Monday, 21 May 2007
Three Times the Music
Download the album: threetimes.zip
Streaming playback: Twango or Last.fm
I thought of him just every day. The little sailor boy I knew. His shirt so white, his cap so blue his trousers so straight and smart. Along he travelled, the world o'er and o'er and never would he stop. This sailor boy I knew, I knew. This sailor boy I knew.
I met him first in the park above. Way, way above. The clouds below like waves of snow. Oh, waves of snow and a boat. The sailor boy and his crew.
I held his hand and skipped along and he grinned at me with his smile so true. The sailor boy with his smart black shoes and his walk a clip, clip, clip.
Spiralling buildings we left behind as I stood upon his ship so fine. The waves of clouds of snow sublime. My sailor boy of my desire.
And on we went into the night. The owls waved up as we went by. The grounds below a running, a running. Faster we went on. Speeding along the skies we went in our sailing boat so fine. Pink and blue and green we see, how everything falls between, our journey round the world, we so liked to leave.
A ruin greets as the clouds depart. An ancient civilisation, hello! Tied to themselves we think again, of civilisation once so great. I stand beside the sailor boy and forget those long-gone souls.
He took me to the end of the world. A drop of gold and mounds of dirt. We sat in them to play all day, my sailor boy and me. Full of joy and full of games, so innocent as we were. The end of the world, they all do say, is really no fun at all, but we danced around without dismay in the pits of dirt and clay. Black smoke rose from every hole. Up and up it went, to build the world on which we must live. Just a place where everyone lives. Our weird old globe, with cities above, amongst the clouds, and sailing boats without a sail and people with nowhere else to go. And sailor boys who hold my hand, and never do run away. Who never, ever once escape and who are always mine oh mine.
With sailor boys who're mine oh mine.
Short story 'Of Contraptions and Things' by Kristoffer Lawson
Merkinnät:
music
Avaruusmies kaukana kotoa
Download the album: avaruusmies.zip
Streaming playback: Twango or Last.fm
Far away, John and his robot were sailing on the backs of star-beams. Fifty light-years or so in their cylindrical spaceship. Robot said he liked the way the star's light bounced off the red planet, a giant one, on the port side. Like shimmery little fairy dances circling around their travels through the void. John smiled and lifted his glass of space-juice in an ancient gesture of comradeship. Aye, that's life at it's best, he reckoned.
After three more days of travel John and his robot arrived at Destination 34. A large moon around the fourth planet of the system. A jolly wee bouncy kind of rock with scampering little bacteria and small fish-like creatures swimming in the deep dark lakes. Some of them had fluorescent colours and shone brightly and merrily. Some of them were mating, some of them were jiggling, some of them were just having a party. Robot blinked his lights in response and several of the lifeforms twirled round him, curious. He did not seem like a proto-fish. He was all hard and jagged. Like a rock of some kind. John patted him. They'll understand one day, he reassured.
Inside one of the caves was a dark slithery plant, waving slightly with the drifts, as if to a distant melody. She beckoned to the travellers and they floated to investigate, transfixed. Her many hands swayed erotically. Her deep colours changed with every move. She gently touched John's cheek as he looked closely, with robot soon behind. He kissed her leaf-wrist and bid her good bye, for their journeys must go on.
Back in their spaceship John sighed. Robot was a good companion but still his life missed something. A home to come to. An arm to stroke. Lips to kiss. Hair to feel. Of all the wonders in the universe he had seen, no wonder would replace that simple existence. Robot shut down for the night. The computers rattled on. John looked out into the deep, deep darkness and its millions of sparkling lights. Lives. He fell asleep holding their hands as the spaceship zoomed on and on into the empty unknown.
Short story 'Adventures of Spaceman John' by Kristoffer Lawson
Merkinnät:
music
Sunday, 20 May 2007
Dragonwing



