ballyalley Posted June 18, 2018 Share Posted June 18, 2018 I've created this thread to contain all of my future Astrocade video overviews and reviews. Let's get started!Today, I made an overview video of Bally Artillery, a game for the Astrocade.I was browsing random issues of Creative Computing on archive.org on June 7, 2018 when I came across a game that I had never heard of before: Bally Artillery by John W. Rhodes. This game isn't to be confused with Artillery Duel by John Perkins. Both have the same idea, but they are completely different programs.Even though this game was published in August 1982, the author seems to imply in his write-up that it was written in late 1978 or early 1979, shortly after he got his Bally Arcade. You can view the Bally Artillery article with the type-in program, here:http://www.ballyalley.com/type-in_programs/basic/basic.html#BallyArtilleryBASICTypeInHere are the authors notes from the Bally Artillery article:"In December of 1978 I was ready to buy my first computer system, but my requirements were not easy to meet. I wanted something that could handle arcade-quality games, had high- resolution graphics capability, color display, and Basic in PROM."I was not satisfied with anything my local dealers had to show (no one I visited had a Compucolor. the Apple dealers were showing low-resolution only, and the Atari was only a rumor), but on the basis of the (somewhat premature) advertising for the keyboard/expansion unit. I decided to buy a Bally Professional Arcade. I could use Tiny Basic for a while, and turn it into a "real" machine in just a few short months."It was just a few short months later that the local dealers began to show Compucolors and high-resolution Apples, and it seemed that the Bally expansion unit was more of a rumor than the Atari 800. I would visit the showrooms, see those beautiful full-size keyboards, watch people work in "real" Basic and be as green as the color monitors."I particularly liked the artillery game that Compucolor called 'Shoot...' This game generates a random terrain display and wind factor and positions two artillery emplacements on the screen so that two opponents can take turns trying to obliterate each other. Eventually I resolved that I either had to buy a Compucolor or program this game on my Bally. I chose the latter."This turned out to be quite a challenge with less than 2K of memory and integer-only Tiny Basic. But the Bally Basic is quite sound for game programming and easy to work with. The greatest difficulty was finding an integer sine routine, but after searching the magazines I found a routine to adapt to my purpose. I started out using a full ballistic equation, but soon found by experimentation that I could use an approximation. This eliminated an integer square-root routine and added speed in the bargain."I spent approximately two months writing, debugging, and fine-tuning the program, but it was worth the effort."A few months later I did buy the Compucolor and have been using it ever since. I'm well satisfied with it and use it for a variety of tasks. But my wife and I still enjoy the Bally for its games, especially the artillery game." The article also includes notes and an explanation of how the program works.I'm not sure how I overlooked it before now. Bally Artillery appeared in a major publication. How has it remained under the radar all of this time?Thanks to Lance Squire for typing in Bally Artillery last week. Since he put in the effort, I was able to give the game a try today. I made a video of the game that includes gameplay footage, an overview, and a BASIC listing.You can watch my video on YouTube, here: You can download the original 595MB MP4 video from archive.org:https://archive.org/details/BallyArtillerybyJohnRhodesforAstrocadeWhen Lance get the kinks worked out in Artillery Duel and it's error-free, then I'll added this "AstroBASIC" game to BallyAlley.com.Enjoy!Adam 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+eebuckeye Posted June 19, 2018 Share Posted June 19, 2018 Looking forward to more of them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ballyalley Posted July 21, 2018 Author Share Posted July 21, 2018 I have been working on an overview of the Machine Language Manager cartridge for about a week. It was growing far too large for one video, so I decided to break it down into four videos. I've finished editing the first video today; it's about 45 minutes long. I'll work on the next few videos over the next week or two. Here is the link to the MLM overview on YouTube: You can download the 3.4GB video (or stream it) from Archive.org, here: https://archive.org/details/MachineLanguageManagerPart1OverviewandBackground Machine Language Manager (MLM) is a 2KB cartridge written by Andy Guevara in 1981 for the Bally Arcade/Astrocade. It was released by The Bit Fiddlers in late 1981/early 1982.This video overview summarizes the Machine Language Manager cartridge. This program is a machine language monitor which allows direct access to programming the Z80 CPU. This cartridge does not require extra memory to use it, but it can take advantage of extra RAM if it is available."The Bally/Astrocade Game Cartridge and Hardware FAQ" says this about the MLM:"This cartridge, which included [a 24-key keypad] overlay, provides an "easy" way to program the Astrocade in machine language. Though not a Z-80 assembler, MLM does simplify the entry of hex code (which otherwise must be entered using decimal via BASIC. Also, the keypad layout does not require the use of the key-shifts, so typing is faster). Programs can be saved via the Bally BASIC 300-baud