Old Computer Appreciation Thread

AdamBeGood

@folly said in Old Computer Appreciation Thread:

@adambegood

BBC is nice, just discovering it.
We never had these computers in the Netherlands.

Did you have any luck with the port ?

btw. I am not on steam.

It is literally the first computer I ever had growing up (and no-one used them after about 1991 as PCs got so big), so exciting for me to rediscover the BBC!

I am just going to try the port now. Reading your instructions again.

Edit: I am not really recommending you should play it a lot (I don't think it is that good, nostalgia aside - although I have given it quite a few tries now), but I have a score of 2,750 on Hi-Bouncer now. I've set a score in Frenzy also, so let me know if you play that.

Further Edit: I have some issue with my joypad but apart from that CD-I is all good. I've managed to map my buttons to the keyboard in Input, but mapping the arrow keys to the Joystick hasn't worked and I can't control Mario in Hotel Mario using my pad. Any idea?

Ps. Also thanks very much for the fantastic instructions to set that up, and the .svg for the theme!

AdamBeGood

@Folly Actually, the Zelda games aren't working for me - the intro and map screens are fine, but then there is a very gradual brightening of the actual gameplay screen but nothing ever moves. The sound isn't right either. All I can do is press P (presumably Pause), which dims and brightens the screen.

Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon and Link: The Faces of Evil are the games. Do they work for you?

Burn:Cycle also freezes in a similar way on the Title Screen. BIOS issue? I have all the files in the zip.

Thunder in Paradise doesn't work but that is a Digital Video Cartridge game, which I think we expect not to work.

Edit: Zelda's Adventure works but that is the rubbish one by all accounts (and from playing it quickly just now).

Further Edit: Black Screen after I click Play on Secret Mission also (I've tried two different CHDs).

Further Further Edit:

cdimono1.zip contain:

2969341396aa61e0143dc2351aaa6ef6 cdi200.rom
ac0d468be366779c9df633be98da250a cdi220b.rom
ac80a92c988ce07fbd6a8f21ded34cf1 cdi220.rom
3e59b8a9a423d3ecd612a32fe4e2d748 zx405037p__cdi_servo_2.1__b43t__llek9215.mc68h c705c8a_withtestrom.7201
3d20cf7550f1b723158b42a1fd5bac62 zx405042p__cdi_slave_2.0__b43t__zzmk9213.mc68h c705c8a_withtestrom.7206

Folly

@adambegood

Nice story about the BBC micro time.
I will try Frenzy. I will see how far I get with Hi-Bouncer.😁

Could you get the bbc demo's working with the bbc port ?

About the CD-I :
I have the same BIOS files so that shouldn't be a problem.
I know that not all games will work.
As you said, DVC games will definitely not work.
Last year I tried a whole bunch, but indeed, you have to have some luck.
We tried Secret Mission also in this thread, but we could get it working either :
https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/28434/cdi-mono-and-the-game-secret-mission
So the CD-I emulation in mame/lr-mess isn't perfect, but definitely the best available.
Perhaps there will come a time ...............that it will play all.

Further Edit: I have some issue with my joypad but apart from that CD-I is all good. I've managed to map my buttons to the keyboard in Input, but mapping the arrow keys to the Joystick hasn't worked and I can't control Mario in Hotel Mario using my pad. Any idea?

Did you look into my configs from this post ?
https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/27983/ir-cd-i/32
Otherwise you can read the comments from this script ( that doesn't work anymore), but has much info about the configs :
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/FollyMaddy/retropie-philips-cdi-tools/master/retropie_philips_cdi_setup.sh
I recall that my arrow keys were working but the joy-buttons were not, also the mouse didn't work correctly.
So that information is in the script.
arcadia should be cdimono1 now.

Try to rename your config, and start all over. (cdimono1.cfg)
Go to "input this machine"

Let me know if you get it working.

AdamBeGood

@folly said in Old Computer Appreciation Thread:

@adambegood

Nice story about the BBC micro time.
I will try Frenzy. I will see how far I get with Hi-Bouncer.😁

Could you get the bbc demo's working with the bbc port ?

