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Hi!

Thank you for the feedback! I’m glad you’re enjoying the new paddle support.

I've considered your suggestion regarding visibility and did some testing. Since the background consists of multicolor characters, besides the black base, I use two shared colors: Light Blue (14) and Light Grey (15).

I've tried replacing color 15 with darker shades. This makes the background graphics much less distracting while keeping the parallax effect intact. I've attached 4 screenshots of the tests:

• Images 1 & 2: Using Medium Grey (12).
• Images 3 & 4: Using the even darker Dark Grey (11).

What do you think? Which version makes the game easier to see for you? According to my plans, the chosen darkened mode might be included in the upcoming v1.2 update.

Thank you for your purchase and for supporting the project!

Best regards,
Robert

Thank you for the great idea! A cartridge version would indeed be excellent. To be honest, I'm more focused on assembly programming for Commodore systems (C64, C128, MEGA65) and I don't have much experience with the hardware/banking side of cartridges yet. I would definitely need some help or collaboration to make that happen. But it’s definitely something to think about for the future!
Thanks again for the support!

Thank you for the detailed review and the kind words! I'm glad you found the game technically impressive—the project utilizes 100% of the available RAM to push the C64 to its limits, which is the main reason for the lack of in-game music. Since your video, I have released version 1.1 with several upgrades: 1351 Mouse support, a jitter filter for paddles, and a Parallax ON/OFF option. I’ve also refined the projectiles—with the right power-up, you can now shoot and destroy bricks! I have subscribed to your channel and will be following your work. Keep it up!

Thanks for featuring Rob-Boll on your channel!

Best regards,

Robert

Hi! I sent you an email. Did you receive it?

Wow, that was incredibly fast! I just watched your video, and it's great to see the 1351 Mouse support in action. I'm also glad the Parallax toggle ('X' key) came in handy for you right away!

Thank you for the compliment on my coding. About the music: you are right, it would be a great addition! For Rob-Ball, I pushed the C64 memory so far that I ended up with 0 bytes free, so a music player simply didn't fit. But for my next game, I will definitely make room for some SID tunes!

Thanks for the support and for sharing the gameplay video!

Thanks again. Happy gaming!

Best regards,
Robert

Thank you for your purchase!

Have fun playing!

Great news! I’ve implemented your suggestion in the v1.1 update (releasing today). Now, when you stop the paddle, the background doesn't freeze instantly; it keeps a slow, 2-pixel 'kinetic drift'. It looks much more natural and adds a great sense of motion to the game.

I had to be careful with the 2-pixel limit to keep the multi-color patterns stable, but it works perfectly. Thank you for helping me make the game better!

Good news! In the upcoming v1.1 update (releasing today), I've added the option to toggle the parallax background ON/OFF with the 'X' key in the main menu. Thanks for the suggestion, it makes the game more accessible for everyone!

Challenge accepted! :) I'm happy to announce that the v1.1 update is coming later today. It includes full 1351 Mouse and Paddle support. I've spent the morning testing it on my real C64 and C128 hardware to make sure it's pixel-perfect. I even had to optimize the code to the last byte to fit the new drivers in! Get your controllers ready!
Updating later today!

Challenge accepted! :) I'm happy to announce that the v1.1 update is coming later today. It includes full 1351 Mouse and Paddle support. I've spent the morning testing it on my real C64 and C128 hardware to make sure it's pixel-perfect. I even had to optimize the code to the last byte to fit the new drivers in! Get your controllers ready!
Updating later today!

Hi!
Thank you for your feedback and for your interest in ROB-Ball!

Regarding the parallax effect: I've heard your concerns about motion, and I'm happy to announce that in the upcoming update, you will be able to toggle the parallax scrolling ON/OFF by pressing the 'P' key or via the main menu.

As for the high score saving: unfortunately, the game's code is already reaching the absolute limits of the Commodore 64's memory. To include the new Mouse and Paddle support, along with the optimization for the parallax toggle, I have to prioritize gameplay features over disk-saving routines. At this stage, adding a permanent high score table would require more RAM than what is currently available.

I hope you'll enjoy the new control options and the customizable background scrolling! Stay tuned for the update!

Best regards,
Hanyic Robert

Please write down your email address; I might send you the updated Rob-Man. I’ve removed the level start triggered by the joystick fire button, and the parallax scroll no longer stops when we aren't moving. For now, I’m curious to see how you like it. The full update isn’t finished yet (I haven't managed to get an original paddle yet).

Thanks,
Robert

Hi! Thank you for these great suggestions. Here are my thoughts on them:

1. Kinetic scrolling: This is a fantastic idea! I can implement this in v1.1. I will set the minimum 'drift' speed to 2 pixels per frame, because in C64 multi-color mode, anything slower would make the background pattern break apart. It will definitely add to the atmosphere!
2. Speed boost with Fire: Technically I could do this, but from my experience (especially with shooters), it doesn't work well in the heat of the action. With a joystick, it’s almost impossible to stop perfectly still just to fire the cannon while the ball is flying around.
   
3. Autofire & Level transitions: You are right about the 'braindead' start. If someone uses a joystick with auto-fire turned on, the next level starts instantly. To fix this, I’m considering moving the 'Start Level' trigger from the Fire button to the 'S' key. By the way, I recommend trying the game with the keyboard; I find it much more precise than a joystick for this type of game!
   
4. The Ultimate Solution: The best experience will definitely be the Paddle support. With a paddle, the speed is 100% in your hands: turn it slowly for fine adjustments, or flick it fast for a quick save. It perfectly follows your rhythm. I highly recommend getting one—it will be a whole new game with it!
   Thanks again for the constructive ideas, stay tuned for v1.1

Technical Note for VICE & Real C64 Users:
Please avoid using traditional disk loading (.d64) for the .prg file, as the game utilizes almost the entire 64KB RAM (up to $FF4F). While compression (Exomizer) is possible, I do not recommend it due to potential memory conflicts with the decompression routines. For a flawless experience, please use the 'Inject to RAM' feature in VICE or load the .prg directly. This ensures all 133 sprites and complex IRQ routines initialize correctly without interference

Thank you for your purchase!

Have fun playing!

Thank you for your purchase!

Have fun playing!

In Vice Simulator, make sure the "Inject into RAM" option is checked in the Autostart settings.

Preferences / Settings / Host / Autostart:

Check "Inject into RAM" 

and "Attach image LOAD and RUN"

Then, use the mouse to select the .prg file, and simply drop it onto VICE

Thank you for your purchase!

Have fun playing!

In Vice Simulator, make sure the "Inject into RAM" option is checked in the Autostart settings.

Preferences / Settings / Host / Autostart:

Check "Inject into RAM" 

and "Attach image LOAD and RUN"

Then, use the mouse to select the .prg file, and simply drop it onto VIC

Thank you for your purchase!

Have fun playing!