Alpha Waves

Last updated
Alpha Waves
Alpha Waves cover.jpg
European cover
Developer(s) Infogrames
Publisher(s) Infogrames (International)
Data East (North America)
Designer(s) Christophe de Dinechin
Platform(s) Atari ST, Amiga, DOS
ReleaseAugust 1, 1990
Genre(s) Platformer
Mode(s) Single player (DOS), multiplayer (Atari ST, Amiga)

Alpha Waves is a 1990 3D [1] game that combines labyrinthine exploration with platform gameplay. It combined for the first time full-screen, six-axis, flat-shaded 3D with 3D object interaction (like bouncing on a platform). Alpha Waves was an abstract game with a moody, artistic presentation, named for its supposed ability to stimulate the different emotional centers of the brain with its use of color and music. The game was awarded the Guinness Book of Records title for First 3D platform game [2]

Contents


It was developed initially for the Atari ST by Christophe de Dinechin, and later ported to the Amiga and DOS. The DOS port was done by Frédérick Raynal, a notable game designer who would go on to develop Alone in the Dark and Little Big Adventure . He has said that his work on Alpha Waves was a major inspiration for the 3D engine for Alone in the Dark. [3] [4] The PC version was also localized in North America by Data East, and retitled Continuum. Infogrames may have also published their own version in the US under the original title, and it was also released as a part of no less than two Infogrames compilations, on which it retained its original name.

In November 2012, Christophe de Dinechin released the complete assembly language and GFA BASIC development tools source code for the Atari ST version. [5] There is also a started PC port in C++ on SourceForge by the original author. [6] [7]

Mechanics

Alpha Waves features two main modes of play: Action and Emotion. [8] The core gameplay in both is the same.

In emotion mode, players guide one of six crafts (which are little more than geometric shapes in many cases) onto trampoline-like platforms. On these platforms, the player bounces automatically, higher, with each jump, until he reaches the maximum height possible for that platform (some are stronger than others). Every room in the game is a cube, and the walls contain doorways leading to other rooms. In this way, players have to work their way through the game's rooms, and reach different areas based on different emotions.

In Action Mode, players also work against the clock. Time bonuses are awarded for entering new rooms, and keys can be collected to open new paths. There is not a particular end to the game, but the goal is simply to last as long and to discover as much as possible before time runs out. Emotion Mode allows players to explore without time constraints, but players are not allowed to cross certain game boundaries.

Emotion mode was not time limited, and allowed players to explore the game environment freely. While completing the game in Action Mode was very difficult, many players simply enjoyed exploring the game territory in Emotion Mode. [9]

Version differences

Alpha Waves was initially released on the Atari ST. This version is notable for allowing two players to compete simultaneously. It lacked music entirely on the Atari 520ST, because of insufficient memory to store the music samples. On Atari 1040ST and later models, the theme song played during the intro. The music was stored on the second side of the floppy disk, since any Atari ST with enough memory also had a dual-sided floppy drive. A promotional version of the program was distributed by a French magazine on single-sided floppy disks, crashing any machine with more than 512K of memory.

The Amiga port was second and added a theme song at the title screen. The interface is similar, but the zone select in Emotion has been redone. Beyond this, it is very similar to the original - including the retention of the split-screen two player mode.

The DOS version was the last one, and contains a number of improvements. This version supported AdLib/SoundBlaster sound cards. The soundtrack was also expanded to play in-game, and each zone had its own music. Additionally some of the mobiles have been changed, level layouts tweaked, and the camera tilting toned down for easier viewing. The menus and level selection screen have been redone again, and are noticeably enhanced. The DOS version also includes a two player Action Mode (turn-based as opposed to the split-screen of the other two versions).

The DOS version lacks a mechanism to regulate speed when played on systems faster than it was intended for (essentially causing it to play in fast forward on newer hardware). However, when played on a properly configured system or emulator, this can offer the highest frame rate and most reactive controls, for solo play especially.

