Hi! I'm Jess Ragan, video game enthusiast and writer. Sometimes I'm even paid to write, like that time when I penned some articles for the 1UP web site. When I'm not writing, or drawing, or, uh, sleeping, I'm playing video games. Once in a blue moon I'll even roll my own, so long as there's a BASIC compiler for the target system. Fifteen years ago I made a port of GORF for the Game Boy Advance. Five years before that, I made Solar Plexus, the first Atari 2600 game written in Batari BASIC to see a physical release.
Now, I'm working on a Creativision port of Whack 'Em Smack 'Em Byrons, a whack-a-mole style game that's shown up on four other systems already. The game is pretty much done, but requires adjustments in timing to compensate for the different hardware and the slower PAL video format. That's why I'm here; to get some eyeballs on the game and hopefully find some playtesters for the Creativision version.
To be honest, I don't have any meaningful experience with the Creativision, or its Australian counterpart, the Dick Smith Wizzard. All I know for sure is that it's a distant relative of the ColecoVision with its own library of games. But since I've been porting Whack 'Em Smack 'Em Byrons to every game system under the sun (okay, not the game dot com), I figured I might as well bring it to the Wizzard as well. And while I'm here, I might as well learn a little more about this machine, as it's one of the blind spots in my knowledge of gaming history.
My favorite consoles are of the Sega variety, particularly the Genesis, Saturn, and Dreamcast. I'm also fond of the Game Boy Advance, PSP, Neo-Geo and when I really want to kick it old school, the Atari 2600. And that's pretty much all you need to know about me for starters! I don't expect to be here often, but you'll probably learn a little more about me each time I pay this forum a visit.
Hello from Sunny Arizona!
Re: Hello from Sunny Arizona!
Hi Jess
With such an amazing 'pedigree' of experience, you are definitely most welcome here
...and you are in great company. There are a few excellent game designers and programmers that will be able to help you with any cv-related projects!
But also don't forget to make use of the plenty of resources available on the CreatiVEmu website: programming books, fanzines, hardware specifications, articles and downloadable files - left menu on at https://www.madrigaldesign.it/creativemu/news.php
One thing you don't want to miss is the history of CreatiVision: https://www.madrigaldesign.it/creativemu/history.php
However some old (and hard to find on the web) interviews suggest that CreatiVision was supposed to originally be the Colecovision, except then CBS/Coleco opted for a Z80-based machine with almost identical hardware designed by another engineering lab.
I suggest you to post on the 'games programming' forum and ask for specific help there. A few users have very good hardware CreatiVision setups and are capable to test games without the need to burn them on ROM, by using homebrews such as the CSL module and the MegaSD Cart.
With such an amazing 'pedigree' of experience, you are definitely most welcome here
...and you are in great company. There are a few excellent game designers and programmers that will be able to help you with any cv-related projects!But also don't forget to make use of the plenty of resources available on the CreatiVEmu website: programming books, fanzines, hardware specifications, articles and downloadable files - left menu on at https://www.madrigaldesign.it/creativemu/news.php
One thing you don't want to miss is the history of CreatiVision: https://www.madrigaldesign.it/creativemu/history.php
However some old (and hard to find on the web) interviews suggest that CreatiVision was supposed to originally be the Colecovision, except then CBS/Coleco opted for a Z80-based machine with almost identical hardware designed by another engineering lab.
I suggest you to post on the 'games programming' forum and ask for specific help there. A few users have very good hardware CreatiVision setups and are capable to test games without the need to burn them on ROM, by using homebrews such as the CSL module and the MegaSD Cart.