Supercharger help!

[Tsukasa]

Is there anyway to convert a larger game (8k+) into a multi-load supercharger game? This thought just occurred to me, I realized that the multi-load supercharger games must be larger than 6k, otherwise the multi-load part wouldn't be neccessary.

 

It would be really sweet to be able to play homebrews and (semi-)rare games like Montezuma's Revenge, Q*bert's Qubes, Thrust+, Return of Mario Bros., etc. that are larger than allowed by the supercharger.

 

I know that the Cuttle Cart has that kind of power, but it is nearly impossible to find one, and if you do find one, it is WAY overpriced.

 

 

Just a thought. :wink:

[vb_master]

No, I asked Thomas, and Thrust + isn't loadble , but a library of 2-8k games are available. :wink:

[bjk7382]

but a library of 2-8k games are available. :wink:

 

Correction. 1-4k games are loadable thru the supercharger. And even a certain percentage of those will crash if the supercharger isn't modified. The SC only has 6k of ram, therefore it is impossible to load an 8k game.

[Tsukasa]

Really! Cool!

 

I knew about the 2k and 4k games, but not the 8K! Guess it doesn't hurt to ask!

 

PLEASE! Tell me more about the 8k possibility!

Post a link to where I can download software that does this!

 

I can finally play Gyruss! Yay!

[Blackbird]

Multi-load an 8k game... it'd have to be a game with different segments, really. If it was all the same game, normally the code would swap between the banks quite often and share a lot of code spread out over the cartridge. You could probably adapt some games to make them multiloaders, but it might be annoying too if the game isn't too long...

[bjk7382]

PLEASE! Tell me more about the 8k possibility!

 

NOT possible. Read my last post carefully. Especially the last line.

[vb_master]

Upgradable to 8k?

[Tsukasa]

Sorry, I was typing that reply when you posted yours.

 

If that is the case, then how do the multiload games work anyways?

 

And how come the Supercharger games are 8448 bytes as a binary file on the computer while they are able to fit into the SC's 6k of ram?

[bjk7382]

I think the size they are as a rom and the way they load as audio are completely different. The audio files that Makewav puts out are 600k+, but it doesn't load all of that into ram, it just reads the audio.

 

Paul explained it a little bit in This Thread

[Tsukasa]

Well of course the audio files are going to be huge, they're WAVs.

 

I don't think it would be possible to upgrade without writing a whole new engine and burning it to a microcontroller. And besides, most modern microcontrollers don't use parallel data without a shift register. It would also be more trouble than it's worth.

[Susuwatari]

Loading Thrust on SC could be done but one would need to decompile the game (or get the source code), recode the entire thing to use SC bankswitching and multiload scheme and break it up into proper manageable sizes.

 

Not worth the hassle as you'd still have to make sure you don't slip an extra cycle or accidently come up a cycle short or the picture will roll. It's tricky enough to code a simple nonbankswitched game on a 2600 console.

[vb_master]

Loading Thrust on SC could be done but one would need to decompile the game (or get the source code), recode the entire thing to use SC bankswitching and multiload scheme and break it up into proper manageable sizes.

 

Not worth the hassle as you'd still have to make sure you don't slip an extra cycle or accidently come up a cycle short or the picture will roll.  It's tricky enough to code a simple nonbankswitched game on a 2600 console.

Whats the SC bankswitching scheme, I also decompiled it a while ago, but I had to split it into 2 pieces.

[Ze_ro]

If that is the case, then how do the multiload games work anyways?

 

I think each load is essentially a seperate game in itself, which only shares a small amount of data with the other loads. This certainly seems to be the case with Survival Island. An 8K game like Thrust would almost certainly need ALL it's memory available at once... multi-loading can't provide that.

 

I don't think it would be possible to upgrade without writing a whole new engine and burning it to a microcontroller.

 

Behold! The Cuttle Cart!

 

--Zero

[Thomas Jentzsch]

Loading Thrust on SC could be done but one would need to decompile the game (or get the source code), recode the entire thing to use SC bankswitching and multiload scheme and break it up into proper manageable sizes.

Nope, this is not possible. The game goes through all 4 banks on each frame.

 

Now imagine how a multiload Thrust would play.

[Ze_ro]

Nope, this is not possible. The game goes through all 4 banks on each frame.  

 

Now imagine how a multiload Thrust would play.

 

Press play on tape... watch venetian blinds effect... Press play on tape... watch venetian blinds effect... Press play on tape... watch venetian blinds effect... Press play on tape... watch ventian blinds effect... see a single frame of Thrust... Press play on tape...

 

--Zero

[pmpddytim]

I know, just buy a copy of thrust.

 

-Tim

[jeepnut24]

Why was there such a limited run of cuttle carts? I would LOVE to buy one or the equivalent, but I don't want a 7800 version. Why doesn't AtariAge make their own version?

[Thomas Jentzsch]

Press play on tape... watch venetian blinds effect... Press play on tape... watch venetian blinds effect... Press play on tape... watch venetian blinds effect... Press play on tape... watch ventian blinds effect... see a single frame of Thrust... Press play on tape...

Exactly!

[jsoper]

I converted a supercharger to work with standard 8k roms a few years ago. Added extra RAM, the F8 bankswitch circuit, and did two roms loads of 4k each. Had it working for a couple hours than something blew out, probably signal conflicts.

I decided that bankswitching multicarts or cuttlecarts were the way to go after that.

[Susuwatari]

Why was there such a limited run of cuttle carts? I would LOVE to buy one or the equivalent, but I don't want a 7800 version. Why doesn't AtariAge make their own version?

 

From what I understand, CC uses an actual SC ROM to make CC compatible with SC games. But the creator had to get a license to use SC ROM in his CC. The CC had a short run and when the license ran out, that was it.

 

He's making CC2 for the 7800 that will work with SC as he uses his version of ROM so he wouldn't need license to use SC. The only drawback is you need a MMC to transfer a game or 2 and you need a 7800 console to use it even if you only play 2600 games.

[jeepnut24]

From what I understand, CC uses an actual SC ROM to make CC compatible with SC games.  But the creator had to get a license to use SC ROM in his CC.  The CC had a short run and when the license ran out, that was it.

 

He's making CC2 for the 7800 that will work with SC as he uses his version of ROM so he wouldn't need license to use SC.  The only drawback is you need a MMC to transfer a game or 2 and you need a 7800 console to use it even if you only play 2600 games.

 

SC ROM??

 

That is the problem, I have no desire to buy a 7800 just to play my 2600 games. Id rather stick to the 2600 and pay for a cuttle cart.

[The Eidolon]

When the Cuttle Cart 2 comes out, there is a chance that a few

of the original Cuttle Carts will come on the market. I think

someone was also working on a Krocodile Kart which would have

a similar functionality and work on the 2600 only. There was a

thread on this forum, though I'm pretty sure it has not been

released yet.

 

--The Eidolon