30 replies to this topic

[Ikrananka]

I just tried to fire up Sewer Sam in blueMSX and after the title and skill selection screens the game tries to start but just ends up with some garbled graphics at the top of the screen and then a load of vertical green lines appear.  I dumped my Sewer Sam cart and this fresh rom did the same so I don't believe that the problem is the rom.  Has anyone else had this problem?

[ColecoDan]

I had an issue with sewer sam where it did pretty much the same thing you are talking about on my colecovision.  It was on my colecovision that was modded with supposedly superior sound chip and video upgrade.  This was not done by Yurkie otherwise I probably wouldn't have this problem.   When I put it in my other colecovision that was just referbished with no changes sewer sam works fine.   This game has some talking sounds on it unlike most other games.  I was thinking maybe it makes some specific calls to colecovision hardware and since I had changed hardware the code fails and the game doesn't start.  Maybe blueMSX has the same issue where no other games have used this specific code so it breaks blueMSX as well.

Don't know for sure just thought I would add this since I seemed to have the same problem.

[RelliK111]

I had the same thing happen to me it comes up, you can select the skill and players but then the graffics just go to lines on the screen. This was with the Ultimate SD and rom file from the internet. I tried my game cart and the same thing. I have a Yurkie system. Its only that game? There must be something since all 3 of us are having the same thing happen.

[RelliK111]

Although Squish'em Sam works fine on rom or on cart and that has voice. Hopefully Yurkie might be able to shine so light on this.

[Ikrananka]

Interesting - I wonder what the problem is........

[ten-four]

Hi Ikrananka.

Sewer Sam with BlueMSX.

I use ColecoVision with OpCode extensions.
My ROM passes the blue screen.

[ColecoDan]

what are opcode extensions?

[Ikrananka]

ColecoDan, on Sun Apr 8, 2012 3:40 PM, said:

what are opcode extensions?

It's one of the machine options available in blusMSX.  Just adds 16kb of RAM at 2000 to 5FFF.

[Ikrananka]

ten-four, on Sun Apr 8, 2012 3:02 PM, said:

Hi Ikrananka.

Sewer Sam with BlueMSX.

I use ColecoVision with OpCode extensions.
My ROM passes the blue screen.

Thanks - this has helped me track down the problem - and also why those with Yurkie modded machines have the problem. The issue is actually down to the "Intro Skip" BIOS rom. I have been using this rom in blueMSX and Sewer Sam will not run with it (the ONLY game I have seen any problems with this BIOS). Switching to the stock BIOS rom, which the "ColecoVision with Opcode Memory Extension" uses, Sewer Sam runs fine.

So, I suppose the question now comes down to why does the Intro Skip BIOS behave like this? Any idea who created the Intro Skip BIOS?

[RelliK111]

Is there any way to turn on and off the BIOS skip on the Yurkie systems? I have never played the game do to this problem, but I also really like the BIOS skip for all of my games. It would suck to have a non Yurkie system just for one game.

[Ikrananka]

RelliK111, on Sun Apr 8, 2012 4:24 PM, said:

Is there any way to turn on and off the BIOS skip on the Yurkie systems? I have never played the game do to this problem, but I also really like the BIOS skip for all of my games. It would suck to have a non Yurkie system just for one game.

No way to turn it on/off I'm afraid.  The BIOS is socketed and so can be swapped - however that means taking the system apart

[RelliK111]

Ikrananka, on Sun Apr 8, 2012 5:11 PM, said:

RelliK111, on Sun Apr 8, 2012 4:24 PM, said:

Is there any way to turn on and off the BIOS skip on the Yurkie systems? I have never played the game do to this problem, but I also really like the BIOS skip for all of my games. It would suck to have a non Yurkie system just for one game.

No way to turn it on/off I'm afraid.  The BIOS is socketed and so can be swapped - however that means taking the system apart

Ya will I guess no sewer sam for me at least in the near future.

I wonder if there is any way to change the rom to prevent that problem from happening?

[ColecoDan]

RelliK111, on Sun Apr 8, 2012 5:22 PM, said:

I wonder if there is any way to change the rom to prevent that problem from happening?

Of course there is. It just takes a programmer to figure out what code is calling it and change the code.  Now actually accomplishing that could be harder than said.

[Ikrananka]

ColecoDan, on Sun Apr 8, 2012 6:10 PM, said:

RelliK111, on Sun Apr 8, 2012 5:22 PM, said:

I wonder if there is any way to change the rom to prevent that problem from happening?

Of course there is. It just takes a programmer to figure out what code is calling it and change the code.  Now actually accomplishing that could be harder than said.

Well Bruce Tomlin a while back posted a disassembled and optimised BIOS that not only saved 1kb of space but also included the intro skip.  I'll PM Bruce and see if he can help.

