Re: Now that the source of "Prince of Persia" is out there...

[BLuRry <brendan.robert@gmail.com>]

On Monday, April 23, 2012 11:24:09 PM UTC-5, Steve Nickolas wrote:
> ...anyone up for a native GS version?
> 
> I'm not all that familiar with the GS hardware or the 65816, but I'd love 
> to contribute to such a port in any way I could were it to happen, if only 
> through testing.
> 
> (Also, maybe disassembling the SNES version could be of some use since 
> same CPU?  The extended opening cinematic on the Japanese SNES version is 
> ultimate.)
> 
> -uso.

There is already some code in there for Apple //gs specific features.  Apparently, it checks for //gs so it can show some sort of SHR closing scene and also correct VBL behavior.  Other than that, it shouldn't be too hard to replace the hires drawing with SHR equivalent code and replace the sound routines.  Jordan documented the data format extremely well, and the data files from the PC version already have the enhanced sprites, sound, etc.  You have all the raw materials you'd need to make a successful backport, I think.

One thing that would rock is to replace the disk routines with GS/OS file read routines so that you can have a plainfiles/hard drive compatible version.  Again, the source is so well organized and documented that this should be relatively easy without having to rip apart everything.  This wouldn't be possible for Apple //e because the memory requirements are too great: Prodos can't fit.  But a 256k //gs shouldn't have an issue.

-Brendan