Author Topic: Maziacs Sinclair Zx Spectrum Emulator for Amstrad CPC (Read 9680 times)

40Crisis · « **on:** 00:19, 12 September 13 »

You can download here the first release of Maziacs Sinclair Zx Spectrum Emulator for Amstrad/Schneider CPC range.

Maziacs is a game for Sinclair Zx Spectrum 48K programmed by Don Priestley and released in 1983 by DKTRONICS.

For copyright reasons, you need to provide your own Sinclair Zx Spectrum ROM (first spectrum model 16 KB ROM) and your snapshot of Maziacs original tape for Zx Spectrum to play Maziacs in emulator.

Please read the "Maziacs_Sinclair_Zx_Spectrum_Emulator_For_Amstrad-Schneider_CPC_Range.txt" file for details.

Enjoy.

Devilmarkus · « **Reply #1 on:** 02:26, 12 September 13 »

Thanks for sharing your emulator.

I just wonder, where the rom and the game Maziacs is still under copyright.

DK'Tronics doesn't exist anymore, so there will be no trouble.

For example the Amstrad CPC roms are allowed to be shared everywhere.

Also every speccy emu I know, comes including the roms...

The games almost all. (Except a few which aren't)

Sad I don't get it working, as I don't use any speccy emulator...

McKlain · « **Reply #2 on:** 03:16, 12 September 13 »

Indeed, Don Prestley has given permission for the free distribution of his old games, and Amstrad allows the distribution of the roms with emulators.

http://www.worldofspectrum.org/showwrap.cgi?permit=import/DamienBurke.html#PRIESTLEY

Google Groups

TFM · « **Reply #3 on:** 05:18, 12 September 13 »

Cool. So can somebody provide a full package. Sorry I'm not aquainted to spectrum.

40Crisis · « **Reply #4 on:** 15:59, 14 September 13 »

As Devilmarkus and Mc Klain pointed out, copyright issues shouldn't be a problem as distribution of both Maziacs zx Spectrum and Sinclair Zx Spectrum Rom seem to be allowed with emulator.

So here are the CPC images:

Update 20/09/2013 version 1.01

V1.01: Joystick bugfix release (19/09/2013)
- Joystick was read incorrectly which cause to issue a key pressed problem in menus
when reading game instructions (not waiting for key pressed)
- Keyboard Break rom routine emulation changed (shift + space) to do nothing

McKlain · « **Reply #5 on:** 16:09, 14 September 13 »

I still don't understand how you did it, but it's great

TFM · « **Reply #6 on:** 21:07, 14 September 13 »

Finally could give it a try! Great work!!!

mr_lou · « **Reply #7 on:** 23:29, 14 September 13 »

Nice work indeed!
I didn't know the game, but it looks like a game that can become slightly addictive. Will give it a go when it's time for the next retro gaming.

steve · « **Reply #8 on:** 23:32, 14 September 13 »

We complain about speccy ports, and here we are applauding a speccy emulator

Devilmarkus · « **Reply #9 on:** 03:00, 15 September 13 »

Quote from: steve on 23:32, 14 September 13

We complain about speccy ports, and here we are applauding a speccy emulator

Sadly my Amiga emulator only runs on a unexpanded CPC 464 with 32k broken ram from tape... Sorry

mr_lou · « **Reply #10 on:** 09:17, 15 September 13 »

Quote from: steve on 23:32, 14 September 13

We complain about speccy ports, and here we are applauding a speccy emulator

You fail to spot the difference.

Porting a game from Spectrum to CPC without using the CPC possibilities is considered lazy and a damn shame.

Having the CPC emulate another retro machine is considered cool coding.

I would LOVE to see a Phillips G7000 emulator for the CPC.

arnoldemu · « **Reply #11 on:** 13:05, 15 September 13 »

@40Crisis:

I attempted something similar with Atic Atac - I haven't released this.

The method was this:
1. Run a program on the CPC
2. Insert Spectrum TZX into emulator (or real tape into real Machine)
3. The program loads the Spectrum screen (converts it to the CPC and displays it), then it loads the code and patches it to make it work on the CPC with routines for reading keyboard, making sounds and displaying sprites.
I had something that almost worked - except it crashed and I didn't release it.

There is a loader for CPC that can load Spectrum data.

Did you consider this approach?

arnoldemu · « **Reply #12 on:** 13:07, 15 September 13 »

@mr_lou: I'm guessing that this is a CPC patch to a spectrum game to make it work on the cpc.
The game requires the Spectrum ROM so that is why it is required in the patch.
So, it is a good achievement.

To me this is still a Speccy port.

40Crisis · « **Reply #13 on:** 20:25, 15 September 13 »

Quote from: arnoldemu on 13:07, 15 September 13

@mr_lou: I'm guessing that this is a CPC patch to a spectrum game to make it work on the cpc.
The game requires the Spectrum ROM so that is why it is required in the patch.
So, it is a good achievement.

To me this is still a Speccy port.

There's always a debate to know if it's a port or an emulation.

Game port and emulation are sometimes very close.

For performance reason, Z80 code is not emulated.
Original Zx Spectrum rom and ram code from Maziacs Zx Spectrum is executed by CPC Z80 at the same memory locations and behave on the cpc exactly as it does on a real zx spectrum.

Only calls to routines doing I/O hardware (keyboard/joystick/sound) and display routines are patched in code to point to CPC emulated routines.

Nich · « **Reply #14 on:** 21:17, 15 September 13 »

Wow!

Maziacs was (and is still) one of my favourite games for the Spectrum and I have many fond memories of playing it as a child, so I'm amazed to see that someone has emulated it on the CPC (even if it lacks some colour compared with the Spectrum version

). Well done!

TomEtJerry · « **Reply #15 on:** 21:06, 18 September 13 »

I didn't know this game. It's a little bit weird, but every new program for our computer is good news !

Something bothers me a little bit. When you want to read the help screens, they are displayed then the program goes back to the menu. if you keep pressing the letter corresponding to the help screen, it stays displayed. The problems occurs only when you have choosen joystick previously.

T&J/GPA

Gryzor · « **Reply #16 on:** 21:26, 18 September 13 »

I'm not sure I get how this works. If some stuff is executed by the CPC Z80 directly and others are patched to translate to the CPC, why are the ZX ROMs needed? Maybe I'm a bit thick, maybe it's too much of this chocolate-tequila I'm having, but it's definitely intriguing!!!

[EDIT] Ahhh it's in the readme file:

Quote

Partial Sinclair Zx Spectrum 48k Rom emulation is implemented because the original game
use about 11K of Zx Spectrum Basic to handle menus.

Heh, this is so fun!

MacDeath · « **Reply #17 on:** 00:26, 19 September 13 »

what ? another speccyport ? but we already have tooooooo many of them !!!!!!

My crusade was a failure... :'(

TFM · « **Reply #18 on:** 19:42, 19 September 13 »

So gather your knights and start from scratch (like it was done back the day).

40Crisis · « **Reply #19 on:** 10:21, 20 September 13 »

Quote from: TomEtJerry on 21:06, 18 September 13

I didn't know this game. It's a little bit weird, but every new program for our computer is good news !

Something bothers me a little bit. When you want to read the help screens, they are displayed then the program goes back to the menu. if you keep pressing the letter corresponding to the help screen, it stays displayed. The problems occurs only when you have choosen joystick previously.

T&J/GPA

Thank you for reporting this bug
Bug should be fixed in version 1.01

V1.01: Joystick bugfix release (19/09/2013)
- Joystick was read incorrectly which cause to issue a key pressed problem in menus
when reading game instructions (not waiting for key pressed)
- Keyboard Break rom routine emulation changed (shift + space) to do nothing

Here are the files for version 1.01:

arnoldemu · « **Reply #20 on:** 10:57, 20 September 13 »

The achievement is good. Making a game work on spectrum by patching it takes a bit of time and knowledge.

true, it would be nice if the patch included some new graphics in cpc's mode 1. Perhaps 40Crisis may try this if they convert another game?

TFM · « **Reply #21 on:** 19:58, 20 September 13 »

Depends if you want to make an emulator or a conversion. Guess their idea is to slowly enhance emulation, so more games will run w/o need of a conversion.

Gryzor · « **Reply #22 on:** 21:32, 20 September 13 »

I agree, I guess *that*'s the aim here, not port it over?

Kukulcan · « **Reply #23 on:** 11:34, 05 October 13 »

I adding a little cover for the 2013 version by 40crisis on cpc-power

SyX · « **Reply #24 on:** 22:42, 27 October 13 »

Great work!!!

... maybe it could be interesting to take a look to Ant Attack!!!

News:

Author Topic: Maziacs Sinclair Zx Spectrum Emulator for Amstrad CPC (Read 9680 times)