Most liked posts in thread: What's new Pussycat too?

I just laughed at the way he used to park his old white Merc across two bays of the disabled zones in Chiswick Sainsburys. Did it almost every time that I was there..Cindy met him, I was always on my way out when he turned up.. Sad loss to the comedy world..

 

Wasn't a Young Ones fan but really loved him in The New Statesman Mind you, the Right Honorable Alan B'Stard wouildn't be able to hold a candle to todays politicians and the antics they get up to!

 

Some uber smooth, cool and yule-friendly Atari console goodness going on there, Al.

Lovely post - some quality goods and like you say, the wonder and joy is still there for us all to behold that these venerable veteran systems still boot in such a pleasing way and bring the good times back in an instant - bloody brilliant, mate - big telly n'all!

Really pleased you negotiated a rare old deal on the 1010 too - excellent method.

Mate, the Atari 2600 carts you are still seeking destructions/boxes for.... run us a wee list and I'll keep me feelers out for ya, fella. (I can see you've got the Battlezone instructions - do you need all the others pictured?)

Super Atari wall display of tin signs etc (and a dodgy Baz Retro Xmas card by the looks of things!) and also your CBM-64, mini Amoeba and VIC-20 area is also very pleasing to behold too, buddy. (Speccy mousemat photobombing the proceedings too!)

PS. Really enjoying Shetland on iPlayer with Bev at the mo - not a patch on Alan B'stard in terms of fiendishness, the temp-DI Tosh "whats-her-name", but gripping drama all the same!

Have a great further sweep of Glasgow micro fairs coming up soon, with yer daughter, Al.

It's all mighty retro micro good stuff.

 

Everyone seems to be getting hit with these bugs at the moment, stay safe as best you can fellas.
Andy, that achilles sounds painful Think you might need to lay off the Iron man training and cycle touring for a few months!

Didn't turn up any new retro stuff today but had some proper quality time with my daughter and a good meander round the Barras and Christmas markets. Thoroughly enjoyed it and we had a good laugh. Poor wee soul is now looking at a manic month in work (jewellery retailer).

 

No problem here, Baz - waiting for your XMas card is part of the Holidays tradition now.

 

I endorse your every word, dear Baz. And thank you very much for the video contribution, now I know what to send to my loved ones and acquaintances as a digital wish for happy holidays.

Speaking of joysticks and old 8-bit computers, do any of you here have a Commodore 64 NTSC version, perhaps @M.D.Baker? I would need someone with a real C64 NTSC or even a DREAN system (from Australia) to try out a demo that a friend of mine recently programmed as a tribute to a famous Italian actor who passed away a few years ago.

If any of you can help me, I would be very grateful. Here is the demo to be tested on NTSC and DREAN systems.

https://csdb.dk/release/index.php?id=237321

 

I figured you would have tried emulators and yes, real hardware will maybe play differently, I've even seen differences with some programs between emulators that are all pretty equal. Chances are that unless it was coded to check the system display and adjust timings, that it may have tiny raster split jerks..Hardly a thing to worry about, as long as it scrolls ok and isn't losing any screen content, then it's good to go..

 

Yes, exactly, Paul. The code was written to check the system video format of the host machine, but still, sometimes, as you say, there are very little differences with raster management. It's often only a matter of two or three cycles that can be easily fixed by inserting a couple of NOPs or other techniques to remove any possible defects, flickering effects, etc.

I never had the chance to buy an NTSC C64 - some years ago I'd found a NTSC Vic-20 that works like a charm even with a LED TV, nice and crisp video rendering through an S-video cable. So I'll keep looking for someone with a real NTSC hardware, just to make sure it all works fine.

 

Paul/Daz, I've got a question for you re the Commordore PC emulator VICE.
I cannot get JELLY MONSTERS (or any VIC-20 cart for that matter) running on the damn thing - I've had the odd tape file work but getting nowhere with the ROMs.
I've read a couple of FAQs and forums such as misterfpga.net... and tried start/end addresses and still drawing a blank.
Any advice for a VICE noob other than gan and pay £80-800 for the original withdrawn due to copyright infringements ROM on Feebay?!
Cheers in advance, fellas.

PS. Version: 3.7 (GTK3 3.24.35)

Tried all RAM combinations, running the files (saved to correct games dir - even renamed some from .prg to .crt to see if that did the trick - didn't) in attach cart image / smart attach mode options etc etc and emulator just hangs...

Is it possible my ROM files are crap and I need to look in some better repository online? Tried Zimmers.net

 

I'll have a look through, I know they often are prefixed in the name with the load address. I used to know how to do it all but it's a blank, will dig through the manual. Do not throw the files, they are ok, it's purely the way you load them.