[ed1475]

I think there was a goof up when Interphase programmed the startup for Sewer Sam (and Aquattack) because there are different startup instructions for the CV and the ADAM.

In the CV, both controller ports are active right away and 1 player games can be started/played with either controller.

In the ADAM, only the #2 controller port is active at first so both games must be started using the #2 controller.  I learned this the hard way recently when I was making gameplay videos for my youtube channel and I couldn't get the games to start.
After startup, a 1 player Sewer Sam game can be played with either controller.  Aquattack needs to be played with the #2 controller because there are side-button firing glitches if the #1 controller is used.  


Today, I hooked up the Rollerball controller to an ADAM and plugged the 2 joysticks into the the rollerball ports and guess what.  Both joysticks are active right away and both games can be started/played the same as with the CV.

Interphase was aware of the startup diffenrence at some point because it's included in the instructions.  (available at Colecovisionzone).

Maybe this info can help to get it to work with the intro-skip BIOS.

Edited by ed1475, Tue Apr 10, 2012 5:43 PM.

[Yurkie]

Anyone try the actual cart instead of the rom?

Ikrananka: can you dump your personal cart and try the rom on the multi-cart?

You can press # on the keypad to bring up the skill select screen, this would like not having the intro skip bios installed...at least is seems it would.

[NIAD]

ed1475, on Tue Apr 10, 2012 5:40 PM, said:

In the ADAM, only the #2 controller port is active at first so both games must be started using the #2 controller.  I learned this the hard way recently when I was making gameplay videos for my youtube channel and I couldn't get the games to start. After startup, a 1 player Sewer Sam game can be played with either controller.  Aquattack needs to be played with the #2 controller because there are side-button firing glitches if the #1 controller is used.

I just did some testing of an original Sewer Sam cart on an ADAM with a controller plugged into Port #1 and everything worked fine for me. Perhaps Interphase released a fixed version? BTW, this original cart will not work on a Yurkie modded CV (A/V, Intro Skip BIOS and Pause Button).

I didn't check my original cart of Aquattack on the ADAM, but will make a note of that.

[5-11under]

NIAD, on Wed Apr 11, 2012 5:35 PM, said:

ed1475, on Tue Apr 10, 2012 5:40 PM, said:

In the ADAM, only the #2 controller port is active at first so both games must be started using the #2 controller.  I learned this the hard way recently when I was making gameplay videos for my youtube channel and I couldn't get the games to start. After startup, a 1 player Sewer Sam game can be played with either controller.  Aquattack needs to be played with the #2 controller because there are side-button firing glitches if the #1 controller is used.

I just did some testing of an original Sewer Sam cart on an ADAM with a controller plugged into Port #1 and everything worked fine for me. Perhaps Interphase released a fixed version? BTW, this original cart will not work on a Yurkie modded CV (A/V, Intro Skip BIOS and Pause Button).

I didn't check my original cart of Aquattack on the ADAM, but will make a note of that.

Question about the BIOS: Does this one skip the delay completely for regular Coleco games, or is this the BIOS that has the delay that can be overridden by pressing a fire button?

[NIAD]

ColecoDan, on Sun Apr 8, 2012 11:28 AM, said:

I had an issue with sewer sam where it did pretty much the same thing you are talking about on my colecovision.  It was on my colecovision that was modded with supposedly superior sound chip and video upgrade.  This was not done by Yurkie otherwise I probably wouldn't have this problem.

Does this modded system you have (from someone else, not Yurkie), also have an Intro Skip BIOS? I would think this modded system does as I would find it hard to believe that an A/V Mod could cause this conflict.

If it is using the standard Coleco BIOS, then the problem does not lie (in part or completely) in the Intro Skip BIOS that Yurkie is using, but in the Composite Video with Audio mod that was used in this other modded system and in Yurkie's modded systems. Again, I would find it hard to believe that this is the case, but you never know and we have to try to eliminate all possibilities.

[NIAD]

5-11under, on Wed Apr 11, 2012 5:39 PM, said:

Question about the BIOS: Does this one skip the delay completely for regular Coleco games, or is this the BIOS that has the delay that can be overridden by pressing a fire button?

The Intro Skip BIOS that Yurkie uses is the version that requires one to press a firebutton to skip the CV BIOS Screen/Title Screen.

[ed1475]

NIAD, on Wed Apr 11, 2012 5:35 PM, said:

ed1475, on Tue Apr 10, 2012 5:40 PM, said:

In the ADAM, only the #2 controller port is active at first so both games must be started using the #2 controller.  I learned this the hard way recently when I was making gameplay videos for my youtube channel and I couldn't get the games to start. After startup, a 1 player Sewer Sam game can be played with either controller.  Aquattack needs to be played with the #2 controller because there are side-button firing glitches if the #1 controller is used.

