CharlieChaplin

Well, the HYPROM-A is indeed for 5,25" versions and B is for 3,5" versions (if I remember correctly). There are several options available when booting the drive (drive door open, no disk inserted) - until the menu appears: ABCDFMSX 16 ESC ESC - press escape key to reboot 1,6 - press key 1 or 6 to use the Hyper-XF SIO in page 1 or page 6 (memory $0100 or $0600 just like the good old turbo-disk-drives!) A,B,C,D: press any of these keys to access that partition (only if disk is partitioned of course!) F: press the F key to access all four partitions (ABCD or better d1:-d4:) at once and do a density/format check for each partition (good for partitions with mixed densities)... hint: good for AR-the dungeon which supports 4 drives and 128k computers (the main program side 1 is copied to the extra ram, the remaining disksides 2-5 now load off of a 3,5" multi-partitioned disk without any need of disk-changing!) M: press the M key to access all four partitions at once (d1:-d4:) S: press S key to access a 720k disk formatted in ST or PC format (alas, this requires extra software which never became available! the drive would have to split the ST/PC 512byte sectors in two halves of 256 bytes then, thus reading such a disk would take quite some time...) X: press the X key for normal XF551 mode (no partitions, just the 4 standard densities: 90k, 130k, 180k and 360k) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Well, if you load Hypmode.COM (don`t forget the RUN or Init adress at $0180 if I remember correctly!) - it seems to hang at first, don`t worry, you simply have to type two keys here: 1) drive number (d1: - d4:) and 2) mode letter (ABCDFMSX). So for example one may type 1 and then F and return to DOS then... Yes, it is true that partitions can only be used in single-sided densities, so you *cannot* use two 360k partitions on a 720k disk. There are only the densities 90k (single), 130k (medium/enhanced) and 180k (double) available. but these were (or maybe still are) the standard Atari disk densities. And the densities can be mixed (f.e. part. 1: SD, part. 2: ED, part. 3: DD, part. 4: ED) on a partitioned disk. this way, one may copy most of the existing PD/Freeware/Shareware programs to 3,5" disks without the need to change the density (hint: it is not always easy to copy a 130k bootdisk to a 720k disk, using a partition there is much easier)... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- But the partitions have one dis-advantage: There exist programs that use multiple disk-sides, but only disk-side 1 (or A) is bootable. With a 5,25" disk one may simply turn over the disk. With a partitioned 3,5" disk this is not possible! (And as soon as you try to load in Hypmode.COM to reach another partition, the program-code of this bootable disk-side 1 is gone, meaning you now can reach another disk-side but it is not bootable.) Afaik, the only solution to get rid of this, is to install a switch on the Hyper-XF disk-drive (connected to the FDC!), so one can switch the partitions via hardware (or one may install an alternative OS into the Atari computer, like QMEG-OS by the same author as Hyper-XF-OS, and then switch the partition via OS, again a hardware-switch!)... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Anyway, since 3,5" disks are no standard for A8 computers - and will never be - you can only do some private backups to such disks/drives. Or you collect your complete disk-archive on such disks - but there is no easy way of exchanging disks with other users then (especially those, that do not have 3,5" drives)... so, sooner or later you are copying some/most programs back to 5,25" disks... and err, well, even 3,5" disks are limited (if you have, say 1000 disks 5,25", you may copy them all to 3,5" disks, this will reduce the number of disks by 50% but there are still 500 disks in 3,5" format then). So sooner or later you will try to use better alternatives (harddisks, CF-cards, micro-drives, CD`s, DVD`s, SIO2PC/APE or other emulators, etc. etc.). Thinking of these dis-advantages I gave up copying all my 5,25"disks to 3,5" and in the end I even sold my 3,5" XF drive (in favor of a harddisk and sooner or later in favor of CD/DVD)... but these are just my personal opinions. anyone may choose the media for A8 computers (to load/boot programs) he likes best... -Andreas Magenheimer. P.S.: I "created" this XF551 and Hyper-XF utility disk by collecting all the stuff I could find for these drives... if you have some more stuff (you would like to be added), let me know - or better send me a copy of that stuff (so I can add it to these disks)...

