Dutchman2000 Posted July 27, 2007 Share Posted July 27, 2007 UPDATE: I have finally gotten time to configure the code and try to compile a ROM version of Sinistar. Progress is going well, but I have hit a slight snag. The compiled code will NOT fit in a 16k cart. I am working on possible solutions for this, including bank-switching if I can figure out how to implement it. This is good news for a 5200 conversion, as I can use 32k for that. Keep watching folks, I hope to release it soon. Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/74736-atari-8-bit-sinistar-prototype-discovered/page/6/#findComment-1340681 Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Allan Posted July 27, 2007 Share Posted July 27, 2007 UPDATE: I have finally gotten time to configure the code and try to compile a ROM version of Sinistar. Progress is going well, but I have hit a slight snag. The compiled code will NOT fit in a 16k cart. I am working on possible solutions for this, including bank-switching if I can figure out how to implement it. This is good news for a 5200 conversion, as I can use 32k for that. Keep watching folks, I hope to release it soon. COOL! I was under the impression it was a 64K game. Only 16K? Wow. 5200 version!! Drool.... Allan Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/74736-atari-8-bit-sinistar-prototype-discovered/page/6/#findComment-1340751 Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidcalgary29 Posted July 27, 2007 Share Posted July 27, 2007 Awesome. Thank you so much for all of the effort that you've been putting into this and your other projects! Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/74736-atari-8-bit-sinistar-prototype-discovered/page/6/#findComment-1340753 Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesD Posted July 28, 2007 Share Posted July 28, 2007 Cool... I guess sometimes when you kick a horse it gets up and walks. Well, it shouldn't be too difficult to implement bank switching. It will just take a little time. Too bad I don't have a 5200. Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/74736-atari-8-bit-sinistar-prototype-discovered/page/6/#findComment-1340798 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dutchman2000 Posted July 28, 2007 Share Posted July 28, 2007 Cool... I guess sometimes when you kick a horse it gets up and walks. I'm not sure I like the inference here.... Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/74736-atari-8-bit-sinistar-prototype-discovered/page/6/#findComment-1340927 Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesD Posted July 29, 2007 Share Posted July 29, 2007 Cool... I guess sometimes when you kick a horse it gets up and walks. I'm not sure I like the inference here.... Oh please... I talked about kicking a dead horse in the previous post. Talk about this project has gone on for a long time and it sounded like you might still be too busy to work on it. I was just saying it wasn't a dead horse after all. Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/74736-atari-8-bit-sinistar-prototype-discovered/page/6/#findComment-1341422 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dutchman2000 Posted July 30, 2007 Share Posted July 30, 2007 UPDATE: Progress is going well. Bryan (author of Castle Crisis) has stepped in and is teaching me how to use the XE bank switching technique. According to the notes I have, Sinistar was supposed to be one of the first games to use a bank-switched cart for the Atari computers. Cloak and Dagger was another one. Once I get this implemented a ROM release will be ready. Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/74736-atari-8-bit-sinistar-prototype-discovered/page/6/#findComment-1342028 Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Allan Posted July 30, 2007 Share Posted July 30, 2007 UPDATE: I have finally gotten time to configure the code and try to compile a ROM version of Sinistar. Progress is going well, but I have hit a slight snag. The compiled code will NOT fit in a 16k cart. I am working on possible solutions for this, including bank-switching if I can figure out how to implement it. This is good news for a 5200 conversion, as I can use 32k for that. Keep watching folks, I hope to release it soon. Question: On Tempest's proto-site he mentions that Sinistar requires 48K to run. What does this