Hotball

Toni Wilen · 04 May 2007, 18:07

I got original Hotball (disk only, no box or manual) few months ago (SPS dumped already) and forgot about it until 2 weeks ago when IFW asked to play test the original because it seemed to freeze in emulation when game should start..

I found something quite interesting..

First, game writes following text to serial port (1200, 7 data bits, 1 stop bit, no parity) while loading: <my comments>

iCDebut : C 478952 F 426872
apres closes : C 499560 F 428024
PRESENTATION
<logo>
animation
<titlescreen>
avant free h bm 60026, ball 43d24, tball 6cb70
apres h bm 60026, ball 43d24, tball 6cb70
auteurs debut->Chip=214280 Fast=422568
<credits screen>
apres Initj->Chip=214280 Fast=333928
apres freeseg->Chip=214280 Fast=422568
apres Initb->Chip=197504 Fast=406712
apres freeseg->Chip=197504 Fast=422568
apres les AllocMem->Chip=197504 Fast=379376
apres defhos->Chip=197504 Fast=334264
apres freeseg->Chip=197504 Fast=379376
fin presentation->Chip=197504 Fast=379376
apres present : C 197504 F 379376
apres freeseg present : C 197504 F 383968
PAGEOPT
avant les bm..->Chip=197504 Fast=383968
PAGEOPT
apres les bm..->Chip=135584 Fast=383728
<main menu, select start game option>
original <or "pirate" if copy protection check fails, yes, I am serious...>
FANFAN->Chip=162784 Fast=382928
apres bm..->Chip=76384 Fast=382848
PAGEOPT
apres les free->Chip=128704 Fast=383128
JEU F 383128 C 128704
JEU F 382760 C 61184
apres ScrollBobs->F 382344 C 42240
<main game screen, freezes here>

Looks like they forgot to remove debugging code

Game freezes because it waits until parallel port data bits return something else than 0xff (parallel port returns 0xff in input mode if nothing connected) Game appears to work normally if parport read code is skipped (tested with AR3)

Perhaps this game came with some kind of dongle or parallel port joystick adapter or something?

alexh · 04 May 2007, 18:46

Could it have come with two disks so you could play link up with only one copy of the game?

This disk being the "linkup disk".

25 October 2007, 23:26

Hi I got Hotball back in 92 or thereabouts and it came with a 4 player adaptor. Must get it out of the loft so can use original joystick with WinUAE. Can't believe it's going to finally get used for the first time 15 years later.

Hello to Alex who helped me with Ambermoon installation a while back as well.
Glad to see the website is still going strong.
Cheers

andreas · 26 October 2007, 00:27

@maxm
can you please also check the HOL entry for errors?
Hotball (HOL)

It was horribly wrong and I did a huge update in March 2004. Especially the publisher was not easy to find out because sources were a lot sparser back 3 years ago.

Set rarity rating to 3 stars because an original copy these days is damn hard to find; tending to set 4, though.

28 October 2007, 23:53

Sure I'll dig it out of the loft when I go home at xmas and let you know any details. Seem to remember I picked it up in a roadside cafe shop for around £5, but never saw it in any magazines or mail order.
Definitely had the option of 4 players simultaneously. I think it just had 1 against 1 with a keeper on each side..
I played it a few times as I hadn't yet got Kick off 2

06 June 2008, 21:32

Hi I've got the game and taken some photos of the contents in case you want to check any details. One detail missing from the HOL database is Prestasoft is the developer. Where should I send them?

04 May 2007, 18:07	#1
Toni Wilen WinUAE developer Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Hämeenlinna/Finland Age: 49 Posts: 26,506	Hotball I got original Hotball (disk only, no box or manual) few months ago (SPS dumped already) and forgot about it until 2 weeks ago when IFW asked to play test the original because it seemed to freeze in emulation when game should start.. I found something quite interesting.. First, game writes following text to serial port (1200, 7 data bits, 1 stop bit, no parity) while loading: <my comments> iCDebut : C 478952 F 426872 apres closes : C 499560 F 428024 PRESENTATION <logo> animation <titlescreen> avant free h bm 60026, ball 43d24, tball 6cb70 apres h bm 60026, ball 43d24, tball 6cb70 auteurs debut->Chip=214280 Fast=422568 <credits screen> apres Initj->Chip=214280 Fast=333928 apres freeseg->Chip=214280 Fast=422568 apres Initb->Chip=197504 Fast=406712 apres freeseg->Chip=197504 Fast=422568 apres les AllocMem->Chip=197504 Fast=379376 apres defhos->Chip=197504 Fast=334264 apres freeseg->Chip=197504 Fast=379376 fin presentation->Chip=197504 Fast=379376 apres present : C 197504 F 379376 apres freeseg present : C 197504 F 383968 PAGEOPT avant les bm..->Chip=197504 Fast=383968 PAGEOPT apres les bm..->Chip=135584 Fast=383728 <main menu, select start game option> original <or "pirate" if copy protection check fails, yes, I am serious...> FANFAN->Chip=162784 Fast=382928 apres bm..->Chip=76384 Fast=382848 PAGEOPT apres les free->Chip=128704 Fast=383128 JEU F 383128 C 128704 JEU F 382760 C 61184 apres ScrollBobs->F 382344 C 42240 <main game screen, freezes here> Looks like they forgot to remove debugging code Game freezes because it waits until parallel port data bits return something else than 0xff (parallel port returns 0xff in input mode if nothing connected) Game appears to work normally if parport read code is skipped (tested with AR3) Perhaps this game came with some kind of dongle or parallel port joystick adapter or something?

04 May 2007, 18:46	#2
alexh Thalion Webshrine Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Oxford Posts: 14,339	Could it have come with two disks so you could play link up with only one copy of the game? This disk being the "linkup disk". Last edited by alexh; 04 May 2007 at 18:59.

25 October 2007, 23:26	#3
maxm Posts: n/a	Hi I got Hotball back in 92 or thereabouts and it came with a 4 player adaptor. Must get it out of the loft so can use original joystick with WinUAE. Can't believe it's going to finally get used for the first time 15 years later. Hello to Alex who helped me with Ambermoon installation a while back as well. Glad to see the website is still going strong. Cheers

26 October 2007, 00:27	#4
andreas Zone Friend Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Germany Age: 50 Posts: 5,857	@maxm can you please also check the HOL entry for errors? Hotball (HOL) It was horribly wrong and I did a huge update in March 2004. Especially the publisher was not easy to find out because sources were a lot sparser back 3 years ago. Set rarity rating to 3 stars because an original copy these days is damn hard to find; tending to set 4, though.

28 October 2007, 23:53	#5
maxm Posts: n/a	Sure I'll dig it out of the loft when I go home at xmas and let you know any details. Seem to remember I picked it up in a roadside cafe shop for around £5, but never saw it in any magazines or mail order. Definitely had the option of 4 players simultaneously. I think it just had 1 against 1 with a keeper on each side.. I played it a few times as I hadn't yet got Kick off 2

06 June 2008, 21:32	#6
maxm Posts: n/a	Hi I've got the game and taken some photos of the contents in case you want to check any details. One detail missing from the HOL database is Prestasoft is the developer. Where should I send them?

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