Caravan Edition, eh? Does that mean you're planning on releasing a full game on disc too?
Please say yes.
My pants are tight.
Something tells me Nintendo would be very not okay with that...not while that racer so strongly resemble's the 'falcon. However, if it gets made for CDROM, I'll volunteer to do the music! :D I learned how to make electronic music by remixing F-Zero tunes.
Title: Re: HuZERO - a score attack PCE racing game FREE to download!
Post by: jtucci31 on November 21, 2014, 07:04:51 AM
This is fantastic. My high score is only around 59k. Can't quite hit that 60k mark yet, but I'll chalk it up to using the Express as opposed to playing on the big screen. The tunes are great and so is everything else, especially whatever that opening thingy is.
Title: Re: HuZERO - a score attack PCE racing game FREE to download!
Post by: esteban on November 21, 2014, 07:40:12 AM
Ok, now i really have to figure out how to use a damn flash card.
Title: Re: HuZERO - a score attack PCE racing game FREE to download!
Post by: esteban on November 21, 2014, 08:17:25 AM
The tunes are great and so is everything else, especially whatever that opening thingy is.
Yes, thanks Arkhan for doing the Big Blue arrangement.
And that opening thingy says "CMC Games", using an old logo of mine from way back (the '80s/90s!!) (http://www.chrismcovell.com/images/cmclogotxt.gif)
(http://www.chrismcovell.com/images/SLeft.jpg)
Title: Re: HuZERO - a score attack PCE racing game FREE to download!
Post by: cabbage on November 23, 2014, 01:47:19 AM
Great surprise release, Chris! The scaling road effect turned out really nicely. It's full of so many cool little details that it just oozes charm, like all your works generally do. I love that rotation effect on the CMC logo--going to have to steal that one someday ;)
Here's my high score: (72374) (http://pce.lifeabroad.org/foo/hs/HuZERO72374.jpg) Quite the fun little game so I'll give it more time later and hopefully improve
Title: Re: HuZERO - a score attack PCE racing game FREE to download!
Post by: fragmare on November 23, 2014, 07:32:32 AM
What the hell? I got 64395 and hit the wall like 3 or 4 times. The next 4 tries, I only hit the wall once and can't break 53K...
Title: Re: HuZERO - a score attack PCE racing game FREE to download!
Post by: PunkicCyborg on November 23, 2014, 08:33:33 AM
Now this is the kind of thing those blank hu cards need on them, not magical chase
Title: Re: HuZERO - a score attack PCE racing game FREE to download!
Post by: Lochlan on November 23, 2014, 10:03:52 AM
Now this is the kind of thing those blank hu cards need on them, not magical chase
+1
Title: Re: HuZERO - a score attack PCE racing game FREE to download!
Post by: Ayce on November 23, 2014, 11:58:54 AM
[edit] Sorry double post. I thought my post had been deleted then I realized that you posted this in two places on the forum. So I modified this post to remove what was basically the exact same thing.
Title: Re: HuZERO - a score attack PCE racing game FREE to download!
Post by: jtucci31 on November 23, 2014, 12:53:51 PM
What the hell? I got 64395 and hit the wall like 3 or 4 times. The next 4 tries, I only hit the wall once and can't break 53K...
Something similar happened to me. I still can't hit 60k. 59k is where i max out, every time. Even if i don't hit a single wall and i don't take my finger off the gas. I guess i need to take every single corner tight.
Title: Re: HuZERO - a score attack PCE racing game FREE to download!
Post by: Opethian on November 24, 2014, 12:48:59 AM
love the Big BLue tune! how hard would it be to add 2 other CPU racers to this :D
Title: Re: HuZERO - a score attack PCE racing game FREE to download!
Post by: Necromancer on November 24, 2014, 04:03:49 AM
75,420 is my best so far. Suck it, cabby. :mrgreen:
Title: Re: HuZERO - a score attack PCE racing game FREE to download!
Post by: Joe Redifer on November 24, 2014, 09:12:35 AM
This is a cool tech demo and all, but playing it isn't as fun as I think it could be. Once you start ping-ponging there is no recovery. And it's REALLY easy to start ping-ponging uncontrollably since the track is so thin. I'd decrease the bounce amount. I've noticed that homebrew games almost always tend to be crazy hard. Nice "transparency" with the power bar, though! The music is great as well, I just wish the TurboGrafx-16 was capable of some bass.
