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I'm already "decompressing" (mostly generating procedurally) sub-areas as needed. The map would need 1GB when completly uncompressed. Emulator support for bank switching shouldn't be that much of a problem since the (to me) most important emulators, xmess and Meka come with source. I've also written my own emulator, too (never released since quality is not very good, but runs my programs and some original ones such as LadyBug). Philipp

This world was made just for the techdemo. The game world will look different. Since I've got a lot of university stuff to do it will take time 'till this game is done. However I intent to release another techdemo in the first half of 2008. The second techdemo will show the combat system. Philipp

A few month ago I've started working on Tunnels & Trolls for the ColecoVision. Due to lots of university work I wasn't able to make anything really interesting yet though. However I just took my old code and made it into a little techdemo. It's a map viewer. The map is rather big for a ColecoVision game. Most of it is just a huge swamp. However you start in the map's upper left corner and it takes about 6 minutes of continuous scrolling to reach the swamp. Here's a map description so you don't get lost: You start in a small rural village with some houses, a pond and some fields where crop is planted. Some trees surround the village. Two roads lead out of the village. One leads to the south, where it approaches some farms (you find them south and west of the road at the roads' second big turn to the east) before it turns east and north. The other road leads east, then turns south (southwest of the turn is a forest, east of the turn is some rocky area and further east a forest and a river). Where the two roads meet another road goes to the east, leading to a river. On the other end of the bridge a gate guards the entry to a town. North of the town is a forest. If you follow the road for some time, then go southeast where it splits or follow the river leading south you'll reach a lake. There's a town at the lake's north shore. Farms are scattered throughout the area. I've attached screenshots of the pond in the starting village and the bridge with town gate. As you can see this simple techdemo needs about 29KB, so I'll have to sacrifice some of what you see in this demo to be able to make a game out of it. Merry christmas to all of you! Philipp TT.rom.gz

According to Daniel Bienvenu's list that's an unrealistic number. The record for ColecoVision games released since the 90's is at 200 carts sold. Philipp 200? I thought that there were far more people purchasing homebrew games than that, especially since, in 2007, the "word" must have gotten out. The numbers aren't updated that often. If there was a surge in CV homebrew sales in 2007 it might not be reflected there yet. Philipp

Can - maybe, would - I don't think so. Eduardo will recover and probably finish his games some time. I think all ColecoVision programmers have their own unfinished projects they work on when they find time to do (at least I do).

According to Daniel Bienvenu's list that's an unrealistic number. The record for ColecoVision games released since the 90's is at 200 carts sold. Philipp

How much is shipping to europe? Which payment methods are accepted?

A second, more technical tutorial has been added at http://www.colecovision.eu/ColecoVision/de...tutorial1.shtml. I intend to make further tutorials about graphics and sound on the ColecoVision.

Where can I find more info about these gamepads?

I want to write a series of ColecoVision programming tutorials about ColecoVision programming using sdcc since a usability inspection I conducted (http://www.colecovision.eu/ColecoVision/de.../Evaluation.pdf, in German) identified lack of documentation as a major obstacle to newbies to CV programming using sdcc. I've uploaded the first one to http://www.colecovision.eu/ColecoVision/de...tutorial0.shtml. It just shows how to install a sdcc-based development environment and compile some sample programs. sdcc is a free C-compiler; in ColecoVision development it's an alternative to the HITECH-C for CP/M compiler used by most CV C programmers. While it probably still conatins more bugs it'S free software so anyone can help to improve it and it generates smaller, faster code. HITECH-C for CP/M can no longer be downloaded from HITECH-C's website; they probably want users to move to their commercial C compiler for DOS. Search for the stolen Crown Jewels 2 (http://www.colecovision.eu/ColecoVision/games/Search for the stolen Crown Jewels 2.shtml://http://www.colecovision.eu/ColecoVi... Jewels 2.shtml) is an example of a CV game written using sdcc. Philipp P.S.: Does anyone know why the last link appears twice in the post? Maybe it's because of the spaces in the URL?

You wouldn't notice a difference. The CV has a Z80 that is capable of running at 4 Mhz. If you replace it by one that can run at 10Mhz it will still run at the same 3,58 Mhz that the clock line says it should run at. An osolator crystal might be able to fix that. The ColecoVision uses one clock for everything. If you increase the clock to above 3,58 Mhz the video chip will be overclocked, too, resulting in a signal no TV can display. If you manage to drive video chip and CPU by different clocks (which would require cutting traced on the CV's pcb), raising the CPU clock only, pauses between CPU accesses to graphics memory will be too short from the video chip's point of view, thus some writes to the graphics memory will be lost. This would result in graphics errors. Philipp

You wouldn't notice a difference. The CV has a Z80 that is capable of running at 4 Mhz. If you replace it by one that can run at 10Mhz it will still run at the same 3,58 Mhz that the clock line says it should run at.

The mould is expensive; Try to avoid making custom plastic shells for something that goes into the expension connector: There are not many ColecoVision users today, custom cases make sense only if you need a large number. Cartridge cases are a border case since one might sell multiple games in them to a single ColecoVision user. I suggest you have a look at standard cases. There are companies like Hammond manufactoring that produce a wide variety of cases, both plastic and metal. If you only need a few hundred cases and find something that could be used for your project it will be cheaper. Philipp

Alright, I tried it with Meka just now and it works. Pretty nice game! So when will the full version be released in cart format? It's available at GoodDealGames and gameconsoles.com.

I don't know yet. The game is complete, but my notebook is currently being repaired and I have an important university exam at the end of february. The manual is not finished yet. Philipp

I've written a sequel to SCJ for the ColecoVision, details in the ColecoVision forum: http://www.atariage.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=100373 Philipp

I just downloaded the ROM file, tried it in xmess, it works. Before uploading I tested it in xmess and on a CBS ColecoVision.

I've finished "Search for the stolen Crown Jewels 2", a 2-level Demo is attached. The game has 5 levels: -Naval bombing (make your way through enemy fighters and anti-air guns to their ships and bomb them) -Air defense (shoot down enemy bombers before they bomb your factories or anti-air gun) -Radio installation guard (stop enemy agents from planting bombs at a radio installation) -Airship escort (included in demo, escort an airship into enemy territory, protect it by shooting down enemy bombers and, most important, bombing enemy anti-air guns) -Radio installation sabotage (included in demo, plant bombs in an enemy radio installation guarded by enemy agents and gun towers) In all levels the first fire button is used for firing bullets, the second one for dropping bombs. I'll add some information and screenshots about the game at my homepage, http://www.colecovision.eu soon. Please tell me what you think about this game. I've tried to create good gameplay, graphics and make the levels differ a lot. There's no ROM space left for adding advanced sound effects, so you'll have to live with the few notes that are played whenever something important happens. The game is a sequel to my game "Search for the stolen Crown Jewels", you can find more info about that one in another thread here or at http://colecovision.eu/ColecoVision/Search...%20Jewels.shtml Philipp SCJ2Demo.rom.gz

I have finished my game "Search for the stolen Crown Jewels". You can download a demo at http://colecovision.eu/ColecoVision/SCJDemo.rom There are some screenshots at http://colecovision.eu/ColecoVision/Search...%20Jewels.shtml Philipp

> My split function does it by even and odd hex numbers. I do not think thats the proper way. Try putting the lower 8K in one EPROm and the upper 8K into the other.

You don't. The original pcbs won't work with 27C512. You'll have to use the same type that Coleco used. EPROMS with higher capacity will need additional logic.

-Remember the settings when all worms die and you are returned to the title screen. I'll implement that one. I'm not yet sure about the sound effects. There ist not much ROM space left and the sound effects might interfere with music.

Well, what should or shouldn't be there depends on how you use rst. My library doesn't use rst, so it doesn't matter.

The tools are GPL, the libraries are LGPL.

Could you post the source ? Or at least compiler/linker command lines, startupcode/linker script ? 957731[/snapback] I have posted download links to the source of the library and three of my tools in the Colecoshop forums at http://www.colecoshop.com/colecoshop/ I plan to create some small sample programs for the library to help programmers getting started. Philipp