170 lines
7.0 KiB
Plaintext
170 lines
7.0 KiB
Plaintext
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__ ______ ______ ______ _____
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/ / / /// / / /_/ / / / __ / /_ Console division
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/_/ /_/ /_/ /_/ /_/ /_/_/_/ /_/__ Proudly presents.....
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/// M E G A C O N V 1 . 0 \\\
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Converter for MegaDrive game files between MultiGameDoctor 2,
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Super Magic Drive and Raw binary data formats for AMIGA & PC
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Credits: Code by Beeki. Some hints by PP. Docs typed by Jarnis.
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Why MEGACONV?
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We had got our own custom built console copier for about an year
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now, but until lately, it has just been a storage device. We have
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not swapped games at all (In fact, until VPIRACY text files came
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out, we didn't know anyone else had such devices.) but as we found
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out that there was console areas in some boards, it was time to
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get active in this thing also.
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Ok, we leeched a pile of megadrive game files, and noticed that
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those copiers have VERY strange ideas how 16bit data should be
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written to disk. Only MegaDrive has this problem, as it is only
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TRUE 16 bit console. SNES is 16/8 bit one, NEO GEO is another
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true 16 bit machine, but who trades those 6MB games?
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Our system stores MegaDrive data as 68000 raw binary
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like Amiga stores its files. MGD2 stores as half of the file
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is LOW bytes and other half is HI bytes. SMD stores them
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in 16kb blocks (LOW/HI/LOW/HI) and also adds own 512byte
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long header.
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Beeki coded first little util that converted SuperMagicDrive
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stuff to RawBinary. Later, when we stumbled to one MGD2
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megadrive file, he added that also. After we heard that people
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around have this problem with formats also, we decided to do
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a true multi format converter program. This crap was developed
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on an Amiga with some HD and 10MB ram using MANX C and later
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SAS C 5.10b. PC port over was done day later using Borland
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Turbo C on some 10mhz AT clone we had here.
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How to use MEGACONV?
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MegaConv v1.0 - SMD/MGD-2/Binary converter for MegaDrive game files
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Coded by Beeki for IMAGE - Released on Feb 05 1992
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Usage: MegaConv [-q[b|m|s]] <Source> -[b|m|s] [Destination]
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-q ... process indicator off
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-qq .. all process texts off
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-qqq . ALL texts off
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-b ... RawBinary
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-m ... Multi Game Doctor 2
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-s ... Super Magic Drive
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This should be enough to most of the users, but I will explain
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it carefully to those who didn't understand.
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Source and Destination file names are simple. In case you
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don't specify destination file name, it will be '<Source>.MD'
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for binary, '<Source>.SMD' for Super Magic Drive and
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'MDx000.00x' for MultiGameDoctor 2, as this is the format how
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MGD2 creates the filenames itself. x means size in megabits.
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'MULTI-GD' directory file will also be created for MGD2.
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This allows you just to insert MGD2 floppy to your MSDOS drive
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and run this program while that disk is your current dir, and
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program creates ALL files, you just then smash the disk to MGD2
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drive and you are ready to play.
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Conversion format will be specified before filename. You
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can add '-q', '-qq' or '-qqq' before source format to eliminate
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process indicator, all process texts or ALL text output.
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If you don't specify source format, program will try
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to determine it from the extension of the file name.
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If this fails, you will get an error message and you MUST
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specify the format manually. If you don't specify destination
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format, it will be Raw Binary for SMD/MGD2 files, and MGD2 for
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Raw Binary files.
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examples of use:
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>> MegaConv GAME.SMD
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converts GAME.SMD (SuperMagicDrive) to GAME.MD (RawBinary)
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>> MegaConv -qqm MD8000.008 -s
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converts MD8000.008 (MGD2, 8Mbit) to MD8000.SMD (SuperMagicDrive)
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without any process texts.
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>> MegaConv -b GAME.MD -m
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converts GAME.MD (RawBinary) to MDx000.00x (MGD2, x = size in Mbits)
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>> MegaConv -m MD4000.004 -s GAME.SMD
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converts MD4000.004 (MGD2, 4Mbit) to GAME.SMD (SuperMagicDrive)
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>> MegaConv -qs GAME.SMD -b GAME.MD
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converts GAME.SMD (SuperMagicDrive) to GAME.MD (RawBinary)
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without process indicator.
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>> MegaConv -qqq GAME.MD
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converts GAME.MD (RawBinary) to MDx000.00x (MGD2, x=size in Mbits)
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without ANY text output
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This should be enough. Test it a bit and you'll get the idea.
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Further development
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We are planning to support ALL imaginable formats on ALL consoles.
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So if you have any file for any console in any format that is
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uncompatible some other copier format, drop us one file in both
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formats, and we code a convert routine to this program.
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We have currently files for Mega Drive in SMD and MGD2 formats,
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for Super Famicom in MGD2 format and PC Engine in Super Twin
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and MGD2 formats. Any other copier format files are more than
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welcome.
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Our own copier has adapters to MegaDrive, SuperFamicom, PC Engine,
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Game Boy, Game Gear, Sega Master System and Lynx(!)
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We have also systems for Atari 2600, Colecovision and Mattel
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consoles, but is there anyone out there who has such machine?
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Remeber: our own system is custom built prototype, and we
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can't sell you one, no matter how much you would want one.
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Hardware stuff
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Our hardware guys are interested to buy NES/Famicom (OLD 8 BIT
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NINTENDO) copier if there is ANY out there, So we can see
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how copier companies have solved few HARD problems in NES
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copier. This way we can add NES in our copier system also!
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Also under planning is to start building a MEGA DRIVE copier for
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CHEAP price. Maybe even as a 'build-by-yourself' kit.
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It will be using mega drive's 68000 to run the copier
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software, and PC floppy controller and drive for reading files.
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(so in theory we can also develop Hard Disk version!)
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Drop a line if you are interested. Planned target price for the
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device with 0K ram and no floppy controller&drive is about 250$
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and it uses normal SIMMs so 1MB configuration is only about
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75$ more. 2MB configuration will also be supported.
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You can get normal PC floppy controller cards and 720k drives
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practically for FREE, so it gets VERY cheap!
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Bugs and how to contact us.
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There is no known bugs or unwanted features in this version. Both
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Amiga and PC versions are very little betatested, as we have
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little use for other conversion types than TO binary format.
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Under beta tests it has NEVER failed to operate as planned.
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Murphy's law ofcourse says that it WILL fail, and probably on
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YOUR machine, so in case it fucks up, drop us a line! Also
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if you see another copier format and want it to be included
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to this converter PLEASE send us one file in that format, we
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want to make it as complete as possible.
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You can contact us at the moment ONLY by dropping a message
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on Thunderdome or World of Mirage.
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Our own boards here in Finland don't have a console section yet.
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Night Shift BBS is down for 3-4 months at least, but as it
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opens, it will have a section. Possibly it will be CONSOLE
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ONLY board, but we'll see that... No Man's Land will stay
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as AMIGA ONLY because of too small HD and no console owned
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by SysOp.
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So drop us a line!
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Thunderdome ...... +1-408-263-9136 (to 'Jarnis/IMAGE')
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World of Mirage .. +1-718-898-8421 (to 'JARNIS IMAGE')
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