Acorn Archimedes Software Preservation

[MethodGit]

Okay, this is actually an "identify the game for me"-type question.

I vaguely recall a particular Archimedes game during my school days that was a 3D-ish space racer type thing, and part of its presentation was in the style of a TV gameshow with two alien commentators spectating on the sport, complete with a 3D logo animation. So you could say it was like F-Zero, but not as speedy.

Any ideas? I was hoping to find a proper Acorn database detailing every game released for it HOL-style, but no such site appears to exist. In fact, it does seem like a lot of Acorn gaming websites seem barren on actual information regarding its history of games.

[vexation]

Originally Posted by MethodGit

Okay, this is actually an "identify the game for me"-type question.

I vaguely recall a particular Archimedes game during my school days that was a 3D-ish space racer type thing, and part of its presentation was in the style of a TV gameshow with two alien commentators spectating on the sport, complete with a 3D logo animation. So you could say it was like F-Zero, but not as speedy.

Any ideas? I was hoping to find a proper Acorn database detailing every game released for it HOL-style, but no such site appears to exist. In fact, it does seem like a lot of Acorn gaming websites seem barren on actual information regarding its history of games.

Only stuff that springs to mind for me is Stunt Racer 2000, Starfighter 3000 or Phaethon I guess. If it's not one of those, I'd love to know what it was!

Originally Posted by MethodGit

I vaguely recall a particular Archimedes game during my school days that was a 3D-ish space racer type thing, and part of its presentation was in the style of a TV gameshow with two alien commentators spectating on the sport, complete with a 3D logo animation. So you could say it was like F-Zero, but not as speedy.

Any ideas?

I think you are referring to FTT (Formula Two Thousand) by TBA Software:

http://acorn-gaming.org.uk/index.php...a_Two_Thousand
http://www.apdl.co.uk/riscworld/volu.../tba/index.htm

There was a demo version of it on an Archimedes World cover disk in October or November 1994, I believe.

[MethodGit]

Originally Posted by kth

I think you are referring to FTT (Formula Two Thousand) by TBA Software:

http://acorn-gaming.org.uk/index.php...a_Two_Thousand
http://www.apdl.co.uk/riscworld/volu.../tba/index.htm

There was a demo version of it on an Archimedes World cover disk in October or November 1994, I believe.

You, sir, are a saint! That's the bugger I recall from before. Many kudos!

Looking at a YouTube video of it, I may be wrong about it not being speedy on F-Zero levels. It's pretty zippy in its own right!

[Gaula92]

Hi guys

As you may know, ADFFS BETA for Rpi has been releasen time ago, and now the games that work are smooooooth in a 50Hz display!
So I'm testing them on my Pi.
Can you please zone Xenon 2 and Zarch?

[tnt23]

Hi all,

Where can I find the Acorn .ADF disk image format specs?

[Photon]

Are you sure it's .ADF? There are other formats.

If it is and they've done it in the same way as on Amiga, it's just all the sector data sequentially, from cylinder 0, sector 0 to whatever the top cylinder/sector is on standard PC DD disks.

If the .ADF file is 720K it's likely. PC DD disks apparently use 9 sectors.

[paul1981]

Originally Posted by bobbydeacs

I am original author of this game in 1990. I upgraded the graphics in 1994 for Risc PC, but this never got to market. If anyone's interested, let me know.

Hello Bobby. I've been looking for this game for a while now as I have fond memories of playing what must have been the demo at school when I was a kid.
What's this game called? I remember being wowed by it and the Lander demo, and Iron Lord on the A3000 (I had a C64 at the time). It certainly looks much better than the other archimedes golf games, and I remember being fascinated by it along with having plenty of fun trying to play it.
Thank you for creating such a masterpiece.

[trixster]

Virtual Golf

[paul1981]

Originally Posted by trixster

Virtual Golf

Thanks. There's no sign of it on YouTube.

Hi... I found this thread whilst reminiscing. I'm the author of Bobby Blockhead vs The Dark Planet and F.R.E.D. both sold by Software 42 many, many moons ago. I'm trying to find any videos, screen shots of F.R.E.D. but have come up blank so far. Does anybody know of anything? Can I run it on any emulators? I'd be nice to show my children what I did as a teenager!

[paul1981]

Originally Posted by trixster

Virtual Golf

No it's not unfortunately. Does anyone know the name of this golf game?

[Belgarath]

Out of the Golf games I know of for the Archimedes it resembles Virtual Golf most of all, but does seem to be different from it. The other golf games don't look like it one bit..

[vexation]

Originally Posted by paul1981

No it's not unfortunately. Does anyone know the name of this golf game?

MicroDrive - [ Show youtube player ]

http://www.iconbar.com/forums/viewth...d=11919&page=4

That post is by Jon Abbot who is also the main driving force behind this thread -try contacting him here or on http://forums.jaspp.org.uk:9000/foru...5e40a133734496

[paul1981]

Thanks vexation. I remember it looking like this though:


Is the one in the video link just a demo then? The thing is, I remember that font being used as seen in the bottom right, which I'm don't seeing in the YouTube link, plus there's the huge text box taking 1/4 screen up on the video you linked to. I suppose it's just an old demo version and I must have played the full version. Lucky me! I see the wind guage looks similar though.

Hi,

So... is Pandora's Box "preserved" anywhere? I really couldn't find it.
If I were to buy the original from ebay and hope the disks are good, how would I go about copying them for emulating? Would Omniflop do it?

[vexation]

Originally Posted by sfg

Hi,

So... is Pandora's Box "preserved" anywhere? I really couldn't find it.
If I were to buy the original from ebay and hope the disks are good, how would I go about copying them for emulating? Would Omniflop do it?

It's completely untested and I cant remember where I got it from but i've uploaded it to the The Zone! for you (if you're unfamiliar, sign into the forum and look along the headers, User CP, Amiga FAQ, Rules & Help etc)

Hope it works out for you! I keep meaning to stick RISC OS on my RPI3 but just haven't had the time.

[Zarchos]

You'd better check twice before uploading materials still copyrighted.
IIRC 4th Dimension games rights belonged to APDL, and when the owner died, the rights were bought by another company, still active in the RISC OS world.
And yes you can still buy these games, from CJE Micros.

[vexation]

Originally Posted by Zarchos

You'd better check twice before uploading materials still copyrighted.
IIRC 4th Dimension games rights belonged to APDL, and when the owner died, the rights were bought by another company, still active in the RISC OS world.
And yes you can still buy these games, from CJE Micros.

Was unaware still available for purchase. Removed from The Zone!.

[Zarchos]

Originally Posted by vexation

Was unaware still available for purchase. Removed from The Zone!.

I hope you understand my post was only for you not to have problems.
Most Amiga owners don't understand most Archimedes titles are still copyrighted, as are the early RISC OS roms.
It is possible to download them online for something like 5 or 10 GBP, for emulators, btw.

What is interesting is that through the JASPP you can legally get the Archimedes games (including notices, scans of boxes, covers and so on), as Jon Abbott got the official approval to distribute them, with its 'loader', allowing you to run them on all ARM based RISC OS machines, from the earlier Archies to the latest high end Titanium machine, including of course the R Pis.