Yazzie to be released for MSX

Since neither screenshot nor demo of the MSX Version of the game is shown, this page gives an insight into new games of the Spectrum scene. Especially the racing game Drift! stands out here. Salute to the Speccies!
Thom please feed this news post with more information about the MSX version. Thanks!

very cool game, nice that it will be available on MSX

Given that the game uses the Nirvana engine, the graphics would be mostly the same, maybe a little more color detailed but very close.

Very disctinctive touch in Grachev's games, cool!

Thank you both for your notice and your work with the MSX reidrac, I am re-discovering this world after too many years but I know about your work. I tryied Uchüsen Gamma and I think it is amazing. Gracias Juan.

You can get the ROM here:

http://www.retrosouls.net/msx/yazzie.zip

Hey, what a funny game! It feels like a well made blend of Lode Runner and King's Valley! Congratulations for the RetroSouls guys!

As a bonus, the game engine respects the MSX Coding guidelines and passes the Acid2Test. Only its jukebox is not compliant.

It also seems to have trouble to run on the dreaded Sony HB-F500P. Probably due to where the stack is placed on initialisation.

The keyboard click can also be heard during the game. Tip for the programmers: turn it off on CLIKSW (F3DBH).

They already released the sources of the Speccy version. Will the sources of the MSX version also be released?

It doesn't feel like a typical spectrum conversion at all. Nice game! I've added it to MSXHub: https://msxhub.com/YAZZIE

Thank you, Denis, for the game! Love this kind of games
I think you can just not change a stack pointer since it is already initialized properly by BIOS before game ROM starts

Perfect! Now it both passes the Acid1Test and runs on the dreaded Sony HB-F500P.

Bonus: the game and soundtrack play at the same speed on NTSC an PAL machines!

You should really inscribe this as an entry on the ongoing MSXdev'20 contest! It will be a strong competitor. :D

BTW, I'm curious: (not criticising, just really curious)
1) why doesn't it run the music replayer on the interrupt, like MSX games usually do? Wouldn't it be easier?
2) Compared to the Speccy, the MSX version has a bit simplified title screen and start screen graphics, and no stage transition effect. Was it due to the lack of space on the cartridge?

There are two hooks at FD9Ah and FD9Fh where you can put your JP label without swapping out the bios nor needing 64KB of ram

You can either use the HKEYI (0xFD9A) or HTIMI (0xFD9F) BIOS hooks to callback your interrupt handling extension routines.

To make your life easier, here's a sample code for an reentrant-safe HTIMI interrupt extension routine:

; DEFINE DAISYCHAIN

 INCLUDE	"../../asmlib/equ/MSXvars.equ.z80"
 INCLUDE	"../../asmlib/equ/MSXhooks.equ.z80"


SETUPINT:

 IFDEF DAISYCHAIN
		; Save the old hook contents
		; Usually not necessary for games on HTIMI
		; (but very recommended for HKEYI, because it deals
		; with hardware interrupts from any device)
	ld	hl,HTIMI
	ld	de,OLDHTIMI
	ld	bc,5
	ldir
 ENDIF
	; Initialize 50Hz software interrupt pulldown on NTSC
NTSC50INI:
	ld	a,6
	ld	(NTSC50T),a
	ld	a,(MSXVER)
	or	a
	jr	nz,.msx2
;MSX1
	ld	a,(SYSINF1)	; 0x002B
	and	0x80
	ld	(PALFLG),a	; nz = PAL 
	jr	.end
.msx2:	; MSX2 or higher
	ld	a,(RG9SAV)
	and	0x02
	ld	(PALFLG),a	; nz = PAL 
.end:
	di
	ld	hl,MYHTIMI
	ld	a,0xC3
	ld	(HTIMI+1),hl
	ld	(HTIMI),a
	xor	a
	ld	(INTBUSY),a
	ei
MLOOP:	; Insert your program main loop here
	jr	MLOOP

