Bentley Bear's Crystal Quest for Atari 7800

[Sabertooth]

My schedule recently changed so that I have every other Friday off. Lucky me, I went to the P.O. box this morning to find my long awaited copy of Bentley Bear's Crystal Quest. Starring Bentley Bear of Crystal Castles and Atari Karts fame, this Pokey enhanced game was originally intended for the long-delayed XM add-on. Atari Age and Bob DeCrescenzo finally decided to move forward and put it out with the Pokey chip instead. I've avoided playing the rom via emulator as I wanted to be surprised. Early impressions are that this is one great platformer for a console starved for that genre. It also strikes me as one of the most ambitious homebrews undertaken on the 7800. I can't wait to play more.

 

Have you played Crystal Quest? What are your thought?

 

[Starbuck66]

Its on my homebrew wish list; my wife likes to get me these for my birthday and for Christmas, so I usually don't go out and buy them myself.

[RickR]

Make sure to post your review...this looks really cool. 

[TrekMD]

Crystal Quest is the type of game the 7800 needed in the 80's! 

[dauber]

My only complaint is that it takes a long time to finish (I've yet to get past level 2, FWIW) and there doesn't seem to be a way to pick up where you left off if you turn the console off...doesn't take advantage of the HSC to mark your spot, and as far as I can tell there's no password system. The warps (or at least the warp I found!) are helpful.

[DegasElite]

I wouldn't mind playing it, but it's sold out on AtariAge. I don't know if they will make more either. They are like that. Well, here's to wishing anyway.

[DegasElite]

Crystal Quest is the type of game the 7800 needed in the 80's! 

Agreed.

[DegasElite]

On 7/28/2017 at 3:05 PM, atarilbc said:

My schedule recently changed so that I have every other Friday off. Lucky me, I went to the P.O. box this morning to find my long awaited copy of Bentley Bear's Crystal Quest. Starring Bentley Bear of Crystal Castles and Atari Karts fame, this Pokey enhanced game was originally intended for the long-delayed XM add-on. Atari Age and Bob DeCrescenzo finally decided to move forward and put it out with the Pokey chip instead. I've avoided playing the rom via emulator as I wanted to be surprised. Early impressions are that this is one great platformer for a console starved for that genre. It also strikes me as one of the most ambitious homebrews undertaken on the 7800. I can't wait to play more.

Have you played Crystal Quest? What are your thought?

I have been wondering about that XM add-on. Curt Vendel was supposed to come out with it years ago. I know he has been sick, but come on. It would help if he made some headway on the project.

[TrekMD]

Curt recently posted an update about the XM.  Things are moving forward, albeit slow. Unfortunately, he recently had yet another heart surgery but he has recovered already.

Edited July 31, 2017 by TrekMD

[dauber]

I wouldn't mind playing it, but it's sold out on AtariAge. I don't know if they will make more either. They are like that. Well, here's to wishing anyway.

 

"They are like that"....huh???

 

[TrekMD]

Al has also offered to make carts for less if you provide your own POKEY chip. 

[DegasElite]

"They are like that"....huh???

 

Screen Shot 2017-07-31 at 9.10.55 PM.JPG

Well, I am sorry you feel that way. I will be further careful about my words from now on, but let it be in the records on this. I just trust Atari.io more implicitly than I would ever AtariAge. Truth be told. I am sorry if that goes down lumpy with others. 

Edited August 2, 2017 by DegasElite

[DegasElite]

Curt recently posted an update about the XM.  Things are moving forward, albeit slow. Unfortunately, he recently had yet another heart surgery but he has recovered already.

Well, I hope that he gets better. I would like to get the XM add-on when it comes out. It seems to be the Cat's Meow (no pun intended, Atari Jaguar lovers like myself), and I would love to have it when it is mass-produced. I would not wish that kind of of thing on my worst enemy. My great-grandmother passed because of congestive heart failure at 94. I can somewhat empathize with what Mr. Vendel is going through. My condolences to him and hopes for a speedy recovery.

[DegasElite]

My only complaint is that it takes a long time to finish (I've yet to get past level 2, FWIW) and there doesn't seem to be a way to pick up where you left off if you turn the console off...doesn't take advantage of the HSC to mark your spot, and as far as I can tell there's no password system. The warps (or at least the warp I found!) are helpful.

If only it had a battery backup system to save your place in the game as well. Well, at least there are warps. The original Crystal Castles had that as well. Three of them. I used to religiously play that video game in the arcades. The Trak-Ball made it even more fun. Ah, those were the days…

 

But, anyway, if I am able to, I would not mind getting a copy of this unofficial homebrew sequel. I only say unofficial because Atari did not produce it first. But, it does show what the A7800 is actually capable of. The graphics actually look extremely impressive. I wonder if Franz X. Lanziger, the creator of Crystal Castles, would object to a Crystal Castles Arcade facsimile for the A7800? It would look much more detailed than the XE version, I would think. It could almost be a carbon copy with the A7800's capabilities. I think it would be a brilliant addition to the line up of games for the venerated ProSystem. I would buy it!

Edited August 2, 2017 by DegasElite

[dauber]

Well, if nothing else, you can use the ROM on a multicart or emulator -- Bob flat-out said he posts the ROMs so people can play!

[CrossBow]

Well, if nothing else, you can use the ROM on a multicart or emulator -- Bob flat-out said he posts the ROMs so people can play!