About the CD-I :
I have the same BIOS files so that shouldn't be a problem.
I know that not all games will work.
As you said, DVC games will definitely not work.
Last year I tried a whole bunch, but indeed, you have to have some luck.
We tried Secret Mission also in this thread, but we could get it working either :
https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/28434/cdi-mono-and-the-game-secret-mission
So the CD-I emulation in mame/lr-mess isn't perfect, but definitely the best available.
Perhaps there will come a time ...............that it will play all.

Further Edit: I have some issue with my joypad but apart from that CD-I is all good. I've managed to map my buttons to the keyboard in Input, but mapping the arrow keys to the Joystick hasn't worked and I can't control Mario in Hotel Mario using my pad. Any idea?

Did you look into my configs from this post ?
https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/27983/ir-cd-i/32
Otherwise you can read the comments from this script ( that doesn't work anymore), but has much info about the configs :
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/FollyMaddy/retropie-philips-cdi-tools/master/retropie_philips_cdi_setup.sh
I recall that my arrow keys were working but the joy-buttons were not, also the mouse didn't work correctly.
So that information is in the script.
arcadia should be cdimono1 now.

Try to rename your config, and start all over. (cdimono1.cfg)
Go to "input this machine"

Let me know if you get it working.

Hi Folly, fair enough - if games don't work for anyone currently then I can deal with that.

What about these Zelda games though? Do they work for you? They seem to be the most interesting thing on the machine so I am keen to get them working - if possible!

I did copy over your config from the thread you mentioned.

I don't know about this BBC demo you have asked me about, but I'll have a Google!

Folly

@adambegood said in Old Computer Appreciation Thread:

What about these Zelda games though? Do they work for you? They seem to be the most interesting thing on the machine so I am keen to get them working - if possible!

I did copy over your config from the thread you mentioned.

So that didn't work for you.
I have to install it again on my computer.
It can take a while before I am up and running again with CD-I, I have to find the games somewhere on an external hard-drive.
If I have some time, I will try that for you.

I don't know about this BBC demo you have asked me about, but I'll have a Google!

wget -nv -O /home/pi/RetroPie-Setup/scriptmodules/ports/b-em-pico_pi.sh https://raw.githubusercontent.com/FollyMaddy/RetroPie-Share/main/00-scriptmodules-00/ports/b-em-pico_pi.sh

Download in the correct place with above command (does this automatically for you)
Install in retropie-setup (look in experimental)
Run xbeeb or xmaster from the ports section in emulationstation (should work OOB)
F11 is the gui( you can change some discs etc) , shift+F12 run disc, exit with mouse clicking X .

Folly

@adambegood

Frenzy , nice game !

AdamBeGood

@folly said in Old Computer Appreciation Thread:

@adambegood

Frenzy , nice game !

I enjoy it!

AdamBeGood

@folly said in Old Computer Appreciation Thread:

@adambegood said in Old Computer Appreciation Thread:

What about these Zelda games though? Do they work for you? They seem to be the most interesting thing on the machine so I am keen to get them working - if possible!

I did copy over your config from the thread you mentioned.

So that didn't work for you.
I have to install it again on my computer.
It can take a while before I am up and running again with CD-I, I have to find the games somewhere on an external hard-drive.
If I have some time, I will try that for you.

I don't know about this BBC demo you have asked me about, but I'll have a Google!
wget -nv -O /home/pi/RetroPie-Setup/scriptmodules/ports/b-em-pico_pi.sh https://raw.githubusercontent.com/FollyMaddy/RetroPie-Share/main/00-scriptmodules-00/ports/b-em-pico_pi.sh
Download in the correct place with above command (does this automatically for you)

Install in retropie-setup (look in experimental)

Run xbeeb or xmaster from the ports section in emulationstation (should work OOB)

F11 is the gui( you can change some discs etc) , shift+F12 run disc, exit with mouse clicking X .

Fair enough - if you could find out about the Zelda games, I'm very interested to establish if it is an Emulator limitation or whether it is on my side. I asked the chap over on the other CD-I thread also.

I tried the BBC Micro issue, and the first time I installed it there were a number of dependencies that I did not have, and this was blocking the install.