Title: Re: HuZERO - a score attack PCE racing game FREE to download!
Post by: fragmare on November 24, 2014, 09:29:48 AM
This is a cool tech demo and all, but playing it isn't as fun as I think it could be. Once you start ping-ponging there is no recovery. And it's REALLY easy to start ping-ponging uncontrollably since the track is so thin. I'd decrease the bounce amount. I've noticed that homebrew games almost always tend to be crazy hard. Nice "transparency" with the power bar, though! The music is great as well, I just wish the TurboGrafx-16 was capable of some bass.
You've got to finesse the controller, you can't just jam on it left/right or you're gonna start the "Bounce of Death". I rather like that aspect of it.
If you want bass, check out the Jouuki (Altered Beast) soundtrack. The PCE can do bass just fine. It just so happens most of the time, the composers just don't. For whatever reason.
Title: Re: HuZERO - a score attack PCE racing game FREE to download!
Post by: ClodBuster on November 24, 2014, 09:58:14 AM
Impressive Tech Demo. :) If there may be a full game release in the future, I'd appreciate it if the controls undergo fine tuning.
Title: Re: HuZERO - a score attack PCE racing game FREE to download!
Post by: ccovell on November 24, 2014, 10:08:43 AM
75,420 is my best so far. Suck it, cabby. :mrgreen:
You'll need to provide photographic proof for a score that high.
Joe: I appreciate that some people won't like the game since in lieu of beating opposing vehicles and navigating a true circular track, it concentrates on fine control of the vehicle and overcoming an antagonistic curving track. But the "bounce of death" is recoverable from, as are the sharp turns.
Title: HuZERO - a score attack PCE racing game FREE to download!
Post by: esteban on November 24, 2014, 10:15:08 AM
I just wish the TurboGrafx-16 was capable of some bass.
It is! Take Dragon Slayer, for instance... turn on PSG tunes and BOOM- the battles become a pleasure rather than a PITA. Certain other games (I can't think of examples at the moment, but recall they are HuCARDs) also have some good bass. My theory is that most games were designed with the assumption that they'd be played on TV speakers.
Add China Warrior to that list. There is a thumpin' bass in dat game. I think it has a totally under-appreciated soundtrack. I LOVE THE TUNES IN CHINA WARRIOR.
There are other games with bass, but China Warrior is the only one I don't have to double-check. Ha! I've played that game too many times.
Title: Re: HuZERO - a score attack PCE racing game FREE to download!
Post by: Necromancer on November 24, 2014, 10:17:52 AM
You've got to finesse the controller, you can't just jam on it left/right or you're gonna start the "Bounce of Death". I rather like that aspect of it.
Well the controller only has left, right and off. The only way to finesse it would be to rapidly tap in one direction or another to kind of simulate analog control. I press a direction and let go. All works fine until I get around maybe 1000 points or so? I don't know because I'm concentrating on my driving and a final score isn't tallied unless you last the full 2 minutes. Maybe I am too used to F-Zero controls? F-Zero is one of my favorite games on the SNES.
Title: Re: HuZERO - a score attack PCE racing game FREE to download!
Post by: fragmare on November 24, 2014, 10:51:57 AM
You've got to finesse the controller, you can't just jam on it left/right or you're gonna start the "Bounce of Death". I rather like that aspect of it.
Well the controller only has left, right and off. The only way to finesse it would be to rapidly tap in one direction or another to kind of simulate analog control. I press a direction and let go. All works fine until I get around maybe 1000 points or so? I don't know because I'm concentrating on my driving and a final score isn't tallied unless you last the full 2 minutes. Maybe I am too used to F-Zero controls? F-Zero is one of my favorite games on the SNES.
Yea, you've got to tapitty tap taparoo sometimes to stay the course
Title: HuZERO - a score attack PCE racing game FREE to download!
Post by: esteban on November 24, 2014, 10:56:38 AM
You've got to finesse the controller, you can't just jam on it left/right or you're gonna start the "Bounce of Death". I rather like that aspect of it.
