joystick emulation only seems to make sense to the author since I have yet to run across anyone that likes it. He replied that the analog joystick support has been radically improved, and that you can map the joystick to any keys you want in the commercial release.
He said that it supports limited disk protection schemes, and they are going to continue to work on this.
I whined that I and others have been unable to get any kind of response from Miha and asked if they planned to support the product. He told me they are going to have *strong* support for it, including phone, fax, email, and an ftp site! I asked if the ftp site was up now, and he said it sure was. You can access it at as.seattlelab.wa.com (204.29.31.1).
Since it is very new, you might have to use the IP address.
So far they only have the docs at the ftp site, but the list of enhancements indicates that there may indeed be some merit to the "night and day" claim.
In particular, the sound and timing seems to have been improved. It seems you don't have to guess at the speed anymore, since you can set it to run at the original Commodore 64 speed, as fast as possible, or at a custom speed. Version 0.9 basically just gave you the custom speed and let you try to match the C64's original speed. Unfortunately, the docs still list Miha's email addresses as the source of email support. I assume that is out of date and they will have a Seattle Lab address soon.
He also told me that there *will* be a new shareware version of the product out soon, and it will be put on the ftp site. That is a very smart move, in my opinion, because currently the people who found the program floating around have no way of knowing about the commercial version at all.
I decided to go for it, which got me a bit of negative news. Right now they only ship COD, which adds $5 and brings the price to $60. He told me that they'll be able to take credit card payment shortly and offered to put my name on a list and call me when they could process my order that way, but I told him to go ahead and ship it COD.
If anyone wants to take the plunge now, here is the order info:
* Uses PLAYSID.LIBRARY (please read separate docs)
* Support of XPK Data Compression
* Realtime waveform and envelope display (uses low priority task)
* Shows C64 pictures (Koala, Blazing Paddles, Doodle, Adv Art
Studio etc.)
* TV System detection and selection
* Channel on/off selection
* PlaySID is now a commodity
* Uses a config file for settings
* Multifile selection (music and pictures)
* Ability to show and hide PlaySID windows
* Second PlaySID instance redirect modules to the running one
* PlaySID font removed
* More arexx commands
* Many major bugs corrected
PRODUCT INFO:
This is a utility which uses the playsid.library to emulate the SID and 6510 chip. The SID chip is the component in the C64 computer that handles sound. The 6510 chip is the CPU of the C64, that means the component that actually executes all programs. Because the Amiga does not have these chips and others, you can't run C64 program directly on Amiga.
Now this utility lets you play all those C64 programs that produce sound. As you probably know, the C64 has three sound channels (the amiga has four). But this utility also allows use of the fourth channel. This channel is the product of some special programming on the C64, it isn't really a channel.
The purpose of this product is to make the best conversion of C64 sound on Amiga ever possible. If you think some sound isn't correctly converted please let us know.
This utility is designed to work with true multitasking, under any system version and any amiga model. It can be run from both Workbench and CLI/Shell. It should work with any other program that don't use sound or timing. If this isn't the fact please let us know.
Some time ago we released a similar product called "The 100 most remembered C64 game-tunes". This product is the version 3.0 of that program. The tunes on that demonstration disk are now also available to this version. And up to date there are more than 400 tunes available. We and others are also working with more.
-------------------------
5. PC64 vs C64S.
Article by Jeremy Blackman, AKA Ranma Saotome <ranma@eskimo.com>
in comp.emulators.cbm, 18 Feb '95.
[A quick note: Quite a bit in this review is now out of date. In particular: PC64 now -does- support .d64 files, and has for a long time, and C64S now can handle fastloaders. -tsr]
Q:I am thinking about buying a C64 emulator, but I need some advice which C64 emulator to buy, the PC64 or the C64s? All the emulators on net are demos, and do not work completely, isn't that so? Or do they work just fine? I would appreciate any help.
A:* Both C64S (my personal choice, cause PC64 don't support GUS for sound) and PC64 have ALMOST fully working demo versions. The limitations are that on C64S you cannot use an analog joystick until you register, you must use keyboard controls to simulate a joystick, and on PC64 you cannot use a joystick, nor can you access directly off a Commodore drive, which you can in the registered version.
