Xenophobe - Arcade Font

[+MrFish]

A simple hack to incorporate the original arcade font into the Atari version.

The font replaces the hi-res font in the Atari version. I've also edited the

Antic E font (on the end-level info screens only, not the in-level game

graphics), but not to look like the arcade font, since it's too low-res to do

that.

 

I'm not posting the ROM for obvious reasons (although after 10+ years I'm

starting to wonder how long we need to refrain from this; has Fandal

gotten his money back yet?).

 

So, I'm posting a partial file that can be used to patch "legitimate" copies.

The file data needs to be pasted at offset $011CE0, for the ROM version

only. The CAR version would need it pasted 16 bytes higher, at $011CF0.

 

If anyone needs more detailed instructions on how to modify their

ROM/CAR, I'll post something later upon request.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 16, 2018 by MrFish

[Goochman]

I dont think Fandal has gotten even 20% back from what he spent to make this available to the community.

 

Font change looks nice - I have a cart and cant dump it so unfort I cant take advantage.

[+MrFish]

I dont think Fandal has gotten even 20% back from what he spent to make this available to the community.

 

What makes you say that? Do you know exactly what deal was made between Lance and Fandal?

 

I was assuming Lance paid him some initial decent amount up front, plus royalties on carts sold

(maybe up to a certain number of carts sold only). So, for instance, if he got $1,000 up front, and

$5 per each cart sold (this is what Fandal claimed he was getting per cart), they would only need

to sell 200 carts for Fandal to recoup his money (he paid $2,000 for it).

 

I don't think it's unrealistic to assume this cart has sold more than 200 copies in 10+ years. This

is a great game that many people want own.

Edited November 16, 2018 by MrFish

[+Philsan]

I bought this game from V61 Atari Sales many years ago too.

 

Your new font improves the graphics a lot.

 

Please post more detailed instructions.

 

I am using XVI32 but I think I am doing something wrong...

[+MrFish]

Please post more detailed instructions.

 

It's pretty simple.

 

01. Get some decent hex editor, like HxD.

02. Make a copy of your ROM file.

03. Open the ROM file in your hex editor.

04. Extract the patch file from the ZIP archive (in the post above).

05. Open the extracted patch file in your hex editor.

06. Select the entire contents of the patch file using the

"Select All" and "Copy" commands in your hex editor.

07. Go to viewing your ROM copy file in the hex editor.

08. Use the "Go To Offset" command and enter "011CE0".

09. From the current spot of the cursor, use the "Paste

Write" command, to paste what was copied from the

patch file into your ROM.

10. Save the changes.

Edited November 16, 2018 by MrFish

[+Philsan]

Thank you very much.

In fact HxD is better than XVI32.

I have followed your instructions with no luck again.

Maybe my CAR is different than yours? I dumped the BIN from my cart and then I converted it to CAR with "Atari 8-bit ROM to CAR file conversion" by Robin Edwards.

[+Philsan]

Done!

I patched my BIN instead of my CAR and now it works. Then I converted BIN to CAR.

[+MrFish]

Thank you very much.

In fact HxD is better than XVI32.

I have followed your instructions with no luck again.

Maybe my CAR is different than yours? I dumped the BIN from my cart and then I converted it to CAR with "Atari 8-bit ROM to CAR file conversion" by Robin Edwards.

 

Done!

I patched my BIN instead of my CAR and now it works. Then I converted BIN to CAR.

 

Yeah, now that I think about it, I believe CAR files have a checksum in the header;

so, it won't work without changing the checksum also. So, easier to just use a ROM

and then convert.

Edited November 16, 2018 by MrFish

[Magic Knight]

7

I dont think Fandal has gotten even 20% back from what he spent to make this available to the community.

 

Font change looks nice - I have a cart and cant dump it so unfort I cant take advantage.

What makes you say that? Do you know exactly what deal was made between Lance and Fandal?

 

I was assuming Lance paid him some initial decent amount up front, plus royalties on carts sold

(maybe up to a certain number of carts sold only). So, for instance, if he got $1,000 up front, and

$5 per each cart sold (this is what Fandal claimed he was getting per cart), they would only need

to sell 200 carts for Fandal to recoup his money (he paid $2,000 for it).

 

I don't think it's unrealistic to assume this cart has sold more than 200 copies in 10+ years. This

is a great game that many people want own.

Where can I buy a cart version for this?

[+MrFish]

Where can I buy a cart version for this?

 

Video61: Atari 400/800/XL/XE/XEGS Cartridges

[tjlazer]

Thanks, I’ll try to patch it tonight. I made a copy of my ROM for my Ultimate cart

Edited November 16, 2018 by tjlazer

[snicklin]

I think I read somewhere here that he spent something like $3200 on the game.

[Magic Knight]

Video61: Atari 400/800/XL/XE/XEGS Cartridges

Thanks!

