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MrFish

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Posts posted by MrFish

  1. Posted · Edited by MrFish

    1 hour ago, MrFish said:

    Maybe it was a means of insuring that any PBI devices would have whatever power they needed, because they would be responsible for supplying it (externally).

     

    47 minutes ago, x=usr(1536) said:
    • Enforcing external power supplies to keep demands on system power low (i.e., not letting 3rd parties get lazy about where they pulled power from for their devices)

     

    This is basically what I was saying in the quote above. Some developer might have perfect success using their device powered on the PBI when it's the only add-on device doing so; but as soon as one or more other devices get plugged in expecting to receive power from the Atari, all bets are off. Devices could draw power from the machine on the SIO port too (unless you're an unmodded 1200XL), which adds another ingredient to the cauldron. Developers have no way of knowing how many other devices someone might have hanging off the machine, and could easily create devices that were completely void of consideration for what else might demand power from the machine (especially back in the "wild west" of computing 80's). So, by Atari forcing them to get their PBI devices powered elsewhere, it could avoid a lot of potential user frustration (and support frustration for Atari).

     

    • Like 1

  3. Posted

    2 minutes ago, x=usr(1536) said:

    Sure, and I'm not in disagreement with you on the above points.  However, I was referring to the PBI as implemented by Atari, not modifications made to it after the machines were out the door.

     

    Yeah, it's a kinda weird situation. It's obvious that it's useful to have it on all PBI's, because external power is often not needed/necessary (the Atari power supply provides enough power). Maybe it was a means of insuring that any PBI devices would have whatever power they needed, because they would be responsible for supplying it (externally).

     

    • Like 1

  5. Posted

    16 minutes ago, Mathy said:

    BTW if somebody comes up with an idea to make this cable easy to plug and unplug from the PCB (not the joystick port) please tell.  I prefer to take the 5VDC from the motherboard, but sometimes it's nice to be able to plug the wire back in to check out a "strange(rs)" XL.

     

    Yeah, I'm not saying the joystick connection for 5 volts isn't useful, I just prefer the internal mod. I often used the joystick connector when I would get a new 800XL and wanted to test the RAM 320XL out on it.

  7. Posted

    12 minutes ago, x=usr(1536) said:

    All other PBI devices were expected to be powered separately from the computer itself.

     

    There are quite a few modern PBI devices that expect 5 volts from the PBI port. RAM 320XL and the Turbo Freezer 2011 would be two examples. RAM 320XL came with a cable with connectors for pulling 5 volts from a joystick port; but that's a rather cobbled looking solution compared to adding one small internal wire to the 800XL motherboard.

     

  8. Posted · Edited by MrFish

    In the documentation (found on the disk) for 2.1 it says this:

     

                              MyCopyR! 1.0 vs MyCopyR! 2.1


                   There have only been three major changes from 1.0.
              These are the addition of a directory option,  the removal of
              the disable memory upgrade option (INVERSE KEY), and the
              removal of the MANUAL ENHANCED density function.  Also, due
              to a bug in the HAPPY ROMs, all HAPPY drives are set for
              FAST-WRITES.  This will eliminate the 3rd byte bug that
              caused problems with version 1.0.

                   Several minor bugs that were version 1.0 were fixed in
              2.1.  The worst of these bugs prevented version 1.0 for
              working with a 400/800 or 1200XL computer.

     

     

    Also, you get this in the docs:

     

                                      MyCopyR! 2.1
                                           by

                                       Glenn Smith
                                       PO Box 3209
                                     Grand Jct., CO
                                          81502

    • Like 5
    • Thanks 2

  10. Posted · Edited by MrFish

    On 10/4/2020 at 5:08 AM, TIX said:

    hehe, don't get your hopes up..

     

    I'm just an artist, I can work my way around redrawing and hacking-in sprites/players/missiles with good old 'hack-o-matic'.

    But when it comes to playfield hacking, I'm useless without a coders help..

    I spend a couple of hours yesterday searching the rom with 'omnivore' (I turned the bitmap Display to Antic D by @Cafeman's suggestion),

    sadly I haven't found anything resembling the monsters.

     

    So until a coder steps in, or I discover a better tool, I put this down the queue.

     

    I just had a look at the 8-bit computer version ROM in Omnivore.

    You're using the right view, except it's easier to see if you make the byte width = 2, since each sprite is 2 bytes (4 pixels) wide.

    When doing that, you end up with this starting at $3C9A.

     

    461835731_omnivore-wizard.thumb.png.be2b714fc63c00737f372560d10d9a78.png

     

    Having a look at the 5200 version, you end up with the same thing at $7CB3, but the sprite data doesn't line up like the 8-bit version; basically because the beginning of the sprite data just happens to fall in the file/ROM on an uneven byte number. I'm not sure if Omnivore has a way to shift the view of the bytes to accommodate (the ability ought to be added if it doesn't exist). I couldn't see how to do it in a quick scan of the menus, though.

     

    Anyway, at least that gives you a starting point.

     

    1316679414_omnivore-wizard5200.thumb.png.3becf7aeda741136847d4f2ab5796e0c.png

     

    • Like 2

  11. Posted

    29 minutes ago, MrFish said:

    You can also get to the Self Test by typing "BYE" (then hitting the <Return> key) from the READY prompt in BASIC, or typing "DOS" (then hitting the <Return> key) from the READY Prompt in BASIC (if you haven't loaded a DOS from a disk drive).

