Request for IPF image of Xenon II - Megablast KIXX budget 1 disk version

[solarmon]

Hi,





I tried looking for the IPF image of Xenon II - Megablast KIXX budget 1 disk version in the EAB file servers, TOSEC area, but can only find the two disk versions.

Can anybody point me to a clean/good IPF image of this 1 disk version so that I can restore my original disk, which works, but seem to have some random bit errors on it.



Thank you!

[jotd]

I think I have a WWP of that version. This is writable back to disk with a normal amiga in "nibble" mode. MFM gap is reduced, allowing to write RN protected tracks back.

[Retroplay]

SPS 2234 is one disk.
/~Uploads/rygar/= CAPS =/xenon2-megablast_2234.zip

[BarryB]

That's strange, I have a copy of The Power Pack which IPF 2234 is from but my Xenon 2 is on 2 Disks in that compilation?

I also think the budget Mirror Image release is also 1 Disk!

[solarmon]

Originally Posted by Retroplay

SPS 2234 is one disk.
/~Uploads/rygar/= CAPS =/xenon2-megablast_2234.zip

Thank you! Sorry, I didn't check that IPF set.

[solarmon]

I didn't actually test/use this image at the time since my original Kixx disk was working fine.

I've now tried to use the IPF image by converting it to HFE (v3) and using in a Gotek, but cannot get it to working in my A500 rev 6a with 512K Chip memory - it shows the anti-piracy screen, which I believe is the disk copy protection kicking in.

Can somebody try to get this IPF image working either on Amiga hardware or emulation.

In hardware:


I get the same issue in emulation (WinUAE) using the IPF image directly:

[solarmon]

It seems, if I set WinUAE to Best Compatibility, the IPF game image loads OK, although it does still show the piracy is theft screen at the start.

[BarryB]

That Piracy screen was a common warning on some games, nothing to do with copy protection!

[Galahad/FLT]

On some games that piracy warning either stayed on screen longer if it detected a copy, or on others it was displayed regardless (Elite Systems used it a lot)

[DamienD]

Yup, something similar in Ghosts 'N Goblins:

[solarmon]

Sorry, I forgot to show that after the piracy screen, there is the following corruption for the logo screen:

[Galahad/FLT]

Originally Posted by solarmon

Sorry, I forgot to show that after the piracy screen, there is the following corruption for the logo screen:

Thats because if the floppy speed isn't set to 100%, then it will fail the Speedlock check, which is a timing dependent copy protection check like Copylock.

It loads up that picture and the data for the intro, after loading, it displays that picture whilst depacking the intro, and then executes the intro code, and in the header of that is the encrypted Speedlock check.

Once that passes correctly, then the intro will display properly.

[solarmon]

Originally Posted by Galahad/FLT

Thats because if the floppy speed isn't set to 100%, then it will fail the Speedlock check, which is a timing dependent copy protection check like Copylock.

It loads up that picture and the data for the intro, after loading, it displays that picture whilst depacking the intro, and then executes the intro code, and in the header of that is the encrypted Speedlock check.

Once that passes correctly, then the intro will display properly.

I found that, in WinUAE, if I set the compatibility to Best Compatibility - which effectively set the CPU frequency to "2x (A500)" - it works.

Also, in hardware, I was using an HD disk (with HD tab covered) and it wasn't working. But when using a DD disk, it does not work on machines with Kickstart 1.3, but it does work on machines with Kickstart 2.0.

[BarryB]

Originally Posted by Galahad/FLT

On some games that piracy warning either stayed on screen longer if it detected a copy, or on others it was displayed regardless (Elite Systems used it a lot)

Thanks for the correction, I always thought it was jut a generic warning to deter copying!

I only have 1 game that uses that screen, Dragons Breath, if you load the IPF into WinUAE and set the drive speed to 200% you can see that screen forever

[Keir]

Originally Posted by BarryB

Thanks for the correction, I always thought it was jut a generic warning to deter copying!

I only have 1 game that uses that screen, Dragons Breath, if you load the IPF into WinUAE and set the drive speed to 200% you can see that screen forever

It could be that screen is in an indicator of Speedlock, then, as Dragon's Breath too uses Speedlock.

[BarryB]

I have about a dozen speedlock games and none show that piracy warning that Dragon's Breath does.

[solarmon]

My original Xenon II disk has now got a corruption on it that I cannot get rid off just by cleaning.

Looking at the dump of it, the CRC (of the grean AmigaDOS bits) is not the same as the CRC of the [2234] IPF image. I don't think this is due to corruption, as the green AmigaDOS bits don't seem to any errors in it.

So I don't think the [2234] IPF image is the same as this Xenon II KIXX image. The boot block also seem to be differrent.

I've now misplaced my original dump of this Xenon II KIXX disk, so I'm requesting again if somebody can provide a clean dump of their Xenon II KIXX disk.

[vbgd]

1 disc version: Speedlock, 2 disc version RNC A

[solarmon]

Originally Posted by vbgd

1 disc version: Speedlock, 2 disc version RNC A

This single disk KIXX version seems to have the Speedlock protection removed. If I compare the boot block, it does not say 'Speedlock' in it.

[dlfrsilver]

Originally Posted by solarmon

This single disk KIXX version seems to have the Speedlock protection removed. If I compare the boot block, it does not say 'Speedlock' in it.

When a game is speedlock, it's never written in the bootblock.

P47 is a speedlocked game, and there is nothing about it. only the tracks on the disk.

We can't help you, because Xenon 2 1 disk with speedlock is undumped.