MYHTIMI:
 IFDEF DAISYCHAIN
	call	OLDHTIMI	; On HTIMI, it's best to call previous
				; hooks first. On HKEYI, it's usually the
				; opposite
 ENDIF
	; Process timing stuff first
	ld	a,(PALFLG)	; Running in PAL mode?
	or	a
	jr	z,.tryint	; Yes, skip
.ntsc50:	; Provides 50Hz software interrupts on NTSC
		; via 1-1-1-1-2 pulldown
	ld	hl,NTSC50T
	dec	(hl)		; Need to skip this interrupt?
	jr	nz,.tryint 	; No, process it
	ld	a,6
	ld	(hl),a
	jr	.intend		; Skip this interrupt
.tryint:
	ld	a,(MYTIMER1)	; 8bit timer for the main loop
	inc	a
	ld	(MYTIMER1),a
	ld	hl,INTBUSY
	inc	(hl)
	ld	a,(hl)
	cp	2		; Was the interrupt code still running?
	jr	nc,.intend	; Yes, get out of here
	; Place a CALL to your keyboard/joystick reading routines here. Read
	; their status and save to variables in memory
	; Place a CALL for your music replayer here
	xor	a
	ld	(INTBUSY),a	; Clear the interrupt processing busy flag

.intend:	; End of the interrupt processing
	ld	hl,60
	ld	(INTCNT),hl	; Disable the BIOS ON INTERVAL processing 
	ld	(SCNCNT),hl	; Disable the BIOS keyboard/joystick processing
				; You might want to put a flag here to allow
				; processing only when you have to request
				; CHGET calls (I.e.: For player name input)
	xor	a		; Disable the BIOS ON SPRITE processing
	ret


 .PHASE	0xC000			; RAM
PALFLG:		db	0
NTSC50T:	db	0
MYTIMER1:	db	0
INTBUSY:	db	0
OLDHTIMI:       ds      5,0xC9
 .DEPHASE

Note: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reentrancy_(computing)

Tip: It's not necessary to have custom soundtracks for PAL and NTSC. You can save a lot of space by just using your PAL game-loop timings/PAL soundtrack, and place an interrupt pulldown controller on the interrupt handler to generate 50Hz software interrupts/timer to keep your replayer and main loop at the correct speed regardless of the frame rate. The sample code I provided above has this 50Hz software interrupt pulldown controller integrated. :)

Please, Denis, excuse me, can you use the 48KB cartridge for full close conversion?

Very nice MSX is gaining more ground this way!

@DenisGrachev: very nice again, I really enjoyed Alter Ego on MSX (including the soundtrack by Kulor), I still recommend it when applicable

Regarding AE: I noticed you don't mention the MSX port (it's not in the pack) on your site, are you aware of its existence? It's pretty well done/executed I think!

One thing: while playing I was wondering about a stage password, to be able to continue from a stage, but, turned out, like Alter Ego there are a modest number of stages, so you should be able to complete the game in a single session. For a newcomer this is not clear however, perhaps you should mention something about it in the README?

Thanks and welcome to MSX!

@DenisGrachev

I forgot to mention that, on MLOOP, you synchronise the speed with the MYTIMER1 frame counter. This way the game won't run too fast on turbo machines. You can add more timers to the interrupt handler if needed.

I think it is very pedantic to include code not suitable for the required purpose (see the saving of the previous hook and the call to the previous hook)
It is so unsuitable that SD has commented it out by himself
I think also it is almost onanistic to include code not in the scope of the request (why test for MSX2 and swap to NTSC when on PAL MSX1 you already have posted code to call twice the music once out of 5 ISR...).
Moreover SD is overreacting, this can only mean that my comments are fitting and he knows he his over-complicating simple things

@ARTRAG

In case you didn't notice, you're not being helpful and are just being destructive, for the pleasure of being do. If you don't have anything better to do, go annoy someone else. You love picking fights with anyone for whatever reason.

I just copied -as is- the code I have here to help someone who seems to be a nice guy. If that makes your blood boil so much that you have an urge to come here to insult others, you need to urgently seek professional psychological help.

Yeah, right. Says the guy who gets so offended by a snippet of code that he has an urge to start insulting others. Again, your statement just proves that you project your own character traits on others. Bonus psychopathy points for the blame shifting.

Yeah. Says the guy who likes boast that he squeezes every possible cycle off whatever routine, just for the pleasure of showing up. You're just proving (again and again) that your project of your own traits (being onanistic, in this case) on others.

Your judgment seems to be clouded by your urge to be obnoxious, to a point that you're not interpreting the code correctly.

1) "why test for MSX2 and swap to NTSC"

The code doesn't swap the MSX2 to NTSC. Where the heck did you see this?

