29.Nov.2023
|
Visual Novel: Mansion of Madness for Apollo V4
In mid-September, Sami Vehmaa released his first Visual Novel game, "Mansion of Madness" (YouTube video). He has now added a version for the Apollo V4 accelerator cards. (dr)
[News message: 29. Nov. 2023, 11:51] [Comments: 0]
[Send via e-mail] [Print version] [ASCII version]
|
29.Nov.2023
|
Pseudo chunky screens on AGA Amigas: PED81C updated
With PED81C ("Pixel Elements Dots, 81 Colors") by Simone 'saimo' Bevilacqua there is an approach to work on AGA Amigas with pseudo-native chunky screens without performing the known chunky-to-planar conversions when displaying 3D graphics or any other slowing down additional calculations by CPU or custom chips (Copper, Blitter) at all (amiga-news.de reported). Now he has added a Voxel engine to his project and demonstrates it in a YouTube video. Other changes:
- Fixed some palette values in a table in the documentation.
- Added formulas for calculating DIWSTRT, DIWSTOP, DIWHIGH, DDFSTRT and DDFSTOP to documentation.
- Replaced fixed values with the aforementioned formulas in the AMOS Professional source code example.
(dr)
[News message: 29. Nov. 2023, 09:19] [Comments: 0]
[Send via e-mail] [Print version] [ASCII version]
|
29.Nov.2023
|
Video: Repairing an Amiga 2000
In his latest video, Robert Smith shows how he gets a non-working Amiga 2000, which he received for his birthday, up and running again. (dr)
[News message: 29. Nov. 2023, 09:06] [Comments: 0]
[Send via e-mail] [Print version] [ASCII version]
|
29.Nov.2023
|
Game development: Color Palette Mixer for Aseprite
Two weeks ago, we reported on a script that converts graphics created using Aseprite into an IFF/ILBM file. In the German comments, Thomas 'imagodespira' Claus pointed out that "Aseprite always works in 24 bit." As a result, "Prismatic Realms" has now published a second script with which you only have 4096 colours to choose from.
When executed, a dialogue window presents a retro colour palette and a mixer, an RGB slider known from the Amiga with 4-bit granularity (i.e. values from 0 to 15 for each colour component). The palette mixer supports 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 and 64 (Extra HalfBrite) colour palettes without alpha channels and ensures that all colours on the palette conform to the Amiga's 16-bit colour palette restrictions. There is also a button that resets the colour palette to Deluxe Paint V's default palette. (dr)
[News message: 29. Nov. 2023, 08:52] [Comments: 0]
[Send via e-mail] [Print version] [ASCII version]
|
29.Nov.2023
|
Mod player: HippoPlayer 2.59
Kari-Pekka Koljonen, the developer of the Amiga-MOD players HippoPlayer, has released an update to version 2.59. Changes:
Fixes:
- Patternscope and AHX modules: Fix bug which caused track 0 sometimes not being
displayed.
- Info window: Fix PSID song speed information sometimes showing wrong values.
- Prevent jam when receiving no results from recent stations search.
- Allow MS-DOS line changes in playlist/module program files.
- Info window: Allow mousewheel to work with scrolling the content.
- Commandline parameters: If started with "QUIT" and there is no
existing HiP instance running, do not start a new one.
- Keep list on exit: when starting HiP with commandline/icon modules
as parameters do not lose the kept list, instead append to the end.
New features:
- Scopes: When paused display the paused contents instead of the Hippo gfx.
- MED/OctaMED: Display song length and channel count for multichannel modules.
- Patternscope now supports MED and OctaMED modules, up to 18 channels visible.
"mini4" font is needed to display more than 8 channels as before.
- STIL support added for use with the High Voltage Sid Collection.
- PSID improvements with the updated playsid.library v1.6:
- SIDBlaster support upgraded by Erique, now faster and much less
likely to cause jams. A 68020 should be enough for normal
playback, previously a faster CPU was needed.
- reSID mode now supports playsid-style digisamples, as heard for
example in tunes like "Skate Or Die" and "Arkanoid".
- "Prefs/Play-2/reSID boost" can be used to boost the volume
in reSID mode.
- The library also now works on kickstart 1.3 in the original
playback mode, no need to have a separate kick1.3 lib version.
- Improved configuration with environment variables, if not using
with Hippo.
- MIDI file playback support:
- "Prefs/Play-2/MIDI mode" setting chooses which mode is active.
- Serial output mode using Alastair M. Robinson's "delimidi" player.