TO compare the two:
* C64S is nice in that it supports GUS, which none of the others
do (hey, PC64 person...hint hint hint <grin>). It has a fairly
easy-to understand setup and interface, and overall works fairly
well.
I have run across a few games that don't work on it, for
example, I cannot get the T64 of "Pharoah's Curse" to run on
C64S, any version, though it runs on PC64. C64S also supports
.D64 disk images, which is very nice. This allows you to use
games which require swapping disks, like Adventure Construction
Set, the Last Ninja (hey, why does this game die after the first
level?), Racing Destruction Set, etc.
* PC64 has a much less intuitive interface, but many more options.
I particularly like the option of using some of the alternative
ROM set images, such as the 64SX image and the EXOSV3 images.
(I've almost got a copy of EXOSV3 hacked into C64S... <grin> ...
little side project. It sometimes crashes however, so I'm
working on it). It however only supports Soundblaster, where
C64S also supports GUS. It also refuses to acknowledge a GUS in
SB mode, and also refuses to work off the SB clones (sound16a)
in the other machine here. So for sound, C64S wins hands down.
This emulator has shown more success in loading certain
games, but due to the lack of support for .D64 type disk images,
it can be a REAL pain to run multidisk games, or games that
require saved data disks. I current have written a program to
take a .D64 and extract it into a directory so you can use the
Manager for PC64 to set up subdirectories to fake the disk
sides. Unfortunately, some games check the disk volume label,
and PC64 automatically has the volume label be the DOS drive and
path. So it cannot run some of these games.
* Neither C64S nor PC64 can load Fastloader games at the present
time, though there ARE programs out there to shut off Fastloader
support. (I had one for use on my C64 since I had a Super
Snapshot cartridge which was very much faster than any of those
fastloaders, and it could conflict). Unfortunately, I have not
seen any of these programs put out as D64 or T64 or P00 files.
* PC64 appears to have support for cartridge images, but I'm not
sure. (Could someone confirm or deny this?) If it does, it'd be
nice if someone could take an image of the Super Snapshot
cartridge...
* It is possible to get VIC chip problems, such as flickering (try
MULE, leave it on the title screen long enough and the credits
begin to flicker, and Realm of Impossiblity loses the stat bar
to static on rare occasions) on C64S. I have not managed to get
these errors on PC64, and the video refresh is sometimes
smoother. I have a 486DX2/66 before you ask, and local bus
video. I am running under MSDOS, not Linux. I didn't feel like
playing with Dosemu. <grin>
In summary - I like C64S's simplicity of interface, and it wins by
far on disk system since it supports those D64 images (though
it'd be nice to have support for multiple disk drives, so you
could select a disk image for drive 8, one for 9, etc...) and it
wins by far on sound since it supports GUS. PC64 has more power,
with the ROM set options, the Charset and Basic options (hey, I
want some of those enhanced basic sets, anyone got an image?), but
I have not gotten sound to work and I don't like the disk system
as much, though the ability to set up multiple drives is very
nice.
PC64 has much more expandability, since it can use those ROM
images (hey, anyone got a ROM image of the Commodore 65DX? I have
the support and demo disks for it, and I'd love to play with the
thing...I somehow doubt the hardware was 100% compatible,
though.). C64S is the easier one to get up, running, and playing
games with.
So, for the moment, I leave both on. PC64 is for playing with
hacking around on, and C64S is for the games.
----------------------
6. AXF-64.a16
Here's some details on AXF-64.a16 which is a c64 emulator for the
Amiga. It is from an aminet ftp site.
Short: C= 64 emulator, alpha 16
Author: borgen@hstud2.cs.uit.no (Bxrge Nxst)
Uploader: kjelli@stud.cs.uit.no (Kjell Irgens)
Type: misc/emu
WHAT:
Emulator of C= 64 for Amiga computers with 68020 or higher.
WHY:
Because A64 (both 2.0 and 3.0) sucks IMO. And I think the Amiga
deserves good emulators like the PC has. (Update: I've seen Frodo
now - good try, but way slower than mine... I think I can beat it.)
HOW:
First you need 3 files: C64.BASIC, C64.KERNAL, C64.CHARSET.
These must be exactly 8192, 8192, and 4096 bytes big.
