+CharlieChaplin Posted June 7, 2020 Share Posted June 7, 2020 Hello folks, think this topic came up several times, there are some carts that work on OS-A or OS-B only. Some of them were patched to work on XL/XE, but released as .XEX or ATR versions and I would like to have them as ROM/CAR versions, if possible. Here are the few remaining cart versions (8k and 16k) I would like to have patched so the ROMs work fine on XL/XE... - Danger Ranger: a selfmade cart, the original tape works fine on XL/XE, so maybe one could fix this cart ? - Gorf: there is a disk version for XL/XE, but maybe someone finds a way to fix the cart also ? - K-Krazy Kritters - K-Star Patrol - Monster Maze - Picnic Paranoia - Pool 400/800 by IDSI - Protector II - Seafox - Shamus: there was a patched XEX version released - Slime: again, exists as a patched XEX version - Speedway Blast - Survival of the Fittest As said before, I would like to have these programs as ROM/CAR versions that work fine on XL/XE computers - maybe someone already fixed one of these programs ? OLD_OS_Carts.zip Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrathchild Posted June 7, 2020 Share Posted June 7, 2020 Mentioned elsewhere as investigated before, Gorf uses Page 3 of memory and so causes the OS lockup due to it thinking the cart has been pulled. It pretty much uses all of memory and so doesn't have an 'easy' fix. Easier just to play an XEX/Disk version. The patching of the Synapse titles I think uncovered that it was something to do with the startup screen that could be bypassed with one of the console keys held down maybe? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_The Doctor__ Posted June 7, 2020 Share Posted June 7, 2020 (edited) Here's where this goes time and time again, Using studio X you can use a flash cartridge with os patch so no need Using an exe you can put that on a flash cartridge so no need. other such work around suggestion are to skip this part of the cartridge or that denying the full experience and on and on... What would be cool is a proper ROM with the changes made within the code. That way is could be burned to a prom in a real cartridge or put on any cartridge for that matter. This is little work for some titles or major work for others. Edited June 7, 2020 by _The Doctor__ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rybags Posted June 7, 2020 Share Posted June 7, 2020 - Picnic Paranoia - Protector II - Shamus - Slime These are Synapse originals that were on tape/disk and like most pre XL Synapse games have some issue or another on the XL. But their games later released on cart - surely that was well into the XL and probably XE era so they shouldn't have issues. In the case where only an executable can be found but it still lives at the proper cartridge address - fair chance you could just dump out the memory block from an emulator (either 8K or 16K working backwards from $BFFF) and they should function as a raw ROM file just fine (ie would prompt for type if mounted in emulation) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+CharlieChaplin Posted June 7, 2020 Author Share Posted June 7, 2020 16 minutes ago, Rybags said: - Picnic Paranoia - Protector II - Shamus - Slime These are Synapse originals that were on tape/disk and like most pre XL Synapse games have some issue or another on the XL. But their games later released on cart - surely that was well into the XL and probably XE era so they shouldn't have issues. Well, I do have Slime and Protector II on an original red cart and they both do not work on my 800XL computers. Had also Fort Apocalypse on an original grey cart. (but gave it away) and this did not work on the XL-OS (Rev. 2), luckily Wrathchild already did an XL fix for Fort Apocalypse... These carts were released in 1982, so the only XL available then was the 1200XL (the mentioned carts were not re-released as grey XE/XEGS carts)... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larryleffaovell Posted June 7, 2020 Share Posted June 7, 2020 1 hour ago, CharlieChaplin said: As said before, I would like to have these programs as ROM/CAR versions that work fine on XL/XE computers - maybe someone already fixed one of these programs ? I have gathered four of them as fixed car file. Have a look to the attachment. Monster Maze Pool 400 Shamus Survival of the Fittest OLD_OS_Carts_fixed.zip 4 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+CharlieChaplin Posted June 7, 2020 Author Share Posted June 7, 2020 Thank you larryleffaovell ! So, only 9 programs from the above list remain: - Danger Ranger - Gorf - K-Krazy Kritters - K-Star Patrol - Picnic Paranoia - Protector II - Seafox - Slime - Speedway Blast Maybe Gorf could be packed/compressed and then additional (fix) code be added ?!? Or one could turn it into a 16k ROM cartridge (instead of 8k ROM)...?!? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+CharlieChaplin Posted June 7, 2020 Author Share Posted June 7, 2020 Here are some CAR images that have already been fixed... - colour fixes - bugfixes - XL-OS fixes - etc. Would be great if the remaining programs could also be fixed. FIXED_Carts.zip 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+DrVenkman Posted June 7, 2020 Share Posted June 7, 2020 1 hour ago, CharlieChaplin said: These carts were released in 1982, so the only XL available then was the 1200XL Just to be clear, the 1200XL was not available at retail in 1982. Engineering sample production started in like November ‘82, with the first production models not coming until December or so. They weren’t likely in any buyers’ hands until at least late January ‘83 and thereafter. They sold very poorly and new 800’s remained available well into ‘84 at least. Production of the 800 actually continued well into 1983 - two of the three 800’s I own currently were built in the summer of ‘83, as was the one I had as a kid that we bought new in August ‘83. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larryleffaovell Posted June 7, 2020 Share Posted June 7, 2020 45 minutes ago, CharlieChaplin said: Here are some CAR images that have already been fixed... Great, thank you. Could add a few of them to my own collection. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
venom4728a Posted June 7, 2020 Share Posted June 7, 2020 Here are the files I just created using Cart studio. They work on Altirra using XL Bios. Probably will work with OS-B too. - Danger Ranger - Gorf - K-Krazy Kritters - K-Star Patrol - Protector II - Seafox - Slime - Picnic Paranoia - Speedway Blast Car Files for XL.zip 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
venom4728a Posted June 8, 2020 Share Posted June 8, 2020 I had to redo PicNic Paranoia for some reason it was not working. Picnic Paranoia (XL).zip 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilheim Posted June 8, 2020 Share Posted June 8, 2020 10 hours ago, larryleffaovell said: I have gathered four of them as fixed car file. Have a look to the attachment. Monster Maze Pool 400 Shamus Survival of the Fittest OLD_OS_Carts_fixed.zip 23.43 kB · 16 downloads The Shamus fixed cartridge attached on this compilation has an issue in the colors. Here's fixed: Shamus (1982)(Synapse Software)(US)[!][XL Fixed] v3.rom 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larryleffaovell Posted June 8, 2020 Share Posted June 8, 2020 Thank you @venom4728a and @Wilheim, added these to my huge collection. I'v attached the last five of my ~600 car's which are still running as OS-B only, hoping that one can fix them too... OLD_OS_Carts.zip Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_The Doctor__ Posted June 8, 2020 Share Posted June 8, 2020 to be more clear, are you saying you've attached 5 more cartridges that are in need of conversion from OS-A/B to work with all OS's of the line? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larryleffaovell Posted June 8, 2020 Share Posted June 8, 2020 2 minutes ago, _The Doctor__ said: to be more clear, are you saying you've attached 5 more cartridges that are in need of conversion from OS-A/B to work with all OS's of the line? Yes, correct. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
venom4728a Posted June 8, 2020 Share Posted June 8, 2020 (edited) 5 hours ago, larryleffaovell said: Thank you @venom4728a and @Wilheim, added these to my huge collection. I'v attached the last five of my ~600 car's which are still running as OS-B only, hoping that one can fix them too... OLD_OS_Carts.zip 38.47 kB · 4 downloads Here are the XL running versions. The Protector file is mislabled, it is actually Protector II, I have attached a running version of Protector. I loaded the Car files into Altirra resaved them as Bin files, then I created a new car file in Cart Studio, with the OS-B option enabled. So now if run on an xl it automatically loads the correct OS before running the bin. XL Conversions.zip Edited June 8, 2020 by venom4728a 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larryleffaovell Posted June 8, 2020 Share Posted June 8, 2020 (edited) 20 minutes ago, venom4728a said: Here are the XL running versions. The Protector file is mislabled, it is actually Protector II, I have attached a running version of Protector. Aaah, my hero, my Wizard of Wor! Many thanks, venom4728a! I'll search for and refference to an old AA thread where I placed all of them already in the past, but download link is broken because of shutdown of ShareOnline. EDIT: Refferencing to Any done a full cart to CAR conversion as yet? New link is Game-Cartridges Edited June 8, 2020 by larryleffaovell dead link Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrathchild Posted June 8, 2020 Share Posted June 8, 2020 Not sure here if the OP @CharlieChaplin means patched ROMs that could replace the originals (on their own board) rather than being made into 64/128KB images? 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_The Doctor__ Posted June 8, 2020 Share Posted June 8, 2020 (edited) Yes, Wrathchild is the winner! The goal is patched ROMs. So NO on the translators and pre-pended OS's as that isn't what the goal is, the goal is to fix the binary... not to load an OS or some translator chaining the ROM's to a virtual, flash, or SD emulation cartridge. The goal is to be able to burn them to same sized Prom and put it in the actual cartridge. Most of the fixes center around changing keyboard to proper location, s, e, k etc. the off sound problem with init etc etc maxflash cartridge studio, mybios, translator have soft loaded OS's and the like stuff forever... so this sort of keeps popping up... Edited June 8, 2020 by _The Doctor__ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+CharlieChaplin Posted June 8, 2020 Author Share Posted June 8, 2020 Yes, I would like to have them as 8k or 16k ROMs. It would be okay, if the fixed 8k ROMs get a length of more than 8k and therefore require a 16k ROM (e.g. Gorf), but 128k is a little bit too much and I do not want to load a pre-pended OS... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atari_Ace Posted July 26, 2020 Share Posted July 26, 2020 I looked a bit into what's wrong with Protector II, which I have fond memories of playing from cassette BITD. The first problem I found is this bit of code. 954D: A2 25 LDX #$25 954F: BD 80 E4 LDA VCTABL,X 9552: 9D 00 02 STA VDSLST,X 9555: CA DEX 9556: 10 F7 BPL $954F VCTABL isn't valid outside of OS-A/B, so this initializes the vectors in page 2 incorrectly. To work around this temporarily, I nop'd the STA. With that fixed, the cart boots and plays the music, but the screen is disabled and it never responds to input. It turns out GINTLK is zero, so the OS thinks the cart was pulled and falls into an infinite loop. That seems to be due to this code: 9346: A2 00 LDX #0 9348: 8A TXA 9349: 9D 00 04 STA $0400,X 934C: 9D 00 05 STA $0500,X 934F: 9D 00 06 STA $0600,X 9352: 9D 00 07 STA $0700,X 9355: 9D 00 03 STA $0300,X 9358: 9D 00 80 STA $8000,X 935B: CA DEX 935C: D0 EB BNE $9349 Page 3 is zero'd, which includes GINTLK. I changed this to a double zero of page 7 for now. With those two changes, the cart is playable on XL/XE (well, in Altirra) with some graphics glitches. There are likely other issues, so don't consider this "fixed", but hopefully it will inspire a more clever developer to further look into this. p2hack.car 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_The Doctor__ Posted July 28, 2020 Share Posted July 28, 2020 bump Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mclaneinc Posted July 28, 2020 Share Posted July 28, 2020 On 6/7/2020 at 2:11 PM, _The Doctor__ said: Using studio X you can use a flash cartridge with os patch so no need Studio X ? Tried looking for such a program but no joy.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atari_Ace Posted July 29, 2020 Share Posted July 29, 2020 On 7/26/2020 at 12:37 PM, Atari_Ace said: There are likely other issues, so don't consider this "fixed", but hopefully it will inspire a more clever developer to further look into this. OK, no one took a stab so I took another look. The reason there is code to clear pages 3-7 is because Protector II uses a PMBASE of 0 with single line resolution, and those 5 pages are the missile and player data. So my 2nd attempt at fixing this is to move all those references up by $3800 and change the code that sets PMBASE. Near as I can tell, this is all of them based on my disassembly of the code. 84F5: 99 00 04 STA $0400,Y ; change to $3C00 8505: 99 00 05 STA $0500,Y ; change to $3D00 8579: 99 00 06 STA $0600,Y ; change to $3E00 857F: 99 00 07 STA $0700,Y ; change to $3F00 8C43: 99 00 07 STA $0700,Y ; change to $3F00 8C46: 99 7F 07 STA $077F,Y ; change to $3F7F 8C4C: 99 00 06 STA $0600,Y ; change to $3E00 8C4F: 99 7F 06 STA $067F,Y ; change to $3E7F 8C63: 99 00 07 STA $0700,Y ; change to $3F00 8C69: 99 00 06 STA $0600,Y ; change to $3E00 9341: A9 00 LDA #0 ; change to >$3800 9349: 9D 00 04 STA $0400,X ; change to $3C00 934C: 9D 00 05 STA $0500,X ; change to $3D00 934F: 9D 00 06 STA $0600,X ; change to $3E00 9352: 9D 00 07 STA $0700,X ; change to $3F00 9355: 9D 00 03 STA $0300,X ; change to $3B00 9987: 99 00 04 STA $0400,Y ; change to $3C00 998D: 99 00 05 STA $0500,Y ; change to $3D00 9996: 99 00 04 STA $0400,Y ; change to $3C00 999C: 99 00 05 STA $0500,Y ; change to $3D00 99A1: 99 00 03 STA $0300,Y ; change to $3B00 99B5: 99 00 03 STA $0300,Y ; change to $3B00 I possibly missed some, but here's my v2 hack of Protector II. p2hack2.car 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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