K-Star Patrol

[nbla000]

Hi,
I've discovered that the K-Star Patrol cartrdge's files image on Zimmers are not correct, by looking code inside, it seems a PAL Patched/Hacked version and in any case the game does not work like on some video taken from real VIC with Real cartridge.

If you watch these videos (Video 1) (Video 2), you may see that when you start the game just after you select the number of players, there is a screen that says Player 1 Sector 1 while by using the zimmers version it displays instead 01 over PLAYERS.

The game is RAM protected even if it seems to work, and it uses a very hard to find way to protect it, at the end of BLK3 file there is a write "STAR PATROL (2)"

Tested in Emulation and in Real Hardware (RAM and ROM) same behaviour.

Someone has the original cartridge and may redump it?

this Mike's program could be useful

[Vic20-Ian]

The version on MegaCart has a display bug.

PLAY01RS

[nbla000]

Yes, because I've used the Zimmers version just hacked to work for PAL/NTSC, I guess it's an Hacked/fixed version and the original rom was for NTSC Only, In effect screen for PAL is a bit offcentered on top but if you change the Y screen value on $9001 you need to change raster effects too so for me is clarely an original NTSC cart.

[nbla000]

I've just received the original cartridge and as suspected it was an NTSC-only game and it does not work on PAL machines, not only off centered but when you start the game, it hangs on Player 1/2 mode selection.

I've dumped Roms and I've discovered also that the game uses 4k rom on BLK5 ($A000-$AFFF) and 8K on BLK3 ($6000-$7FFF), in addition it uses a Ram protection, no glitches/audio issues of course.

By inspecting the differences with the Zimmers version, I may affirm that the version present on Zimmers is an hacked version for PAL adapting.

I'm working on a new RAMFIXED version for NTSC and a PAL version with raster fixes, it's quite finished, I'm on real PAL machine testing phase at the moment.

Some Picture taken from Real PAL Hardware:

[orion70]

Good job! Thanks for that. This is a very good game imo

[nbla000]

Here we are !

As promised, I've attached my new dump files of the original NTSC version of K-Star Patrol (Ram protected) and there is also a RAMFixed version of BLK3 Rom for NTSC and PAL that has a raster fix too.

I don't know if someone may inform Marko Mäkelä to update Zimmers site also with my other fixed rom for Vic-Rally X

Here you can find instructions for the Atari 400/800 version , very similar.

PS: On the rar files there is also a d64 image to easy load multi file image, turbo support for Real drives do not work on sd2iec drives

[Mikam73]

I did just ‘Signal’ those two files to him.

[6502dude]

Very good work on fixing this!