Forums

Hello! I just released my first homebrew game for SMS. It's a remake of DONKEY.BAS, the old DOS game!

My version is a bit different (and better I hope) than the original. It gets harder as you play, and there are more obstacles to avoid (up to 3 at a time in some areas), and there is music.

In an attempt to make the game more interesting, I also added new concepts such as such as a 3-lane and lane-less mode. Of course, with the SMS graphics hardware, making the game more colorful and smooth-scrolling that the PC original was easy.

The Paddle Control seemed like a perfect controller for this game, so it is also supported! I think that's the best way to play this game.

I made a page about the game, with screenshots and a few videos. The ROM can also be downloaded from there:
* sorry, I cannot post links. * (please visit raphnet.net)

I used devkitSMS (SMSlib and PSGlib), png2tile, sdcc (of course) and DefleMask to make the music. With these tools getting started in SMS game programming is not difficult at all!

I was wondering, what is the process to get my game added to the homebrew database on the site?

level4.png (2.83 KB)

desert.png (2.65 KB)

title_screen.png (1.38 KB)

I think Maxim can give you edit permissions!

Thank you! Page created: https://www.smspower.org/Homebrew/Donkey-SMS

This is very nice - thanks for sharing! :)

Since I don't remember having ever added Paddle Control support to SMSlib, would you mind sharing how you did that? (and if it's OK for you I could use that to add official support...)

Love it! Knocked up a very quick cover for my RetroPie if it's any use to anyone.

DONKEY.SMS_COVER.png (40.85 KB)

DONKEY.SMS boxart.

raphnet wrote

Hello! I just released my first homebrew game for SMS. It's a remake of DONKEY.BAS, the old DOS game!

Great job!

sverx wrote

Since I don't remember having ever added Paddle Control support to SMSlib, would you mind sharing how you did that? (and if it's OK for you I could use that to add official support...)

Yes, in fact I intended to send a pull request to add Paddle Control support later, which I just did.

Paddle Control support was put together with the help the "Development/Paddle" page on SMSpower. And also using my own research making a homemade paddle.

I tested two paddle types (original and homemade) on both ports on a Japanese SMS. The only tested emulator is Meka.

My current highscore is 298. The game is a lot of fun, but once it loops, it doesn't seem to get any more difficult?

Kagesan wrote

My current highscore is 298. The game is a lot of fun, but once it loops, it doesn't seem to get any more difficult?

Excellent score! Are you playing it with a paddle? Do you use a PAL or an NTSC system? I suspect the game will be easier at 50Hz.

After each loop, the speed becomes a bit higher for all levels. Try completing level 16 a second time and you will see! But I guess I could also extend the length of each level after the first loop...

I've been playing it in Emulicious so far, with a RetroBit Mega Drive style USB controller, in 60 Hz. I do have a japanese paddle, though, so trying your game on original hardware with this is definitely on my to-do list.

I think the length of the levels is fine, I wouldn't change that. Maybe you could up the challenge a bit by being a little less generous with dishing out extra lives?

I tried the game on real hardware with paddle control, control is very smooth, it feel very nice.

raphnet wrote

Yes, in fact I intended to send a pull request to add Paddle Control support later, which I just did.

Thanks! I'll look into it ASAP :)

Hello! I just released version 1.1 based on the feedback I received:

- Stop giving out new lives every 4 levels (too easy)
- Give one life each time level 16 gets completed.

This looks and sounds great - but unfortunately it doesn't seem to play nice on my Mega Drive (via an Everdrive and 8bitdo M30 controller).

Like some SMS games which are incompatible with Mega Drive controllers, the d-pad is locked and only the A button works (game starts, car remains stuck on right hand lane). Buttons B and C would act as SMS buttons 1 and 2 in regular back-compatibility mode, and there's no difference in behaviour with a regular 3 button MD controller.

No worries of course if looking into this for the sole user who doesn't have a real SMS set up isn't a priority. Thanks for sharing and contributing!

this sounds like a side effect of setting the port3F to 0x55, that he did to workaround a bug in MEKA - probably he can fix it by simply putting the value into port3F back to 0xFF if paddle isn't detected...

Quote

Like some SMS games which are incompatible with Mega Drive controllers

this is a common bug in a few games that perform a region check to see if it's a Japanese or an export console - they forget to reset port3F too.

They can be patched.

sverx wrote

this is a common bug in a few games that perform a region check to see if it's a Japanese or an export console - they forget to reset port3F too.

