tep392 Posted June 2, 2015 Author Share Posted June 2, 2015 Tep, you know you'll have buyers regardless. You thinking a 64K bankswitching ROM cart or better? Would RAM be needed too? It's great the 5200 is getting love… We wouldn't need any RAM on the cart. Just a 64K ROM. The boards I've been using support bank switching, but I've only used them for 32K. I'll have to look into how the bank switching works. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lynxpro Posted June 2, 2015 Share Posted June 2, 2015 We wouldn't need any RAM on the cart. Just a 64K ROM. The boards I've been using support bank switching, but I've only used them for 32K. I'll have to look into how the bank switching works. Very impressive. Now if more exotic bank switching could be sorted out then XEGS titles could be ported [in theory]. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegamezmaster Posted June 10, 2015 Share Posted June 10, 2015 My two cents. Being older my situation I thank you for releasing the rom free if you choose. The only way I could get. Thanks again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawn Posted June 10, 2015 Share Posted June 10, 2015 We wouldn't need any RAM on the cart. Just a 64K ROM. The boards I've been using support bank switching, but I've only used them for 32K. I'll have to look into how the bank switching works. Bryan might still have a bunch of the 512k 5200 banked pcbs he used to make MULE. It supports a ton of sizes based on the PLD used. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lynxpro Posted June 11, 2015 Share Posted June 11, 2015 Bryan might still have a bunch of the 512k 5200 banked pcbs he used to make MULE. It supports a ton of sizes based on the PLD used. And if someone made a 1024K banked board, A8 Space Harrier could be converted…in theory. Imagine playing that with a working 5200 joystick or the Trak-Ball… Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imstarryeyed Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 Space Harrier on 5200 with trackball or analog, I would so get behind that project for she. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tep392 Posted June 25, 2015 Author Share Posted June 25, 2015 I was just looking at Super Zaxxon and realized that it requires 32k RAM. Look's like the Zaxxon/Super Zaxxon cart is out. I think I have Zaxxon working on the 5200 now. I've only tested in emulation since I don't have the parts to build a cart right now. I'm going to do a little more checking tonight and will post the binary tomorrow if all is well. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tep392 Posted June 26, 2015 Author Share Posted June 26, 2015 Try this out. 5200Zaxxon32k.BIN 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Cafeman Posted June 26, 2015 Share Posted June 26, 2015 It works well! Awesome conversion, I can't believe how quickly you did it. Unfortunately it has the same inaccurate collision detection as the A8/5200 versions but whatcha gonna do.... Yet I was stunned to see this better title screen instead of "...by Ron Fortier" as on the 5200 16K version. And there are the rising missiles! Good job, Tep, and THANKS! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tep392 Posted June 26, 2015 Author Share Posted June 26, 2015 Thank you. The boss robot is also much better in this version. That title screen is why I needed your compression routine. I was just over the 32k ROM limit without compression. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted June 26, 2015 Share Posted June 26, 2015 Unfortunately it has the same inaccurate collision detection as the A8/5200 versions but whatcha gonna do.... Does ANY home version of Zaxxon have accurate collision detection? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Cafeman Posted June 26, 2015 Share Posted June 26, 2015 Does ANY home version of Zaxxon have accurate collision detection? Don't know. I was never a fan of the CV version so never played it enough to draw many comparisons. 2600 version, yes I remember now, it has some screwy collision too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted June 26, 2015 Share Posted June 26, 2015 The arcade has screwy collision detection as well, but it's worse on the home versions. The CV version isn't bad, better than the Atari 8-bit version anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwilove Posted June 28, 2015 Share Posted June 28, 2015 (edited) There is a tribute to Zaxxon in the current WIP build of AtariBLAST! - while the scroll is changed to sideways and the gameplay does not feature collision detection with the landscape - there is however enough on screen activity to say Wow! Just don't expect a Zaxxon game. Screenshots show how this is coming along. One day - when I have nothing else better to do - I'm always hankering to try having a go with recreating the Zaxxon game in proper diagonal scrolling - but I think it'll be a headache to get it looking anywhere near close to the coin-op. I'm thinking it simply can't be done - because it has to be simplified anyway. If there's a programmer out there - who wants to do the necessary work - it could possibly be a long term project of some kind? I don't see it being a straight conversion - as it'll be more worthwhile to try progressing it further - if it is possible to do? See the AtariBLAST! demo - when it does eventually appear... Whether it (a new Zaxxon) can be done for the 5200 - is another restriction, that would have to be considered. Harvey Edited June 28, 2015 by kiwilove Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwilove Posted June 28, 2015 Share Posted June 28, 2015 Such talent! Does anyone know if the C64 version is larger than the A8 disk version? If so, does it have any extras in it not included in the A8 version? Looks like the Colecovision ROM is less than 15K. I think the C64 version would be the one to copy/port across - for anyone wanting an authentic as possible Zaxxon for the A8/5200 - as this easily outclasses either Zaxxon for the A8. But if you were to go to this much trouble - and manage to achieve it? It would be better to go 1-up again - and add some original touches to the game overall to make it into a deluxe version - maybe keep the original version as well? If that was desirable also... It is possible to do something Armalyte (C64) for the A8/5200 - because AtariBLAST! does have that kind of Armalyte feel to it. Or along the lines of Flying Shark/Raiden/etc... Harvey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwilove Posted June 29, 2015 Share Posted June 29, 2015 Does ANY home version of Zaxxon have accurate collision detection? I think the C64 Synapse Zaxxon game seems to be the best home computer version of this coin-op game - that somehow captures most of what the arcade game contains - fairly accurate enough. You can check out the Youtube videos of it - and/or run it via emulation - if you can't get hold of the C64 hardware- also you might want to check out the best of the C-64 shooters to get some idea of what they are like (Io, Delta, Sanxion, Armalyte - comes to mind...) - it should be interesting to compare these two somewhat similar computer systems - yet how different they are. Out of interest? Harvey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atarian63 Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 Gotta say the A8 version (48k) of Zaxxon appears better than c64 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keatah Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 Yup. Most things look better on the Atari 400/800 than they do on the C64. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lynxpro Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 Yup. Most things look better on the Atari 400/800 than they do on the C64. Is that because the A8 color palette is better than the C64s? I know the C64 enthusiasts tout the number of hardware sprites the C64 can do but the A8 fans then cite the A8 being able to use software sprites in addition to its hardware sprites. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keatah Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 Mostly yes. I liked the palette a whole lot more. And the 400/800 never seemed to come up short because of less hardware sprites. Most importantly, games felt faster and responded quicker on the 400/800. the C64 always felt "stuffed-up" somehow in an ineffable manner of a sort. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwilove Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 Is that because the A8 color palette is better than the C64s? I know the C64 enthusiasts tout the number of hardware sprites the C64 can do but the A8 fans then cite the A8 being able to use software sprites in addition to its hardware sprites. The C64 fixed colour palette is of course, the reason why the Atari A8 games can appear to look better - as the C64 tend to have muddy colours as such. But being able to choose your colours sounds good, until you realise it is only 4 (5 if you count the inverse) colours available. If DLIs are used - this will allow extra colours as such - but they are in horizontal band areas - so you are restricted as to how you can add this extra colour. The only thing missing from the Atari colour palette are bright reds as such. Say for the fuel silo and cruise missile for Zaxxon. The C-64 always has the advantage with more independent hardware sprites as standard - for the typical shooter styled game - this is a definite advantage. The Atari A8 programmer really has to work overtime - and appear to work the impossible - to get many multi-coloured sprites on screen - that appear to move independently (but this is really an illusion as such). Flicker usually shows up. The AtariBLAST! game demo probably is the best example of this to date? When the next demo of it appears (still unsure when it'll be...) things really go up a notch - and I don't think anything better is possible? Crownland did show that a new standard was possible - in the platform mould - and I guess Rick Dangerous is a more recent example - though it's in it's VBXE version - that it's extra colours are possible. It really does take a lot of time, effort and expertise to deliver something of a high standard - and it's too much to ask of new developers as such to deliver such work. But if they're that keen - I'm sure that within 3 years they can up their expertise - especially with the help that is available in these forums. Dedicated hobbyists can deliver really remarkable results - if they are truly dedicated to their passion. Harvey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Loguidice Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 It's funny, but I've always more or less perceived the Atari 8-bit palette as muddier and darker than the C-64 palette, which I've found to be brighter and more interesting despite access to fewer colors (obviously there are specific cases where the inverse is true). Like creating good audio, good use of color is clearly something of an art, so I think it ultimately comes down to that and having access to more colors is not necessarily a good thing in the hands of those with a poor eye. Of course, as Harvey stated, access to colors depends on the mode used and other factors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 For whatever reason the C64 palette always seemed more 'brown' to me. Is brown one of the default C64 colors or something? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Loguidice Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 For whatever reason the C64 palette always seemed more 'brown' to me. Is brown one of the default C64 colors or something? Brown is one of the 16 colors, yes. I see lots of brown in the Atari palette as well, actually, which is one of the reasons why I tend to perceive it (taken as a whole) as darker and more muted. Again, I do think all things considered, it comes down to how the colors are used. There are plenty of wildly colorful (and bright!) games on both platforms, so it's obvious it's not a systemic issue either way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 I guess I'm used to Apple palette where the main colors were that nasty pink and green combo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Like us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
AtariAge on Instagram
Watch us on YouTube
Chat on Discord
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.