[+MrFish]

I think I read somewhere here that he spent something like $3200 on the game.

 

I watched the auction at the time it happened. I'd remembered to 2,000 part correctly, but I had the currency type wrong.

As you can see in this post, it was 2,000€. The exchange rate between € and $ was greater back then though.

So, based on the exchange rate back then, it would have been about $2,792. These days it would be a lot less,

as about $2,283.

Edited November 16, 2018 by MrFish

[_The Doctor__]

The compufont is only used on story paragraphs and numbers, not on the word Health and of course the word Score doesn't exist in the arcade game...

 

The Compu-Font really needs to be in the base cleared, instruction, and bonus count boxes... (no pictures of hack showing this I'm not sure if that is the case)

 

some screen grabs of those screens would be cool

Edited November 16, 2018 by _The Doctor__

[pseudografx]

 

I watched the auction at the time it happened. I'd remembered to 2,000 part correctly, but I had the currency type wrong.

As you can see in this post, it was 2,000€. The exchange rate between € and $ was greater back then though.

So, based on the exchange rate back then, it would have been about $2,792. These days it would be a lot less,

as about $2,283.

That is just part of the story. The package was stored at the customs office where he had to pay another 400 USD or so.

I've recently talked with him about it and so far he only got about half of the money back. So maybe in another 10 years he can finally start making profit!

Edited November 16, 2018 by pseudografx

[+MrFish]

That is just part of the story. The package was stored at the customs office where he had to pay another 400 USD or so.

I've recently talked with him about it and so far he only got about half of the money back. So maybe in another 10 years he can finally start making profit!

 

Ah, yeah, the wonderful folks at customs. Seems they got a nice piece of the pie.

 

OK, so that brings the total to about $3,200, as snicklin said. Thanks for clearing things up.

[+MrFish]

The compufont is only used on story paragraphs and numbers, not on the word Health and of course the word Score doesn't exist in the arcade game...

 

The Compu-Font really needs to be in the base cleared, instruction, and bonus count boxes... (no pictures of hack showing this I'm not sure if that is the case)

 

some screen grabs of those screens would be cool

 

Yeah, I've been checking out the arcade, of course, in getting the font, etc.

 

As I said, it's a simple hack; but it helps to add a little more arcade feel to it. I don't think it's necessary to always copy everything in the

arcade in order to have something that looks good. There are a lot of improvements that could be made to the Atari 8-bit version, but

(especially considering it's a unreleased proto) it's a pretty nice piece of ware.

 

There are a few other things I'd like to do with it though. For instance, The P/M colors used for the players could be chosen better. Some

of the playfield colors on certain deck levels are the same as the P/M colors. There is no great reason to do that. So, I'm inclined to find

some P/M colors that will steer clear of the playfield colors, or visa versa.

[Gunstar]

Done!

I patched my BIN instead of my CAR and now it works. Then I converted BIN to CAR.

I'll have to dump my cart! I've been meaning to try dumping it for use on my The!Cart anyway. What size cart do you set for Maxflash to dump?

[+MrFish]

I'll have to dump my cart! I've been meaning to try dumping it for use on my The!Cart anyway. What size cart do you set for Maxflash to dump?

 

It should be a 128K XEGS cart.

[_The Doctor__]

since you replaced the character set, does it carry over into the info screen for bonus, since that one changes often, or did they hide another set and or use international set area, if thats a no.. then is it really a hard coded graphics display of that text?

 

I like where you're going with this, just remember at the halfway for player 2 colors and screens

Edited November 17, 2018 by _The Doctor__

[gozar]

That is just part of the story. The package was stored at the customs office where he had to pay another 400 USD or so.

I've recently talked with him about it and so far he only got about half of the money back. So maybe in another 10 years he can finally start making profit!

 

What's the agreement with Video 61? Can Fandal put up the ROM for digital downloads? I'd buy it for $10-$15 bucks.

[Goochman]

 

What's the agreement with Video 61? Can Fandal put up the ROM for digital downloads? I'd buy it for $10-$15 bucks.

 

My understanding is he signed over all rights to V61 so they could distribute the cart to the community. V61 owns the rights at this point and Fandal gets a small %% of the cart cost.

[pseudografx]

Yes, he as no rights to distribute the ROM in any form.

[+MrFish]

Yes, he as no rights to distribute the ROM in any form.

 

In truth, nobody has any rights to distribute the ROM, besides those whose names are on the copyrights, including Video61.

 

So, any agreement between them is fantasy, and has nothing to do with any kind of court-presentable legality.

 

Everything the community is doing is out of respect for Fandal putting up the money to save it from rotting in some collectors

glass case; and everything Fandal is doing in regards to their agreement is so that he'll continue to get money from Video61.

Edited November 17, 2018 by MrFish