Tank Command versions

[KevinMos3]

The rom for Tank Command hosted here is 128K and listed as an overdump elsewhere. The 64K rom listed as "good" doesn't seem to work with Prosystem. The rom listed as bad is only 32K but seems to work fine from what I've played of it.

 

Does anyone know why the 32K rom is considered bad by the goodset? Can it not be played all the way through? (I'm not good enough at it to find out). Is there a way to make the 64K rom work with prosystem?

 

I'm especially interested in this because I just changed some of the colors and I'd like to know for sure which rom I should be using. Also, if the 32K version can be played all the way through, then I could have a cart made of this color edit. Here is the cross-reference link:

http://www.atariage....and-color-edit/

[+Trebor]

If I recall correctly, ProSystem (1.3e) has issues with any 64K ROM. Realsports Baseball and Water Ski I believe also give ProSystem problem if it is not "doubled"/overdumped.

 

The best info on 7800 carts and types is on Dan Boris' pages: http://www.atarihq.c...a7800cart.shtml

 

I'm hoping with this version (1.6b)... http://www.atariage....50#entry2115773 ...or something newer,

will have that corrected along with better video support.

 

EDIT: Forgot to mention the 64K "good" rom dumps work perfectly under MESS as they should,

Edited October 4, 2012 by Trebor

[KevinMos3]

Ah, thanks for that. Any knowledge on the 32K rom? I've still not seen a difference in playing it.

[+Trebor]

AFAIK, the 32K ROM - a good dump of it* - is valid and should work fine.

 

*Such as the one I have attached here

Tank_Command_(1988)_(Froggo)_!_32k.zip

 

 

It could very well be that both the 64K and the 32K are valid dumps and co-exist as a result of Atari perhaps placing the game on what boards were available at the time, or for other manufacturing reasons.

 

I do know there are a lot of bad dumps (32K/64K) out there though as well..

 

Edit...I'm attaching a good 64K dump as well. Perhaps someone more knowledgable and having the right tools can do a better comparison of the two.

 

Tank Command (1988) (Froggo) !_64k.zip

Edited October 4, 2012 by Trebor

[KevinMos3]

Thanks for posting those! I did a compare of your good 32K rom and it is the same as the one I've been working with to change colors and posted here (new update btw).

 

That's good news for people who have downloaded those color hacks and especially for anyone who wants to make themselves a cart.

[+Mitch]

I dumped Tank Command and I'm probably the originator of all three dumps. The 64K dump is the correct one. The 32K one is incomplete, I think it is missing the last two levels. The 128K one is just a doubled copy of the 64K one, so it has all the data as well. The two odd sized dumps (32K and 128K) were made to work around emulator deficiencies.

 

Mitch

[KevinMos3]

The 32K one is incomplete, I think it is missing the last two levels.

 

Hmm. It may be missing the 3rd level, I don't know. It seems to have the second level because that's where I always lose all my lives (difficulty ramps way up). I wish I was good enough to make it through the 2nd level to know for sure. I'll have to try using tons of save-states with MESS or something.

 

BTW, that reminds me -- how do you use save-states with prosystem?

 

 

Update: There are cheat codes for the Xbox emulator to give unlimited lives, ammo, and fuel. I used those and compared the 32K rom with the 64K one.

 

It turns out that all 3 levels are there as far as the difficulty ramping up, but it's just things from level 1 repeated. Also, it doesn't have the flag at the end. The scrolling upward just stops.

It's missing buildings (pill boxes from level 1 are there, but buildings aren't).

The underground missile silos that open up are missing and appear to have been replaced with the static houses.

 

It looks like the 32K rom is a pretty decent hack to condense the game, but it's just missing too much. Looks like I need to update my color edits with the 64K roms.

Edited October 5, 2012 by KevinMos3

[+Trebor]

I dumped Tank Command and I'm probably the originator of all three dumps. The 64K dump is the correct one. The 32K one is incomplete, I think it is missing the last two levels. The 128K one is just a doubled copy of the 64K one, so it has all the data as well. The two odd sized dumps (32K and 128K) were made to work around emulator deficiencies.

 

Mitch

Cool...thanks for the update and info Mitch.

Scary that some incomplete ROMs are marked "good" out there, but at least was have so many dumps and enough information to sort the 'real' good from the bad.

