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Tutorvision games - Interest check


Alex.Pace

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It's very simple to check them, you don't need to open the console.

Just put in any game and look for the tutor vision font set on the title screen of any regular game.

Hatman you don't need a multicart to check yours. Just put in a regular game and post a pic of the title screen. ;)

 

Hm... I wonder if anyone has a WBEXEC but not the GROM. And would the games even play in that configuration.

 

Nanochess, someone smarter than me should come up with a ROM to test all things - the EXEC, GROM, and extra GRAM. Who knows what kinds of weird combos exist out there.

 

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Hm... I wonder if anyone has a WBEXEC but not the GROM. And would the games even play in that configuration.

 

Nanochess, someone smarter than me should come up with a ROM to test all things - the EXEC, GROM, and extra GRAM. Who knows what kinds of weird combos exist out there.

Not possible, because the GROM contains the charset for all the letters used in the Intellivision games.

 

I could believe an expanded Intellivision exists without the WBEXEC, and the only way would be to open each one, but now you need only to put the cartridge in each system and test.

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Keep in mind that I'm understanding only 10% if all this, but if there are consoles with only parts of what would be needed for full Tutorvision functionality could we theoretically cannibalize and Frankenstein them into a working one?

 

Edit: I might also test Worm Whomper on the Super Pro Systems. My original test was only checking for the font difference.

Edited by JasonlikesINTV
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Keep in mind that I'm understanding only 10% if all this, but if there are consoles with only parts of what would be needed for full Tutorvision functionality could we theoretically cannibalize and Frankenstein them into a working one?

If some consoles have the expanded video, there is a possibility to create an add-on ROM for the motherboard containing the extra executable code of the Tutorvision and it would be a Tutorvision.

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so some could have some of the chips but not display the unique font?

I know the couple super pro systems I saw had the special font showing...but your saying some might be partial tutorvisions?

 

The other test is play worm whomper and if the small black worms show up as a cluster of dots then you have (I guess at least some) tutorvision chips.

 

And I agree who knows what they would have stuck in what for repairs and even individual owners swapping parts.

There definitely has to be very few of these though or somebody at some point over the last 30+ years would have noted the special chips.

Edited by stupus
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Not possible, because the GROM contains the charset for all the letters used in the Intellivision games.

 

I could believe an expanded Intellivision exists without the WBEXEC, and the only way would be to open each one, but now you need only to put the cartridge in each system and test.

So the tutorvision uses a special grom too right? Because all fonts in all games on the tutorvision I believe use the new font set....so the tutorvisions probably cant display the original font set, right?

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So the tutorvision uses a special grom too right? Because all fonts in all games on the tutorvision I believe use the new font set....so the tutorvisions probably cant display the original font set, right?

Right :) unless you define it into the GRAM, but I think no game would do that.

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is there a chance for Intv Systems III?

The tutorvision that Intellivision Productions has is an INTV System III. It's not clear how/when the INTV System III and Super Pro systems manufacturing differed.

 

 

Of course there is :) We won't know until people check, and report back. You'd think with 100+ hardcore collectors here, we'd have more than 4 systems tested so far.

I think more than four systems have been tested only a few tutorvision boards (INTV 1988) have been found.

 

I could write a small program loadable in LTO-Flash that could check if your system is a Super Pro one, mainly writing to the extra GRAM.

The test would fail if the GRAM disable jumper has been connected.

 

It's very simple to check them, you don't need to open the console.

Just put in any game and look for the tutor vision font set on the title screen of any regular game.

Hatman you don't need a multicart to check yours. Just put in a regular game and post a pic of the title screen. ;)

It's possible, probably unlikely, that they made an old grom that fit the new board and you have a tutorvision board displaying the old font. We know they made an old exec to fit the new board so why not the grom.

 

 

Hm... I wonder if anyone has a WBEXEC but not the GROM. And would the games even play in that configuration.

 

Nanochess, someone smarter than me should come up with a ROM to test all things - the EXEC, GROM, and extra GRAM. Who knows what kinds of weird combos exist out there.