 

Except in the case of Bentley Bear's Crystal Quest, he hasn't publicly posted the final version of the rom, or even a near final version. The last one he posted didn't have Pokey audio in it and the one before that did, I believe wasn't a complete game yet. Having said that, there were ways to get a later version of the ROM though still not final that did have a completed game and pokey audio. That is how I was playing it on my Mateos flash cart before I bought the official release.

 

Now, I have suspected there was some issues here between AA and Atari.IO though I'm not privy to the actual details.

 

But I've never had an issue with AA not getting an order put through for me. The only time they didn't have an item I needed available was when they were sold out of AVox+ units for quite some time.

 

The only item they haven't made available since initially offering them, are the redemption adapters for the 5200. All the games are available and even those they don't have listed, they will put to a cart and make a label for you if they have one. That is how I got my copy of the Atari 8-bit Satan's Hollow conversion. So I'm not sure why there would be doubt about them not offering or making Crystal Quest available again? The real issue with the availability of this particular game and Super Circus Atari, is the quickly dwindling sources for affordable Pokey chips. If they have to spend $15 - $20 on a pokey chip, that makes the games cost that much more and makes it much less appealing to have them on offer. My understanding is that the redemption's weren't being made due to a lack of available parts as well. Though not having looked inside one, I'm not sure what parts it would be. I know that Console5.com has extension cables for the 5200 and NeoGeo and even replacement joystick cables they have access too. If they work on the 5200 and NeoGeo, I don't see why those couldn't be made to work with redemption like adapters as well? But..ehh...

 

Point is, I've no reason to believe that Bentley won't still be available as parts are available over the time to come. 

Edited August 2, 2017 by CrossBow

[nosweargamer]

 

Now, I have suspected there was some issues here between AA and Atari.IO though I'm not privy to the actual details.

 

 

There are no real issues between the two sites. I'm a member of both and both have some good stuff to offer. 

 

Now there has been at least one AA person who signed up here and tried starting something that didn't fly here and got booted. AA is bigger, so it is more difficult to police. And what is accepted on one site may not be accepted by the other, since they are run by two different people. There may also be times when a topic comes up and opinions may vary by site.

 

But all in all, both are great sites for Atari fans and both have some great members.

[CrossBow]

There are no real issues between the two sites. I'm a member of both and both have some good stuff to offer. 

 

Now there has been at least one AA person who signed up here and tried starting something that didn't fly here and got booted. AA is bigger, so it is more difficult to police. And what is accepted on one site may not be accepted by the other, since they are run by two different people. There may also be times when a topic comes up and opinions may vary by site.

 

But all in all, both are great sites for Atari fans and both have some great members.

 

The strange thing is I seem to recall that I found Atari.IO through a thread posting originally at AA where there was some issue or another and both sites were referenced. But I don't care either way because as you stated, NSG we all have our opinions. And yes...AA is a much larger community than it was from the days of the 2600 Nexus and I'm sure it is difficult for all the Mods to Mod...all the time. For me I just ignore what I might not be interested in or agree with and continue on. 

 

Now as to Crystal Quest, what I did play of the pre-release ROM version, I also couldn't get past world 2. In fact, I was never able to beat the first boss on World 1 and could only get to world 2 by using the warp. I've seen postings that state the first boss is apparently the most difficult and that the others aren't as tough. I would have thought that would have been brought up in some official play testing? 

 

So once I do open my official release I'm curious to see what changes to the difficulty if any were made from what I had played of it before.

[PacManPlus]

Hi guys!

 

Thank you for the kudos.

I actually did post the final ROM in the "Work In Progress: 'Bentley Bear: Crystal Quest" thread on AtariAge (post # 776).  I'd link to it here, but it doesn't seem to want me to copy / paste a link here.

[Sabertooth]

Hi guys!

 

Thank you for the kudos.

I actually did post the final ROM in the "Work In Progress: 'Bentley Bear: Crystal Quest" thread on AtariAge (post # 776).  I'd link to it here, but it doesn't seem to want me to copy / paste a link here.

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/199637-work-in-progress-bentley-bear-crystal-quest/?p=2857155

 

This should do it.

 

Thanks for your continued contributions to the 7800!

[PacManPlus]

Thank you

[RickR]

Hi guys!

 

Thank you for the kudos.

I actually did post the final ROM in the "Work In Progress: 'Bentley Bear: Crystal Quest" thread on AtariAge (post # 776).  I'd link to it here, but it doesn't seem to want me to copy / paste a link here.

Welcome to the atari.io forums!  An honor to have you here. 

[PacManPlus]

Thank you! 

[Justin]

Hi guys!

 

Thank you for the kudos.

I actually did post the final ROM in the "Work In Progress: 'Bentley Bear: Crystal Quest" thread on AtariAge (post # 776).  I'd link to it here, but it doesn't seem to want me to copy / paste a link here.

 

It's wonderful to see you posting in the forums PacManPlus! It's a real honor to have you here 

 

 

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/199637-work-in-progress-bentley-bear-crystal-quest/?p=2857155

 

This should do it.

 

Thanks for your continued contributions to the 7800!

 

I second that! Thanks for all you've done to breathe new life into my favorite system! It's much appreciated.

 

PS - Atari Age links are always welcome here 

[Atari 5200 Guy]

Hey hey!!  PacManPlus is here?!?  I'm not worthy.