Well the controller only has left, right and off. The only way to finesse it would be to rapidly tap in one direction or another to kind of simulate analog control. I press a direction and let go. All works fine until I get around maybe 1000 points or so? I don't know because I'm concentrating on my driving and a final score isn't tallied unless you last the full 2 minutes. Maybe I am too used to F-Zero controls? F-Zero is one of my favorite games on the SNES.
You are so firmly rooted in your old habits, Joe.
Ha!
:)
Title: Re: HuZERO - a score attack PCE racing game FREE to download!
Post by: Joe Redifer on November 24, 2014, 12:15:30 PM
Well yeah! If a game looks like F-Zero Ima play it like F-Zero!
Quote from: fragmare
you've got to tapitty tap taparoo sometimes to stay the course
I'll try some tappity tap action but I refuse to taparoo. Might be kinda hard when the turns are tight enough to throw you against the wall and there's no brake.
Title: Re: HuZERO - a score attack PCE racing game FREE to download!
Post by: Joe Redifer on November 24, 2014, 03:50:17 PM
OK tried it again. I figured out the secret. Even if you're going straight and there's no curves, you wanna be pressing a direction. Why? Because this will make your score climb faster. I was easily able to achieve this after a few tries:
(http://www.joeredifer.com/crap/hiscore.jpg)
Title: HuZERO - a score attack PCE racing game FREE to download!
Post by: esteban on November 24, 2014, 04:09:55 PM
(http://junk.tg-16.com/images/joe_score.html)
ProTip: Joe's score is equivalent to HZ8L9 in hexadecimal.
Title: Re: HuZERO - a score attack PCE racing game FREE to download!
Post by: fragmare on November 24, 2014, 04:36:38 PM
Joe, post your future scores in the high score thread: http://www.pcenginefx.com/forums/index.php?topic=18094.0 There be some competition going on over there. :)
Chris, you know... if you ever wanted to expand on this game, you could keep it as a one-car, non-circuit track by making it a rally championship. Where you race against the clock on linear segments of track, a la Sega Rally. Hell, you could even throw in obstacles for some added variety. Perhaps even a ghost car, if the engine allowed. It would be an interesting take on the F-Zero theme. HuZERO - Rally Edition! :D
Title: Re: HuZERO - a score attack PCE racing game FREE to download!
Post by: ClodBuster on November 24, 2014, 07:31:26 PM
When I play Huzero, the controls make me feel like I'm stuck on F-Zero's Death Wind track.
Title: Re: HuZERO - a score attack PCE racing game FREE to download!
Post by: EvilEvoIX on November 25, 2014, 02:15:21 AM
Wow please make a Super CD Copy! Game looks great!
Title: Re: HuZERO - a score attack PCE racing game FREE to download!
Post by: touko on November 25, 2014, 04:59:20 AM
i made a video here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlSFGs2TlSo&list=UUZ9bAVsaYiNrpRuFATEv9Vg
Title: Re: HuZERO - a score attack PCE racing game FREE to download!
Post by: Necromancer on November 25, 2014, 05:16:21 AM
I really dig the rainbow logo splash screen and how it explodes at the end (reminds me of Cosmic Fantasy 4).
Title: Re: HuZERO - a score attack PCE racing game FREE to download!
Post by: EvilEvoIX on November 25, 2014, 06:38:55 AM
Amazing effort, not quite MODE 7 but way better than I thought. I like the music, the colors are awesome. I wish there was a way to incorporate a shoulder style button for sharper turns. Maybe use the 6 button.
Title: Re: HuZERO - a score attack PCE racing game FREE to download!
Post by: ClodBuster on November 25, 2014, 08:43:01 AM
Is it just me, or does the track behaves like a "treadmill" type track instead of being rotated under the players sprite?
Title: Re: HuZERO - a score attack PCE racing game FREE to download!
Post by: Joe Redifer on November 26, 2014, 08:58:47 AM
Will there ever be a TurboGrafx-16 version of this game? Screw the stupid PC Engine, the TurboGrafx-16 is way better and more powerful!
Title: Re: HuZERO - a score attack PCE racing game FREE to download!
Post by: Bonknuts on November 26, 2014, 12:29:22 PM
Great demo, but I really love the transparency effect on the title screen. Nice work! :D
Title: Re: HuZERO - a score attack PCE racing game FREE to download!
