Straight cracks from Farb's ATX-Torrent

[DjayBee]

Using ATX files with real Atari computers is not easy or straightforward.

Since I never liked cracks with modified intros or missing loading graphics, some years ago I cracked and documented some ATXs of games I liked back in the day.

 

This year I continued to do this just for fun and meanwhile have reached 140+ disks.

My first goal is to simulate the protection and needed checksums instead of just patching the protection out.

My second goal is to change as few as possible on the disk images (quite often less than 10 bytes).

 

If there is some general interest in these dumps I will make them public.

So let me know if they are of any use.

[Kyle22]

Yes, please share them. We'd love to check them out.

[Brentarian]

I second that motion. Please share!

[invisible kid]

Thirded! I like your approach.

[k1w1]

I'm interested to see what you have done.

[Mr.Bacardi]

Yes, please share!

Would love to see the "Atari smash hits" series from English Software with the original boot menu or some of the ECA Disks with original ECA intro!

[Mclaneinc]

Please do share them, all work like this is important and interesting....

 

Paul..

[danwinslow]

This work is important, please share. Preserving the Atari legacy is a real thing.

[Gunstar]

I too dislike cracked games with the lame hacker screens at the beginning like scrolling text and bouncing dot-balls, etc. And I too dislike games, like the Lucasfilm ones for example, that are missing their original loading screens, etc. So I'd love some images without the ego-driven nonsense and that has all original loading screens.

One thing I have found to be cool are some of the more recent cracks/hacks that have new art work (like rasta converter images) at the beginning. I recently played moon patrol hack and enjoyed the colorful artwork at the beginning.

[Mclaneinc]

The funky loading screens are big on the C64 at the moment, some real nice ones there, superb artwork...

 

Trouble is the newly added loading screen are sometimes more fun than the game they are on

[Kyle22]

I also dislike "lame hacker" loading screens, and prefer original loading screens. With games that have no original loading screen, a nicely done rasta image would be great. Floppy users may not appreciate it, but for those of us with hard drives, it would be a plus.

 

@Paul: Hopefully, our rasta screens will look more professional than those Commie funksters.

[+playermissile]

Eleventhed! Please share! You also mentioned documentation, do you have notes about what you did to break/deprotect/reprotect the disks? That would be a great resource, like the preservation work of 4am over on the Apple ][ side.

[DjayBee]

Hi,

 

that was a lot of response.

Is it possible to attach a 6 MB ZIP-file to a post here on AA?

 

We'd love to check them out.

 

This is actually a good idea since I only do a quick test on PAL hardware and oly getting in-game.

 

Would love to see the "Atari smash hits" series from English Software with the original boot menu or some of the ECA Disks with original ECA intro!

 

Haven't done any English Software yet and also did not dare to tackle ECA since I remember them to be hard from back then. But we'll see.

 

And I too dislike games, like the Lucasfilm ones for example, that are missing their original loading screens, etc.

 

If you think of Ballblazer and Rescue on Fractalus: They replace the SIO-routines completely and are quite difficult.

[Mclaneinc]

I also dislike "lame hacker" loading screens, and prefer original loading screens. With games that have no original loading screen, a nicely done rasta image would be great. Floppy users may not appreciate it, but for those of us with hard drives, it would be a plus.

 

@Paul: Hopefully, our rasta screens will look more professional than those Commie funksters.

 

Yes, the Atari colours are more vibrant but the content is superb on both..

[+Roydea6]

Hi,

 

that was a lot of response.

Is it possible to attach a 6 MB ZIP-file to a post here on AA?

Yes I believe the limit is 10 Mbytes. Probably zipped, but individual atr's are also up loadable.

[MrFish]

Yes I believe the limit is 10 Mbytes. Probably zipped, but individual atr's are also up loadable.

 

They've recently upped it 50 MB.

[+remowilliams]

Definite interest for use and preservation As mentioned, documentation around the subject would be excellent as well.

[DjayBee]

Here you go with what I currently have.

 

I worked along publishers and have done so far (with only a few exceptions):

Adv. Intl., APX, Avalon Hill, Broderbund, Datasoft, Epyx, First Star, Sierra On-Line, Sirius, Synapse

and by request many old educational titles from HesWare, MECC and Sunburst

 

As already said: There might be some traps later on, since I only went in-game for a short time.

Let me know.

 

Concerning the of documentation I have: I am in discussion with a board member to put them online.

 

Have fun

ATXcracks01.zip

[invisible kid]

Played a handful, they worked flawlessly, great job.

[marcokitt2000]

Here you go with what I currently have.

 

I worked along publishers and have done so far (with only a few exceptions):

Adv. Intl., APX, Avalon Hill, Broderbund, Datasoft, Epyx, First Star, Sierra On-Line, Sirius, Synapse

and by request many old educational titles from HesWare, MECC and Sunburst

 

As already said: There might be some traps later on, since I only went in-game for a short time.

Let me know.

 

Concerning the of documentation I have: I am in discussion with a board member to put them online.

 

Have fun

 

Hello DjayBee

 

Thanks for the nice bootdisk toppie.

 

I have checked my bruce lee file version it's start like the boot disk only a have black dos menu s.baucke the first is black and white instead of blue screen but than it came all so with picture and music.

If some needed the file version mail me and i sent it.

 

But thanks for the good work

 

 

Greetings,

Marco

Edited May 13, 2016 by marcokitt2000

[Kosmic Stardust]

LOL on the loading screens. They ain't limited to classic computers...

 

I downloaded the No Intro N64 NTSC/JP ROMsets to my Everdrive v3 and booted Banjo Tooie and got a hacker demo with rather long winded text scroll. I downloaded BT ROMs from three sources and all displayed the effects screen. Finally loaded it in PC emulator and the cracker boot screen was non-existent. Turns out that was the one game in all of the N64 library that outright refused to work with the Everdrive v3 due to sophisticated security measures put in place by RARE, so Krikzz just dumped the cracker into the Everdrive OS patch directory.

 

Apparently someone went through great effort to crack the game, then went through even greater effort to let the world know how awesome a hacker he was by adding the loader screen complete with ticker text and dated looking (by 2000s standards) particle effects.

[Mr.Bacardi]

Thanks a lot for sharing!

I didn't checked all yet, but I have problems to load "Drelbs" & "Electricians" under Altirra 2.70.

Both get stuck at loading screen

[DjayBee]

I have problems to load "Drelbs" & "Electricians" under Altirra 2.70.

Both get stuck at loading screen

 

Yep, they do not run with the PAL video system. I stumbled over it when I tried them on my hardware. Setting Altirra to NTSC made them work. They do work with NTSC video and a PAL OS.

 

Interestingly Dimension X works fine in PAL.

[Mclaneinc]

Thanks a lot for sharing!

I didn't checked all yet, but I have problems to load "Drelbs" & "Electricians" under Altirra 2.70.

Both get stuck at loading screen

 

Both worked here under beta 36 but Drelbs needed to be set to 400/800 mode and firmware of a NTSC selected..

 

Electrician stops dead as it says on the scroller but does restart and goes manic while loading but does work...

 

(Noticed the scroller goes loopy near the end of the load)

Edited May 13, 2016 by Mclaneinc

[DjayBee]

Something special for Mr. Bacardi

Atari Smash Hits - Volume 1 (1985)(English Software Company)(GB).atr