Technology

Other 3D games of the same era include various ports of Elite (1984-1991), Falcon (1987), Driller (1987), Starglider 2 (1988), and Hovertank 3D (1991). Alpha-Waves (1990) brought a number of innovations to the 3D gaming experience that make it a significant landmark in 3D gaming: [10] [11]

Alpha Waves ran on 16-bit microcomputers that did not have hardware floating-point capabilities. For that reason, it performed all perspective and rotation computations using only integer arithmetics. In order to avoid using integer multiplications, which were expensive at the time, it described objects using displacements that were multiples of a base vector. For instance, a square in the Z plane would have been described as "+1X +1Y -1X -1Y". As a result, the vast majority of geometric computations were performed using only additions, not multiplications.

The computation of sine and cosines was similarly done using only integer arithmetic. All angles were represented using not degrees, but 1/256 of a circle. A lookup table contained the value of the sine multiplied by 32767. Multiplying this value by a 16-bit coordinate gave a 32-bit value, and the 16-bit high-half of that result was used.

Another key to performance was a highly optimized polygon-filling routine, which used a number of tricks, including an assembly version of Duff's device to achieve a high fill rate, besting the in-house self-modifying routine Infogrames was using at the time.

The Atari ST and Amiga versions were written in assembly language. The DOS version was written in C.

Reception

Computer Gaming World stated that the game "plays like one would expect a Star Trek: The Next Generation "holodeck" game to play". The magazine said that it offered "some fascinating game experiences", but the lack of combat or two-player modem racing—and goals so uninteresting that they "actually detract from the game"—caused it to "fall short in the most important department of lasting entertainment". [22]

The One gave the DOS version of Alpha Waves an overall score of 80%, calling it the "most abstract and original" game of Infogrames' Crystal Collection, and begins their review by noting that "Alpha Waves' effect is so dependent on colour and sound that you really do need a fast VGA machine with an AdLib sound card to get the most out of it. However, even with all the suitable hardware Alpha Waves doesn't have much of a lasting appeal." The One furthermore expresses that "It's quite an entertaining way to spend a few hours, but the problem is that as nice as the idea is there simply isn't enough variety to sustain interest. After a few weeks play the only state of mind that Alpha Waves will induce is boredom." In regards to Alpha Waves proposed psychological aspect, The One states that "Whether the light and sound frequencies actually do have some effect is difficult to tell - certainly no-one here noticed any difference." Despite these criticisms, The One praises Alpha Waves as "very original", and also praises its soundtrack as "simple but effective". [21]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atari ST</span> Line of home computers from Atari Corporation

The Atari ST is a line of personal computers from Atari Corporation and the successor to the Atari 8-bit family. The initial model, the Atari 520ST, had limited release in April–June 1985 and was widely available in July. It was the first personal computer with a bitmapped color GUI, using a version of Digital Research's GEM from February 1985. The Atari 1040ST, released in 1986 with 1 MB of RAM, was the first home computer with a cost-per-kilobyte of less than US$1.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deluxe Paint</span> Raster graphics editor

Deluxe Paint, often referred to as DPaint, is a bitmap graphics editor created by Dan Silva for Electronic Arts and published for the then-new Amiga 1000 in November 1985. A series of updated versions followed, some of which were ported to other platforms. An MS-DOS release with support for the 256 color VGA standard became popular for creating pixel graphics in video games in the 1990s.

<i>Llamatron</i> 1991 video game programmed by Jeff Minter

Llamatron is a multidirectional shooter video game programmed by Jeff Minter of Llamasoft and released in 1991 for the Atari ST and Amiga and in 1992 for MS-DOS. Based on Robotron: 2084, players of Llamatron control the eponymous creature in an attempt to stop an alien invasion of Earth and rescue animals—referred to as "Beasties"—for points. Players advance by destroying all of the enemies on each level using a laser that fires automatically in the direction that the Llamatron is moving. Various power-ups exist to aid the player in defeating the wide variety of enemies and obstacles they face along the way.