 

Forget all that google nonsense, if in doubt, just ask us lot, I've been around a lot of emulators, as have a lot of us. One of us is sure to know. I myself have so much free time that it's a pleasure to use it to help someone.

PS, sure you must have used the old SYS commands, so didn't go into them...

 

The F keys are normally mapped to the standard PC F keys. only difference is that on the PC using the X64 Vice, you don't need to press SHIFT to get F2 etc, just hit the PC F2 key

Glad it all helped and made sense...

Game controls can be set to a USB pad or just the keyboard, all setting are under Preferences, Settings, Input Settings and desired device..If it's a gamepad, make sure it's plugged in before you run XVic or it won't be recognised in XVic..

Lastly, make sure you save your settings, when you go in to the settings menu there's a tick box saying 'Save settings on exit', worth ticking that or it's easy to forget to save the settings.

Have fun...

 

Any time me old mate, sorry about the old tooth, those broken ones are a real pain in every sense. Hope they gave you some pain meds to help for the after jaw ache.

Once you feel more like it you will be up and running...The controls etc are the easy bit..

 

No pictures yet as I've been busy having a play with it, but my Atari Gamestation Pro (GSP from here onwards) arrived today. First impressions though, great little machine. Build quality is excellent and emulation is very good. The included wireless joysticks are much better and more comfortable than I expected. The system even has LED lights that you can change the colour of, sounds a bit daft but looks very cool anyway!

Have spent some time adding various games to a micro sd card and managed to get more 2600 and 7800 titles as well as Megadrive, Gameboy and GB Advance titles working. Some of the PAL 7800 games were either jerky or didn't run at all but the NTSC versions have all been 100%.

Still early days but I can see this getting a lot of play in AL's man cave. It's much more usable than the Atari 2600+ but having the two of them together makes for an epic retro Atari console setup.

In other news, if any of you have the Atari 50 collection on console or PC, Digital Eclipse have just realised a new free update that gives you another twelve titles including the classic Bowling for the 2600 and the utterly awesome Warbirds on the Lynx.

And finally... news just reaching us that Digital Eclipse are also releasing a Llamasoft Collection in early 2024 using the same format as Atari 50. Can't wait

 

Nice posts, Paul, about how to load games on Vic-20 emulated. And yes, the problem with this CBM machine is often related to memory management - the CRT files must be mapped to a particular address in order to function correctly. Sometimes, even normal PRG games, or the ones included in D64 files, have to be loaded in two parts, checking out the right memory address to load and run them. I remember that with VICE it was a little nightmare to just load Dig Dug the correct way because it's often provided on the web split in two PRG files, and each one must be loaded in a precise order and respecting the correct memory address. As Paul pointed out, with PRGs sometimes you have to run the game with a SYS command. And it also depends on how much memory you need to have as a virtual expansion board, which is often included in the name of the game, together with the loading address.

The Vic-20 GameBase is definitely recommended if you just want to play, without getting nuts with memory locations and running commands. For reference, the Sleeping Elephant/Denial forum is the way to go if you're looking for any information about the Vic-20.

http://sleepingelephant.com/denial/

 

Many many thanks for these posts, fellas.
They are keeping me sane whilst my gob aches like hell and oozes blood both into my mush and now dripping from my nostrils... I look like one of those hell hounds from Hammer House of Horror.
Anyhow, when I'm better again I will d'load the Gamebase for the VIC and get these games then running seamlessly and easily... I have mates at work who grew up with a VIC and the last thing they need is me to go in on Fri 22 Dec (games and party day - yes, it's just like primary school at the council - same petty squabbles, name-calling and fall outs) and struggle to get anything running on me laptop to bring them the Jelly Monsters and Gorf retro rush that they crave! They would probably throw a bowl of trifle over me the minute I started quoting Daz and memory start addresses and PRG files - what the feck? Just git it working, you retro retard etc. Our man oop North sounds a great guy, Paul. I will contact him at some point if only to name drop the great Mac/P. Irvine and thank him for all the time & effort he puts in to keeping these much-loved resources current and accessible.
I also enjoyed catching up with Al there and his excellent GSP acquisition... I'm sorely tempted (once me gob heals) to get one of those cheeky set-ups too - it sounds like the dog's bolly's, Al, esp the remote control jossies, excellent compatibility/customisation and flashing lights (you sold me it on the lights alone!)
OK, must dash - have some snot to sort and some packages to send... ;-)

 

Between your mouth and Paul's arse acrobatics it's a pretty picture on here just now

Andy, I'm going to have a proper play with the GSP this weekend and will get some pictures etc posted. Is there anything in particular you want to see or know about it?

