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avatar_Devlin

USIfAC ii Direct Load games

Started by Devlin, 11:19, 10 June 21

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Devlin

So i've just had a discovery: The games extracted for the M4-wifi will likely work too - so if there's a repo out there of games that work on the m4 when extracted from their DSKs I might have to find some volunteers to help me trawl that list


(it means we have a version of gryzor that works without dsk on usifac2 and on 464 :D)
CPC464 & CPC6128 + USIfAC II + Revaldinho 512k(universal cpld ver) - Schneider CRT TV
Administrator of Amstrad Discord : https://discord.gg/ksWvApv

ikonsgr

I note this in the original list initial post, that most games will probably work for M4 board too.  :)

ikonsgr

Devlin ,you can also add these 2 games, tested on CPC 464:

Golden Axe

Renegade



Devlin

Quote from: ikonsgr on 18:26, 03 October 21
Devlin ,you can also add these 2 games, tested on CPC 464:
Golden Axe
Renegade


Golden Axe fails as soon as I select the characters to play (assuming it fails trying to load levels)
Renegade works fine but has utterly nob controls. I don't know if it came that way, though.
Both are loaded using FM
CPC464 & CPC6128 + USIfAC II + Revaldinho 512k(universal cpld ver) - Schneider CRT TV
Administrator of Amstrad Discord : https://discord.gg/ksWvApv

Mark_wllms

Quote from: ikonsgr on 10:41, 13 August 21
I note this in the original list initial post, that most games will probably work for M4 board too.  :)

And vice versa. I suspect most of the 1300 games in https://www.spinpoint.org/M4backup.zip  will work.

Devlin

Quote from: Mark_wllms on 17:08, 20 October 21
And vice versa. I suspect most of the 1300 games in https://www.spinpoint.org/M4backup.zip  will work.


From a quick scan, around 99% (exactly 16 are "direct-load") of those 1300 games are DSK images, (so yes they'll more than likely work, but that's not the particular focus of this thread)


the others, however i shall give a go and see what works when I next have significant free time.
CPC464 & CPC6128 + USIfAC II + Revaldinho 512k(universal cpld ver) - Schneider CRT TV
Administrator of Amstrad Discord : https://discord.gg/ksWvApv

Mark_wllms

So sorry, I looked at the Multi-disc games in the Zip and assumed that all the other games were also files in folders - I didn't realise they were all DSK images.

ikonsgr

Quote from: Devlin on 14:21, 20 October 21

Golden Axe fails as soon as I select the characters to play (assuming it fails trying to load levels)
Renegade works fine but has utterly nob controls. I don't know if it came that way, though.
Both are loaded using FM

Well, with my Schneider CPC464 golden axe worked fine. Did you try to load it without using filemanager? (although i also used fm for loading...)

ikonsgr

Quote from: Mark_wllms on 15:53, 21 October 21
So sorry, I looked at the Multi-disc games in the Zip and assumed that all the other games were also files in folders - I didn't realise they were all DSK images.
Be patient, soon i will have ready a ram expansiom/rom board that will work with USIfAC II, where you will be able to load a real amsdos/parados rom to a cpc464 and use dsk images as easy as with cpc6128 (e.g. with simple |FDC command and in "full speed" without amsdos emulation)  ;)

Mark_wllms

#34
Quote from: ikonsgr on 21:29, 27 October 21Be patient, soon i will have ready a ram expansiom/rom board that will work with USIfAC II, where you will be able to load a real amsdos/parados rom to a cpc464 and use dsk images as easy as with cpc6128
Sounds fantastic. Actually, I have a 6128, and the FDC emulation is notably faster than the real disk drive. I am playing CPM Infocom games at the moment, which access the disk constantly.
I am sure it is slower in 464 or Parados mode, but I rarely use the high capacity disks.

