RAMS update? Firmware update?

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MtM
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RAMS update? Firmware update?

Post by MtM »

Just thought I would ask about the above, as there has been mention I think from the respective authors not so long
ago that both were going to be updated in the not so distant future.

An update to RAMS with a working Moon Cresta and Frogger with hi score saving would just be incredible!

I would pay for it.

If it could do Hunchback too one day then my life would be complete 🤣
lfaria
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Re: RAMS update? Firmware update?

Post by lfaria »

MtM wrote: Wed Feb 02, 2022 11:36 am If it could do Hunchback too one day then my life would be complete 🤣
AFAIK, you're out of luck: that doesn't run on a Z80, but a (trio of) Signetics 2650's instead.
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Re: RAMS update? Firmware update?

Post by Alcoholics Anonymous »

Frogger is a thing as I've been playing it for half a year.

This is what Rusty Pixels had to say about it:
Warhawk 2 may well happen.
Frogger is working in rams. Just Jim Bagley and I need to bang heads and get it finished. We will this year
Hunchback being three Signetics 2650s is a crimp that's for sure. I'm a little confused by the extra notes about the game also being available for the Galaxians / Donkey Kong hardware. Does that mean there was a Z80 version? Or they modded the pcb for Signetics 2650?

Someone feeling really frisky might try emulating the Signetics 2650 and success would depend a lot on how much of the frame time is taken by the game code. I plan to try that with some 6502 arcade games but I have no idea if it will be successful. All for fun -- these things could also be done as hardware cores for the fpga too.

If you don't know about it already, there is also Bubble Bobble which is standalone and not incorporated into RAMS. These things are running the original arcade code and should be using a 60Hz video mode to match the arcade original. Scramble is also very good but it is a port rather than running original code.

-----

For the system software and hardware, the latest publicly available beta is 3.01.10. There has been work done past that and a final version 3 core is being made. Hopefully it won't be too long until it is available because work can't start on version 4 until this is done.
MtM
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Re: RAMS update? Firmware update?

Post by MtM »

Thanks for those replies, the latest distro is good for me anyway, seems to work okay, had to force it to
use vga with my monitor but once done all fine, and Calm Commander seems to work again on 2.07f & .10.

Keep up the good work!

Whilst I remember, how am I getting Frogger working again then please? ;-) I take it that is some
kind of insider release of Rams you have AA? I know I can play it on mame but the Next is really
good for the old ports, much better in a way.
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Re: RAMS update? Firmware update?

Post by Alcoholics Anonymous »

MtM wrote: Fri Mar 18, 2022 4:52 pm Whilst I remember, how am I getting Frogger working again then please? ;-) I take it that is some
kind of insider release of Rams you have AA? I know I can play it on mame but the Next is really
good for the old ports, much better in a way.
Yes I have a special version. They're intending to release frogger with RAMS in the first couple weeks of this month.
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Re: RAMS update? Firmware update?

Post by MtM »

Alcoholics Anonymous wrote: Thu Apr 07, 2022 4:08 am
MtM wrote: Fri Mar 18, 2022 4:52 pm Whilst I remember, how am I getting Frogger working again then please? ;-) I take it that is some
kind of insider release of Rams you have AA? I know I can play it on mame but the Next is really
good for the old ports, much better in a way.
Yes I have a special version. They're intending to release frogger with RAMS in the first couple weeks of this month.
All makes sense, I thought as much. Good to hear, I hope they keep developing RAMS, as I say I like it, prefer
it to MAME, it's simple to use.
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Re: RAMS update? Firmware update?

Post by Alcoholics Anonymous »

MtM wrote: Sat Apr 09, 2022 10:48 pm All makes sense, I thought as much. Good to hear, I hope they keep developing RAMS, as I say I like it, prefer
it to MAME, it's simple to use.
It is MAME inspired, that's for sure and technically it's the exact same idea where original code is running and there is adaptation code that maps graphical / audio output to PC or Next hardware whichever the case.

I do find it personally attractive as a technical challenge to give it a go as these fellows have (Jim, Michael on RAMS / Scramble, dave on Bubble Bobble). I'd be interested in trying to port arcade games for different processors, like the 6502. I think I mentioned it already :P but anyway there are 6502 interpreters in the spectrum community but the idea here is to disassemble, translate and reassemble which takes out the interpretation step very much like a basic interpreter versus a basic compiler. So I think with the Z80 at 28MHz, it may be possible to do these old arcades since their 6502s (or other) tended to be clocked at rather low speed. My limited time is already committed however so it may be a while until I can have some fun again :(

Anyway, in case you are not aware, there is another arcade port in the works -- Star Force -- by yet another new programmer to the Next. Graphically looks very good but no sound yet. Not a port, rather running original code like RAMS / Bubble Bobble. The programmer wrote a little bit about the challenges faced on either the spec next dev or spec next games group (can't recall which atm).
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Re: RAMS update? Firmware update?

Post by MtM »

I shall keep my eyes open for this AA, Star Force, I don't remember an arcade game called, that, but thank you for the information, and for the explanation about MAME etc. Hopefully they will release the new version of RAMS soon.

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Alessandro
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Re: RAMS update? Firmware update?

Post by Alessandro »

Happy Easter folks :)

Could someone please explain me what this RAMS is all about? Is it a new emulator?
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PeterJ
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Re: RAMS update? Firmware update?

Post by PeterJ »

Happy Easter @Alessandro,

It's all explained here:

https://www.rustypixels.uk/?page_id=313
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Re: RAMS update? Firmware update?

Post by Alcoholics Anonymous »

The new version with frogger has been released. Link in the last post.
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Re: RAMS update? Firmware update?

Post by kegnkiwi »

I installed it at the weekend and have it working. Frogger is ok but I prefer galaxian :D
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