Hello there ..
After a recent foray into my loft I re-discovered my origional Vic20 bought the year it came out in the UK...complete with the modified Arfon expansion unit with which I ripped my first Cartride (Lunar Lander) to tape .. I can honestly say as far as Im aware I was the first person (certainly in the uk) to perform this little trick ..much to the annoyance of Comodore ..who said it wasn't possible.
My arfon equipped still equipped with the comodore issue machine code cartridge monitor ..is the one I started writing my first games on..
Some of which are still around today it seems ...
Its a pleasure to visit some of the retro sites around atm ...
...a real trip down memory lane for me..
best regards to you all
E Parton
aka ViperSan
I had no idea these old C= machines were still popular
-
Mayhem
- High Bidder
- Posts: 3028
- Joined: Mon May 24, 2004 7:03 am
- Website: http://www.mayhem64.co.uk
- Location: London
Re: I had no idea these old C= machines were still popular
Hi and welcome!
/Anders
Could you mention a couple of titles? Would be interesting to know if one would recognize them.ViperSan wrote:..is the one I started writing my first games on..
Some of which are still around today it seems ...
/Anders
PRG Starter - a VICE helper / Vic Software (Boray Gammon, SD2IEC music player, Vic Disk Menu, Tribbles, Mega Omega, How Many 8K etc.)
Sure thing Boray ..
I did 2 versions of Punchy ..
Vic +16 and the one in the starter pack for C16
My first game was a simple 'depth charge' variation for the unexpanded VIC called Invincible .
It did actually go on sale ..though I can't confirm just how many went into circulation.
rgds
btw ...ripping carts to tape isn't hard ...
Its a long time ago though ...
If memory serves ...you just have to switch the address lines to a memory cart and a game cart ..
Using an 8k game cart for example
You effectively moving the start address of the cart from A000 to say 2000 then power up .....save the contents of say the 8k block starting at 2000 to tape or disc ...
To replay the saved file ...switch an 8k mem cart to address 2000 ...
load in the game from tape ...then physically switch the address from 2000 to A000 ....then soft reboot ...
The 8k mem cart will then contain a playable version of the origional game.
This is the reason they introduced anti piracy solutions in the form of software which writes back to the cart ...if ram it can corrupt the data ...if rom ..not possible to modify ..
To get round this ...I seem to remember putting a switch in to disable the wrtite enabable to the cart ..
Hope this info makes sense ...and is useful ...but remember its over 15 years since I powered up a VIC ...
rgds 2 all
ViperSan
I did 2 versions of Punchy ..
Vic +16 and the one in the starter pack for C16
My first game was a simple 'depth charge' variation for the unexpanded VIC called Invincible .
It did actually go on sale ..though I can't confirm just how many went into circulation.
rgds
btw ...ripping carts to tape isn't hard ...
Its a long time ago though ...
If memory serves ...you just have to switch the address lines to a memory cart and a game cart ..
Using an 8k game cart for example
You effectively moving the start address of the cart from A000 to say 2000 then power up .....save the contents of say the 8k block starting at 2000 to tape or disc ...
To replay the saved file ...switch an 8k mem cart to address 2000 ...
load in the game from tape ...then physically switch the address from 2000 to A000 ....then soft reboot ...
The 8k mem cart will then contain a playable version of the origional game.
This is the reason they introduced anti piracy solutions in the form of software which writes back to the cart ...if ram it can corrupt the data ...if rom ..not possible to modify ..
To get round this ...I seem to remember putting a switch in to disable the wrtite enabable to the cart ..
Hope this info makes sense ...and is useful ...but remember its over 15 years since I powered up a VIC ...
rgds 2 all
ViperSan
There is an easier way. Set it to block 5 (A000).ViperSan wrote: To replay the saved file ...switch an 8k mem cart to address 2000 ...
load in the game from tape ...then physically switch the address from 2000 to A000 ....then soft reboot ...
POKE 43,0:POKE44,160
LOAD
SYS64802
/Anders
PRG Starter - a VICE helper / Vic Software (Boray Gammon, SD2IEC music player, Vic Disk Menu, Tribbles, Mega Omega, How Many 8K etc.)
Can't argue with that Boray ...redirecting the load folowed by a soft reset is a fair enough way to proceed ...it achieves much the same end.
I guess the method I used to run the saved file was more convenient at the time for me ...as all my memory carts were modified to allow bank/address switching.
The point I was making I suppose is that CBM figured that that their cart contents were safe as it wasn't possible to save anything to tape located at $A000 and at that time you couldn't have VICMON and a game cart in the slot at the same time so relocation wasn't an option ...
All of this of course was done long before anyone had even concieved an expansion slot unit..
Arfon changed all that of course..so I guess it Luner Lander was ripped before I got my Arfon ...
Time definately fogs the brain..
Good fun though ...I remember how good it felt when I figured I actually understood 'old VIC's' internals..
..of course its all a bit hazy now ..
Heady days .
I guess the method I used to run the saved file was more convenient at the time for me ...as all my memory carts were modified to allow bank/address switching.
The point I was making I suppose is that CBM figured that that their cart contents were safe as it wasn't possible to save anything to tape located at $A000 and at that time you couldn't have VICMON and a game cart in the slot at the same time so relocation wasn't an option ...
All of this of course was done long before anyone had even concieved an expansion slot unit..
Arfon changed all that of course..so I guess it Luner Lander was ripped before I got my Arfon ...
Time definately fogs the brain..
Good fun though ...I remember how good it felt when I figured I actually understood 'old VIC's' internals..
..of course its all a bit hazy now ..
Heady days .