Hmm, so graphic intros (like in Ballblazer, R.o.F. and others), as well as games (for example Jigsaw a Gr. 9 puzzle with 26 levels downloadable from Fandal`s site) will still work ok ?!? Meaning if all existing (old) games still work correct (by switching to still available GTIA chip) then this upgrade is ok and really an enhancement. If the old games do not work anymore, then it is crap, since there are no new programs for this board right now... (and I gues there will not be that many)... greetings, Andreas Magenheimer.

Well, as for *.OBX files - it is the same as with *.XEX files, simply rename them to *.COM (or whatever you wish, maybe *.EXE, *.BIN, etc.) and load them with a DOS or gamedos on the real thing... or alternatively with an emulator... greetings, Andreas Magenheimer.

Well, my original IK disk from System 3 had 7 screens (loaded good with ADZM cheat). My original IK tape from System 3 had 3 screens per tape side (A+B = total of 6 different screens) - one screen from the disk version was missing on that tape (don`t remember which one it was)... -Andreas Magenheimer.

hmm, the game is great - but quite long. Any chance to pack it (and make it unpack properly) ?!? I tried Dj Packer and Code3 Cruncher with no success (they packed it to less than 50%, but when unpacking the game crashed - the screen only displayed a vertical stripe)... Maybe you know how to change and then successfully pack this game TeBe ?!? Afaik you were/are Madman of MadTeam - are you mad enough to pack Getris for me ??? greetings, Andreas Magenheimer.

Well, as always there is a list in the A8FAQ by Michael Current (I wrote it). The only games I remember at the moment are modem-chess, tele-chess, modem-battleships and jelly-beans (but there were a few other programs)... Go and search for the A8FAQ... greetings, Andreas Magenheimer. P.S.: I have the above mentioned games in my collection, so if you want a copy, send me an e-mail...

Hmm, afaik Analmux left this forum (and maybe also left the A8 scene)... But hey, if you read this analmux: Please, why not finish SMB3 and let`s say, release it for the ABBUC software contest 2006 ?!? It would be a shame not to finish such a great program... -Andreas.

Yep, but some Jaguar games are faster on NTSC (and slower on PAL). This *can be* frustrating, for example in Atari Karts which is slower and easier on PAL but faster and thus harder on NTSC... a friend of mine finished the PAL version of AK very easily, but the NTSC version took him many many more tries... (he said that the computer opponents in the higher levels were very hard to beat on a NTSC Jag)... -Andreas.

Well, afaik a patched version of DOs 2.5 (called DOS 2.75) and/or a patched RD-driver (Ramdisk.COM) can handle two Ramdisks (D7: and D8:) with 128k each for a 256k system. you know - 128k thats Medium/Enhanced density and since DOS 2.5 cannot handle DD it uses two Ramdisks (or two drive specifiers) for 256k extended RAM... older versions of Super-DOS behave much the same way, they use 2 ramdisks with 128k each... -Andreas Magenheimer.

Hmm, maybe it would be a good idea to categorize the games like atarimania.com did. In my eyes it would be nice to have as many A8 archives not nescesarily with the same programs but at least with the same categories... just an idea... By the way, in the category "Olympic" I found the program Trackstar, which was a type-in listing of Page 6 not Antic. And Double Dash is the same program as Olympic Dash (or 100m Dash or Dual Dash). The games Track & Field and L.A. Games are actually the same (T & F was the original game title by Konami, renamed by Atari to L.A. games, so the label on the cart. says T & F while the game title screen says L.A. Games 1984)... Personally I don`t think it makes much sense to have one and the same game under different names (even if some stupid hackers changed the program name or program length by using packers)... But hey, you started a good work... hopefully the download section will be there soon... -Andreas Magenheimer.

Hello Tebe, something off-topic here, but since your homepage has no e-mail adresses, I do not know how to contact you otherwise. Having just downloaded some of your programs, I noticed, that the download of "Via-Copy" does not work... maybe you can fix this... And hey, this is really a good tetris !! I love it !! -Andreas Magenheimer.