I tried again, and it worked!

I like this a lot - the original demo is cool, and then all the new funky demos are impressive. It's mad what people can do with old technology.

Folly

@adambegood

Nice you have it working. Very cool indeed.

Did you install something by yourself ?
All dependancy's should be installed by the module-script though.
Well, it's not important anymore, you have it working !

AdamBeGood

@folly said in Old Computer Appreciation Thread:

@adambegood

Nice you have it working. Very cool indeed.

Did you install something by yourself ?
All dependancy's should be installed by the module-script though.
Well, it's not important anymore, you have it working !

Nope it just stated that I was missing a few things (the last word was "ruby") and that the installation hadn't worked. I didn't take notes so I ran it again just to get the information and then it worked!

Folly

@adambegood

Ok, thanks for the info.

I can make some changes so it will include some, own selected discs.
Would that be something ?

Didn't do that, until now, because most works with mame/lr-mess .
Btw. the demo's only work in xbeeb and xmaster though.

Folly

@adambegood

The "bad apple" demo was also very cool.
Did you see that one ?

AdamBeGood

@@folly said in Old Computer Appreciation Thread:

@adambegood

The apple demo was very cool also.
Did you see that ?

Bad Apple? Yeah I saw that one. Cool.

When you say include selected disks, do you mean games? Would be cool and introduce people to BBC easily. But is it legal?

Folly

@adambegood

I can try to make it happen.

It compiles with the discs that are now part of the source.
But it's possible to change that.
For example, if you make your own selection of games in a directory.
And I change the script, that will use your own selection and then compiles.
Then it will be ok, i think.
Pass a disc via command line via -disc path/to/disc seems also possible.
I have to try that. It's a better option.

So we won't share games/discs this way.

Do you get it ?

Here is some information, if your interested ( ## Embedding Discs) :
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kilograham/b-em/pico/README.md

AdamBeGood

@folly said in Old Computer Appreciation Thread:

@adambegood

I can try to make it happen.

It compiles with the discs that are now part of the source.
But it's possible to change that.
For example, if you make your own selection of games in a directory.
And I change the script, that will use your own selection and then compiles.
Then it will be ok, i think.
Pass a disc via command line via -disc path/to/disc seems also possible.
I have to try that. It's a better option.

So we won't share games/discs this way.

Do you get it ?

Here is some information, if your interested :
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kilograham/b-em/pico/README.md

Okay, that makes a lot of sense then! Also gets around my issue.

I looked at the Tech demo people - they havee some interesting looking stuff: https://bitshifters.github.io/

Also, the 2048 game included in the other disk is apparently created by one of the Raspberry Pi's designers, Eben Upton.

Thanks for the link, I'll have a look.

Folly

@adambegood

Ok, so you already found that 2048 game from Eben.
Also nice to play.
This game can work with lr-mess.
Find it in the kilograham page.

I see you are up and running now 👍

Folly

@adambegood

I tested xbeeb -disc path/to/disc commandline.
It works.

So it should be possible to make an emulator module-script.
Can take a while, but I will try to make that, I think.

Edit : Done xbeeb and xmaster as emulator and -disc option !

wget -nv -O /home/pi/RetroPie-Setup/scriptmodules/emulators/b-em-pico-pi.sh https://raw.githubusercontent.com/FollyMaddy/RetroPie-Share/main/00-scriptmodules-00/emulators/b-em-pico-pi.sh

Folly

@Zering

Just a question.
A few months ago you changed the name of the thread.
How does one do that ?

Zering

@folly Apologies, I've been a bit out of it.
I just edited the first post of my thread. I think only the author can do it though.

@AdamBeGood Sadly I don't have Steam. Maybe we should set up a discord to talk about obscure computer games on a more regular basis?

Folly

@zering

@folly Apologies, I've been a bit out of it.

No problem.

I asked someone to refurbish his thread, but he made a new one.
He didn't know how to rename his thread.
So I had a look at a thread of mine.
But I could not find it either.

Will have a second look, when I edit a first post.

Ok, I get it !
Just edit your first post and change the thread name. 👍