ADAM Computer Port - Chuckie Egg (1984 A&F Software / 2024 Telemetry Software)

[NIAD]

Telemetry Software has released their latest port to the Coleco ADAM Computer of an MSX game. Please note that Chuckie Egg requires the Opcode Super Game Module, ADAM Sound Enhancer or other compatible device for all sound output, otherwise no game sounds or music will be heard. Game play is via a joystick, there is no ADAM Keyboard support.

 

The Chuckie Egg disk or data pack image files can be played using:

 

- ADAMem SDL v2.1g-beta using the -sgm 1 switch to enable SGM sound output. It can be downloaded at (AdamArchive.Org) - The home for everything ADAM

- ColecoDS v10.0 on one of the Nintendo DS systems thanks to wavemotion adding support to his emulator for these new ADAM ports.

- Copied to an SD Card and played on a Coleco ADAM Computer using a FujiNet, ADE or VDD SD drive

- Converted to an ADAM disk and played on a Coleco ADAM Computer using a Disk Drive

- Copied from disk to a digital data pack and played on a Coleco ADAM Computer using a Digital Data Drive

 

Included in the Chuckie Egg zip archive are:

- Disk and DDP image files

- Manual for the ADAM version

- Screenshots

 

Telemetry Software so far has released 6 Coleco ADAM Computer ports of MSX games, you can find them by using the Forum's Search option and entering "ADAM Computer Port".

Chuckie Egg (Coleco ADAM Computer Port).zip

[Captain Cozmos]

I guess now I don't have to complete my port.

[NIAD]

1 hour ago, Captain Cozmos said:

I guess now I don't have to complete my port.

Just checking if you are being sarcastic. 😜

 

If not and you are working on a port, is it in CV cartridge format or ADAM EOS format? If CV format, then I see no reason not to complete it as there are many more strictly CV owners as you know.

[rietveld]

This game HANGs at the title screen when I use my Adam expansion 3 

[Captain Cozmos]

2 hours ago, NIAD said:

Just checking if you are being sarcastic. 😜

 

If not and you are working on a port, is it in CV cartridge format or ADAM EOS format? If CV format, then I see no reason not to complete it as there are many more strictly CV owners as you know.

I was working on a Chuckie Egg Trilogy cart for the stock Colecovision.
Chuckie Egg 1, 2 and my version which is Jr.

 

Edited September 2 by Captain Cozmos

[Captain Cozmos]

BTW, I appreciate the port but I suspect the guy created a loader and patched the ports while leaving everything else alone.

If the dude wanted to seriously port it then the Keyboard would work as well as saving high scores.

 

I have yet to get any of these ports to work past introductions in emulation.

 

I took the MSX Chuckie Egg off disk and disassembled it.

I would have to rewrite a bit of code to for it to work within 1k so I decided on a rewrite of the whole thing.

As far as Chuckie Egg 2, that is a 100% rewrite from scratch but using the screen images and video I found online as reference

[NIAD]

On 9/1/2024 at 5:22 PM, rietveld said:

This game HANGs at the title screen when I use my Adam expansion 3 

Both the disk and data pack images?

 

I only tested using ADAMem as I haven't had the time to test on a real ADAM... which would be the Stand-Alone system which is probably what Telemetry Software is using.

[NIAD]

On 9/1/2024 at 7:47 PM, Captain Cozmos said:

BTW, I appreciate the port but I suspect the guy created a loader and patched the ports while leaving everything else alone.

If the dude wanted to seriously port it then the Keyboard would work as well as saving high scores.

A loader is what I was thinking as well and when I have the time, I was going to take a look with an editor to see if all the ports they released are actually in rom format with the added ADAM code for the loader and Telemetry Software title screen. If they are in rom format, the game code can be pulled off and saved as a file/rom image to be used on a CV with a multi-cart.

 

I think available time plays into the decision to not correct code to use the ADAM keyboard, etc.

On 9/1/2024 at 7:47 PM, Captain Cozmos said:

I have yet to get any of these ports to work past introductions in emulation.

 ADAMem SDL v2.1g beta by Geoff Oltmans and use the -SGM command line switch.

 

I have also used Virtual ADAM by Steve Pitman but then no sound as it does not have support for the SGM.

 

I have not tested any other emulators that offer ADAM support like ColEm, CoolCV, EmulTwo, MAME, old MESS, etc.

On 9/1/2024 at 7:47 PM, Captain Cozmos said:

I took the MSX Chuckie Egg off disk and disassembled it.

I would have to rewrite a bit of code to for it to work within 1k so I decided on a rewrite of the whole thing.

As far as Chuckie Egg 2, that is a 100% rewrite from scratch but using the screen images and video I found online as reference

Good luck with completion.

 

Have any of your past works been completed and published yet? There were quite a few that I recall from your threads.

