Date   : Tue, 10 May 2005 11:40:03 +0100
From   : Richard Gellman <splodge@...>
Subject: Re: Beeb versus Master?

Christopher Dewhurst CCARE Panel Clerk wrote:

> Hi All,
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Richard Gellman [mailto:splodge@...]
> Sent: 10 May 2005 09:45
>
> [Snip]
>
> > The only "it don't work on a Master" issues are that of undocumented
> > opcodes, and the character definition space.
>
> And access to OS1.2 or Basic I/II ROM routines and tables. For 
> example, the 640x table for sprite plotting in Modes 1 and 2 (only in 
> the BBC B's OS1.2), and the 'warm start' routine in the Basic Rom.
>
Sprite plotting? *impressed* Of which, did anyone else ever make use of 
the SPRITER ROM image on the Master Welcome disk?

> > all the software companies
> > realised their stuff didn't work on the M128, and recoded it to work
> > correctly. Thus, most games do actually work fine on ye olde M128.
>
> This may be true for games software (re-)released in the late 
> 80s/early 90s but not all. In fact some of my favourites in the 
> Ultimate Play The Game range like Sabre Wulf haven't (yet) been 
> patched satisfactorily to run on the Master. But if your main use of 
> the machine is not for games playing this isn't TOO much of an issue.
>
When I say "all" I mean a generic "all". Yes, there are some out there 
that still don't work properly on the M128, but most of the popular 
games we're re-released as master-compatible versions (or in some cases, 
such as Stryker's Run, Master-Enhanced versions. In this case, the BBC B 
version doesn't run at all - except for the later re-releases 
(compilation releases?) which seem to be re-recoded).

-- Richard