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https://www.smspower.org/Homebrew/SnepzhenSolitaire-SMS

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This is a clone of the solitaire game within Shenzhen I/O.

There are three types of card:

1. Number card - Get these up into the top-right three slots.
-> In the main playing area, numbered cards stack in alternating colours with decreasing value
-> In the top-right, numbered cards stack in the same colour with increasing value starting at '1'
-> A single card can be temporarily stored in each of the top-left three slots (if unused)

2. Dragon cards (claws, paws, & hoofs) - Get these up into the top-left three slots
-> Dragon cards cannot be placed on any other card, even another dragon card of the same kind
-> A single dragon card can be temporarily stored in each of the top-left three slots (if unused)
-> If four of a single kind are at the top of their stacks, a button can move all four into one of the top-left three slots (if a slot is free, or already contains a card of the same kind)

3. Snep card (flower card in the original game)
-> This is a 'free' card, it can be moved to the top-middle slot
-> Artwork is TODO, currently a gray 'tail'

You win when all cards have been moved to the top.

Controls:
D-pad: Move the cursor to select a different card / slot / button
Button 1 (when holding cards): Place the cards currently held.
Button 1 (when not holding cards): Pick up the cards or press the dragon button under the cursor.
Button 2 (when holding cards): Return the cards back to where they were picked up from.
Button 2 (when not holding cards): Auto-move the card under the cursor to one of the top-right slots if possible.

Work still to do:
-> Title screen
-> Card artwork improvements
-> Animation for when the game has been won
-> Options menu (change background colour, cursor design, etc)
-> Animation when moving cards with button 2 or the dragon buttons.
-> Sound effects

Changelog:
r1: Fixup for real H/W + Animation for dealing / cancelling
r0: Initial release

A new build, r3, of Snepzhen Solitaire is now available:

Card-dropping animation when the game is won
Cards now animate (slide) when using the dragon buttons
RNG fixup, to reduce the chance of being dealt the same game twice

Work still to do:
-> Title screen
-> Card artwork improvements
-> Options (change background colour, cursor design, etc)
-> Sound effects

Changelog:
r3: Animation for winning, dragon buttons. RNG improvement.
r2: Animation when auto-placing cards with button 2 + code tidyup
r1: Fixup for real H/W + Animation for dealing, cancelling
r0: Initial release

snepzhen_solitaire_r3.zip (18.56 KB)

Interesting solitaire... I still have to learn how to play it properly but it's a matter of time, as with all card solitaires. Nice card animations, reusing VRAM tiles for both cards on the table and for sprites is a good idea.

Question: why did you write your own SRAM access functions instead of simply using the devkitSMS provided ones? Is there anything you didn't like with those?

sverx wrote

Question: why did you write your own SRAM access functions instead of simply using the devkitSMS provided ones? Is there anything you didn't like with those?

I didn't actually realize that devkitSMS already had SRAM access functions. I must have had a typo when I first went searching, as I didn't get any results. I do see them now though, and will likely switch to using them in the next update.

JoppyFurr wrote

I didn't actually realize that devkitSMS already had SRAM access functions. [...] I do see them now though, and will likely switch to using them in the next update.

Here's the wiki section for that, and that page links to an example usage on this very forum :)

A new build, r4, of Snepzhen Solitaire is now available:

When first starting, a card-based menu is now shown
The background colour scheme can be changed
The mouse cursor can be changed

Work still to do:
-> Card artwork improvements
-> Sound effects?

Changelog:
r4: Menu, choice of background colours and cursors. devkitSMS SRAM access.
r3: Animation for winning, dragon buttons. RNG improvement.
r2: Animation when auto-placing cards with button 2 + code tidyup
r1: Fixup for real H/W + Animation for dealing, cancelling
r0: Initial release

snepzhen_blue.png (2.47 KB)

Screenshot - Blue background

snepzhen_silver_cursor.png (2.46 KB)

Screenshot - Silver cursor

snepzhen_solitaire_r4.zip (20.11 KB)

Works very well. I have played a few games but I have yet to win. Is it always possible to win? If not, out of 10 sessions, how many can I expect to finish?