And err, for those that are interested, I post some A8 packer programs here... hope you will find them useful... if you need some help on how to use the packers, just ask... (I also found out most things by trial and error)... greetings, Andreas Magenheimer.

Well, but I will post something here (if you don`t mind)... Attached you will find the 3 mentioned Venus4 versions (4a, 4b and 4c). You will also find a version packed with Code3 Cruncher 2.2D including music (VenusMus.COM) and a shortened game version *without* music (VenusGam.COM)... Both Code3 Cruncher versions work perfectly under DOS and gamedos... I have also added an ATR image that contains some extremely small utils, I have used with Venus, like BasicOff.COM, ColdSTA.COM, etc. (as well as some Image-Converters for the A8 and some Basic to ML "fake-converters"...) greetings, Andreas Magenheimer.

Ah yes, if you search for Atari demos, then visit Sven Gleich`s homepage... I have updated the mega-images and added hundreds of demo files and last not least I included a gamedos (Mypicodos) which can load all these demos... You will also find some mega-long-demos like Numen, Pit, Killer-Whales, etc. as *one single file* here (just look out for the 4-digit numbers)... greetings, Andreas Magenheimer. P.S.: I have to update these mega-images again, since my own collection now has 25 mega-images (and is still growing everyday)...

Oha, *** complain modus off *** on friday (2nd february) I played this game with my girlfriend Debora. On the easiest level (was that beginner or easy?) it took us 28 minutes to complete a level. We did not have the motivation to play a harder game then... *** complain modus still off *** Looks like this game is really tough, even in the easiest modes. Errmm, what means the mode himself ?!? It appears to be the hardest mode... ?!? My first thought was, the Atari would play himself... alas, it did not... Anyway, here some "docs" for playing the game: 1) press Select to select the game difficulty... 2) press Option until it displays "create" 3) now press Start to start the game 4) press 1-9 to fill in numbers 1-9 (and -=+* to move around) 5) press Space to erase numbers (or simply overwrite them with a new number) finally 6) when you think you are done press Option again, until it displays "chekk" 7) then press Start to let the computer check your solution => if a "baarrp" sounds, then your solution is wrong, otherwise the program will create a new Sudoku screen, filled with new numbers... Target of the game: You have to fill in all 9 fields with numbers 1-9. Rule 1:Every single field must hold the numbers 1-9 once (and only once!). Rule 2: All nine fields form one big field and guess what: here you must also have the numbers 1-9 once (once vertically and once horizontically, meaning once in every row and column, but again only once!). Rule 3: some numbers are already given by the computer, you cannot change them (nor place them elsewhere)... Thus, type in the missing numbers and try to fit the rules (which is not so easy)... - Andreas Magenheimer.

Hmm, wrote two replies to your question, alas only the last appeared (don`t know why)... so here is the first reply again... Well, I downloaded and tested all your Venus 4 versions at home. If I remember correctly you posted 3 different versions here: 1) Venus4a (which I call it now): seems to be a completely unpacked version, with some copy routines included. This version works fine, except for the title bug (and some screen garbage during loading)... I like it !! 2) Venus4b: same as 4a, but packed with Super Packer (and thus also a title bug and some screen garbage during load)... nice, but... (see Code Cruncher...) 3) Venus4c: packed with Flash Packer. alas, this version does not work with most gamedos and DOs 2 versions. With most versions means, that there were a few DOs`ses or gamedosses (forgot which ones) where you had to press RESET to get the game running, but with most loaders you simply ended in a system crash (no matter how often you pressed Reset then, the computer was locked up). So, I don`t use this version any longer... Later I used the unpacked version (4a) to pack it with *Code Cruncher 2.2D* and it worked !! It packed the game and in the end the (packed) game did run fine... Why did I use CC 2.2D?!? Simply, because CC packed programs run fine under almost any DOS 2 and/or gamedos. Also, because CC switches off the screen when loading (so no garbage appears) and switches it on again, when the program has completely unpacked... All I had to do then, was to add two small utils in front of the packed game for some more comfort: a) a Basic off switcher and b) a reboot (coldstart) routine that sets RESET to coldstart... Well, thats the version I use now and I like it, because it is packed, there is no garbage while loading, it switches off Basic automatically and it does a reboot when pressing Reset... greetings, Andreas Magenheimer.