They can be patched.

Indeed - one of the first things I did upon receiving my MD flashcart is hunt down SMS-MD controller fix patches for games like Alien Syndrome and Wonderboy in Monsterland (I believe there are eight official western games in total which require them).

Thanks for the insight into the issue the patches fix.

bumtree wrote

This looks and sounds great - but unfortunately it doesn't seem to play nice on my Mega Drive (via an Everdrive and 8bitdo M30 controller).

Like some SMS games which are incompatible with Mega Drive controllers, the d-pad is locked and only the A button works (game starts, car remains stuck on right hand lane). Buttons B and C would act as SMS buttons 1 and 2 in regular back-compatibility mode, and there's no difference in behaviour with a regular 3 button MD controller.

No worries of course if looking into this for the sole user who doesn't have a real SMS set up isn't a priority. Thanks for sharing and contributing!

Thank you! I had tested on a Megadrive, but only with a Paddle and an SMS controller... Somehow I forgot to test the most obvious controller type on that platform!

As sverx pointed out, my Paddle workaround for meka was the culprit.

Version 1.2 is now available from my website:
https://www.raphnet.net/programmation/donkey/index_en.php#releases

Having played it properly now I have to say it's superb. It's really quite addictive, handles great in all modes (even without the analogue paddle) and has an earworm tune with a lovely flair.

IMG_20210213_022219044-01.jpeg (330.79 KB)

Very good game. I like the music and the atmosphere.

I managed to get to 168 score without losing a life.

Quote

Having played it properly now I have to say it's superb. It's really quite addictive, handles great in all modes (even without the analogue paddle) and has an earworm tune with a lovely flair.

Thank you! You did very well in lane-less mode, playing this mode with a controller (not a paddle) is its own challenge isn't it?

Quote

Very good game. I like the music and the atmosphere.

I managed to get to 168 score without losing a life.

Thanks! Now that you mention it, a single-life "hard mode" could be fun!

raphnet wrote

You did very well in lane-less mode, playing this mode with a controller (not a paddle) is its own challenge isn't it?

It definitely requires a different play style for sure and heightens the quality of the overall package.

I find it easier to score high by defaulting to a central position as much as possible, as deaths seem to be more prevalent when trying to squeeze through gaps in the far left & right. It's a bizarre but awesome sight watching the car snake so smoothly between the donkeys.

Makes me really want a paddle.

Hello! A few users requested it, so I made box art for the game.

boxart-small.png (146.89 KB)

boxart-donkey.pdf (175.38 KB)

Author	Message
raphnet Joined: 29 Mar 2015 Posts: 67 Location: Japan	DONKEY.SMS Posted: Fri Feb 05, 2021 8:12 am
raphnet Joined: 29 Mar 2015 Posts: 67 Location: Japan	Hello! I just released my first homebrew game for SMS. It's a remake of DONKEY.BAS, the old DOS game! My version is a bit different (and better I hope) than the original. It gets harder as you play, and there are more obstacles to avoid (up to 3 at a time in some areas), and there is music. In an attempt to make the game more interesting, I also added new concepts such as such as a 3-lane and lane-less mode. Of course, with the SMS graphics hardware, making the game more colorful and smooth-scrolling that the PC original was easy. The Paddle Control seemed like a perfect controller for this game, so it is also supported! I think that's the best way to play this game. I made a page about the game, with screenshots and a few videos. The ROM can also be downloaded from there: * sorry, I cannot post links. * (please visit raphnet.net) I used devkitSMS (SMSlib and PSGlib), png2tile, sdcc (of course) and DefleMask to make the music. With these tools getting started in SMS game programming is not difficult at all! I was wondering, what is the process to get my game added to the homebrew database on the site? level4.png (2.83 KB) desert.png (2.65 KB) title_screen.png (1.38 KB)

kusfo Joined: 29 Mar 2012 Posts: 886 Location: Spain	Posted: Fri Feb 05, 2021 8:24 am
kusfo Joined: 29 Mar 2012 Posts: 886 Location: Spain	I think Maxim can give you edit permissions!

