Mord

If there's no actual rule against using rapid or slow motion buttons, I don't see how it could be considered cheating. If you're competing against friends and put those restrictions on, well... that's another story. Game genies and the like tho are definitely "cheating" if you plan on going around later on telling everyone how such and such a game was so easy or how you beat it in one game, etc. In those cases you're actually changing the game's conditions, rather than your interaction with the game. All you beat when you play with a genie is a hack of the game. -- Mord

Besides which, someone who might be a skilled programmer able to read 6502 code like it was the morning paper may be a complete klutz at hardware related tasks simply due to being unfamiliar with it. I mean really, I took apart a 2600 joystick the other day and got quite the shock. No magical button fairies in there at all, just some metal contacts. The truth hurts... Seriously tho, I tried taking apart a beat up and dead Combat cart last year for the first time and was timid about trying to get it open simply because I was afraid of breaking it completely. If I ever mess with -real- hardware I'm sure I'll have the same kind of hesitation about doing anything completely on my own without asking about it first. Much safer, much cheaper, that way.

While I agree with liquidsky agreeing with Bruce agreeing with Paul, I can't help but wonder if this xgamestation thing would be even a bit more appealing if it was emulated as well for those who didn't have the cash for the hardware, or enough interest to spend the required cash. -- Mord

I say it's about time the 2600 had a memory card. Unfortunately I'm not going to be able to get one for my system til next year. -- Mord

The best way to learn them, for me at least, has been to sit back offline with the tutorials open in a text editor, mp3s playing in the background, and repeatedly slamming my head into the keyboard until I got it! Well, ok, perhaps that last part hasn't happened quite yet! My biggest stumbling block is dealing with typos and errors. Took me a long time to find a simple thing as "GP1" and "GP0" being used instead of "GRP1" etc. I'm starting to get use to finding bugs by checking out the information I have after a failed compile. the binary size, the .txt it outputs, and the reference table mostly. It's obvious to me that I still have a loong way to go, especially with how easily distracted I can be! But l managed to display a sprite recently! I'm very proud! -- Mord

Haven't been able to keep up with the forums since my move. Anyway, the game shows that some of the games I've been thinking about are indeed possible from the tutorials! Now if I can just find the time to apply it. Great game tho, keep at it! From what I do know (Conceptually at least!) for reusing the player sprites to create 'infinite' enemies is to just make sure they don't cross over each other's vertical scanlines. There are ways to do it while letting them cross, but that adds flicker which is preferably avoided! For identical enemies moving together you can set the sprites to display multiple copies (like how it's done in Seaquest for instance) -- Mord Must... finish... setting up.... dasm... on... new(er)... comp.

From what I remember, game genie codes basically behaved as direct hacks on a game's rom. The code basically held the address of where in the rom was to be changed and what it was changed to. With this, it would certainly be possible to write a game genie for the 7800 or 2600 or 5200, etc. The question would be who wants to try to do it. -- Mord

If I had my own CC2, and a 7800 handy it would be far more convenient for me, but both are well out of my reach for the time being. I haven't given up on the idea of coding for the 7800, and I'm trying to keep up to date even with my limited net access, but it's proving to be quite a feat! Downloaded that and a few other samples a while back to review, as with the maria.txt info file and a few other things. I have a good idea of the limitations and abilities of the beast, and truth be told if I could get my mind around the asm I could probably code something that could at least be considered half way descent. (Read: It wouldn't outright suck. ) Perhaps whenever I manage to get a new computer that could run an emulator at full speed and the like I'll give a 7800 game project a serious attempt, but until then I'm afraid I'm stuck trying to get the 2600 to do something useful. (And beyond a few fairly simple demos, that's failing as well! ) -- Mord

That's certainly my case, but it's more complicated than that. I would love to try to homebrew for the 7800, but I have no hardware to test anything I were to try code for it. I've seen cases where a rom would work on an emulator but not when tested on hardware so I'd rather not work on a game with just the emulator to test it on just yet. That and Display List Lists scare me. -- Mord

