Some prototypes of released titles...

[www.atarimania.com]

John Hardie discovered a number of prototypes / works in progress of known programs on old disks belonging to former Atari employees for the most part. Here are the first two titles...

 

Juggler (IDSI):

http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-400-800-xl-xe-juggler_41538.html

 

Missile Command (Atari):

http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-400-800-xl-xe-missile-command_41539.html

 

Please report back if you find something interesting, I wrote down the apparent visual differences I could find but there may be more hidden in the code.

 

Edited May 30, 2023 by www.atarimania.com

[Tempest]

There are several differences in that Missile Command proto (http://www.atariprotos.com/8bit/software/missile/missile.htm).   The word STICK instead of SKIP is interesting as it implies the control method used.  I know the released version supports Track-Ball with the Control-T command but I can't seem to get that to work in the emulator.  Does pressing Control-T in the prototype change STICK to TBALL?

 

I think this beta was accidentally released on the Compilation A in the UK (http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-400-800-xl-xe-compilation-a_7025.html )

[www.atarimania.com]

Here's an early version of Mortgage and Loan Analysis found on a disk as a single BASIC file:

http://www.atarimania.com/utility-atari-400-800-xl-xe-mortgage-and-loan-analysis_41540.html

 

Check the differences (proto on the right):

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Tempest]

Neat.  The Inverse ATASCII podcast will be all over this.

[+Stephen]

Cool.  Does anyone know who designed the ATASCII Fuji screen that was used on so many titles back then?  When I got my 400 in 82 States & Capitals was my 1st exposure to the machine, so it is forever etched in my memory.

[Tempest]

31 minutes ago, Stephen said:

When I got my 400 in 82 States & Capitals was my 1st exposure to the machine, so it is forever etched in my memory.

Same.  That and the funky 'disco' music it had when it loaded.  I can STILL hum that tune to this day.

[Kr0tki]

On 5/30/2023 at 8:33 PM, Tempest said:

There are several differences in that Missile Command proto (http://www.atariprotos.com/8bit/software/missile/missile.htm).   The word STICK instead of SKIP is interesting as it implies the control method used.  I know the released version supports Track-Ball with the Control-T command but I can't seem to get that to work in the emulator.  Does pressing Control-T in the prototype change STICK to TBALL?

In the prototype, switching to Trak-Ball requires pressing Shift+Control+T.

On 5/30/2023 at 8:33 PM, Tempest said:

I think this beta was accidentally released on the Compilation A in the UK (http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-400-800-xl-xe-compilation-a_7025.html )

I have compared the Compilation A version and this prototype - they are nearly identical. The Compilation A version loads into the 8KB memory area at $5700-$76FF, while the prototype executable loads into the 8KB area at $A000-$BFFF, i.e. the standard ROM area. The prototype executable seems to simply contain a memory dump of a ROM cartridge, because it still contains correct cartridge initialization vectors at $BFFA-$BFFF. It is possible to extract that 8KB block of data from the executable and use it as a ROM image.

 

Comparing the Compilation A version and the prototype, there are obviously a lot of byte differences caused by the shift from $A000 to $5700, but other than that, there are only two actual differences:

1. The aforementioned change of the Trak-Ball keyboard combination (one byte at $AA00 in the prototype / $6100 in Compilation A).

2. There is copy-protection code in the Compilation A version that writes random data to the $A000-$BFFF area (specifically, a write instruction at $6158-$6159) - it is not a problem in that version because, as I said, that version loads into an area lower than $A000, so that code does not do any  harm. But in the prototype, that instruction has been replaced with two NOP instructions (at $AA58-$AA59) - I guess someone made this change when preparing the executable file from the original prototype ROM, otherwise the executable would wipe itself out of the memory.

[www.atarimania.com]

Thanks, I made some corrections to the text on our page.

 

Still have some other programs from John that I'll try to upload tonight or tomorrow.

[Tempest]

Thank you for figuring that all out!

