Tempest Multigame shipping update

Hey all.

As of Friday "all I needed to do" on the software side was add sound to
Vector Breakout. :-)

As of Tuesday (today), 864 lines of assembly code later, "all I need to
do" is add sound to Vector Breakout. :-/

Never understimate the time required to add "finishing touches".

What I have to show for the weekend and all the assembly code is:

Menu System Improvements
        1) instruction messages cycle on menu
        2) default game set by pressing super-zapper
        3) default game (if set) marked by animated "Spiker" from
Tempest
        4) default game cleared by entering menu with test-mode switch
closed
        5) default game automatically started on boot (unless #4 active)
        6) smoother control response for game selection
        7) smoother animation
        8) screen saver cycles with menu to help prevent burn-in
Todo:
        1) test

Vector Breakout Improments
        1) added "all time high score" storage in EAROM
        2) added demo-mode cycling to prevent chance of burn-in (demo
mode-> title screen only-> both, repeat)
        3) added free-play mode (when Tempest is set to free play,
v-breakout is free play, credits show "free play")
        4) changed attract mode messages to mimic play mode (free/coin)
        5) added high-score display on title screen
Todo:
        1) add sound fx
        2) tune difficulty ramp
        3) test

So, the software parts are officially "close". (Still.) I'm shooting
for those to be put to bed by Wednesday. I'll then work on the manual.
I should have that done by Friday. Weekend will be spent getting the
first batch of boards ready to ship.

All in all I'm slipping about a week. Hopefully be able to ship the
first batch at the end of next week instead of the end of this week.
Sorry `bout the delay.

-Clay
Received on Tue Jun 1 19:41:13 1999