<i>Premier Manager</i> Video game series

Premier Manager is a series of a football management video games started in 1992. Published by Gremlin Interactive, it was first developed by Realms of Fantasy, later passed to Spanish company Dinamic Multimedia. The later games were later published and developed by Zoo Digital Publishing, who bought the rights from Infogrames and hired some members of the original Gremlin staff. The latest releases in the series were developed by Urbanscan Limited, a company established by Gremlin founder Ian Stewart.

<i>Supaplex</i> 1991 video game

Supaplex is a video game created by Philip Jespersen and Michael Stopp, two Swiss students, and published by Digital Integration in 1991. It is an extended clone of Boulder Dash.

<i>Stunt Car Racer</i> 1989 video game

Stunt Car Racer is a racing video game developed by Geoff Crammond. It was published in 1989 by MicroProse, under their MicroStyle and MicroPlay labels in the United Kingdom and in the United States, respectively. The game pits two racers on an elevated track on which they race in a head-to-head competition, with ramps they must correctly drive off as the main obstacle.

<i>Star Goose</i> 1988 video game

Star Goose is a vertically scrolling shooter that was published for the Amiga, Atari ST, and MS-DOS by Logotron in 1988. The player controls Scouser-Gitt, who pilots the eponymous Star Goose, a vessel that has been commissioned to scour the planet Nom and collect 48 crystals. Players must collect all six crystals in each of the game's eight levels to advance, while at the same time avoiding or destroying enemies and maintaining their shield, ammunition, and fuel levels. The game's surfaces are contoured, which affects the way that bullets travel, and contain tunnels that switch modes to a three-dimensional perspective where the player can replenish their resources.

<i>Striker</i> (video game) 1992 video game

Striker is a soccer video game series first released by Rage Software in 1992.

<i>Zarch</i> 1987 computer game

Zarch is a computer game developed by David Braben in 1987, for the release of the Acorn Archimedes computer. Zarch started off as a demo called Lander which was bundled with almost all releases of the Acorn Archimedes.

<i>RoboCop 3</i> (video game) 1991 video game

RoboCop 3 is a video game based on the 1993 film of the same name. Amiga, Atari ST and DOS versions were developed by Digital Image Design beginning in September 1990, and published by Ocean Software in December 1991. The Digital Image Design version includes multiple gameplay styles. During 1992 and 1993, other versions consisting of side-scrolling platform gameplay were released for the Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, NES, Super NES, Game Gear, Master System, and Sega Genesis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frédérick Raynal</span> French video game designer

Frédérick Raynal is a French video game designer and programmer, notable for his game developments in Infogrames, Adeline Software International and No Cliché. He is married to Yaël Barroz, a fellow game designer, with whom he has two children.

<i>Bubble Ghost</i> 1987 video game

Bubble Ghost is an action video game originally created by Christophe Andréani for the Atari ST and published by ERE Informatique in 1987.

Amiga software is computer software engineered to run on the Amiga personal computer. Amiga software covers many applications, including productivity, digital art, games, commercial, freeware and hobbyist products. The market was active in the late 1980s and early 1990s but then dwindled. Most Amiga products were originally created directly for the Amiga computer, and were not ported from other platforms.

<i>Arcticfox</i> 1986 video game

Arcticfox is a science fiction tank simulation video game developed by Dynamix and published by Electronic Arts in 1986. It was published in Europe by Ariolasoft. A sequel to Dynamix's Stellar 7, Arcticfox was developed for the Amiga as one of the platform's first titles but was quickly ported to other platforms including the Atari ST, Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, MS-DOS and Apple II. A third game was released in the series in 1991 titled Nova 9: The Return of Gir Draxon.

Test Drive is a series of racing video games that were originally published by Accolade until they were bought by Infogrames, the first game was released in 1987 and has since been followed by several sequels and spin-offs, the last of which was released in 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hostages (video game)</span>

Template:Infobox video game arcade

<i>First Samurai</i> 1991 video game

First Samurai, alternatively titled The First Samurai, is a 1991 beat 'em up platform game developed by Vivid Image and published by Image Works. The First Samurai was originally released in September 1991 for the Amiga and Atari ST, and was later ported to the Commodore 64, MS-DOS and the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It was followed by a sequel, Second Samurai, in 1994. In 2011 a port was released for iOS.

