34 replies to this topic

[GadgetUK]

Ive noticed that the PD Lode Runner ROM doesnt have a loader so you can run in Handy but not put it on flashcard or EPROM.  Does anyone know how to add a loader, or know of another image?

[MrBland]

Is that the ROM you got off my list? When I was doing some research I'm pretty sure I saw a Lode Runner ROM on one of those ROM download sites. Tonight I'll see if I can find a working one.

[GadgetUK]

It works in Handy, just not on flashcart or EPROM.  Ive added a loader using Linxer and the loader works but the game doesnt.  Unfortunately I can find an executable for Lynxdir which might work.

[GadgetUK]

I managed to compile Lynxdir in Code Blocks using GNU gcc compiler.  Tried every example of .mak file and it still doesnt work.  It must already have a custom loader or something?

[GadgetUK]

I am totally lost by this... I am starting to think it has a loader based on a 64K image or something.

[108 Stars]

It's not a very good version anyway, all the graphics have been downscaled without retouching them for the low res. Instead of better (as it should) this port looks worse than the original. With some effort this could have been great.

[sage]

The author did not release a ROM version on purpose. Thus I do no see a good reason now to explain how to  make it work.
That it runs in handy is ehm a "problem" with the handy code. it will (mopst likely) not run in other emulators...

Edit:
Funny enough, it took me only two minutes to download, unpack, convert and get it running in mednafen as ROM :-)

Edited by sage, Thu Aug 9, 2012 1:57 AM.

[GadgetUK]

sage, on Thu Aug 9, 2012 1:51 AM, said:

The author did not release a ROM version on purpose. Thus I do no see a good reason now to explain how to  make it work.
That it runs in handy is ehm a "problem" with the handy code. it will (mopst likely) not run in other emulators...

Edit:
Funny enough, it took me only two minutes to download, unpack, convert and get it running in mednafen as ROM :-)

You know one of the things I love about this community is the way people keep everything to themselves...

[sage]

Please read

http://www.atariage.... olsen__st__25

and

http://www.atariage....l__+kurt +olsen

[sage]

GadgetUK, on Wed Aug 8, 2012 2:06 PM, said:

It works in Handy, just not on flashcart or EPROM.  Ive added a loader using Linxer and the loader works but the game doesnt.  Unfortunately I can find an executable for Lynxdir which might work.

a) i dont get the point, the (windows) binaries for lynxdir are on my site, have a look in the slideshow archive.
b) lynxdir works very nicely for converting loderunner into a ROM fromat, i cannot understand the problem you have!?
c) lynxer also works
d) uploading the file by comlynx to a loader cart (like alpine games, lynx reloaded, simis etc) works, too.

[GadgetUK]

No problem, I will work it out by running the ROM in Handy through Visual Studio and work out from there whats required.  If anyone asks me I will help them.  An ancient game like this which is pretty crappy anyway compared to other ports.  Note, creating my own ROM doesnt mean producing copies to sell, and it wouldnt stop me buying an 'official release' later either, as I am a collector like many on here.

[GadgetUK]

Ive tried almost every combination with Lynxer and Lynxdir....

Using Lynxer, i am using this .mak file, is this wrong?

Insert.o
#align
LODE.O

What i get in every way I try is a title image (atari logo) followed by some green and blue lines that flash up in the top 6 or so rows, then it just restarts.

I am clearly missing something simple here, I just cannot see what.

[GadgetUK]

OK, so here's where I am up to.  The Insert.o title sprite or whatever it is shows, and then it just glitches graphically and reboots back to title sprite.  Ive looked at the original .lnx in a hex editor and I am almost positive it is an object file.  If i do the same thing with other object files they work...  Therefore theres something different about this one and its not as easy as you are making out - or we've got totally different ROM images.

Edited by GadgetUK, Thu Aug 9, 2012 11:07 AM.

[Shawn Jefferson]

It wants to load in over top of the title sprite/and or loader.  That's my memory of things anyway.

I also believe that Video 61 is selling a version of this on cartridge for the Lynx now, so I see no reason not to release it as a full ROM.  What I'd like to know though, is there a version out there with sound?  All the versions I've seen have no sound.  Where is the latest/best version?

Edit: just checked the file I have, and it loads at $200, which is quite low, usually where the loader is.  Also the verison I have *does* have sound, it's just really crappy.    No music though.

Edited by Shawn Jefferson, Thu Aug 9, 2012 8:45 PM.

[davidcalgary29]

I have a copy with sound. I bought it off an eBay seller about a month ago -- this is the same gent (a former Atari employee) from whom I acquired my proto version of Fat Bobby.

