WORDLE WONDERS - RETRO VERSIONS OF WORDLE
ANTOINE FANTYS - CREATOR OF WORLDE FOR NES
Do you play the original Wordle, or any variants?
I used to when Wordle was being very popular. At the peak, I would do Wordle and Quordle every day, and then I’d post the results in a Discord server that had a channel for people playing Wordle.
What made you decide to create an NES version?
As I started playing, I thought you could easily port it to the NES and that doing so would be very fun. I think it’s a fun challenge to ‘’de-make’’ games for old systems :P
What is your development environment?
Nothing fancy really. The game’s written in ASM so I only need Notepad for writing code. Assembling is done through NESASM3, and I then use both FCEUX and MESEN to test the game and to debug it. MESEN is far more accurate and much better obviously, but I got so used to FCEUX over the years that I keep using it due to being so familiar with its development Tools, hah.
How many words does your dictionary contain, and how did you create that list to check?
12897, which is exactly how many words it contained before a certain newspaper bought the game and altered the dictionary. The dictionary was available on many sites back then, so I just downloaded it off that site.
What was the toughest part of creating the game?
I can think of two bits that were challenging. First off, implementing Family Basic keyboard support. Wordle was the first aftermarket game to support this peripheral, and upon first trying it out on real hardware, the keyboard did not work properly. After reverse-engineering a commercial game from that era, I figured out that you’re supposed to wait a few cycles before attempting to read from the keyboard. After adding this delay in the code, it ended up working flawlessly!
The other hurdle was actually compressing the dictionary. 12897 words is a challenge by itself, but some words do not appear in the solutions either (They can only be input). Fortunately, I talked to a few other developers on Discord that were porting Wordle to retro platforms about how they compressed the dictionary, and we managed to cook up a nifty compression scheme with each other’s input. Every word is compressed down to three letters (5 bits each), and an extra bit to check if it’s a solution word as well. The first two letters and actually looking up the word are accessed through lookup tables. Pretty sure the whole thing took up a few KBs less than half of the game, which sits at 64KB :P
Have you played any other console or computer versions of Wordle?
Actually no. I got pretty burnt out after finishing the game, but I loved seeing all of the different videos made on each version. One that comes to mind was the Atari 2600 version that looked amazing, as well as the one on the Fairchild Channel F. I find it amazing that the game may run on 70’s hardware.
Are you working on any other NES projects?
Yes! I just finished a smaller project called Blazing Blocks, which was actually in the same vein as Wordle (As in I saw people playing a game on the train, which inspired me, and I made a NES version). This one’s a puzzle game though, and I’ve been getting very good reviews on it :D). I am in the process of making a smaller-scale cartridge release in Japan, where I live. I’ve commissioned an artist to do boxart, and am talking to a few friends that can provide cartridge-making supplies.
Other than that, I have a main project for the NES called Space Soviets, which is a wacky game where you try to defeat the Space USSR. Sadly though, my mind is set on making games for the PC Engine/Turbografx-16 at the moment so this one is currently on hold. But I likely will go back to it one day.
COUT GAMES - WORDZ, BINAL WORDZ, TRIO FOR C64
Do you still play the original Wordle or any variations?
Not as frequently as when it went socially viral last year, but occasionally watch YouTube videos of people solving Wordle variants for leisure. I like to see the thought process is similar to mine when watching, plus it's more convenient for me.
What made you make C64 versions of Wordle?
There wasn't a version that existed, so I jumped on the impulse to be the first to make one for the C64 community. The simple logic and screen design for the game was perfect for our 8-bit computer and was able to fit all the words into memory just with DATA statements and an array.
How many words are in your dictionary, and how did you build it?
Wordz and Binal Wordz use the same dictionary as the original game (I think around 2300 words), and the game was built using CBM Studio on my computer.
