Sunday 13 October 2019

Coming back from the dead (just in time for Halloween)

Hi Folks!

Sorry for this super late posting...i know, it's been four months now since my last post.
So i had a great summer with my kids and now as school has started (a month and a half ago),
the usual is back to normal (sort of...LOL!!).

But, today i won't post empty-handed as i have a new game for you all and i'll give you hints
trying to find out. First, it's a game which was released the same year as the Odyssey.

Answer: 1972

Second hint: It is an arcade game, uses a rifle gun and since we are close to Halloween, this
game was a good choice to make a port for the OdySim....still haven't find it ?

Final hint: It's a game by Midway...HA! some of you guess it right, it's: Midway's Haunted House!

Here's the picture of the overlay:


Click HERE to download the game.

So hope you'll like this conversion as i've started to make this one 3 weeks ago in my
(so little) spare times. And don't worry folks, i'm still gonna finished the six official released
that's still missing: Baseball, Invasion, Brainwave, W.I.N., Wipeout and Interplanetary Voyage.

Oh and also some homebrews along the way and once the six official released game (that's still missing) will be finally done, i'll make the next Odyssey project: the Super OdySim! To any of you
who doesn't know this, Magnavox wanted to released the next version of the Odyssey called:
"Super Odyssey", which was basically a 4-players Odyssey.

I did code this version way back for the Love 0.8.0. in .....2012!! Yep, 7 years ago. Here's some
screenshots of the old version:




The last screenshot is with a green background and a dotted net and each player has it's own
color (Red = Player 1, Cyan = Player 2, Yellow = Player 3 and Magenta = Player 4).

So this project (Super OdySim) won't see any release for the time being and this is only a glimpse!
In the meantime, enjoy Midway's Haunted House (with original background music of the game).

If i don't post before October 31, then i wish you all a ghoulish Halloween! =)

--- Sly DC(eased) ---





5 comments:

GreatJustinTheDarkNite said...

Hi again, good to hear reference on the unreleased 4-player odyssey that I was reading about here: http://www.pong-story.com/o1faq.txt which also mentions an unreleased golf game as well, both things in sections 3.8 & 3.9, i'm curious what's your reference for knowing it was going to be called the super odyssey, I haven't researched it in a while so i may have missed the reference on another site, are you going to attempt the round ball generated into the tennis or table tennis game, also i'm curious if you will you be attempting to remake the golf game, i'm wondering what your thoughts are.

Sly DC said...

Hi GJTDN,it is cited in the book of Mr. Baer "Videogames: In the Beginnings". If you don't have ever read this book, i totally suggest to get it as it's worth every penny.

About the round ball, are you asking if i will include it in the OdySim and/or actually make the circuit into a real Odyssey ? Same as the "Golf Putting" game but on this, i will include it in the OdySim real soon. This game was supposed to be released as the model ITL951 and was "canned" by Magnavox. It was supposed to come with color overlays as the Odyssey can only output B&W but how many, it was never specified.

GreatJustinTheDarkNite said...

I was actually referring to the odysim considering you showed off the 4-player tennis and table tennis which the 4-player was specifically planned for the later version of the odyssey, i was thinking you might be planning for your odysim simulator for that unreleased and essentially unfinished 4-player console which would've had other ideas implemented as well including the round ball edit, i'm also interested in seeing the golf game in odysim, i'm wondering if there's enough known about the golf game to even make it, well i can't wait to see some of these anyway, good luck with it anyway.

CN10 said...

Hi Sly DC!,

What a great Halloween Gift! You've actually combined two great retro-game Holy Grails; The Magnavox Odyssey and Midway's Haunted house. As I always say, what the world needs now (besides peace, love, and kindness) is an elctromechanical game simulator. You have visual pinball, but it doesnt really capture all the great light beam, driving, and flying games from mid 60's to mid 70's era. So thanks a million for this!

As you know I always like to play test and "gamify" your creations as much as possible. (Well, I mean unless there's some freaking clown with teeth jumpscare, ha ha). For this most excellent work, you could possiby allow for adjusting the size of the light square. The game would then be Player 1 setting up a shot behind the cat or witch, with just bare minimal amount of white showing, and player 2 then has to nail it with one mouse click.

Thanks very much for this, and all your other Odyssey awesomeness over the years!

CN10

Sly DC said...

@GreatJustinTheDarkNite: Hey!! Sorry for the so much very late reply. As so many people worldwide, i have now quite a lot of time in my hands so at least i'm trying to respond to all.

OK, so about the 4-player version, this will be a future project called the "Super Odyssey" and will include the Round Ball, the rest of the details are now on hold as i'm trying to finish first the OdySim. The "Golf Putting" game will eventually be part of the OdySim. It is very detailed in one the the "Brown Box" patents (don't remember which one?!), as much that we can do even actual joysticks! :)

@CN10: Glad you've liked the Midway's Haunted House port. I wanted to put the original sounds but an actual Odyssey can only output one sound with a small mod so i discarted the idea (maybe an updated version for the Super OdySim ?!).

LOL!!! Still haven't forgot the "surprise" in Jack-O-Lantern's Odyssey ?! ;) I'll take note of your suggestion for the Midway's Haunted House and as always, your insights and ideas are always welcome! ;)