CBM prg Studio Version 3.0.0 is released. There are a lot of new features in this version. I’d really appreciate it if you report any bugs you find or have any suggestions/comments.

CBM prg Studio allows you to type a BASIC or Machine Code program in using a nice Windows environment and convert it to a ‘.prg’ file which you can run on an emulator, or even a real C64 / VIC20 or PET if you’re feeling brave and have the right kit.

CBM prg Studio is the result of merging C64PrgGen and VIC20PrgGen. Adding new features and fixing bugs in two apps which were 95% similar was a bit of a nightmare so merging them made sense.

It was also a good opportunity for a face lift and to add some new features, such as:

• Programs are project based, meaning all related source files, sprite files etc. are kept in one place and multiple source files can be linked more easily.
• Tabbed MDI.
• Syntax highlighting.

What CBM prg Studio isn’t is a front-end for tok64, cbmcnvrt, bastext or any other tokeniser / detokeniser / assembler. It’s all been written completely from scratch.

New features:

• 65816 assembler/debugger.
• Partial support for the VICE debugger.
• Bitmap import/export for character editor.
• Binary file import to Assembly source.
• Line and rectangle drawing tools for the screen designer.
• TASM support added to Source Converter tool.

Bug Fixed:

• Assembler:
  • Using arithmetic with cheap labels would fail.
  • Slow incbin performance for large binary files.
  • Wrong SYScall generation for C128 projects.
  • incbin with screen data imported all screens.
  • Assembling past the end of memory not detected properly.
  • Invalid branch not detected properly.
  • Arithmetic on WORDs not carried out.
  • Multiple characters in single quotes in BYTE sequences not assembled properly.
  • GenerateTo only created .prg files.
  • Save File As… would only save .bas files.
  • Comment tool would not comment out already commented code.
  • Incbin reporting ‘file too large’ error by mistake.
• Screen Designer:
  • Binary file export
  • Colour selection for C16 projects didn’t work.
  • Wrong screen size saving C128 screens.
  • Character set selection corrected.
• General:
  • Some code reformatting issues.

Download: CBM prg Studio v3.0.0 (1165)

source: ajordison.co.uk

Hoxs64 written by David Horrocks is a Commodore 64 emulator for Microsoft Windows 2K/XP/Vista/Seven (DirectX 9+)

The emulator substantially reproduces this legacy machine in minute detail.

Changelog:

• Resizable main window for windowed mode.
• Fix Ultimax VIC fetch.

Download:

• Hoxs64 64 bit v1.0.8.7 (966)
• Hoxs64 32 bit v1.0.8.7 (928)
• Hoxs64 Ansi Win98/2K v1.0.8.7 (904)

source: hoxs64.net

Relaunch64 is an IDE (text-editor) for C64 assembler-coding on Windows, Linux and Mac OS X. Relaunch64 has a clean and intuitive user interface, yet it offers many features that make coding faster and easier.

Java 7 or higher is required to run Relaunch64. The program is licensed under the GNU GPL 3 (or higher) and free for private and professional use.

This editor works together with common cross assemblers like Kick Assembler, ACME, or 64tass. Other assemblers might work as well, but syntax highlighting may not be 100% correct.

Download: Relaunch64 V3.0 (981)

source: popelganda.de

Some new games or tools (Cracked / Trained or Unrealeased) for Commodore 64 have been released from your favorites groups.

Titles:

• Monstics Mystery II Preview &D +Pic
• Cosmos V1.2 +7MD
• Quadron +1ED
• Speed Ball
• D-2000 IFR-Trainer – Germany 2 +EFD [pal/ntsc]
• Stronghold +3D
• Roll – final version
• Vermeer +1ED [english]
• 2048
• Immensity Preview 2
• Waterman +5E
• Voidrunner HS
• Nuclear Reaction 2100
• Slinky 101% +7MHD
• Slurpy +++-hi
• One On One +2GD
• Xain’d Sleena Preview +
• The Last Hope

Download: All Games in One Archive (3307)

source: csdb.dk

This is the official demo party results (C64 Only) from Revision 2014. See also the official homepage for more informations.

C64 4K Intro:

• 3 – Back in the Saddle by Razor 1911.

C64 Game:

• 2 – Immensity – Revision 2014 Edition by Dév.

WiLD Demo:

• 1 – 10 Orbyte by Tristar & Red Sector Incorporated.

Mixed Graphics:

• 4 – Lost in the Forest of Owls by Chorus, Resource, Singular.
• 5 – Party Train Incoming – Mind the GAP by Tristar & Red Sector Incorporated.
• 6 – Social Net by Arsenic, Oxyron.
• 8 – Devil or Angel? by Resource.