Post by: EvilEvoIX on November 28, 2014, 12:54:08 AM
Will there ever be a TurboGrafx-16 version of this game? Screw the stupid PC Engine, the TurboGrafx-16 is way better and more powerful!
This is true, the TurboGrafx-16 is a true 16-Bit machine Vs the PCE where is simply an 8-Bit Machine. Japan really got hosed on that deal.
Title: Re: HuZERO - a score attack PCE racing game FREE to download!
Post by: spenoza on December 01, 2014, 01:40:45 PM
I like the title screen better than the game itself. That's how awesome the title screen is.
Title: Re: HuZERO - a score attack PCE racing game FREE to download!
Post by: roflmao on December 01, 2014, 01:42:22 PM
That title screen is wicked awesome.
Title: Re: HuZERO - a score attack PCE racing game FREE to download!
Post by: A Black Falcon on December 12, 2014, 05:15:35 PM
Cool stuff, F-Zero is my favorite 4th gen racing game, I should say that first. I'm a huge futuristic racing game fan, and F-Zero is one of the best (Another futuristic racing game, Sega's Outrun 2019 for the Genesis, is my 2nd favorite 4th gen racer.). So yeah, I can't help but compare this to F-Zero. And the graphics and music are great! Yeah, it's linescroll and not Mode 7, and that's too bad, but for a linescroll-style F-Zero game it looks very cool. Love the rendition of the music as well.
But as for the gameplay... this definitely isn't as good as F-Zero. It doesn't play anything like F-Zero, and wish it did. HuZero looks amazing in screenshots, but is kind of frustrating to play. Perhaps my biggest issue with it is the handling. The way your car "angles" based on how many times you've pressed the dpad in one direction or another is so weird, you almost never see that in racing games. I guess Michael Andretti's World Grand Prix for the NES is kind of like that, but pretty much nothing else I can think of, and that game is really confusing to play because of how each tap, instead of just turning you like in a normal racing game, changes the angle of your car, which then locks in the angle it's now set to, just like this one. Sure, after a little while I started to get used to this game, and these controls certainly make HuZero a more challenging score attack game, but as much as I like the visual look of the game, I don't think I like the controls; shouldn't it play more like, well, F-Zero, if it's an F-Zero-like game?
Anyway, my best score so far is 64,890. These controls, and the horrible pingpongey death waiting you if you make even a tiny mistake, makes this a quite tense game to play...
Maybe the most impressive F-Zero-style homebrew-ish game I've seen is this one, F-Nano 2 for the MSX Turbo-R: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLwh76WgaJI
This is a cool tech demo and all, but playing it isn't as fun as I think it could be. Once you start ping-ponging there is no recovery. And it's REALLY easy to start ping-ponging uncontrollably since the track is so thin. I'd decrease the bounce amount. I've noticed that homebrew games almost always tend to be crazy hard. Nice "transparency" with the power bar, though! The music is great as well, I just wish the TurboGrafx-16 was capable of some bass.
Yeah, the fact that if you go too far in one direction or the other you set off an unrecoverable pingpong bouncing chain is one of the worst side-effects of the games' controls. Perhaps the idea was that since it's just a two minute game it should be hard, and it does add to the challenge and make the game a bit harder to learn, but is that a good hard? I'm not so sure.
Still, it was kind of satisfying when I finally managed to get through two minutes without bouncing back and forth off the walls.
Title: Re: HuZERO - a score attack PCE racing game FREE to download!
Post by: NightWolve on December 12, 2014, 06:17:54 PM
Hey, folks. I've been doing a little coding since February on a (fun?) little game that I call HuZERO. (http://www.chrismcovell.com/images/HuZERO.png)
Wow, that's awesome work Chris! I can't believe I had a reason to pull out the microSD card so soon from my Everdrive flashcart and load it up with something to give it a quick test.
I can confirm it works on a TurboExpress with Everdrive. Fine, fine work, you even remade the explosion, smoke and camera effect of it quickly going up and letting the player view the resulting explosive failure upon death like the original and to the best of the system's abilities. ;)
I take it button II doesn't brake ? Looks like, otherwise I should be more able to avoid getting bounced around back'n'forth like a ragdoll into explosion on your wily curves. Heh.
