Gareth Branwyn is a freelance writer and the former Editorial Director of Maker Media. He is the author or editor of over a dozen books on technology, DIY, and geek culture. He is currently a contributor to Boing Boing, Wink Books, and Wink Fun. His free weekly-ish maker tips newsletter can be found at garstipsandtools.com.
How do you even generate a signal like that? Impressive
Brian Willoughbysays:
Tempest-style vector graphics
would work with any properly interfaced tube
it’s actually two signals
(to answer the question How do you even generate a signal like that)
vicsays:
About time this one made it to make ;-)
I’m wondering, why is the bottom line of the moving piece bent ? Shouldn’t happen considering the very high scan rate (100 fps).
John Honniballsays:
One of the HP digital storage scopes has Tetris built-in, as an Easter Egg. You have to start it up by using the soft-keys below the CRT, and then play the game on the green screen. The high-score table works by using the scope’s rotary controls to enter your name.
LarsPontoppidansays:
Yes it’s the handy X/Y mode on the oscilloscope that makes this possible.
“I’m wondering, why is the bottom line of the moving piece bent ? Shouldn’t happen considering the very high scan rate (100 fps).”
It has nothing to do with the scan rate actually. It’s because I use really simple D/A converters to control the X and Y beam position. It’s just resistor networks on stripboard and I couldn’t get rid of the over and under shoot problems when jumping large distances. I really need to hook the micro up with some proper DACs and finish the scopetris hardware…
Infoneersays:
What’s the cool electro-music playing in the background?
eriksays:
Man, that guy really sucks at playing tetris.
marksays:
i dunno man, i’ve actually taken some notes from what he was doing
i’ve racked up some high scores and very long playtimes before, but very rarely got beyond the usual 4-line combo — the player here was racking up 5 to 9 line combinations like it weren’t no thang. i’d like to try similar…
except without bombing out quite so fast, but that might have been done just as a way to end it faster for a shorter video
btw i’d also like to know what the music was, it reminds me somewhat of the tune from my favourite version of tetris – the overwhelmingly demosceney “Tesserae” on the Atari ST. How do you go about differentiating your drop-the-blocks game from the others, when everyone else is pulling out every gameplay gimmick they can find? Keep it pure to the original but add a great deal of trippy graphical effects (seasickness background was a particular killer) and music that blew away the gameboy version. :)
Gareth Branwyn is a freelance writer and the former Editorial Director of Maker Media. He is the author or editor of over a dozen books on technology, DIY, and geek culture. He is currently a contributor to Boing Boing, Wink Books, and Wink Fun. His free weekly-ish maker tips newsletter can be found at garstipsandtools.com.
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This is so full of win…
Definitely grade A.
How do you even generate a signal like that? Impressive
Tempest-style vector graphics
would work with any properly interfaced tube
it’s actually two signals
(to answer the question How do you even generate a signal like that)
About time this one made it to make ;-)
I’m wondering, why is the bottom line of the moving piece bent ? Shouldn’t happen considering the very high scan rate (100 fps).
One of the HP digital storage scopes has Tetris built-in, as an Easter Egg. You have to start it up by using the soft-keys below the CRT, and then play the game on the green screen. The high-score table works by using the scope’s rotary controls to enter your name.
Yes it’s the handy X/Y mode on the oscilloscope that makes this possible.
“I’m wondering, why is the bottom line of the moving piece bent ? Shouldn’t happen considering the very high scan rate (100 fps).”
It has nothing to do with the scan rate actually. It’s because I use really simple D/A converters to control the X and Y beam position. It’s just resistor networks on stripboard and I couldn’t get rid of the over and under shoot problems when jumping large distances. I really need to hook the micro up with some proper DACs and finish the scopetris hardware…
What’s the cool electro-music playing in the background?
Man, that guy really sucks at playing tetris.
i dunno man, i’ve actually taken some notes from what he was doing
i’ve racked up some high scores and very long playtimes before, but very rarely got beyond the usual 4-line combo — the player here was racking up 5 to 9 line combinations like it weren’t no thang. i’d like to try similar…
except without bombing out quite so fast, but that might have been done just as a way to end it faster for a shorter video
btw i’d also like to know what the music was, it reminds me somewhat of the tune from my favourite version of tetris – the overwhelmingly demosceney “Tesserae” on the Atari ST. How do you go about differentiating your drop-the-blocks game from the others, when everyone else is pulling out every gameplay gimmick they can find? Keep it pure to the original but add a great deal of trippy graphical effects (seasickness background was a particular killer) and music that blew away the gameboy version. :)
Sooo.. what is it?