Mini Memory-specific software

[InfernalKeith]

Is there any kind of comprehensive list of software made specifically to take advantage of Mini Memory?  I know there were a few games (Snake Snake and Entrapment, plus a space game whose name I can't recall) and I think I remember a couple pieces of productivity software.  But did anyone make, say, a TI BASIC game that stored player data on files saved to MINIMEM, or something like that?  I know it would have been a hard sell commercially back then, due to the low user base, but I feel like there had a to be a few people who took a shot at it.

[Edit: I don't think Entrapment is the name of the game I'm thinking of, but I'm drawing a blank right now.]

Edited May 19, 2023 by InfernalKeith

[+9640News]

There was a program, not sure if cassette or disk, that required mini-memory.  It would record your voice, via cassette I think, and then digitally play the sound back to you.

 

Beery

[+arcadeshopper]

figure @Schmitzi would have a list

[+Schmitzi]

3 hours ago, arcadeshopper said:

figure @Schmitzi would have a list

 

ah yes, I made a list for MiniMemory about 5 years ago.

Since then, not so much has changed (as I never elaborated on that)

But here is the actual list, still beta

if you know more, pls let me know...

 

TI-99-4A-SW-Mini-Memory-v1.02-BETA2.pdf

 

[+Schmitzi]

 

 

Hi, any input for me to make the MimMem list somehow better ?  Pls let me know, just write it here. thanks

 

[+Schmitzi]

 

I made a walk through my MM folder and looked inside some DSKs.

So I was able to add these proggies:

 

[+Ksarul]

Boulder Dash by Eric LaFortune and commercially released by Legio Computer required the Mini Memory.  The US version was renamed Rock Runner, loaded from the Editor Assembler, and was released by Asgard.

 

Mini-Pede by CSI Design. Chosen for release by TI, but production never started and so CSI released it under their own name.

 

Entrapment was also intended for the Mini Memory. It was almost to release when TI pulled out of the market, so close that they actually had a large number of tapes already made. Those tapes made it out into user hands via random lots of tapes (in groups of six) that either Tenex or Triton was selling for an extremely low price. I bought three or four lots to see what would be in there and found two copies of the Entrapment tape in them. I gave one to a friend, but I still have the other somewhere in my collection.

[apersson850]

I made a UCSD Pascal unit, which allowed using the Mini Memory for variables in a Pascal program. Effectively expanded the heap/stack/secondary code pool from 24 to 28 Kbyte.

[+Schmitzi]

1 hour ago, Ksarul said:

Boulder Dash by Eric LaFortune and commercially released by Legio Computer required the Mini Memory.  The US version was renamed Rock Runner, loaded from the Editor Assembler, and was released by Asgard.

 

Mini-Pede by CSI Design. Chosen for release by TI, but production never started and so CSI released it under their own name.

 

Entrapment was also intended for the Mini Memory. It was almost to release when TI pulled out of the market, so close that they actually had a large number of tapes already made. Those tapes made it out into user hands via random lots of tapes (in groups of six) that either Tenex or Triton was selling for an extremely low price. I bought three or four lots to see what would be in there and found two copies of the Entrapment tape in them. I gave one to a friend, but I still have the other somewhere in my collection.

 

all entered. thx

 

[+Schmitzi]

14 minutes ago, apersson850 said:

I made a UCSD Pascal unit, which allowed using the Mini Memory for variables in a Pascal program. Effectively expanded the heap/stack/secondary code pool from 24 to 28 Kbyte.

 

yeah, I saw something with "Pascal" in my MiniMem folder, but didn´t know about.

 

How can I name (&categorize) it to enter it into the list ?

thx

 

[+Vorticon]

Here's a recent game I programmed specifically for the MM. The attached zip file has a .wav file which can be transferred to a cassette for loading that way if desired, otherwise it loads fine from disk.

 

 

Vortex.zip

[Cryo-User]

wow! it remind me a Vectrex Game! 😃 very nice! I love the vectrex console too

[+Schmitzi]

8 hours ago, Vorticon said:

Here's a recent game I programmed specifically for the MM. The attached zip file has a .wav file which can be transferred to a cassette for loading that way if desired, otherwise it loads fine from disk.

 

Oh, I already got that in the list (like all the proggies from the AA-contests like 4K, Develop, BoCC, SSGC)

bit I didn´t tag it as "MM". Done now, thx

 

[InfernalKeith]

How cool!  Getting some Omega Race vibes here.

 

I was wondering if anyone ever tried a game (or any application really) where you used Mini Memory as a small RAMdisk to store variables via file.  Perhaps you could run program one, which generated data and saved it to MM, then load part two, which accesses the data files on the MM?  Or maybe a game that allowed one to save game progress to MM and come back later?

 

All kind of academic now that all the Minimem batteries are dead and we can emulate memory expansion and storage space, but I have to wonder if someone coulda come up with a killer app that made Minimem make sense to more people back in the day and made it more commonplace for folks without PEBs or other hardware.

 

 

[+OLD CS1]

14 hours ago, Ksarul said:

The US version was renamed Rock Runner, loaded from the Editor Assembler, and was released by Asgard.

I remember in either the Tenex or Triton catalogue which were selling Rock Runner, the game was listed as "Mini Memory or Editor/Assembler" game.  Though I cannot find it listed in the three catalogues I have on-hand, I am pretty certain of it.

[apersson850]

On 5/20/2023 at 10:47 AM, Schmitzi said:

How can I name (&categorize) it to enter it into the list?

Ehh, perhaps like this:

Utility for UCSD Pascal.
Makes Mini Memory available for dynamic variable storage.

 

As far as I remember (haven't checked now) I made it fully transparent. That is, the program works the same with or without Mini Memory and regardless of how much you want to store in Mini Memory. It simply reverts to normal memory when Mini Memory is full, or if it's not present at all. The only difference is that you run out of memory sooner if Mini Memory isn't plugged in.

Edited May 22, 2023 by apersson850