New game adaptations

[Petari]

Curse of Azriel - Adv. written in STOS. Over 1 MB.
Kenny Dalglish Soccer Manager - Nice graphic.
Deathstar - STOS vertical scr. shooter.
Magic Stones - Tetris, Bitris, Columns. All it with GEM, and works in all resolutions. Well, medium res. not recommended. And needed little correction for low res. At least keyboard response is fast, so well playable (can not say it for all Tetris clones).
Vie et Mort des Dinosaures - In French.
Beside hard disk run some TOS compatibility problems are solved too.

[Petari]

I need to write here some details about all this for hard disk run adapting, because obviously most of people has no idea what all it is, what is needed to achieve it. And that it offers much more than old (type) floppy 'cracks' do.

Idea of transferring Atari ST games from floppy(es) to hard disk is old as usage of hard disks with them. And some have such option 'built in' - install to hard disk. But copy protections can not be installed/copied to hard disk. So, it was needed to have game floppy in drive A when start game from hard disk, to pass copy protection - of course if there was such. In case of 'manual protection' it was no need for floppy, of course.
But things are that those old hard disk installs are in most cases not good for modern(er) hard disk usage.
Installer code is not flexible, and often fails with newer media with larger capacity.

First idea for transferring it to hard disk is of course: let's copy all files, DIRs to some DIR on hard disk.
Well, in case that there are at all regular files on floppy(es). And no copy protection.
And even if no copy protection, it fails in most of cases. The reasons: game's code uses not relative file access. Instead something like:  GAMFILE.DAT  there is  A:/GAMFILE.DAT  or /GAMFILE.DAT . This is simple case, and can be corrected with hex editor in many cases.  Worse is when game code has some disk tests, code what works good only with floppies (I saw really a lot of strange solutions, mostly as result of low experience and knowledge with disks) . That needs more complicated corrections.
Then, problems with games on multiple floppies. Yeah, that should be like: copy all it in one DIR on hard disks.
Well, not always possible, because some have same filenames with different content on floppies. That needs special corrections.  Then, floppy change problem - there are really many ways of detecting which floppy is momentally in drive. Good hard disk adapt should not ask player to change disks - so to skip those key/button click waiting. Sometimes really silly code, hard to trace and correct.
OK, let's say that solved all above mentioned problems, and game starts from hard disk, and works well. Very lucky case, and it is about max 10% of games.  But it happens that it works for some people, works not for other people.  And we are at compatibility problems:  most is with TOS version. Then HW compatibility (ST, STE, Falcon, TT ...) . And even RAM size in machine can be 'not liked' by game. Plus regional restrictions - game for Eu market may not work in Northern America, or versus.   All it needs extra work.
 TOS version is hardest part, because there are games with code parts written for specific TOS version - most of it is input related - joystick code, rarer mouse code. Keyboard code may be good for only specific language version.
The solution:  doing plenty of corrections in game code, so it will work with all TOS versions ? I must say that it is almost impossible in many cases, and surely needs loooot of time, work.
Much better is to run game under specific TOS version. What ? Users need to change their TOS chips ? Of course not, TOS can be run from RAM . Yep, and that needs like 100-256 KB RAM . So, goodbye hard disk playing with 512 KB machines. Well, it was already goodbye, because in 99% cases it will not work with half MB. Because hard disk driver needs some RAM, and that's usually enough to make it not working.  So, min RAM for hard disk gaming is 1 MB. Not problem, and was not it really back in 1990 . Myself expanded RAM in my ST and other people's STs in those years.  So, we have half MB for game, some 100-200 KB for TOS in RAM. What to do with remaining ? And here comes idea of easy exit from game to Desktop, instead resetting computer (what works not always well with some games). So, saving state of low RAM (what contains TOS variables, hard disk driver etc.) and state of HW registers - in high RAM    makes possible restoring it after pressing exit key during game play. And RAM needed for it is roughly 110 KB - depends from TOS version, hard disk driver RAM usage ... and user's bad ideas - like having diverse ACC-essories, resident SW installed. No, they should be not there when gaming. Even not with 4 MB machines.
Of course some RAM is needed for code, diverse data with it - for handling all operations. And then came idea of saving game state to hard disk, so it can be played later at any time, at that pos.  It is basically same as saving and restoring TOS state at game start. Well, little harder as need to save more HW registers. That idea is not new. And of course, there are some which think that they invented hot water. I did state saves for Sinclair Spectrum around 1986, and it went on tape. Was 100x easier than with ST.

So, above was for games with regular files, and about 65% of ST games are such. The rest is with custom data, what is accessed with custom floppy access code - so not using TOS functions for that (or using XBIOS .
Such need corrections in game code - redirect floppy access to hard disk access. And that can be done in diverse ways. And here need to say: I'm the one who did it in diverse ways.  Those morons, liars (about data loss with my SW + other things) who called it 'universal loading system' thought that solved it all. But where are TOS using games from their 'patch collection' ? No such. Klapauzius made some, with own special code added to ULS. But count is really low, under 50.