interface (later, subroutines were written that allowed the 2000 baud version of Bally BASIC (#6004) to be swapped out for tape saving). "Machine Language Manager" does NOT have a built-in cassette interface."This overview is part one of a four part series. The series includes:1) Machine Language Manager, Part 1: Overview and Background2) Machine Language Manager, Part 2: How to Use the MLM3) Machine Language Manager, Part 3: Using MLM Example Programs4) Machine Language Manager, Part 4: Using MLM with the Astrocade MAME EmulationThis video is split into several parts:0:00 - MLM Titles0:30 - Short Introduction to the MLM3:11 - Overview with Cart, Overlay and Interface3:32 - Close-Up of MLM and Overlay4:38 - Closer Close-Up of MLM and Overlay5:52 - Extreme Close-Up of MLM and Overlay6:57 - Introduction and History of the MLM23:25 - MLM Cart, Documentation and Overlay24:39 - MLM Manual26:26 - Saving/Loading at 2000-Baud28:05 - Goldfish Demo Source Code29:33 - Bound Astrocade Machine Language Book33:04 - Overview of Three Z80 Programming Books34:09 - Overview of Programming the Z80, by Rodnay Zaks36:20 - Overview of Z80 Software Gourmet Guide and Cookbook, by Nat Wadsworth37:46 - Overview of Software and Hardware for the Bally Arcade - A Technical Description (aka, the "Nutting Manual")40:25 - Z80 CPU Microprocessor Instant Reference Card41:33 - Creating a 24-Key Keypad Overlay for the MLM 45:30 - End Credits This video is aimed at someone who has little or no understanding of Z80 machine language. A Z80 machine language programming novice, or anyone who has a passing interest in using the Machine Language Manager cartridge, will get more out of it if all of the four videos in this series are watched one after the other. Also, even if you have no plans to ever use the Machine Language Manager cartridge, anyone who wanted to know how to program the Astrocade will find plenty of general information provided in this video. Enjoy the video! Adam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ballyalley Posted July 30, 2018 Author Share Posted July 30, 2018 Machine Language Manager by Bit Fiddlers, Part 2: How to Use the MLMOn July 20, 2018, I posted the overview of the Machine Language Manager cartridge. I finished editing the second part of the series on Saturday and I post it to YouTube and Archive.org yesterday. The video is about an hour and a half long (1:37). If you watch it, then you're sure to learn something, so be careful!Part 3 of this video will show the examples included in the MLM manual. I hope to have that video edited and posted in a week or so. Did anyone here watch the first video (the overview of the MLM)?Here is the link to the MLM overview on YouTube: You can download the 4.6GB MP4 video (or stream it) from Archive.org, here:https://archive.org/details/MachineLanguageManagerPart2HowtoUsetheMLMHere is some information about the cartridge and the video:Machine Language Manager (MLM) is a 2KB cartridge written by Andy Guevara in 1981 for the Bally Arcade/Astrocade. It was released by The Bit Fiddlers in late 1981/early 1982.This video explains how to use the Machine Language Manager cartridge, a machine language monitor that allows direct access to programming the Z80 CPU. This cartridge does not require extra memory to use it, but it can take advantage of extra RAM if it is available.This overview is part two of a four part series. The series includes:1) Machine Language Manager, Part 1: Overview and Background2) Machine Language Manager, Part 2: How to Use the MLM3) Machine Language Manager, Part 3: Using MLM Example Programs4) Machine Language Manager, Part 4: Using MLM with the Astrocade MAME EmulationThis video is split into several parts:0:0:00 - "How to Use the MLM" Titles0:0:15 - Short Introduction to the MLM Video Series0:0:44 - Overview of the MLM Manual0:13:00 - Using the MLM: Section 1- What is the MLM- The Start-Up Screen- Usable RAM vs. Lines Per Screen- MLM Keypad Overlay- MLM Commands: ADDR., WRITE, READ and LIST0:23:27 - Using the MLM: Section 2- Examining ASCII Text in ROM- Changing MLM Defaults- Debugging a "Program"- MLM Command: REG.0:43:03 - Using the MLM: Section 3- Using the MLM Assembly Listing- Using a SYSTEM Routine- Using RECTAN- Typing in Example 5-1- A Splash of Green0:49:31 - Using the MLM: Section 4- The User Program Interface (UPI)- FILL (Subroutine $1A)1:00:00 - Using the MLM: Section 5The User Program Interface (UPI)- MOVE (Subroutine $5E)- (aka Copy)1:07:12 - Using the MLM: Section 6- An MLM Single Byte CALL- STRING (Print String)1:24:20 - Using the MLM: Section 7- Saving an ML Program with the 300-Baud Tape Interface- No Tapes; Using WAV Files- Saving/Loading a Program- Checking a Program- Running a Program1:35:39 - MLM: Wrap-Up and Preview of Parts 3 and 41:36:48 - End CreditsThis video is aimed at someone who has little or no understanding of Z80 machine language. A Z80 machine language programming novice, or anyone who has a passing interest in using the Machine Language Manager cartridge, will get more out of it if all of the four videos in this series are watched one after the other. Also, even if you have no plans to ever use the Machine Language Manager cartridge, anyone who wanted to know how to program the Astrocade will find plenty of general information provided in this video.Enjoy!Adam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ballyalley Posted August 2, 2018 Author Share Posted August 2, 2018 This 44:04 minute video shows five example programs for use with the Machine Language Manager cartridge. This is video 3 of 4 of the MLM series. You can watch the video on YouTube here: You can download the 1.06GB mp4 file from archive.org: https://archive.org/details/MLMbyBiFiddlersPart3MLMExampleProgramsThe five machine language programs are:1) Critter, by Brett Bilbrey - Display and move a Space Invader-like creature. Knob #1 controls its speed.2) Standard Color Generator, by Andy Guevara - Generates eight standard color used in TV work.3) 256 Color Program, by Jerry Burianyk - Displays 256 colors on-screen at one time. Knob #1 controls how many colors are displayed onscreen at once.4) ASCII Character Set, by Andy Guevara - Prints the entire MM 3x5-pixel character set.5) Goldfish Demo, by Andy Guevara - Displays seven fish in an aquarium with a cat in the background. A clock displays the time in H:M:S format. The cat meows once a minute.The first four programs were included as machine language listing with comments in the MLM user manual. The last program, Goldfish Demo, was available on tape and as a separate Z80 ML listing. There is background and source material about each program. The programs are loaded using the 300-baud tape interface.The five machine language program examples included in this video make up part three of a four part series. The series includes:1) Machine Language Manager, Part 1: Overview and Background2) Machine Language Manager, Part 2: How to Use the MLM3) Machine Language Manager, Part 3: Using MLM Example Programs4) Machine Language Manager, Part 4: Using MLM with the Astrocade MAME EmulationThis video is split into several parts: 0:00 - "Using MLM Example Programs" Titles 0:02 - Overview of Video 1:43 - Program 1: Critter 7:23 - Program 2: Standard Color Generator10:49 - Program 3: 256 Color Program18:07 - Program 4: ASCII Character Set23:25 - Program 5: Goldfish Demo41:08 - MLM: Wrap-Up and Preview of Part 443:48 - End CreditsThis video series is aimed at someone who has little or no understanding of Z80 machine language. This video, in particular, can be enjoyed by anyone, whether or not they have any interest in machine language at all. A Z80 machine language programming novice, or anyone who has a passing interest in using the Machine Language Manager cartridge, will get more out of it if all of the four videos in this series are watched one after the other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ballyalley Posted August 7, 2018 Author Share Posted August 7, 2018 I have finished part four of the four-part series on using the Machine Language Manager. In this last video, I explain how to use the MLM with the Astrocade emulator in MAME. Even if you have no interest in the MLM, then you may want to watch this video, as you'll learn how to install MAME along with the Astrocade ROMs. This video is about thirty minutes long.You can download this video from YouTube here: You can stream the video from the Internet Archive (or you can choose to download the 1.03GB video) here:https://archive.org/details/BallyAstrocadeMLMPart4UsingMLMwiththeAstrocadeMAMEEmulationThe following is a complete description of this MLM video.Machine Language Manager (MLM) is a 2KB cartridge written by Andy Guevara in 1981 for the Bally Arcade/Astrocade. It was released by The Bit Fiddlers in late 1981/early 1982.In this this 30 minute video, I show you how to use the MLM cartridge with the Astrocade emulator included with MAME. I guide you through the general steps of getting and installing MAME for use with the Astrocade. Since the MLM makes heavy use of the 24-key keypad, I show you how to create your own 24-key keypad using a standard full-stroke keyboard by applying stickers to the keys. Finally, I wrap up this video with an over of the four-part series.The four machine language program examples included in this video make up part four of a four part series. The series includes:1) Machine Language Manager, Part 1: Overview and Background2) Machine Language Manager, Part 2: How to Use the MLM3) Machine Language Manager, Part 3: Using MLM Example Programs4) Machine Language Manager, Part 4: Using MLM with the Astrocade MAME EmulationThis video is split into several parts:0:00 - Overview of using MLM with the Astrocade MAME Emulation3:11 - Segment 1: Overview and General Setup of Astrocade Emulation with MAME15:47 - Segment 2: MLM Example in MAME - Listing the first 96 Bytes of the MLM Cartridge16:07 - Segment 3: MLM Example in MAME - Typing in and Using the ASCII Character Set Program17:40 - Segment 4: Creating a "24-Key" Keypad for use with MAME and a Full-Size Keyboard26:56 - Segment 5: Wrap-Up and What Now?29:49 - End CreditsThis video series is aimed at someone who would like to use the Machine Language Manager for the Astrocade under emulation with MAME. I hope that you've enjoyed watching this series of four videos on how to use the MLM. I'll next be uploading Astrocade video art videos.Adam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ballyalley Posted September 12, 2018 Author Share Posted September 12, 2018 I have created a video overview of Treasures of Cathy. After the overview, there is a listing of the BASIC program. This video was created because I'm trying to figure-out how to list the entire BASIC program.I have tried to clean up the sound in the Astrocade audio output (which was very "hissy"). It's better now, but still not as nice as I'd like it. Of course, separate audio/video (I use RF for my recordings) would make this better from the start. My commentary was done live as I played the game, and it was full of pops and crackles. This can be reduced to some extent as I use this new setup that I have created. I have clean-up my commentary's audio too. Thanks to Chris++ for giving me tips