ColecoFan1981

Continuing this topic, I am going to veer off topic for a bit about Konami's Hyper Rally for the MSX: Listening to the sound of the engine, it sounds like the engine soundbyte from the Commodore 64 version of Pole Position: ~Ben

Hi, I have played Vs. Super Mario Bros. (alt) on MAME32, and I scored 2,078,700 points. Does this look like a new world record yet? NOTE: No cheats were involved in this run-through. ~Ben

Hi, Having just learned about why the so-called "kill screen" on Donkey Kong was born, I now have to say I found another timer-related discovery: go to level 28, and then you'll notice something else. As I froze the timer on level 28, the timer displays just 200 points. At level 29, the timer bonus displays a max of 1,200 actual bonus points. From level 30 onward until whatever level # which calculates the final result for the game timer in hundredths is bigger than 255, the timer behaves normally again. GAME TIMER RESULTS FOR LEVEL 22 AND BEYOND Level 22 (22 * 10 + 40 = 260) 260 is larger than 255; 260 - 256 = 4 * 100 = 400 bonus points; although the timer initially reads 100 points and then "4000," stopping after decreasing to "3700" points - at which point Mario dies. Level 23 (23 * 10 + 40 = 270; 270 - 256 = 14 * 100 = 1400 bonus points) Level 24 (24 * 10 + 40 = 280; 280 - 256 = 24 * 100 = 2400 bonus points) Level 25 (25 * 10 + 40 = 290; 290 - 256 = 34 * 100 = 3400 bonus points) Level 26 (26 * 10 + 40 = 300; 300 - 256 = 44 * 100 = 4400 bonus points) Level 27 (27 * 10 + 40 = 310; 310 - 256 = 54 * 100 = 5400 bonus points) Level 28 (28 * 10 + 40 = 320; 320 - 256 = 64 * 100 = 6400 bonus points) (this is the level where I see just 200 points on the game timer display using the timer freeze cheat; this may have something to do with the final result of 64 (40 hex) for the game timer in hundredths). Level 29 (29 * 10 + 40 = 330; 330 - 256 = 74 * 100 = 7400 bonus points) (the game timer displays 1200 points) Level 30 (30 * 10 + 40 = 340; 340 - 256 = 84 * 100 = 8400 bonus points) (the game timer displays 8000 points like normal, because of the logic in the ROM which call for any result in the hundredths place of the game timer that is greater than 81 to be forced back down to 80) ~Ben

Sounds impossible to me even if you turn on Mame invicibility cheats.. doesn't the game crash on the kill-screen way before that score would be possible? No, that didn't happen to me. But I do acknowledge the scoreboard turns over after every one million points. ~Ben

Now how would 2,076,600 points sound? ~Ben

Hi, Have I just beat Billy Mitchell's latest recorded score on the arcade version of Donkey Kong? I have two snapshots to prove it. ~Ben

Seeing as the CV used a Z-80A processor, as did the original arcade Donkey Kong machine, here's all my thoughts about the game timer on the 24K ROM version: The instructions would be thus, that on the 24K ROM version, the timer never goes past 8000 bonus points. The game timer on both the 24K and 16K versions starts at 4000 bonus points (although the game timer does go past 8000 points on the 16K ROM version if you manage to get to level 6), which is achieved by taking the level number and multiplying that by 10 ($0A hex), and then adding 30 ($1E hex) to the result. Level 1 = (1 * 10) + 30 = 4000 bonus points Level 2 = (2 * 10) + 30 = 5000 bonus points Level 3 = (3 * 10) + 30 = 6000 bonus points Level 4 = (4 * 10) + 30 = 7000 bonus points Level 5 = (5 * 10) + 30 = 8000 bonus points For the 24K ROM version, the Z-80 logic would then check to make sure if the value stored in register A is 80 (#50 hex) in the ROM, and if it exceeds said value, to force it back down to 80. Level 6 = (6 * 10) + 30 = 9000 bonus points (truncated to 8000 on 24K version) Level 23 = (23 * 10) + 30 = 400 bonus points (the 8-bit byte exceeds 255) On the arcade version, the infamous kill screen is arrived at because after you reach level 22, the ROM recognizes that as a large-enough number to lose the Carry flag, making said result mod 256 of it. The Carry flag deliberately clears each time before a number is doubled, and the calculation is (22 * 10) + 40 = 260, which is greater than 256 by 4 (no 8-bit hex code number goes past 255, or #FF hex), to give level 22 a very short starting bonus of 400 points. I believe the kill screen for the 16K ROM version of the CV Donkey Kong occurs at level 97 (for all those who managed to get there) because it having a five-digit game timer, it can never go past 99,000 points, for which I believe is instant death. As I said before, the 24K ROM version never has the game timer going past 8000 points. ~Ben