Hmmm, it looks like you treat my question for a file version as a complaint ?!? Well, this was not meant to be... just a question (or a wish)... anyway, thanks for the file-version that I have now. The (packed) Venus version I got by using the Code Cruncher 2.2D now works fine under any tested DOS 2 type DOS (DOS 2.0, DOs 2.5, BibDOs, TurboDOS, MyDOS) and with all my favorite gamedos versions (NanoDOS, MicroDOS, PicoDOS). I only added two short utils in front of the packed version: a) a Basic off switcher and b) a reboot (coldstart) routine... this is the version I use now. And finally I got an idea... what if... well, what if you find a better packer and compress your game <= 4kbytes ?!? If so, you could send it in for the mini-game compo (as a 4k entry)... And err, if packing of the current version does not give you less than 4k, maybe you can just remove the music (use a shorter one or remove it completely) to get a 4k result. ok, the music is good, but if you wanna have an entry to the minigame-compo, then 4kbytes is the allowed maximum afaik... just a silly idea... If interested I can post the different Venus versions (4a, 4b, 4c, the one packed with Code Cruncher 2.2D + music and another one without music) here. All on one single density ATR image... (zipped)... greetings, Andreas Magenheimer.

Hmm, do you mean Apple (the records of THE BEATLES) vs. Apple (the computers, mp3-players, etc.) ?!? Well, afaik the music company was there (in the 1960`s) long before the computer company (in the late 1970`s)... So, if memory serves correct, Apple computers (Steve Jobs company) would lose the name battle at court... -Andreas Magenheimer.

Cool, will immediately test this "Venus" file version at home - on a real Atari... greetings, Andreas Magenheimer.

Errmm, you are selling this game commercially on cart or what ?!? If so let us know the price in Euro or USD. And err, if one day all carts are sold, please be so nice and make a 128k or 192k file version, which can be loaded via DOS or gamedos... -Andreas Magenheimer.

And err, - tomorrow every producer of a dictionary, novel, magazine, etc. has to put a "tm" sign behind the plural of the word "window", since this a a trademark of Microsoft; a worldwide law will then be signed, that where-ever this word is going to be used the tm sign has to be there... - the day after tomorrow everyone from Scotland (and elsewhere in the world) has to put a tm sign behind his name "Mc", since Mc is a tm of Mc Donald`s... - and later millions of other words are trademarked this way, including not only Jaguar, Falcon, Lynx and such, but also everyday and natural words or names, like Fox, Astra, Mars, Voyager, Bounty, Mario, Luigi, Queen, Lion, Scorpion... and un-countable others... As a result, all books, novels, magazines, ... simply all written word (including e-mails, sms, mms, etc.) has to be proved if its a tm or not. Thus any writing will result in every 2nd or 3rd word having a tm behind it and a long footer to whom this tm belongs to... Andreas Magenheimer P.S.: Let`s see who`s gonna tm the vocals a, e, i, o and u and asks payments for using them...

