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Author Topic: Cartridge games (Read 4003 times)

Offline ssr86

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Cartridge games
« on: 2015.September.18. 20:07:51 »
Is Enterprise capable of running games from cartridge (if yes, then are there any?)? I think that I've read a long time ago that there would be problems with that... but don't remember why...
« Last Edit: 2015.September.18. 20:57:50 by ssr86 »

Offline geco

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Re: Cartridge games
« Reply #1 on: 2015.September.18. 21:10:39 »
Is Enterprise capable of running games from cartridge (if yes, then are there any?)? I think that I've read a long time ago that there would be problems with that... but don't remember why...
I think there should no problem, just it should be done like a normal EXOS_ROM. It could be called from anywhere (Basic, WP, EXDOS, ...) by :game name, like I made a ROM version of SPEmu. I did not think there is any cartridge game, at least i have never seen ;)

Offline gflorez

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Re: Cartridge games
« Reply #2 on: 2015.September.18. 23:44:54 »
I've seen once an Heathrow Airport game on cartridge selling on Ebay from Hungary.


Offline gflorez

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Re: Cartridge games
« Reply #3 on: 2015.September.19. 00:04:56 »
There are also the Pasians.rom and the Cyrus.rom.

And of course as Geco says, the superb Spemu is an emulator on Rom playing games on Ram with the Spectrum Rom protected.

Offline ssr86

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Re: Cartridge games
« Reply #4 on: 2015.September.19. 09:00:40 »
So there's no problem with cartridge games for the Enterprise (well, other than their number;P). I wonder how expensive it is to manufacture a cartridge game nowadays..., does anyone know? I mean, there are new games released on cartridge for atari or c64 from time to time... If any new games were to pop up for the ep then having a physical cartridge copy would be great... I know that you could just load it on your sd card, but having a dedicated cartridge for a brand new game would be more fun. I'm really fond of how the ep tapes look with the blacks and overall layout, the cartridge that gflorez linked also looks nice... Although I guess there would be problems with the plastic mold etc... 

Offline geco

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Re: Cartridge games
« Reply #5 on: 2015.September.19. 09:10:53 »
I think Pear can help you in an about cost of the cartridge :) If you make a recartridge from your game, I will buy one :)

Thanks Gflorez I did not see any game cartridge earlier. :)

Offline gflorez

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Re: Cartridge games
« Reply #6 on: 2015.September.19. 10:39:22 »
The problem was that the Enterprise was launched with the Basic in a cartridge intead of inside the inner Rom. If the cart bay would had been unused we could have now plenty of releases.

Today is even more unpractical to make a cartridge as is much more functional to have the bay ocupied by a wonderful sd-reader....
« Last Edit: 2015.September.19. 14:57:52 by gflorez »

Offline gflorez

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Re: Cartridge games
« Reply #7 on: 2015.September.19. 11:20:17 »
But talking only about Roms, not of cartridges, there is already address memory and phisical ways to put them on the Enterprise... Ask Zozo.

For example you can remove the internal stock Rom and put a bigger flash Rom.

Or, if you are the proud owner of a SzörG's Sd-reader, there is still a little space on the flash inside the cartridge to put a homemade Rom.

New versions of Exos made by Zozo even let you emulate Roms if you have the necessary spare Ram. They pervive a soft reset.

Owners of Microteam Exdos clone cards have also space to put Eproms or flash Roms on it.

As you can see the Enterprise is not closed to Roms.

Offline ssr86

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Re: Cartridge games
« Reply #8 on: 2015.September.19. 16:41:39 »
The problem was that the Enterprise was launched with the Basic in a cartridge intead of inside the inner Rom. If the cart bay would had been unused we could have now plenty of releases.
Yes, now I remember reading something like that. However why was it such a big problem for having cart games? I mean, cart games for c64 were just plug and play - no basic etc.. Basic extensions were also on cartridges.

Quote
Today is even more unpractical to make a cartridge as is much more functional to have the bay ocupied by a wonderful sd-reader....
Yes, but I'd like to have a dedicated cart. I always prefer physical copies over digital (as I don't feel like I really "possess" them) and having a game on the sd-card with all other productions feels like having a digital version. And carts are in a black plastic box with color sticker and look cooler;P.

Well an alternative would be having the game on another small-capacity sd but sd cards are so small and not as cool as classic cartridges;P

Offline gflorez

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Re: Cartridge games
« Reply #9 on: 2015.September.19. 18:47:57 »
Cartridges are and where very cool, but it is a fact that cassettes worked very well on the Enterprise, compared for example with tape loading on a Sinclair. I suffered it for years as my previous computer was one  ZX Spectrum .

Even so, how much Spectrum cartridges do you know?

Ok, it was not the same case as you needed an additional  ZX Interface 2, but for the common user a tape offered more advantages than a cart. You could copy the game to a friend on a cheap cassette.... even modify it or add pokes...

For a user the real upgrade that far times was to have an Exdos card and be able to load a game in seconds instead of minutes. A box of floppys was more desirable than a cartridge, and cheaper(not counting the expensive interface...).

But that where only my thoughts, is adventurous to say why things had happened.

I understand you, cartridges are a concept, begin and end in their selves,  closed boxes of fun.




Is for that I have emptied one of my two Basic cartridges to put inside my lovely SD-reader.....
« Last Edit: 2015.September.19. 20:40:12 by gflorez »