Blastopia DX - Special Edition

Blastopia is a fast paced horizontal scrolling space shoot 'em up which was originally written in 2018, It was made as part of a games development tutorial which is called Assemble It. The tutorial gives you plenty of information on how to create and develop a very simple horizontal scrolling Shoot Em Up.

Later on In 2019, Blastopia DX was developed as part of an entry for RGCDs 16KB Cartridge Compo 2018/2019. However to mark the 5th anniversary of Blastopia, a very special edition has been made specially for the Zzap! 64 Micro Action Covermount (Issue 17).  Behold Blastopia DX - Special Edition.

It is still more or less Blastopia DX, but due to time restrictions, such as other projects like Alpacalypse for example.  I wasn't able to add more levels to the game but I wanted to deliver something specially before Christmas time. Since the game is hard enough, there probably was no need. Instead the game production has been extended slightly to bring out more of a challenge. The game consists of the following:

- Updated front end presentation with scroll text
- Hi score table and saver (if playing disk version)
- A set of in game difficulty options (Standard / Arcade / Death Run)
- Eight different horizontal scrolling game worlds
- Eight levels of alien blasting action
- Background animation including star field and deadly lazers
- Upbeat music and sound effects
- Plenty of addictive alien blasting
- PAL and NTSC compatible
- Compatible with 1541Ultimate, Ultimate 64, theC64 mini/full size computers

INTRODUCTION

It is the year 2092. Sightings of an alien ship was discovered. Scientists set their communication satellites to welcome the alien kind and offered to trade with the aliens. Unfortunately,  humans and aliens didn't understand each other, so the aliens hovered down and captured camels from zoos and farms around the world. Then they fled into different planets. Luckily, scientists were watching. Unfortunately, you have been chosen by the Inter Space Rescue (ISR) authority to set off into deep space and enter each of the 8 alien planets on a rescue and destroy mission.

PLAYING THE GAME

Your mission is to send your mega power blaster ship, Blastopia and try to destroy the planets. In order to do this, you must battle against a complete fleet of assorted aliens. Each alien can be destroyed with one hit of your lasers. The faster aliens shot will result in more points for you.  For every complete fleet of aliens hit, a camel will appear and start falling. Pick the camel up, and you will add one camel to the quota. If you fail to rescue it,  you still can keep on shooting the fleet of aliens until you have enough camels.

Once you have rescued all of the camels you required, you will be prompted to make a safe landing. After you successfully land on to the landing pad,. You will  destroy the alien world and then be awarded a bonus, according to your shield count.  

Do not crash into any aliens or scrolling background or get frazzled by the laser gates - otherwise you could end up draining your shield quickly. Once the shield is zeroed, your ship will self-destruct. You will only have 3 lives. Bonus lives will be awarded for every level that has been completed. You will need those, as each stage will eventually become more tougher and possibly insane.

Can you rescue enough camels, land safely and destroy all of the alien planets or will death become a fate for you?

CONTROLS

Use a joystick in port 2

- Up, down, left right to move your Blastopia ship

- Fire to fire your lasers

Control Key to pause game. (Fire will resume play)

A BIT OF BACKGROUND ABOUT THIS GAME

Blastopia first came out as an example game as part of the assembly coding tutorial Assemble It on the T.N.D web site in 2018. The game later got enhanced as part of a production for the RGCD 16KB cartridge competition 2018/2019. Saul Cross jumped in to create and develop the game graphics, and I did better music for the game. In the fall of 2023, I decided to work a bit more magic on Blastopia DX. This new and final version features a fully functional hi score table, slightly better sprite to background collision and also a choice of three different game options based on levels of difficulty:

- Standard mode: Perhaps the easiest of all modes, giving you five lives and a shield value of 99. Extra lives per level clear.

- Arcade mode: Like with the original Blastopia, 3 lives and a shield value of 50. Extra lives per level clear.

- Death run: A special competition mode, 1 life and a shield value of 50. No extra lives.

CREDITS

Programming, sound effects and music by RICHARD BAYLISS
Graphics, sprites and level designs by SAUL CROSS
Exomizer Map level de-crunch routines by MAGNUS LIND
Tape turbo source by MARTIN PIPER with ZAP 'N LOAD loader game by RICHARD BAYLISS

(C)2023 The New Dimension

This game, and its content is classed as free digital software. TND Games consents copying, sharing, modification/improvements and respectable broadcast of this production. However TND Games does not consent any part of this production to be used for physical or digital reproduction for sales or marketing of this production, nor its other productions without written permission from TND Games.