Emerald Mine Fan say hello

[richi207]

Hello Emerald Mine community!
My name is Richi, I'm a hobby developer from Switzerland and Emerald Mine was one of my absolute favourite games on the Amiga back in the day. The feeling of collecting emeralds, avoiding enemies and solving those clever levels – unforgettable!
Recently I've been developing a free Android TV / Android browser app called Bruuxer. It's a WebView-based browser specifically designed for Android TV boxes and devices, with features like ad blocking, cookie banner removal, and full TV remote control support. I've also integrated a few small mini-games directly into the app – all written by myself from scratch – so users have something fun to do when they're not browsing.

Thank you so much for keeping this game alive after all these years. It means a lot to retro fans like me!

Liebe Grüsse aus der Schweiz,
Richi

[Holger]

Hello Richi, welcome to the R'n'D forum!

I'm pleased that you like the game, and feel free to keep us updated here about your own app!

Writing retro games like R'n'D that can also be played on a TV using nothing but a standard remote control (well, it should at least have something like a D-pad and two buttons than can be used for the game) is always a special challenge!

[richi207]

As discussed, I tried to build something inspired by you. There are still many errors, and a lot is missing. Here are the first images of the app I’ve built for Android TV in Kotlin—just a small preview. I hope I can still implement many of the features on my list. It’s a standalone fan port that only tries to take inspiration from its role models. The game will never be commercial, just like my other two Android TV apps (Bruuxer and KloqTV). I’m not yet sure whether I’ll integrate it into my browser with retro games or release it as a separate app. What do you think?

[Holger]

Really looks great!

Too bad that I don't have an Android TV around to test it! Will check with my friends if it might run on their TVs...

I’m not yet sure whether I’ll integrate it into my browser with retro games or release it as a separate app. What do you think?

Do whatever works best for you, or where you think it fits best!

[TheOnyxGuy]

Not to sound rash, but I'm fairly sure the title image is AI generated. Not really saying this is bad, but... some artifacts of that image just really bother me, especially the non-existent pixels if you look a bit closer

[Holger]

I agree that it looks like pixel art on the first view, and like AI pixel art on the second view...

Nevertheless, I think I like it.

Regarding AI generated pixel art that looks like real pixel art also on second view, I think I have to check again, as AI models are far more capable than the last time I had a look (which is not *that* long ago, but a lot has changed since then)...

[richi207]

Yes, the title image is AI-generated pixel art. I hope you can forgive me—I’m not the best graphic designer

I’m already quite busy porting the logic 1:1, although that’s not always possible. That’s why I also watch the old videos and spend a lot of time gaming (which is a lot of fun).

Emerald Mine is my inspiration. The graphics in the game are essentially pixel graphics, but I’ve converted them into vector graphics, which actually makes them look even more retro. For example, this is the code for the amoeba drops—the drops themselves are self-made.

At its core, the game will be rebuilt from scratch, but I’m trying to preserve its spirit. It’s not the easiest path, but it’s future-proof and playable on all TV sizes—otherwise Android tends to cause issues.

I had the choice of either just taking inspiration from the game or using the old machine and letting Android interpret everything. I decided I wanted to really understand the old C code and build something inspired by it myself.

I was also considering creating my own graphics for the enemies, but then I feel like too much of the original game would be lost. What do you think?

( copy past the code in https://shapeshifter.design/ )

Code: Select all

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[richi207]

I’ve uploaded it to the Play Store. The game should appear in Bruuxer, but it will take some time until Google approves it—they’re not the fastest with TV apps. I think at the latest, Brocks n Dias should be visible in my browser and game app "Bruuxer" on end of the next week. I’ve tried to keep everything as simple as possible so it runs smoothly even on weaker TVs. If there’s anything you don’t like, please let me know.
I’ve tried to include almost all Emerald Mine levels (nearly 6'000). I hope the gameplay feels right for you, it's a little bit faster then Emerald mine. I’ll definitely keep working on it, but for now, you should be able to play. Please share your feedback on what you’d like changed or if I’ve implemented something incorrectly. Graphically, I haven’t implemented everything yet. The graphics have been standardized to keep the storage space as small as possible.
On the start screen, you can select level packs (floppy disk icon on the left), enter your username for the local high score (to the right of the floppy disk, on the user icon), and choose individual levels with a small preview.
I’ve corrected a few pixels in the start screen image, but I think it looks fine—it’s AI-generated, and that’s okay to see. The game itself is written in modern code, inspired by the old C code. The in-game graphics were also inspired by Holger’s/Emerald Mine games and created as vector graphics.
The app has a completely new engine, but I’ve tried to preserve the spirit of the original game as much as possible. I’ve played through about 1,000 levels myself to test it (though since I only played Emerald Mine 1 in 1990, there was a lot I didn’t know, so I watched YouTube videos for reference).
A huge thank you to everyone who has kept one of my favorite games alive.
My parents (both in their 80s) are especially thrilled to be able to play the game again. I’d especially like to thank Holger again for his support; without him, I wouldn’t have been able to do it.

Some small information see also https://bruuxer.com/

Richi