Mixed Music:

• 2 – Dekadance by Darklite.
• 4 – Spiral Silicon Towers by Panda Design.
• 5 – Specular Highlight by Lft.
• 9 – Fuzzy Brawl by Edge of Panic.

Mixed Demo:

• 3 – Redefinition by Fairlight, Offence.
• 6 – Panopticon by Brainstorm, Traction.

Download: Revision 2014 Party stuff (1546)

source: noname.c64.org 2014.revision-party.net

Forth, the Language.

Forth is a different language. It’s aged and a little weird.
What’s cool about it? It’s a very low-level and minimal language without any automatic memory management. At the same time, it easily scales to become a very high-level and domain-specific language, much like Lisp. Compared to C64 Basic, Forth is more attractive in almost every way.

It is a lot more fast, memory effective and powerful. Compared to C, specifically cc65, the story is a little different. It’s hard to make a fair comparison. Theoretically Forth code can be very memory efficient, and it’s possible to make Forth code that is leaner than C code. But it is also true that cc65 code is generally much faster than Forth code.

Download: durexForth v1.3 + Manual (1007)

source: noname.c64.org

Javatari is a multiplayer Atari 2600 emulator written in pure Java with no external libs.

Features:

• Client-Server multiplayer mode. Runs great in low-latency networks such as LANs.
• Drag&Drop and Copy&Paste of ROM files or URLs. Very easy to try ROMs from websites!
• Scanlines and TV screen emulation modes.
• Real Atari console user interface.

Changelog:

• New concept: Savestate Cartridges!
• Store emulator state as Savestate Cartridge files to disk any time (press F8)
• Savestate Cartridges can be distributed and loaded as normal ROMs.
• Savestate Cartridges can also be embedded as auto-load ROMs.
• Support for Starpath/Supercharger Tape ROM format.
• Bugfixes and improvements.

Download: Javatari JAR v4.1 (Needs Java 6 or greater) (1089)

source: javatari.org

Sorry, this entry is only available in Italian.

Some new games or tools (Cracked / Trained or Unrealeased) for Commodore 64 have been released from your favorites groups.

Titles:

• Noxus
• The Rat +2D
• Chickhack &D
• Kur pelite tu tuceji +
• Cosmos +7D
• The Caves of Oberon +2D
• Color Flood +2
• Cosmos +
• Cosmos +7MD 101%
• International Karate II [fixed]
• Cosmos +7MD
• Wavy Navy +3HD +Pic
• Bomb Ace +2D
• Cosmos V1.2
• The Way +4ED [german/english]
• 2048 +2
• Cosmos V1.1
• Monstics Mystery II Preview &D +Pic
• The Impossible Game
• The Impossible Game +1MF [pal/ntsc]

Download: All Games in One Archive (2927)

source: csdb.dk

Someone has to repair these computers! ;-D

In the photo you can see: Commodore 64(C) motherboard, Commodore Amiga 500 motherboard, Commodore Amiga 600, Sinclair QL, Commodore 128 motherboard and some Amiga keyboard.

Autopsy:

12►

Zanussi, a well known Italian furniture company, released two game systems: Ping-O-Tronic, an analog game first released in late 1974 but really successful during 1975, and Play-o-Tronic, an AY-3-8500 game released in 1977 (this particular model was also released by Universum in Germany). Zanussi obtained the Sanders Associates License Agreement on April 21st, 1975. Zanussi reported 21,514 Play-o-Tronic units sold between October 1st and December 31st, 1977 (3 months) for a total amount of 620,408,000 lire, on which a 5.5% royalty was paid to Sanders (34,122,440 lire). Considering this amount, each game would have cost around 28,800 lire during this period, which seems quite low. Unfortunately there is no similar information for Ping-O-Tronic.

Ping-O-Tronic is a nice example of an early video game designed with discrete components (over fifty transistors and twenty diodes) and only three TTL chips (7400 type). All of the graphic objets (paddles, ball, boundaries) and sync signals are generated by transistor flip-flops and one-shots. The chips combine the individual signals so as to manage events like collisions between the ball and a paddle, or a lost ball. They may also be used as triggers for the serves.

This system is quite interesting because it has been improved and upgraded several times. At least nine different models are known to exist, all of which remain on the initial design (PP-2 if not PP-1). Little is known about the first model (PP-1), which dates late 1974. All we know is that it was nearly same as model PP-2 below, and may differ only by one or a few improvements in the electronic circuits (cleaner video signals, etc).