Anyway, like Bonknuts, you're a helluva programmer.
EDIT: LOL, what the heck ? Chris did political alarmist commentary in the title screen... After a little while post-credits and apologies to Nintendo, you see the following:
"STOP THE US NSA!!" "PRISM IS GLOBAL!!" "AND WATCHING YOU!!"
"PRISM" referring to this. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PRISM_(surveillance_program)) - ECHELON Part II as it were.
I was like, uh, wait, what did I just see ? Heh-heh. Had to let it run again and pay attention.
Title: Re: HuZERO - a score attack PCE racing game FREE to download!
Post by: ccovell on December 12, 2014, 08:02:45 PM
Oh, come on, I used fewer exclamation marks than that... :P
Title: Re: HuZERO - a score attack PCE racing game FREE to download!
Post by: NightWolve on December 12, 2014, 08:04:58 PM
True, I partly added 'em for emphasis, you ran out of room seemingly, thus I also assumed. ;)
EDIT: HiScore just now: 54526 err, now 65985!!
Yay!
EDITx2: 71,453
Yaaaaaaaay! Still 2nd place to Necro, though.
Title: HuZERO - a score attack PCE racing game FREE to download!
Post by: esteban on December 13, 2014, 02:24:39 AM
I finally played this (but not on real hardware...that will have to wait until holiday vacation). At first I was awkward learning the mechanics/controls. Then, PANG! Everything "clicked" and I have been having a great time playing this.
I can't help but feel that Covell spends a lot of time polishing the little details/refining the mechanics (not just the aesthetics, which are also amazing).
For the folks who were commenting on the mechanics and control: I believe that Covell was trying to create the best possible experience + challenge given the constraints (2:00 minute time-attack).
I feel he carefully chose and fine-tuned the mechanics... and it works.
The fact that this game doesn't play the way we "expect" it to play reveals how inflexible we are when it comes to gaming conventions, especially the conventions within genres.
I had to get used to the controls, too. But I'm glad Covell forced (some of) us out of our comfort zones.
For the record, I would love Covell to experiment and try different things in future incarnations of HuZERO (I want rain effects with a slippery road—just kidding. I *do* want my car equipped with a single surface-to-air missile, though, to launch from my car when a helicopter appears overhead. The missile/helicopter won't have any actual impact on the game, it will just be an homage to Spy Hunter).
FINALLY: If HuZERO didn't have the trappings of F-Zero, I wonder if folks would have been more willing to accept the controls/mechanics?
Title: Re: HuZERO - a score attack PCE racing game FREE to download!
Post by: NightWolve on December 13, 2014, 02:40:19 AM
Oh hey, that's a great idea actually, este, if Chris thought about combining elements from Spy Hunter, so make this a hybrid of F-Zero and Spy Hunter, rather than just trying to port the same exact game over which is perfectly playable where it came from, etc. Yeah, that would be nifty. :)
Title: Re: HuZERO - a score attack PCE racing game FREE to download!
Post by: A Black Falcon on December 13, 2014, 10:14:35 AM
FINALLY: If HuZERO didn't have the trappings of F-Zero, I wonder if folks would have been more willing to accept the controls/mechanics?
That would help, yes. I'd still dislike the controls, though. The way that you change the car's angle, instead of turning the wheels as in a normal racing game, is so odd, and I definitely don't like it as much as normal racing game controls. I mean, I do like this demo, but the controls hold it back a bit.
Quote
For the folks who were commenting on the mechanics and control: I believe that Covell was trying to create the best possible experience + challenge given the constraints (2:00 minute time-attack).
There must be better ways to do that than making the controls really odd, though?
Title: Re: HuZERO - a score attack PCE racing game FREE to download!
Post by: Joe Redifer on December 13, 2014, 01:11:31 PM
Consider the NSA stopped! Thanks, HuZero!
Title: Re: HuZERO - a score attack PCE racing game FREE to download!