I just did some testing of an original Sewer Sam cart on an ADAM with a controller plugged into Port #1 and everything worked fine for me. Perhaps Interphase released a fixed version? BTW, this original cart will not work on a Yurkie modded CV (A/V, Intro Skip BIOS and Pause Button).

I didn't check my original cart of Aquattack on the ADAM, but will make a note of that.

Sewer Sam stays at stays at the title screen until I press a button on the #2 controller.  I'm using a rom in the Ultimate SD cart with an ADAM.

If I hook up the roller controller to the ADAM, and plug the controllers int the roller controller, then the #1 controller (and #2) will work.

Edited by ed1475, Wed Apr 11, 2012 6:04 PM.

[5-11under]

NIAD, on Wed Apr 11, 2012 5:49 PM, said:

5-11under, on Wed Apr 11, 2012 5:39 PM, said:

Question about the BIOS: Does this one skip the delay completely for regular Coleco games, or is this the BIOS that has the delay that can be overridden by pressing a fire button?

The Intro Skip BIOS that Yurkie uses is the version that requires one to press a firebutton to skip the CV BIOS Screen/Title Screen.

I haven't investigated that BIOS, but obviously there is extra code in there to monitor the fire button, which is interfering with it's standard operation, at least as far as Sewer Sam is concerned. It sounds like it's safer using one of the other options: the full delay, the 3 second delay, or the 0 second delay version, without the option to skip it with the fire button. These are located here: http://www.atariage....ost__p__2019225 . Personally, I like the 3 second delay, and not just because I made it.

[ColecoDan]

NIAD, on Wed Apr 11, 2012 5:47 PM, said:

ColecoDan, on Sun Apr 8, 2012 11:28 AM, said:

I had an issue with sewer sam where it did pretty much the same thing you are talking about on my colecovision.  It was on my colecovision that was modded with supposedly superior sound chip and video upgrade.  This was not done by Yurkie otherwise I probably wouldn't have this problem.

Does this modded system you have (from someone else, not Yurkie), also have an Intro Skip BIOS? I would think this modded system does as I would find it hard to believe that an A/V Mod could cause this conflict.

If it is using the standard Coleco BIOS, then the problem does not lie (in part or completely) in the Intro Skip BIOS that Yurkie is using, but in the Composite Video with Audio mod that was used in this other modded system and in Yurkie's modded systems. Again, I would find it hard to believe that this is the case, but you never know and we have to try to eliminate all possibilities.

It is the fire button skip bios.  The referb leave everything asis coleco that works I think they didn't change the bios but don't remember.  I have not tried it on my Yurkie modded one.

[Ikrananka]

Yurkie, on Tue Apr 10, 2012 6:02 PM, said:

Anyone try the actual cart instead of the rom?

Ikrananka: can you dump your personal cart and try the rom on the multi-cart?

You can press # on the keypad to bring up the skill select screen, this would like not having the intro skip bios installed...at least is seems it would.

I'll do this at the weekend.  I did dump my own cart and tried it on blueMSX with the same issue as the public domain rom.  I'll try it on my CV as well.

[SuicideSquid]

5-11under, on Wed Apr 11, 2012 6:05 PM, said:

NIAD, on Wed Apr 11, 2012 5:49 PM, said:

5-11under, on Wed Apr 11, 2012 5:39 PM, said:

Question about the BIOS: Does this one skip the delay completely for regular Coleco games, or is this the BIOS that has the delay that can be overridden by pressing a fire button?

The Intro Skip BIOS that Yurkie uses is the version that requires one to press a firebutton to skip the CV BIOS Screen/Title Screen.

I haven't investigated that BIOS, but obviously there is extra code in there to monitor the fire button, which is interfering with it's standard operation, at least as far as Sewer Sam is concerned. It sounds like it's safer using one of the other options: the full delay, the 3 second delay, or the 0 second delay version, without the option to skip it with the fire button. These are located here: http://www.atariage....ost__p__2019225 . Personally, I like the 3 second delay, and not just because I made it.

I played Sewer Sam (original cart) on a unmodified Colecovision last night (soon to be in Transit to Yurkie for a good refurbishing!) and it should be noted that the Sewer Sam title screen can be by passed by moving the controller in any direction, by pressing any keypad button, or by pressing the fire button.

If the problem is a fire button conflict with the fire button skip bios, try pressing the joy stick to move on to the skill select screen and don't press the fire button.  For completeness, after power on wait 15 seconds on the splash screen and then press the joystick to move on to skill select.  Someone may have already tried this, but I thought I'd mention it.