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CPC Plus cartridge replacement : one more

Started by gerald, 16:39, 01 November 14

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0 Members and 2 Guests are viewing this topic.

Are you interested in buying a 3D-printed case for the cartridge? Hoe many units? (only vote if you want one or more!)

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178 (85.2%)
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25 (12%)
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4 (1.9%)

Total Members Voted: 209

arnoldemu

Attached is nebulus created with my nocart.

I am pleased this game can be started and played with joystick. I didn't need to patch it.
Of course you can't change options and I don't know what happens if you try and enter your name, may work with joystick may not.
Works on GX4000.
My games. My Games
My website with coding examples: Unofficial Amstrad WWW Resource

arnoldemu

Quote from: TFM on 20:58, 20 April 15
Would be great to have such kind of programs on the CPC itself.  ;)

Are you saying you will do it??  ;)
My games. My Games
My website with coding examples: Unofficial Amstrad WWW Resource

TFM

Irony - mode ON!


Now the GX4000 suffers the same fate as the CPC before: ... it's ports!!! What the Speccy port was for the CPC is now the 464 port to the GX4000! History really repeats! Nothing new since the old Rome ;-)


OFF/

TFM of FutureSoft
Also visit the CPC and Plus users favorite OS: FutureOS - The Revolution on CPC6128 and 6128Plus

TFM

Quote from: arnoldemu on 21:00, 20 April 15
Are you saying you will do it??  ;)


Wished I had the time, but you already know how to do it.  ;)
TFM of FutureSoft
Also visit the CPC and Plus users favorite OS: FutureOS - The Revolution on CPC6128 and 6128Plus

CraigsBar

Quote from: arnoldemu on 20:55, 20 April 15
Attached is v1.

use makefile under linux or macosx to build.

nocart and .rom files must be in the same directory.
In the source directory you can find original roms and asm files to patch them so you can see exactly what I have done.

nocart <disk> <cart> <filename>

e.g.

nocart nebulus.dsk nebulus.cpr disc

Next version will be a bit more friendly and a bit more tolerant of errors and will check the disc format to ensure it really is data format.

I have changed the generated cpr.

It does work on gx4000.

page 0 is os
page 1 is basic
page 2 is amsdos
page 3+ is disc contents

(different from no$cart, it has page 3 as amsdos, but with my nocart I can do what I want  :P ).

restrictions:

1. data format disk only (I will support system format in the future)
2. you need to know how to run the disc to put it on the command-line (no auto detect).
3. if you want game to run on 464+ and gx4000 then 64kb compatible games only. (can't fix, game must be patched)
4. if you want the game to be useable on gx4000 you must be able to start it and play it with joystick only. (can't fix, game must be patched!)
5. Games that use direct disc access to load will not work. (can't fix, game must be patched).

Sooo many games require keyboard to start :(

But it has been tested on GX4000 and games do work.

EDIT: I need to do a little bit more "polishing". Seems to work ok. But posted this early for Craig.


Thanks @arnoldemu


tested and working fine, Here is WinterGames converted with the new version under OSX. As I don't have a GX4000 or unexpanded 464plus could someone with this kit test this one for me?




IRC:  #Retro4All on Freenode

CraigsBar

Quote from: TFM on 21:03, 20 April 15
Irony - mode ON!


Now the GX4000 suffers the same fate as the CPC before: ... it's ports!!! What the Speccy port was for the CPC is now the 464 port to the GX4000! History really repeats! Nothing new since the old Rome ;-)


OFF/
Hehee. Nothing new about 464 ports to the GX, Just look at 75% of the "official" carts to see that.

IRC:  #Retro4All on Freenode

arnoldemu

v1.1

Few more code fixes:

1. used sizeof on a number. oops. Wasn't generating good cprs when built with visual studio.
2. if disk image found - no longer crashes trying to access the data.
3. reports if disk image not found.


My games. My Games
My website with coding examples: Unofficial Amstrad WWW Resource

arnoldemu

I tried converting stranded to cartridge. It runs fine, I can start it with joystick, but then it asks for a level name; which I can't input  :laugh:
See my first CPC game and it doesn't work with joystick fully. I have learned since then ;)

My games. My Games
My website with coding examples: Unofficial Amstrad WWW Resource

arnoldemu

I just tried converting sudoku and balloonacy. both require me to press a key to select controls LOL.

Oh dear :(

Blue Angel 69 must have been the first where I could just start it with joystick. LOL!

v1.2

- Support for standard disk image.


Current status:
- supports extended and standard disk image types
- data format only (will crash or not work or generate empty if you try and use a different format)
- a bit better with error reporting
- compiles using visual studio now.
My games. My Games
My website with coding examples: Unofficial Amstrad WWW Resource

alexh

Nice looking bit of kit. I've just PM'd gerald. Hopefully he's not overwhelmed by the interest.


I dunno if anyone cares but someone just unearthed ~100 NOS (EU) Amstrad GX4000's and is selling them on €Bay for £47 each buy-it-now.


Nostalgia is worth more than money

TFM

Welcome Alex! Enjoy the forum! Nice info about the GX4000 unearth, that seems to happen more often recently (2nd time I heart about such a thing).  :)

TFM of FutureSoft
Also visit the CPC and Plus users favorite OS: FutureOS - The Revolution on CPC6128 and 6128Plus

alexh

Yeah? I was very surprised.
I saw an article about the C4CPC on RetroCollect, figured a GX4000 would be finally worth owning.