These are just dumps of real C= 64 roms. They are not included for
legal reasons, but I think several other emulators actually include
them. Put these files in the current directory or in the same
directory you store the executable.
You can now start the emulator. You can LOAD files that are in RAM:
or C64: (assign it where you have you your files). The file format
is the same as A64 uses. Disk images are not supported.
The keyboard is mapped nearly 100% like a real C= 64 so the keys
wont always match the Amiga keyboard. The RESTORE key is not mapped
at all. The joystick port of your Amiga maps to both C= 64 joystick
ports. Bank switching is supported. Hires character mode is the
only mode supported. Sound isn't supported.
There is no restart option, you have to quit the emulator with the
ESCAPE key or left mouse button.
SPEED:
No. Unless you have an 040/060 that can write 7M/s to chipram. Then
perhaps. Unlike many other emulators (but like Frodo!) the relative
speed of the screen update and the cpu speed does not change, it
will always run internally like a 1MHz PAL C= 64, and never faster
than a real C= 64. (Later versions might have adjustable speeds
here.)
WHY SELECT AXF-64:
It does a few things that A64 doesn't. It can do raster bars. It
can do raster interrupts and screen changes on a per line basis.
It was made with big cpus in mind.
TODO:
First to come is multicolour character mode. I have ideas and all,
but I need to test a little to see if I can make it fast enough.
AGA support. Not only align bitplanes for more DMA time under AGA,
but also use other algorithms to reduce chip bus activity.
Sprites. I have code and ideas for that too. Bitmap modes.
All timers. I have ready code for that too.
Sound. Not sure what to do with this. Perhaps kludge in something
with PlaySID? Support disk images.
Make different screen update modes for different configurations.
New in Alpha 15:
Oooops! Sorry to all who downloaded Alpha 13. It relied on my
patched Kernal to sniff LOADing :(((. Fixed now, and tested with
the ROM that comes with Frodo. Copperlist building logic improved.
Code simplified giving smaller size and more speed (a case of
blowing the 040 caches methinks).
New in Alpha 16:
Redid the bankswitch logic for the VIC II chip. Seems to work
better now, but I still have some unresolved cases for what to do
when $D000 ram is banked in.
Looked at raster interrupts, and they don't look good :-(.
I got it a little better, but it still needs work...
Since I'm doing my military service at the moment updates may be
far and few between, and I wont have any email until summer 1995.
I'll snailmail new updates to a friend of mine who will upload
them.
-Borge Nost
==============================
B. Advertisements.
This is a catchall place for any product out on the market which
isn't an emulator or such but still has something to do with
C64-emulation. The views expressed here are not necessarily the
views of the FAQ author!
If you have something you think could fit in here please feel free
to email the FAQ maintainer. You don't have to pay anything :)
--------------------------------------------
1. The High Voltage C64 CD.
Have you ever stared at all those stacks of disks you have in the
corner of your bedroom, trying to figure out where that one game or
demo is? Have you ever had a disk go bad on you, without any
backup available? Have you ever wished you could have your whole
collection in one place for a change?
Well, two members of the c64 'scene' have put together a CDROM for
PCs and Amigas that try to solve these problems.
This disk contains a huge amount of files dating across the C64's
timeline. It contains over 600mb of software stored in about
3200 .d64 files. There's a grand total of about 4400 games from
1982-1995, 7700 demos from 1985-1995, and about 700 utilities.
The most recent files are dated 4/14/1995, the day the CD was
mastered.
There are also many tools for the Amiga and PC to manipulate the
files.
The CD sells for 35 British pounds (that's about $55)
For ordering information email darren@talent.demon.co.uk. Also send
mail to this address to find out where in the USA you can send your
money, if you're afraid of sending money overseas.
For a list of the files on the CD as well as a C64-executable file
with more information go to the ftp-site utopia.hack.nl and go to
the directory /pub/c64/C64 CD.
2. GEOS Warp
GEOS Warp is a program that works exactly like GEOS 2.0 for the
c64. :) It will have releases on Power Mac, PC and Unix. The Power
Mac version is currently 100% complete and will be released as soon
as the legal matters with GeoWorks involving the release are agreed
to.
For more information on the project point your WWW-browser to:
