Captain Cozmos Posted July 21, 2022 Share Posted July 21, 2022 (edited) This is what I have been working on and it wasn't just changing a few ports. Here are first screenshots No ADAM or SGM required. I did not want to say anything until I got the gameplay screen working. Learning how to disassemble Coleco and ADAM software has allowed me to learn an incredible amount which I had to cross reference jump table, memory addresses, NMI and a host of other things. This is not just changing a few pointers, ports or data. I had to locate and extract everything off the disk. Create an environment that looked like a Coleco ADAM with OS7, ram and EOS along with the proper load addresses for all of this data. Then disassemble it all. Then, clean out all the ADAM calls by redirecting all of that data which uses ADAM Ram instead of $7000 like the Colecovision. I also had to write new NMI and Controller routines all which rely on ADAM tables. I am also incorporating the original boot screen by loading all the patterns by rearranging everything. I can use the original boot or the standard Coleco load screen. There is a lot more to it but I just wanted to list a few things off the top of my head. Mind you that this is not completely ready but SURPRISE............ I would also like to add that despite me having to rewrite a lot of code that this is not my game and I have no clue as to the copywrite on it but if Opcode wants to make some kind of distribution deal I am all ears. BTW, Someone over on FB was said to be working on this but with my inquires no one has gotten back with me. I would like to say that I am not to step on anyone's toes or work, I have no relation to this guy and mean no disrespect but at the same time I have not had any feedback or seen any progress. There is a lot that had to be done to get this functional on the Colecovision and if he can do it then great. We will have two versions then. It is my intention to also bring this into the 21st century with a more colorful version but one step at a time. CC Edited July 21, 2022 by Captain Cozmos 8 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+cjherr Posted July 21, 2022 Share Posted July 21, 2022 Very cool! Thanks for all the work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pixelboy Posted July 21, 2022 Share Posted July 21, 2022 2 hours ago, Captain Cozmos said: No ADAM or SGM required. That alone is impressive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zinister Posted July 22, 2022 Share Posted July 22, 2022 That's really cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Cozmos Posted July 22, 2022 Author Share Posted July 22, 2022 (edited) On 7/21/2022 at 5:34 PM, Pixelboy said: That alone is impressive. Almost finished. It takes less than 200 bytes of ram and without the boot screen comes in less than 7k This reminds me of Cabbage Patch 128 or Temple of Asphi 128. I get the feeling that the hype was more than the content because this game is really not a big deal if you have the tools to dig out the opcodes and the references to ram. In this case it mixes what would be data in rom with the ram itself Why not when the whole thing is loaded into ram starting at $8000 and the data/ram everywhere else. I went through the entire code and rerouted what uses ram to actual ram and left the rest of the data alone. The guy that programed the thing took liberties because he had 64k -os7 and eos to screw around with. What is interesting is that the whole game is less than 7k so is loading 7 blocks from datapack really that slow that the author had to strategically place data to load faster? I don't think so and even if... I got the thing off a disk and it was still garbled. I would have loaded it in one 7k hunk and been done with it. There are a few more things I have to do but if Mr. Toby want to turn this into a cartridge then PM me because this took a lot of work and still more to do. It might as well receive the royal treatment. Edited July 22, 2022 by Captain Cozmos Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pixelboy Posted July 23, 2022 Share Posted July 23, 2022 2 hours ago, Captain Cozmos said: There are a few more things I have to do but if Mr. Toby want to turn this into a cartridge then PM me because this took a lot of work and still more to do. It might as well receive the royal treatment. While you're at it, perhaps we could interest you in porting Steve Pitman's Micro Chip? Something tells me that ADAM game could fit on a cartridge just like Diablo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NIAD Posted July 23, 2022 Share Posted July 23, 2022 2 hours ago, Pixelboy said: While you're at it, perhaps we could interest you in porting Steve Pitman's Micro Chip? Something tells me that ADAM game could fit on a cartridge just like Diablo. Unfortunately, MicroChip or another version of this game would be better off being reprogrammed from scratch seeing as it was programmed in SmartBasic. With that said, the SmartBasic code is very advanced and used numerous ML routines that are POKEd into memory and then CALLed when needed. If you break into the program code as I have done, you will see what I mean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NIAD Posted July 23, 2022 Share Posted July 23, 2022 (edited) On 7/21/2022 at 1:44 PM, Captain Cozmos said: This is what I have been working on and it wasn't just changing a few ports. Here are first screenshots No ADAM or SGM required. I did not want to say anything until I got the gameplay screen working. Pretty cool to see this ADAM game possibly coming the ColecoVision. As you mentioned, the other programmer that posted about his efforts on FB hasn't followed up with any other posts, so no knowing if his efforts continue. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE... add the ability to pause the game. It takes a lot to clear a screen and once you get close, it's inevitable that the phone will ring, dinner time, the dog will need to be taken out, bathroom run, etc., etc., etc. Seems like CollectorVision has a pretty deep backlog of games that are ready for release, but it may take them a while. No disrespect, just saying if you'd like to see this released quickly. The original developer/programmer of Diablo did reply in the thread linked below. If the email he joined AA with all those years ago is still valid, you can send him a PM to see if he responds. Would be nice to see him taken care of after receiving no royalties from Image MicroCorp when they ported the TI version to the ADAM. ADAM Computer Game of the Week #04 - ColecoVision / Adam - AtariAge Forums Edited July 23, 2022 by NIAD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pixelboy Posted July 23, 2022 Share Posted July 23, 2022 6 hours ago, NIAD said: Unfortunately, MicroChip or another version of this game would be better off being reprogrammed from scratch seeing as it was programmed in SmartBasic. With that said, the SmartBasic code is very advanced and used numerous ML routines that are POKEd into memory and then CALLed when needed. If you break into the program code as I have done, you will see what I mean. Ah, okay, I didn't know it was a SmartBASIC program. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Cozmos Posted July 23, 2022 Author Share Posted July 23, 2022 5 hours ago, NIAD said: Pretty cool to see this ADAM game possibly coming the ColecoVision. As you mentioned, the other programmer that posted about his efforts on FB hasn't followed up with any other posts, so no knowing if his efforts continue. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE... add the ability to pause the game. It takes a lot to clear a screen and once you get close, it's inevitable that the phone will ring, dinner time, the dog will need to be taken out, bathroom run, etc., etc., etc. Seems like CollectorVision has a pretty deep backlog of games that are ready for release, but it may take them a while. No disrespect, just saying if you'd like to see this released quickly. The original developer/programmer of Diablo did reply in the thread linked below. If the email he joined AA with all those years ago is still valid, you can send him a PM to see if he responds. Would be nice to see him taken care of after receiving no royalties from Image MicroCorp when they ported the TI version to the ADAM. ADAM Computer Game of the Week #04 - ColecoVision / Adam - AtariAge Forums I'll see what I can do about a pause. I honestly did. not think about it. However, would you not agree that this would take the pressure off you completing this. Constantly being on the move? I could pause and blank the screen. so you could not plan your next move. That sort of thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Cozmos Posted July 23, 2022 Author Share Posted July 23, 2022 (edited) 6 hours ago, NIAD said: Unfortunately, MicroChip or another version of this game would be better off being reprogrammed from scratch seeing as it was programmed in SmartBasic. With that said, the SmartBasic code is very advanced and used numerous ML routines that are POKEd into memory and then CALLed when needed. If you break into the program code as I have done, you will see what I mean. Maybe I can take a snapshot while it's loaded and running. I can then convert it to a rom that way. You would be surprised at what I am capable of. Where can I find the program? A disk or dp image Edited July 23, 2022 by Captain Cozmos 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pixelboy Posted July 23, 2022 Share Posted July 23, 2022 14 minutes ago, Captain Cozmos said: Maybe I can take a snapshot while it's loaded and running. I can then convert it to a rom that way. You would be surprised at what I am capable of. Where can I find the program? A disk or dp image If you want to take a crack at it, here are the two versions of the DSK image which I found in my personal archives. I don't know what the difference is between the two versions, or even if they are 100% good dumps, but they probably are. MicroChip_ADAM.zip Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Cozmos Posted July 23, 2022 Author Share Posted July 23, 2022 (edited) 1 hour ago, Pixelboy said: If you want to take a crack at it, here are the two versions of the DSK image which I found in my personal archives. I don't know what the difference is between the two versions, or even if they are 100% good dumps, but they probably are. MicroChip_ADAM.zip 67.89 kB · 2 downloads This is in the MicroChip source code: Nintendo's version for the Game Boy called Mario's Picross (Released April 95). I haven't played the Game Boy version yet but from what i've seen, the gameplay is identical. INSTRUCTIONS? No, these are not the game instructions, they are all built into the game and loaded when Micro-Chip is booted, you can access them even during a game, So you don't have to waste any time or paper printing them out. HARD DRIVE USERS: Micro-Chip is 100% compatable with a hard drive, just copy the files to the hard drive It continues on with his phone number and a bunch of other... Edited July 23, 2022 by Captain Cozmos Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Cozmos Posted July 23, 2022 Author Share Posted July 23, 2022 (edited) If I can remember some 30 years back, which was the last time I used basic, you autorun a brun as your first executable or some deal like that which is probably where he locked out anyone trying to get at his source code. Looking at this it would be easier just to make your own version of picross for the Colecovision. I see that you have a ton of games linked to your name so it should be simple for you to start from the beginning and write it. I mean your the infamous Pixelboy. I wish I had your talents. Edited July 23, 2022 by Captain Cozmos Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pixelboy