SS Posted April 5, 2015 Share Posted April 5, 2015 Does anybody know of anyway to get the Atari XE version of Mario Bros to run on an 800XL? http://atariage.com/software_page.html?SoftwareID=3804 I am getting a message that "at least 64KB of XMS needed". I thought that the 800XL had 64K of ram? Am I missing something obvious or can it really not be played on an XL sysyem? I should add that I do not have an actual cartridge but that I am attempting to load the game via a SIO2PC cable using the AspeQt peripheral emulator. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+DrVenkman Posted April 5, 2015 Share Posted April 5, 2015 I haven't tried this game myself, but have you tried booting it with OPTION held down to disable the built-in BASIC? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtariLeaf Posted April 5, 2015 Share Posted April 5, 2015 My copy works fine on my 800xl are you sure all the ram in your machine is good? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+DrVenkman Posted April 5, 2015 Share Posted April 5, 2015 Another thing - I don't know if you're booting it from a modified .atr or what, but if you're using an .xex file, be aware that there are at least 3 versions floating around out there, one specifically for the 400/800 OSB machines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ApolloBoy Posted April 5, 2015 Share Posted April 5, 2015 If you're running a disk image of the game, you need at least 128K of RAM to run it. IIRC, Mario Bros. uses bankswitching like most of the larger XE carts so that's why the disk image requires more RAM to run. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SS Posted April 5, 2015 Author Share Posted April 5, 2015 (edited) I'm reasonably sure that my RAM is OK. This is the only game so far that I have run into this problem with. Since writing this, I tried the game with the Atari800Win emulator and got the same message. However, when I changed my settings from an emulated 64K of memory to an emulated 128K, the game loaded fine. The boot screen says "file version for 130XE by fandal 2006" so I am wondering if the issue is caused somehow by the specific dump/conversion of this title? Weird. I have found this specific dump three times now. I can't seem to find another. I guess that I might have to hunt down an actual cartridge for this one. It looks like they fetch a decent price, though. Edited April 5, 2015 by SS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SS Posted April 5, 2015 Author Share Posted April 5, 2015 Ahhhh ... thanks for the info ApolloBoy. I guess that explains that. Now I guess that I really DO need a cart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SS Posted April 5, 2015 Author Share Posted April 5, 2015 Thanks, DrVenkman. I do indeed have all three versions. The OSB version requires me to boot my Translator disc first in order for all of the sound FX to work properly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Westphal Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 I have 5 original carts, with custom archival cases. They are not on the website yet. Www.eightbitfix.com. I did these this way just because it won't decompress into 64k. Karateka is even more expensive. Atarionline.pl has the converted 5200 version with added music ( Mario bros. 2007 ), but the XE version is the best. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tep392 Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 I made a file of the xe version that runs on the Atarimax maxflash cart. That might be a cheaper option. I did the same for commando, another bank switch game. Think I did battle zone as well. It's been a while. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjlazer Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 Can you post these fixed versions tep392? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SS Posted April 6, 2015 Author Share Posted April 6, 2015 Yes please do post the converted files that you made, tep392. I am very interested in trying them out. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tep392 Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 That was about 6 years ago, so I will have to dig them up. It might take a few days. I posted them on the Atarimax forums back then and they might still be there. Try searching for the game title's or tep392. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rybags Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 The XE cart is a 64K Rom - the reason it needs 128K minimum Ram is that Fandal converted it to be able to run on 130XE from file. The only way to have it on a 64K or lesser machine is to have an actual cartridge. Or just play the lesser quality earlier version. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SS Posted April 6, 2015 Author Share Posted April 6, 2015 (edited) Tep392 - I found them on the AtariMax Forums page but they are in .mcw format, which I assume is an AtariMax format. I have no idea how to convert them back to .atr or .com. Any ideas? Thanks. Edited April 6, 2015 by SS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tep392 Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 That's a maxflash workbook format. The maxflash studio software will convert it for you and is a free download. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SS Posted April 6, 2015 Author Share Posted April 6, 2015 Thanks again. I found the link to the software and downloaded it. It is, however, getting to late tonight to do much more so I will try it out tomorrow after work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rybags Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 The Atarimax cart version probably won't do you any good either. It's likely just the executable file which will want 128K Ram. Problem is, Mario Bros XE is a 64K cart where the lower 8K bank switches and top 8K bank is fixed. Atarimax carts only have the top bank which is switchable. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marius Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 (edited) Do you have a MyIDE ][ cart? I have (IIRC) a .R16 version for the MyIDE ][ cart which runs (of course) on 64K atari. -> Yes I checked it out. I indeed have a .R16 version. That is a XEGS-Cartridge dump where the bankswitch-register is adapted to the one suitable for MyIDE ][. This means that this XEGS version is in functionality 100% equal to the original XEGS cart. This version has the longer intro where the enemies are 'presented' You'll need a MyIDE ][ cart for this. The MyIDE ][ cart has 512K SRAM devided in two seperate 8K ($a000-$bfff; and $8000-$9fff) windows (or combined to a 16K window $8000-$Bfff). The banking is also compatible with XEGS cartridges, and it has an extra feature. Independent of the chosen bank, every single byte of the entire 512K SRAM can be read (and written to) through a 128bytes 'keyhole' window (in $d580 - $d5ff) Especially this last feature is interesting, since it gives you the possibility of creating custom routines, while everything important stays in the usual cart area. I have been using this special feature for creating custom bankswitch routines. I was able to convert most of the existing AtariMax 1Mbit-dumps to MyIDE 2 format this way. Edited April 6, 2015 by ProWizard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tep392 Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 The Atarimax cart version probably won't do you any good either. It's likely just the executable file which will want 128K Ram. Problem is, Mario Bros XE is a 64K cart where the lower 8K bank switches and top 8K bank is fixed. Atarimax carts only have the top bank which is switchable. I modified the games to run on 64k machines using the Atarimax cart bank switch method. They run great on my 800XL. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SS Posted April 6, 2015 Author Share Posted April 6, 2015 (edited) Well I thought that I had figured out the AtariMax software and created an ATR disc image from the file but apparently I did something wrong. Aspeq loaded the image just fine but then I got the attached message from my Atari. Tep392, can you offer any more insights? Or, perhaps do you have the programs in ATR format that you can pass along. Thanks again. Edited April 6, 2015 by SS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marius Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 You chose myide 2 as your flashcart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SS Posted April 6, 2015 Author Share Posted April 6, 2015 My problem is that I cannot figure out WHAT to export it too. I cannot seem to find an option to simply export it to a generic ATR file. I might just be an idiot though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tep392 Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 Which cart do you have? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SS Posted April 7, 2015 Author Share Posted April 7, 2015 There's the rub. I didn't choose to go the AtariMax way. I instead went with a SIO2PC USB cable from (a vendor who shall not be named) and am loading ATR images from my hard drive via the Aspeqt peripheral emulator. It's working OK but not quite perfectly. Who knows, maybe I made the wrong choice. I went back and forth as to which to choose and finally settled on this method. Anyway, that's why I need an ATR image, so that my software might have the chance to *maybe* boot it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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