Cartridge identity?

[Comic_Interlude]

Hi folks, hope this is the right place to post.

I'm currently disposing of my software collection, and deep within I found this cartridge that I can't seem to identify - does anyone recognize it or know anything?

Unfortunately I don't have a Vic anymore to plug it in to - but I did way back and I don't seem to remember it doing anything. As in the computer started as normal, unchanged.

Even though it's been forgotten about for decades, I'd be quite grateful if anyone could tell me anything before the cartridge finally leaves my life for ever!

Thanks

[R'zo]

It appears to be an astroids clone.
https://youtu.be/-jdyd6ptV8I

[Comic_Interlude]

It sounds like it, doesn't it - back when game names were simple and descriptive

Do you have this particular cartridge? It has a strange prototype look about it and as if intended to be published by Commodore perhaps - the look and feel of the case is very similar to theirs anyway.

Thanks for the link - maybe that's it.

[R'zo]

It sounds like it, doesn't it - back when game names were simple and descriptive

Do you have this particular cartridge? It has a strange prototype look about it and as if intended to be published by Commodore perhaps - the look and feel of the case is very similar to theirs anyway.

Thanks for the link - maybe that's it.

No I don't have one, this is the first I've ever heard of it.

I'm curious as to what "to switch over after then awaits" means.

[R'zo]

What's covered up with stickers?

[Comic_Interlude]

"to switch over then awaits" - I've no idea either! It sounds either cryptic, or something badly translated. Maybe from Japanese?

And the stickers I'm not sure about either. I'm tempted now to remove them

All I do know about this cartridge is that it came literally out of a bin - or rather large dumpsters / skips when Commodore UK left their office in Slough. I was going to open it but I have memories of Vic cartridges being very difficult to get in to, and nearly always breaking in the process.

[srowe]

HAL Labs were of course responsible for a number of the earliest cartridges for the VIC

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HAL_Labor ... ore_VIC-20

This doesn't seem to be one of the titles that are currently known, perhaps you have an unreleased one?

I was going to open it but I have memories of Vic cartridges being very difficult to get in to, and nearly always breaking in the process.

The plastic tabs can break but the cream ones seem more robust than the brown ones. It would be really, really interesting to see if it's a ROM or EPROM in there and to try and get an image of what's on there.

Have you tried cleaning the contacts with some isopropanol?

Edit: I just noticed, you don't have a VIC any more. Where about's are you, I'm sure if there's a forum member near you they'd be happy to help out.

[Comic_Interlude]

So, I carefully removed the stickers, and then had to clean away some ink scribble - and this is what was revealed. "We float home".

I've no idea what that means! Is it the name of a game? A statement of intent? A Japanese saying? Does this name mean anything at all to anyone?

I will open it up, but not until later tonight. I'll have to watch a youtube video or 2 first on how to do this without breaking anything - which won't be the end of the world of course but would be a shame. I certainly remember cracking 1 or 2 as a lad in my eagerness to see inside - which was always an anticlimax ... at least for me. I don't know what I was expecting to see - mice on a mouse organ with other mice acting out the game probably in my young mind

[Mike]

Opening the cartridge isn't going to reveal much more than there will be either a PROM or EPROM inside, soldered in or in a socket. If it's an EPROM, chances are that the protection sticker is bound to come off on the slightest touch.

With the quartz window open, prolonged exposure to UV will erase that EPROM, using a flash light to make a photograph of it can damage it in the instant of a split second!

If you're so inclined, please update the location info in your profile. When a Denial member with active hardware is in your reach, please arrange a meeting to dump the cartridge contents (at least of what is hopefully left, given it doesn't autostart).

The following program will read out all external memory that might be there in the cart and write it to disk:

Code: Select all

1 S=4:E=16:N$="RAMX.PRG":GOSUB6
2 S=32:E=128:N$="BLK1..3.PRG":GOSUB6
3 S=160:E=192:N$="BLK5.PRG":GOSUB6
4 S=152:E=160:N$="IO.PRG":GOSUB6
5 END
6 SYS57809(N$),8:POKE193,0:POKE194,S:POKE780,193:POKE781,0:POKE782,E:SYS65496:RETURN

When you come up with the four files "RAMX.PRG", "BLK1..3.PRG", "BLK5.PRG" and "IO.PRG", we can analyse what's in the cart.

Greetings,

Michael

[Mayhem]

Well, this is certainly a very interesting thing, and as intrigued as everyone else heh.

Hopefully a few more questions can be answered by dumping the game and using an emulator perhaps, but either way, I'd love to purchase the cartridge from you

[ral-clan]

Even though the game on YouTube has the same name, it doesn't mean the game you have is that one - in the early days of the VIC-20, many clones of arcade games, even by different authors shared the same name. Just look at how many totally different ports of Frogger there were, all called "Frogger" or "Frogee" or "Frog" or "Froggie" or (you get my drift).

So I still think it would be worthwhile dumping this cartridge, if it is one of the early VIC-1001 HAL LABS games, it might be a very good clone of Asteroids.

[orion70]

I followed this thread with utter interest and a strong sense of anticipation . This is a rare find, indeed.

I was about to write a comment about the part hidden under white stickers, and ral-clan wrote the post above. I suddenly realized that the hidden "WE FLOAT HOME" must be one of two possible game titles; my bet was that it was rejected, and SPACE ROCKS was chosen instead.

But then, I came to the cryptic motto below... A literal translation into Japanese (according to Google translate) is

その後に切り替えを待つ
Sonogo ni kirikae o matsu

...which in Italian is

attendi la commutazione

i.e.

wait for the switch

And this bring us to the possibility that originally in fact two games may have been present in the cartridge. But is this possible, at least in principle for a 1980(sh) game, in a no-switch cart?

Last, please Comic, don't try and open it before an attempt to dump the content with Mike's program, because

[...] if it is one of the early VIC-1001 HAL LABS games, it might be a very good clone of Asteroids.

...and I bet it's not the bad stuff depicted in the YT video.

[ral-clan]

Orion70,

That's what I was thinking too...that this cartridge has two games on it, and is software switch-able.
I agree with you. This should be dumped BEFORE any attempt is made to open it.

[orion70]

Ral-clan, to further clarify: my interpretation of the cryptic message is that maybe it was a two-games prototype "waiting for the switch", i.e., the final cart was meant to be switchable. So it may have either a software switch, or simply it was waiting for the engineers to build an hardware one.

[Mayhem]

Indeed, which also compounded by my offer to buy the cartridge, because I know I can dump it here

If there is no physical switch, then it may be menu based, or possibly key based (like Final Orbit/Bumper Bash published by Sirius).