     

    I should point out that by entering the Self Test from BASIC the Memory test will not test as much of the RAM, though.

     

  12. Posted · Edited by MrFish

    Nice looking machine. Keep that keyboard out of the sun. :D

     

    Hold down <OPTION> while turning the machine on, and you'll get the "Self Test" screen.

    You can test out the keyboard keys (manually when it's not run using "All Tests"), sound voices, and RAM.

     

    You can also get to the Self Test by typing "BYE" (then hitting the <Return> key) from the READY prompt in BASIC, or typing "DOS" (then hitting the <Return> key) from the READY Prompt in BASIC (if you haven't loaded a DOS from a disk drive).

     

    1052058782_selftext.thumb.png.135c748ee1cfe4dc645371c5f60438b9.png

     

     

    • Like 1

  14. Posted

    9 minutes ago, CharlieChaplin said:

    Most pirated disk versions I had of Summer Games had a defect world records table with Control and other characters in it. (I also had several versions of Winter Events with a defect highscore or world records table, but I could easily repair it.)

    There's a thread on the forums where getting a version set up with a clean (empty) World Records table was done. Although at this point maybe a clean, original dump has been made too.

     

  16. Posted · Edited by MrFish

    11 hours ago, xxl said:

    Spelunker

     

    10 hours ago, www.atarimania.com said:

    Spelunker was never released on tape.

     

    Probably what XXL is thinking about with Spelunker are the differences between the Micro GraphicImage release and the Broderbund release.

     

    The Micro GraphicImage version had this title.

     

    1644701205_spelunkermgi.thumb.png.348e963e8913b4db04d36d29808769a4.png

     

     

    And the Broderbund version had this title, and some little animations for the various game credits.

     

    1811278528_spelunkerbroder.thumb.png.02f8011681330c7946f24d34c77d7f5d.png

     

     

    • Like 1

  17. Posted

    4 hours ago, zzip said:

    I think the disk version has also has title screen that the cassette version doesn't, (or the cassette title screen is minimal)

    That was already mentioned above (I even posted an image of the disk version title screen).

     

    The cassette and cartridge versions both have a low-res Zaxxon logo, that gets drawn on the screen as if it's being written by hand.

     

  18. Posted

    15 minutes ago, MrFish said:

    The thing I didn't appreciate is that the game itself got downgraded in the conversion. It escapes me, right now, exactly what was left off of the cart version; but I believe it had to do with the options for gameplay, and possible one event (?). So, whenever I play it on cart, I go for the Atarimax conversion of the disk version of the game.

     

    OK, a quick look reveals that it was just one option left off when Atari converted Summer Games to an XEGS cart. The option is pretty important though; it's the ability to save and retrieve world records. This is somewhat understandable, since an XEGS cart has no way of storing dynamic data; but nothing would have stopped them from allow a user disk to be inserted for such an option. This was certainly done with other cart games (Eastern Front 1941 comes to mind). Saving and challenging world records was one of the more interesting aspects of playing Summer Games in the first place. So, I consider this to be a serious downgrade.

     

    2100863911_optionsdisk.thumb.png.965a4adb6127a6e52103b2718f144c9e.png

     

    1945037169_optionscart.thumb.png.81c1f677b668cbf17e13c39bac896b12.png

     

    • Like 1

  19. Posted · Edited by MrFish

    53 minutes ago, abbotkinneydude said:

    It was also missing on the XEGS cartridge version. That really took away from the premium feel of the game.

     

    Yes, a rather odd exclusion for something going to a large (64 KB) XEGS cart. Having a look inside the cart, there seems to be ample free space for storing the title screen data.

     

    I added the title screen to an XEX version -- all variations of which are missing it, due to being conversions of either the cart or cassette versions. I also enhanced the screen some and started working on a more heavily enhanced version. 

     

    See in this thread: Hardball - Title Screen

     

     

    53 minutes ago, abbotkinneydude said:

    Interestingly, Summer Games got a better splash screen on the XEGS cartridge vs. the original Epyx release.

     

    I never really thought the XEGS title screen was much of an improvement. I at least appreciate the attempt; although I think the main drive was about getting the large "Epyx" logo off the screen. The thing I didn't appreciate is that the game itself got downgraded in the conversion. It escapes me, right now, exactly what was left off of the cart version; but I believe it had to do with the options for gameplay, and possible one event (?). So, whenever I play it on cart, I go for the Atarimax conversion of the disk version of the game.

     

    2129413774_summergames1.thumb.png.c704d49d3c1ebac2d9657fe1368a22c9.png

     

    126244364_summergames2.thumb.png.023b3e91e1d2c66b0aa9ff8df0b11163.png

     

  24. Posted

    8 minutes ago, www.atarimania.com said:

    Zaxxon

    To elaborate on this one... 

     

    Some things added in the disk version are:

    1. missile silos that fire up at your ship

    2. uses the real 3D effect in space, compared playing on a plane in the cassette (and cartridge) version.

     

    There may be other differences; but those are the two I know about.

     

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