[Kr0tki]

Tempest, I've see what you have written on your page about the XEGS-builtin version of MC. This needs correcting. The XEGS version is indeed different than the original cartridge, but the only difference is they modified the keyboard routing to restore the level skip functionality. In other words, level skip works correctly on the XEGS-builtin game. And this is the only difference. There are certainly no additions to handle the ST mouse; in fact, the 1981 cartridge already supports the mouse, but obviously only as a happy accident.

[Tempest]

Ah I got that info from someone else (I don't have an XEGS anymore to test it).  I'll correct that asap.

 

Can you explain why the level skip doesn't work on the XL/XE?

 

so the fact that the ST mouse works at all is fluke?  It wasn't planned?

[Rybags]

I've looked at the code some time back.

The OS has a built in keyboard translation table which does internal code to ASCII.

The original MC refers to this table directly for OS-A/B but with the XL the table moved location (they also added a pointer to it which allows easy modification)

An original MC cart or dump won't work properly on the XL/XE since the key table isn't where expected.

 

The XEGS version was modified to look at the proper table - though I think they just hard coded the location rather than using the pointer.

[Tempest]

Thanks for explanation.  I wonder how many other early Atari titles have issues running on anything other than the original OS?  Not the outright broken and not working (that list is well known), but rather just some features not working.  For example I know the UFO sound in Space Invaders is messed up on anything other than the original OS (it's way too high pitched).

[Kr0tki]

7 hours ago, Rybags said:

The XEGS version was modified to look at the proper table - though I think they just hard coded the location rather than using the pointer.

That's right - and as a result the level-skip in the XEGS version would not work if run on a 400/800

 

4 hours ago, Tempest said:

so the fact that the ST mouse works at all is fluke?  It wasn't planned?

I'm not entirely convinced that Mr. Zdybel would plan in advance in 1981 to ensure compatibility with a device that would be designed three year later by a different company There is no mouse-specific code in MC. The Trak-Ball routine simply works with the mouse by accident.

[Rybags]

Space Invaders - isn't that related to not putting Pokey / SKCTL /AUDCTL back into a normal state once the game has loaded?

[Tempest]

3 minutes ago, Rybags said:

Space Invaders - isn't that related to not putting Pokey / SKCTL /AUDCTL back into a normal state once the game has loaded?

Something like that.  @ClausB explained it to me once and fixed my rom for me.  It does work correctly in the tape version though.

[Kr0tki]

In the Crossfire cartridge, keyboard controls work only on the 400/800.

[Tempest]

18 minutes ago, Kr0tki said:

In the Crossfire cartridge, keyboard controls work only on the 400/800.

For the same reason the MC level skip doesn't work?

[Kr0tki]

🤷‍♂️

[+DjayBee]

58 minutes ago, Kr0tki said:

In the Crossfire cartridge, keyboard controls work only on the 400/800.

The same is true for Jawbreaker II and Baja Buggies. The latter is effected only in the input of your name for the high score table.

Edited June 4, 2023 by DjayBee

[www.atarimania.com]

Here comes another one with Energy Czar by Chris Crawford:

http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-400-800-xl-xe-energy-czar_41547.html

 

Some interesting differences again (proto on the right):

 

 

 

[Tempest]

Interesting. Other than the color differences, did anything else change?

[www.atarimania.com]

Gameplay appears to be exactly the same.

 

Two interesting bits in this version:

- Chris Crawford has his name in the REM statements

- Q doesn't quit the game to BASIC but attempts to load a menu that doesn't exist

 

Now my theory could be completely off but, in late 1979, Atari announced a compilation called BASIC Game Programs. The title was never released but Kingdom appeared under the same catalog number. Could it be that Energy Czar was to be part of the original package, hence the menu? The only thing that doesn't fit is that the programs would've been sold on tape, not disk.

[www.atarimania.com]

Here's a version of AtariWriter dated May 12th, 1983:

AtariWriter + 05-12-1983.atr

 

I know there are a number of protos of this program around so not sure whether I should be looking for something specific. Please chime in if you find some interesting bits. 

[www.atarimania.com]

This time, we have a preliminary version of Statistics I. While the commercial release is V1.2 dated June 18th, 1980, this one is V1.1 from April 30th and shows some differences:

http://www.atarimania.com/utility-atari-400-800-xl-xe-statistics-i_41560.html