I forgot to mention earlier that I played Warlords and Super Breakout using the built in paddle controller and it felt very responsive. Warlords is fast becoming a favourite of mine.

 

Re-got the Gambase for the Vic, link to it with instructions..

It's only little 320mb

https://mega.nz/file/1oJVlaZZ#J6WHV4EFn_TjLoLycRnVGtjQEvdTxzzrH_leBr-F3qE

Edit: 2 things, after installing and running the frontend will ask to update the database, allow this, it's fine. There however is an error that you get with running the games, the script is slightly out of date and throws up a file reference error, it says you can continue to run it anyway, choose that the game will work. I'll get on to .mad and get the old script back

 

Oh, Al, as regards your GSP review and try-outs etc, anything which looks fab running on the 7800 please - I'm thinking Joust, Xevious, Commando, Pole Position, Desert Falcon, Donkey Kong, Star Wars??

Cheers, mate.

Looking fwd to some high end 8bit console action!

 

I've got Pole Position loaded up already Andy, will pop the others on an SD card over the weekend and see if I can assemble a little video clip for you.

Also just saw that there is a new firmware update released which fixes a few little anomalies and also enables better SD card integration as well as adding Super Nintendo emulation. I'll be trying that out as well.

The more I've been using it, the more impressed I have become with the GSP. The paddle control is very nice, even had a few games of Pong which brought a smile to my face.

 

Blimey Al, posting at 5:45am, do you not sleep

When I worked with Maplin I was up and out before 5 as we lived the opposite side of London to my job. We lived almost in Essex and the shop was west London as was Cindy's work. I don't miss the travel..

Sounds like a nice little machine you have there, enjoy...

 

Sorry, no C64 in my collection yet...

 

I take it that getting an NTSC one is a little harder than a PAL?

PS, Keep safe with all those tornadoes in the area..

 

I'd say machine code was a good goto for both machines. I definitely found the DLI's so much easier to get on with, all the raster / interrupt based stuff on the C64 was hard work. It's also why the Amiga was such an easy choice, Display list became Copper Lists on it, mid line changes her there and everywhere. Only thing was that the 16bit addressing took my maths to it's limit.

I know Matt has looked for a C64 in the past and I'd say it's a machine worth getting, there's plenty of all sorts of software for it. When you got past the early ported games, which in most cases were awful, you can find a load of cracking games on the machine.

 

I want one, but there is now a decisive lack of space to fit more micros in my room or office trailer. Also, I really don't have enough time to enjoy my Atari 8-bits, Coco 2 and Bally Arcade Computer. I just happen to be at a saturation point with space, computers & Consoles and having time to play and deep dive exploration of all of them. On the programming side, I already was and will again, one day, get back to learning 6502 Assembly, 6809 assembly, and Z80 assembly on the Bally computer. I always have been interested in learning Action! on the A8 too. Of course learning A8 assembly would make it easy to pick it up on the C64 too, should I ever still get one.

But a few years ago I was looking to by a C64 system and some peripherals but had sticker shock at the prices of C64's, especially since it was the world's best selling 8-bit and there should still be millions in the wild. Yet they cost more than an Atari 800XL/65XE with about 10% of the C64's production numbers. So I decided to substitute the Coco 2 for a C64, even more rare and comparatively less expensive (of course I got very lucky buying a non-working unit for half the price that turned out to be working after reseating some IC's and after a good cleaning brought it back to near mint condition. But even C64's non-working for parts were as expensive as working Coco 2's.

Also I had decided years back to restrict myself to just 3 different brands of micro computers, and my custom upgrade of the Bally Arcade to full-fledged computer ended up being my third 8-bit to expand my 8-bit horizons beyond the Atari. I've got 10 different consoles, from the 70's to the last model of the Xbox 360 including my new VCS 800 PC now too and the ability to emulate other computers and consoles with my OG Xbox, Dreamcast and VCS 800. So I'm pretty well covered there too, except I still plan to get a Sega Saturn someday too.

Along with my other audio/video, electronic tinkering, 3D printing and more hobbies I feel it's time to stop just hoarding more and more and just be satisfied with, and enjoy what I already have. I can't possibly do all I want with all I already have and plan for my hobbies bucket list.

It just wasn't in the cards for the C64 and I, along with others like Sinclair, BBC, Oric, and more. If I'm honest with myself, and you guys, I'm more than satisfied with the toys I already have and just want to enjoy them and projects I want to do with what I already have. I've bought so much software and hardware for the various machines I have, that lots of stuff I bought even 5 years ago still lays unopened and unused/played. I at least need to catch up and use what I already invested in before I expand any more.