Summer Games Cartridge Conversion Now Available

[classics]

I've converted Summer Games, a two disk game to run on the 8mbit flash cartridge.

 

The cartridge features:

 

No disk flipping, seamless game play.

Faster loading than disks.

High scores are automatically saved and restored from the internal flash memory!

 

The cartridge requires:

 

64k or better XL/XE series computer. (800XL, 130XE, etc)

One 8mbit flash cartridge.

 

I believe this is the first game for the Atari that uses flash memory to save and restore game data.

 

Your high scores should be saved for at least 30 years with no loss of data. Smile

 

If you already have a 8mbit flash cartridge you can download the image free and program your own cartridge at this URL:

 

http://www.atarimax.com/flashcart/forum/vi...topic.php?t=207

 

(Note you must be logged into the message board there to see or download the file attachments.)

 

New 8mbit flash cartridges are also available with a special Summer Games label as shown in the picture below. The ordering URL is:

 

http://www.atarimax.com/flashcart/

 

Just put in the order comments that you want a Summer Games label cart instead of the standard 8mbit flash cartridge label.

 

Enjoy!

 

Steve

[DracIsBack]

Hi,

 

What are the additional features that your cart offers over the cart Atari released in 1988? I have the old one currently.

[Velcro_SP]

I was going to say "you're a week late" but what the heck:

 

"You're three years, eleven months, and three weeks early!"

 

[Shawn Jefferson]

Excellent work, Steve! Can I assume you are working on the multi-disk aspect of your flash perl script that I have anxiously been awaiting?

 

What sort of work does making these multi-disk flash cartridge conversions require?

[classics]

@Drac: I have not seen the Atari version. Does it play all the events just like the disk version? I would imagine it doesnt save hi scores in the cartridge.

 

@Shawn: I've been tinkering with it again lately, I should have a new kit to post soon but its still rough.

 

Ultima IV required a lot of hacking and changing code in the game to get it working. Summer Games required somewhat less since its just 2 disks instead of 4, but still some custom bits to save and restore to flash.

 

Steve

[tjlazah]

How does this differ from the real XE cart version?

[Heaven/TQA]

ultima 4 works... great to just "plug play" my lovely u4... without disk loading etc...

 

summer games works as well and saves highscores!!!

 

cool... but now cool would be to have more "images" on the 8mb flashcart...so you don't have to flash everytime which needs a lot of time... better would be to flash via PC and not via XL which might be quicker...

 

unfortunatly i have to play now U4 and can not flash it with another image...

 

good work!

[classics]

Glad its working... I would like to do all the Ultimas eventually.

 

There is something wrong with my copy of Ultima III (from Jellystone), after sitting for a few minutes my party is 'lost' and appears near a whirlpool, but then the game crashes.

 

With the smaller Ultimas two or even all three of I, II and III might fit on a single cart with enough labor.

 

Steve

[ATARIeric]

@ classics: private message sent

[+CharlieChaplin]

Well,

since this is a port from the disk version to the flashcart, I guess a) it may or may not save highscores (the XE cart by Atari did not!) and most important b) it supports up to 8 players (the XE cart by Atari merely supports 3 players - e.g. every player could win a medal: gold, silver or bronze; in the disk version if more than 3 players, some will not win a medal). Finally c) the disk version had some (easy) copy protection which prevented it from running ok under certain OSs (like QMEG-OS, APE+OS, etc. - the score and highscore/final score would be randomized or garbage then), the XE cart runs fine under the mentioned OSs (don`t know about the flashcart version)... So, if you already have the XE cart, there would be no need for the flashcart version (except if you are a collector and/or you want to play SG with more than 3 players)... -andreas.

[+CharlieChaplin]

Hey Steve,

how about porting "Winter Challenge" (also known as Winter Olympiad 88) by Tynesoft (4 disksides, no copy protection) and "Winter Events" by Anco (2 disksides, copy protected) to the flashcart...?!? Or "The Brundles" by KE-Soft (3 disksides, medium/enhanced density; Lemmings clone)... ?!? -Andreas.

[Shawn Jefferson]

When Steve releases the new perl script for building carts and some tips on how to find and change the disk accesses inside these multi-disk games, then more people can help with converting these to the 8Mb flashcart.

 

Brundles would be a cool one to do.

The holy grail would be AR though. I've heard that it uses some funky encryption routine unfortunately.

[Wrathchild]

Time to focus on these is the problem for me these days.

 

I'd looked into both Winter Olympiad 88 and Gauntlet a little

while back after doing The Eidolon and Koronis Rift.

These look straight forward enough to modify into any

switchable cart model, flash, xegs and mega.

 

Regards,

Mark