All of the systems play three games: Tennis, Squash / Solo and Attract / Automatic. Tennis and Squash are the obvious games played by analog systems. Curiously, the Hole in the Wall variant has not been implemented although it would have required minor modifications to invert the video signal of a paddle (or both to play more games). Surprizingly, an Attract / Automatic mode is available, where nodoby plays. Both paddles take the whole screen in height, forming a closed square with the two horizontal boundaries. Thus the ball bounces indefinitely, making a very strange PONG variant that only one other system known to play: Executive Games Electronic Television Tennis. This mode was a very clever way to attract people in shops because it required nobody to demonstrate the unit. You whould simply place it in the window and everybody walking down the street would see it play by itself ! This said, the attract mode designed by Executive Games was more realistic since it involved an intelligent paddle which moved automatically to always catch the ball in a squash game.

Several adjustments can be made. Paddles can vary in height from very small (almost unplayable) to enormous. This rare feature for an analog game certainly allowed young kids to play more easily. The picture can be centered both horizontally and vertically. The system is only powered by the mains (no batteries). Both hand controllers can be stored in the system case when not used.

Although model PP-2 is labeled Zanussi Ping-O-Tronic on the top side, models PP-4 and PP-5 are known to exist as Seleco Ping-O-Tronic. As a matter of fact, Seleco was a trademark of the Zanussi Industries. Other models like PP-6 only show “Ping-O-Tronic” without trademark. We currently ignore if both Seleco and Zanussi labels were used for a same model.

source: pong-story.com

HermIRES it’s a cross-platform hires bitmap (Art Studio 1 format) editor for the Commodore 64.

The format has some restrictions, here are the rules:

• The maximal resolution of the picture is 320×200
• Only 16 fix C64 colours can be used (no gradient either)
• In a 8×8 pixel-block only 2 colours can used to be displayable by C64 (this is detected in HermIRES, but .hbm files can be saved with clashes too.)
• On a real C64 the PAL will blur the screen-content a bit, should check on CRT, or at least VICE emulator’s CRT simulation.

Changelog:

• AFLI caption can be fully disabled (AFLIexe-patch included along with bin2array.exe)

Download:

• HermIRES v1.29 (Windows/Linux) (1287)

source: hermit.netne.net

It was released a new firmware for the SD2Snes Flash Cartridge (Super Nintendo/Famicom) by Ikari. The upgrade instructions can be found here.

Changelog:

Added:

• OBC1 support (Metal Combat: Falcon’s Revenge works)
• Menu now displays the 10 most recently played games instead of one.
• Hidden and system files are now ignored in the file browser.
• Some minor internal changes for convenience of development.

Fixes:

• Partial-size BS dumps should now load correctly.
• Fixed a PSRAM mapping bug in the new BS-X mapping logic that caused graphical corruption on some games (notably Treasure Conflix garbled sprites)
• SRAM mapping for LoROM
• 0000-7fff only. Fixes saving in some games, e.g. Ys III Wanderers from Ys.

Download: SD2Snes Firmware v0.1.6 (1451)

source: sd2snes.de

Forth, the Language.

Forth is a different language. It’s aged and a little weird.
What’s cool about it? It’s a very low-level and minimal language without any automatic memory management. At the same time, it easily scales to become a very high-level and domain-specific language, much like Lisp. Compared to C64 Basic, Forth is more attractive in almost every way.

It is a lot more fast, memory effective and powerful. Compared to C, specifically cc65, the story is a little different. It’s hard to make a fair comparison. Theoretically Forth code can be very memory efficient, and it’s possible to make Forth code that is leaner than C code. But it is also true that cc65 code is generally much faster than Forth code.

Download: durexForth v1.26 + Manual (1124)

source: noname.c64.org

Autopsy:

12►

Zanussi, a well known Italian furniture company, released two game systems: Ping-O-Tronic, an analog game first released in late 1974 but really successful during 1975, and Play-O-Tronic, an AY-3-8500 game released in 1977 (this particular model was also released by Universum in Germany).

Zanussi obtained the Sanders Associates License Agreement on April 21st, 1975. Zanussi reported 21,514 Play-O-Tronic units sold between October 1st and December 31st, 1977 (3 months) for a total amount of 620,408,000 lire, on which a 5.5% royalty was paid to Sanders (34,122,440 lire). Considering this amount, each game would have cost around 28,800 lire during this period, which seems quite low. Unfortunately there is no similar information for Ping-O-Tronic.

source: pong-story.com