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Tempest 4000 announced (Jeff Minter, 2017, PC and consoles)

B

Beer Monkey

Member
Rh0BwXg.png


:)
 
Agent X

Agent X

Member
This is fantastic news! I'm ready to serve a piping hot feast of electric death to a whole new generation of vector villains!
 
P

Poimandres

Member
This is wonderful news. TxK is fantastic, especially the soundtrack.

I wonder how much will be changed for this release? Doesn't matter, day 1 for me.
 
B

Beer Monkey

Member
Baron_Calamity said:
hmm well that's confusing.
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Why would they hold a grudge? They are a business. Just because TxK was unlicensed and they forced a soft cease and desist on it (only as far as releasing for additional platforms...TxK can still be bought for Vita to this day) isn't any reason to not work with Jeff on a licensed release. Jeff wrote the book on modern Tempest when he created Tempest 2000. There's money to be made. There's no place in business for making decisions based on spite.
 
S

Shaneus

Member
I still want to see a proper release of T2K to come out for PC. Right now the Jaguar emulator is still very basic and the only other way to play it is via unlocking it on Tempest X3 for PS1 via a PS1 emulator... which happens to be the way I play it on my Vita :cool:
 
Agent X

Agent X

Member
Shaneus said:
I still want to see a proper release of T2K to come out for PC. Right now the Jaguar emulator is still very basic and the only other way to play it is via unlocking it on Tempest X3 for PS1 via a PS1 emulator... which happens to be the way I play it on my Vita :cool:
Click to expand...

There was an official release of Tempest 2000 for PC. More correctly, there were two separate official releases of Tempest 2000 for PC.

The first version of the game was published by Atari itself in early 1996, and ran under MS-DOS. I personally own this version.

The second version of the game was published by Interplay about 1½ to 2 years later, around the same time that they released Tempest 2000 for Saturn and Tempest X3 for PlayStation. Interplay's release ran under Windows 95, but I think they might've included Atari's MS-DOS version on the disc as well.

I had a thought earlier today that it would be awesome if Atari and Llamasoft could produce "Tempest 2000 Remastered" for modern hardware. I'd basically take the existing Jaguar game, and make the following changes:

  • Graphics rendered at high resolution that you'd typically expect from today's computers and game consoles.
  • 60 fps (or higher on PCs), with crisp anti-aliased vectors similar to what you see from the TxK engine.
  • Player can choose to use the original MOD music from the original Jaguar cartridge version of the game, or the CD soundtrack.

No other changes are necessary. Carry over the bitmaps ("Excellent", "1UP", score figures, etc.), Gouraud shading on the polygons, and pixelshatter and Melt-O-Vision effects exactly like they appeared on the Jaguar game.

Maybe this could be a bonus game mode for Tempest 4000. :)
 
Agent X

Agent X

Member
I was talking with a friend yesterday about this game, and we wondered if it would contain music from T2K or other games in the series. It's nice to see that will be the case here. This game just keeps getting better!

Tempest X3 and Tempest 3000 each had a few songs not found in any other game in the series. It would be a treat to have some of those songs in this game, as many people might not have heard them (particularly with T3K, as very few people were exposed to that game or the NUON platform).
 
S

Shaneus

Member
Agent X said:
There was an official release of Tempest 2000 for PC. More correctly, there were two separate official releases of Tempest 2000 for PC.

The first version of the game was published by Atari itself in early 1996, and ran under MS-DOS. I personally own this version.

The second version of the game was published by Interplay about 1½ to 2 years later, around the same time that they released Tempest 2000 for Saturn and Tempest X3 for PlayStation. Interplay's release ran under Windows 95, but I think they might've included Atari's MS-DOS version on the disc as well.

I had a thought earlier today that it would be awesome if Atari and Llamasoft could produce "Tempest 2000 Remastered" for modern hardware. I'd basically take the existing Jaguar game, and make the following changes:

  • Graphics rendered at high resolution that you'd typically expect from today's computers and game consoles.
  • 60 fps (or higher on PCs), with crisp anti-aliased vectors similar to what you see from the TxK engine.
  • Player can choose to use the original MOD music from the original Jaguar cartridge version of the game, or the CD soundtrack.

