MrFish

Yeah, otherwise it would be called Spy Helps Spy, and that's just wrong!

mrfish - einstein laughs.xex

Yeah, it just uses the joystick trigger register. VBI is typically used and sufficient in most cases. I think this post is the beginning talk about the last iteration of the GUI's mouse driver. GOS Mouse Driver During SIO

Yes, I would have gone that route if I'd taken a few more minutes to think about it first. I just coded it the way I did to get it done fast so I could get to the info about the bits. I was actually gonna write and post something using bitwise operators after I came home from work tonight; but I was busy chatting with a female when I got home. Yeah, same here. It's common practice to program mouse code for port 2, so port 1 is open to use with joysticks and other controllers. Like I said, all what I coded was really quick, so I could give a quick response to the posts about using an ST Mouse here.

Here's the little piece of TBXL code I wrote to figure out how that works again. It just reads and displays the first 4 bits of joystick port 0 register. It would probably be a faster routine if using bitwise operators; but it works well enough to see what's going on. 100 GRAPHICS 0 110 DIM A$(4):POKE 752,1 115 ------------------------------ 120 DO 130 X=PEEK(632) 140 A$="0000" 150 IF X>7 160 A$(1,1)="1" 170 X=X-8 180 ENDIF 190 IF X>3 200 A$(2,2)="1" 210 X=X-4 220 ENDIF 230 IF X>1 240 A$(3,3)="1" 250 X=X-2 260 ENDIF 270 IF X>0 280 A$(4,4)="1" 290 ENDIF 300 POSITION 10,10 310 PRINT A$ 320 LOOP

Worth mentioning here too, is that a stock ST Mouse can only have it's left button read on the Atari 8-bit computers. There is a fairly simple mod for the ST Mouse that will allow the second button to be read, though.

I just had a quick look at what's happening again... It uses the first two nibbles of the register, giving one nibble to each axis. The x-axis uses the first nibble, the y-axis uses the second nibble. As the mouse is moved on a given axis, the nibble will rotate through the 4 values; not in numerical order, but as follows. 00 -> 01 -> 11 -> 10... and then in the opposite order when it's moving in the opposite direction on the same axis.

Right, so it wouldn't even require a real ST Mouse for emulation; it could just emulate it by plugging in a modern USB PC mouse, as all (or certainly most) emulators can.

It's just seen through the normal joystick registers as gray code. Any drivers written for it need to therefore be written in machine language in order to keep up with movement, to any practical usage. You can write a routine in BASIC (or even TBXL, etc.) to see how it works, and then move the mouse faster to see how it doesn't work.

I didn't have Missile Command back in the day. So, it was a good find (among so many others) when I returned to the hobby. I've also had a few CX80's (and ST Mice) for playing it. I have quite a few hacks (often unfinished) strewn all over this forum (and a few for the 2600), which basically target various graphic weaknesses of the originals. For instance, this fix of Parker Brothers' Q*bert for the 8-bit computers, in which the original has this mixed-up thing going on with his feet and legs. It just seems like someone was in a hurry creating the graphics for it. I like playing Q*bert a lot; so, it was partly a sanity hack, to allow me to play without seeing the stupidity every time. After I hacked his legs, I continued on with various other graphic shortcomings in the game. Here's the thread. There are quite a few versions posted along the way; so, you'll need to go towards the end to find the most-recent one. Q-Bert - Fixed Feet/legs I should probably consolidate links and/or files for all my hacks into one thread. Never heard of that one. I've used Atari-native tools for hacking in recent years, but I mostly use PC-based tools for everything at this point.

Yeah, more arcade-like doesn't necessarily always mean easier, or even more fun, for that matter. I was messing around to hack the airplane into something that looks a little more like the arcade (never liked how Atari rendered it on the 8-bit computers). Nothing difficult, but I think I just need to locate the playfield graphic of it (for when it gets shot); I already hacked the player-missile graphic graphic of it in the game.

BTW... has anyone tried Missile Command+ yet? It's the superior version of Missile Command (3 missile silos, various visual additions). Missile Command+.rom Missile Command+.xex

It could run on a 400 Mini; but I'm not sure if ST Mouse emulation is supported yet or not. If it is (via a DE-9 to USB adapter or something similar) then all should be fine. Just select 130XE as your system for full functionality (800XL/64KB will work, but functionality is limited -- basically, only one Profiler can be opened, but six simultaneous Jotters are possible).