This will use MIDI equipment connected to the serial port for playing.
- Paula/AHI output mode using either Timidity Amiga port by Philipp
Grosswiler or GMPlay by Christian Buchner.
- Scopes, song end detection, AHI output supported.
- Console music playback support using the "vgm2wav" application
(dr)
[News message: 29. Nov. 2023, 06:08] [Comments: 0]
[Send via e-mail] [Print version] [ASCII version]
|
28.Nov.2023
|
PDF magazine: Commodore Free, issue 97
After a break of more than six years (issue 96), the English-language PDF magazine "Commodore Free" is back: as editor Nigel Parker reports, the original website was hacked via a PHP script and all files were deleted. "Scopperdive LTD" has restored the original website and updated it so that it is easier to read on mobile devices and smaller screens. Even though he suffered numerous strokes of fate during the long hiatus, he decided to revive the magazine, also encouraged by countless emails, and offers a colourful bouquet of topics on Commodore and Amiga computers in this issue. (dr)
[News message: 28. Nov. 2023, 09:28] [Comments: 1 - 30. Nov. 2023, 05:16]
[Send via e-mail] [Print version] [ASCII version]
|
27.Nov.2023
|
Frogger clone: Frogger500 v1.24
Frogger500 (YouTube-Video) is a 1:1 conversion of the 1981 Konami game (amiga-news.de reported). Since our last news item, an MMU error has been fixed and the highscore can now be saved and loaded in both the ADF and WHDLoad versions. (dr)
[News message: 27. Nov. 2023, 21:35] [Comments: 0]
[Send via e-mail] [Print version] [ASCII version]
|
27.Nov.2023
Patreon
|
Game Construction Kit: Scorpion Engine 2023.4
The "Scorpion Engine" (video of development of vertical scroll demos) by Erik 'earok' Hogan enables the development of games. The engine itself is not open source, but all included demos and demo games are. The editor itself runs on Windows. Graphics are imported as PNG files, for level creation the editor Tiled is used. For sounds, music and animations Amiga formats (mod, 8svx, anim5) are used. Changes of version 2023.4:
- Improved copper rainbow support on Amiga, including being able to set any of the 256 colors and at 24 bit color depth
- Support for VGM music on Mega Drive (XGM driver from SGDK)
- Support for saving on Mega Drive (SRAM)
- Ability to support more than 32 active actors at one time
- Improved Cut/Paste/Undo/Redo functionality
- Support for byte arrays - this will be expanded in future with word array support
In addition, Scorpion Engine now includes the previously exclusive Bullet Hell 2 (Amiga) and Real Time Scaling (Amiga/Mega Drive) demos.
(dr)
[News message: 27. Nov. 2023, 14:29] [Comments: 0]
[Send via e-mail] [Print version] [ASCII version]
|
26.Nov.2023
|
Weather data: AmiWeatherForecast V1.4
AmiWeatherForecasts displays current weather information in a small window in the menu bar. It was written in the C programming language under Amiga OS 3.2 and uses data from OpenWeather (amiga-news.de reported). Changes in version 1.4:
- Encoding problem is solved
- Some languages removed
- Fixed any icons can be moved via drag and drop on WB
- Get Days and Months from locale
- Added use or not abbreviations for days and months
- Fixed the issue of color changes using system palette
- Removed calibration setting for height of the window
- Added 'Add to Pos Y of Text' button
Direct download: AmiWeatherForecasts1.4.lha (59 KB) (dr)
[News message: 26. Nov. 2023, 21:43] [Comments: 0]
[Send via e-mail] [Print version] [ASCII version]
|
26.Nov.2023
|
AROS: Poll on "Irritating bug of the month" December
After the "Irritating bug of the month" for November was fixed (amiga-news.de reported), AROS developer Krzysztof 'deadwood' Śmiechowicz has started the corresponding survey for December under the title link:
- AREXX scripts in Core show no output
- UHCTools don't work as expected
- Wanderer Rename: Cannot change size of letters in name without changing name
- DiskInfo showing OFS instead of FAT
- Wrong parsing of boot parameters in Prefs/Boot
- Contrib LHA has issues when used from ZuneARC
(dr)
[News message: 26. Nov. 2023, 14:26] [Comments: 0]
[Send via e-mail] [Print version] [ASCII version]
|
26.Nov.2023
|
Aminet uploads until 25.11.2023
The following files have been added until 25.11.2023 to Aminet:
wla_dx_v10.6.lha dev/cross 8.8M 68k WLA DX - Cross Macro Assemble...