ikonsgr

#35
Quote from: Mark_wllms on 11:57, 28 October 21
I am sure it is slower in 464 or Parados mode, but I rarely use the high capacity disks.
It is slower indeed, because with CPC 464, you need to emulate both 765 Floppy controller and Amsdos/parados Rom at the same time!
On a cpc 6128 only 765 FDC is emulated (unless you want to access parados dsk image),thus access speed is quite faster (usually faster  than a real disk drive as you already noted).
But using a rom board you can have a proper ROM loaded without emulation e.g. no speed penalty with all Amstrad models and dsk images!  ;)

ikonsgr

#36
I just tried Xybots with my CPC464 and my (yet in development) 512k Ram expansion, and works fine. Without extra ram, it loads boot screen, plays music but it stuck there. So it seems that this game also needs 128k...  ::)
Also, most of the games that needs 128k also load fine with extra 512k ram like star sabre, target renegade, shinobi and operation wolf. Finally some games, seem to need  a cpc 6128 explicitly (like RTYPE 128 or ORION), as they initially load ok, but then they either stuck or have playbility problems.

Devlin

#37
Quote from: ikonsgr on 16:32, 19 January 22
I just tried Xybots with my CPC464 and my (yet in development) 512k Ram expansion, and works fine. Without extra ram, it loads boot screen, plays music but it stuck there. So it seems that this game also needs 128k...  ::)
Also, most of the games that needs 128k also load fine with extra 512k ram like star sabre, target renegade, shinobi and operation wolf. Finally some games, seem to need  a cpc 6128 explicitly (like RTYPE 128 or ORION), as they initially load ok, but then they either stuck or have playbility problems.

That's odd. I know it's a multi-loader but i've not had any trouble with it.
It should be 64k compatible - I have it on tape, and that loads/plays just fine.


Will look into it when I have some free time.
CPC464 & CPC6128 + USIfAC II + Revaldinho 512k(universal cpld ver) - Schneider CRT TV
Administrator of Amstrad Discord : https://discord.gg/ksWvApv

Fran123

Hi


You can have a launcher menu for the games. Take a look to github.com/gallegux/menusi

Shaun M. Neary

#39
Quote from: ikonsgr on 16:32, 19 January 22
I just tried Xybots with my CPC464 and my (yet in development) 512k Ram expansion, and works fine. Without extra ram, it loads boot screen, plays music but it stuck there. So it seems that this game also needs 128k...  ::)
Also, most of the games that needs 128k also load fine with extra 512k ram like star sabre, target renegade, shinobi and operation wolf. Finally some games, seem to need  a cpc 6128 explicitly (like RTYPE 128 or ORION), as they initially load ok, but then they either stuck or have playbility problems.
That's not true. Xybots definitely works on 64K machines. I had it twice, one Hit Squad version and one on the TNT compilation, both on tape.

However depending on how it was cracked (it used a Gremlin loader, and even the Bonzo utils when transferring them stated they required 128k eventhough the game ran fine on 64k, multiload or not), the crack itself may need 128k to run.
Currently playing on: 2xCPC464, 1xCPC6128, 1x464Plus, 1x6128Plus, 2xGX4000. M4 board, ZMem 1MB and still forever playing Bruce Lee.
No cheats, snapshots or emulation. I play my games as they're intended to be played. What about you?

Devlin

Quote from: Shaun M. Neary on 17:17, 31 January 22
That's not true. Xybots definitely works on 64K machines. I had it twice, one Hit Squad version and one on the TNT compilation, both on tape.

However depending on how it was cracked (it used a Gremlin loader, and even the Bonzo utils when transferring them stated they required 128k eventhough the game ran fine on 64k, multiload or not), the crack itself may need 128k to run.


Can confirm that the Hit Squad version works on 64k (i own an original) - and I know it works on my tallkey 464(by tape *and* by way of usifac2) but that's as far as I can test, I don't have any other machines
CPC464 & CPC6128 + USIfAC II + Revaldinho 512k(universal cpld ver) - Schneider CRT TV
Administrator of Amstrad Discord : https://discord.gg/ksWvApv

Shaun M. Neary

Quote from: Devlin on 17:32, 31 January 22

Can confirm that the Hit Squad version works on 64k (i own an original) - and I know it works on my tallkey 464(by tape *and* by way of usifac2) but that's as far as I can test, I don't have any other machines


And if I recall correctly, it wasn't a multi load game either. I think there is additional tape at the end but it's for 128k sound. Standard deal for some Domark games, Return Of The Jedi did it too.
Currently playing on: 2xCPC464, 1xCPC6128, 1x464Plus, 1x6128Plus, 2xGX4000. M4 board, ZMem 1MB and still forever playing Bruce Lee.
No cheats, snapshots or emulation. I play my games as they're intended to be played. What about you?

Fran123

Quote from: ikonsgr on 21:29, 27 October 21
Be patient, soon i will have ready a ram expansiom/rom board that will work with USIfAC II, where you will be able to load a real amsdos/parados rom to a cpc464 and use dsk images as easy as with cpc6128 (e.g. with simple |FDC command and in "full speed" without amsdos emulation)  ;)


How much will it cost?

ikonsgr

#43
Quote from: Fran123 on 09:29, 01 February 22
How much will it cost?
Unfortunately the endeavor of making a RAM expansion work with CPC 464  prooved to be much harder that expected. I've designed 5-6 prototype boards with various different approaches of resolving the issues. You see, "officially" CPC 464 doesn't support extra RAM on expansion port, 464 is not equipped with the HAL/PAL 16L18 chip that manages the extra RAM like on a CPC 6128, although there is a "Ram disable" signal on CPC 464 it works only for RAM reads, when you write to external ram, internal ram is also written at the same address (even if you have the "ram disable" signal activated)! The only way to avoid this, is to suppress MREQ signal from CPU but ONLY when external RAM WRITE  occurs (i've tried to disable MREQ for both ext. ram read and write, but somehow this messed up ram reads... ::) ), but, by doing this, getting the correct timings for making ram write work properly, becomes rather difficult, as you need to "indirectly" find out when you need to activate the extra ram by using ROMEN and IORQ signals.
Anyway, recently i finally manage to make it work right (playing target renegade,shinobi,op. wolf or star sabre on a cpc464 is pretty cool  :D ), and now i need to  redesign and test the rom board part of the board. If all goes well, maybe i will have a few working boards in 1-2 months from now. As for price i would estimate ~30euros with current chip/board prices. 

Audronic

@ikonsgr


Where can I find Update 6a Please


Thanks. Keep Safe.  Ray
Procrastinators Unite,
If it Ain't Broke PLEASE Don't Fix it.
I keep telling you I am Not Pedantic.
As I Live " Down Under " I Take my Gravity Tablets and Wear my Magnetic Boots to Keep me from Falling off.

ikonsgr


Audronic

@ikonsgr


Ok Thanks
That was quick


Keep Safe. Ray
Procrastinators Unite,
If it Ain't Broke PLEASE Don't Fix it.
I keep telling you I am Not Pedantic.
As I Live " Down Under " I Take my Gravity Tablets and Wear my Magnetic Boots to Keep me from Falling off.

ikonsgr

@Devlin , i think it's time to "Reopen" the case:
https://www.spinpoint.org/CPC_games_reviewedAA.zip
More details in this thread
There are ~1400 games, ALL IN DIRECT FILE FORM! This means that most of them will likely work on CPC 464 so there is a good chance many of the current non-working games to work on CPC 464, not to mention the chance to update the list with new titles!  ;) 

Fran123

Quote from: ikonsgr on 23:36, 31 March 22@Devlin , i think it's time to "Reopen" the case:
https://www.spinpoint.org/CPC_games_reviewedAA.zip
More details in this thread
There are ~1400 games, ALL IN DIRECT FILE FORM! This means that most of them will likely work on CPC 464 so there is a good chance many of the current non-working games to work on CPC 464, not to mention the chance to update the list with new titles!  ;) 
Are they tested?

I tried some of them and some didn't word

Shaun M. Neary

They work on an M4 with a CPC6128, I tested them all before adding them to the pack.
Which games didn't work for you?
Currently playing on: 2xCPC464, 1xCPC6128, 1x464Plus, 1x6128Plus, 2xGX4000. M4 board, ZMem 1MB and still forever playing Bruce Lee.
No cheats, snapshots or emulation. I play my games as they're intended to be played. What about you?

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