Crystals of Xaz news- 12/1/2006

[Atari]

Crystals of Xaz is a Dreamcast and Gamepark game written using Fenix. More information about Fenix for Dreamcast can be found at http://atari.vg-network.com.

Work continues steadily on the game, and it's shaped up to be really fun! I'm currently rewriting the enemy generation code to support multiple enemies, added level (now called Quadrants) transitions, bonus enemies that fly across the screen and drop items when shot, the ability to warp ahead levels, "skil-step" code (allows you to select a starting level based on the last level you finished, a la Tempest arcade game), and have found an artist to whip up some real graphics for me. There have been so many changes in the past month that the original code I worked from (Istappen, http://fenixonfire.gp32x.de/html/sources.html, scroll to the bottom) has been completely obliterated and none of the original code has been retained. I've attempted to contact Chui about adding VMU saving to the fenix codebase so I could implement high score saving for the DC version, but he's extremely busy and I haven't heard back from him.

Here's a current screenshot using placeholder graphics:



Timeframe for release is "when it's finished", as I don't like to toss things out there just to say I put something out, and want to create a homebrew game using Fenix that will be playable, complete, and fun. Maybe this will spur others to create their own games using Fenix and rekindle interest in it.

[Eric]

I just want to say the game is startin to look good. I know that this Fenix thing is supposed to look alot like SNES games using Mode7. Well there is alot of things people could be making besides alot of the other crap i've seen. There is a small list of good games but alot were failures in my eyes. If you want to make Fenix popular use it to its potential and make a good platform game like Mario or Giana Sisters of course add in your own ideas.

Its about the people that make things better and part of bringing people in is making them like the product your making.

Eric

[Atari]

I just want to say the game is startin to look good. I know that this Fenix thing is supposed to look alot like SNES games using Mode7. Well there is alot of things people could be making besides alot of the other crap i've seen. There is a small list of good games but alot were failures in my eyes. If you want to make Fenix popular use it to its potential and make a good platform game like Mario or Giana Sisters of course add in your own ideas.

Its about the people that make things better and part of bringing people in is making them like the product your making.

Eric

I care more about how a game plays and its features than its graphics. If worse came to worse, I'd just use the placeholders that are in the game now (Ari Fleishman's spritelib). But I found a great artist who is taking care of the graphics for me. I'm not sure how many people would want to play a game such as this, but I'm enjoying creating a game that *I* love to play, with all of the features I loved in the old shmups I played in the arcades back in the late 70s/early 80s. And I'd love to see someone take the ball and run with it, by seeing something created using Fenix that's full-featured and fun to play, and make their own game that's more than just something whipped together quickly to "get it out there".

Thanks for the kind comments.

[pauljake]

Great to hear that still there is people coding for Dreamcast with Fenix. Good luck with the game, by the moment it does look good (I hope that it plays that good also!). I've replied your pm, good luck with the game and we keep in contact!