Christophe de Dinechin is a French computer scientist, with contributions in video games, programming languages and operating systems.

<i>Pro Tennis Tour 2</i> 1991 video game

Pro Tennis Tour 2 is a sports video game developed by Blue Byte Software for the Amiga and published by Ubisoft in 1991. It is the sequel to the 1989 game Pro Tennis Tour. Pro Tennis Tour 2 was ported to MS-DOS compatible operating systems and the Atari ST. A sequel, Jimmy Connors Pro Tennis Tour (1992), was released for the Super Nintendo.

<i>Chess Simulator</i> 1990 video game

Chess Simulator is a 1990 chess video game developed by Oxfordshire-based Oxford Softworks and published by Infogrames for the Amiga, Atari ST, and MS-DOS. Oxford Softworks' previous chess program, Chess Champion 2175, was released only a few months before Chess Simulator. Chess Simulator is part of Infogrames' Simulator series, which includes Dames Simulator, Bridge Simulator, Billiards Simulator, and an unreleased Pinballs Simulator.

References

  1. ↑ Dinechin, Christophe de (17 January 2013). "Is it worth disputing the title of "first 3D game on a PC" to John Carmack?". Grenouillebouillie.wordpress.com.
  2. ↑ "Guinness World Record for First 3D Platform Game".
  3. ↑ "Adventure Europe". www.adventure-eu.com. Archived from the original on 13 March 2007. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  4. ↑ "The Making of: Alone in the Dark - Edge Magazine". www.next-gen.biz. Archived from the original on 5 September 2012. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
  5. ↑ "cc3d.free.fr/Alpha-Waves.zip". Cc3d.free.fr. Retrieved 2017-08-19.
  6. ↑ Dinechin, Christophe de (9 November 2007). "The dawn of 3D games…". Grenouillebouillie.wordpress.com/. Retrieved 19 August 2017.
  7. ↑ "Alpha-Waves / Continuum". SourceForge.net. 21 February 2013. Retrieved 19 August 2017.
  8. ↑ "Continuum for Amiga (1991) - MobyGames". MobyGames. Retrieved 2017-08-19.
  9. ↑ "Continuum (Game) - Giant Bomb". Giant Bomb. Retrieved 2017-08-19.
  10. ↑ "The dawn of 3D games..." Grenouille-bouillie.blogspot.com. Retrieved 2017-08-19.
  11. ↑ "The Top 10 Most Psychedelic Video Games Ever". Destructoid.com. Retrieved 2017-08-19.
  12. ↑ Douglas, Jim (December 1990). "Alpha Waves". ACE . No. 40. p. 46. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
  13. ↑ Hoogh, Eva (January 1991). "Pure Psychedelik". Aktueller Software Markt (in German). Retrieved September 7, 2021.
  14. ↑ "SP Outro". Amiga Format . No. 23. June 1991. p. 101. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
  15. ↑ Ramshaw, Mark (June 1991). "Alpha Waves". Amiga Power . No. 2. pp. 79, 81. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
  16. ↑ "Alpha Waves". Computer and Video Games . No. 112. March 1991. p. 75. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
  17. 1 2 Moulinex; Kaaa (December 1990). "Alpha Waves". Joystick (in French). No. 11. pp. 284–285. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
  18. ↑ Boardman, Julian (April 1991). "Alpha Waves". Raze . No. 6. p. 62. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
  19. ↑ Lawton, Rod (January 1991). "Alpha Waves". ST Format . No. 18. p. 99. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
  20. ↑ Ghirardelli, Aaron (February 1991). "Alpha Waves". The Games Machine (in Italian). No. 28. pp. 84–85. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
  21. 1 2 Scotford, Laurence (January 1991). "Alpha Waves DOS Review". The One. No. 28. emap Images. p.  86.
  22. ↑ Taylor, Matt (July 1991). "A Good Time Continuum". Computer Gaming World. No. 84. pp. 10–11. Retrieved 18 November 2013.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.