VIC 20 game with smooth scrolling and drum'n'bass soundtrack.
Manoeuvre your way through various cave formations. Collect fuel when the meter is low or you will lose control of your ship.
According to the great philosopher and environmentalist Sami Järvinen this game is about existential anxiety. I can't but agree.
Download: dragonwing.prg
Source code: dragonwing-source.zip
Greenrunner


Fast and furious shooter in Jeff Minter spirit. Written for the Game Over(view) Freestyle Jam game programming contest.
Thanks to Elaine Walker of space band Zia for the speech samples.
Random comments about the game: CSDb, Pouet and Lemon64
Download: greenrunner.zip
SID files: greenrunner-sid.zip
Berlin




Breakout clone for Game Boy Color I wrote sometime in 2000. This playable preview contains 50 rounds. Features 8-way smooth scrolling and unusually colorful graphics done with layered sprites and full screen HiColor tricks.
Download: berlin.zip
Help text: berlin.txt
Picasso


Graphics editor for VIC 20. Requires memory expansion of 3K or more.
Thanks to Vanja Utne for the demo picture.
Download: picasso.zip
Source code: picasso-source.zip
Merkinnät:
8-bit,
graphics tools,
vic 20
Polly Tracker
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Music editor with 4 independent sample channels
- 4-9 kHz sample rate on each channel (C-2 = 8000 Hz)
- 4-bit output (or 8-bit with Digimax)
- Based on polling the hardware timers (hence the name Polly)
- 48K reserved for sample data
- Loads 8-bit unsigned raw samples
So what does it sound like? Crunchy. Here's two songs I wrote for testing the playroutine: Make Some Tea and Backwoods
Polly Tracker is I believe the first ever 4 voice sample player on a stock C-64 - Netherworld title song by Jori Olkkonen had 3 sampled voices and Reflex Tracker has only two.
If you're feeling super-nerdy then you can read my complete explanation of the technical feat (for short, it's just about a workaround for a HW timer bug) in SIDin magazine issue 8.
Download the editor: pollytracker.zip
Help text: pollytracker.txt
Merkinnät:
8-bit,
c-64,
programming,
sound tools
White Box

Collection of c-64 music I wrote during 2000-2003.
The box features endless scrolltexts by Simon Carless and the short story 'Jim the Weather Balloon' by Kristoffer Lawson.
Thanks to Twoflower for the graphics.
Download: whitebox.zip
SID files: whitebox-sids.zip
MP3 files recorded from C-64: whitebox-mp3.zip
John Player

I wanted to write music on Commodore 64 and I was too stupid to learn using the software created by other people, so I wrote my own.
Some have commented that John Player is easy to use, but maybe it's just that most other Commodore 64 music programs are not.
Download: johnplayer.zip
Help text: johnplayer.txt
Merkinnät:
8-bit,
c-64,
sound tools
Loop Arranger

Live loop player for 3K or 8K expanded VIC 20.
Plays rough 4-bit sampled loops. The drum loops are split into 8 pieces. You can create 4 two-bar sequences and then switch between them with the function keys F1-F7.
Download: looparranger.zip
Merkinnät:
8-bit,
sound tools,
vic 20
Retroskoi

2-oscillator monophonic synth for live playing.
Download: retroskoi.prg
Help text & table of parameters: retroskoi.txt
Source code: retroskoi-source
Merkinnät:
8-bit,
c-64,
sound tools
Carillon Editor

Music editor which runs on Game Boy Color.
I originally wrote it for creating game music and such, but recently some chip artists have used it on their records. It's not particularly suitable for live perfomances, though.
Download the editor: carilloneditor.zip
Here you can find a medley of Game Boy songs I wrote in 2000-2001: gameboymedley.mp3
Merkinnät:
8-bit,
game boy,
sound tools
Saturday, 19 May 2007
Electric Drum