Thanks, nice game! You can also just select the Atari ST Mouse as your controller, as this can be used in place of the trackball in Atari's 8-bit computer version of Missile Command too.

No problem; it's good you brought the subject up... but, I'd rather have a PAL 65XE with an ECI.

More VBXE artwork samples. Gremlins-VBXE-PLANSZA.xex HERO-VBXE-PLANSZA.xex International-karate-VBXE-PLANSZA.xex Montezumas-Revenge-VBXE-PLANSZA.xex MoonPatrol_-VBXE-PLANSZA.xex Pitfall-II-VBXE-PLANSZA.xex Pitfall-VBXE-PLANSZA.xex RiverRaid-VBXE-PLANSZA.xex SilentService-VBXE-PLANSZA.xex

Here are some screenshots from Altirra of the VBXE executable artwork images for a few games (there are many more on the website). AlleyCat-VBXE-PLANSZA.xex commando-VBXE-PLANSZA.xex DonkeyKongJunior-VBXE-PLANSZA.xex

I wasn't saying your judgement about it not being tinkered with was wrong. I was just asking why you thought it hadn't been tinkered with. Contrary to thinking you were wrong, I presumed you were correct, given the preponderance of evidence that I dug up before I gave my response. Yes, I corrected the error and reposted the image and spreadsheet.

Atarionline.pl user lexx is making fancy disk sleeves, labels, and cassette covers available (in PDF format). [Edit] It looks like the project was started in February of this year. He's built up a good number of these polished (no pun intended ) artworks. Here's the thread: Nowe okładki gier - ACE OF ACES (New game covers - ACE OF ACES) I should have mentioned that everything is FREE! He's also providing VBXE executables of the artwork. Website here: Atari Covers

Updated (Rev. 2d), with information about 65XE ECI added. Atari 8-Bit - Comparisons (Rev. 2d).xls [Edit] Corrected mistake about PAL 65XE's without ECI.

Here's the revised table, with information added to the notes. Atari 8-Bit - Comparisons (Rev. 2d).xls [Edit] Corrected mistake about PAL 65XE's without ECI.

Correct, no ECI there. Why are you confident that it's never been opened/tinkered with before? I found the conversation that I thought the subject might have been discussed in before. I quote there the Atari FAQ which says that early PAL 65XE's did not have an ECI. In our discussion in that thread, we had no positive ID of the machine being discussed (which is why the subject came up) as definitively 100% original PAL in origin. Since the subject of the thread was actually 800XE's, I didn't pursue verification of the information in the FAQ about the PAL 65XE's without ECI further (probably just slipped my mind after that). Here's the place in that thread where we were discussing it: Atari 800XE - System Stability/Integrity (post about PAL 65XE's without ECI) I did a quick search and came up with this machine listed on Ebay as a PAL 65XE, which has no ECI. So, it's probably safe to assume the FAQ to be correct here. I'll add that information into the table, along with the information about NTSC 65XE's that have ECI ports. Basically it stands that: 1. Majority of PAL 65XE's have ECI; a small number of early ones have no ECI. 2. Majority of NTSC 65XE's have no ECI; a small number of later ones have ECI.

Most NTSC 65XE's do not have an ECI; but for sure later-production NTSC 65XE's did have an ECI. I neglected to add that to the notes here, which I should have done. I'll add it and post a revised version. I don't recall right now if I've heard about any PAL 65XE's without ECI's or not. I'll have to search around the forums and see if there have been any discussions about it. There may be something in the recent thread about 65XE's and 800XE's, which I think I started to clarify some information for my website; but I'm assuming any discussions there didn't yield any PAL 65XE's without ECI, since I don't include such information on my website (NTSC 65XE's with ECI information is on my website, though). Regardless, if we can verify your 65XE is a genuine PAL production model, I'll need to add that into the notes here too (and on my website).

There are quite a few videos on YouTube that give overviews about Atari 8-bit computers, and also provide some demonstration of their games and capabilities. If you want to have some comparison of points that matter when purchasing an Atari 8-bit computer, this table might be helpful for you. Atari 8-Bit - Comparisons (Rev. 2c).xls

Looks like the wrong portal.