In case you don't know, the MSX1 has fixed frequency, but the on the MSX2 this can be configured by the user to his liking.
This code respects the MSX2 user choice and detects what was the frequency he selected, configuring the interrupt pulldown flag accordingly.

2) "you already have posted code to call twice the music once out of 5 ISR"

LMAO! I'm getting the impression that either we're not even talking about the same code, or that you're drunk. Again, where the heck did you see this?

The code *drops* one interrupt out of every 6. It's the exact opposite.

ARTRAG, go get some sleep. Whatever is influencing your judgment, it's just causing you to make a fool of yourself in public. Try some other time, when you're at least capable again to read some simple code correctly.

Well, to make up for the bad taste left on this thread by the unnecessary needling/bickering, here's an arrangement of the Yazzie title screen I made to bring it closer to the MSX style. I hope you like it.

@DenisGrachev, feel free to use it in the game if you like it. The .SC2 file is available here.

No sweat.

Just for reference, here they are:

1) The original MSX1 title screen

2) The ZX-Spectrum title screen

If these are not enough projects, I wonder what would be.

Wake up, and go look in the mirror. There you'll find the source of what you're projecting on others.

The only arrogant prick here who doesn't know how to treat others politely is you. And the proof is that these forums are filled with your arrogant answers everywhere. Only you are not able to see that. You know what this means? You're delusional. Go seek treatment.

@ren: Trivia: how above posts should be called: a) discontribution; b) miscontribution; c) countercontribution; d) anticontribution

@Hamlet

Agreed. Thank you for bringing peace back, and sorry for the scheißefest.

Now, back to the topic:

It's a pleasure to be of help. If you prefer to contact me in pvt, please check the e-mail in my profile.

Please check the interrupt handler extender I posted earlier in this thread. It can handle the 50/60Hz difference, so you will only need to have a single version of the soundtrack (PAL, in this case). Hopefully, this will free enough space for the details that had to be removed.

Feel free to contact me if you have any doubts.

If there's still not enough space after that, a last resort, as Pippo already mentioned, is to go for a 48KB ROM. By the restrictions of the standard, the frame-0 (0000h~3FFFh) of this ROM can only contain data (like the title screen and soundtrack). You can read the data from there with the BIOS RDSLT routine.

It's looks like a same trick i use to adjust gameplay. I think that trick works on gameplay somehow, but music will be corrupted I made a quick test and nope, it not works for music properly.

This port based on Shiru NES sources and i just missed it, as a numerous of ports for different platforms

Feel free to use it in the game if you like it. The .SC2 file is available here

Looks nice, thanks!

Yep, skiping every 6 frame it's a common approach, but it corrupts music Right now i focused to another msx game to port and maybe i'll come back to Yazzie one day!

@DenisGrachev,
I was wondering if you are indeed planning to enter MSXDev'20 with Yazzie The reason why I am asking is the following:
I would like to add your game to my website and I would like to know to which section I should add it, as I have a Generic MSX section and a section specific for MSXDev.

Ok, thanks for the quick answer.
Are you ok with me adding it to my site so people can easily play it online?

Thanks. I've added it here.
Man... really love the intro music btw....

LOL... Notice the difference depending on which emulator is used:

That's the MSX2 palette. This is why it looks different. My screenshot was taken from an National FS-1300 on openMSX. :)

It seems that you were using webMSX. I suspect that it emulates the MSX1 with a V9938, like the Yamaha CX5M-II.

Tip: If you test on openMSX, the characteristics of the VDP+TV_encoder circuitry that affect the MSX1 palette are emulated. Check on the following machines to enjoy the multitude of results. :)

• National FS-1300 (TMS9918)
• National CF-3300 (TMS9928/50% saturation)
• Philips VG-8020 (TMS9929/custom saturation)
• Sony HB-10P (T6950)
• Fujitsu FM-X (TMS9928 / Digital RGB3)
• Yamaha CX5M-II (V9938)

The most usual palette for the MSX1 (and the one shown in Wikipedia), is the TMS9x28/TMS9x29 with 50% saturation.

Upload sources, kinda mess since based on speccy but maybe will be interesting to someone!

SOURCES

Cheers!

Any chance of porting Old Tower to MSX as well?