02-05-2021, 10:13 AM
Thanks to RedskullDC for supplying Cosmic Fighter after finding the problem that would hang the game randomly. Problem was one instruction in the demo-mode code which had not been relocated from the original TRS-80 version. He also supplied the fix to the Joystick version and from that I was able to apply it to the 256TC version of the game.
The original TRS-80 versions of the game used an "up arrow" graphics rather than the "[" as used in the Microbee converted games to show the number of lives you have. Again, thanks to RedskullDC for patching Cosmic Fighter so they now look the same as the original TRS-80 versions. I then applied the same patching process to all of our other Big Five converted programs with some help again from RedskullDC with Robot Attack.
Who ever did the original conversions of the Big Five TRS-80 games to Microbee had decided to remove the Big Five Software name and address text from the first opening page. Examining the files with a hex editor, it was found there was still the allocated space in the files but now just spaces. So these were overwritten where possible to include the Big Five Software name and address. Unfortunately the space for it had been removed from Cosmic Fighter.
So the following files have been updated
Cosmic Fighter - Hanging fixed, Up Arrow included
Cosmic Fighter (256TC) - Hanging fixed, Up Arrow included
Cosmic Fighter (Joystick) - Hanging fixed, Up Arrow included
Galaxy Invasion - Front page company name included, Up Arrow included
Galaxy Invasion (256TC) - Front page company name included, Up Arrow included
Galaxy Invasion (Joystick) - Front page company name included, Up Arrow included
Attack Force (Joystick) - Front page company name included, Up Arrow included
Robot Attack (Joystick) - Up Arrow included
Supa Nova (Joystick) - Front page company name included, Up Arrow included
Arcade #2 and #3 disks both contain Cosmic Fighter & Galaxy Invasion and so did Games #4. So it was decided to clean up Games #4 disk, with both of those 2 games removed as well as Catchum, as its also on its own disk now. The Menus were updated with these 3 games that were replaced with :-
Asimovian - The aftermath of the Asimovian Spaceship disaster adventure.
Baby Bouncer - A game were you save the falling baby by guiding the stretcher bearers.
Creature Hunt - A game where you have entered the Plain of the Perilous Pyramid.
So in the MbeeTech Repository in the Microbee/Software/Games folder we updated the following
256tc_arcade_games_ds80.dsk
arcade_2_ds40.dsk
arcade_2_ciab_ss80.dsk
arcade_2_ss80.dsk
arcade_3_ds40.dsk
arcade_3_ciab_ss80.dsk
arcade_3_ss80.dsk
games_4_ds80.dsk
The original TRS-80 versions of the game used an "up arrow" graphics rather than the "[" as used in the Microbee converted games to show the number of lives you have. Again, thanks to RedskullDC for patching Cosmic Fighter so they now look the same as the original TRS-80 versions. I then applied the same patching process to all of our other Big Five converted programs with some help again from RedskullDC with Robot Attack.
Who ever did the original conversions of the Big Five TRS-80 games to Microbee had decided to remove the Big Five Software name and address text from the first opening page. Examining the files with a hex editor, it was found there was still the allocated space in the files but now just spaces. So these were overwritten where possible to include the Big Five Software name and address. Unfortunately the space for it had been removed from Cosmic Fighter.
So the following files have been updated
Cosmic Fighter - Hanging fixed, Up Arrow included
Cosmic Fighter (256TC) - Hanging fixed, Up Arrow included
Cosmic Fighter (Joystick) - Hanging fixed, Up Arrow included
Galaxy Invasion - Front page company name included, Up Arrow included
Galaxy Invasion (256TC) - Front page company name included, Up Arrow included
Galaxy Invasion (Joystick) - Front page company name included, Up Arrow included
Attack Force (Joystick) - Front page company name included, Up Arrow included
Robot Attack (Joystick) - Up Arrow included
Supa Nova (Joystick) - Front page company name included, Up Arrow included
Arcade #2 and #3 disks both contain Cosmic Fighter & Galaxy Invasion and so did Games #4. So it was decided to clean up Games #4 disk, with both of those 2 games removed as well as Catchum, as its also on its own disk now. The Menus were updated with these 3 games that were replaced with :-
Asimovian - The aftermath of the Asimovian Spaceship disaster adventure.
Baby Bouncer - A game were you save the falling baby by guiding the stretcher bearers.
Creature Hunt - A game where you have entered the Plain of the Perilous Pyramid.
So in the MbeeTech Repository in the Microbee/Software/Games folder we updated the following
256tc_arcade_games_ds80.dsk
arcade_2_ds40.dsk
arcade_2_ciab_ss80.dsk
arcade_2_ss80.dsk
arcade_3_ds40.dsk
arcade_3_ciab_ss80.dsk
arcade_3_ss80.dsk
games_4_ds80.dsk
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ChickenMan
ChickenMan