Well, I always prefer a file over the boot-version... (can I have a file please?) The first downloadable version did not work on a real A8 (not with a DOS, not with a gamedos) since one of the segments used memory $0500-$0axx (or $1axx). You know DOS 2.x usually uses memory $0700-1Dxx (or 1Exx or 1Fxx depending on the config.), but most gamedos versions also use $0700-0Axx (or $0Bxx or 0Cxx), thats why the program could not work... [sidenote: Me, I fixed it this way: 1) loaded all segments into the Superpacker and created two program files a) segment $0500-0Axx and run adress b) all other segments; 2) loaded the Super-Copy program (converts tape to disk and vice versa, also converts boot to file) and did some "stupid" conversions a) loaded the segment 0500... from disk as an *.EXE file, b) saved it to another disk as a bootdisk, c) loaded it from disk as a bootdisk and d) saved it to disk as an *.EXE file. Why this ?!? Well, the Super-Copy program converts and relocates boot programs always to the memory adress of $1F00-... and Run adress 1F3F, thats fine for all DOS 2.x and gamedos programs, alas supercopy works only with programs shorter than 32kbytes; 3) final step: combined the *now* relocated segment with all other segments (using DOS and its copy and append command) - voila, Venus worked fine under a gamedos... prof. programmers could have done this much faster+easier, but at least this method worked... HINT: If you find any programs that use memory adress(es) of $0700-... and thus will not work on a real A8, for example many former turbotape games on Fandal`s site, simply use Supercopy to convert and relocate that program (as long as it is shorter than 32kbytes)...] - Andreas Magenheimer

Tja, und das das Spiel einen recht "realen" hintergrund hat (ein typisches Alptraumszenario der 80er Jahre: Atomkrieg!), merkt man auch an den zahlreich verwendeten Abkürzungen für die feindlichen Raketen. Es handelt sich bei allen Raketen bzw. deren Abkürzungen um Nuklearwaffen der Nato aus der Zeit des kalten Krieges. Entwickelt wurden diese Waffen in den späten 70er Jahren. Wofür die Abkürzungen stehen habe ich zufällig mal in einem Buch gelesen (Inhalt: Vergleich der Kampfkraft der Nato mit dem Warschauer Pakt, ein Politbuch von ca. 1982 mit vielen Tabellen und Übersichten was Panzer, U-Boote, Raketen, etc. betrifft)... natürlich habe ich mir die genauen Bezeichnungen nicht gemerkt - sondern nur, das es abkürz. für reale nuklear-raketen der nato sind und diese lustigerwiese bei missile command vorkommen... -Andreas Magenheimer.

Ooops, author of ... soundtrack meant author of Necromancer soundtrack (and this also seems to be Bill Williams)... -Andreas Magenheimer

Well, I mean artists, musicians or programmers, not music-editors or programs. Thinking of many fine A8 music makers in the past, these are the ones I still remember today: Germany: - Kemal Ezcan: not one of my favourites, but author of many old music tunes (mostly pgm.ed in Atari Basic), - Spüli-Soft: also author of quite many old music tunes (pgm.ed in TB XL) - HU-Soft: made quite some nice music with Benjy Soundmon. and later with CMC - Armin Stürmer: author of some musix of AMC games (Pyramidos, Mike`s Slotmachine, Snap, Jinks, etc.) - Thorsten Karwoth: very good soundtracker and cool musix and samples... - Benjy: nice soundmonitor and some cool musix - Pegasus: also a very nice soundmonitor - author of Black Magic Composer (sorry, forgot his name) and many cool sounds composed with it - The BSS-Crew: did some nice sample demos... - Uwe Loos of The German Chaotics and later The Chaotic Crew (Das Omen, Studio Dream, Music Hall 1988 and 1989, ABBUC Intros, etc.) to name just a few... GB/UK: - Adam Gilmore - Rob Hubbard - ... Whitaker - author of Milk Race soundtrack - author of Feud soundtrack - Richard Munns - Archer Mc Lean (if he is also the author of IK soundtrack) and many more USA: - author of Ballblazer soundtrack - author of ... Fractalus soundtrack - author of Mission X soundtrack - author of Blue Max 2001 soundtrack - author of ... soundtrack - Thomas Lieblich (Master of the Lamps!) and some more Poland: - Thomasz Liebich - Jakub Husak - J. Pelc (author of CMC) - author of MPT - Cedyn - X-Ray - Greg - author of TMC - author of Miecze Valdgira soundtracks (= author of Soundtracker ?) and many more... Czech Rep.: - Raster / Radek Sterba (author of RMT) and some others Slovakia: - Fred Brooker and some others Hungary: - HARD Maybe you can tell me your favourite (top 10) musicians on the A8... greetings, Andreas Magenheimer.