Soon after the release of Wordz, I had some active interest from the German C64 community to make a German version and also someone keen to see a Croatian and Italian version, but finding a suitable 5-letter word list where English is your native language proved difficult. I was happy for anyone to take the existing game and to make a version in their local language, but I don't think anything came to fruition on these.
What was the toughest part of making the games?
The toughest part would be using the Commodore BASIC V2 with its limited string functionality to develop an algorithm for the right letter but incorrect position logic, and to not double up on those letters.
What inspired Binal Words, where you have to solve two words at the same time?
With all the variants and flavours of Wordle out there, I wanted to extend Wordz with the existing game engine with two words. With a bit of adjustment to the game, I was able to achieve this. The word-checking process was run twice, the only difference was positioning the squares and letters on a different part of the screen.
Have you played any other computer or console versions of Wordle?
I have tried another C64 version titled Turdle by Roy Fielding which was released at the same time as Wordz.
What other C64 projects do you have in progress?
Yes, I have a three-word, four-letter variant titled Trio Word Game that I intend to release shortly. There is a "clean" list of 4-letter words for other word-game competitions that would fit nicely in the one-load program of the game. I'm attempting to load the words from disk to allow more words to be played and free some more memory, but since I'm currently using an array to store the dictionary, the limit is about 4000 uncompressed words for our C64 unfortunately. I might keep it as is, with all the words within the DATA statements to leave it at that.
ROY FIELDING - TURDLE FOR C64
Do you play the original Wordle?
I used to play Wordle on my phone every day for a month or so and found it to be quite cool.
What inspired Turdle?
Okay, Turdle was obviously inspired by Wordle itself, but the reason why I did a turd-related take on it is because the C64 Craptastic 4kb compo was pending and I did a more literal take on 'crap'.
So, I drew a turtle with a turd for a shell and Turdle was born.
How easy was it to develop and check your unique dictionary of words?
The logic to check the words to match was quite simple, even in assembly. However, I did have some issues getting the correct letters in the wrong location to be registered properly. I can't remember exactly what the bug was, but after several brain farts, I got the checking working.
Coming up with the word dictionary was fun, if not a bit vague for some references. A few were suggested by an ex-colleague called Roger Bacon. I think I ended up with 64 words.
Each time you play a new game, it shuffles the word order of play.
How did you come up with the cute turtle?
The character for Turdle was partly inspired by my favourite word game, Bookworm by PopCap. I love that game and liked the little cute bookwork cartoon character they had. So, I started pixelling a cute turtle in a similar sort of style and thought it would be fun to have a curled-out turd for its shell. I'm a bit weird, I know.
Is there anything you would have changed/done differently?
If I didn't initially intend this to be a 4Kb Craptastic game (it ended up about 6 or 7kb) I would have probably aimed to have more easter eggs and music along with scrolling dialogue in the speech bubble instead of just simple one or two-word texts.
Have you played any of the other console or computer variants of Wordle?
I think I played someone else's version of actual Wordle on C64, but other than that, I don't think I've played other versions. Well, apart from the ZX version that I am collaborating with someone with. That version is playable, but I still have some music and a loading screen to do for that. My coder (TwistedRaven/Catpain Black) is probably sick of waiting.
I have toyed with the idea of making a Pico8 version too.
Ooh... scoop... I am making Birdle too. A more child-friendly game not based on.... turds. That game is just like Wordle, but you guessed it... based on birds and bird-related words. I need new sound for that though before I release it (again for free download).
Turdle (C64) screenshots that were left out of the original article
VARIANT VERBS
Our favourite computer and console variations on Wordle so far.
WORDLECPC (AMSTRAD CPC)
The bold tiles, multiple dictionaries and fast word checking on this version are highly impressive – although it is prone to picking obscure words.
WORDLE (ATARI 2600)
“The Atari 2600 version looked amazing,” says Antoine and we agree. The display showing the letters you have guessed is helpful.
GUORDEL (ZX SPECTRUM)
Although the display is quite small, the large English and Spanish dictionaries on this Spectrum version are excellent and quick to check.