Hit €Bay (UK) and I was surprised to find ~100 boxed NOS GX4000's being sold BIN at a sensible price.

They must have been stored for what... 25 years?

I can see this is the 2nd batch in the last month the vendor has sold too!
Nostalgia is worth more than money

arnoldemu

#587
v1.3

Status:
- Support for DATA or SYSTEM format discs (40 track single sided)
- Verifies disc image and reports if it has copy protection or is not DATA or SYSTEM (these types are not supported - game needs converting to DATA/SYSTEM and patching)
- Cartridges work on CPC6128+ and GX4000 (should work on 464+ - to be verified).
- EDIT: The cartridge simulates an English CPC6128 with BASIC v1.1 and standard AMSDOS. The lower level read sector, write sector etc are patched.

Ideal if you are more familiar with developing on disc and want to make a cart version.

Doesn't support:
- EDIT: if a game relies on a pause in loading to show a title screen then when transferred to cart, the pause will be much shorter.
- Copy protected discs (these use direct floppy controller access - game needs to be cracked)
- If a game uses 128KB then it can only be used on CPC6128+ or 464+ with extra memory - will not work on GX4000
- If game uses keyboard then it can't be used on GX4000 without patching. It needs to support joystick throughout (please consider adding full joystick support in the future if you write games)

The tool is now almost complete. I will do one extra step to verify all the data is put on there correctly. It appears it is, but I'll write a program to check. When I've done that, it's done.

EDIT: This work is based on No$Cart but it is a re-implementation (in C++) and has some modifications compared to No$cart (different cartridge page use, patches to work on GX4000). Some ROM patches are the same as those used by No$cart. So this work is based on that of Martin Korth programmer of No$cart.
My games. My Games
My website with coding examples: Unofficial Amstrad WWW Resource

seanb

Quote from: alexh on 18:53, 21 April 15
Yeah? I was very surprised.
I saw an article about the C4CPC on RetroCollect, figured a GX4000 would be finally worth owning.

Hit €Bay (UK) and I was surprised to find ~100 boxed NOS GX4000's being sold BIN at a sensible price.

They must have been stored for what... 25 years?

I can see this is the 2nd batch in the last month the vendor has sold too!

There was someone who found a load and was selling them for £37 or best offer. One guy got one for £30. Maybe it's the same person and he's upped the price on the second batch due to overwhelming demand  ;D
Gerald better get making more as potential for demand has just jumped.
Thou shall not question Captain Wrong!

arnoldemu

Quote from: seanb on 10:25, 22 April 15
There was someone who found a load and was selling them for £37 or best offer. One guy got one for £30. Maybe it's the same person and he's upped the price on the second batch due to overwhelming demand  ;D
Gerald better get making more as potential for demand has just jumped.
Please post a link.
My games. My Games
My website with coding examples: Unofficial Amstrad WWW Resource

seanb

Amstrad GX 4000 Game Console 1990 RETRO / VINTAGE + Burnin Rubber - NEW | eBay
this person but it sounds like the same one.
This is his relisted auction not the original
You could try £30 offer and see if he accepts
Thou shall not question Captain Wrong!

arnoldemu

Quote from: bobbi on 17:41, 20 April 15
this would explain why i've failed to get any of the BIN files i made with no$cart to boot on either my gx4000 or my stock 464plus, if only i'd discovered this forum sooner i'd have saved myself a stack of hours and a ton of eprom erasing  :)

and talking of discovering this forum, i'm bobbi and i'm new here, joined last week... i tend to lurk on forums usually, but if i see anything i can help with, or that i have experience with, then i'll pipe up and hopefully assist someone... so hi peeps, play nice  8)

bobbi
Welcome bobbi,
Try out the new nocart.
My games. My Games
My website with coding examples: Unofficial Amstrad WWW Resource

alexh

Quote from: arnoldemu on 10:29, 22 April 15
Please post a link.
He has two auctions right now, one 99p start the other £46.99 BIN

Just look at the guys sales history.  He's already sold ~50 units in the last 3 months!
Nostalgia is worth more than money

arnoldemu

@Gerald,
I wonder if he was "sitting on them" until your new cart was ready?
My games. My Games
My website with coding examples: Unofficial Amstrad WWW Resource

seanb

Quote from: arnoldemu on 11:08, 22 April 15
@Gerald,
I wonder if he was "sitting on them" until your new cart was ready?

maybe it is Gerald  :P
Thou shall not question Captain Wrong!

dthrone

I was the £30  ;D   Tip:  Be cheeky with your offer, but not too cheeky, and they will probably compromise  ;)

CraigsBar

It's the postage to Ireland that is painful. :(
IRC:  #Retro4All on Freenode

seanb

@Dthrone Are you snestastic on YouTube?
Some of the best offers I've received from people have been downright insulting at times :D
Thou shall not question Captain Wrong!

seanb

Quote from: CraigsBar on 11:21, 22 April 15
It's the postage to Ireland that is painful. :(

How much does he wasn't for postage to Ireland
Thou shall not question Captain Wrong!

dthrone

Quote from: seanb on 11:21, 22 April 15
@Dthrone Are you snestastic on YouTube?


No, I haven't got a youtube account.  But I did build up a pretty large snes collection 10-12 years ago, a reasonable portion of which from ebay, if that's what you've noticed  ;)

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