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Dark Chambers Source Code

Started by Curt Vendel, Feb 9 2008 10:49 AM

22 replies to this topic

#1 Curt Vendel OFFLINE  

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Posted Sat Feb 9, 2008 10:49 AM

Have fun - lets see some new 2600 games, the kernel is great for creating some great new stuff --- maybe its time for 2600 Major Havoc ;-)




Curt

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#2 Gorf OFFLINE  

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Posted Sat Feb 9, 2008 1:04 PM

Curt Rules.

#3 Mitch OFFLINE  

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Posted Sat Feb 9, 2008 9:52 PM

It appears to be a late PAL version of Dark Chambers as well as a seperate file of an alternate title screen. Though I can't figure out what the ker7 is supposed be connected with.

Mitch

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#4 Curt Vendel OFFLINE  

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Posted Sat Feb 9, 2008 11:34 PM

Ask Thomas J...


Curt


It appears to be a late PAL version of Dark Chambers as well as a seperate file of an alternate title screen. Though I can't figure out what the ker7 is supposed be connected with.

Mitch


#5 Shannon OFFLINE  

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Posted Sun Feb 10, 2008 12:56 AM

Wow Curt... You sure are busy today!! :)

#6 Tempest OFFLINE  

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Posted Sun Feb 10, 2008 1:01 AM

Is the Dungeon title screen PAL or NTSC? I assume Dungeon was the work in progress name.

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#7 supercat OFFLINE  

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Posted Sun Feb 10, 2008 1:20 AM

Oooh, I just realized that all these source files that keep appearing are REAL source code. Way cool.

Is there some nice list of them? Perhaps it would be useful to create a blog or a special forum?

#8 Mitch OFFLINE  

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Posted Sun Feb 10, 2008 6:28 PM

Is the Dungeon title screen PAL or NTSC? I assume Dungeon was the work in progress name.

Tempest


Z26 says 285 lines. So I guess that's probably NTSC.
I think Dandy Dungeon was the original title on the 8bit version. Maybe it was shortened to just Dungeon before they decided on Dark Chambers.

Mitch

#9 Tempest OFFLINE  

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Posted Sun Feb 10, 2008 6:34 PM

Is the Dungeon title screen PAL or NTSC? I assume Dungeon was the work in progress name.

Tempest


Z26 says 285 lines. So I guess that's probably NTSC.
I think Dandy Dungeon was the original title on the 8bit version. Maybe it was shortened to just Dungeon before they decided on Dark Chambers.

Mitch


Neat. So the other files are for the final PAL version, but there was a prototype NTSC title screen included? Odd... Also odd how it's just literally the title, and nothing else from the title screen.

Tempest

#10 batari OFFLINE  

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Posted Sun Feb 10, 2008 8:43 PM

Interesting - the game's code suggests it was developed on a 7800 (as I see a reference to putting the console in 2600 mode.) In a certain forum, we were wondering why Atari didn't just fix the game if it didn't work on 7800s, but if it was developed on a 7800, it probably didn't occur to anyone that the actual Superchip hardware wouldn't work, and they had countless mask ROMs produced before this was discovered, leading Atari to modify future 7800s with a timing hack (much to our chagrin, as we found when testing a certain cart, which is now working on these flaky consoles.)

But still unanswered is why Atari cared about this game so much, especially when there is a 7800 version as well?

#11 doctorclu OFFLINE  

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Posted Mon Feb 11, 2008 8:27 AM

Coded on a 7800 but won't work on a 7800? Wild.

Thanks Curt and for the Pal version Mitch.

#12 Thomas Jentzsch OFFLINE  

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Posted Mon Feb 11, 2008 9:12 AM

Ask Thomas J...

It appears to be a late PAL version of Dark Chambers as well as a seperate file of an alternate title screen. Though I can't figure out what the ker7 is supposed be connected with.

Found the threat today. Will have a look this evening.

#13 Tempest OFFLINE  

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Posted Mon Feb 11, 2008 7:10 PM

What's the date on the Dungeon Title Screen "prototype"?

Tempest

#14 Mitch OFFLINE  

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Posted Mon Feb 11, 2008 8:42 PM

What's the date on the Dungeon Title Screen "prototype"?

Tempest


I didn't see a date in the source code.

Mitch

#15 Thomas Jentzsch OFFLINE  

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Posted Tue Feb 12, 2008 9:25 AM

The source code file is from 11/12/85.

#16 TunnelRunner OFFLINE  

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Posted Tue Feb 12, 2008 2:25 PM

Have fun - lets see some new 2600 games, the kernel is great for creating some great new stuff --- maybe its time for 2600 Major Havoc ;-)




Curt


"Keep playing...the Home World is near!" (actually it never was!)
Cool idea, Curt.

#17 Rom Hunter OFFLINE  

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Posted Tue Feb 12, 2008 4:49 PM

Let me get this straight:

Is the Dark Chambers PAL ROM a prototype or not?

BTW: the title screen is also in the PAL scanline range.

8)

#18 Mitch OFFLINE  

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Posted Tue Feb 12, 2008 6:38 PM

Let me get this straight:

Is the Dark Chambers PAL ROM a prototype or not?

BTW: the title screen is also in the PAL scanline range.

8)


Yes.

It has an odd number of lines so it's more likely to be NTSC. :)

Mitch

#19 Thomas Jentzsch OFFLINE  

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Posted Wed Feb 13, 2008 3:45 AM

Let me get this straight:

Is the Dark Chambers PAL ROM a prototype or not?

BTW: the title screen is also in the PAL scanline range.

The PAL ROM has to be a prototype. But only very few bytes differ and those are used for colors. Notice the different background color inside the game.

The title screen displays 285 lines (pretty much exactly in the middle between PAL and NTSC) which seems to be typical for many early prototype developments.

#20 Rom Hunter OFFLINE  

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Posted Wed Feb 13, 2008 10:47 AM

Yes, I noticed that.

Thanks.

8)

#21 Mitch OFFLINE  

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Posted Wed Feb 13, 2008 11:05 AM

Thomas, Any luck with the ker7 file?

Mitch

#22 Thomas Jentzsch OFFLINE  

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Posted Wed Feb 13, 2008 4:19 PM

Thomas, Any luck with the ker7 file?

No much, expect that is seems to be written for a RAM based development machine. So this will never run on a normal 2600 and is probably a pretty early development stage.

#23 Mitch OFFLINE  

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Posted Wed Feb 13, 2008 5:16 PM

Thomas, Any luck with the ker7 file?

No much, expect that is seems to be written for a RAM based development machine. So this will never run on a normal 2600 and is probably a pretty early development stage.


Hmm, probably the 7800 dev card. I'll have to try it on that and see if it's any different. Thanks.

Mitch
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