Was there ever a A1200 version of Wing Commander?

[Raid27]

I've seen it referenced in at least two contempary magazines that a special A1200 version of Wing Commander with 256 colors (or whichever it was) was to be released.

Was such a version ever released or did they put all their money into the CD32-version instead?

[derSammler]

No, that never existed. Even the CD32 version was just bundled with the system and never saw a full retail release. I guess they simply had no money to spend anymore at that time.

[Raid27]

Originally Posted by derSammler

No, that never existed. Even the CD32 version was just bundled with the system and never saw a full retail release. I guess they simply had no money to spend anymore at that time.

Dang. Although I do have the (emulated) CD32 version it would have been cool to habe a A1200 version too.

Thanks for the info.

[TCD]

There is a rip of the CD32 version that you can install on an A1200: https://ftp2.grandis.nu/turransearch...0&httplinks=on

[BigD]

Originally Posted by Raid27

Dang. Although I do have the (emulated) CD32 version it would have been cool to habe a A1200 version too.

Thanks for the info.

Yeah, there's a WHDLoad installer to install the CD32 files to a hard drive. Works great on an 030/50.

[Mad-Matt]

It might be possible to build a four disk version from the cd32 files. I had tried years ago to make it as the four disk volumes can be seen in the exe but I never saw a file table of where to put the files on each disk.

Hardisk.dat lists all the files including the disk names but not where the files go as its simulating a hd install on the cd.

[sokolovic]

Originally Posted by Mad-Matt

It might be possible to build a four disk version from the cd32 files. I had tried years ago to make it as the four disk volumes can be seen in the exe but I never saw a file table of where to put the files on each disk.

A four disk version for people that have an accelerator in their A1200 but no HDD ?
I'm not sure there is so many of this kind of unicorn by now.

If one want to keep it "real" and play on a stock A1200 from floppies without HDD, fast ram or accelerator, there is the OCS version

[derSammler]

You don't need an accelerator. A stock A1200 is as fast as a CD32 - so the game will run at the same speed (Akiko did not really help on the CD32). With clever patching, you could possibly even make it run faster.

Doesn't mean it makes much sense to make a disk version. Also, wasn't music on the CD32 version stored as CD audio? Who wants to play the game with no music..?

[BigD]

Originally Posted by Mad-Matt

It might be possible to build a four disk version from the cd32 files. I had tried years ago to make it as the four disk volumes can be seen in the exe but I never saw a file table of where to put the files on each disk.

Hardisk.dat lists all the files including the disk names but not where the files go as its simulating a hd install on the cd.

As I said there IS a working HD installer. Why reinvent the wheel? Without the Akiko chip (there was a bug that stopped it working properly on Wing Commander CD32 anyway) you need an 030 to get some good speed. 'Nuff said. You wanna play it on a stock A1200, use the OCS version!

[derSammler]

Your definition of "good speed" is probably not universal and the HD installer needs, well, a hard disk. And some people just want to change the status quo - so let them.

And for the record, you can speed up the A1200 by 2.5x if you just add fast ram. Try Wing Commander on a CD32 with a TF328 and you will see that no 030 is needed for "good speed" (the TF328 is not an accelerator).

[sokolovic]

Originally Posted by derSammler

Doesn't mean it makes much sense to make a disk version. Also, wasn't music on the CD32 version stored as CD audio? Who wants to play the game with no music..?

There isn't any CD music on this version, not even voices. Playing on the WHD A1200 version even procures a better experience as the keyboard is supported, so IMO the A1200 patched version is the best one.

[derSammler]

Interesting. I was sure there were audio tracks on the disc. Or maybe they belong to Dangerous Streets?

[Seiya]

CD32 disc is empty. only the game (no speech and no cdda). It is been easy to rip the game in ADF file

[Mad-Matt]

Originally Posted by BigD

As I said there IS a working HD installer. Why reinvent the wheel? Without the Akiko chip (there was a bug that stopped it working properly on Wing Commander CD32 anyway) you need an 030 to get some good speed. 'Nuff said. You wanna play it on a stock A1200, use the OCS version!

I just wanted to point out in response to the op, that on first glance it looks there might have been an A1200 floppy version in development or at least one that had to be installed to hd to play as the disk names are hidden away in the exe. Not by any means suggesting someone should really dig into it and make it happen for the street cred.

[sokolovic]

Yep the A1200 version was supposed to be released (No doubt the CD32 version a quick shovelware of this version with some Akiko enhancement, as the keyboard support suggest) and so were the Secret missions and IIRC Mindscape also said that WC2 was planned for AGA Amiga only.

[Megalomaniac]

If it's fast enough on the CD32 without using Akiko properly, it should be fast enough on an A1200, especially if you add fast RAM. For people who love to use original hardware as far as possible, a pure floppy AGA version would be a great thing to have.

In an ideal world, it'd be great to see a limited edition boxed floppy release of an A1200 version of Wing Commander, just for the sake of now being able to own it as intended . I doubt EA (who own Origin now) would ever agree to it though.

[TCD]

Originally Posted by sokolovic

Yep the A1200 version was supposed to be released.

The fact that the CD32 version was only released in the compilation with Dangerous Streets in the CD32 bundle hints at that Origin didn't think that selling it on its own would make any sense commercially anymore. I would wager that's the reason why a 'A1200' version was never released.

[sokolovic]

Originally Posted by TCD

The fact that the CD32 version was only released in the compilation with Dangerous Streets in the CD32 bundle hints at that Origin didn't think that selling it on its own would make any sense commercially anymore. I would wager that's the reason why a 'A1200' version was never released.

Mindscape was supposed to publish it (like they did for the OCS version). Strangely at that time they were still quite supporting the CD32 and the Amiga, even AGA.

[Megalomaniac]

Mindscape were quite big 'early adopters' of the AGA chipset, Overkill was the first AGA-only game I think, SimLife was the first AGA-version-first game, and Seek & Destroy I think was first to have OCS and AGA graphics on the same disks. Liberation and Sim City 2000 later too (the latter well after CD32 Wing Commander), so they must have done okay out of them. Origin never had anything directly to do with the development of Amiga Wing Commander, maybe they published it in the US as an afterthought but I doubt it sold too many.

[sokolovic]

Originally Posted by Megalomaniac

Mindscape were quite big 'early adopters' of the AGA chipset, Overkill was the first AGA-only game I think, SimLife was the first AGA-version-first game, and Seek & Destroy I think was first to have OCS and AGA graphics on the same disks. Liberation and Sim City 2000 later too (the latter well after CD32 Wing Commander), so they must have done okay out of them. Origin never had anything directly to do with the development of Amiga Wing Commander, maybe they published it in the US as an afterthought but I doubt it sold too many.

Maybe it was simply a question of licensing ? Their rights to publish Wing Commander expired when the AGA version was due to be released. So Commodore bought it at a low price to release it only in a CD32 bundle.