msx-pyramidwarpex

Disassembly, reverse engineering, and possible enhancement of the MSX game cartridge "Pyramid Warp (1983)"

Versions:

• PyramidWarp.annotated.asm:

  • The annotated disassembly of Pyramid Warp (1983).
  • Assembles to the original ROM, verbatim.

• PyramidWarp.enhanced.asm:

  • The original source code, once disassembled, was easy to understand and easy to improve because it used no compression, did no clever tricks, and underused some resources (e.g.: the game looked like SCREEN 1 despite being SCREEN2 already).
  • This is a patcheable version of the original source code that allows several of those enhancements.
  • This version keeps most of the original source code untouched and, actually, a pixel-perfect clone of the original game can be assembled from this!

• PyramidWarp.enhanced+.asm:

  • This version break ties with the original source code wherever necessary to accomodate not-so-easy-to-fit enhancements (such as a proper music replayer or a sprite flickering routine)

Enhancements

Original enhancements by theNestruo

• Moved RAM start from $C000 to $E000 (RAM requirement is now 8KB)
• Unused data removed. Data realigned to simplify routines and to free space (+512 bytes freed)
• Disabled keyboard click sound
• Player starts looking down instead of up (simply because it looks better)
• Numbers in scoreboard aligned right to improve readability
• Patcheable colors (symbolic constants in assembly code)
• Patcheable graphics (external binaries for font, charset and sprites)
• Patcheable room definitions (external assembly code)
• 5th and 6th enemy slots can be enabled

Additional enhancements by Nenefranz

• Completely new graphic set
• Enemies can look in 4 directions
• Enemies sprites can be replaced by player sprites
• A floor tile can be used instead of transparent character
• Numbers in scoreboard in a different color (to improve readability)
• Fixes the first draw of the playground

Additional enhancements

• Sprite flickering routine
• Proper title charset
• Proper music and sounds! (by Bitcaffe)
• More randomness! Rooms can be mirrored and flipped
• More room definitions! (room editor by Nenefranz)
• Difficulty option! Choose between: easier (3 enemies), original (4 enemies), enhanced (progressive and adaptative number of enemies), and harder (6 enemies).

Credits

Original game

• Pyramid Warp © 1983 by T&E SOFT

Enhanced versions

Enhanced versions by Bitcaffe (music), Nenefranz (code & graphics), and theNestruo (code)

• Pyramid Warp Enhanced/Enhanced+ code © 2021 by Nenefranz & theNestruo is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

• Pyramid Warp Enhanced/Enhanced+ graphics © 2021 by Nenefranz is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

• Pyramid Warp Enhanced+ music © 2021 by Bitcaffe is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

• Pyramid Warp EX map editor © 2021 by Nenefranz is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

External libraries

• ayFX Replayer v1.31 by SapphiRe
• PT3 Replayer by Dioniso, MSX-KUN (ROM version), SapphiRe (asMSX version)
• ZX0 by Einar Saukas

External tools

• PCXTOOLS v2.2 coded by theNestruo
• tniASM v0.45 is written by Patriek Lesparre, © 2000-2013 by The New Image
• Tiled © 2008-2020 Thorbjørn Lindeijer
• ZX0 by Einar Saukas