Bally Alley - The Newsletter for Astrocade Users


			What's New
	April 24, 2009 I) Created a section for BalCheck (aka Bally Check) Documentation BalCheck is test hardware that plugs into the 50-pin connector on the back of an Astrocade. All BalCheck documents that were previously in the miscellaneous section have been moved here. BalCheck Documentation Area II) Added "BalCheck Support Circuitry" document supplied by Richard Degler. This isn't a schematic of a BalCheck unit, but with this information someone with some technical knowledge could probably build a BalCheck unit. This documentation is available in both pdf and GIF format. BalCheck Support Circuitry (pdf) BalCheck Support Circuitry (GIF) III) Added Schematic for AstroBASIC Audio Tape Interface Schematic for AstroBASIC Audio Tape Interface. Supplied by Richard Degler. This documentation is available in both pdf and GIF format. Schematic for AstroBASIC Audio Tape Interface (pdf) Schematic for AstroBASIC Audio Tape Interface (GIF) VI) Added ZIF Socket Cartridge Pictures to Misc. Hardware Area These pictures (the front and back of the cartridge) were supplied by Richard Degler. Miscellaneous Hardware Area V) Updated the Bally Alley Interview Area Some renaming was done. HTML interviews were converted to text. Bally Alley Interview Area VI) Added an Interview with Dick Ainsworth Paul Thacker compiled the interview with Dick Ainsworth, a former Bally employee. This is a follow-up to the comments that Dick made to the Bally Alley discussion group about seven years ago. His original comments have been gathered together and are included in the Interview area (there is a link to the comments in this interview). Dick Ainsworth Interview VII) Added BallyBin for Windows This is the Windows version of Ballybin by Bob Colbert. The executable is called wBallyBin. It displays program information, but this version has the same sort of reliability problems as the command line version. BallyBin for Windows VIII) Added a list of cartridge manuals that still need to be scanned Paul Thacker created this list on January 19, 2008. Astrocade Cartridge Manual Scans Needed IX) Added a link to the "Kansas City Standard" Ronaldo Goulart, a programmer working on a 300-BAUD digital archiving tool for Bally BASIC, points to this transcription of the original article from Byte, describing the Kansas City Standard. The list of eighteen participants of the symposium includes a known name, "Bill Gates, MITS." There is an interesting thing in it: the "official" length of the lead-in is specified as "a minimum of five seconds of marks". Link to the "Kansas City Standard" X) Added homebrew demo by Lance Squire called Christmas Special. The demo is a house surrounded by trees with Santa on his sleigh that is pulled through the air by three reindeer. Four versions of the demo are included in this master archive. Christmas Special Archive XI) Added Screenshots for Christmas Special. Three screenshots added for Lance Squire's Christmas Special. Christmas Special Screenshots XII) Added video for Christmas Special. This video is about one minute long. Christmas Special Video April 23, 2009 I) Added Using the AstroBASIC 2000-BAUD Interface with Vipersoft BASIC By Lance Squire This documentation discusses swapping AstroBASIC with Vipersoft BASIC loaded into RAM, either from a multicart, a cartridge created from an EPROM or from (probably the most common method) loading Vipersoft BASIC from a tape. This cartridge swap is done so that the AstroBASIC tape interface can be used to save or load to tape at the faster 2000-BAUD instead of requiring the much slower (and rarer!) 300-BAUD external interface. Using the AstroBASIC 2000-BAUD Interface with Vipersoft BASIC April 22, 2009 I) Fixed Vipersoft BASIC Instructions Transcribed (Part 1) It was unclear how Verify worked. Lance cleared this up by checking the 300-baud version of the on-screen instructions. Vipersoft BASIC Instructions Transcribed (Part 1) II) Added update of "Fun with Vectors" by Richard Degler This archive now has four different versions of "Fun with Vectors." Fun with Vectors (1985-2008) III) Removed "Fun with Vectors" binary image from cartridge image area. As per Richard Degler's request, this image is now only availble in the Homebrew area (see above). IV) Added a Color BASIC Type-In Program Area Color BASIC Type-In Program Area V) Added "Color BASIC - A First Program" by Lance Squire Color BASIC - A First Program VI) Added updated version of "Vector Animation Tutorial" by Lance Squire A step-by-step tutorial (with source code). This is version 1.03. This tutorial is quite good; read it. Included in this archive are Word, pdf and odt versions of the document. Bally Vector Tutorial Archive VII) Added picture of Mike White with Friends (July 4'th weekend, 1985) The people in order of appearance, from left to right, are: Leroy G. Flamm, Mike White, Don Gladden, and Tim White. A more detailed account of this picture can be read here. Picture of Mike White with Friends Picture of Mike White with Friends (Close-Up) VIII) Updated the Miscellaneous Picture Section Miscellaneous Picture Section April 