Direct Disk to Cartridge Port - Revision history

MacDeath: /* The present and future */

2017-12-05T23:26:01Z

The present and future

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:26, 5 December 2017
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	Now that the operation of the ACID protection chip is known, and the development of various home brew cartridge hardware solutions may lead to Direct Disk to Cartridge Port applied to any kind of software or new cartridge games that make fuller use of Plus features (See [[Converted_GX4000_games]]).		Now that the operation of the ACID protection chip is known, and the development of various home brew cartridge hardware solutions may lead to Direct Disk to Cartridge Port applied to any kind of software or new cartridge games that make fuller use of Plus features (See [[Converted_GX4000_games]]).

	Since the release of C4CPC hardware it is now easy to make a cartridge that can be run on GX4000 or Plus.		Since the release of '''[[C4CPC]]''' hardware it is now easy to make a cartridge that can be run on GX4000 or Plus.

	[[Category:Games]] [[Category:Cartridges\| ]] [[Category:CPC Plus]] [[Category:CPC History]]		[[Category:Games]] [[Category:Cartridges\| ]] [[Category:CPC Plus]] [[Category:CPC History]]

Novabug: Added comparison links

2016-02-21T18:28:38Z

Added comparison links

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:28, 21 February 2016
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	All these games were developed with the Plus features in mind, and all cartridge games should have been of this quality.		All these games were developed with the Plus features in mind, and all cartridge games should have been of this quality.

			== Side-by-Side comparison of ported games ==

			*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20ZBzhKoGdI Batman the Movie, Barbarian 2 & Operation Thunderbolt]

			*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRDlE0f8GaI Klax, Mystical & Super Pinball Magic]

			*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPEeqIEgO_0 No Exit, Panza Kick Boxing & Wild Streets]

			*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LaHwU5A0gk Crazy Cars 2, Fire & Forget 2 & Pro Tennis Tour]

			*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XNDx8A8WUQ Switchblade, Tin Tin on the Moon & Dick Tracy]

	== Price comparison ==		== Price comparison ==

Remax: /* The present and future */

2015-05-02T20:48:31Z

The present and future

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:48, 2 May 2015
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	Most cartridges were the original games released from the GX4000 era so these ideas were mostly applied to games. To apply this to utilities you would need to have drivers to access disc/tape for storage, or include the OS/firmware in your cartridge.		Most cartridges were the original games released from the GX4000 era so these ideas were mostly applied to games. To apply this to utilities you would need to have drivers to access disc/tape for storage, or include the OS/firmware in your cartridge.

	Now that the operation of the ACID protection chip is known, and the development of various home brew cartridge hardware solutions may lead to Direct Disk to Cartridge Port applied to any kind of software or new cartridge games that make fuller use of Plus features.		Now that the operation of the ACID protection chip is known, and the development of various home brew cartridge hardware solutions may lead to Direct Disk to Cartridge Port applied to any kind of software or new cartridge games that make fuller use of Plus features (See [[Converted_GX4000_games]]).

	Since the release of C4CPC hardware it is now easy to make a cartridge that can be run on GX4000 or Plus.		Since the release of C4CPC hardware it is now easy to make a cartridge that can be run on GX4000 or Plus.

	[[Category:Games]] [[Category:Cartridges\| ]] [[Category:CPC Plus]] [[Category:CPC History]]		[[Category:Games]] [[Category:Cartridges\| ]] [[Category:CPC Plus]] [[Category:CPC History]]

Arnoldemu: /* The present and future */

2015-04-14T12:18:40Z

The present and future

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:18, 14 April 2015
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	Now that the operation of the ACID protection chip is known, and the development of various home brew cartridge hardware solutions may lead to Direct Disk to Cartridge Port applied to any kind of software or new cartridge games that make fuller use of Plus features.		Now that the operation of the ACID protection chip is known, and the development of various home brew cartridge hardware solutions may lead to Direct Disk to Cartridge Port applied to any kind of software or new cartridge games that make fuller use of Plus features.

			Since the release of C4CPC hardware it is now easy to make a cartridge that can be run on GX4000 or Plus.

	[[Category:Games]] [[Category:Cartridges\| ]] [[Category:CPC Plus]] [[Category:CPC History]]		[[Category:Games]] [[Category:Cartridges\| ]] [[Category:CPC Plus]] [[Category:CPC History]]

Arnoldemu: /* The present and future */

2011-05-17T14:18:46Z

The present and future

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:18, 17 May 2011
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	It is easy to make a "Direct Disk to Cartridge Port" by using the [[No$cart]] utility by [[Nocash]].		It is easy to make a "Direct Disk to Cartridge Port" by using the [[No$cart]] utility by [[Nocash]].

	A number of unofficial cartridge games have been made this way and some have been even been sold in nice packaging and sold on Ebay (~~Iznogoud, Saboteur~~).		A number of unofficial cartridge games have been made this way and some have been even been sold in nice packaging and sold on Ebay. (See [[Bootleg Cartridges]]).

	It is nowadays a common feature to modify existing CPC games to take advantage of some plus features, mostly the [[Plus]]'s bigger palette, but often these remain on disk.		It is nowadays a common feature to modify existing CPC games to take advantage of some plus features, mostly the [[Plus]]'s bigger palette, but often these remain on disk.