HollywoodSP.lha dev/hwood 873K Hollywood 10.0 spanish catalo...
HWP_Plananarama.lha dev/hwood 461K 68k Run Hollywood scripts on plan...
REDPILLGameCreator.lha dev/misc 4.8M 68k Game Creator with AGA support
character-sets.lha docs/hyper 13K IANA Charset MIB (Amiga catal...
drally.lha game/race 387K 68k Death Rally Amiga Port
BackdPattGener.lha gfx/edit 54K 68k Create your own backdrop patt...
FlashMandelNG_OS4.lha gfx/fract 35M OS4 Mandelbrot & Julia fractals AOS4
AmiVms.lha misc/emu 3.7M 68k Simulates OpenVMS commands
NightfallMID.lha mods/midi 1K MIDI GM Nightfall Piano Balla...
file.driver.lha mus/misc 9K 68k CyberSound driver for file ou...
AmiWeatherForecasts1.... util/app 38K 68k Weather forecasting application
BootPicture.lha util/boot 87K 68k Shows pictures, plays sound d...
sysvars.lha util/boot 16K 68k Put system information in env...
IconLib_46.4.lha util/libs 1.8M 68k free icon.library in optimize...
ReportPlus.lha util/misc 659K 68k Multipurpose utility
ReportPlusMOS.lha util/misc 771K MOS Multipurpose utility
ReportPlus-OS4.lha util/misc 830K OS4 Multipurpose utility
incase.lha util/shell 49K 68k Conditional execution of a sh...
(snx)
[News message: 26. Nov. 2023, 08:11] [Comments: 0]
[Send via e-mail] [Print version] [ASCII version]
|
26.Nov.2023
|
OS4Depot uploads until 25.11.2023
The following files have been added until 25.11.2023 to OS4Depot:
amiarcadia.lha emu/gam 5Mb 4.0 Signetics-based machines emulator
flashmandelng.lha gra/mis 35Mb 4.1 Mandelbrot & Julia fractals ...
videntiumpicta.lha gra/vie 2Mb 4.0 Videntium Picta is picture and a...
hwp_plananarama.lha lib/hol 461kb 4.0 Hollywood plugin for planar screen
iconecta.lha net/mis 2Mb 4.0 A little and easy program to tes...
reportplus.lha uti/mis 830kb 4.0 Multipurpose utility
(snx)
[News message: 26. Nov. 2023, 08:11] [Comments: 0]
[Send via e-mail] [Print version] [ASCII version]
|
26.Nov.2023
|
AROS Archives uploads until 25.11.2023
The following files have been added until 25.11.2023 to AROS Archives:
hollywoodsp.lha dev/mis 873kb Spanish Catalog for Hollywood 10
antiryagx.zip dev/uti 359Mb Advanced 2D/3D Game Engine
videntiumpicta.lha gra/vie 2Mb Videntium Picta is picture and a...
iconecta.lha net 2Mb A little and easy program to tes...
(snx)
[News message: 26. Nov. 2023, 08:11] [Comments: 0]
[Send via e-mail] [Print version] [ASCII version]
|
26.Nov.2023
|
MorphOS-Storage uploads until 25.11.2023
The following files have been added until 25.11.2023 to MorphOS-Storage:
Arexx.lha Dependencies Library to activate Are...
libfreetype2_2.13.2.lha Development/Library LibFreetype 2.13.2 for ...
xad-7z_2.8.lha Files/Archive A client for xadmaster....
fheroes2_1.0.10.lha Games/Strategy fheroes2 is a recreatio...
VidentiumPicta_3.00.lha Graphics/Tools An image viewer progra...
ReportPlus_8.44.lha Misc A Multipurpose utility ...
YT_2.4.lha Multimedia YT.rexx is a script for...
Easy2Install_1.0b45.lha Network/PackageManager A package manager to do...
iConecta_5.10.lha Network/Wifi A little and easy progr...
