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+--- Thread: More Games ROMs for Microbee Series 3 and PC85's (/thread-557.html)
More Games ROMs for Microbee Series 3 and PC85's - ChickenMan - 01-09-2022
With CheshireNoir's MultiROM unit for a PC85 (see https://microbeetechnology.com.au/forum/thread-541.html), I realized we dont have enough Game ROMS in the repository (currently all 8k roms) to fill the 256k eprom, as it can take 32 of them. Time to start taking some of my favourite games (and some not so favourites) and see if they can be converted to run from a ROM rather than their normal tape or disk, providing they are 16k or less in size. Because 27128 eproms (16k) can be fitted in the PC85 rather than the supplied 2764 ones, then using the eprom_programmer_and_64k_rom_pak_instruction_manual.pdf Manual (see page 14) it sets out the procedure to enable 16k files to be made by adding some code and basically treating them as 2 x 8k parts. The original monochrome version of Defender is just under 16k while the later colour version is too big. Others were slowly done and these games below that have "-pc85_H" in their name are all 16k games and will ONLY work in the ROM H position (to replace the Viatel ROM) of a PC85 whether its in a 27128 or the larger MultiROM. The other 8k roms can go in any other suitable ROM position of a Series 3, PC85 or PC85b 27128 (first or second 8k part). All have been tested to work via ubee512 emulator and most tested in a real PC85. Defender has one small issue, for some reason the bottom line of the first screen is at the top, just use RESET and now its correct. To use via the emulator, just use :
ubee512 pc85b --pak4=emu_joust_pc85_h.rom
and then hit V at the Menu and Emu Joust will start.
All the roms were padded out to their 8k or 16k boundaries to make it easy to join them in any order you like to suit your own preference in the large 27C2001 (256k) eprom used in the MultiROM or just putting 2 x 8k games in the one 27128 eprom. The multirom_1.rom I made has 8 x 16k games initially followed by 16 x 8k games. The 16k games can be easily started by just pushing V (the Viatel option) at the main PC85b menu. If you have an early PC85, at the Menu you need to hit Return and then select PAK4. The second game in the last 8 x 16k positions can be started by selecting PAK12. Puting a single 8k game in a 2764 for a Series III Microbee, from Basic just type PAK4 if you put it in the Rom H position. So the 24 games I have put in the MultiROM_1.rom in the 16 x 16k sections are :-
Defender
\
Emu Joust
\
Scrambler
\
Donut Dilema
\
Cosmic Fighter
\
Galaxy Invasion
\
Sea Dragon
\
Meteor Mission 2
\
Space Invaders
Target Colour
Robotman
Grotnik wars
Kilopede
Race
Hoppy
Ghost hunter
Survivor_joystick
Survivor_keyboard
Viper
Sydney_approach
Chess
Backgammon
Squadron
Subterra
The roms I produced for my PC85b last year (see Upgrading a Microbee PC85 to a PC85b and adding extra Game ROMs. (microbeetechnology.com.au) where I added not only Defender in ROM H, but also added Survivor in the top 8k of ROM C keeping original code (Wordbee) in the first 8k. Added MicroSpace Invaders in top 8k of ROM E and RobotMan in the top 8k of ROM I. This keeps all the original programs available + 4 extra games, except for Viatel which is now redundant since the service was terminated years ago. These are included here also.
If there is a request of other arcade games, other games, educational programs, utilities, etc. that are not already in ROM form and are up to 16k or 8k is size, either send me a message or make a post in the Software forum and I will see if they can be converted.
So in the MbeeTech Repository in the Microbee\Software\ROMs\Games folder we placed
cosmic_fighter_pc85_h.rom
defender_pc85_h.rom
donut_dilema_pc85_h.rom
emu_joust_pc85_h.rom
galaxy_invasion_pc85_h.rom
ghost_hunter.rom
hoppy.rom
meteor_mission_2_pc85_h.rom
race.rom
scrambler_pc85_h.rom
sea_dragon_pc85_h.rom
survivor_keyboard.rom
target_colour.rom
multirom_1.rom <-- for the MultiROM only
MultiROM_1_Games_List.txt
Rom_C_+_Survivor_pc85b.rom
Rom_E_+_SpaceInv_PC85b.rom
Rom_I_+_RobotMan_PC85b.rom