No other changes are necessary. Carry over the bitmaps ("Excellent", "1UP", score figures, etc.), Gouraud shading on the polygons, and pixelshatter and Melt-O-Vision effects exactly like they appeared on the Jaguar game.

Maybe this could be a bonus game mode for Tempest 4000. :)
Click to expand...
Ugh, I'm such an idiot... I actually own the Interplay release of T2K for PC! Hell, I used to listen to the CD audio in my car, such is the huge nerd that I am.
 
C

cartman414

Member
yyr said:
Thanks Beer Monkey for posting the tweets. That basically confirms that the work on the PS4/PC versions of TxK will not have gone to waste. =)



Yes, I see what you're saying. TxK is definitely a Tempest sequel, nobody disputes that. But only the name is protected. Legal precedent says that you can copyright names, but not gameplay concepts. Look up Data East vs. Capcom, etc. This entire industry is full of games that can be described as "this other game, but better" or "this other game, with improvements" and TxK is no exception.

Konami seeks legal action against anyone who attempts to create rhythm games using a "scrolling thing reaches line" style of gameplay and finds success doing so. They've sued everyone from Harmonix to Andamiro to Pentavision to the makers of In The Groove (which they then acquired). AFAIK, they did so by actually patenting the graphical interface that makes this sort of gameplay possible, because they couldn't do it any other way.

If it had gone to trial, I figure Jeff would have won, but the necessary legal team would have likely cost more than the game had made in the first place, so it wasn't worth it. So the point is moot.



Granted, the player population was not that huge, so it's not as much of an accomplishment as you'd think, lol.
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Heh. If you could copyright gameplay concepts, Angry Birds shouldn't even exist. Which is why I felt the C&D for TxK was garbage.
 
H

HueyFreeman

Banned
Beer Monkey said:
T2K and TxK music in T4K.

Also he tweeted that the ports of TxK were always going to be enhanced. It was never going to be the exact same game. Now it also is official Tempest. TxK+ has become T4K.
Click to expand...

Oh man - this is fucking tremendous news, the TxK soundtrack is absolutely one of the best electronic soundtracks I've ever heard in a game.

Also, this basically continues to be BeerMonkey's thread :b
 
B

Beer Monkey

Member
HueyFreeman said:
Oh man - this is fucking tremendous news, the TxK soundtrack is absolutely one of the best electronic soundtracks I've ever heard in a game.

Also, this basically continues to be BeerMonkey's thread :b
Click to expand...

I'm a bit of a Tempest nut. When T2K came out I already owned a full-sized Tempest upright (and an Asteroids upright to boot). I wasn't willing to pay $250 for a Jag but when it dropped to $180 with an extra controller with T2K I jumped in. I bought a Nuon for T3K (terrible controllers on that 'system'!) and a PSTV to play TxK (which I had bought at launch for Vita) on my TV.

So, yeah, I'm really happy with all this news.
 
Agent X

Agent X

Member
Beer Monkey said:
Giles playtesting for over 3 minutes Includes warp level at end. Warning: The phone camera is somewhat potato-like.

Link
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YES! YES! YES!

I noticed the Tempest 2000 music in the video. It appears to be the MOD music from the Jaguar version, which is highly appreciated since it would offer gapless looping for those long play sessions.

It appears that he's also implemented tilt controls for the transitions between levels. That's nice also, since this was a feature of TxK on PS Vita which does not work properly when that game is played on PSTV (actually makes it significantly easier to score bonus points on the PSTV).

Finally, take a look at the Atari-inspired level names. They might simply be placeholder names, but you never know.
 
Unmoses

Unmoses

Member
Had Tempest 2k for the Saturn and eventually PC. Sadly I could never get the PC version working in the more recent years, absolutely love it. Can't wait!!
 
B

Beer Monkey

Member
Agent X said:
YES! YES! YES!