How is it going on the Donkey Kong Arcade port, so far? ~Ben

I also have to say that the 99/8 never took off due to problems correlating to 3rd-party cartridges: they must contain GROM. Again, TI shouldn't have (wrongfully) gone through their millions over the 99/4A line. The Extended BASIC I problem on this prototype correlates to the fact the computer was already pre-loaded with the Extended BASIC II. Another problem lies with the Terminal Emulator program. ~Ben

Hi, What does everyone know about the Texas Instruments TI-99/8? While it never was released officially, a few prototype units do exist and are in the hands of a few collectors. There also existed the instruction book to this model. The TI-99/8 was to be TI's answer to the Commodore 64. I also believe Atari's 1400XL, which was to replace the short-lived 1200XL, among other things featured a built-in voice synthesizer, was to be that company's answer to the C64. The 1400XL was never released because at the time Atari executives felt the company should be committed to doing video games. The TI-99/2, another no-release, was to be a low-cost alternative to the 99/4 line, with monochrome graphics and no sound. Among other things, while it was backwards-compatible with the 99/4(A) library, for some reason the 99/8 was not compatible with the Extended BASIC which supported the older model. And had TI not went through all their millions in the home computer industry, we also could've seen their competitor to the Commodore Amiga, the 99/16. And heck, there was this TI computer, the Professional, that was a TI in name only, which was an IBM-compatible computer and featured an Intel chip. This could've sold better if it were to have been based on Atari's 1600XL, which, once again, is on the list of never-released computers. The 1600XL was conceived to have both the usual MOS 6502C chip as well as the Intel 80186 chip for greater DOS compatibility. By that I mean the TI Pro could've been made by TI itself and featured not only their TMS9995 chip but also the Intel 80186 chip. Other TI computers that could've been released if the company's home computer division survived: *TI-99/GC (TI-99 Game Console; remember Atari's XE-GS computer/console and the Tomy Pyuuta, Jr.?) *TI-99/M (TI-99 Music; this would feature an 8-voice sound chip to rival Commodore's SID sound chip) *TI-99/P (TI-99 Portable; with a built-in monochrome monitor) ~Ben

The last thing I'd like to know is how to properly convert hue phase angles into radians, as given by this particular formula: theta = pi * ((cols(z) + hue) / 180) For instance: if I was to plug in a color to this formula which is in column 1, and with a hue of 210 (would this be 1 + 210 = 211?), what would the theta be? I tried it out and this did not give me a consistent result: the theta value returned was 3.6826 radians, which I don't believe is correct. Please help me. But even if 3.6826 radians is correct, I don't believe this part of the equation will be enough to give me a consistent result as to the correct hue to plug into the next formula: R = Y + S * SIN(theta) G = Y - 0.5094 * S * SIN(theta) - 0.1887 * S * COS(theta) B = Y + S * COS(theta) Thank you, Ben

