Running Unexpanded Games with 16k
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- Vic 20 Amateur
- Posts: 55
- Joined: Thu Nov 27, 2014 10:50 am
Running Unexpanded Games with 16k
Assuming I have a 16k RAM cartridge plugged into my VIC, is there a way I can rearrange memory so that I can run games made for the unexpanded VIC without removing the cartridge. I know that the start of BASIC, screen, and color memory get moved when the VIC is expanded to 16k. I was wondering though if there was a way to change these without removing the cartridge.
- Mike
- Herr VC
- Posts: 4831
- Joined: Wed Dec 01, 2004 1:57 pm
- Location: Munich, Germany
- Occupation: electrical engineer
Re: Running Unexpanded Games with 16k
Enter the line: POKE642,16:POKE644,30:POKE648,30:SYS64818 at the start-up message.
As shorthand here's a small program, which does the same: (download). Put it on a convenient place and run it with LOAD"3K.PRG",8,1.
The VIC-20 will then reset and show you 3583 BYTES FREE with BASIC start and end, and screen at the same addresses as for an unexpanded VIC-20. This change remains in effect until the power cycle or hard reset.
I have integrated this program into my "Unexpanded type-in Games Collection" (see here), so you just load the first program on disk, and run all games from a menu, regardless whether a RAM expansion is plugged in or not.
As shorthand here's a small program, which does the same: (download). Put it on a convenient place and run it with LOAD"3K.PRG",8,1.
The VIC-20 will then reset and show you 3583 BYTES FREE with BASIC start and end, and screen at the same addresses as for an unexpanded VIC-20. This change remains in effect until the power cycle or hard reset.
I have integrated this program into my "Unexpanded type-in Games Collection" (see here), so you just load the first program on disk, and run all games from a menu, regardless whether a RAM expansion is plugged in or not.
Re: Running Unexpanded Games with 16k
This menu will detect what memory configuration the program you try to start requires and downgrade to unexpanded automatically if needed and then run the program:
http://www.boray.se/commodore/vicmenu.html
http://www.boray.se/commodore/vicmenu.html
PRG Starter - a VICE helper / Vic Software (Boray Gammon, SD2IEC music player, Vic Disk Menu, Tribbles, Mega Omega, How Many 8K etc.)
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- Vic 20 Amateur
- Posts: 55
- Joined: Thu Nov 27, 2014 10:50 am
Re: Running Unexpanded Games with 16k
Awesome! Thanks for the information guys.