I was a bit surprised myself when I powered up and heard sound -- it's nothing much, mind you -- just the typical bloops and bleeps that we've enjoyed on other platforms for years. My copy appears to be a Video 61 release; someone, at least, bothered to make a cover and instructions to insert into the diskette clamshell the game was packed in.

There's a clip of Lynx LR, with sound, on youtube.

I just checked out the screenshots on the AA site. My copy of the game doesn't have "Broderbund Presents" on the title screen. It also has an attract mode.

[sage]

Shawn Jefferson, on Thu Aug 9, 2012 8:04 PM, said:

Edit: just checked the file I have, and it loads at $200, which is quite low, usually where the loader is.  Also the verison I have *does* have sound, it's just really crappy.    No music though.

Indeed.
Which just means you have to use Karris Loader... or a second Loader/depacker inbetween

Copies beeing sold by Video61 is not a good excuse.

[davidcalgary29]

sage, on Fri Aug 10, 2012 2:04 AM, said:

Copies beeing sold by Video61 is not a good excuse.

I just read through the two other threads to which you provided a link. I had no idea that the programmer didn't want to circulate Lynx LR with sound.

I certainly don't promote circulating games without the author's permission (was this ever granted to burn Push and Stardreamer?). I'm not sure, though, what to do with my copy of LR with sound. Keep it? Burn it? Send it back to the author? Quandary!

[108 Stars]

Just keep it, it's not your fault someone sells stuff he shouldn't.
Even if you burn it, you can not undo that you played it anyway, so there's no point in worrying now.^^

And if the original author really cared that much about it he would have interfered with people selling it. It doesn't seem that important, especially since it has spread already.

[Shawn Jefferson]

[

sage, on Fri Aug 10, 2012 2:04 AM, said:

Which just means you have to use Karris Loader... or a second Loader/depacker inbetween

That's what I did the first time (second loader)... but it looks like I've lost that code.

Quote

Copies beeing sold by Video61 is not a good excuse.

What it tells me is that the original author doesn't much care about this... and the program is definitely "out there".  Everyone has it already anyway.  Putting it in on a cartridge has already been done and it's being sold by Video61 (probably illegally).  Why not let everyone who wants to run it on their flashcart do so?  I personally have no desire to pay Video61 anything for this program, when most likely, the author is getting nothing anyway.  I'd donate some money to Kurt personally if he released his latest version(s) with all levels...

108 Stars, on Fri Aug 10, 2012 1:35 PM, said:

And if the original author really cared that much about it he would have interfered with people selling it. It doesn't seem that important, especially since it has spread already.

It seems he's abondaned it, and some time ago at that (10+ years probably.)

Edited by Shawn Jefferson, Sat Aug 11, 2012 12:31 PM.

[Shawn Jefferson]

Try this...

Attached Files

•  LR.zip   28.79K   63 downloads

[GadgetUK]

Shawn Jefferson, on Sun Sep 9, 2012 12:20 AM, said:

Try this...

Awesome, thanks, you are a star!!!  An interesting thing ive noticed, if you play Lode Runner in Handy the controls are as you would expect, with left going left and right going right, yet when you play on the Lynx 2 the controls are reversed, not sure if this was intentional and Handy has a 'fix' to swap the directions, or whether it was intentional that when run on an actual Lynx it would reverse (sort of protection as he didnt want it putting on EPROM back then?).

Very odd, has anyone played Lode Runner on a Lynx 1, just curious if the controls are always inverted from how it plays in Handy.

[MrBland]

I have a loderunner cart, played on my Lynx I quite a bit. Controls are not inverted.

[Shawn Jefferson]

I didn't change the code in any way... but if there is some bug that we can fix, that would be great. Does the cart that Video 61 sells show the same behaviour?

Also, it would be great if Kurt released the stuff he had from back then... It looks like he had Championship Lode Runner done as well.  If not, it would be interesting for someone to reverse engineer the level structure... I had a look, but I haven't figured it out yet.  It must be packed in some way.

Edited by Shawn Jefferson, Sun Sep 9, 2012 11:08 AM.

[GadgetUK]

Could you explain steps on how you got to the game resources from ROM image?  I am curious and wouldnt mind taking a look myself.

[Shawn Jefferson]

I used HandyBug to step through the code... and other similar tools to disassemble the code.  I never did figure out what format the levels were in, or really where they were for that matter.  There is some self-modifying code in there which makes things much harder to figure out (for me at least!)