on making that sound a bit better. The Astrocade's sound effects are set to 50% maximum and my commentary is set at 75% of maximum. How does it sound to you?Here is a link to the YouTube video: Here is a link to the 720p (1.7GB) version on Archive.org:https://archive.org/details/TreasuresOfCathyforAstrocadeSo... how can I see the whole BASIC program?Here is more general information about the game:This is a general overview of the game Treasures of Cathy by John Collins. It was released in 1982 for "AstroBASIC." During the twenty minutes of, gameplay various areas of the game are explored while collecting items and treasures.This adventure-style game has 49 locations with 18 treasures. You can only carry six treasures/items at a time. Each treasure gives additional points. Each move subtracts one point. Try for a score greater than 1,000 points. There are four keywords: IN, UP, DROP and GET.This video is split into several parts:0:00 - Introductory Titles0:05 - Loading and Playing Treasures of Cathy22:37 - BASIC Program Listing23:39 - End CreditsIf you get the chance, then try this game out sometime soon. If you're a fan of text adventures, then you might be surprised by how absorbing this game is when you start mapping it out.Have fun!Adam 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ballyalley Posted September 13, 2018 Author Share Posted September 13, 2018 Thanks to Paul Thacker's suggestion, I played Planet Mongo! with my friend Chris last week. We made a quick and dirty gameplay review of it. I added more material to it today.Planet Mongo! is an "AstroBASIC" game written by Fred Rodney. It was submitted to the Bally Arcade/Astrocade Arcadian newsletter in 1984. Unlike other programs by Rodney, this game was never published. This Planet Mongo! review is by BallyAlley and Chris++.Planet Mongo has a nuclear waste disposal problem. You must protect your planet from an orbiting satellite. Orbit movement is random but curves are smooth and movement can be predicted. During normal play, the planet has an energy ring that must not be touched. Play begins with the crosshairs in the center of Planet Mongo. You must move the crosshairs out of the planet. If your crosshairs cover the satellite while you are within the planet's ring, the planet will explode and the game will end.You can watch the review on YouTube, here: You can also watch or download the video from archive.org, here:https://archive.org/details/PlanetMongoforAstrocadeThis video is split into several parts:0:00 - Titles0:05 - Overview and Background10:35 - Planet Mongo! Gameplay and Review24:18 - Planet Mongo! "AstroBASIC" Program Listing25:29 - End Credits"Planet Mongo!" is an excellent example of a worthwhile BASIC game that did not get published. Now, if you find it interesting, then you can try the archived version of this game that is available on BallyAlley.com.Enjoy the video!Adam 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassGuitari Posted September 13, 2018 Share Posted September 13, 2018 A text adventure in AstroBASIC? What?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ballyalley Posted December 17, 2019 Author Share Posted December 17, 2019 It really has been awhile since I've posted anything into this thread. It isn't that I have stopped making Astrocade videos; I just have forgotten to post links to this thread. My latest Astrocade non-video art video overview covers "The Pits" by Rex Goulding from ARCADIAN 3, no. 10 (Aug. 12, 1981): 108. "The Pits" is one of my favorite games for the Bally Arcade/Astrocade with Bally BASIC or "AstroBASIC." On December 16, 2019, I noticed that "placelogohere" made a gameplay video of the game and posted it to YouTube on September 16, 2017. As of yesterday, two years later, I was only the second person to watch the video. What a shame! You can watch "placelogohere's" gameplay-only video of "The Pits" here: I thought it would be a good idea to make a gameplay video of "The Pits" with some explanation of the game; thus I created this video. You can watch the video on YouTube, here: You can watch and/or download the video from archive.org, here: https://archive.org/details/ThePitsRexGouldingBallyAstrocadeArcadian1981 This isn't the first time that I've tried to shine a spotlight onto "The Pits" to give it some well-deserved attention. In Episode 4 (August 2016) of the Bally Alley Astrocast, I covered this game with Chris (the podcast's co-host). You can listen to that podcast here: http://ballyalleyastrocast.libsyn.com/podcast/bally-alley-astrocast-004-sea-devil-and-the-pits The object of "The Pits" is to move the small dot in the upper-left corner past the pits to the center of the medium-size box in the lower-right corner. The clunker is that the pits move up the screen all the time and can catch you. Each time the screen rolls up it counts as one move. A successful trip in 16 moves is doing well. This BASIC game is available for Bally BASIC and "AstroBASIC" and can be downloaded from BallyAlley.com. "The Pits" is a perfect example that gameplay is the true measure of a game's value and that graphics can be completely secondary to the core gameplay experience. Adam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ballyalley Posted December 29, 2019 Author Share Posted December 29, 2019 Today, with my son, I made a video overview of "King Hamurabi," a game by Richard Houser that was released in the February issue of Arcadian. It was also released on the "Best of Arcadian - 1980" tape compilation. You can watch the video on YouTube, here: You can watch or download the video from Archive.org, here: https://archive.org/details/KingHamurabiRichardHouserBallyBASICVideoBallyAstrocade1982 "King Hamurabi" will be the focus of Astrocast #11, which my son and I recorded today. These are the instructions for the game from the Best of Arcadian - 1980 tape: "Push any key after the Castle appears. You are the King, and must make decisions on running the kingdom economically. Start with 100 people, 1,000 acres/land and 3,000 bushels/food. Buy and sell land, feed people, and plant the crops using food as barter. And things happen. The object is to garner performance points based on how you govern and to figure out how the game works. It takes bushels to plant land and people can plant only so many acres. If you last ten years, then your reign will be complete. Of course, we have thrown in a few random disasters to keep it from being too easy..." This overview has some strange video corruption that happened when it was originally recorded. Has anyone seen anything like this before? Enjoy! Adam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+intvsteve Posted January 3, 2020 Share Posted January 3, 2020 Just over halfway through the video.... Interesting... This also reminds me at its core of Utopia on Intellivision. Not in the sense of on-screen gameplay at all, of course. At its core Utopia is also a kind of 'economics simulator'. In Utopia, you (and your optional opponent) each rule an island nation and have to manage resources to keep your populace happy. The basic elements of using funds to feed your people, investing to generate more funds, coping with natural disasters, and keeping the native population safe are all in Utopia as well. The more I learn about the Astrocade's history and see of its community, the more it seems that it … inspired aspects of the Intellivision. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ballyalley Posted January 3, 2020 Author Share Posted January 3, 2020 8 minutes ago, intvsteve said: Just over halfway through the ["King Hamurabi"] video.... Interesting... This also reminds me at its core of Utopia on Intellivision. [...] Utopia is also a kind of 'economics simulator'. The more I learn about the Astrocade's history and see of its community, the more it seems that it … inspired aspects of the Intellivision. I think that the Astrocade and Intellivision have similarities, but they are most likely based upon the time that they were created. I'd be surprised to learn that APH actually were directly inspired by Nutting's game console. Hmm. That's another similarity. Most people think of the Intellivision as being created by Mattel and the Bally Arcade being created by, of course, Bally. However, they were both created by outside companies. I've never played Utopia, but I wish that I'd thought of playing it when my son was visiting for the holidays. I have an Intellivision Flashback and that game is on that system. As much as people seem to admire the Flashback's improved controller, my second controller doesn't work right anymore; it broke pretty quickly. In 2006, I wrote an article about the handheld Astrocade (sort of like a Flashback console). You can read it here: https://ballyalley.com/ballyalley/articles/retro_astro.txt It's always nice to hear your insights into the Astrocade, Steve! Adam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ballyalley Posted January 28, 2020 Author Share Posted January 28, 2020 ICBM Attack By Spectre Systems 1982 This is a videogame overview for the 4K ICBM Attack cartridge for the Bally Arcade/Astrocade. https://youtu.be/Gk390QglPqQ (YouTube links aren't quite working as they normally do in the AtariAge forums, so here's a URL link in case the above link doesn't work right.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gk390QglPqQ The following additional information is from the "Bally/Astrocade Game Cartridge and Hardware FAQ" The "ICBM Attack" cartridge was released into the public domain in 2001 by Brett Bilbrey, Mike Toth and Marian Nalepa (Spectre Systems). The game requires a special hand controller to play - it cannot be played without it. In 1985, Marian Nalepa said that only about 125 of these cartridges were released because of the difficulty of hand-assembling the controller. Paul Thacker was given access to recordings from BASIC cassettes in Brett Bilbrey's tape collection (the programmer of the game). "I found that some of the recordings labeled ICBM Attack would process, but wouldn't load correctly into AstroBASIC using :INPUT. But then I tried loading them with :RUN, and voila, up pops ICBM Attack. Actually, it's more a demo of ICBM Attack." A ship flies around the screen, and you control a cursor using the special controller. You can fire from various ground defenses. This creates an explosion at the spot of the cursor, but as far as I can tell you can't destroy the ship. Sometimes there will be an extra, unmovable cursor or two. Obviously it's a bit glitchy. I found two different versions. In one, the ship moves pretty slowly. In the other, the ship moves extremely fast." (Paul Tacker, Astrocade Discussion Group, Message #3024). Paul adds "Also, after I posted that, I found an even earlier demo for Bally BASIC." Designed by Brett Bilbrey. Sound by Marion Nelepa. This video can also be viewed or downloaded from Archive.org: https://archive.org/details/ICBMAttackSpectreSystemsCartridgeOverviewBallyAstrocade1982 More information about Spectre Systems is available on the Bally Alley website: https://ballyalley.com/documentation/spectre_systems/spectre_systems.html Of particular interest to those interested in ICBM Attack: 1) ICBM Attack Cassette Description by Brett Bilbrey - June 22, 1982 - This is the concept of ICBM Attack as originally envisioned by Brett. This game was eventually released on cartridge. 