn]

#7825

Incredible work!

[primitivethinking]

#7851

Really great looking games…

[reidrac]

#7854

Thank you both!

[primitivethinking]

#7855

Downloaded and tried both.

Traxtor is very nice ) Is that an original concept?
Can be addictive – got lvl 8

The very first puzzle of Gold Mine Run – controls )
Well-crafted overall.

[TigerQuoll]

#7858

I haven’t had a chance to try out Gold Mine yet, but Traxtor played quite nicely on my 8088 machine! What did you code it in? It seems very well optimised.

It looks good and polished, and the controls work great. The relentless march of new lines of blocks is too stressful for me though, haha!

[reidrac]

#7860

Both are coded in C, with some hand written ASM when needed.

Gold Mine Run! uses DJGPP (32-bit, needs DOS extender); the source is available: https://git.usebox.net/gold-mine-run/about/ — and I made the game mostly on twitch, the videos are available here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvI1iQmfH6UOkBSjL_EwtkmqRivM1bJk-

Traxtor was coded for GCC IA16 (it is a 16-bit game). In this case there’s little ASM and mostly for the CGA; see: https://www.usebox.net/jjm/notes/cga/

In both games I tried to make the game as smooth as possible on the target machine, and turns out the IBM PC/XT was easier than the 386! Probably because the CGA is 4bpp so there’s less data to move around.

EDIT: actually, let me clarify a bit 😀 The CGA game is simpler, and that’s a factor as well. For example: it doesn’t use masked sprites and all the drawing is byte aligned. The VGA is also moving more things on the screen at the same time.

[primitivethinking]

#7862

As a psychologist I liked very much, what you did with shapes and colors in Traxtor )

It’s a very good concept. Reminds me of several games (Wario’s Woods, Trip’d, Puzzle Bobble etc.), but quite unique in itself.

[reidrac]

#7864

The original concept was for a Game Boy “alike” game I made back in 2014. Because the limited colours, that’s why it ended with shapes.

The Amstrad CPC version is more colorful: https://www.usebox.net/jjm/return-of-traxtor-cpc/

But because the shapes are using a variation of the main tile color, I had to include an alternative tileset that uses higher contrast for the shape because otherwise it would be unplayable for people that have problem seeing colors.

The CGA had to use those shapes! 🙂

[primitivethinking]

#7865

Traxtor – reached level 9 )

For Gold Mine Run! I would suggest to edit the title screen a bit.

There is no clue, that “Jump” is ‘z’ on the keyboard…

[reidrac]

#7867

It is explained on the website and the game comes with what we could call a “digital manual” 🙂

Perhaps I should have added a help screen like I did on Traxtor!

[TigerQuoll]

#7870

Actually, the choice of colour on Traxtor worked well.
As it turns out, I am colour blind, and I have a very hard time differentiating cyan from white, and teal from light grey on the cga palette.
Magenta, however, stands out very well, and I had no problem telling the tiles apart!