(snx)
[News message: 26. Nov. 2023, 08:11] [Comments: 0]
[Send via e-mail] [Print version] [ASCII version]
|
26.Nov.2023
|
WHDLoad: New installers until 25.11.2023
Using WHDLoad, games, scene demos and intros by cracking groups, which were originally designed to run only from floppy disks, can be installed on harddisk. The following installers have been added until 25.11.2023:
- 2023-11-25 improved: Traders (Linel) supports another version, new install script, icons added (Info)
- 2023-11-25 improved: Campaign (Empire) supports another version (Info)
- 2023-11-21 improved: Hammerfist (Vivid Image) supports another version (Info)
- 2023-11-21 fixed: Super Hang-On (Sega/Electric Dreams) problem with "Super" animation on some machines fixed (Info)
(snx)
[News message: 26. Nov. 2023, 08:11] [Comments: 0]
[Send via e-mail] [Print version] [ASCII version]
|
26.Nov.2023
|
Theme set: 32se and 32se-lite v7.40 for AmigaOS 3.2
AmigaOS 32se" is a supplement of themes for AmigaOS 3.2, which is available free of charge in a "lite" version (video) or in a full version (video) for about 1,50 US Dollars. It was tested by the developer Sami Vehmaa under emulators.
Additional to some changes and bug fixes, for the first time the Vampire V4 is experimentally supported. Besides, a new Theme set 9 was added, and the lite version now has free access to four themes. (dr)
[News message: 26. Nov. 2023, 07:03] [Comments: 0]
[Send via e-mail] [Print version] [ASCII version]
|
26.Nov.2023
|
Dock: QDock V2.07
Since our last news item, Sami Vehmaa has updated his start bar "QDock" to version 2.07 (YouTube-Video), which includes a lot of bug fixes and improvements. (dr)
[News message: 26. Nov. 2023, 06:40] [Comments: 0]
[Send via e-mail] [Print version] [ASCII version]
|
26.Nov.2023
Scene World Podcast (ANF)
|
Scene World podcast Episode #177 - Richard Loewenstein
Episode #177 of the 'Scene World' podcast features an interview with Richard 'Spieleschreiber' Löwenstein, former writer for German games magazine 'Amiga Joker', currently developing games for the Amiga, his latest release being Reshoot Proxima 3. (cg) (Translation: cg)
[News message: 26. Nov. 2023, 01:03] [Comments: 0]
[Send via e-mail] [Print version] [ASCII version]
|
25.Nov.2023
tuxcam@yahoo.it (ANF)
|
PDF magazine: REV'n'GE 152 (Italian/English)
PDF magazine REV'n'GE ("Retro Emulator Vision and Game") is available in English and Italian editions. REV'n'GE tries to compare ports of old Games to various classic platforms or review lesser known titles from the homecomputer era. The current issues contains reviews of the motorcycle racing game 'Red Zone' and the recently released Amiga port of the old DOS game "Star Wars:Dark Forces". (cg)
[News message: 25. Nov. 2023, 23:45] [Comments: 0]
[Send via e-mail] [Print version] [ASCII version]
|
25.Nov.2023
Andreas Magerl (ANF)
|
Print magazine: Amiga Future issue 140 available online
The German and English editions of Amiga Future's issue 140 (September/October 2019) are freely available on the Magazine's webpage now. A few printed copies as well as high resolution PDF copies can be purchased from the publisher. (cg)
[News message: 25. Nov. 2023, 23:37] [Comments: 0]
[Send via e-mail] [Print version] [ASCII version]
|
25.Nov.2023
Darkage Software (ANF)
|
Illustrated text adventure: C64 the Mysterious Cassette
"C64 - The Mysterious Cassette - La Cassetta del Mistero" is an illustrated text adventure for AGA Amigas, featuring English and Italian translations. The game was programmed by Colin Vella, with graphics and project management by Paolo D'Urso and music by Allister Brimble. it is based on an Italian novel written by Carlo Pastore.
'C64 the Mysterious Cassette' is available in digital (9,99 Euro) or physical (29,99 Euro) editions. The latter features an USB stick containing the game as well as a DINA3 sized poster.