Hi, I have another reason as to why Pole Position should've been released for the ColecoVision: as a 32K ROM cartridge it could've had more of the arcade version's original tunes. Most of these were not used in any other pre-1984 home versions of the game (cf. Atari 600/800XL/5200, Texas Instruments TI-99/4A, Commodore VIC-20 and 64, etc.) aside from the qualifying run start tune. Exhibitions: *The jingle that plays when you finish in 2nd place or lower in the qualifying run. An adaptation of this tune is also used on some versions of the arcade game (and its sequel, Pole Position II) as the name entry jingle. *"PREPARE TO QUALIFY!" and "CONGRATULATIONS! YOU'VE QUALIFIED FOR THE RACE." These two spoken comments in the arcade game are another reason why the CV could've had a speech synthesizer unit (a la the previously mentioned Atari 8-bit family and the TI-99/4A). ~Ben

Most of the launch titles on the CV were released with the system sometime between July and September 1982. Three of these from the first CV catalog were delayed until around April-June 1983: Space Fury (cat. no. 2415), Space Panic (2447) and Ken Uston Blackjack/Poker (2439), although they read 1982 on the cartridge label, actually read 1983 onscreen, on their ROM boards, and even on the back cover of their instruction books. Same issue occurs with Super Action Football (initially planned for release with the CV launch in 1982 as Head-to-Head Football), which says 1983 on the cart label but 1984 onscreen, its ROM board, and possibly its instruction manual. Other titles say 1984 on the cartridge label but read 1983 onscreen: these titles include Buck Rogers: Planet of Zoom (which was also available as a Super Game DDP for the Adam computer, and it was even packed in with it), Frenzy and Smurf Paint 'n Play Workshop. ~Ben

May I point out the PAL systems do not use YIQ but rather YUV? YIQ is strictly NTSC. Perhaps the PAL derivations would look better if you guys used YUV. ~Ben

Thanks, however, I have one problem with a formula: Although the "S" means "saturation," do I have to use different color saturation values in this one equation? The formula goes as such: R = Y + S * sin(angle) G = Y - 0.5094 * S * sin(angle) - 0.1887 * S * cos(angle) B = Y + S * cos(angle) Again, would S be the same value for all three components in the equation??? In determining the relationship between RGB and black and white, it was found each of the three RGB components contribute the following amounts to the overall brightness: Red = 30% (0.3) Green = 58.9% (0.5889) Blue = 11.1% (0.1111) Thank you, Ben

Hi, Please help me: Is there any way to determine what the RGB triplets to all of the standard 16 CTIA (Colleen's TIA) / GTIA (George's TIA) colors??? Of course, this may involve using some conversion formulas as devised by Charles Poynton and others. Again, I am searching for help on how to obtain values that I can use with the Poynton formulae (YPbPr to RGB, YIQ to RGB, etc.). This page mentions the names of the sixteen C/GTIA colors, but are described only in value, hue and luminance (disregarding phase angle and chrominance). http://www.atariarchives.org/agagd/chapter1.php This page explains, somewhat, the colors and their phase angles, but still it lacks some decent formulae: http://www.xmission.com/~trevin/atari/video_notes.html Thank you, Ben Edge

I have another suggestion: Killer Gorilla. This clone of Donkey Kong was programmed by Adrian Stephens and released for the BBC Micro, Acorn Electron and Amstrad CPC computers. The Amstrad CPC version was programmed by Duncan Gamble. I am sure a ColecoVision port would please the British CV fans. Gameplay videos: BBC Micro: Amstrad CPC: Acorn Electron: ~Ben

Good observations regarding both Pengo and Time Pilot. More suggestions: *Donkey Kong Junior Arcade (you might be working on this already) *Zaxxon (a very good port for the Sega SG-1000 does exist) *Mouse Trap (with proper sound FX for cat, dog and hawk) *Space Fury (original arcade version had synthesized speech) I suppose the ColecoVision never did have a speech synthesizer like the Mattel Intellivision had because the CV was not out long enough (only 2 years when the crash of 1983-84 had took hold). I wonder if Coleco had that idea in their cards prior to the crash. ~Ben

