Topic: New 3D Engine for the GBA

[WindyMan]

They've "cracked it," whatever that means.

Talos Interactive Unveils Standard-Setting 3D Engine for the Game Boy Advance Video Game System

South Germany – April 5th 2004 With the GBA's large market and relentless good sales, established studio; Talos Interactive announces the public revealing of their "DeltaAdvance Engine".

The "DeltaAdvance Engine" supports First-Person Shooter games in a full 3D dynamic experience. The engine even boasts MIP-mapping so that means no more random pixel-fests as you otherwise find in many games on the GBA!

The resulting game of the engine will re-invigorate the FPS GBA scene with an enthralling experience. Gamers can even take part in adverse features such as "in-game" games.

"Saying you have the best FPS engine on the GBA market is a bit of a cliché, but I'm confident looking in comparison to other games on the market that we've cracked it" Dr. Robert Templeman, Co-Founder & Lead Programmer

Talos Interactive is currently looking to negotiate a contract with a forward-looking publisher. In addition, is willing to consider attaching the engine to a franchise/license or gain support to establish an original title.

The engine is spearheaded by industry veteran, Robert Templeman with over 15 years industry experience. The technology is a result of initial R&D on the acorn platform. Talos are currently developing the engine further for future Sony PSP opportunities.

About Talos Interactive

Talos Interactive is an independent developer founded in 2003 by four experienced industry members. The studio is now host to a range of talented staff members. Talos aims to build and make games based on internal technology that exploits current console and handheld technology and opens new gameplay opportunities.

Talos owns proprietary technology in the "DeltaAdvance Engine" for the GBA and Sony PSP with any extensions made.

[WackerJr]

It'll be interesting to see this in action. Hopefully if it is pretty decent then the developers will be able to find someone to publish games using the engine, which is one problem some developers have found in the past.

[Jale]

This looks quite exciting. I hope that the technology is extended beyond FPSs. A racing game with this engine would be pretty good.

[Bill Aurion]

Gimme back my 2d! >=(

[Jale]

Of course there will still be 2D games, but now there will be 3D games as well. The titles aren't likely to be all that good though. A Metroid game with this engine, M.Prime style would be quite good.

[Ian Sane]

Wow a 3D engine for the GBA just in time for the PSP and DS to come out and render it completely obsolete!  YES!!

I've never understood the appeal of all these 3D GBA engines.  If you want to play 3D games on the GBA then you bought the WRONG SYSTEM.  Plus all of these 3D engines look like CRAP.  I'm sorry but I would rather play an amazing 2D game that makes full use of the GBA's sprite handling capabilities then a pixilated, jaggy, blocky, generic 3D game that plays like a scaled down Cube/Xbox/PS2 game.  If I'm going to play a 3D game I'm going to play it on a home console where it will actually have the hardware requirements to make it worthwhile.

Curse Sony for brainwashing the masses into thinking that 3D is a replacement for 2D instead of an alternative.  3D does not mean better.  There's a reason why Star Fox and Stunt Race FX were the only SFX SNES games worth playing.

[Jale]

I do agree with you. 3D games on handhelds are very rough and similar, but this may improve the general popularity of the GBA amongst the Sonydels (PS2 owners: sony/infidel). A few 3D excuses for games might be enough to convert the Xeathens (X box owners; Xbox/heathen). Personally I will still go for gameplay over graphics.

[- NintendoFan -]

To tell you the truth I wouldn't mind StarFox on GBA.

[nickmitch]

Yeah, the most that we'll see from this is probably just a 1st person shooter and nothing more. Maybe an F-Zero title will use it but proably not. We'll probably just get one or two 1st person shooters in a long running series like Star Fox.

[Djunknown]

I would think that the wildcard here is the DS. We've already seen a glimpse of what the PSP can potentially do, and one could say that we know what the GBA is capable of.

It'd be interesting if they do capatilize on this engine for the GBA, nothing wrong with squeezing a little extra out of the portable.

[KDR_11k]

These guys obviously never played Lego Drome Racers. That game has a full 3d polygon-based egine (like Quake), not this sector-based Doom hack. If you were to make a real 3d F-Zero or Mario Kart for the GBA you're better off using that engine.
Also, there was a port of Quake to the GBA in development, which obiously has a much more advanced 3d engine than this.
All this here is is just Doom with Mipmaps, nothing to get excited about. The Doom engine isn't flexible enough to be used for other types of games.

Ian: The quote you'd like then would be "What people don't understand is that 2d is a medium, not a restriction".

[Termin8Anakin]

Hot damn! F-Zero would really benefit from this, as would racing games in general.

I'm not really a big fan of the SNES/GBA F-Zeros, since they're so flat and lifeless and the machines control like pinballs.
Roller-coaster tracks and mind-bending loops is what F-Zero is about!

[Ian Sane]

"Ian: The quote you'd like then would be 'What people don't understand is that 2d is a medium, not a restriction'."

I like that.  Who said it?

[DrZoidberg]

you're not the only one who likes that quote, I'm a big fan of 2d remaining (or returning to ;__ a prominant way to present games, especially for handhelds, i can cope with the majority of console games being 3d, but no 3d for handhelds ever please ;__;

[KDR_11k]

Article
Louis Barriga at the GDC speaking about the "Anatomy of a 2d Sidescroller". The actual quote was different, I'm just no good in remembering exact wordings . Meaning's the same, though.

[couchmonkey]

I just can't wait to try out those "adverse features"!  He he he.

I have no problem with messing around with 3D engines.  Why not?  I agree that the whole 3D is better than 2D mentality is wrong, but then again, I'd just as soon play a decent FPS for the GBA as another sidescrolling sequel.  Sonic, Crash, Spyro, Mario port.  Sonic, Crash, Spyro, Mario port.  Sonic, Crash, Spyro, Mario port.  If they can make it good (which I admit is a tad unlikely) I'll play it.

[Rize]

Newsflash:

I don't think that is really a 3D engine.  If it is, the screenshots are a very poor representation of it.  Notice that all floors and ceilings are flat in the two screen shots.  It's basically a Doom style engine from what I can see.

Although the MIP mapping is a nice feature not present in any Doom style engine I've heard of.

If it does have the same geometric limitations as Doom though, then it is not "full 3D" and they most certainly did not "crack it".