[KevinMos3]

Here's another issue (related more to the other thread, but I might as well ask here since hardly anyone visits the other forum):

 

Does a78sign work with 64K roms? I can sign other size roms, but I can't get a good signing of this 64K rom.

[+Mitch]

It should be able to sign the A78 version but not the bin version. If my memory is correct.

 

Mitch

[KevinMos3]

Correct, but it's not signing the 64K rom. As with the 128K version I've been signing, I'm using it on the a78 file. It will sign other rom sizes, but it's screwing up on this.

 

Specifically, it says it wrote a valid signature, but it didn't. You can try signing again and you'll get the same result, meaning that it writes ANOTHER signature. As many times as you try to sign, you'll get a different signature -- of course, not actually valid. Whereas, if it were to actually write a valid signature, it would say "signature valid" and leave it.

Edited October 6, 2012 by KevinMos3

[+Mitch]

Maybe try to use sign7800 instead of a78sign.

 

Mitch

[KevinMos3]

Thanks for the tip. It sounds like a better program than a78sign, but I'm only finding the Amiga port of it. Do you happen to have it for Windows?

[jwierer]

I found the source to version 1.02 (http://xi6.com/files/), but had to install cygwin to compile it. Seems to work on my Windows 7 machine, but it could be calling some library. Sorry not my preferred development enviroment.

 

sign78001.02.zip

 

-Jeff

[+Mitch]

I compiled a copy myself that runs on Windows XP, if Jeff's version doesn't work for that.

 

Now that I'm thinking about it some more I believe there were two revisions of A78sign. With the later version fixing a few bugs.

 

Mitch

[KevinMos3]

I found the source to version 1.02 (http://xi6.com/files/), but had to install cygwin to compile it. Seems to work on my Windows 7 machine, but it could be calling some library.

 

Thank you for that. I had looked into a gcc compiler and downloaded MinGW, but being on dialup, I hadn't finished getting MSYS and msysDTK before I got pulled away.

 

Your win binary works in XP and did the trick.

 

I'll go ahead and post the 64K Tank Command edit that I signed with your exe while I'm at it. It works great in MESS now.

 

Tank Command (color+sprite edit) 64K.a78

[shadow460]

I wonder, were cartridges produced with the different size ROMs? I think I've played mine through to the third level, but I know I didn't finish it.

[+Mitch]

I wonder, were cartridges produced with the different size ROMs? I think I've played mine through to the third level, but I know I didn't finish it.

 

I'm pretty sure that all Tank Command copies are 64K. There are three levels total.

 

Mitch

[+Trebor]

Thank you for that. I had looked into a gcc compiler and downloaded MinGW, but being on dialup, I hadn't finished getting MSYS and msysDTK before I got pulled away.

 

Your win binary works in XP and did the trick.

 

I'll go ahead and post the 64K Tank Command edit that I signed with your exe while I'm at it. It works great in MESS now.

 

 

Tank Command (color+sprite edit) 64K.a78

 

Thanks for sharing that...Looks great!

[Jaynz]

If that one's done, any chance we can get that called "Tank Command 64" or something and get it put on the store?

[Jinks]

Yeah i would buy a copy of a color edited one...

[mmervine]

Yeah i would buy a copy of a color edited one...

Looks great...I would be interested in a cart as well!

[KevinMos3]

Well, if anyone wants to make a cart of this, here's a label you can use with an Atari style shell. I did a Froggo shell as well, but since those are probably hard to come by I don't see a reason to upload it. However, if there is a demand for it, I will.

 

But please be aware: if you ask for the Froggo shell label and are such a low-life that you would use the label to produce a repro and try to sell it off to an unsuspecting buyer as the real thing, there is enough difference between these labels and the original that a discerning customer will be able to tell the difference. If you choose to attempt such an action, I hope the buyer shows up at your house and kicks you right squarely in the nuts with a steel toe boot. I hope that before they do it, they notify me so I can either show up to watch the effectuation of justice or at least envision it in my mind while it's being carried out. I also hope your wife, girlfriend, or mother is there to witness the embarrassment of your nut-crushing so that you have to give an account or explanation for being such a dirt bag.

 

But I digress...

 

Edited October 17, 2012 by KevinMos3

[mmervine]

Kevin-thanks for the great work!

[Atarifever]

Looks great...I would be interested in a cart as well!

Me too.