Post by: NightWolve on December 13, 2014, 03:12:56 PM
So, I can't beat Necro's score, I'm stuck at 71,453, my best... Like somebody said, you gotta move left and right to bump up your points. I really concentrated on one game and had a perfect ride, no hits, full power, just glided at maximum speed and I wound up with only 60k+ points... So it's not just a matter of going max speed and trying not to touch the sides, etc.
EDIT: Got up to 72,995. Surpassing Necro is nearly within reach along with stopping the NSA!!! ALMOST! This really isn't all that difficult now I see. If you respond to the curves in time, you'll do fine, really.
Title: Re: HuZERO - a score attack PCE racing game FREE to download!
Post by: Necromancer on December 15, 2014, 03:39:40 AM
Frag's score is even higher, NW. Keep fighting the NSA!!!
So how does the fight go against the NSA ? I surrendered still at 72k, I just can't edge past that so far. As they say, you don't win a silver, you lose the gold, and until I can edge past that 75k mark, no point in photo proof. I'll reserve that for when I defeat Fragmare's score and it WILL happen!!!
Title: Re: HuZERO - a score attack PCE racing game FREE to download!
Post by: ccovell on April 25, 2015, 01:24:30 PM
Some news that has made me a bit happy:
HuZERO was ranked 4th in the scene website 4Sceners.de (http://www.4players.de/4sceners.php/dispbericht/-/80997/0/index.html)'s "Game of the Year 2014" awards. (http://www.chrismcovell.com/images/Demo_of_the_Year.jpg)
Also, if you can speak Spanish, there's an interview with me that was just put up on the site RetroManiac (http://retromaniacmagazine.blogspot.jp/2015/04/chris-covell-veo-son-muchos-japoneses.html).
Title: Re: HuZERO - a score attack PCE racing game FREE to download!
Post by: esteban on April 25, 2015, 02:05:20 PM
HuZERO was ranked 4th in the scene website 4Gamers.de (http://www.4players.de/4sceners.php/dispbericht/-/80997/0/index.html)'s "Game of the Year 2014" awards. (http://www.chrismcovell.com/images/Demo_of_the_Year.jpg)
Also, if you can speak Spanish, there's an interview with me that was just put up on the site RetroManiac (http://retromaniacmagazine.blogspot.jp/2015/04/chris-covell-veo-son-muchos-japoneses.html).
As anyone who has conquered Hydride would say...Congratulations. :)
A well-deserved honor.
Title: Re: HuZERO - a score attack PCE racing game FREE to download!
Post by: ccovell on April 25, 2015, 02:31:16 PM
Also, if you are interested in FM sounds, I released an FM tool (toy...) for the Sega Master System, which placed 3rd in the SMS Power coding competition (http://www.smspower.org/Competitions/Coding-2015) this year.
(http://www.chrismcovell.com/images/FM_Tool1.png)
YouTube demonstration:
Title: Re: HuZERO - a score attack PCE racing game FREE to download!
Post by: esteban on April 25, 2015, 02:45:26 PM
ZIPPER BASS. :)
Title: Re: HuZERO - a score attack PCE racing game FREE to download!
Post by: Debvgger_ on April 25, 2015, 11:49:22 PM
Also, if you can speak Spanish, there's an interview with me that was just put up on the site RetroManiac (http://retromaniacmagazine.blogspot.jp/2015/04/chris-covell-veo-son-muchos-japoneses.html).
Interesante ;-)
That was quite an interesting interview Chris!
Title: Re: HuZERO - a score attack PCE racing game FREE to download!
Post by: Necromancer on April 27, 2015, 03:20:40 AM
Nice, Chris. Screw those PC games, you deserve the top spot. :mrgreen:
Title: Re: HuZERO - a score attack PCE racing game FREE to download!
Post by: NightWolve on April 28, 2015, 04:05:20 PM
Ah, HuZero, forgot all about thee! Guess FragMare (was it?) still reigns supreme score-wise ? I just couldn't get to that 70k range. :/
Title: Re: HuZERO - a score attack PCE racing game FREE to download!
Post by: ccovell on November 07, 2015, 06:12:40 PM
A little update: I've put up the English version of that RetroManiac interview with me: http://www.chrismcovell.com/texts/ChrisInterview.html
Title: Re: HuZERO - a score attack PCE racing game FREE to download!
Post by: esteban on December 26, 2015, 10:56:53 AM