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Operating System Specific Discussions => Other Operating Systems => Topic started by: TorbenLarsen on February 14, 2012, 05:43:39 PM

Title: The Amiga legend - Free to Play on iOS
Post by: TorbenLarsen on February 14, 2012, 05:43:39 PM
Hi Amiga fans :)

Anyone wanted to give the legendary Amiga shooter Battle Squadron a go on their iphone/ipod or ipad? Well, here is your chance... in a just released Lite version, featuring world's first 2-player split-screen shooter!
...grap a friend and give it a spin :)

http://itunes.apple.com/app/battle-squadron-one-lite/id491944384 (http://itunes.apple.com/app/battle-squadron-one-lite/id491944384)

http://cope-com.com/2012/02/14/free-to-play-worlds-first-2-player-split-screen-shooter-battle-squadron-one-lite/ (http://cope-com.com/2012/02/14/free-to-play-worlds-first-2-player-split-screen-shooter-battle-squadron-one-lite/)

YOUTUBE Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=v22jB0l1osY (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=v22jB0l1osY)

(http://copecom.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/lite_hp.jpg)
Title: Re: The Amiga legend - Free to Play on iOS
Post by: Minuous on February 14, 2012, 11:07:25 PM
I tried to download this, but it said I was only allowed to download from the Australian Crapp Store. Stupid Crapple region-locking bull****.

Solution is to ignore the provided link and do a search for "Battle Squadron" from within iTunes.
Title: Re: The Amiga legend - Free to Play on iOS
Post by: Minuous on February 15, 2012, 12:05:16 AM
Sorry to say but this conversion is complete crap.

There is no way to control the ship. You are apparently supposed to tilt the device to move; however this doesn't work at all (sometimes screen will rotate by 90 degrees is the only effect).

Tapping or sliding the screen also doesn't work properly (ship moves seemingly at random).

So the game is completely unplayable. Obviously it needs further testing and bug fixing by the developers before release. Avoid.
Title: Re: The Amiga legend - Free to Play on iOS
Post by: bloodline on February 15, 2012, 12:48:38 AM
This is really nicely done!!! Controls are sublime and work at treat for me, the graphics are fluid and beautifully retro.

Really well done :)
Title: Re: The Amiga legend - Free to Play on iOS
Post by: bloodline on February 15, 2012, 12:50:45 AM
Quote from: Minuous;680540
Sorry to say but this conversion is complete crap.

There is no way to control the ship. You are apparently supposed to tilt the device to move; however this doesn't work at all (sometimes screen will rotate by 90 degrees is the only effect).

Tapping or sliding the screen also doesn't work properly (ship moves seemingly at random).

So the game is completely unplayable. Obviously it needs further testing and bug fixing by the developers before release. Avoid.
Err, the movement is relative to your finger position... The whole screen works like a touch pad, it felt very natural for me... Perhaps you were expecting something different?


-edit- I have controls x2 on, which works best for me!
Title: Re: The Amiga legend - Free to Play on iOS
Post by: odin on February 15, 2012, 01:57:09 AM
Controls are crap, as with every action touchscreen game. Touchscreens just lack the precise controls a joystick/pad can provide.

The conversion is very true to the original though and a blast to fire up once in a while just to listen to the music.
Title: Re: The Amiga legend - Free to Play on iOS
Post by: motrucker on February 15, 2012, 03:55:50 AM
Never thought I would try this (I will not buy an ianything) but had a chance to try it on a neighbors. What pure crap! Things have really sunk to this level huh?
Title: Re: The Amiga legend - Free to Play on iOS
Post by: Bif on February 15, 2012, 08:38:45 AM
Going to have to give this a whirl later, but I've found through experience any kind of arcade-like game with touch screen and/or gyro as input totally sucks to the point of being a completely annoying and frustrating experience. It's no fault of the game makers. I REALLY wish these devices makers would at least put one very small d-pad on one side and a button or two on the other side as standard equipment. That would open up a wealth of new game play possibilities. Heck they could even be used for other useful purposes such as camera zoom and shutter, how novel of an idea.

Going off topic but I find it really frustrating that after all this time there is not a device out there that fits my idea of what a portable entertainment/information device should be, which would be easiest to describe as taking for example a Samsung Galaxy II S, add the d-pad and buttons, and remove the cell phone part of it (to make it an Android equivalent to an iPod), and then price it closer to iPod territory than cell phone territory. Doesn't seem that hard to come up with but I have yet to see anything like it (let me know if I am ignorant of something that exists).
Title: Re: The Amiga legend - Free to Play on iOS
Post by: Borut on February 15, 2012, 09:25:04 AM
http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/cellphone/e8f5/
Title: Re: The Amiga legend - Free to Play on iOS
Post by: Duce on February 15, 2012, 10:10:42 AM
Older games brought to touch only platforms generally aren't well received.  We remember playing these old games with a rattly old joystick when we were kids and there's a mental block on the whole touch interface from minute one.