2) ICBM Attack Programming Notes - Twelve pages of handwritten programming notes by Brett Bilbrey about ICBM Attack. In the notes, the game is called "Missile Command." Also, make sure to view some of the ICBM Attack concept art: https://ballyalley.com/documentation/spectre_systems/ICBM_Attack_concept_art/ICBM_Attack_concept_art.html Try this game, the analog control system makes it unique on the Astrocade's library of cartridge games. Here's a link to the document that explains how to setup ICBM Attack to work with MAME and a trackball, mouse or other analog input device: https://ballyalley.com/ballyalley/articles/Playing_ICBM_Attack_Using_MESS.pdf The instructions are a bit outdated, but they should get anyone familiar with emulation a good start getting hardware like a trackball running with MAME. Adam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6507assembler Posted February 26, 2020 Share Posted February 26, 2020 On 12/17/2019 at 10:33 AM, ballyalley said: It really has been awhile since I've posted anything into this thread. It isn't that I have stopped making Astrocade videos; I just have forgotten to post links to this thread. My latest Astrocade non-video art video overview covers "The Pits" by Rex Goulding from ARCADIAN 3, no. 10 (Aug. 12, 1981): 108. "The Pits" is one of my favorite games for the Bally Arcade/Astrocade with Bally BASIC or "AstroBASIC." On December 16, 2019, I noticed that "placelogohere" made a gameplay video of the game and posted it to YouTube on September 16, 2017. As of yesterday, two years later, I was only the second person to watch the video. What a shame! You can watch "placelogohere's" gameplay-only video of "The Pits" here: I thought it would be a good idea to make a gameplay video of "The Pits" with some explanation of the game; thus I created this video. You can watch the video on YouTube, here: You can watch and/or download the video from archive.org, here: https://archive.org/details/ThePitsRexGouldingBallyAstrocadeArcadian1981 This isn't the first time that I've tried to shine a spotlight onto "The Pits" to give it some well-deserved attention. In Episode 4 (August 2016) of the Bally Alley Astrocast, I covered this game with Chris (the podcast's co-host). You can listen to that podcast here: http://ballyalleyastrocast.libsyn.com/podcast/bally-alley-astrocast-004-sea-devil-and-the-pits The object of "The Pits" is to move the small dot in the upper-left corner past the pits to the center of the medium-size box in the lower-right corner. The clunker is that the pits move up the screen all the time and can catch you. Each time the screen rolls up it counts as one move. A successful trip in 16 moves is doing well. This BASIC game is available for Bally BASIC and "AstroBASIC" and can be downloaded from BallyAlley.com. "The Pits" is a perfect example that gameplay is the true measure of a game's value and that graphics can be completely secondary to the core gameplay experience. Adam Is their a way to get these excellent Basic games on a cartridge so you can play these on an Astrocade without typing them in? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamchevy Posted February 26, 2020 Share Posted February 26, 2020 It would be great to have a way to play the basic games on a cartridge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ballyalley Posted February 26, 2020 Author Share Posted February 26, 2020 10 minutes ago, 6507assembler said: Is their a way to get these excellent Basic games on a cartridge so you can play these on an Astrocade without typing them in? @adamchevy also says, "It would be great to have a way to play the basic games on a cartridge." I'll answer both of these questions about running a BASIC game on an Astrocade from cartridge: Some of the more popular "AstroBASIC" games were converted to cartridges by Mike White in the 1980s-2000s. Richard Degler also created some cartridge versions of BASIC games. These types of cartridges are called BASICarts. They are described in the "Bally/Astrocade Game Cartridge and Hardware FAQ," here: https://ballyalley.com/faqs/astrocade_cart_and_hardware_faq.txt Here is what the FAQ says about these cartridges that hold BASIC games: "BASICarts Self-Published 8K cart 1986. "This title encompasses MANY games and other Astrocade software that were originally tape releases, but are now available as cartridges. Any BASIC game can be made into a BASICart, and many were. Here's a summary of the situation from Michael White, the man behind this service: "As early as 1978 Bally sales hyped the Basic 6002 saying "with this you can write your own game", but experts claimed it was impossible to run BASIC from the cartridge slot. In 1985, while visiting John Perkins, Leroy Flamm learned of a third start in BRB through a user vector at 6DD2H. Leroy had an idea for putting Blue RAM Utility (which is partially written in BASIC), into a game cartridge! Leroy's scheme was pure genius! When it failed to start he solicited help from two skeptics, Don Gladden and myself. I got it working with a call to 2164H. Next came AstroBASIC, and the disbelieving software producers were informed in March 1986 that cassette games could be put on cartridges, but there was NO ONE interested in selling BASICarts! So ads were made and the whole thing went public, beginning with an ad in August 1986. Believe it or not!" Designed by Mike White. (Arcadian vol.7 pg.57,59,87,90)" There is no automated way to make a BASICart, they must be manually created, which