AtariProtos Updates

[CRV]

1 hour ago, Tempest said:

I wonder if he was involved in programming Midi Maze for the 8-bits?  NuFX did that conversion.

Do you mean Xanth F/X?

[Tempest]

7 hours ago, CRV said:

Do you mean Xanth F/X?

Crap you're right.  NuFX did Eye of the Beholder for the Lynx I think.

 

There was an FX in there, I was close.  Getting old sucks.

[bobcurtiss]

On 11/12/2019 at 5:51 PM, Dutchman2000 said:

Here is a screenshot of the code for Super Cobra for the 8-bit. 

I'm not familiar with the tools being used these days to extract code from 2600 carts. I suppose it's possible to get an assembly code listing generated from a ROM dump? If something like that is available I'd love to have a look at it.   ~Bob

[Thomas Jentzsch]

12 minutes ago, bobcurtiss said:

I'm not familiar with the tools being used these days to extract code from 2600 carts. I suppose it's possible to get an assembly code listing generated from a ROM dump? If something like that is available I'd love to have a look at it.   ~Bob

 The best option is to use the Stella emulator. It has an integrated debugger which disassembles the code (static and at run time). You can then dump the code to a DASM compatible file.

 

Steps:

1. Run the ROM in Stella (to improve run time disassembly, try to play all scenarios)
2. Enter the debugger
3. In the prompt enter 'savedis'
4. Stella can only dump the current 4K. So you have to change the bank or slices in the Cartridge tab and repeat step 3.

[Nukey Shay]

...and if Stella misidentifies a stretch of memory (for example, data which is passed to Ram to be used as graphics, or program code which has not been allowed to run or intentionally bypassed), you can define those spots manually.  Just type code, data, gfx, or pgfx followed by the address range within the current bank.  Such changes will take effect immediately in the debugger window.

 

Keep in mind that such files are still far from looking anything like a source code listing.  Only close examination and reverse-engineering can accomplish that.

[bobcurtiss]

On 11/19/2019 at 11:52 AM, Nukey Shay said:

...and if Stella misidentifies a stretch of memory (for example, data which is passed to Ram to be used as graphics, or program code which has not been allowed to run or intentionally bypassed), you can define those spots manually.  Just type code, data, gfx, or pgfx followed by the address range within the current bank.  Such changes will take effect immediately in the debugger window.

 

Keep in mind that such files are still far from looking anything like a source code listing.  Only close examination and reverse-engineering can accomplish that.

Fortunately the code I want to examine is a game (Super Cobra) that I originally co-programmed, so that should (theoretically) make it a bit less difficult. Assuming, of course, that I will recognize assembly code that I wrote 36 years ago. Should be no problem, right?  LMAO  8^D