I noticed the Tempest 2000 music in the video. It appears to be the MOD music from the Jaguar version, which is highly appreciated since it would offer gapless looping for those long play sessions.
Click to expand...

I had those old MODs for years, a link to an FTP site hosting them was posted on rec.games.video.atari on USENET back in the day when they were ripped. I prefer the MOD mixes to the official CD soundtrack mixes, which I also have. Reminder to all, you can legally buy the TxK soundtrack on Bandcamp, I did that day one to support Llamasoft and the composers.

It appears that he's also implemented tilt controls for the transitions between levels. That's nice also, since this was a feature of TxK on PS Vita which does not work properly when that game is played on PSTV (actually makes it significantly easier to score bonus points on the PSTV).
Click to expand...

The tilt control makes it a lot harder to stay in the rings!

Finally, take a look at the Atari-inspired level names. They might simply be placeholder names, but you never know.
Click to expand...

I noticed that.

Hopefully now that this video is out people get the point that TxK on consoles and PC has essentially been saved. T4K is not a new game. It's an evolved version of TxK, and the console and PC versions were always going to be evolved. Everybody wins. The loss of TxK on non-Vita platforms has been reversed. And now Jeff can load it up with old Tempest music and old Atari game references.
 
SturokBGD

SturokBGD

Member
Ha, that's TxK alright. So all's well that ends well. Awesome!

Fake Atari could have saved themselves a lot of ill will if they just did this in the first place, if the end result is the same. I wonder what happened.
 
T

Tamanator

Member
stuminus3 said:
Ha, that's TxK alright. So all's well that ends well. Awesome!

Fake Atari could have saved themselves a lot of ill will if they just did this in the first place, if the end result is the same. I wonder what happened.
Click to expand...

Perhaps Minter went and had a chat with them, something he probably should have done from the beginning.
 
B

Beer Monkey

Member
Jeff Minter‏ @llamasoft_ox 30m30 minutes ago

Going to Gamescom? If you are drop by Atari and play through the T4K demo that'll be there. If you beat my score I'll send you a prize.
Click to expand...

I'm guessing somebody here is going to Gamescom next week. Give us a full report!
 
H

HueyFreeman

Banned
Beer Monkey said:
I'm guessing somebody here is going to Gamescom next week. Give us a full report!
Click to expand...

Oh man, that's awesome - I wonder why if it's playable they didn't show a trailer at announcement. I guess probably because Atari, but still, you'd think Jeff would want that out there.
 
B

Beer Monkey

Member
HueyFreeman said:
Oh man, that's awesome - I wonder why if it's playable they didn't show a trailer at announcement. I guess probably because Atari, but still, you'd think Jeff would want that out there.
Click to expand...

I think the whole Tempest 4000 deal came together so fast it was kind of last minute!

chronic_archaic said:
Hoping this is for Xbox One but I also hope I have a PS4 by then so...

2017? Shit yeah this better be on Xbox :)
Click to expand...

Published by Atari? Yeah, it'll be on Xbox.
 
B

Beer Monkey

Member
AmyS said:
Awesome.

Jeff, please release Attack of the Mutant Camels '89 (the never-released Konix Multi-System game).]
Click to expand...

I actually had a TT030 for a while and had Llamazap for it (plays with a Jaguar controller). Reminds me of this.

Actually, I probably still have Llamazap somewhere but I sold the TT030 a long time ago.
 
Clockwork

Clockwork

Member
It sounds bad, but I have never enjoyed Tempest. It's one of those things that despite trying to I just couldn't get into it.
 
B

Beer Monkey

Member
Novocaine said:
I love TxK. As fucked up as that whole situation was I'm glad it's all worked out and he's allowed to make this.
Click to expand...

I mean, all he really did was take the in-progress, already-enhanced code base for TxK console/PC and slap Atari assets in it and continue the project.

I guess it'd be cool if there were an Easter egg that let you change the title screen to read 'TxK' but I don't really need it. I know what it is.
 
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