WORD! (MSX)
An entry for the MSXDEV 2022 competition, this features four different dictionaries to challenge you (English, Dutch, Spanish and Swedish).
AMIWORDLE (AMIGA)
Playing in Workbench, this can be set to limit you to one puzzle a day – just like the original Wordle.
NEWS BYTES
GAME BOY: Wild Haggis Gaming has released the hilarious Taskmaster – The Highly Anticipated Video Game. Play as celebrity contestants and complete the bizarre tasks set by little Alex Horne. https://bit.ly/taskmaster-gameboy
PICO-8: Johan Peitz’s Hellgineers sees you building bridges across fiery chasms to help the demons cross. Windows, Mac, and Linux versions at: https://bit.ly/hellgineers
AMIGA: Retream’s latest is the point & click adventure Ring Around The World, requiring 1Mb of Chip RAM and Kickstart 1.3 or higher. Free to download, but Simone asks for charity donations to victims of violence: https://bit.ly/ringaroundtheworld-amiga
ATARI ST: Rainbow Bytes released a demo of the Minesweeper-inspired Bombwatch, for 1Mb ST/STE, with four graphical styles. https://bit.ly/bombwatch
ATARI XL/XE: Classic falling tetromino action in Mytris for Atari 8-bit users at https://bit.ly/mytris-atari8
BASIC: The 2023 10 Liner competition is in full swing with entries for many machines. https://bit.ly/basic10-2023
MEGA DRIVE: PCSD Games has released the latest demo of its Resident Evil/Biohazard demake at https://bit.ly/bioevil-demo2
PET: Jeff Minter recreated the long-lost PET version of Deflex, where the player uses mirrors to deflect the ball. https://bit.ly/deflex-pet
VARIOUS: Inspired by Enduro and The Great American Cross-Country Road Race, Dr Floyd’s Enduro 3 sees computing pioneers in a road race across Europe. https://bit.ly/enduro3
Taskmaster Software revived its Sam Boon series of text adventures and released new versions across multiple formats. https://taskmastersoftware.itch.io
CHAMPION CODER - SJ and Dale (as SJ Games)
From: France
Website: https://bit.ly/skatecat-nes - demo download
Format: NES
Previous game: Skate Cat (NES)
Working on: Dale - Chibi Monster Brawl (NES)
SJ and his father Dale (DC) have created the cute NES platformer Skate Cat.
How long have you been interested in NES programming?
DC: Even if I am not a gamer, I love the NES. It was my childhood console. In 2018, while I was bedridden for several months for health reasons, I discovered the announcement of NESmaker (a tool that allows creating NES games quite easily) which in turn plunged me into creating small games for my favourite console. I started making demos with the beta and following different tutorials to deepen my knowledge. What an incredible pleasure and pride when I saw my first characters move on the screen for the first time. Seiji started sitting next to me and watching what I was doing...
SJ: I have always wanted to make video games and when I learned that my dad knew how to make them, I immediately wanted to make one too. So we started having small NES game creation workshops together (1-2 hours, some weekends or during holidays). It's a very fun activity.
What tools and development environment do you use?
DC: I work with a dev tool called NESmaker that allows me to create NES games without needing a lot of knowledge in assembly language programming. It's perfect for beginners but also great for going deeper, as you can change everything. I use it to create a base, a prototype that I then expand by coding anything that is missing or not working with the base engine. The other big advantage of NESmaker is that it allows you to transfer the game created directly to an NES cartridge with one click, via a USB adapter.
SJ: NESmaker is also very convenient for drawing characters, monsters, animations and designing the screens for different levels directly. Everything I need is included in the tool. How did you get a batch of cartridges made? DC: I have some NES dev cartridges that allow me to test our games. Then when the game is finished and it interests enough people to consider releasing a physical edition, I contact my publisher friend Broke Studio who takes care of everything, from the cartridges to the boxes, including labels and manual. Then we send the physical editions to interested people. This is how it went with SkateCat, a print of 200 copies should be ready in a few days and will be sent to interested people. What inspired the game idea?