Revo Guest	Posted: Fri Feb 05, 2021 11:57 am
Revo Guest	Thank you! Page created: https://www.smspower.org/Homebrew/Donkey-SMS

sverx Joined: 05 Sep 2013 Posts: 3827 Location: Stockholm, Sweden	Posted: Fri Feb 05, 2021 12:32 pm
	This is very nice - thanks for sharing! :) Since I don't remember having ever added Paddle Control support to SMSlib, would you mind sharing how you did that? (and if it's OK for you I could use that to add official support...)

segasonic Joined: 12 Dec 2010 Posts: 77 Location: Sheffield, England	Posted: Fri Feb 05, 2021 7:32 pm
	Love it! Knocked up a very quick cover for my RetroPie if it's any use to anyone. DONKEY.SMS_COVER.png (40.85 KB) DONKEY.SMS boxart.

haroldoop Joined: 25 Feb 2006 Posts: 874 Location: Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil	Posted: Fri Feb 05, 2021 8:33 pm
	raphnet wrote Hello! I just released my first homebrew game for SMS. It's a remake of DONKEY.BAS, the old DOS game! Great job!

raphnet Joined: 29 Mar 2015 Posts: 67 Location: Japan	Posted: Fri Feb 05, 2021 9:58 pm
raphnet Joined: 29 Mar 2015 Posts: 67 Location: Japan	sverx wrote Since I don't remember having ever added Paddle Control support to SMSlib, would you mind sharing how you did that? (and if it's OK for you I could use that to add official support...) Yes, in fact I intended to send a pull request to add Paddle Control support later, which I just did. Paddle Control support was put together with the help the "Development/Paddle" page on SMSpower. And also using my own research making a homemade paddle. I tested two paddle types (original and homemade) on both ports on a Japanese SMS. The only tested emulator is Meka.

Kagesan Joined: 01 Feb 2014 Posts: 877	Posted: Sat Feb 06, 2021 7:11 am
Kagesan Joined: 01 Feb 2014 Posts: 877	My current highscore is 298. The game is a lot of fun, but once it loops, it doesn't seem to get any more difficult?

raphnet Joined: 29 Mar 2015 Posts: 67 Location: Japan	Posted: Sat Feb 06, 2021 10:40 pm
raphnet Joined: 29 Mar 2015 Posts: 67 Location: Japan	Kagesan wrote My current highscore is 298. The game is a lot of fun, but once it loops, it doesn't seem to get any more difficult? Excellent score! Are you playing it with a paddle? Do you use a PAL or an NTSC system? I suspect the game will be easier at 50Hz. After each loop, the speed becomes a bit higher for all levels. Try completing level 16 a second time and you will see! But I guess I could also extend the length of each level after the first loop...

Kagesan Joined: 01 Feb 2014 Posts: 877	Posted: Sun Feb 07, 2021 7:08 am
Kagesan Joined: 01 Feb 2014 Posts: 877	I've been playing it in Emulicious so far, with a RetroBit Mega Drive style USB controller, in 60 Hz. I do have a japanese paddle, though, so trying your game on original hardware with this is definitely on my to-do list. I think the length of the levels is fine, I wouldn't change that. Maybe you could up the challenge a bit by being a little less generous with dishing out extra lives?

Revo Guest	Posted: Sun Feb 07, 2021 3:52 pm
Revo Guest	I tried the game on real hardware with paddle control, control is very smooth, it feel very nice.

sverx Joined: 05 Sep 2013 Posts: 3827 Location: Stockholm, Sweden	Posted: Sun Feb 07, 2021 9:31 pm
	raphnet wrote Yes, in fact I intended to send a pull request to add Paddle Control support later, which I just did. Thanks! I'll look into it ASAP :)

raphnet Joined: 29 Mar 2015 Posts: 67 Location: Japan	Version 1.1 Posted: Wed Feb 10, 2021 3:59 am
raphnet Joined: 29 Mar 2015 Posts: 67 Location: Japan	Hello! I just released version 1.1 based on the feedback I received: - Stop giving out new lives every 4 levels (too easy) - Give one life each time level 16 gets completed.

bumtree Joined: 01 Apr 2016 Posts: 45	Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2021 3:11 am
bumtree Joined: 01 Apr 2016 Posts: 45	This looks and sounds great - but unfortunately it doesn't seem to play nice on my Mega Drive (via an Everdrive and 8bitdo M30 controller). Like some SMS games which are incompatible with Mega Drive controllers, the d-pad is locked and only the A button works (game starts, car remains stuck on right hand lane). Buttons B and C would act as SMS buttons 1 and 2 in regular back-compatibility mode, and there's no difference in behaviour with a regular 3 button MD controller. No worries of course if looking into this for the sole user who doesn't have a real SMS set up isn't a priority. Thanks for sharing and contributing!

