Oblast: A better Blasto game for the Commodore 64
4 days ago
- #Game Development
- #Retro Gaming
- #Commodore 64
- The author completed a project called 'Oblast', a souped-up version of TI Blasto, featuring faster action, procedurally generated screens, and configurable gameplay.
- Oblast is free to play on Commodore 64 or emulators, with improvements over the original Blasto, including better explosion mechanics and sound.
- The game includes four preset modes with customizable settings like bomb density, trails, and tank invulnerability, allowing for varied gameplay experiences.
- Oblast uses the VIC-II's extended background color mode (ECM) for visual effects and a custom character set to optimize performance and memory usage.
- The game features a composite sprite for the tank, allowing smoother movement and rotation compared to the original Blasto's character-based graphics.
- Sound effects in Oblast utilize all three SID voices for immersive noise generation, with explosions causing screen shaking synchronized to the audio.
- The game includes a fuel gauge as a timer, shell reloading mechanics, and collision detection that slows the tank when hitting obstacles instead of stopping it completely.
- Oblast is open-source and available on GitHub, with tools for customization and builds for both compressed and uncompressed play on various Commodore 64 setups.
- The author encourages modifications but requests that derivative works use different names to avoid confusion with the original game.