I'm with CPUWiz on this one. Changing the color of the packaging of a game like this is irrelevant to the actual game itself. Is there any difference between a first run PS2 game and the "Greatest Hits" variant of the same game in most/any instance beyond the black background behind the "Playstation 2" logo being changed to red and the cheaper cost? Both have the same game you want to play, all the bits preserved and the same faqs will help you on either one. -- Mord

That's why I mentioned running some code from ram and jumping the Program counter to it so it wouldn't be trying to get it's code from rom. What had me thinking of this was seeing someone either here or on stella talking about running small procedures in ram like this (otherwise I wouldn't have even thought of it!) I had presumed that the program would normally crash when you yanked the cartridge out due to the next opcodes being required being invalid/not available if it was looking for those in the rom range like it normally does. I was betting on the fact that the 2600 didn't have an OS to balk when the rom was removed from the circuit, with the cpu just continuing on happily wondering why the rom was useless junk while reading a program from the ram address range. -- Mord

Out of curiousity since I'm no hardware guru, beyond messing up the game in progress is there any hardware risks to removing a cartridge with the power still turned on? If there wasn't, you could potentially set it up for the game to load a small loop function to run in RAM that would just keep checking a rom location for a specific value, staying in the ram loop until it detects it and continuing gameplay at a predetermined location. Essentially this way you could have multiple cartridges for a game, each with a specific value in the same location of rom which indicates the cartridge. Was an idea I was toying with on paper since christmas. If it was possible to do this, even a large rom-sized cart wouldn't be limiting. Even if there was risk of damage to the VCS by yanking out cartridges like that, there are other ways around it.

Offhand I'd say if it is possible, it'd be plagued with flickery screens since you'd have to handle the scrolling, placement of 4 cars, adjusting their positions, any soundeffects, and polling the paddle controllers sufficiently for accurate readings. Great idea, and I'd certainly like to play it, but I don't know if the 2600 could handle it. The 5200 or 7800 on the other hand... -- Mord

It's marketed as a games console, and it's actually the best mobile phone available for games, so while it might not be a financial success, it certainly is an engineering one. I don't know about that, as there are several things I would have liked them to do to the actual design to make it a bit easier for playing games. I'm still waiting for them to throw the silly things in a bargain bin myself before I'm tempted to pick one up. -- Mord

I'm pretty much in the same boat, with talks of the price likely being over 100. I really want to be able to pick a Krokodile Cart when they're finished but I have a feeling it just won't be in the budget at the time. I'm hoping if they all get snatched up another run'll be set up later when I can definitely afford it. -- Mord

Nintendo not wanting others to profit from their console independantly? Surely you jest. I agree tho, I hadn't really thought about this before but I would have gotten myself a plate or three, especially if they were easy to just pop in and out with changing moods and the like. Oh well, their loss. -- Mord

A bit late for the week of 15-19, but I was playing Grandia II for the PS2 for the last few weeks. Noticed something this time tho. The android's name is Tia. Made me think... Hmm... ancient technology that still works... [edit] And of course, going back to double check I realize it's Tio. Whatever, I'll call it what I want to call it. -- Mord

You know, I was thinking about this lately while playing through the PS2 version of Grandia II. I find the PS2 hits a lot more slow-down playing the game than the Dreamcast ever did... Sillly ports. -- Mord

And still another month or two before we can get cartridges? Ok, that gives me enough time to get a 5200. -- Mord

Just to say I guessed, I'll say Cloud 9. Why? No clue. -- Mord

Oh sure, NOW you tell me. Seriously tho the most I've done with my carts have been to take a part a Defender and ... plaque attack I think, since I have those in doubles/triples. Mostly for 'research'. -- Mord

Haven't ordered anything yet, balancing budget and all, although I browse the store regularly to drool at the possibilities. It's pretty hard to decide on a budget when you want everything. -- Mord

So what you're saying is... if I destroy them NOW then I'll have a valuable cartridge or two that I bought for a buck later? -- Mord Where'd I put that sledge...

Sorry, I was just commenting on the P part. -- Mord