Outrun

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Par chinnyhill10

Rookie (29)

Portrait de chinnyhill10

05-06-2015, 12:52

Just posted up a review of Outrun across all the 8 bits including the MSX:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6m-kcjLxW7w

When you start up the MSX version you assume it is a straight Speccy port, but it isn't. Some of the graphics may be shared but the road layout and the awful cornering on the MSX indicate it isn't.

The title screen says the game was ported by Bedrock Software. Not a development house I've heard of.

Anyone have any idea why they didn't just go for a straight Speccy port and indeed have Bedrock software committed any other crimes against coding? :-)

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Par NYYRIKKI

Enlighted (6067)

Portrait de NYYRIKKI

05-06-2015, 17:06

Yes, that MSX version is really bad... Only thing I like is the music. BTW even if you do a perfect run (that is pretty much impossible without cheating) the time runs out before the end... That is bad quality in it's worst...

How ever there was another port of Outrun for MSX2 that is more close to Sega Master System version. Too bad you didn't take that in to comparison.

Par SLotman

Paragon (1242)

Portrait de SLotman

05-06-2015, 19:16

There is actually two 'Outrun' games on MSX. That monstrosity in your video (yeah, the MSX1 version is really bad) - and there is a MSX2 version - which isn't a very good "port", but at least is playable and a half decent game:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4e2B-Au8Onc

Par chinnyhill10

Rookie (29)

Portrait de chinnyhill10

05-06-2015, 22:53

NYYRIKKI wrote:

Yes, that MSX version is really bad... Only thing I like is the music. BTW even if you do a perfect run (that is pretty much impossible without cheating) the time runs out before the end... That is bad quality in it's worst...

How ever there was another port of Outrun for MSX2 that is more close to Sega Master System version. Too bad you didn't take that in to comparison.

I can't look at the MSX2 version as the whole point of the channel is to review the games using original hardware and I don't have an MSX2. So stuck with a Hit Bit I'm afraid.

The music appears to be the same AY tune as the Spectrum and Amstrad. Which makes it all the more bizarre why they didn't port more from those versions to the MSX such as the road handling routines which are clearly very similar between the CPC and Spectrum versions.

Par giuseve

Paladin (787)

Portrait de giuseve

06-06-2015, 16:12

Outrun for msx1 and also outrun for msx2 in my opinion, are games that in 80s made people to prefer other computers.
I remember yet when i bought it on tape. When it finished to load i simply said "really?" Thinking to bring it back to the shop.

I think it would be one of the title to remake in both version, as a serie like "hey man, you would make it in this way"
Uridium, Gauntlet, Pointless fighting are some example of this serie, just a way to say to the world that MSX could do this

Par Manuel

Ascended (19469)

Portrait de Manuel

06-06-2015, 17:15

Perhaps that SMS version could be ported to MSX2? Does someone know which specific features of that VDP are used?

Par PingPong

Enlighted (4140)

Portrait de PingPong

06-06-2015, 18:07

Manuel wrote:

Perhaps that SMS version could be ported to MSX2? Does someone know which specific features of that VDP are used?

the sms version does not have flicker sprites. this is strange to me because the n. of sprites/scanline is 8 for both VDPs.
Where the sms use two sprites to achieve 16 pixels wide the msx uses two sprites to achieve multicolor. so should be the same amount of sprites involved. Maybe a emulator trick?

I think is screen 4 should be doable better than the outrun for msx2
in msx1 i think there is no much room because of the limitations of sprites. Sure this gfx can be realized manipulating the nametable instead of bitblitting the entire road, increasing the speed.....
Maybe one could mix the patterns masked with sprites in both versions.
on the msx2 there are situations where the n. of sprites on scanline is relatively high. two opponents car+ferrari means = 4+4+6 = 14 sprites/scanline!
maybe the flickering algorithm could be done better allowing for a more distributed 'flickering'

Par giuseve

Paladin (787)

Portrait de giuseve

07-06-2015, 09:31

Manuel wrote:

Perhaps that SMS version could be ported to MSX2? Does someone know which specific features of that VDP are used?

.... and perhaps amstrad version could be ported to MSX1.
Or at least, please someone change the road routine of the original msx1 game !!!!

Pleaaaaaase !

Par ARTRAG

Enlighted (6935)

Portrait de ARTRAG

07-06-2015, 10:46

giuseve wrote:

I think it would be one of the title to remake in both version, as a serie like "hey man, you would make it in this way"
Uridium, Gauntlet, Pointless fighting are some example of this serie, just a way to say to the world that MSX could do this

Uridium 2 is screen 8 on msx 2 and IMHO should go in that serie Smile
https://youtu.be/Za9tPEgOAgk

Anyway about outrun, I wouldn't be so drastic about dropping screen 5
I think that having precomputed the shape of the roads as polygons could give good results in terms of frame rate.
But I haven't investigated enough to be sure
for sure in screen 5 the cars and the other objects would zoom nicely
I would reuse the maze 3d scaling algorithm or store precomputed frames in rom
Raycasting on msx TurboR (4): https://youtu.be/8ffvdvpePY8

Par giuseve

Paladin (787)

Portrait de giuseve

07-06-2015, 21:19

@artrag
Cannot wait for uridium2 to come, but I sincerely prefer the old palette, more brilliant than the military one!

Par chinnyhill10

Rookie (29)

Portrait de chinnyhill10

08-06-2015, 01:34

Or even port the Spectrum version to the MSX1. I know the game looks like a Spectrum port on the MSX but it isn't. The Spectrum has perfectly fine road handling and also has the two roads running side by side at the start which the MSX lacks.

It's been said by a few people that if you use an emulator and speed the Speccy version up, it actually isn't a bad version of Outrun at all.

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