is a time-consuming and often difficult process. I think only a handful of people have created these special types of cartridges. The process isn't documented and it requires an understanding of using many tools and utilities including an understanding of Z80 assembly/machine language. Mike White made BASICarts using a real Astrocade with a RAM upgrade, the Blue Ram Utility, and an EPROM burner (yes, it was hooked up to his Astrocade) and plenty of patience. I think that Richard Degler created his own process that used some of the Astrocade tape archiving tools like AstroWAV and BallyBin along with the Astrocade emulator in MAME and, also, plenty of patience and know-how. I'm never made a BASICart. I find them convenient to use, but not really necessary. All "AstroBASIC" games load on a real Astrocade with an "AstroBASIC" cartridge in just 20 seconds and they work perfectly. The MAME emulator now supports them too, although sometimes they don't run at 100% the correct speed. I recommend just loading a tape image (a WAV file) and trying it out. You can't go wrong with WaveMakers games. Try one of these: https://ballyalley.com/program_downloads/2000_baud_programs/wave_makers/wave_makers.html One of my favorites is "The Gate Escape." Give it a try! Adam 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamchevy Posted February 27, 2020 Share Posted February 27, 2020 [mention=36990]adamchevy[/mention] also says, "It would be great to have a way to play the basic games on a cartridge." I'll answer both of these questions about running a BASIC game on an Astrocade from cartridge: Some of the more popular "AstroBASIC" games were converted to cartridges by Mike White in the 1980s-2000s. Richard Degler also created some cartridge versions of BASIC games. These types of cartridges are called BASICarts. They are described in the "Bally/Astrocade Game Cartridge and Hardware FAQ," here: https://ballyalley.com/faqs/astrocade_cart_and_hardware_faq.txt Here is what the FAQ says about these cartridges that hold BASIC games: "BASICarts Self-Published 8K cart 1986. "This title encompasses MANY games and other Astrocade software that were originally tape releases, but are now available as cartridges. Any BASIC game can be made into a BASICart, and many were. Here's a summary of the situation from Michael White, the man behind this service: "As early as 1978 Bally sales hyped the Basic 6002 saying "with this you can write your own game", but experts claimed it was impossible to run BASIC from the cartridge slot. In 1985, while visiting John Perkins, Leroy Flamm learned of a third start in BRB through a user vector at 6DD2H. Leroy had an idea for putting Blue RAM Utility (which is partially written in BASIC), into a game cartridge! Leroy's scheme was pure genius! When it failed to start he solicited help from two skeptics, Don Gladden and myself. I got it working with a call to 2164H. Next came AstroBASIC, and the disbelieving software producers were informed in March 1986 that cassette games could be put on cartridges, but there was NO ONE interested in selling BASICarts! So ads were made and the whole thing went public, beginning with an ad in August 1986. Believe it or not!" Designed by Mike White. (Arcadian vol.7 pg.57,59,87,90)" There is no automated way to make a BASICart, they must be manually created, which is a time-consuming and often difficult process. I think only a handful of people have created these special types of cartridges. The process isn't documented and it requires an understanding of using many tools and utilities including an understanding of Z80 assembly/machine language. Mike White made BASICarts using a real Astrocade with a RAM upgrade, the Blue Ram Utility, and an EPROM burner (yes, it was hooked up to his Astrocade) and plenty of patience. I think that Richard Degler created his own process that used some of the Astrocade tape archiving tools like AstroWAV and BallyBin along with the Astrocade emulator in MAME and, also, plenty of patience and know-how. I'm never made a BASICart. I find them convenient to use, but not really necessary. All "AstroBASIC" games load on a real Astrocade with an "AstroBASIC" cartridge in just 20 seconds and they work perfectly. The MAME emulator now supports them too, although sometimes they don't run at 100% the correct speed. I recommend just loading a tape image (a WAV file) and trying it out. You can't go wrong with WaveMakers games. Try one of these: https://ballyalley.com/program_downloads/2000_baud_programs/wave_makers/wave_makers.html One of my favorites is "The Gate Escape." Give it a try! Adam Thanks for the detailed response. Do you just record the wav files onto cassette from your computer? It’s been a long time since I’ve copied audio onto a cassette. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ballyalley Posted February 27, 2020 Author Share Posted February 27, 2020 @adamchevy asked, "Do you just record the wav files onto cassette from your computer? It’s been a long time since I’ve copied audio onto a cassette." No, you don't use a tape/cassette at all anymore to load tape programs from either Bally BASIC or "AstroBASIC." You use the WAV files and load them directly from your computer or phone. I made a few videos on how to do this easily. 1) Overview, Review and How to Use Bally BASIC / "AstroBASIC" for Bally Arcade/Astrocade This is an overview of Bally BASIC (aka "AstroBASIC") with tape interface by Astrovision Inc. This 4KB cartridge, released in 1981, is part #6004 of the Functional Series. The review covers how to use Bally BASIC/"AstroBASIC" to load programs through the 2000-baud interface. 