mean as far as a 5200 version? Does it mean that the program was designed from the beginning to be split up into two 16K parts so that it could be bank-switched on the 8-bits and use 32K RAM but also be able to run on a 5200 which would have to switch back and forth from each half of the it's 32K ROM space in order to run in 16K Ram? Allan Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/74736-atari-8-bit-sinistar-prototype-discovered/page/6/#findComment-1342118 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dutchman2000 Posted July 30, 2007 Share Posted July 30, 2007 (edited) Allan- The disk-based version required 48k, as the game was 25k in size. It would not run on a 400 with only 16k as there was not enough room for the program. Now that I have re-compiled the code to run on a cart, it will work fine with 16k and will work on the 5200. There will be no need to bank switch on the 5200 as it can handle 32k. The game is only 24k so that will work. Edited July 30, 2007 by Dutchman2000 Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/74736-atari-8-bit-sinistar-prototype-discovered/page/6/#findComment-1342171 Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Allan Posted July 30, 2007 Share Posted July 30, 2007 Allan- The disk-based version required 48k, as the game was 25k in size. It would not run on a 400 with only 16k as there was not enough room for the program. Now that I have re-compiled the code to run on a cart, it will work fine with 16k and will work on the 5200. There will be no need to bank switch on the 5200 as it can handle 32k. The game is only 24k so that will work. Oh yea, I always forget you have to have room for DOS. Great news on getting it compiled. I can't wait to play it. Allan Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/74736-atari-8-bit-sinistar-prototype-discovered/page/6/#findComment-1342172 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dutchman2000 Posted July 31, 2007 Share Posted July 31, 2007 UPDATE: I think I finally have a handle on the bank-switching technique. It's going to take a while though as I have to go through all of the code making sure any jumps happen when the correct bank is selected. Thanks for being so patient. Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/74736-atari-8-bit-sinistar-prototype-discovered/page/6/#findComment-1342722 Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidcalgary29 Posted July 31, 2007 Share Posted July 31, 2007 UPDATE: I think I finally have a handle on the bank-switching technique. It's going to take a while though as I have to go through all of the code making sure any jumps happen when the correct bank is selected. Thanks for being so patient. Quick question: does anyone know who developed the bank-switching technique at Atari? Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/74736-atari-8-bit-sinistar-prototype-discovered/page/6/#findComment-1342895 Share on other sites More sharing options...
miker Posted October 7, 2007 Share Posted October 7, 2007 (bump) So what's new? Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/74736-atari-8-bit-sinistar-prototype-discovered/page/6/#findComment-1383835 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted October 7, 2007 Share Posted October 7, 2007 (bump) So what's new? Assume nothing unless posted otherwise. QUIT BUMPING POSTS! Tempest Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/74736-atari-8-bit-sinistar-prototype-discovered/page/6/#findComment-1383884 Share on other sites More sharing options...
+MrFish Posted October 13, 2007 Share Posted October 13, 2007 (bump) So what's new? Assume nothing unless posted otherwise. QUIT BUMPING POSTS! Tempest It's no longer kosher to ask how a project is going??? Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/74736-atari-8-bit-sinistar-prototype-discovered/page/6/#findComment-1387789 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted October 14, 2007 Share Posted October 14, 2007 (bump) So what's new? Assume nothing unless posted otherwise. QUIT BUMPING POSTS! Tempest It's no longer kosher to ask how a project is going??? Assume nothing unless posted otherwise. Tempest Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/74736-atari-8-bit-sinistar-prototype-discovered/page/6/#findComment-1387910 Share on other sites More sharing options...