A little toy for playing live chip drum sounds on your Game Boy.
Download: electricdrum.zip
Here's the sounds: electricdrum-samples.zip
Merkinnät:
8-bit,
game boy,
sound tools
Bee Virtual Videogame
Bee is an imaginary videogame machine. It's an emulator for a game system which doesn't actually exist.
Bee processor has some similarities with the first commercially mass-produced processor Intel 4004. Certain instructions may also look familiar if you know about the interpreted programming language CHIP-8, "Java of the 80's".
Bee system runs games from imaginary ROM cartridges, holding 256 bytes of code and graphics data. Unfortunately, no game cartridge images are published so far...
Bee emulator for VIC 20: bee20.prg
Bee SDK: bee-sdk.zip
Bee Manual: bee-manual.txt
Bee processor has some similarities with the first commercially mass-produced processor Intel 4004. Certain instructions may also look familiar if you know about the interpreted programming language CHIP-8, "Java of the 80's".
Bee system runs games from imaginary ROM cartridges, holding 256 bytes of code and graphics data. Unfortunately, no game cartridge images are published so far...
Bee emulator for VIC 20: bee20.prg
Bee SDK: bee-sdk.zip
Bee Manual: bee-manual.txt
Merkinnät:
8-bit,
bee,
programming
Sid Vicious
SID sound chip emulation for VIC 20. Common sense says it's not possible, so I just had to do it. And it's actually sounding surprisingly good.
Patched versions of the original c-64 music routines are used and only the SID part is emulated in software.
Here's two examples that run on unexpanded VIC 20:
sidvicious-zoids.prg (Rob Hubbard)
sidvicious-upsidedown.prg (Mitch & Dane)
What is emulated?
- Pulse wave (32 widths), triangle, sawtooth, noise
- ADSR envelopes (in 8 volume steps & linear decay)
- Pitch accuracy is 1/13th of SID
- 6.1 kHz output at 4-bit resolution
Sounds recorded from VICE emulator:
sidvicious-zoids.mp3
sidvicious-upsidedown.mp3
sidvicious-commando.mp3
sidvicious-uuno.mp3
The routine takes almost all rastertime (depending on the player used) and if there's any cycles free from NMI & IRQ, it runs in a busy loop generating random numbers to improve the noise emulation. That is, just like the Sex Pistols guy, also this Sid Vicious creates chaos whenever idle.
Source code: sidvicious-source.zip
Patched versions of the original c-64 music routines are used and only the SID part is emulated in software.
Here's two examples that run on unexpanded VIC 20:
sidvicious-zoids.prg (Rob Hubbard)
sidvicious-upsidedown.prg (Mitch & Dane)
What is emulated?
- Pulse wave (32 widths), triangle, sawtooth, noise
- ADSR envelopes (in 8 volume steps & linear decay)
- Pitch accuracy is 1/13th of SID
- 6.1 kHz output at 4-bit resolution
Sounds recorded from VICE emulator:
sidvicious-zoids.mp3
sidvicious-upsidedown.mp3
sidvicious-commando.mp3
sidvicious-uuno.mp3
The routine takes almost all rastertime (depending on the player used) and if there's any cycles free from NMI & IRQ, it runs in a busy loop generating random numbers to improve the noise emulation. That is, just like the Sex Pistols guy, also this Sid Vicious creates chaos whenever idle.
Source code: sidvicious-source.zip
Merkinnät:
8-bit,
programming,
vic 20
Friday, 18 May 2007
Venus Express

Collect scientific samples from the underground caverns of Venus. Carefully hover above an item to pick it up.
After collecting all items go back up to get transported to the next area.
The number of items is increased by each level. Find the items in less than 70 seconds for time bonus.
Use joystick in port 2. Fire to start new game.
The game features huge pseudo-random generated levels, 8-way smooth scrolling and flawless gameplay.
Venus Express got the 1st place in the Minigame Compo 2005 1K series.
Download the game: venusexpress.prg
Source code: venusexpress-source.zip
Download all minigames: minigames.zip
Merkinnät:
8-bit,
c-64,
minigames,
programming
Gymnopedies