2) Loading and Saving Astrocade AstroBASIC Tapes using MAME Emulation This tutorial explains how to load and save Bally BASIC programs in the Astrocade emulator in MAME. Specifically "AstroBASIC" programs are loaded on the emulated Bally Arcade/Astrocade console, a game system released in January of 1978. Although the tutorial focuses on how to use MAME on a Windows system, the information in this video can probably be transferred for use by Linux and Macintosh users too. The steps required to get the MAME emulator up and running with the system ROMs are explained in a previous tutorial called "Setting up Astrocade Emulation Using MAME:" @adamchevy, maybe you can start a new thread here in the forums about the "AstroBASIC" games that you try on real hardware or under emulation. If you try WaveMakers "Outpost 19" then maybe you can leave feedback for Astrocast #13, which @Chris++ and I will start recording tomorrow. Have fun! Adam 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamchevy Posted February 27, 2020 Share Posted February 27, 2020 I will be happy to start a new thread discussing each of the Basic games I play. Thanks for the info. I should have my Astrocade up and running this Friday when my new LM1889N chip arrives for my Svideo mod. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ballyalley Posted February 27, 2020 Author Share Posted February 27, 2020 9 hours ago, adamchevy said: I will be happy to start a new thread discussing each of the Basic games I play. If you start a new discussion thread to talk about BASIC games for the astrocade, then it might be fun to take it to groups.io. There are advantages to using the AtariAge sub-forum for the astrocade, but somehow Groups.io seems more permanent. If you come across some games that you really like playing, and you have the ability to capture video output from your astrocade, then perhaps you would consider recording some of your footage. Good luck with your S-video upgrade! Adam 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamchevy Posted February 27, 2020 Share Posted February 27, 2020 If you start a new discussion thread to talk about BASIC games for the astrocade, then it might be fun to take it to groups.io. There are advantages to using the AtariAge sub-forum for the astrocade, but somehow Groups.io seems more permanent. If you come across some games that you really like playing, and you have the ability to capture video output from your astrocade, then perhaps you would consider recording some of your footage. Good luck with your S-video upgrade! Adam That’s a good idea posting them into the Groups.io forums. The Astrocade sub forums on Atariage seem pretty dead. I don’t see a lot of current comments, and that’s pretty sad. The Astrocade deserves more love! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamchevy Posted February 28, 2020 Share Posted February 28, 2020 (edited) I finally was able to get my Bally Arcade up and running with an Svideo Mod! I added a bit of an upgrade to the LM1889N chip. I noticed it does like to run very hot, so I made a heat sink out of some scrap aluminum at work. I added some MX-4 thermal paste to conduct the heat. I have had a few multiplayer incredible wizard games with some guys I work with and have played through most of the popular games for 5 or ten minutes. What an amazing system! I confess that I’m in Love for the 3rd time in my life. I have it set up to run through the RetroTink 2X Classic. Here is a Link to some Video of the Mod working. I work in a machine shop so sorry for the background noise. https://www.dropbox.com/s/j3ig8hdok1gilly/IMG_4879.MOV?dl=0 Edited February 28, 2020 by adamchevy i wanted to Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ballyalley Posted February 29, 2020 Author Share Posted February 29, 2020 On 2/28/2020 at 11:27 AM, adamchevy said: I finally was able to get my Bally Arcade up and running with an Svideo Mod! [...] I have it set up to run through the RetroTink 2X Classic. [...] Here is a Link to some Video of the Mod working. I work in a machine shop so sorry for the background noise. Congratulations on getting your astrocade up and running with this s-video modification. You took some really nice pictures of your installation. Do you have any ghosting effects on your TV? I had never heard of the RetroTink 2X Classic. Now that I have looked at what it is used for with classic systems, I have bookmarked a link to where they are for sale. Maybe I will pick one up one of these days. I liked your video of you playing astrocade... at work: you must have the most awesome job in the world! Adam 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamchevy Posted March 2, 2020 Share Posted March 2, 2020 Congratulations on getting your astrocade up and running with this s-video modification. You took some really nice pictures of your installation. Do you have any ghosting effects on your TV? I had never heard of the RetroTink 2X Classic. Now that I have looked at what it is used for with classic systems, I have bookmarked a link to where they are for sale. Maybe I will pick one up one of these days. I liked your video of you playing astrocade... at work: you must have the most awesome job in the world! AdamI do have a pretty great job! When the boss isn’t around I usually play some type of video game to pass the time while my CNC machines are running. Another question I have is do you need the 300 baud basic cassette interface to load the games specific to that baud rate? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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