Hi ... I've more suggestions: *The Oregon Trail - a computer program written for the Apple II in 1986. *Sky Skipper - a rather obscure early Nintendo title, which although it never saw the light of day in American arcades, was released for the Atari 2600 by Parker Brothers in 1983. *Radarscope - this was Nintendo's early attempt to storm the American arcade market, prior to the success of Donkey Kong. *Bagman - a rather overlooked title from the Stern catalog. *Berzerk - we know its sequel Frenzy did see a release on the CV; but who wouldn't want Berzerk for the same console, too? *Marble Madness - this was one in the next wave (post-1984) of Atari arcade classics. *Paperboy - another 2nd-wave Atari arcade classic. *Gauntlet - Ditto. *Girl's Garden - this classic for the Sega SG-1000 console was designed by Yuji Naka, who was one of the founding fathers of Sonic the Hedgehog. *Xevious - this Zaxxon-style arcade classic was another Namco effort distributed by Atari here. *1942 and 1943: The Battle of Midway - these two Capcom shmups were designed by Yoshiki Okamoto; who worked for said company after being fired from Konami, where he contributed to making Gyruss. ~Ben

Hi, Just how hard is it to determine the I and Q coordinates to use alongside the luminance values in determining the colors a VDP chip generates? (Think: Commodore VIC-I, VIC-II, TED; Texas Instruments TMS-9918(A), TMS-9928A) This question is in relation to YIQ and phase angles. Suppose you have a color whose phase angle lies at 53 degrees, with a luminance level of 0.53 volts. You want to determine its I and Q coordinates that would avoid over-saturation after gamma correction. For NTSC transmission, you subtract 33 degrees from 53 to end up at 20 degrees; but next comes the determination of the I and Q coordinates. Just how is this all calculated exactly, without all the glancing at the color wheel thing? Thank you in advance, Ben Edge

Anyone want to add these following game titles to the Opcode Games list of ColecoVision projects? My hot sheet: *Blue Print (1982, Bally/Midway, developed by Ashby Computers and Graphics Ltd., now Rare Ltd./Rareware) *Pippols (1985, Konami, originally ported to MSX2) *Exerion (1983, Jaleco/Taito, was ported to Sega SG-1000 and MSX1) *Vampire Killer (aka Castlevania) (1986/87, Konami; VK was originally released for the MSX2 while Castlevania had been released for the NES in 1987) *Mr. Do!'s Wild Ride (1984, Universal) *Mr. Do!: Do Run Run (1984, Universal) *Solar Fox (1981, Bally/Midway) *Wizard of Wor (1981, Bally/Midway; CV release was planned by Coleco in 1983/84) *Jolly Jogger (1982, Taito) *Crazy Balloon (1980, Taito) *Zoo Keeper (1982, Taito) *Jungle King (1982, Taito; this game was released but was short-lived; two months later, it became Jungle Hunt after the Edgar R. Burroughs estate sued Taito for illegally using the Tarzan scream and character likeness; the reworked title was released for the CV by AtariSoft in late 1983) *Galaga (1981, Bally/Midway, under license from Namco Ltd.) *Faster, Harder, More Challenging Q*bert (1983, Mylstar Electronics) *Krull (1983, Mylstar Electronics; was to be ported by Atari for the 5200 but disappointing sales of that console prompted a 2600 release instead) ~Ben

You know what ColecoVision & Adam emulator I'd like to see be made compatible for Windows Vista and other newer Windows platforms (cf. Windows 7, XP)? AdamEm! And when this emulator devised by Marcel de Kogel ever does get reconfigured for compatibility with all the latest Windows OS's, here's some palette fixes to be implemented: TMS-9928A (NTSC ColecoVision & Adam) Palette colors (from information compiled by Joe Zbiciak aka INTVNut): *Black (RGB 0, 0, 0) *Medium Green (RGB 35, 203, 50) *Light Green (RGB 96, 221, 108) *Dark Blue (RGB 84, 78, 255) *Light Blue (RGB 125, 112, 255) *Dark Red (RGB 210, 84, 66) *Cyan (RGB 69, 232, 255) *Medium Red (RGB 250, 89, 72) *Light Red (RGB 255, 124, 108) *Dark Yellow (RGB 211, 198, 60) *Light Yellow (RGB 229, 210, 109) *Dark Green (RGB 35, 178, 44) *Magenta (RGB 200, 90, 198) *Gray (RGB 204, 204, 204) *White (RGB 255, 255, 255) TMS-9929A (PAL CBS ColecoVision & Adam) (using information from the TMS9100 series datasheet, also courtesy of Joe Z.): *Black (RGB 0, 0, 0) *Medium Green (RGB 84, 208, 51) *Light Green (RGB 110, 235, 135) *Dark Blue (RGB 102, 103, 255) *Light Blue (RGB 143, 135, 255) *Dark Red (RGB 245, 84, 110) *Cyan (RGB 66, 236, 245) *Medium Red (RGB 255, 102, 128) *Light Red (RGB 255, 135, 161) *Dark Yellow (RGB 222, 205, 84) *Light Yellow (RGB 237, 220, 99) *Dark Green (RGB 49, 191, 74) *Magenta (RGB 219, 109, 204) *Gray (RGB 204, 204, 204) *White (RGB 255, 255, 255) TMS-9918A (alternate NTSC palette): *Black (RGB 0, 0, 0) *Medium Green (RGB 71, 184, 59) *Light Green (RGB 125, 207, 112) *Dark Blue (RGB 99, 92, 168) *Light Blue (RGB 128, 112, 255) *Dark Red (RGB 181, 97, 71) *Cyan (RGB 93, 200, 237) *Medium Red (RGB 214, 107, 71) *Light Red (RGB 250, 143, 107) *Dark Yellow (RGB 209, 198, 67) *Light Yellow (RGB 222, 211, 121) *Dark Green (RGB 64, 163, 51) *Magenta (RGB 181, 99, 199) *Gray (RGB 204, 204, 204) *White (RGB 255, 255, 255) ~Ben

Here's my idea for reconstructing the ColecoVision version of Venture. Among other things, it involves restoring all 12 room songs (as only four of the 12, plus the silent "Wall Room," were used in the ColecoVision version). The tunes for the stages from the original cartridge version: LEVELS ONE, FOUR AND SEVEN Goblin Room - uses same tune as "Spider Room" in the arcade version, only slower paced and higher pitched. Wall Room - silent (also arcade version). The treasure collect jingle from the arcade version of this room is the CV version's Game Over jingle. Serpent Room - correct Skeleton Room - uses same tune as "Cyclops Room" in the arcade version, only faster paced and higher pitched. LEVELS TWO, FIVE AND EIGHT Spider Room - correct Two-Headed Room - uses same tune as "Genie Room" in the arcade version, only faster paced and higher pitched. Troll Room - uses same tune as "Serpent Room." Dragon Room - uses same tune as "Cyclops Room." LEVELS THREE, SIX AND NINE Genie Room - uses same tune as "Spider Room." Cyclops Room - correct Bat Room - uses same tune as "Serpent Room." Demon Room - uses same tune as "Genie Room" in the arcade version. OTHER SONG NOTES REGARDING COLECOVISION VERSION OF VENTURE: *The tune heard in the arcade version, when you complete all rooms of a given level, starts with the all-too-familiar "Charge!" fanfare followed by an odd Chinese-sounding melody. On the CV version, this is merely just the last few notes of the arcade Wall Room treasure collect/CV Game Over jingle. *The Game Over tune heard on the CV version is the treasure collect jingle heard in the "Wall Room" from the arcade version. *The stage start and main level map tunes are merely edited versions of the arcade originals. The sound effect heard the moment the main level map is seen and when you come out of a room is merely the same sound as when you enter a room, but played in reverse. The CV Pepper II room entry sound effect sounds much closer to the arcade version of Venture's room entry sound. Total room songs on the ColecoVision version: 5 out of 12 (although "Wall Room" is silent both on the CV and arcade, with only the sound of moving walls) The treasure collect jingle used on the CV version in all 12 rooms is the same. It is a translation of the arcade "Goblin Room" treasure collect jingle (a passage from the "William Tell Overture" by Rossini). The arcade version has a different jingle used for each of the 12 rooms. EDIT: The arcade version of Venture also has 24 more treasure types than the CV version. ~Ben

