Basic prgs to Cart

[kevgal]

Not sure if this belongs in Software or Hardware, but Software is where it started.
Attached are some Basic programs converted to rom for running from a cartridge. It uses @username@'s amazing utility that can not only convert single programs to run form EPROM but has an added feature of being able to run multiple programs.
There still exists a weird issue where some games continuously scroll as if the carriage return is stuck on. I found that I could fix this by adding this to the start of the offending Basic prg
1 CLS
2 FOR N = 1 TO 2
3 NEXT
I have indicated those prgs that need this with a 'MOD' in their file name.
I have also included the 'pak' versions if someone wants to make their own multi-part roms by adding them to the Master_Basic_Loader.bin
Still have to work out why the multipart Basic games don't work properly
Again thanks to @username@ for this.
Cheers

[kevgal]

@username@ has updated his loader so all games should work now without having to mod them and also fixed the multiload game display issue so Grandfathers Gold now works.
Thanks again @username@!

[kevgal]

Thanks to @username@ for another awsome update. Its now much easier to create multi program roms.
Some examples attached.

[wavemotion]

So these are really neat - been fooling around with them on my ColecoDS emulator.

I have noticed that joystick input is hit or miss... for example, one of the better BASIC games worth playing is Kapooka

kapooka.gif

This is on the BASIC compilation cart 1 - but it doesn't work right in various emulators as the joystick inputs are just odd (sometimes it registers UP but most of the time it won't register any other direction and so it's not possible to complete a level).

In my emulator, I can now load .BAS listings directly to VRAM and have tried Kapooka with four different BASIC flavors (including the speed-hacked '83 version) and it runs perfectly with all joystick mappings working fine... so I suspect it's something with the translation to cart here. I don't have real hardware so perhaps the compilation carts work fine on a real CV.

A few other games have similar issues. However, some games seem to work fine with the joystick being responsive as one would expect so it's not consistent from game-to-game.

[kevgal]

Yes it doesn't work properly on a real machine either.
The BAS file behaves the same way in the funnymu emulator so I'm suprised it worked for you. I found that the check it does for an empty space (0 or 69) would occasionally generate an 8.
I have modified the BAS file to also check for 8 and it seems to work fine now.
I created a rom file but had to modify it further by deleteing some rem lines as it was to long for the conversion program.
What other games are behaving oddly?
Cheers,
Kev

[wavemotion]

One game that was behaving oddly was WizzardMind but I've since discovered it was pilot error... that game uses both control sticks (one to select the colored peg and the other to place it on the board... why I have no idea!).

The other game that seemed weird (but I need to read the instructions) is OmegaBattle as I couldn't get it to control right - but I need to play with it more to be sure it's not something in my emulation.

And there was one other that I seem to recall wasn't happy with the V.1 basic (maybe it was designed for an older basic). But I've since lost track as I've spent most of this week loading in .bas files into VDP memory directly much like FunnyMu only a bit more simplified handling. I can load the stock Kapooka fine - it plays perfectly and all controls work. It's just the standard kapooka.bas found on Luca's main site with zero modifications.

My solution for BASIC game support isn't ideal but it's functional... in brief, it works like this (from my readme.md):

Cassette loading is not directly supported but you can load in BASIC listings from an ASCII source such as you would find at https://www.madrigaldesign.it/creativemu/

To get BASIC programs to work, you copy any CreatiVision BASIC ROM version and name it as the same base filename as the .BAS file. Note: there are 4 versions released and some CV BASIC games were designed for a specific version and might not run right in other versions.

For example, if you want to run kapooka.bas (a fun game!), take one of the basic ROM files and rename it kapooka.cv. When you load kapooka.cv it will launch BASIC and then you can hit the little Cassette Icon to automatically load the corresponding kapooka.bas file into memory and run it.

Capture.PNG

[kevgal]

I'm still curious why it doesn't work in one emulator but will in another.
Anyway the problem is due to the Kapooka character's (character 8) starting postion not being updated once it moves from its starting position. It needs this line in it to work properly.
489 POKE (L+Z),0
Had issues with converting it to a rom as well. I just need to check on a real machine.

[wavemotion]

Yeah, I noticed that you can't move back to your starting position. But that wasn't the problem I had with the original BAS->CART version. In that version, I simply couldn't move in any direction other than UP and even that was inconsistent.

The not moving back to your start position is mildly inconvenient but doesn't prevent any of the first 8 boards from being cleared (I'm on board 9 now).

It's possible that it's a bug in my emulator - though I don't know why a direct load of the .BAS listing works fine. I'll try your fixed version soon.

Edit: your fixed version works fine in my emulator - movement perfect in all directions. That wasn't the case with the latest .zip pack of 8 compiled ROMs I earlier in this thread. I'm not sure what the deal was - but it all looks sorted now

[kevgal]

Doesn't work properly on a real machine unfortunately nor in @usernames@ emulator. Individual mazes work okay but crashes out with an error 19 when loading the next maze. Looks like @username@'s excellent bas to rom converter is using some extra resources? Hopefully other conversions not suffering the same.

Edit
Looks like its the funnymu emulator that is not behaving as the real thing as @username@ CreatiVision emulator does. I assume there's an issue with Video ram and Processor ram going here?

[kevgal]

Okay here's a modified version of Kapooka that doesn't rely on reseting the data register and pointer (1195 and 1197).
Looks like this is the only Basic game that uses these pointers so all the other games should not have this same issue.
Works on both emulators and the real thing.
Maze 11 has issues at the bottom of the maze but doesn't prevent it being completed.