Re: TI-H: An idea for separate game carts.


[Prev][Next][Index][Thread]

Re: TI-H: An idea for separate game carts.



>Date: Tue, 12 Aug 1997 21:49:55 +0000
>From: Osma Suominen <ozone@clinet.fi>
>To: ti-hardware@lists.ticalc.org
>Subject: Re: TI-H: An idea for separate game carts.
>
>Kevin Buck wrote:
>> 
>> I was reading on Richfiles, underProgramming tips and Tricks, and he
>> brought up how The GAMEBOY, and other hand held video Gaming devices
>> (other than TI-Calcs) use assembly languages on their game carts.  
Would
>> it be possible for someone to develop A type of chip, or chips that
>> could be used primarily for a single lone game, and I mean an awesome
>> game.  Then put it into the Spinterface cart, and then make a special
>> interrupt driven _shell_, or whatever that is completely ZShell
>> compatible, yet when you plug the game cart into the Spinterface 
port,
>> then turn the power on, you would then be running the cart.  So, this
>> _shell_, upon turning on the calc, runs a test on the Spinterface 
port,
>> that sees if anything is connected, if not, starts up normally, if 
so,
>> directly runs the game on the cart.  Does any of this sound feasible 
at
>> all?
>
>Well, not really (sorry to say). The problem is that handheld video 
game
>devices each have their own design with their own processors and other
>hardware. Even if a gaming device used the Z80 (the processor of TI-85
>and others) as its processor, so the language would be the same, the 
ROM
>code, display hardware etc. would differ so the games wouldn't work.
>
>-Ozone
>
>-- 
>*** Osma Suominen *** ozone@clinet.fi *** http://www.clinet.fi/~ozone
>***
>

I think you misinterpreted there.  I think what he meant was to put on a 
TI specific program onto a chip, and have it run as a game.  With the 
proper microcontroller, this shouldn't be a problem at all.  However, 
the auto-boot would have to be a part of the OS, much like Aurora83 
(that's what I'm using) auto-detects programs, have the OS check the 
port, get a proper game header, and then load up chunks and start 
executing.  A great idea, but a lot of work to program and design, 
probably.


Christopher Kalos
Raptor_One@hotmail.com
RaptorOne@juno.com
RaptorOne@geocities.com
Executive Director
Virtual Technology Development


______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com


Follow-Ups: