NIAD

Sounds to me like tou want to transfer the Disk/DDP images back from PC format to an actual ADAM format Disk/DDP... so here we go: Back in the day, we were able to direct connect a modem on a PC to the ADAMLink 300 Baud Modem and transfer files back and forth. I tried this a couple months ago with a Win2000 Laptop and had no luck... couldn't even get the two modems to connect. I had to do some digging around to find that the ADAM's modem is Bell 103 compatible and now I have to find time to try this method again as I didn't have the PC's modem set to Bell 103 compatibility... will let you know what I find as this is the only method you could use if you don't have 5 1/4" Disk Drives on both the ADAM and PC as well as the ability to boot to MS-DOS v6.xx or earlier (you have all the MS-DOS conversion programs on the DVD). Another method that was used back in the day was direct-connecting a serial interface on the ADAM to a serial interface on the other computer with a null-modem cable. I only used this method between PCs with a program called LapLink. The tried and true method requires you own an ADAM 5 1/4" Disk Drive and a 5 1/4" 360K Disk Drive on your PC (a 1.2Mb High Density Drive will probably read an ADAM disk fine, but it will not properly write an ADAM disk) and the ability to to boot to MS-DOS V6.xx or earlier. Once you have this setup, you can use the DCOPY program that is on the DVD to convert the disk images that are for use with ADAM emulators back to an ADAM formatted 5 1/4" disk. There is another program on the DVD called "The ADAM Connection" that allows for the transfer of individual files (like word processing text files) that comes in handy as well. The really bad news is that a working ADAM 5 1/4" Disk Drive will probably cost anywhere from $150 to $225 depending if it includes the original box. A PC 5 1/4" 360K Disk Drive will cost about $20-$30 and then the proper cable with both card-edge and pin connectors will cost another $5. Not to pile on the cost, but if you don't have a supply of 5 1/4" DS/DD Disks, they can run you about $1.00 each. I assume the package arrived... I hope you enjoy it. Jim

This is awesome! I hope you (J-F) are able to keep up with all the new releases.

Great video! Ever now and then I boot-up Richard Scarry's BEWE just for the fun of looking at the wonderful graphics. +1

Tremendous musical rendition Daniel! Move over Beethoven! +1 Can't wait to buy both Puzzli and Bomb'n Blast... thank you bfg.gamepassion for all your hard work in support of the CV. +1

Would love to see it, the picture below (with some other rare ADAM items) includes the only picture of the BC II datapack case that I have... think this picture was taken DoubleDown, but not completely sure. If I make it to MGC tomorrow, I'll bring something for you... nothing earth shattering .

Found the ad for "The Best of B.C." on Joe B.'s website (Expandable Computer News Issue #7 - March/April 1985). Gotta really give Joe some props for the tremendous job he did in laying out all the issues in HTML format in order to preserve them for all to enjoy and refernce... especially for those like myself that were so stupid to sell off our collections. The California outfit that distributed the game was Video Take-Out and this ad can be found in Family Computing as well if memory serves me right.

Thank for the info. concerning the Canadian releases of E.F.M. The Flash Facts series for E.F.M. (Vocabulator, Trivia and Flashbacks) was only released in a cardboard box in the US & Canada. SmartSPELLER by Strategic Software falls into the 3rd Party/Homebrew classification and I'm not gonna add those to the list... at least not now. If you ever decide to give the program a try, let me advise you to STOP!! Probably took close to an hour to check a document. Strategic eventually pulled this from distribution and later came out with an improved version called ProofReader that still made watching paint dry a lot more bearable.

Good point re. adding the TeleGames releases on DDP/Disk. We (NIAD) carried all these ADAM specific versions and all I have to do is look at a newsletter product list to verify which ones. Of the top of my head: Boulder Dash, Rock'n Bolt, Alcazar, Skiing, all Interphase, all Imagic and most of Activision.

Thanks for the great updates and also jarring my memory about the 2-disk version of SmartLetters & Forms, as I did have that one. A big "MUCHAS GRACIAS" for posting the link to verify that a disk version of "AHSL" did exist!! Will make the additions and if you, or anyone else, has any feelings on the rarity ratings I came up with, I'd love to hear them.

Good to know. I really wish we could get in touch with Doubledown again, I bet he doesn't know he has the only known copy of Simple Calc. Tempest Thankfully a copy was made and is available, but it's not the same as owning the real deal. There was a thread started last summer about SimpleCalc: http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic/166669-adam-simplecalc/ Wish finding DoubleDown was as easy!

Remember them well, United Kingdom ADAM Subscribers (UKAS), and founded by Keith Marner. One of the nicest persons I ever had the pleasure of talking to and then meeting at ADAMcon 01 in Orlando, FL. A lot of people have the same regrets about selling their collections, including myself!

Sydney Development Co. did complete "The Best of B.C." as well as an ADAM specific version of "B.C. II: Grog's Revenge" that included a title screen animation and some other small additions. They were not sold in stores that I know of, but were available via mail-order. I recall constantly seeing an add by a company in California that was repeatedly run Family Computing and maybe even later in Computer Shopper for these Data Packs... don't recall if you could buy them direct from Sydney. I also don't recall if they were ever offered on 5 1/4" Disk and me thinks not since ever version I have come across states "TAPE LOADING", even the disk copies I have come across which probably were patched to run from disk.

As far as Yurkie's controllers (Mario Bros. & Smurf) and controllers as a whole, I haven't had a chance to add these in yet but will in a future update. Pretty much want this to be a be-all-end-all list of all things CV & ADAM. I have everything, I think, listed out already from my work on the "Museum" that I've been helping Retroillucid with... just not enough hours in the day. I will make the addition re. Mario Bros. Rev. A as well as the overlays. Thanks for the info and keep'em coming!

