kingofcrusher Posted August 2, 2010 Share Posted August 2, 2010 Have any of you guys done a port from MSX to Coleco yet? Assuming the game only uses 1k RAM (or can be modified to only use 1k), what are the hurdles? I was looking at the MSX and it appears to have a ton of built in bios routines like the Coleco, so I assume getting around those is the first major problem. Any specific advice for someone who is dabbling in it? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retroillucid Posted August 2, 2010 Share Posted August 2, 2010 Have any of you guys done a port from MSX to Coleco yet? Assuming the game only uses 1k RAM (or can be modified to only use 1k), what are the hurdles? I was looking at the MSX and it appears to have a ton of built in bios routines like the Coleco, so I assume getting around those is the first major problem. Any specific advice for someone who is dabbling in it? Dvik/Joyrex has done some, Opcode too They've alot of knowledge with MSX to ColecoVision port You should really ask them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColecoFan1981 Posted August 3, 2010 Share Posted August 3, 2010 (edited) Here is a Coleco to TI-99/4A conversion of Tutankham (yeah, I know, not MSX but still the same Texas Instruments chip technology here and there) by retroclouds: I'd love to see other ColecoVision/ADAM games receive TI-99/4A ports, such as: *Donkey Kong (cartridge version; 16K ROM chipset) *Donkey Kong Super Game (ADAM) *Donkey Kong Junior (cartridge version) *Donkey Kong Junior Super Game (ADAM) *Smurf Rescue in Gargamel's Castle Super Game (Super Game Module) *Super Cobra If I had MSX-to-ColecoVision conversions on my mind, it would be these following Konami games: *Hyper Rally *Pippols *Track & Field *Vampire Killer *Exerion ~Ben Edited August 3, 2010 by ColecoFan1981 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retroillucid Posted August 3, 2010 Share Posted August 3, 2010 *Smurf Rescue in Gargamel's Castle Super Game (Super Game Module) I've a couples of screenshots of this unreleased Super Smurf I'm planning to recreate it someday... This would have been a great game from what I've seen 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+retroclouds Posted August 3, 2010 Share Posted August 3, 2010 I'd love to see "Malaika: Prehistoric Quest" ported from MSX1 to the Colecovision (and to the TI-99/4A as well). That is a fine homebrew game indeed. Don't know if it would be possible on the colecovision with 1K of RAM though. Check the screenshots here. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retroillucid Posted August 3, 2010 Share Posted August 3, 2010 I'd love to see "Malaika: Prehistoric Quest" ported from MSX1 to the Colecovision (and to the TI-99/4A as well). That is a fine homebrew game indeed. Don't know if it would be possible on the colecovision with 1K of RAM though. Check the screenshots here. First time I heard of this game Looks like a fun game, I'll give a check tonight Thanks 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
youki Posted August 3, 2010 Share Posted August 3, 2010 looking at the screenshot, it seems it is more a MSX 2 game notMSX 1. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GroovyBee Posted August 3, 2010 Share Posted August 3, 2010 It looks like something the 7800 could do too. I already have a long list of projects so I won't be doing it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+retroclouds Posted August 3, 2010 Share Posted August 3, 2010 (edited) looking at the screenshot, it seems it is more a MSX 2 game notMSX 1. Yes, it does look like a MSX2 game, but it is an MSX1 game. It won 2nd place in the MSXdev'06 competition. That's a competition for development of new MSX1 games. Check here. It does have very smooth scroll, which we all know is very hard to do on the TMS9918. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dH6gtS_2iGM Edited August 3, 2010 by retroclouds 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mäsäxi Posted September 2, 2010 Share Posted September 2, 2010 (edited) MSX to Coleco.... I really hope there could be Coleco to MSX ports too!! (and not just in my dreams.....) There are many original 1980s games, homebrew games and "coming soon" games and "maybe" games which I would gladly buy for my MSX-1. If just someone kind soul could port them.... .....there surely are many MSX cartridge makers who are willing to make them to a cartridge form!! I wish to have opcode´s Donkey Kong arcade + All Coleco´s Donkey Kong conversions (including Adam one) on same cartridge! .....and Wizard of Wor.... and many others....! Colecofan1981, Vampire Killer is MSX2 megacartridge game, by the way.... Edited September 2, 2010 by mäsäxi 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+nanochess Posted February 7, 2012 Share Posted February 7, 2012 Have any of you guys done a port from MSX to Coleco yet? Assuming the game only uses 1k RAM (or can be modified to only use 1k), what are the hurdles? I was looking at the MSX and it appears to have a ton of built in bios routines like the Coleco, so I assume getting around those is the first major problem. Any specific advice for someone who is dabbling in it? Now that I've translated my games from MSX to Colecovision (Zombie Near and Princess Quest), I can tell you that the most difficult thing (apart from direct hardware access) is the NMI interrupt from VDP (INT in MSX), as it cannot be easily deactivated, some clever programming solves that. And now I'm limiting every game programmed to 1K of RAM, that simplifies a lot of things if I want to do a port to Colecovision in future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+nanochess Posted February 7, 2012 Share Posted February 7, 2012 Colecofan1981, Vampire Killer is MSX2 megacartridge game, by the way.... There exist a great remake of Vampire Killer for MSX1, it is called The Cure and it is available from MSXdev archives. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILA2600 Posted September 16, 2019 Share Posted September 16, 2019 There is 3 MSX games I'd love to see ported over to the Colecovision, and these games are MSX Godzilla VS 3 Major Monsters, Monsters Fair ( Mothra game ), and MSX Ultraman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Tomlin Posted September 22, 2019 Share Posted September 22, 2019 Haven't done MSX but have done SG-1000. The main issues are: - controller ports are different - interupts are different (seriously, VDP on NMI was stupid) and the coleco ROM is mostly trash anyhow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alekmaul Posted September 25, 2019 Share Posted September 25, 2019 @Bruce Tomlin, you forgot to talk about the few amount of ram available on Coleco, regarding MSX fr example... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Tomlin Posted September 27, 2019 Share Posted September 27, 2019 On 9/25/2019 at 12:52 AM, alekmaul said: @Bruce Tomlin, you forgot to talk about the few amount of ram available on Coleco, regarding MSX fr example... I was talking about SG-1000, which doesn't have much RAM either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Harris Posted September 27, 2019 Share Posted September 27, 2019 (edited) 21 hours ago, Bruce Tomlin said: I was talking about SG-1000, which doesn't have much RAM either. For those that think the Colecovision doesn't have enough ram they forget about Pitfall, Pitfall 2, Montezumas Revenge, The Heist, Miner 2049er, BolderDash... I have a working game that can go up to 255 individual screens. Most people around here write in C and use RLE with compressed full screens. If that is their deal then go for it. But to save space you use raw Z80 Assembly Language and with a little memory management you can work wonders. Outside of that one can argue that the only reason they created the SGM module was to port and sell high end MSX games that use the extra memory and sound chip. I have yet to find any other function for the device. More power to them. If you go over to MSX.ORG you can find detailed instructions on how to convert Coleco Carts to MSX and no doubt you can do it in reverse provided that they have the same chips and if I am not mistaken it has to be the MSX 1. Tony at Electric Adventures has a great series on programing the MSX, Coleco and Spectravideo being as they all have the same architecture. Here is a link to part 16 in his play list. Plenty of resources out there but outside of these tips I never got into the specifics, Tony can most likely tell you what you need to know. When I port a game I write it from scratch and fit it to the system in a way which it will run with stock equipment. I personally do it for fun and learning but back in the day when you worked for a company you would port to the most popular systems as you could to make that sale. In today's emulation environment it makes no sense, to me, to port a game that already runs fine on another system. I see nothing nostalgia or classic about it. It is not an original Coleco game nor is it new or gives you something new. Where are the new levels? Saving your initials? Expanded Game Play... Some may argue my Adventure port "Super Adventure" is being hypocritical but if you look at the code it is 100% scratch, my own invented mapping system and expanded world based off my own ideas and it is not for sale but free. I have other ports from Intellivision and TI994/A that I am working on which are also 100% scratch, just think of the scroll routines YIKES! The Atari 2600 colors are way better than Coleco and the Intellivision sound is far superior and the TI addresses memory different. Nope, the MSX is change a few ports, slap it on a rom and market it as a new for a high "COLLECTORS" price basically for doing as little work as possible just like Star Wars the triple, super secret diamond edition. But, at the end of the day it is still just Star Wars where Han Solo shot first. Edited September 28, 2019 by Mike Harris 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Harris Posted September 28, 2019 Share Posted September 28, 2019 Here is a link to port from Coleco TO MSX. If you can go one way you should be able to do it in reverse. Just ask OPCODE Games....Team Pixelboy for any additional thoughts. https://www.msx.org/forum/development/cross-development/colecovision-msx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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