Program binaries on ColecoVision BIOS

[Yurkie]

I was wondering if anyone could tell me weather or not games could be programmed on the ColecoVision BIOS chip and selected for play without a cartridge being in the cartridge slot?

 

If so what about putting the entire library on an EPROM, like a built in multi-cart?

 

What is the largest affordable EPROM available to use in place of the original BIOS?

 

Thanks for any available info.

[kingofcrusher]

I was wondering if anyone could tell me weather or not games could be programmed on the ColecoVision BIOS chip and selected for play without a cartridge being in the cartridge slot?

 

If so what about putting the entire library on an EPROM, like a built in multi-cart?

 

What is the largest affordable EPROM available to use in place of the original BIOS?

 

Thanks for any available info.

[kingofcrusher]

I was wondering if anyone could tell me weather or not games could be programmed on the ColecoVision BIOS chip and selected for play without a cartridge being in the cartridge slot?

 

If so what about putting the entire library on an EPROM, like a built in multi-cart?

 

What is the largest affordable EPROM available to use in place of the original BIOS?

 

Thanks for any available info.

[kingofcrusher]

I was wondering if anyone could tell me weather or not games could be programmed on the ColecoVision BIOS chip and selected for play without a cartridge being in the cartridge slot?

 

If so what about putting the entire library on an EPROM, like a built in multi-cart?

 

What is the largest affordable EPROM available to use in place of the original BIOS?

 

Thanks for any available info.

 

So it's possible to put a bigger EPROM in there, and I'm sure it'd be easy to hack the BIOS to jump to a game select menu, but I don't believe there's anyway to get it to read the games from the EPROM instead of the cartridge port. You might ask over at http://nfggames.com/forum2/ since some of those guys are hardware geniuses and would know for sure.

[PkK]

I was wondering if anyone could tell me weather or not games could be programmed on the ColecoVision BIOS chip and selected for play without a cartridge being in the cartridge slot?

 

It is possible.

 

If so what about putting the entire library on an EPROM, like a built in multi-cart?

 

What is the largest affordable EPROM available to use in place of the original BIOS?

 

Thanks for any available info.

 

AFAIK you can't go over 8K. That's a quarter of the maximum cartridge size. Nevertheless one coukld easily place some minigame in there if desired (though I don't know why anyone should want to, turing a CV tha can play any game from the cartridge slot into one that can play just one minigame).

 

Philipp

[Yurkie]

Perhaps I didn't explain well. I didn't want it to lose the cartridge slot functionality just be able to play a game(s) when there wasn't a cartridge inserted.

[newcoleco]

Perhaps I didn't explain well. I didn't want it to lose the cartridge slot functionality just be able to play a game(s) when there wasn't a cartridge inserted.

If I'm correct, the Dina 2-in-1 and also Personal Arcade do have a built-in game, which I think is Meteoric Shower. So, this clone do have such a thing as an adapted BIOS with a built-in game. It probably not answer your question, but if you have such a clone, maybe you can try to figure out how to replace the game inside by your own creation if it's what you want.

[Yurkie]

Perhaps I didn't explain well. I didn't want it to lose the cartridge slot functionality just be able to play a game(s) when there wasn't a cartridge inserted.

If I'm correct, the Dina 2-in-1 and also Personal Arcade do have a built-in game, which I think is Meteoric Shower. So, this clone do have such a thing as an adapted BIOS with a built-in game. It probably not answer your question, but if you have such a clone, maybe you can try to figure out how to replace the game inside by your own creation if it's what you want.

 

I was thinking about the Dina 2-in-1 when I decided to pose this question.

 

I just thought it would be cool to be able to program a favorite game on the BIOS, so that you could play without the cartridge.

 

Not really a big deal, just a cool novelty.