Some are quite playable with the add on control pads, I'm looking forward to getting an 8 Bitty for my iPad.  

http://9to5mac.com/2012/02/13/8-bitty-nintendo-style-icade-controller-for-ios-devices-coming-soon-for-25/
Title: Re: The Amiga legend - Free to Play on iOS
Post by: TorbenLarsen on February 15, 2012, 12:49:52 PM
Quote from: bloodline;680542
This is really nicely done!!! Controls are sublime and work at treat for me, the graphics are fluid and beautifully retro.

Really well done :)

Thanks bloodline :)
With your experience in game-development it warms alot to hear such great feedback :)

For those interested, the game features 4 ingame control modes:
1. Relative Direct touch x2 (default)
2. Standard relative touch
3. Tilt
4. Joypad

In addition external control devices are planned later on this spring. :)
Title: Re: The Amiga legend - Free to Play on iOS
Post by: yssing on February 15, 2012, 03:29:48 PM
why not for android?
Title: Re: The Amiga legend - Free to Play on iOS
Post by: Christian Johansson on February 15, 2012, 04:08:26 PM
An Androidversion is coming. i think its beimg beta tested now.
Title: Re: The Amiga legend - Free to Play on iOS
Post by: Duce on February 15, 2012, 04:09:30 PM
Chucked this on my ipad a moment ago, looking forward to checking it out and will let you know how I like it.
Title: Re: The Amiga legend - Free to Play on iOS
Post by: Bif on February 15, 2012, 08:34:49 PM
Quote from: Borut;680569
http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/cellphone/e8f5/


Yeah I've seen these, in fact I've used a Wii controller with my Android tablet to play with MAME. It's a very awkward experience to try and hold both a tablet and your controller at the same time. Only useful if you can set your tablet down on a table and sit in front of it, a position I am absolutely never in when mobile gaming.

The stick on joystick is an interesting idea but I can imagine all sorts of problems with that. For one, it's not a d-pad, it sticks out way too much, so you'd have to take it off and put it in another pocket or whatever when not using it. I don't see why they couldn't make a d-pad version though. I am sure every game has the virtual d-pad in a different spot, so you'd also need to be moving it around each time you play a different game.

I think unless Apple heavily commits to gaming I'm not sure d-pads and a button built into the hardware will take off any time soon. Oddly, if Apple did make it a spec to include a d-pad, I bet you'd see every Android device follow suit immediately for fear of not keeping up. It's a bit of a sad world that way right now.

I'm still trying to download Battle Squadron right now, unfortunately Apple's app store rarely wants to download or update apps, they just sit there waiting to download and never do until the moon is magically aligned with some planet. Don't get me started on how much I loathe Apple. :furious:
Title: Re: The Amiga legend - Free to Play on iOS
Post by: TorbenLarsen on February 16, 2012, 02:01:49 PM
Quote from: fryguy;680614
An Androidversion is coming. i think its beimg beta tested now.


Hi Fryguy :)

You're right about that one and goldencode is really going to make the port shine on Android. You're in for a treat ;)  :afro:
Title: Re: The Amiga legend - Free to Play on iOS
Post by: Bif on February 16, 2012, 09:01:14 PM
Finally got to try it.

The default control made no sense to me, makes me think it's not working correctly on my 2nd gen iPod touch. No matter what I touched or tilted my ship would only travel diagonally across the screen. Switched to virtual d-pad ... ugh ... I don't know how anyone could play an arcade game like that, totally impossible for me to control, maybe because I have giant thumbs or something.

Anyway, looks like it would be great retro fun if I could actually control the ship.
Title: Re: The Amiga legend - Free to Play on iOS
Post by: bloodline on February 16, 2012, 09:16:26 PM
I'm really surprised people are finding this so hard to control! I find it really easy... My thumb rarely leaves the lower right hand corner of the screen :)
Title: Re: The Amiga legend - Free to Play on iOS
Post by: Kremlar on February 17, 2012, 12:11:16 AM
Wonder if it's a device specific issue?  Works fantastic here with the default controls.  Just drag your finger to where you want the ship to go.

iPhone 4 here.

Excellent work guys!
Title: Re: The Amiga legend - Free to Play on iOS
Post by: Bif on February 17, 2012, 03:39:47 AM
I don't doubt that my 2nd Gen iPod sucks and probably doesn't handle input as well. It was nice and snappy when I bought it, then within a few months an iOS update turned it into Windows 95 running on a 486. I almost feel like Apple is purposely screwing over older hardware and not even requiring apps to actually be certified on older hardware. It's amazing how few things work properly.
Title: Re: The Amiga legend - Free to Play on iOS
Post by: TorbenLarsen on February 18, 2012, 10:11:48 AM
Quote from: Bif;680766
I don't doubt that my 2nd Gen iPod sucks and probably doesn't handle input as well. It was nice and snappy when I bought it, then within a few months an iOS update turned it into Windows 95 running on a 486. I almost feel like Apple is purposely screwing over older hardware and not even requiring apps to actually be certified on older hardware. It's amazing how few things work properly.


Could be an iOS version problem. It requires at least iOS 4.0 which has been tested to work :idea: