Incredible Shrinking Sphere working version

[SquawkBox]

Hi,


I know that game isn't exactly in the tops today, but I'd like to give it a play or two nevertheless. Thing is, I couldn't manage to get it to load on a real Amiga. I tried the various ADF's obviously (there aren't many of them), also tried the IPF version converted to v3 HFE to no avail. Maybe not much testing was done with the dump on later Amiga's ?
For the record, I do all of my testing on a rev. 6a A500 fitted with dual ks, switchable 0.5MB / 1MB chip ram and a gotek.

[Nobby_UK]

Just tried it on my 1200 & 600 (early-startup disabled)
Just Guru's 8000 0004

[SquawkBox]

Thanks for trying. If you fancy such things, you might give a try to Loriciel's Space Racer IPF's (the French version seems at stake too, playing it doesn't require any skill in that language). There's a working ADF of that game (labeled cr [cbc]), so the situation is not as bad as ISS's.

As an aside, Amigans with deep pockets should buy more originals, so that we peons may obtain tried IPF's for the games we don't own an original of .

[BarryB]

The IPF I made from my original and the Flashtro crack all work for me in WinUAE, using the A500 'the most common' config, so the game is working in emulation.

[Nobby_UK]

Tried S-Kick on both machines = Nope !

Emulated OK --- so image is fine

[SquawkBox]

As far as IPF's are concerned, I've heard the SPS team carefully assembles various dumps for a "blend" of quality (think Earl Gray's finest ). One single dump made into a IPF might imply that IPF's made from more popular games have a better chance of loading fine in real life conditions (Just making an assumption here).

@Nobby_UK
Chances are Space Racer will fail to load on your miggys in a similar fashion.

@BarryB
Don't forget that Goteks don't support IPF's directly, so the issue might be down to the conversion process too.

[dlfrsilver]

Originally Posted by SquawkBox

As far as IPF's are concerned, I've heard the SPS team carefully assembles various dumps for a "blend" of quality (think Earl Gray's finest ). One single dump made into a IPF might imply that IPF's made from more popular games have a better chance of loading fine in real life conditions (Just making an assumption here).

@Nobby_UK
Chances are Space Racer will fail to load on your miggys in a similar fashion.

@BarryB
Don't forget that Goteks don't support IPF's directly, so the issue might be down to the conversion process too.

Space Racer has been made from my original disk

The gotek has to be upgraded to Flash floppy v3.13a minimum to support the copy protections.

[BarryB]

IPF's are carefully analysed and created from authentic and unmodified dumps of the EXACT SAME VERSION of a game, there is no 'blending' of differing versions!

The ISS IPF uses Copylock protection so if HFE doesn't support all the variants then that's a possibility. There are also v2, v3 and stream versions of HFE, did you try them?

[SquawkBox]

I made the update twice Denis, even updated the bootloader :

I guess Jean-Francois would rather have us use HxC instead presumably , but let's stay on topic.

Originally Posted by BarryB

There are also v2, v3 and stream versions of HFE, did you try them?

Didn't try with other versions than v3 of HFE's. That's the recommended way, I wouldn't mind trying with v2, but I think other causes might be investigated at conversion level may be.

[dlfrsilver]

Originally Posted by SquawkBox

I made the update twice Denis, even updated the bootloader :

I guess Jean-Francois would rather have us use HxC instead presumably , but let's stay on topic.


Didn't try with other versions than v3 of HFE's. That's the recommended way, I wouldn't mind trying with v2, but I think other causes might be investigated at conversion level may be.

The problem is that if i use my A500 with gotek under KS 1.3 with FF 3.23, and for sure Space Racer and ISS will work on my machine.

[SquawkBox]

For the record, FF has been updated to v3.25 on my machine since then. Well, the best way to figure it out would be to give it a try. Please, be my guest . I am pretty positive if you convert any of the 3 IPF's I mentioned to v3 HFE, it won't work. If you manage, the champagne is on me (with social distancing)!

Sometimes, modern times bring up strange issues, that sort of things wouldn't have happened in the good old days with a copy of either the Band or the Defjam / CSS version made through X-Copy, would it ?

[SquawkBox]

Converting to v2 HFE, didn't help. Ok, at this point, allow me to quote our man Jean-Francois from this thread on his forum :

Still the flakey bits support to do, but a huge load of titles should already work !

A huge load doesn't amount to all titles mind you. Maybe we'll get a v4 HFE format someday. Meanwhile, I'll settle with getting a copy of ISS on floppy, a BBS I can reach for that purpose ? Thanks BarryB for sharing the IPF of that game with us btw.

Out of curiosity, I tried to load the extended ADF of Karate Kid II as converted to v3 HFE and it didn't work either (to amateurs of this VS game, not much content was salvaged in the eADF, a couple of interstitial screens at best).

[Jeff_HxC2001]

Originally Posted by SquawkBox

Converting to v2 HFE, didn't help. Ok, at this point, allow me to quote our man Jean-Francois from this thread on his forum :

A huge load doesn't amount to all titles mind you. Maybe we'll get a v4 HFE format someday. Meanwhile, I'll settle with getting a copy of ISS on floppy, a BBS I can reach for that purpose ? Thanks BarryB for sharing the IPF of that game with us btw.

You are pointing a 4 years old post on the HxC Forum. In the mean time :
https://hxc2001.com/download/floppy_...ease_notes.txt

22 May 2019 : Firmware STM32 USB HxCFloppyEmulator v3.2.2.1a

- HFEv3 : Weakbits support added.

[Jeff_HxC2001]

BTW here is the Incredible Shrinking Sphere IPF converted to the HxC Floppy Emulator file image format v3 (HFEv3) running on the HxC Floppy Emulator Firmware for Gotek :







This HxC Floppy Emulator file image format v3 (HFEv3) was converted with the HxCFloppyEmulator software...

(This game is probably working since 2017 with the HxC firmware...)

Since you have already paid the HxC firmware, i think that you can easily fix the issue .

(Here are the current update/migration methods available :
https://hxc2001.com/docs/gotek-flopp...tallation.html
)

[Jeff_HxC2001]

The Spacerace IPF on the HxC Firmware for Gotek :

[dlfrsilver]

They work as well with Flash Floppy v3.xx i did the test on my A500 K1.3 512k

ISS however seems to only runs with 512k KS 1.3.

[Jeff_HxC2001]

This was just to show to SquawkBox that this is not an HxC "Bug" or something like this... As long as you use the HFE files with the firmware designed for, there is no issue. And even if there some issues i fix them - If you are using the HxC firmware indeed . (He is asking me help and support for his flashfloppy gotek since some days... )


(btw i have 1MB of slow RAM on my Amiga...)

[dlfrsilver]

Originally Posted by Jeff_HxC2001

This was just to show to SquawkBox that this is not an HxC "Bug" or something like this... As long as you use the HFE files with the firmware designed for, there is no issue. And even if there some issues i fix them - If you are using the HxC firmware indeed . (He is asking me help and support for his flashfloppy gotek since some days... )


(btw i have 1MB of slow RAM on my Amiga...)

I told him that the firmware he uses was the source of the problem.

The HFE v3 files work fine on my computer.

[SquawkBox]

As I said, it's just a matter of using one the switch at the back of my miggy to deactivate the additional 0.5MB of ram; So it's 1.3 KS and 0.5MB all right, provided it is adequate config in the context. Check FF version on the following picture, it's the latest offer from Keirf. Every piece of software I use is up to date mate. Never had any issue with leaving the 0.5MB of chip on btw (there is this single game that is supposed to guru with anything more than 0.5MB, but the version I've put aside was "ECS / AGA fixed", wasn't it Lemmings ?).

Incidentally, experiencing graphical glitches with Rainbird's Corruption guys (any version is concerned, including the IPF converted to v3 HFE). Space Racer works fine (all versions), some small mishap that I made presumably.


@Jean-Francois
When I will be done with that quite intensive phase of testing games by the numbers, I will consider switching firmware. Needless to say, the issues I am facing might be down to the hardware, many A500's sold as of late are partly ECS as you may know. Switching firmware might solve the issues, but it's not a given IMHO.

[SquawkBox]

Another game that won't load with 1MB chipmem : Wayne Gretzky Hockey (the first opus). Supreme did pretend they had that issue fixed when they cracked the game but they hadn't.

Additionally, Computer Verlag's Extrial won't load on my machine, that includes Renegade's ECS / AGA bugfixed version. No guru this time, but stuck with a yellowish screen after I press fire at the title screen.

Just noticed that Corruption is fully playable. Ingame graphics are not affected, the title screen that is garbled though (any version), same occurs with Guild Of Thieves title screen. Might have something to do with my setup.