 

Tutorvision cartridges will play if you have the wbexec and the old grom (at least they do in emulation). There is nothing in the grom that tutorvision cartridges need to run; only the large font will look different.

 

Wbexec can be tested with the csumexec.bin.

Grom can be tested with any old Mattel cartridge that uses the built-in title screen.

Gram can be tested by playing Worm Whomper, Space Patrol, maybe Ms. Pac-Man. (keep in mind that it is possible that extra gram has been disabled by jumper)

 

The most important thing is the tutorvision main board (INTV 1988). I think that can be tested by checking for the presense of the new STIC and the 160th pixel on the right of the screen (test with Tron Deadly Discs or NHL Hockey and check for symmetry). Not sure if any older Intellivisions have this updated STIC if any does please say so.

 

Or you can just have a peak through the bottom vents and see if you can see the JP0-JP6 jumper block on the main board,

 

So the tutorvision uses a special grom too right? Because all fonts in all games on the tutorvision I believe use the new font set....so the tutorvisions probably cant display the original font set, right?

If you make an old grom that fits the new board the Tutorvision games should play with the old square font. There is nothing in the new grom that Tutorvision cartridges need to play.

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Did you remove the metal rf shield or did it only have it on one side? Are you able to see that jumper block through the vents in the bottom case?

 

Edit: you can immediately tell it's a tutorvision board upon opening the case because it's missing the power supply daughterboard that would normally be in the lower right of the first photo.

 

So after all the deliberations here so far, can we say that the Super Pro System I have is a functional Tudorvision or it missing certain components to be a full version of one?

 

I do not have LTO Flash so I cannot preform any of the tests suggested here so far.

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So after all the deliberations here so far, can we say that the Super Pro System I have is a functional Tudorvision or it missing certain components to be a full version of one?

 

I do not have LTO Flash so I cannot preform any of the tests suggested here so far.

 

I'm willing to put good money that your system can play Tutorvision games. It's ironic that the one confirmed SP unit happens to be owned by someone without a flash cart, but what can you do.

 

(Insert obligatory plug for the LTO Flash!)

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So after all the deliberations here so far, can we say that the Super Pro System I have is a functional Tudorvision or it missing certain components to be a full version of one?

 

I do not have LTO Flash so I cannot preform any of the tests suggested here so far.

Did you test any regular cart to see if it show's the wb font on the title screen?

Or do you have worm whimper to see if it glitches on the small worms?

No lto needed for these.

 

And there are other confirmed super pro systems that are tutors. ;)

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So after all the deliberations here so far, can we say that the Super Pro System I have is a functional Tudorvision or it missing certain components to be a full version of one?

 

I do not have LTO Flash so I cannot preform any of the tests suggested here so far.

No need to do any tests since we can see it's a tutorvision mainboard and the tutorvision exec. So it's a tutorvision. Even if the extra gram were disabled it would be simple enough to enable it. It would be nice to see it play a tutorvision game.

 

...

 

And there are other confirmed super pro systems that are tutors. ;)

https://docs.google.com/document/d/13ApQEm1Xw_DcCAaXcQvpFot_BvrzSzeUo95EXCf41uc/mobilebasic#h.htb2mb9zmtq7

According to this page two other Super Pro Systems have been found with tutorvision boards. Serial A-031118 is complete, and serial A-8644 is missing the tutorvision exec. Inellivision Productions has an INTV System III tutorvision. Intvnut has a loose tutorvision board and exec but is missing the square stic chip. Are there others?

Edited by mr_me
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I thought Joe had 1 that was a tutor vision. Mabe his is just the partial 1 though. And a random guy at mgc had 1 we figured out, but I don't think anyone checked if it had all the components of the tutorvision.

Joe could probably remember better than me.

I know the random guy was mad because he thought his was broken when worm whimper was glitched.....then very happy when Joe said it meant he had a tutorvision :)

Maybe that's the other documented one?

 

And hatman, I think you are obligated to get an lto now and throw the tutorvision roms on there and play them ;)

Very lucky guy you are!

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