Alien Eliminator (BBCSDL conversion)

[David Williams]

Richard has recently converted my old (2010) blast-'em-up game 'Alien Eliminator' to run under BBC BASIC for SDL 2.0. It is a practically perfect conversion from the original BBC BASIC for Windows version which must have been quite an undertaking!

http://www.proggies.uk/bbcsdl/img/ae_scr4.jpg

Here's the link to my 'BBCSDL Games' web page from which the game can be downloaded:

http://www.proggies.uk/bbcsdl/index.html

You can play the game in a web browser (caveats: it will take a while to load into the browser; the performance of the game may not be great (although it's fine on my Core-i7 laptop); and the browser version won't work with Internet Explorer or Safari). Probably best to close all unnecessary tabs to get the best possible performance.

The source code can be downloaded from the BBCSDL Games web page, and I recommend you view or run it with the latest version of BBC BASIC for SDL 2.0 (currently 1.25a), downloadable from here: https://www.bbcbasic.co.uk/bbcsdl/index.html

There are now 5 games available on the BBCSDL Games page (Alien Eliminator, SubZap II, Gorillas, Tyoob, Forces of Darkness), each with the source code available. Whatever the merits (or demerits !) of my games, they represent a goldmine of information for those wishing to make games with BBCSDL, such as how to plot sprites, draw backgrounds, achieve certain visual effects, play sound effects and background music. Those games, coupled with the many example programs included with the BBCSDL package, should provide budding BBC BASIC game makers with pretty much everything they need to know in order to make games (at least 2D, sprite-based ones).

STOP PRESS! I've just noticed that Richard has published a video I made of myself playing Alien Eliminator (and surviving long enough to reach Zone 18!):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRPqFT3ykqg

One of the flaws of the game (not Richard's fault, obviously), is that the game becomes practically impossible to play unless you have accrued a shedload of firepower because as the game progresses, aliens require multiple hits before they will die. And the action becomes too frantic. You'll need the reflexes of a Jedi to get much beyond Zone 18.


David.
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[Ric]

Very impressive David. The playability of the game looks great.

Kind regards

Ric