C64 Games memories - Parallax scrolling - Technical

In this episode of Commodore 64 retro games memories, I look at Parallax Scrolling used in several games, the techniques used, and where they are used.
Techniques used for each game: docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...
github.com/martinpiper/Debugg...
Older deep dive videos:
Hawkeye: • C64 Games memories - T...
Morpheus: • C64 Games memories - ...
Tusari: • C64 Games memories - T...
00:11 Commodore 64 screen display
00:40 Horizontal scrolling - Code!
11:50 Shadow of the Beast
26:28 C64anabalt
35:57 Hawkeye 2 demo
38:55 Hawkeye (original version)
40:30 Firebird
45:40 Lost Robot II
47:02 Army Moves
48:45 Morpheus
50:40 Tusari
54:46 Zeta Wing 2
57:02 SEUCK Redux
1:00:28 Parallax
1:01:48 Results!

[@1977Monolith]

Great vid. On a side note, showing one interface at a time with full screen switching makes things much easier to follow than having lots of windows.

[@paulheams4953]

The cat had a lot to say at the end! 🙂 Great video of the techniques used!

[@aNdy_AL_C0S]

Nice breakdown of the various games and the types of scroll used! I did some fake parallax snow falling at different speeds on a static screen, but I've not used parallax within a scrolling screen itself. Going to have to tackle that one day...

[@rwxdesigns]

One of the earliest Parallax usage was in Suicide Express which was around 1984/1985 by Tony Crowther. He also used parallax in Phobia.

[@kaviolalainen]

Forbidden Forest could go on this list too. Its parallax effect is simple in implementation, but it works well and must have been quite stunning to see back in 1983.

[@MartinPiper6502]

Yes, unfortunately, I was getting time limited

[@huberthans4312]

One of the best games with this topic i miss: Turrican II > Shmup Levels, especially the last level with the endboss and the last with the ship. (Fight against the mine)

[@lupinthird]

I just noticed that Psygnosis is spelled incorrectly at 20:31! It’s spelled Pysgnosis!

[@igork3522]

Great video again! Thank you so much.

[@PeranMe]

Yay, I love these videos!

[@cpu_UP]

Thanks! One thing I always tried to understand what how the players (2 or 3) were done in Exploding Fist, IK, and IK+

[@MartinPiper6502]

Thank you for the super thanks :) Those games are on the list.

[@MartinPiper6502]

IK+ was done a couple of videos ago

[@gazzaka]

Excellent ! TY

[@spacefractal]

checkout Operation Wolf as well. That game has some unexcepted pallarax scrolling.

[@MartinPiper6502]

I wanted to include it, but the video was already quite long.

[@spacefractal]

@@MartinPiper6502 hihi, ok :-). Im liked how the status works in that game. Not as im excepted it. But cool implentation.

[@luxocrates]

I’d be really interested to learn how Nebulus achieved its effect.

[@MartinPiper6502]

It's certainly on my list of games to look at :)

[@MartinPiper6502]

Nebulus is the latest video

[@ArneChristianRosenfeldt]

If the C64 had more compatibility between sprites and background, a general algorithm would be possible. For every character line, find the dominating depth and draw as characters. All other characters go into sprites. Sprites would need to be easily crunchable to 8 line height. Sprite data would need to follow this weird horizontal, vertical, horizontal interleave layout of tiles. Bitmap graphics is more compatible than sprites are. NES is better.

[@beelinkk]

meow