 

Edited September 3 by NIAD

[Captain Cozmos]

2 hours ago, NIAD said:

A loader is what I was thinking as well and when I have the time, I was going to take a look with an editor to see if all the ports they released are actually in rom format with the added ADAM code for the loader and Telemetry Software title screen. If they are in rom format, the game code can be pulled off and saved as a file/rom image to be used on a CV with a multi-cart.

 

I think available time plays into the decision to not correct code to use the ADAM keyboard, etc.

 ADAMem SDL v2.1g beta by Geoff Oltmans and use the -SGM command line switch.

 

I have also used Virtual ADAM by Steve Pitman but then no sound as it does not have support for the SGM.

 

I have not tested any other emulators that offer ADAM support like ColEm, CoolCV, EmulTwo, MAME, old MESS, etc.

Good luck with completion.

 

Have any of your past works been completed and published yet? There were quite a few that I recall from your threads.

 

 

This is just a hobby for me and unfortunately I am swamped with real world things that take priority.

But hopefully, the community's quest for free stuff will be fulfilled sometime in the future.

 

In the mean time I have to deploy again this weekend to parts unknown.

 

 

 

Edited September 3 by Captain Cozmos

[Captain Cozmos]

I just done a quick disassembly of the ADAM Chuckie Egg and it is nearly byte for byte the same as the MSX version except for the loader.
All the memory locations are the same but diverts the necessary parts such as controller access.

 

 

Loads in at $C000 from boot block, the Telemetry text...
$C000 loads stuff to $8000 which then executes.

All of this is similar to the MSX version

 

This is the start of the ADAM version at $8000

    DW 4241h
    DW START
    DB    0
    DB    0
    DB    0
    DB    0
    DB    0
    DB    0
    DB    0
    DB    0
    DB    0
    DB    0
    DB    0
    DB    0
START:
    LD      a, 15h
    LD      (byte_F3E9), a ; changes for ADAM EOS
    LD      a, 1
    LD      (byte_F3EA), a; ""
    LD      (byte_F3EB), a; ""
    CALL    sub_2051
    LD      a, (byte_F3E0)
    AND     0FCh
    LD      b, 2
    OR      b
    LD      (byte_F3E0), a
    out     (0BFh), a    ; ADAM Control Port
    LD      a, 81h
    out     (0BFh), a
    LD      hl, 0FD9Ah
    LD      de, 0FD9Bh
    LD      bc, 196h
    LD      (hl), 0
    LDir
    NOP
    NOP
    LD      hl, 8080h
    LD      de, 0C000h
    LD      bc, 45h
    LDir
    NOP
    NOP
    NOP
    NOP
    NOP
    JP      loc_8100

 

 

This is the MSX version at $8000

    in      a, (0A8h); MSX Parallel Port?  For tape in loading?
    LD      b, a
    AND     3Fh
    out     (0A8h), a
    LD      a, (byte_FFFF)
    CPl
    AND     0F0h
    LD      (byte_FFFF), a
    LD      a, b
    AND     0F0h
    out     (0A8h), a
    JP      loc_854C

 

 

It was a quick disassemble but nothing unexpected.

Edited September 3 by Captain Cozmos

[Captain Cozmos]

One of the main issues with porting this to the stock Colecovision without a rewrite is that it uses a 768 byte buffer to interpret where everything is on the screen.

On the ADAM and MSX that would be $B49C if I disassembled this correctly.
If I do not find any other major ram uses (sound is an issue) then I might be able to fit this as is on stock.

 

I could easily rewrite this for the ADAM, keyboard, 4 players and rewrite the sound to use the 76489.

I believe all the PSG outs for the MSX are ($50),($51).

The whole game is probably between 12 and 16k but it uses a RAM that stock does not have.

 

If only Coleco sprung for 2k instead of 1.  Those cheap bastards.

 

[Captain Cozmos]

Controllers redirected and handled at $20F6

Some graphics pointers and setup in that general area as well.

Grabs pointers up in the $F3xx area and not the OS7 BIOS so again, rewrites

 

Another reason why I would not mind a partial rewrite is that in the MSX version, going up and down ladders seems to be a pain in the &&&.
 

BTW, I have this working in MAME, no sound.

 

Going to bed now...

Edited September 3 by Captain Cozmos

[ChuckH]

Just for information, it works perfectly in CoolCV with sound. It also works in Colem but the sound is 'scratchy". It works in Virtual Adam (AdamEm) but no sound since no SGM support.

[NIAD]

13 hours ago, ChuckH said:

Just for information, it works perfectly in CoolCV with sound. It also works in Colem but the sound is 'scratchy". It works in Virtual Adam (AdamEm) but no sound since no SGM support.