sverx Joined: 05 Sep 2013 Posts: 3827 Location: Stockholm, Sweden	Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2021 3:35 pm
	this sounds like a side effect of setting the port3F to 0x55, that he did to workaround a bug in MEKA - probably he can fix it by simply putting the value into port3F back to 0xFF if paddle isn't detected... Quote Like some SMS games which are incompatible with Mega Drive controllers this is a common bug in a few games that perform a region check to see if it's a Japanese or an export console - they forget to reset port3F too. They can be patched.

bumtree Joined: 01 Apr 2016 Posts: 45	Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2021 4:29 pm
bumtree Joined: 01 Apr 2016 Posts: 45	sverx wrote this is a common bug in a few games that perform a region check to see if it's a Japanese or an export console - they forget to reset port3F too. They can be patched. Indeed - one of the first things I did upon receiving my MD flashcart is hunt down SMS-MD controller fix patches for games like Alien Syndrome and Wonderboy in Monsterland (I believe there are eight official western games in total which require them). Thanks for the insight into the issue the patches fix.

raphnet Joined: 29 Mar 2015 Posts: 67 Location: Japan	Veresion 1.2 Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2021 5:20 am
raphnet Joined: 29 Mar 2015 Posts: 67 Location: Japan	bumtree wrote This looks and sounds great - but unfortunately it doesn't seem to play nice on my Mega Drive (via an Everdrive and 8bitdo M30 controller). Like some SMS games which are incompatible with Mega Drive controllers, the d-pad is locked and only the A button works (game starts, car remains stuck on right hand lane). Buttons B and C would act as SMS buttons 1 and 2 in regular back-compatibility mode, and there's no difference in behaviour with a regular 3 button MD controller. No worries of course if looking into this for the sole user who doesn't have a real SMS set up isn't a priority. Thanks for sharing and contributing! Thank you! I had tested on a Megadrive, but only with a Paddle and an SMS controller... Somehow I forgot to test the most obvious controller type on that platform! As sverx pointed out, my Paddle workaround for meka was the culprit. Version 1.2 is now available from my website: https://www.raphnet.net/programmation/donkey/index_en.php#releases

bumtree Joined: 01 Apr 2016 Posts: 45	Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2021 2:43 am
bumtree Joined: 01 Apr 2016 Posts: 45	Having played it properly now I have to say it's superb. It's really quite addictive, handles great in all modes (even without the analogue paddle) and has an earworm tune with a lovely flair. IMG_20210213_022219044-01.jpeg (330.79 KB)

edwithmj Joined: 30 Aug 2012 Posts: 33	Posted: Tue Feb 16, 2021 6:30 pm
edwithmj Joined: 30 Aug 2012 Posts: 33	Very good game. I like the music and the atmosphere. I managed to get to 168 score without losing a life.

raphnet Joined: 29 Mar 2015 Posts: 67 Location: Japan	Posted: Wed Feb 17, 2021 2:03 pm
raphnet Joined: 29 Mar 2015 Posts: 67 Location: Japan	Quote Having played it properly now I have to say it's superb. It's really quite addictive, handles great in all modes (even without the analogue paddle) and has an earworm tune with a lovely flair. Thank you! You did very well in lane-less mode, playing this mode with a controller (not a paddle) is its own challenge isn't it? Quote Very good game. I like the music and the atmosphere. I managed to get to 168 score without losing a life. Thanks! Now that you mention it, a single-life "hard mode" could be fun!

bumtree Joined: 01 Apr 2016 Posts: 45	Posted: Thu Feb 18, 2021 3:27 am
bumtree Joined: 01 Apr 2016 Posts: 45	raphnet wrote You did very well in lane-less mode, playing this mode with a controller (not a paddle) is its own challenge isn't it? It definitely requires a different play style for sure and heightens the quality of the overall package. I find it easier to score high by defaulting to a central position as much as possible, as deaths seem to be more prevalent when trying to squeeze through gaps in the far left & right. It's a bizarre but awesome sight watching the car snake so smoothly between the donkeys. Makes me really want a paddle.

raphnet Joined: 29 Mar 2015 Posts: 67 Location: Japan	Box art Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2021 1:58 am
raphnet Joined: 29 Mar 2015 Posts: 67 Location: Japan	Hello! A few users requested it, so I made box art for the game. boxart-small.png (146.89 KB) boxart-donkey.pdf (175.38 KB)

Forums

View topic - DONKEY.SMS