Why do so many <35K XEX files not load on a 800?

[ACML]

I have recently noticed that a lot of the newer games (post 1988) will not load in their XEX format on an Atari 800 even though they are as low as 12K in file size. Does it have to do with a lot of the newer stuff being from Europe and there is an international character set thing going on? I know the compiled Turbo Basic games require the XL OS, but most of what I'm noticing is that the same game will run on an Omniview OS in an Atari 1200XL. The Omniview OS was based on the 800 OSB, but allows 64K games to run. So It doesn't necessarily require the XL OS, just 64K. Why would 12, 22, and 30K XEXs not run on an Atari 800 with 48K?

 

I was floored to find so many. The tables have turned for sure. It used to be the XL line that had the incompatibility stigma, but now the 400/800 has the incompatibility problem. People would ask, "which Atari should I buy" and the answer before 1990 would be the 800, but now I have to definitely say the 1200XL with the XL OS.

[Bryan]

The only reason I can think of to exclude the 800 is if you're using the RAM under the OS for something.

[Sikor]

Atari 800 has other RAM map then newest XL/XE series. Many games was written with special RAM/ROM location, some games was written with language wchich don't go on older 400/800 Ataris. Simple example is compiled games written with Turbo Basic XL. Is special version of TB XL, wchich RUN on older systems, You can search for it.

Other things - you can upgrade your Atari 400/800 to full system XL by Stryker's upgrade. I don't remember name of this - search this phorum.

[tjlazer]

Also the OS too, maybe they only run on the XL/XE and require 48k+? Also they might be packed executables so even though they are small, they unpack more in memory.