SJ: It all started when we got a cat, we noticed that she played a lot with my mini skates. Then I had the idea of making a game where you play as a cat on a skateboard. After that, the idea slowly grew in my head and I started to draw some characters and monsters, and the sketches of the story, which served as a basis for our work sessions. How did you get Raftronaut to do the music? DC: For several years now, I have been collaborating with Raftronaut for most of my NES projects. He is a very talented composer and I have always been a fan of his work. He was really excited about the idea of making music for an NES game featuring a cat on a skateboard, so it was very easy to convince him. We had already enlisted him for the soundtrack of KUBO 3. I have also often worked with him on other projects that are not mine or SJ's. Over the years, Raftronaut has become a very close friend.
Do you plan any more NES games?
SJ: I am not planning on making another game for now. I am taking a break after SkateCat.
DC: On my end, I am currently working on my game Chibi Monster Brawl, which may be released this year or next year. In parallel, I am collaborating with Raftronaut on an NES project, and with Fernando J. Fernandez (Video Games United) on Chaos Between Realms. 2023 will be a busy year. Have you played other NES homebrew?
SJ & DC: We often play homebrew games. Micro Mages by Morphcat Games is so much fun to play with others. Böbl and Space Gulls by the same studio are fantastic small games! Super Tilt Bro. by RogerBidon is a demanding fighting game that SJ loves. Also, our favourites are Twin Dragons (Broke Studio), Jay & Silent Bob Mall Brawl (Spoony Bard Productions), Lizard (Brad Smith), Dungeons & Doomknights (Artix), Space Raft (Raftronaut), NEScape! (KHAN Games) and TapeWorm (Lowtek Games).
DC: Personally, I would also add Project Blue, Alwa's Awakening and WhatRemains which are among my favourite homebrews. We are excited to see all the new NES homebrews that will be released this year. We are living in a great time, with all these new NES games!
And finally, we would like to thank you for this opportunity to share our passion for NES game development and retro gaming with you. It was a pleasure to share our experiences and thoughts with you.
DATABURST - HOMEBREW REVIEWS
Wycheweald
Format: ZX Spectrum (48K/128K)
Credits: Red Zebra
Price: Name your own price (digital download)
[Score] 87%
SOH TACTICS GX
Format: Amstrad GX4000 (cartridge image)
Credits: SOHDE Team
Price: Free download
[Score] 81%
Force Bot
Format: NES
Credits: Eric Schafer, Chris Parker, David Froese, Takumi Grainger, Estlib, Tui
Price: TBC
Web: @ForceBotNES on Twitter
[Score] 84%
Processing - Gilligan's Gold remake (ZX Spectrum)
There’s gold in that there Spectrum – thanks to Jamie Bradbury’s Gilligan’s Gold remake.
Why did you choose this game to remake?
Because I always remember Ocean for doing great games, but I found the original GG to be a stinker. The concept is very interesting, like Chuckie Egg, but with more complex gameplay. I wondered if I could do better with modern tools.
What tools are you using?
MPAGD (Multi-Platform Arcade Designer)
Any particular tricks or techniques you are using to accomplish it?
The focus is on tight gameplay. Everything has to work so the player has confidence that Gilligan is going to do what you tell him.
The scripting is quite complex as there are a number of game mechanics that all have to work together.
What has been the hardest part to code so far?
The trickiest bit so far is the minecarts. They have to travel between screens regardless of what the player is going.
But generally, the game has so much going on. There is no one bit that is that tricky, but having it all work together is something else!
I don't feel MPAGD was really made with this sort of game in mind, so that is the challenge.
How long do you think it will take?
I hope to finish it this year, and have it released for Christmas!
It's slow because I am doing everything myself, loading screen, music, menus, and game.
Support for ULA+ gives extra colours during the manic mine raiding.
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