While ADAM emulation isn't great in CoolCV and ColEm, it is good enough for a lot of ADAM software to work correctly and BOTH support the SGM, so sound output is played with these Telemetry Software ports.

 

ADAMem DOS v1.0 thru v1.03 (I think that was the last revision) and Virtual ADAM (based off the last DOS version) have never been updated to include support for the SGM. In fact, the last DOS version released by Doug Slopsem was v1.81 and it does not support the SGM.

 

ADAMem SDL (Windows, Linux, Mac) was updated a number of years ago to include support for the SGM, I think around v2.0-beta. Just use the -SGM switch to activate it. Also, seeing as there is not a GUI, I recommend using ADAMem Manager Frontend by Marcel de Kogel. Even though it was written for an older version of Windows and for the DOS version of ADAMem, it still works great on my Windows 10 system.

[NIAD]

18 hours ago, Captain Cozmos said:

But hopefully, the community's quest for free stuff will be fulfilled sometime in the future.

 

In the mean time I have to deploy again this weekend to parts unknown.

Personally, I'm not looking for free stuff and would gladly support your efforts with a purchase if the item was something that I am interested in. I can't speak for everyone else, but I could venture a guess that most feel the same way. So, as I've stated in the past, always look forward to reading updates and good luck with your endeavores.

 

Appreciate your service to this country!!! 💪

[rietveld]

On 9/2/2024 at 10:50 PM, NIAD said:

Both the disk and data pack images?

 

I only tested using ADAMem as I haven't had the time to test on a real ADAM... which would be the Stand-Alone system which is probably what Telemetry Software is using.

Hangs on my expansion 3 Adam using he disk image

My setup is a F18a, IDE controller, MIB WIFI, 1MB battery backed expander and a Lundy BUS expander with a Speech pack, MIDI pack, and SGM

 

All connected at the same time

Edited September 5 by rietveld

[Captain Cozmos]

2 hours ago, rietveld said:

Hangs on my expansion 3 Adam using he disk image

My setup is a F18a, IDE controller, MIB WIFI, 1MB battery backed expander and a Lundy BUS expander with a Speech pack, MIDI pack, and SGM

 

All connected at the same time

I have it partially working on stock Colecovision without changing much of the code.  Mostly memory addresses.
The PSG is a different animal because I have to convert the sound to the 76489

 

If I had to make a bold statement, you could even recompile the MSX BIOS, with a few changes, to get it to run on an ADAM.

 

To what end?  Do you get anything new?
It still won't run games natively anything that accesses the ports directly.

[rietveld]

23 minutes ago, Captain Cozmos said:

I have it partially working on stock Colecovision without changing much of the code.  Mostly memory addresses.
The PSG is a different animal because I have to convert the sound to the 76489

 

If I had to make a bold statement, you could even recompile the MSX BIOS, with a few changes, to get it to run on an ADAM.

 

To what end?  Do you get anything new?
It still won't run games natively anything that accesses the ports directly.

The Nabu guys are running the MSX bios using CP/m. Could this work for the Adam?

[Captain Cozmos]

3 hours ago, rietveld said:

The Nabu guys are running the MSX bios using CP/m. Could this work for the Adam?

I don't know the NABU Memory Map but at the end of the day ADAM consists of 5 things.

64k, Z80, 76489 PSG, 9928 VDP and the 6801 all of which are no big deal except the 6801 because it shares a memory address to communicate with external devices.

 

That 6801 is what &&&&s the ADAM out of compatibility across the board and that was one of the hardships when CP/M 2.2 was ported.
CP/M 2.2 is the easiest thing to port because all you have to so is fill in the blanks then compile for your system a new BIOS but non standard Coleco... This is also why I am having issues with CP/M 3.
 

When I disassembled this game, whomever ported this does not use OS7 and EOS ends up being written over after loading.  I suspect to not conflict with anything the MSX might toy with up in the $E000-$FFFF range.
 

I have also disassembled the MSX BIOS using the MSX BIOS Listing as reference because I would like to port MSX games at the ground level.
I have concluded that I could port that BIOS just by rearranging a few things in the $F000 range but at the end of the day it would be a project that yields no fruit.

 

My issue is that before assembling you can change the MSX control port ($99) to ADAM control port ($BF) and it acts the same towards the VDP

But any program already assembled will not run unless you disassemble, change the ports then reassemble.  I am sure you already know this.

 

At a TOKEN level like Smart Basic, I can divert and emulate the command say, when it accesses the disk.  Hell, you could even come up with a hardware project that replaces the disk drive if someone wanted to.

 

Some of the fun when I started working on the ADAM has been to seriously screw around and see what I can get away with.  Just recently time has been taken up with some of the most priority I have seen in quite awhile. Otherwise I would toy with this some more.

Edited September 5 by Captain Cozmos