Game compatibility on 0.5MB STFM/1MB STE

[bluemonday]

I recently got my hands on a 1MB STE and also dug out an old 0.5MB STFM along with a load of game disks.

I've been testing the games on both systems and have found a major variation in what works and what doesn't. I've summarised this so far in the following Google Doc:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1NGp57HcvzT7tBwx4OsNxoiUiNiSb15phQ-x-tVLEVfQ/edit?usp=sharing

What you'll see is that some games work on one system but not the other. Back in the day 100% of the games worked on my (now defunct) 1MB STFM.

Many of the games are on menus from the likes of Pompey Pirates, Medway Boys etc. Some of them are original copies of games though, and you'll see that I have problems with some of these when I would expect them to work.

It is possible that the disks have become corrupt (been in a basement for years) - but then most do work on one machine.

How bad was STE compatibility for game menu disks? Or is it possible that the memory in my STE is somehow corrupt? I don't understand why some originals like Batman the Movie or NZ Story wouldn't work on a 1MB STE.

 

If anyone has any suggestions I'd be really grateful.

[ParanoidLittleMan]

This has been discussed many times, and will be in future too .

In any case, you did much more than average users: made overview, and that's very useful.

 

For begin, usual compatibility problems: STE has TOS ROM on different location than ST machines - it self makes some games crashing on it. For instance even Star Raiders may crash on STE. And that's sold by Atari. TOS takes more RAM on STE, what may be problem for some executables placed very low.

Crappy code: there is number of titles, cracks which fails with 1MB RAM. Or some other lame code, what fails from diverse reasons on different system than coders tested on.

 

Looking your table, there is too much what works not on STE. That's not average % . It would be better if you'd included exact version of game (crack) too.

Most likely there is some HW problem. For instance floppy drive may be dirty, or misaligned. So, you can try to switch floppy drives in 2 machines, and test again.

 

"..to GEM. Then data may be damaged" - it seems that on STE AUTO start or autoboot works not in such cases (if it is such on floppy really) - what confirms floppy drive problems described above. Although, there is no real data damage, just unreliable reading of it.

 

 

Possible that memory is not 100% OK in STE. That would be smallest problem, as it is easy to replace.

Menu disks were not coded too well. It was done by mostly young people, which learned 68000 coding in special way - cracking, hacking, doing fancy demos. So, no wonder if they fail on some later system.

 

I checked Batman and NZ Story Pasti originals in emulator set to STE 1MB, TOS 1.06 .

Batman the Movie works well. NZ Story starts not. And the reason is Rob Northen early Copylock 1988. What reminds me that copy protection is often the reason why original works not on some later Atari model. Although, I saw so far mostly problems with Copylock and TOS 2.06.

In case of Batman, most likely there is unreliable floppy read on STE, and that's something what man should expect with 25 year old floppies.

Edited September 15, 2014 by ParanoidLittleMan

[bluemonday]

Thanks, that is all really helpful. Is there any software test I can do on the disk drive before I consider replacing it?

 

I'm going to run a RAM test that I've also found to see if it identifies any memory problems.

[English Invader]

You can use a head cleaner to clean the disk drive, but I generally only find them effective with drives that I knew to be working 100% before I put a dodgy disk in and the head cleaner usually brings it back to 100%. If a drive is terminally erratic, a head cleaning disk doesn't tend to make much difference. A manual clean might help, but even then you're still a long way off 100%.

 

TOS can also be a factor. STfms tend to be either 1.02 or 1.04. 1.02 is better for disk games while 1.04 is better for hard drives at the expense of disk compatibility.

[blakespot]

Pseudo-related. I have a 512K original 520ST. What is the best ROM version to have in this unit as far as best compatibility.

 

Always looking for a 512K upgrade board floating around on eBay. No luck yet. :-(

 

 

bp

[ParanoidLittleMan]

Floppy testing SW comes with testing floppy disk normally - which is written on reference drive.

As I said, switching 2 drives is simplest test you can make. And when doing it, can open drives and clean them. Heads with little alcohol for instance.

But most likely problems are because age of floppies - just that one drive reads them little better. In any case, cleaning can only help.

 

TOS 1.04 is better in everything than 1.02 - except few dumb games which fail on it. It uses even less RAM than 1.02 .About 10 KB less, and that's not little.

So, for 512ST, or any ST(FM) : TOS 1.04 .

 

I have 2 2MB RAM expansion boards for STs, but they need lot of soldering .

[blakespot]

Thanks.

 

I actually found a 512K RAM expansion board on eBay last night. Ordered. There's one left, also.

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Atari-520-ST-STM-early-computer-Frontier-Xtra-Ram-512K-memory-upgrade-kit-tested-/161415635676?pt=UK_VintageComputing_RL&hash=item25951f22dc

 

I will hunt down TOS 1.04.

 

 

 

bp

[blakespot]

 

TOS 1.04 is better in everything than 1.02 - except few dumb games which fail on it. It uses even less RAM than 1.02 .About 10 KB less, and that's not little.

So, for 512ST, or any ST(FM) : TOS 1.04 .

 

So, I found these on eBay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rainbow-TOS-1-4-Atari-ST-STF-STFM-Mega-ST-New-2-Chip-/140953378159

 

"TOS 1.4 (RAINBOW TOS)"

 

According to some searching, this is likely version 1.04 that you speak of. Do you agree? Tnx.

 

 

bp

[ParanoidLittleMan]

It is it, But you need to check is 2 chip variant good for your machine. I think that you will see 6 ROM chips in your 520 ST.

Later 520 models have 3 soldering pads near TOS ROM sockets, what is for setting 2 or 6 chip usage.

 

One example of game not working with TOS 1.02 : Star Trek Rebel Universe. It works with 1.00, 1.04, 1.06,1,62, but not with 1.02 - right because mentioned more RAM usage.

[blakespot]

How do I tell what TOS version I have? The Atari menu offers nothing.

 

Tnx

 

 

 

bp

[ParanoidLittleMan]

How do I tell what TOS version I have? The Atari menu offers nothing.

 

There are diverse utils which show it. Like SYSINFO.PRG . But here is simple hint: click on Desk, Desktop Info . If you then see something like rainbow, it is Rainbow TOS - what is TOS 1.04. Otherwise is 1.00 or 1.02 .