Note from staff: The publisher's website does not feature any screenshots or videos of the game, a demo version is not available either. Thanks to Jürgen 'Evillord68' Weiß for kindly providing the screenshots for this news item. (cg)
[News message: 25. Nov. 2023, 23:34] [Comments: 0]
[Send via e-mail] [Print version] [ASCII version]
|
25.Nov.2023
|
AROS: Irritating bug of the month November
Around a month ago, AROS developer Krzysztof 'deadwood' Śmiechowicz launched a new initiative including a survey: every month, a bug can be selected from a list of bugs that bother the community and have been reported in the bug tracker, which he then fixes. For the month of November, a bug that did not occur 14 years ago was fixed with 40% of the votes: Wanderer can now run CLI programmes with an argument again, so that it behaves like OS3.9. He has released an updated workbench.library V45.4 for this purpose. (dr)
[News message: 25. Nov. 2023, 08:04] [Comments: 0]
[Send via e-mail] [Print version] [ASCII version]
|
24.Nov.2023
|
Video: A look back at the cracker scene of the 80s
In a video, the YouTube channel "Modern Vintage Gamer" takes a look back at its own history of software piracy in the 1980s, in particular at the time of X-Copy Pro and Amiga. (dr)
[News message: 24. Nov. 2023, 06:20] [Comments: 0]
[Send via e-mail] [Print version] [ASCII version]
|
24.Nov.2023
|
Floppy disk images on PC and Mac: Greaseweazle Tools 1.16.2
Keir Fraser's "Greaseweazle" does - similar to Kryoflux - read the magnetic information on a floppy disk independently from the format used and saves as much information as possible to generate a so-called "Flux Level Image" in Supercard format (SCP), which enables reading and back-writing of copy-protected disks (amiga-news.de reported)
The adapter gets connected between a floppy disk drive - e.g. a standard 3.5" PC one - and a USB port of the PC or Mac. Version 1.16.2 of the Greaseweazle Tools provide the following changes:
- DCP, DIM: Fix image import
- Flux: Emit one revolution of flux where possible, rather than two
(dr)
[News message: 24. Nov. 2023, 06:10] [Comments: 0]
[Send via e-mail] [Print version] [ASCII version]
|
23.Nov.2023
|
Amiga Kit: A600GS Wiki updated
In addition to the launch of a dedicated, albeit currently still empty, A600GS website for the planned games console, which will be available in the first quarter of 2024, the Wiki under the title link has also been updated. According to this, there will be two versions available: "A600GS" will be equipped with 2GB system memory and 64 GB total memory and the "A600GS+" with 4GB system memory and 128 GB total memory. The official joypad will be standard equipment, while the mouse will only be supplied with the A600GS+ or as an additional purchase. This will be required for the standard applications such as Personal Paint (PPaint) and OctaMED. Furthermore, Amibench V46 and Directory Opus 4 GPL are included in the software package. Three screenshots of the Amibench user interface are now also available, showing which icons are used.
As Matthew Leaman from AmigaKit Ltd. informs us, an agreement has also been concluded with Markus "Captain" Kaarlonen. The A600GS contains his original Amiga music tracks "Space Debris" and "Beyond Music" as well as their newer MP3 remasters and remixes. (dr)
[News message: 23. Nov. 2023, 21:23] [Comments: 0]
[Send via e-mail] [Print version] [ASCII version]
|
23.Nov.2023
|
Video: The best original Rogue game
The Amiga user 'intric8' has published a detailed video for the Amiga website 'AmigaLove' and its YouTube channel under the title link as well as a detailed article about what he considers to be the best implementation of a Rogue game from the 80s: the Amiga implementation. He also discusses other variants and releases. (dr)
[News message: 23. Nov. 2023, 09:14] [Comments: 0]
[Send via e-mail] [Print version] [ASCII version]
|
23.Nov.2023
|
Developer log: Platform game "Robot Jet Action"
Ten days ago we reported about Tomasz 'Carrion' Mielnik's start to port his platformer "Robot Jet Action" for the Amiga. Now he has published a first developer update (YouTube video) and describes the progress as follows:
- Working on the first tileset for the first world of the game. What you see on the video is going to be one of the world’s graphics. Still a lot things to do, but at least the idea is here.
- Reimplemented the fuel gauge on the bottom panel. It’s more accurate and animates smoother… and it looks cooler
- Implemented my own fonts routine. I did that mainly to not use any workbench libraries of Amiga system.
- Also implemented my hex to decimal conversion routine that is used to show score and (later) also lifes left
- First initial Implementation of up-down scroll. It needs some tuning but it works.
- The copper colors in the background started to look like some parallax effect which, most likely I will keep in the game in this form
- sprites collisions implemented but turned off as for now
- collisions for collecting diamonds needs tuning as they are not accurate in all cases.
- For the copper colors I’ve implemented set of scripts to convert them from png files. This way I can simply draw them in gfx program and convert to Amiga OCS compliant copper colors. I needed this as there will be a lot of copper colors needed for levels.
- I also have set of scripts that convert tilemaps that I create in Tiled to my own format that I use in the game.
- Some code optimization was done because the game started to slow down on Amiga 500 configs
- some concept works on the overall gfx and design, like for example some experiments with the panel at the bottom
- Regarding the gfx, I usually work iteratively on it so please keep in mind that gfx is going to evolve during the development.
(dr)
[News message: 23. Nov. 2023, 06:39] [Comments: 0]
[Send via e-mail] [Print version] [ASCII version]
|