Arnoldemu: /* Examples of Direct Disk to Cartridge Ports */

2011-05-17T08:37:24Z

Examples of Direct Disk to Cartridge Ports

← Older revision		Revision as of 08:37, 17 May 2011
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	These games are identical in look to the CPC versions with no use of Plus features:		These games are identical in look to the CPC versions with no use of Plus features:

	*[[Batman ( Cartridge )]]		*[[Batman The Movie ( Cartridge )]]

	*[[Barbarian 2 ( Cartridge )]]		*[[Barbarian 2 ( Cartridge )]]

Arnoldemu at 10:33, 16 May 2011

2011-05-16T10:33:51Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:33, 16 May 2011
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	The practise of some cartridge game developers was to put an ~~almost~~ unchanged game from the CPC into a cartridge for the Plus/GX4000.		The practise of some cartridge game developers was to put an unchanged game from the CPC into a cartridge for the Plus/GX4000.
			A game which had small changes (often just using the Plus's palette) was called a "Almost Direct Disk to Cartridge Port".

	== Disk vs Cartridge ==		== Disk vs Cartridge ==
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	These games are identical in look to the CPC versions with no use of Plus features:		These games are identical in look to the CPC versions with no use of Plus features:

	*[[Batman (Cartridge)]]		*[[Batman ( Cartridge )]]

	*[[Barbarian 2 (Cartridge)]]		*[[Barbarian 2 ( Cartridge )]]

	*[[Mystical (Cartridge)]]		*[[Mystical ( Cartridge )]]

	These could have benefited from using the Plus 4096 colour palette as a minimum.		These could have benefited from using the Plus 4096 colour palette as a minimum.
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	All cartridge games should have followed the example of these games:		All cartridge games should have followed the example of these games:

	*[[Pang (Cartridge)]]		*[[Pang ( Cartridge )]]
	*[[Navy Seals (Cartridge)]]		*[[Navy Seals ( Cartridge )]]
	*[[Plotting (Cartridge)]]		*[[Plotting ( Cartridge )]]

	All these games were developed with the Plus features in mind, and all cartridge games should have been of this quality.		All these games were developed with the Plus features in mind, and all cartridge games should have been of this quality.

Arnoldemu at 10:32, 16 May 2011

2011-05-16T10:32:36Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:32, 16 May 2011
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	The practise of some ~~GX4000~~ cartridge game developers was to put an almost unchanged game from the CPC into a cartridge for the Plus/GX4000.		The practise of some cartridge game developers was to put an almost unchanged game from the CPC into a cartridge for the Plus/GX4000.

			== Disk vs Cartridge ==

	== Disk Vs Cartridge ==		The most common size of [[Cartridge\|cartridge]] used was only 128KB which had less capacity compared to a 3" disk.
			The standard DATA format had 178K of useable storage and later (1990) disc games had around 210KB of usable storage on each disc.
			This meant that a direct Disk to Cartridge port would need to have something removed so that it would fit into the cartridge space.
			(It is worth noting that 256KB ROM and 512KB ROM (maximum capacity for a rom) can be used with cartridges but probably because of cost reasons most used 128KB ROMs.)

	~~Sometimes such games had some features removed because the most common size~~ of ~~[[Cartridge\|cartridge]] used was only 128KB which had less capacity compared to a 3" disk (178K with standard DATA format - the usable storage size. Later disc~~ games ~~had around 210KB of usable storage~~ on ~~each~~ disc. ~~Compare this~~ to ~~128KB used for most cartridge games~~) ~~and in addition~~ there was no way to store game state (i.e. the cartridge contained an EPROM and the ACID protection chip only, no EEPROM or RAM)~~. It is worth noting that 256KB and 512KB (max capacity) can be used with cartridges but most used 128KB ROMs~~.		A small number of games on tape/disc (e.g. Bloodwych) used tape/disc to store game state (so play could continue after), but there was no way to store game state on Cartridge games. (i.e. the cartridge contained an EPROM and the ACID protection chip only, no EEPROM or RAM).

	== Consequences ==		== Consequences ==

	Of course this ~~practise~~ didn't help the [[Plus]] range at all and was almost as shameful as the [[Speccy Port]] technique.		Of course this direct disk to cartridge didn't help the [[Plus]] range at all and was almost as shameful as the [[Speccy Port]] technique, but it was done because it was a cheap and fast way to quickly release games.

	It was ~~a cheap and fast way~~ to ~~quickly release games~~.		Another problem came from the fact that both the 464Plus and GX4000 (essentially a cut down 464Plus) had 64KB ram. As a result using the Plus features to the full was not so simple if the game was to run on these systems.

	Another problem came from the fact that both the 464Plus and GX4000 (essentially a cut down 464Plus) had 64KB ram. As a result using the Plus features to the full was not so simple if the game was to run on these systems. If 128KB ram ~~was~~ the minimum then this would have allowed more flexibility for graphical data, sampled sound etc and would have easily enhanced a 64KB only game.		If 128KB ram had been the minimum then this would have allowed more flexibility for graphical data, sampled sound etc and would have easily enhanced a 64KB only game.

Arnoldemu: /* Examples of Almost Direct Disk to Cartridge Ports */

2011-05-16T09:04:31Z

Examples of Almost Direct Disk to Cartridge Ports

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:04, 16 May 2011
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	Please visit their respective pages to read more about these games.		Please visit their respective pages to read more about these games.

			== Examples of games developed using lots of Plus features ==

			All cartridge games should have followed the example of these games:

			*[[Pang (Cartridge)]]
			*[[Navy Seals (Cartridge)]]
			*[[Plotting (Cartridge)]]

			All these games were developed with the Plus features in mind, and all cartridge games should have been of this quality.

	== Price comparison ==		== Price comparison ==

Arnoldemu: /* Examples of Almost Direct Disk to Cartridge Ports */

2011-05-16T09:03:14Z

Examples of Almost Direct Disk to Cartridge Ports

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:03, 16 May 2011
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	*[[Tintin On the Moon (Cartridge)]]		*[[Tintin On the Moon (Cartridge)]]

	This was better than the direct ports.		This was still better than the direct ports, because it could give a more "16bit version look".

	Please visit their respective pages to read more about these games.		Please visit their respective pages to read more about these games.