One thing I would really like is playing it with a Megamouse! (I can share the work-in-progress input "library" I have developed for my sms-a-sketch entry if you'd like. It also supports the Sports pad and Graphics board)

raphnet wrote

Works very well. I have played a few games but I have yet to win. Is it always possible to win? If not, out of 10 sessions, how many can I expect to finish?

No, like regular Klondike solitaire it is not always possible to win. It can also be hard to predict when a move you make might make it impossible to win (eg, filling one of the top-left spaces with one card when finishing required the space to be saved for a different card).

I haven't kept any exact statistics, but I manage to complete around half of the games I properly start. Sometimes I'll abandon and try for a new deal before moving the first card if the start doesn't look possible.

raphnet wrote

One thing I would really like is playing it with a Megamouse! (I can share the work-in-progress input "library" I have developed for my sms-a-sketch entry if you'd like. It also supports the Sports pad and Graphics board)

While I don't think I'll find time to do that at the moment, it sounds like it could be a fun way to extend the game in the future :3

A new build, r5, of Snepzhen Solitaire is now available:

Bug fix - Disable button 2 on the dragon buttons.
Bug fix - Exclude off-screen sprites from the sprite list.

Work still to do:
-> Card artwork improvements
-> Sound effects?

Changelog:
r5: Bug fixes for sprite wrap-around and dragon buttons.
r4: Menu, choice of background colours and cursors. devkitSMS SRAM access.
r3: Animation for winning, dragon buttons. RNG improvement.
r2: Animation when auto-placing cards with button 2 + code tidyup
r1: Fixup for real H/W + Animation for dealing, cancelling
r0: Initial release

snepzhen_solitaire_r5.zip (20.23 KB)

sverx wrote

Here's the wiki section for that, and that page links to an example usage on this very forum :)

Not sure if this helps but here is a code sample that uses the devkitSMS SRAM access functions also.

I'm trying to port this lovely piece of homebrew to gamegear
https://github.com/Strugglemeat/shenzhen-solitaire-gamegear for the code

I've reduced the card height by 16px but I want to keep them the same width, so I need to move the 'camera' around. I've set up an offsetX variable for all of the SMS_loadTileMapArea calls to be offset, but I can't get it to work properly with the left/right buttons.

if anyone wants to take a look and give me some tips, I'd be greatly appreciative!

shen-preview.png (23.16 KB)

preview image

shenzhen_solitaire.gg.zip (6.79 KB)

WIP ROM

Wainstop wrote

I want to keep them the same width, so I need to move the 'camera' around. I've set up an offsetX variable for all of the SMS_loadTileMapArea calls to be offset, but I can't get it to work properly with the left/right buttons.

You could use the hardware scroll register, without modifying the SMS_loadTileMapArea calls at all. When you move left, scroll the BG to the right and vice versa. See SMS_setBGScrollX.

that's an awesome idea! thanks, I'll try it

edit: got it working, just need to fix the position of the cursor

Wainstop wrote

that's an awesome idea! thanks, I'll try it

edit: got it working, just need to fix the position of the cursor

sure, of course you have to 'compensate' for the BG offset, but that's pretty easy.

thanks again for your help! here's a mostly fixed and done game gear port (attached)

shenzhen_solitaire.gg.zip (7.02 KB)

nearly finished game gear port

It's been a couple of years, but I've picked this back up and have made some improvements:

* Dragon cards now flash when they are available
* More table colour scheme options
* Pixel-art snow leopard face card
* The cursor can now be moved between the foundations and tableau using dpad up/down instead of having to use left/right to wrap-around

ROM and source are included as an attachment

snepzhen_solitaire_23_06.zip (74.1 KB)

Snepzhen Solitaire, 2023-06

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View topic - [Coding competition 2021] Snepzhen Solitaire by JoppyFurr

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