SunBurst 1.02

SunBurst 1.02 is now available from the JASPP site, which fixes some ARMv7 issues. The only other change is an option to select 320×480, by default the game now runs at 320×256.

NOTE: On a Pi, you will need EDID/GPU mode change support disabled via “disable_mode_changes” in CMDLINE.TXT for this game to display.

I get a weird screen mode on my PandaRO.

The game is squashed to half-size, then every other line is pulled across the screen to fill out the width but end up being only a quarter of the height, like this…

The odd lines The even lines
The odd lines The even lines
Black black black black black
Black black black black black
black black black black black
Black black black black black
Black black black black black
Black black black black black

I suspect it doesn’t support mode 13, or possibly even 256 colour modes. Does selecting 320×480 in options do the same thing?

You can quickly confirm if mode 13 is supported by dropping into BASIC, type “MODE 13” and then “PRINT MODE”. If it doesn’t say 13, this game won’t work.

Yeah, that sounds like it’s ended up in mode 28 (or similar) rather than mode 13.

Jon, have you considered writing a utility library that allows games to support arbitrary display modes via redirecting output to a sprite? The game can render to a sprite that’s in its native mode, then you can use OS_SpriteOp to scale it to the screen. Since we’re mostly dealing with 20+ year old games I doubt there’ll be any performance issues on modern hardware. Of course, this will all depend on how many games you’re hoping to do native 32bit releases of, and how many are 2D/sprite based vs. 3D/procedural (where you’d really want the game to natively support the higher resolutions)

John

Got this running on my Pandaboard using the Acorn AKF92 MDF in place of my normal MDF using the 320×480 option.

This also works for Micro Golf as well though I have to allocate some SystemSprite memory as that game complains I have none allocated. It may need the Boot/Run files altered to allocate some automatically.

FYI I have a LG M2380 monitor/TV set up.

Thanks again for all your efforts on the RISC gaming front.

The game can render to a sprite that’s in its native mode, then you can use OS_SpriteOp to scale it to the screen.

And make them working in Wimp mode :)

have you considered writing a utility library that allows games to support arbitrary display modes via redirecting output to a sprite? The game can render to a sprite that’s in its native mode, then you can use OS_SpriteOp to scale it to the screen

The Hypervisor I was proposing a few years back was going to work in that way, but that’s on indefinite hold until RISCOS provides a legal method to task switch and a timer API. It’s not something I’ve considered coding for native games as its all aimed at the Pi, which natively supports all legacy resolutions.

Of course, this will all depend on how many games you’re hoping to do native 32bit releases of

I’m prepared to covert any game, provided there’s source and the author/publisher will allow it to be released for free. The only game currently in the pipeline is Exodus, which I’ve not started yet as I need to 32bit DigitalSymphony first. The Zarch optimisation project has vicariously resulted in it being 32bit native, but the project doesn’t have rights to release it; I will be showing Zarch on a projector at the London Show however if anyone would like to have a play. I did a talkie video about the work to date on the JASPP YouTube channel.

.bq The only game currently in the pipeline is Exodus, which I’ve not started yet as I need to 32bit DigitalSymphony first.

Would it be possible to change it to use TimPlayer instead? It can play Digital symphony files.

http://www.riscos-digitalcd.net/digitalcd/modules/timplayer.htm

Would it be possible to change it to use TimPlayer instead?

Tim is a JASPP project member and has coded various Tracker shim Modules, the last conversation on the subject he was extending them for the TimPlayer 1.25 release. I believe 1.25 was released recently, so its possible it could replace DigitialSymphony.