Preview of Atari 8-bit beat 'em up "Dragon Master"
2 min read
views
Fast-paced action for the Atari XL/XE series computers is what «Dragon Master» promises, a game inspired by the classic beat'em up «Kung-Fu Master» (Data East, 1984).
The project is developed in 6502 assembly language by Yaron Nir, who also used Python scripts to convert PNG images to Atari data.
Konstantinos "TIX" Giamalidis provides the graphics and sprites for this game, the original version of which is based on martial arts films produced in Hong Kong in the early 1980s.
The player controls Thomas, a Kung-Fu master who must scale the five floors of the Devil's Temple to rescue his girlfriend Sylvia from the clutches of evil crime boss Mr. X.
Along the way, the hero must fight waves of enemies with his fists and kicks, as well as defeat five bosses at the end of each stage - just like in the film "Game of Death" (1972), starring the immortal Bruce Lee.
Nir admits that the demo released in mid-August is far from complete: Thomas can't hit flying objects to kill him; he's left floating in the air when trying a jump kick; and the game freezes if you get hit too many times.
Via the AtariAge forum, he refers to what happens at the end of this first trailer, where the player ends up collecting a multitude of objects. "It's a looping bug . Basically, after that there should be "animals" that attack you; then another flying object that kills you; and the level boss."
However, there are other interesting details. For example, if you stay in one place for too long, a floating hand will appear telling you to keep moving to the right.
Nir prefers not to set a date for completing this promising brawler. In turn, "TIX" hopes to regain his motivation and continue with "Dragon Master." "I hope things pick up after my summer vacation (...) I have an impressive boss level waiting for me," he stressed.
It is worth noting that Kung-Fu Master was designed by Takashi Nishiyama, the same as Moon Patrol (Atari, 1982). It is considered the precursor of the side-scrolling character-driven action game genre.
Dragon Master for Atari 8-bit computers - first level WIP
Download | 1.1 MBYaron Nir and "TIX" have a breakport of «Wonder Boy» (SEGA, 1986)for Atari XL/XE series computers.
Posted by
Please comment politely. Spam comments will be moderated. Thank you.