The I and Q values I got, from the calculations that Philip "Pepto" Timmerman had devised, are: 0 - Black (Y' = 0.0, I = 0.0, Q = 0.0) 1 - White (Y' = 1.0, I = 2.98, Q = 2.98) 2 - Red (Y' = 0.3125, I = 0.13, Q = 0.02) 3 - Cyan (Y' = 0.625, I = -0.12, Q = 0.02) 4 - Magenta (Y' = 0.375, I = 0.02, Q = 0.12) 5 - Green (Y' = 0.5, I = -0.02, Q = -0.12) 6 - Blue (Y' = 0.25, I = -0.07, Q = 0.11) 7 - Yellow (Y' = 0.75, I = 0.07, Q = -0.11) 8 - Orange (Y' = 0.375, I = 0.12, Q = -0.02) 9 - Brown (Y' = 0.25, I = 0.11, Q = -0.07) A - Light Red (Y' = 0.5, I = 0.13, Q = 0.02) B - Dark Gray (Y' = 0.3125, I = 7.45, Q = -7.45) C - Gray (Y' = 0.46875, I = 2.98, Q = 0.0) D - Light Green (Y' = 0.75, I = -0.02, Q = -0.13) E - Light Blue (Y' = 0.46875, I = -0.07, Q = 0.11) F - Light Gray (Y' = 0.625, I = 1.49, Q = 0.0) Sources: Color Space Conversions ~Ben

Hi, This question goes out to all those who are familiar with the Commodore VIC-I and VIC-II video interface chips: does anyone know what the R-Y and B-Y differences are for each of the 16 colors (NTSC) these two VICs represent? The VIC-I palette: 0 - Black (luminance: 0.0) 1 - White (luminance: 1.0) 2 - Red (luminance: 0.25) 3 - Cyan (luminance: 0.75) 4 - Magenta (luminance: 0.5) 5 - Green (luminance: 0.5) 6 - Blue (luminance: 0.25) 7 - Yellow (luminance: 0.75) 8 - Orange (luminance: 0.5) 9 - Light Orange (luminance: 0.75) A - Light Red (luminance: 0.5) B - Light Cyan (luminance: 1.0) C - Light Magenta (luminance: 0.75) D - Light Green (luminance: 0.75) E - Light Blue (luminance: 0.5) F - Light Yellow (luminance: 1.0) The VIC-II palette: 0 - Black (luminance: 0.0) 1 - White (luminance: 1.0) 2 - Red (luminance: 0.3125) 3 - Cyan (luminance: 0.625) 4 - Magenta (luminance: 0.375) 5 - Green (luminance: 0.5) 6 - Blue (luminance: 0.46875) 7 - Yellow (luminance: 0.75) 8 - Orange (luminance: 0.375) 9 - Brown (luminance: 0.25) A - Light Red (luminance: 0.5) B - Dark Gray (luminance: 0.3125) C - Gray (luminance: 0.46875) D - Light Green (luminance: 0.75) E - Light Blue (luminance: 0.796875) F - Light Gray (luminance: 0.625) While I know that Philip Timmerman's page (http://www.pepto.de/projects/colorvic/) provides the bulk of useful information about the colors of the VIC-II chip, what I would like to know is how to get the NTSC-equivalent colors of the C-64, in terms of the R-Y and B-Y color difference values. The same arguments also apply to the VIC-I chip. The VIC-II chip substitutes three shades of gray for the VIC-I's Light Cyan, Light Magenta and Light Yellow. Thank you, Ben Edge (ColecoFan1981)