Post subject: Crystal Mines
Joined: 6/7/2004
Posts: 28
This was like my favorite game growing up. I beat it once too. I think I've heard that it can't be emulated correctly though, and indeed all the ROMS of it I have downloaded are messed up. I think a timeattack of this would be very entertaining. You could start at level 81 by pressing A several times when you first start and it shows you the level you are on.
I love Crystal Mines.
Former player
Joined: 4/16/2004
Posts: 1286
Location: Finland
I can't see anything wrong with the way Famtasia emulates this game. What sort of problems have you experienced?
Joined: 6/7/2004
Posts: 28
Lots of garbled graphics, and they change when you move. I wasn't using Famtasia, though, perhaps I will try it out!
I love Crystal Mines.
Post subject: Working on Crystal Mines, want input.
Banned User, Former player
Joined: 12/23/2004
Posts: 1850
(blame TNSe for the title) Anyway, I decided to do a Crystal Mines time attack (it's a not-well-known game from Color Dreams (you might know them as "Wisdom Tree"; they produced a lot of crappy Bible games)) Given I've hacked the ROM before (and made a level viewer/editor out of it, so I can see all of the levels beforehand (spare enemies)) I figured I was qualified to do it. :P I've done a recording up to the end of Level 1 so far. I'm planning on possibly going up until Level 50 (seeing as how levels after 50 are just repeats of 1-49, but flipped) If you want the FCM (FCEU movie): http://sthick.cymoro.com/misc/Crystalm1.fcm If you want the AVI (3.8 MB, 0:35): http://sthick.cymoro.com/misc/cmlev01.avi Looking it over I see a few places I can improve (though I've gotten the times from 260 back up to 263, then made it to 264 (this video)) but not many, and even then theyh'd mabye be 1 frame or so. I like the ending to Level 1, though. :P
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Former player
Joined: 3/19/2004
Posts: 710
Location: USA
Wait a second...You want US to provide the input for your movie? No, that's what you are supposed to do when you make the movie, not us. We can give you suggestions and help, but we won't make it for you (what??? >_>) Seriously though, it was well played, but I don't think that this game will make a very good movie.
Banned User, Former player
Joined: 12/23/2004
Posts: 1850
That's the thing; a lot of later levels (while the same size) are a lot more complicated (and henceforth a lot easier to screw up; I should know) and require pretty good timing with them (such as making it to a ten-bomb pickup before a rock gets in your way) Then there's always stupid stuff I could do, like pick up bombs that happen to be in my direction (like the 3 that is right next to the starting area; you don't lose vertical speed when going diagnoal) and just make a long trail of bombs and set them all off at the same time :P Even if it's not very entertaining, I know at least one person will like it (excluding myself), but I do have to agree that the beginning of it is pretty boring :P
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Editor, Active player (296)
Joined: 3/8/2004
Posts: 7469
Location: Arzareth
I repeat the opinion I stated on the irc channel.
Various peeple at the irc channel wrote:
0036#nesvideos.Xkeeper if anyone's interested (and because I have no idea where this would go in the forum) 0036#nesvideos.Xkeeper Crystal Mines, level 1 only: http://sthick.cymoro.com/misc/Crystalm1.fcm 0036#nesvideos.Xkeeper For you lazy people: http://sthick.cymoro.com/misc/cmlev01.avi (3.8MB) 0055* #nesvideos/Xkeeper stops watching his minitimeattack endlessly and puts on a real time attack video 0056#nesvideos.GSGold so what are you planning on watching 0056#nesvideos@Bisqwit Xkeeper: I don't recommend a timeattack of that game... 0059#nesvideos.GSGold come on, we have adventure freaking island 3 up 0103#nesvideos@Bisqwit But I'd be interested if you made a robot that played that game and you publish its source code.. 0104#nesvideos@Bisqwit It might be an interesting weekend-long thinking problem 0105#nesvideos.GSGold You heard it folks. The man likes to think.
(peeple... heheh)
Post subject: Crystal Mines, would you like to see more?
Joined: 6/7/2004
Posts: 28
Ok, I have many fond memories of this game and I've always wanted to make a speedrun, so here is my first effort: http://dehacked.2y.net/microstorage.php/info/44/Crystal_mines.fcm (thanks for the hosting, deHacked) The ROM I used was "Crystal_mines.nes" it was the only one I could find that didn't stuck at the title screen. As you can see, you can skip levels by 5s up to level 81. This is my progress so far, completeing 81 and 82. The objective of this game is to get the required number of crystals (displayed on the top) to make the exit appear, and then get in the exit. There's various enemies and rocks with different attributes. The glowing rocks are radioactive and if touch them you die soon afterwards without the coat hanger item. The purple stuff is lava and you need the equals sign item to move through it (or mud, the orange stuff). The purple things with numbers are bombs which kill stuff, blow up rocks, or turn dried mud into crystals. Mud can be dried by shooting it. Exploding bombs, touching enemies, being crushed, being shot (by yourself) or running out of time will kill you. I think I do these two levels as fast as possible. I'm quite scared about later levels though, as they get very complicated and would require a lot of luck manipulation. If there is interest I'll try to finish it, but if not I'll drop it.
I love Crystal Mines.
Joined: 6/7/2004
Posts: 28
Update: http://dehacked.2y.net/microstorage.php/get/47/Crystal_mines.fcm I've improved those first two levels, and finished up to 88. Boy, was 88 hard, I have to do some odd stuff there to get enough mud for 25 crystals without wasting too much time, but I think I did pretty well.
I love Crystal Mines.
Banned User, Former player
Joined: 12/23/2004
Posts: 1850
You skip all the fun. Personally I'd like to try and see someone do L1. If you need maps of any of the levels (note: not including monsters or hidden items), please let me know :)
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Joined: 6/7/2004
Posts: 28
Xkeeper wrote:
You skip all the fun. Personally I'd like to try and see someone do L1. If you need maps of any of the levels (note: not including monsters or hidden items), please let me know :)
Yeah, I'd love to show off all of the levels, but there probably aren't a lot of people who have played this game to appreciate watching all of them. That and this is my first speedrun and 100 levels would be a huge challenge. There's a decent FAQ that shows where everything is, so I don't need maps, but thanks anyway.
I love Crystal Mines.
Banned User, Former player
Joined: 12/23/2004
Posts: 1850
Well still, please do L1, just so I can compare your time with my best :P
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