+MrFish Posted October 14, 2007 Share Posted October 14, 2007 (bump) So what's new? Assume nothing unless posted otherwise. QUIT BUMPING POSTS! Tempest It's no longer kosher to ask how a project is going??? Assume nothing unless posted otherwise. Tempest I prefer to "assume" that the individuals working on this project know more about it's status. Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/74736-atari-8-bit-sinistar-prototype-discovered/page/6/#findComment-1387918 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted October 14, 2007 Share Posted October 14, 2007 (bump) So what's new? Assume nothing unless posted otherwise. QUIT BUMPING POSTS! Tempest It's no longer kosher to ask how a project is going??? Assume nothing unless posted otherwise. Tempest I prefer to "assume" that the individuals working on this project know more about it's status. That would also be me (I'm in close communication with Ken). Sooo... Assume nothing unless posted otherwise. Seriously though, we'll post updates as we have them. We haven't forgotten about this... Tempest Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/74736-atari-8-bit-sinistar-prototype-discovered/page/6/#findComment-1387943 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxsolo2000 Posted October 14, 2007 Share Posted October 14, 2007 So at the risk of offending you Tempest is anything happening with Good Luck Charlie Brown and Turbo or are we to ne kept in limbo about those too? Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/74736-atari-8-bit-sinistar-prototype-discovered/page/6/#findComment-1388158 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted October 14, 2007 Share Posted October 14, 2007 So at the risk of offending you Tempest is anything happening with Good Luck Charlie Brown and Turbo or are we to ne kept in limbo about those too? I can only speak to Turbo. Turbo is being "readied" for release, we had a little bit of a set back when a member of the team had to leave the project, but everything is back on track now. I can't give a firm release date yet though, but I'd think it would be soon. No idea about GLCB. Once again it seems to have fallen off the face of the earth. I swear that prototype is cursed... Tempest Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/74736-atari-8-bit-sinistar-prototype-discovered/page/6/#findComment-1388220 Share on other sites More sharing options...
matchboxfan Posted October 21, 2007 Share Posted October 21, 2007 So at the risk of offending you Tempest is anything happening with Good Luck Charlie Brown and Turbo or are we to ne kept in limbo about those too? I can only speak to Turbo. Turbo is being "readied" for release, we had a little bit of a set back when a member of the team had to leave the project, but everything is back on track now. I can't give a firm release date yet though, but I'd think it would be soon. No idea about GLCB. Once again it seems to have fallen off the face of the earth. I swear that prototype is cursed... Tempest So how about releasing the unaltered version while folks are waitin? Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/74736-atari-8-bit-sinistar-prototype-discovered/page/6/#findComment-1392060 Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesD Posted October 21, 2007 Share Posted October 21, 2007 So how about releasing the unaltered version while folks are waitin? I think the original programmer had some very specific wishes about that. Still, it would be neat to see the state it was in when the project was canceled and be able to compare it to the final release. I'm just curious as to how close it was to completion. Tempest, could you ask if the programmer would allow that. We know it wasn't finished and it's not his fault they didn't give him time to complete it. Even if we have to wait till the final game it complete it would be interesting to see. Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/74736-atari-8-bit-sinistar-prototype-discovered/page/6/#findComment-1392177 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dutchman2000 Posted October 25, 2007 Share Posted October 25, 2007 UPDATE: I haven't had much time lately to work on Sinistar, some real-life events have gotten in the way (Don't you just hate that?) I'm still trying to re-work the code so the bank-switching technique will work correctly. I know how to implement it, I just have to make it happen. There will be extensive testing to make sure everything works before I release the ROM. Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/74736-atari-8-bit-sinistar-prototype-discovered/page/6/#findComment-1394558 Share on other sites More sharing options...
+MrFish Posted October 26, 2007 Share Posted October 26, 2007 UPDATE: I haven't had much time lately to work on Sinistar, some real-life events have gotten in the way (Don't you just hate that?) I'm still trying to re-work the code so the bank-switching technique will work correctly. I know how to implement it, I just have to make it happen. There will be extensive testing to make sure everything works before I release the ROM. Thanks for the update, and all the hard work... Great discovery, however long it takes... Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/74736-atari-8-bit-sinistar-prototype-discovered/page/6/#findComment-1394916 Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin242 Posted October 26, 2007 Share Posted October 26, 2007 8-bt Sinistar would make a perfect mini bonus game for Duke Nukem Forever. Another suggestion, maybe you could get it included on Guns N Roses new album I hear they are working on. Quote Link to comment https://forums.atariage.com/topic/74736-atari-8-bit-sinistar-prototype-discovered/page/6/#findComment-1395243 Share on other sites More sharing options...
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