Posted July 23, 2022 Share Posted July 23, 2022 Actually, my "talents" on the ColecoVision are extremely limited. Pretty much all my Team Pixelboy titles are games ported by other people, or programmed from scratch by other people. When I started my publishing label, I had envisioned learning Z80 programming and making some of my own games, but as it turned out, all my time went into everything but programming. I was very lucky to find and work with experts who could really get the job done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Cozmos Posted July 23, 2022 Author Share Posted July 23, 2022 1 hour ago, Pixelboy said: Actually, my "talents" on the ColecoVision are extremely limited. Pretty much all my Team Pixelboy titles are games ported by other people, or programmed from scratch by other people. When I started my publishing label, I had envisioned learning Z80 programming and making some of my own games, but as it turned out, all my time went into everything but programming. I was very lucky to find and work with experts who could really get the job done. OMG....Just like finding out that Captain Kirk is an actor named William Shatner.? 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pixelboy Posted July 23, 2022 Share Posted July 23, 2022 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NIAD Posted July 24, 2022 Share Posted July 24, 2022 13 hours ago, Captain Cozmos said: I'll see what I can do about a pause. I honestly did. not think about it. However, would you not agree that this would take the pressure off you completing this. Constantly being on the move? I could pause and blank the screen. so you could not plan your next move. That sort of thing. Blanking the screen would be a great option to prevent “cheating” and as Coleco did, a nifty pause tune would be very appropriate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NIAD Posted July 24, 2022 Share Posted July 24, 2022 (edited) 13 hours ago, Captain Cozmos said: Where can I find the program? A disk or dp image Here is a link to the thread I started years ago re MicroChip with download links. Or download from www.adamarchive.org. The original disk image and my personal copy with a savegame so one can start at the very last level and see the ending. Edited July 24, 2022 by NIAD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jblenkle Posted July 24, 2022 Share Posted July 24, 2022 13 hours ago, Pixelboy said: Actually, my "talents" on the ColecoVision are extremely limited. Pretty much all my Team Pixelboy titles are games ported by other people, or programmed from scratch by other people. When I started my publishing label, I had envisioned learning Z80 programming and making some of my own games, but as it turned out, all my time went into everything but programming. I was very lucky to find and work with experts who could really get the job done. But you did a heck of a job on the publishing side. Top-notch games and great quality boxes and instruction manuals. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pixelboy Posted July 24, 2022 Share Posted July 24, 2022 Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NIAD Posted July 24, 2022 Share Posted July 24, 2022 On 7/23/2022 at 8:18 AM, Captain Cozmos said: If I can remember some 30 years back, which was the last time I used basic, you autorun a brun as your first executable or some deal like that which is probably where he locked out anyone trying to get at his source code. Looking at this it would be easier just to make your own version of picross for the Colecovision. Correct, SmartBasic loads and then looks for a standard "A" type SB file called HELLO, which if found is run automatically. At this point, the HELLO program can contain any SB code such as the entire program or in MicroChip's case, some program code that sets things up and then the command to binary run ( BRUN filename ) the rest of the MicroChip game. An "A" type SB file is a standard text file that can be loaded into other programs and viewed such as SmartWriter. An "H" type file is a binary converted SB program/file (created by a program like Intel-LOAD or TurboLOAD) and the benefit is size reduction and super fast load times over "A" type files. These "H" files can't be easily viewed in other programs and if you try to load them into SmartWriter, an error will be reported. A programmer can lock things up in their HELLO program, within the rest of the program or as I and many others used to do, by editing the SmartBASIC ML program file (BASICPGM or in MicroChip's case, Chip_PGM) directly to change or disable functions such as CONTROL-C. To break into programs that are protected (not copy=protected) like this, it's best to load a vanilla version of SB and then BRUN the file in question while continuously pressing CONTROL-C. If successful, the actual SB program code will be available to list out and or save as a standard SB "A" type file. Def much easier to program a new version of Picross / MicroChip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Cozmos Posted July 25, 2022 Author Share Posted July 25, 2022 I wish I knew how to post videos. I have joysticks working and can complete a game but there are just a few more things to fix. No ADAM...No SGM just plain vanilla Colecovision. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NIAD Posted July 25, 2022 Share Posted July 25, 2022 22 minutes ago, Captain Cozmos said: I wish I knew how to post videos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pixelboy Posted July 25, 2022 Share Posted July 25, 2022 9 hours ago, Captain Cozmos said: I wish I knew how to post videos. If the video is on YouTube, you just copy-and-paste the link into the text window and it converts it automatically to video display format. Pretty neat, I have to say. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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