14 replies to this topic

[supercat]

Although the McDonald's .bin that's posted on the web site doesn't do anything but display a bland title screen, there's in fact a lot more code in that cartridge. Has anyone examined it to figure out how it all hangs together, or should I try to do so?

A few entry points I've noticed:

F100 -- Reposition sprite specified in X using value in A
F10D -- Calculate position for routine at F100
F238 -- Display a four-digit score or else two 2-digit scores
F2BF -- Convert a binary number to BCD
FE7D -- Handle color/BW switch
FFC4 -- Wait for INTIM
FE48 -- INTERRUPT VECTOR-- Adjust return address and do something with the byte following the BRK (color lookup I think)

Not enough stuff analyzed to tell how the game is supposed to play, but based upon examining the binary I would guess that the game was basically done and the programmer was working on the title screen; the code to branch out of the title screen and start the game wasn't put in yet, however.

Should I examine this more, or has someone already done so?

[batari]

supercat, on Tue Feb 14, 2006 3:58 AM, said:

Should I examine this more, or has someone already done so?

Apparently, someone has:

Atariprotos.com said:

Dave Engman never got around to finishing this game, all he did was hack a simple title screen onto Tutankham (which Dave also programmed) as a demo for marketing.  In fact 90% of the rom image is actually that of Tutankham!

http://www.atariprot...s/mcdonalds.htm



Though someone should confirm this with Clonespy.

Edited by batari, Tue Feb 14, 2006 3:23 AM.

[DEBRO]

batari, on Tue Feb 14, 2006 5:21 AM, said:

Apparently, someone has:

Atariprotos.com said:

Dave Engman never got around to finishing this game, all he did was hack a simple title screen onto Tutankham (which Dave also programmed) as a demo for marketing.  In fact 90% of the rom image is actually that of Tutankham!

Though someone should confirm this with Clonespy.

Clonespy shows 69.83% (54.41%, 85.25%) so I would say that's accurate.

[supercat]

batari, on Tue Feb 14, 2006 4:21 AM, said:

Apparently, someone has:

Atariprotos.com said:

Dave Engman never got around to finishing this game, all he did was hack a simple title screen onto Tutankham (which Dave also programmed) as a demo for marketing.  In fact 90% of the rom image is actually that of Tutankham!

Oh well... I think I'd seen that page before but I must have missed that part. Wonder if there's any particular reason he started with Tutankham as a base since he didn't use any real code from it? Perhaps he was expecting to borrow code and the editing systems of the day didn't make it convenient to move code snippets between files?

[Shawn Sr.]

So can McDonalds be made playable then? Anyone gonna do it and relase a BIN? Would be alot better than just a title screen IMO.

[Tempest]

Shawn Sr., on Wed Feb 15, 2006 2:02 AM, said:

So can McDonalds be made playable then? Anyone gonna do it and relase a BIN? Would be alot better than just a title screen IMO.

No it can't. The problem is, there isn't any code other than the title screen. Basically you have a static title screen hacked onto some Tutankham code. There might be a later version out there though, who knows?

Tempest

[Shawn Sr.]

Tempest, on Wed Feb 15, 2006 10:22 AM, said:

Shawn Sr., on Wed Feb 15, 2006 2:02 AM, said:

So can McDonalds be made playable then? Anyone gonna do it and relase a BIN? Would be alot better than just a title screen IMO.

No it can't. The problem is, there isn't any code other than the title screen. Basically you have a static title screen hacked onto some Tutankham code. There might be a later version out there though, who knows?

Tempest

What about actually putting the screen onto a full Tutankham and going off of known "to be" colors\features of the game and completing it?

Shawn

[Tempest]

Shawn Sr., on Wed Feb 15, 2006 1:29 PM, said:

Tempest, on Wed Feb 15, 2006 10:22 AM, said:

Shawn Sr., on Wed Feb 15, 2006 2:02 AM, said:

So can McDonalds be made playable then? Anyone gonna do it and relase a BIN? Would be alot better than just a title screen IMO.

No it can't. The problem is, there isn't any code other than the title screen. Basically you have a static title screen hacked onto some Tutankham code. There might be a later version out there though, who knows?

Tempest

What about actually putting the screen onto a full Tutankham and going off of known "to be" colors\features of the game and completing it?

Shawn

I suppose someone could take the design notes (such as they are) and completely write a new game based on them, but why? There's no 'completing' the prototype because there really isn't anything to complete. It was just a title screen and *maybe* some very early pre-work (setting up some equates and whatnot).

Tempest

[Thomas Jentzsch]

Tempest, on Wed Feb 15, 2006 4:22 PM, said:

No it can't.  The problem is, there isn't any code other than the title screen.  Basically you have a static title screen hacked onto some Tutankham code. 

Maybe it wasn't even hacked into Tutankham, but the Tutankham code pieces are the remains from the previous usage of the ROM?

BTW: http://www.atariage....showtopic=10654

[Tempest]

Thomas Jentzsch, on Wed Feb 15, 2006 4:30 PM, said:

Tempest, on Wed Feb 15, 2006 4:22 PM, said:

No it can't.  The problem is, there isn't any code other than the title screen.  Basically you have a static title screen hacked onto some Tutankham code. 

Maybe it wasn't even hacked into Tutankham, but the Tutankham code pieces are the remains from the previous usage of the ROM?

BTW: http://www.atariage....showtopic=10654

Yeah I was just thinking about that. It could very well be.

Tempest

[Curt Vendel]

I may have some of the original source code to the McD's games, I will need to go back to the Parker Bro's development folder and see what may be in there, I think it may have only been the 800 version however, let me find out.



Curt

[Thomas Jentzsch]

Curt Vendel, on Sat Feb 18, 2006 4:23 PM, said:

I may have some of the original source code to the McD's games, I will need to go back to the Parker Bro's development folder and see what may be in there, I think it may have only been the 800 version however, let me find out.

That would be very nice. Thanks in advance!

[Shawn Sr.]

Cause even if it is A8 code it would at least point in the right direction as to what the game was ment to be like. IT would give at least guide lines for anyone taking up peicing together the game.

[www.atarimania.com]

You can get the A8 version here: http://www.atarimani...VERSION_ID=3288

--
Atari Frog
http://www.atarimania.com

[galaxy warrior]

this is getting interesting i think it would awesome for someone to construct a game based on whats known. wouldnt be very different than what would have been this and the hulk game were a huge disapoinment when i found out they never happened