Shoot the pedies before they reach you. Keep the screen clean of rocks or the pedies will get to you faster. Watch out for drops that appear when you crush rocks.
Joystick left/right to move, hold button for rapid fire.
Gymnopedies took the 1st place in the Minigame Compo 2006 1K series.
Download the game: gymnopedies.prg
Source code: gymnopedies-source.zip
Download all minigames: minigames.zip
Merkinnät:
8-bit,
minigames,
programming,
vic 20
Whack

Find your way through the dungeon levels and bring the Amulet back to the surface. Watch out for fierce guardian Demons and other creatures living in the dungeons.
Use the cursor keys to move. Move towards a monster to attack it. Any items are picked up when you walk on them.
Whack was ranked 1st in the Minigame Compo 2003 1K series, and as a 1K program it's probably the World's smallest roguelike game :)
Download the game: whack.prg
Source code: whack-source.asm
Download all minigames: minigames.zip
Merkinnät:
8-bit,
minigames,
programming,
vic 20
Tammerfors

Steer your car through the Hämeenpuisto park and all the four seasons. Survive the rush hour!
Reach the next season checkpoint before the time runs out. Bonus and extra time are collected at each season change.
Tammerfors reached 2nd place in the Minigame Compo 2003 1K series.
The game graphics should be updated now, since a few years back some bastards chopped down all the hundred-year old trees in Hämeenpuisto.
Download the game: tammerfors.prg
Source code: tammerfors-source.zip
Type-in listing: tammerfors-list.txt
Download all minigames: minigames.zip
Merkinnät:
8-bit,
minigames,
programming,
vic 20
Vuokatti

Avoid trees and rocks. Gather speed by hitting the bumps. To slow down turn left or right all the way.
Use keyboard keys < and > to turn left/right. Space to start a new game after a crash.
Vuokatti was my entry to the Minigame Compo 2004 1K series.
Download the game: vuokatti.prg
Source code: vuokatti-source.zip
Type-in listing: vuokatti-list.txt
Download all minigames: minigames.zip
Merkinnät:
8-bit,
minigames,
programming,
vic 20
Uleåborg

70% of Finnish people would like to live in one-family houses. In Uleåborg only 23% live in one-family houses.
Take action now and destroy all those tall, ugly and depressing apartment buildings before they destroy you.
Press space to drop bombs.
Uleåborg was written for the Minigame Compo 2001 0.5K series.
Download the game: uleaborg.prg
Source code: uleaborg-source.asm
Download all minigames: minigames.zip
Merkinnät:
8-bit,
c-64,
minigames,
programming
Kilodium

Shoot the enemy ships and watch out for walls. Enjoy the ride!
Use joystick in Port 2.
Kilodium was written for the Minigame Compo 2006 1K series.
Download the game: kilodium.prg
Source code: kilodium-source.zip
Download all minigames: minigames.zip
Merkinnät:
8-bit,
c-64,
minigames,
programming
Helsingfors

Helsingfors, the capital of Finland, is such an overcrowded place that the main roads have three lanes going in each direction. Try to survive this insane traffic with a flat tire and no brakes.
Use joystick in port 2. Press fire to start new game.
This was one of my entries to the Minigame Compo 2001 0.5K series.
Download the game: helsingfors.prg
Source code: helsingfors-source.asm
Download all minigames: minigames.zip
Merkinnät:
8-bit,
c-64,
minigames,
programming
Thursday, 17 May 2007
Old Amiga Mods
Here's some music I wrote on Amiga 500 in 1989-1992. I was 13 years old and very enthusiastic about the subject. Personally, I would like to see these sounds to disappear, but they are all over the fucking internet in various mod collections, there's nothing I can do.
Download: amiga_modules.zip
Download: amiga_modules.zip
Merkinnät:
amiga
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