This is the lastest update to my Rarity List. For those that are only interested in the ColecoVision listings, there have only been a couple additions/corrections made to the "Homebrew Rom Release" section. The main purpose for this update is the addition of an ADAM Software section... small as it is . This section will only list out the commercial products that were released and not include any of the 3rd party/homebrew products that were developed after the ADAM was orphaned. I have also included a section which lists out Coleco prototypes/demos that were given to numerous ADAM Users Groups by Coleco employees and a lengthy unreleased list of titles... a couple of which may actually existm but I have never seen. ADAM & ColecoVision Cartridge Rarity Rel.-7 (2011) (NIAD).zip

Looking forward to the convention although the timing couldn't be worse... daughter's birthday weekend and then followed by a trip to the Dells! I knew it would happen this way.

Are you going to make it to Milwaukee next weekend for the M.G.C.? I'm sure if you brought the two remaining Smurf Contollers with a CIB Smurf Challenge cart, you would have people fighting over it!!

Next week I'm gonna post a submarine simulator that's a complete knockoff of Spectrum Holobyte's GATO. I never got into these types of simulators, as well as RPGs, back in the day but am more willing to give them a chance now.

Klondike by L&G Enterprises For this weeks submission, I give you the best version of the card game Solitaire that was developed for the ADAM... Klondike. Klondike was one of the last two software programs developed by the original group of CV/ADAM homebrewers and released for the ADAM in 1996, the other being ADAM Bomb II. It plays a very faithful game of solitaire and even included background music via MIDI output or the ADAM's standard sound chip. Make sure to read thru the included SmartWRITER documentation file for complete details of all the assigned keyboard functions! Klondike (1996) (L&G Enterprises).zip

I have for sale a thoroughly tested Coleco 5 1/4" SS/DD Floppy Disk Drive for the Coleco ADAM Computer. The drive has been tested by repeatedly formatting and verifying disks as well as loading multiple ADAM programs. NOTE that the Power On/Off Light is not working as can be seen in one of the pictures. This does not in any way affect the drives operation. The drive access light is functioning as can be seen in the same picture. What you get: 5 1/4" Floppy Disk Drive in good cosmetic and working shape Disk Drive Power Supply 3' ADAMnet Cable All originally included instruction manuals Disk Manager software program 20 5 1/4" Floppy Disks with sleeves (includes copies of File Manager v3.0, Troll's Tale, Super Zaxxon, Super SubRoc, ADAM Diagnostic and 15 blank formatted disks) ASKING $150.00 PLUS SHIPPING (approx. 10pds.) which will be calculated after an agreement is reached.

Pity by Z-Delta Swiftware No Extra Hardware Requirements This week I offer up another game by Soloman Swift of Digital Express fame. After Soloman saw the growing trend/popularity of entertainment software on the ADAM thanks in large part to his PowerPAINT and SpritePOWER programs, he decided to capitalize on this and created a spinoff company called Z-Delta Swiftware that all these new game titles would be released under. Unfortunately, Pity was the only game that was released under the Z-Delta banner due to Digital Express closing it's doors. Pity is the ADAM version of the popular boardgame Sorry and a very faithful one at that. From 1 to 4 players can play and if need be, the computer controlled player will give a good challenge. Included with the disk image is a PDF copy of the review I did back in 1989 for the NIAD Newsletter which includes further details of the game and how to play. Enjoy! Pity (1989) (Z-Delta Swiftware) & PDF Review.zip

Thanks Daniel! And thanks for the many years that you have supported the ColecoVision and CV Scene! +1

J-F told me a while ago that he was sold out of Mario Bros. and I ended up getting one of the last remaining CIB packages that Good Deal Games had a couple of months ago... so maybe they are all sold out by now as well. All I know now is that I'm thinking of buying a safe to keep all my stuff in and I just got done reading the riot act to my two little ones about NEVER touching Daddy's stuff!

He hasn't been on AtariAge since Jan. 15th, so it doesn't look good for getting it dumped!

If you ask me why they drop the Speed Roller on the regular controller, I would say: At the time the Speed Roller Controller were designed, the Super Action Controller were in development, you can clearly see prototypes of them at the earlier design of the CV They drop it mainly because they had another controller (The Super Action) and they designed games using it ... (Super Action Baseball and Football, were at time called: Super Action Head to Head Baseball and Football) They'll sell another product (Super Action Controller) and made more cash out of it because the speed roller is exclusively used on SA Controllers As for the earlier game using the speed roller, like smurf, I would say that is really interesting and I'll test this right after this message BTW: My two cents Just tested Smurf myself and it has no affect... I know I read something, somewhere, recently that made reference to the speed roller having an affect on a character in a game that wasn't one of the Super Action sports titles. I gotta learn to write this stuff down instead of relying on bookmarks... gotta go retro with a paper and pen!

Think they were having problems with the Speed Roller and this caused them to drop it from the Hand Controller, but they were able to straighten things out and include it on the Super Action Controller. A large portion, not all, of the Hand Controller PCBs actually have the circuit for the Speed Roller... it just wasn't used obviously. If I recall correctly, the Super Action Controller Speed Roller actually does work in the "Smurf - Rescue in Gargamel's Castle" game... your character moves faster when to spin the wheel. Seeing as Smurf Rescue was one of the earlier games completed for the CV (not sure of the exact order but I think it was 1. Cosmic Avenger, 2. Donkey Kong, 3. Smurf, 4. Mouse Trap...), it would make sense to have this feature implemented in one of these games that were available when the system was released. Time to test it out!