What I made is disassembling TOS 1.04 (UK), doing some corrections and using it from RAM.  And that was slow and complex process, starting with simpler, then more complex solutions.
First TOS 1.04 from RAM was only for single parted (so 1 file only) games using TOS calls. Not much of such ones, but it was good for start. And I made some with few files singleparted - integrated those extra files in executable. Example: Starglider 1 .
Next step was for multi file games, and that was for TOS calling games and those with own floppy code (DFC) .
In DFC case, TOS (little reduced) in RAM was only for hard disk access. When game had disk access, it was redirected to TOS in RAM, which performed file operation to specific file on hard disk (like floppy image file).
That system is pretty fast and direct. Downside is that it works only with few hard disk drivers (well, most used ones, indeed). Work in emulators need special care, but that was not main target.
And to finish this text for now:  all it (for TOS calling ones) was for only AUTO run games/SW . Because I disassembled only GEMDOS part of TOS.  What with AES/GEM using games ? Well, they can work from hard disk in much bigger percentage than games not using it - because they must be with regular files. And count of them is not big. But finally I solved it too - using complete TOS 1.04 in RAM . It still fits in 1 MB space (for 512 KB games), but users need to take care about RAM usage, and using hard disk driver with little  RAM for buffers ...
State saves work too. And here to add that that system (HAGE) works with floppy images (ST format), and it can be with pretty big size if needed - over 2 MB possible.
In short (whole story is much longer) this is how I made over 1700 game adaptations. And yes, calling them 'patch' sounds really bad. No, many of it is not patched at all. Thanx to TOS in RAM in first place - what is 'patched', a lot. But again, calling it patch is really not proper, and sounds cheap. I did not patch damaged cloth - I corrected it to serve in different environment - like correcting cloth for kitchen for usage in ironworks :-)

[Petari]

Alphabet Tutor - for little kids. Color and mono.
Typing Tutor - same as above .
Blagst - be detective .
Graham Gooch World Class Cricket - nice graphic, and I know nothing about how to play.
Soccer King - simpler football sim.

[Petari]

Fiendish Freddy's Big Top Fun - originally on 5 floppies, nice intro, graphic and lot of fun. If need there is manual at atarimania .
Strip Breakout - with vertical pad movement.

[dakidski]

Wonderful. Let us know when/if a new hd image is in the horizon.

[Petari]

Cars - Car design game. Updated.
Sim City - Should be known for all.
A320 Airbus - Be bus driver 
Wall Street Wizard - Be money maker in German l.
Explora III - Nice graphic - usually goes with French words 

[Petari]

Cards - Diverse card games . C- M .
Steve Davis World Snooker - Diverse pool/snooker/billiard games .

[Petari]

M1 Tank Platoon - Well done, Microprose .
Hound of Shadow - Not so well done, Eldritch .

[Petari]

Psycho - By old movie .
Cruise for a Corpse - French, English, Spanish versions. Really great graphic, animation.

[Petari]

ECO - Life simulation. HAGA update.
Cluedo Master Detective - Board detective game.
Backgammon - By Atari. C-B .
Backgammon Royale - Before game can see how latest update of Game Menu looks - added info about supported video mode (C, B (Black and white), Mouse, Joystick, Keyboard (for player control). And game category .

[Petari]

Lin Wu's Challenge - with overscan .
221 B Baker Street - detective in 19-th C.
Both can work on 512 KB machines - with clean boot, so low RAM usage of system.

[Petari]

Overscan Invaders
Traders - Deutsche Sprache. And now English lang. too .

[Petari]

 I did some extensions in Game start menu. Here can see YT videos about: Fromhd start page
So, there is info about on what display it works:  C is for color, B is for B&W (monochrome). Then about control devices:  M - mouse, J - joystick, K - keyboard . Shown at top - if some is not supported there is space. After that comes short game category description - like 3D racing, RPG ...
 There is now possible displaying of game screenshots and related in all 3 ST resolutions. And when clicking on game title with mouse some pic may be shown - like part of cover scan, some instructions, game description. That will close after some 5 secs, or by pressing space.
 Well, this will need plenty of time to make all those picture files for over 1700 games, for some in color and B&W versions, to add mentioned info in gamelist .  I even engaged one man to help me in it, and he will be paid for.
 This is how I see being useful for users, helping them, giving them something nice to see. All related with concrete games.  I must be very bad persona. Because those really 'good ones' - crackers, patchers took care mostly about own fame, so writing about 'we are the best, f* the rest' kind of messages in game starters, then argumented it with diverse fancy graphic demos before game start . and even altered some texts, screens in games (mostly to put there their nicks and like) . Then, they developed so called 'Universal Loading System'  - sure genius, something what deals only with games not using TOS calls, disk access via TOS is universal :-)) Statistic is that about 65 % of Atari ST games using TOS for disk access. And I'm one who made support for their work from hard disk/Flash cards, not stupid C.J. , who lies on forums, makes people writing complete bullshit in forums. 
All I can say is: use your eyes, brain instead listening to some big names in community. There is lot of them who cares only for self, his group/crew, fame ...  Not about benefits for whole community. That's very well visible if you see picture of whole thing, and not only details - selected by those who act like some football fans. Including aggression - well online it is not some fist fight and similar but spreading blatant lies, misinformation, spitting on those who dare to say openly to assholes what they are really.   Yes, there is plenty of them, sadly more that really constructive people.

[Petari]

Nautilus game - En,De,Fr lang. Works in color and B&W . By Coktel Vision.

[Petari]

Mewilo - Caribbean adv. By Coktel Vision, C-B&W, De and Fr versions.
Indian Mission - Adv. By Coktel Vision, C-B&W, De and Fr versions.
Blueberry - Wild West adv. By Coktel Vision, C-B&W, De and Fr versions.
Above 3 games use probably pretty same code 'engine', copy prot. So was good idea to deal with them at once.
Zak McKracken ... - Updated with monochrome video, screenshot.