18, 2009 I) Added Instructions on Loading and Saving in Vipersoft BASIC Lance Squire explains how to load and save at both 300-baud and 2000-baud... something that was completely left out of the Viper 1 and Extended BASIC Manual! Loading and Saving in Vipersoft BASIC II) Vipersoft BASIC Instructions Transcribed (Part 1) Lance Squire transcribed Part 1 of the ViperBASIC new system level commands. He does not have part 2... do you? Vipersoft BASIC Instructions Transcribed (Part 1) April 17, 2009 I) Added a short article by Ken Lill to the FAQ area about how to possibly fix some intermittent problems with Bally Astrocade consoles. Astrocade Intermittent Problem Fixes II) Added Bin2BML by Lance Squire. Bin2BML converts .bin files to .BML files to load on an Astrocade with a RAM expansion. An example called Sample.wav is included. Using this program the user will finally get to see software run on actual HARDWARE! Bin2BML III) Added Replacement Character Font for use with Blue Ram Basic 1.1 by Richard Degler Here's a font that is almost identical to Pac-Man's font. Please be sure to read the instructions included with the archive! Replacement Character Font for use with Blue Ram Basic 1.1 IV) Added Color BASIC WAV In May of 2008 Lance Squire created this WAV version of the Color BASIC prototype for use on Astrocade consoles with RAM expansion. Color BASIC WAV V) Added Vipersoft BASIC and Instructions (2000-BAUD Version) This is for RAM expansion owners without a Multicart. These files have been processed with both Ballybin 1.4 and 2.0 (see which gives you better results). Note: In order to use these files, previous experience loading WAV files with an expanded Astrocade is presumed. Vipersoft BASIC and Instructions (2000-BAUD) VI) Fixed Richard Degler's Music Decomposer BASIC Type-In Program I included the fix for Music Decomposer that Ken Lil pointed out on March 20, 2008: Line 69 should be: 69 IF D....;CX=CX+24;... I added a legend (as Richard recommended). It says: When typing this program into BASIC, remember this legend: a = -> (Right Arrow) b = Multiply Sign c = Divide Sign I also added some additional comments by Richard. Music Decomposer (Type-In Program) VII) Added Stweek (Sound Tweeker) disassembly (and other related material): Never officially released. Word has it that Scot Norris used this for programming sound for the DNA (BALLY) carts. This is a very commented disassembly by Richard Degler. This zip includes: 1) STWEEK Manual - Written by Richard Degler 2) STWEEK.asm - A complete disassembly of Stweek 3) Stweek_Discussion.txt - Posting compilation between Richard and Adam Trionfo. 4) Two songs that can be loaded in MESS. Stweek (Sound Tweeker) Disassembly (and more) VIII) Added Rainbow (Ver. 2).asm disassembly by Richard Degler Here is Richard Degler's dis-assembly of the file "Rainbow - Ver 2 (198x)(Hanson)[From Proto EPROM].asm" for your perusal. It took Richard six hours to do, but that's including the time to figure out why part of the code is disabled. Rainbow (Ver. 2).asm IX) Added Two Bally Check ROMs I dumped these two ROMs on July 15, 2008 from my two different BallyCheck units; the ROMs are identical. They match perfectly with the BallyCheck source code when set for old ROM. The ROMs, for completeness, have been named: 1) BallyCheck_(Black_Version)(20002FFF)[For Bally Old ROM].bin 2) BallyCheck_(Yellow_Version)(200027FF).bin Two BallyCheck ROMs X) Added Rainbow - Version 3 By Richard C. Degler Based on Version 2 by Hanson Now 256 colors! Rainbow Version 3 April 13, 2009 I) Added preliminary version of Treasure Cove Source Code This source was supplied by Brett Bilbrey, the programmer of the cartridge. This is not the final version, as that version of the source does not seem to be available (but could be created using the cartridge ROM image and this source code). Treasure Cove Source Code (Preliminary Version) April 9, 2009 I) Added ICBM Attack Programming Notes Twelve pages of handwritten programming notes by Brett Bilbrey about ICBM Attack. In the notes, the game is called "Missile Command." ICBM Attack Programming Notes II) Added ICBM Attack Concept Art Added three pieces of ICBM Attack concept art and notes from the back of one page. ICBM Attack Concept Art April 8, 2009 I) Added ICBM Attack Cassette Description by Brett Bilbrey June 22, 1982 This is the concept of ICBM Attack as originally envisioned by Brett. This game was eventually released on cartridge. ICBM Attack Cassette Description April 7, 2009 I) Added concept art for the game Treasure Cove by Spectre Systems. Treasure Cove Concept Art April 6, 2009 I) Added Computer Ear Manual A sixteen-page manual that explains how to use the Computer Ear voice recognition system. An additional four pages include four BASIC type-in programs: 1 - Digital Oscilloscope 2 - Flash Math 3 - Speech 1.8 4 - Speech 4.2 The Computer Ear Manual March 22, 2009 I) Reorganized the ZGRASS Documentation Area All documentation now has a lengthy description describing the contents. Also the area is now in alphabetical order. ZGRASS Documentation Page II) Added Language Control for Easy Electronic Visualization By Tom Defanti This article is from the November 1980 issue of Byte. Language Control for Easy Electronic Visualization III) Added two datasheets for the Western Digital WD1770 Floppy Controller These are datasheets for the Western Digital WD1770 Floppy Controller used in the Viper [ZGRASS] unit. The one-page version of the datasheet is from a datasheet that was included with a book compiled by the ZGRASS Information Group for Bob Fabris. The much more complete second datasheet, for the same controller, is from a Commodore website. It seems that one (or more) of the Commodore 8-bit disk drives used the same floppy controller. ZGRASS Documentation Area March 21, 2009 I) Added GRASS Picture Creation Document (18 Pages) This program is designed to help you learn about the graphics symbiosis system (GRASS). The intention is to provide you with the fundamental knowledge and skills necessary to allow you to use the system. It is not intended to provide you with a complete description of all the possible ways in which the system could be used. That would be impossible because the uses of the system are limited only by your own imagination. There are three parts to this program. Depending on your present knowledge of the system, you may wish to go through all, or only some, of these. The first part will teach the commands, and allow practice in the skills necessary, to create pictures. The second part will do the same for picture manipulation. The third part will be on "macro" writing. Each part will assume knowledge of the proceeding parts. The eighteen pages are broken into six sections: 1.0 - Using the System 1.1 - Picture Creation Commands 1.2 - Variables, Expressions, Operators and Loops 1.3 - GRASS Storage 1.4 - Macros 1.5 - Editing This document has been been bookmarked in Acrobat for ease of reading. GRASS Picture Creation II) Added ZGRASS Paint Program Users Guide (94 Pages) March 12, 1982 (Preliminary Version) You are about to experience an interactive painting system that will enable you to immensely expand your creative drawing and image development capabilities. With the help of this guide, you'll find the system simple to use and rich in capabilities. The Zgrass PAINT PROGRAM USER'S GUIDE has been designed to guide you through an interactive experience with all modules of the Paint Program in a sequence which will prepare you to use each module as you encounter it. If you take the time now to experiment with the Paint Program system as instructed in this guide, you'll minimize the amount of time you spend learning how to use the system to maximum capacity. If you are a neophyte in the world of computers, you'll find this a pleasant and relatively painless introduction to working with computers. In general, this guide is set up to be followed in a step-by-step manner, explaining what's happening as you engage in new activities in each module. As you become more comfortable with the controls and various means of interacting with the system, you may find repetitive instructions tedious or boring. On the other hand, if you're shaking in your boots because it's the first time you've dealt with a computer, you'll probably find the repetition comforting. To minimize the amount of repetition, those concepts or activities which come into play frequently or require special explanation have been presented in the GENERAL REFERENCE SECTION of this guide and are referred to accordingly within the body of the guide. Sections of this document include: 1 - Getting Started 2 - General Reference Section 3 - Group - 1) Basic Drawing Brushes 4 - Group - 2) Colormap Selection & Storage 5 - Group - 3) Making & Using Snaps 6 - Group - 4) Line & Snap Animation 7 - Group - 5) Utility Modules This document has been been bookmarked in Acrobat for ease of reading. ZGRASS Paint Program User's Guide III) Added ZGRASS Lessons Manual (52 Pages) October 27, 1981 Zgrass is a graphics programming language. It is probably closer to BASIC than any other language, yet it is much more flexible and general than BASIC. The presumption in these lessons is that you already know how to program BASIC (at least BALLY BASIC) and are familiar with loops, IF's, GOTO's, variables, and so on, and are ready to learn what makes Zgrass tick. The essential differences between Zgrass and BASIC are: 1. Zgrass allows any number of programs and subroutines, each named, and they can run in series or parallel. BASIC has one unnamed program and a lot of GOSUB's. 2. Zgrass has an interactive full-screen editor. BASIC edits with line numbers. 3. Zgrass has good ways of passing arguments to subroutines; BASIC has none. 4. Zgrass can construct programs and run them with string manipulation features; BASIC cannot. 5. Zgrass has excellent debugging aids: single step, run-time listing, and error trapping; BASIC doesn't. 6. Zgrass has fast, advanced graphics commands; most BASICs use peek and poke. 7. BASIC has FOR/NEXT. Zgrass does without. In order to learn Zgrass, you will have to explore it. Fortunately, this is not hard and is very rewarding. These lessons are to help you start exploring. They don't teach you how to program or write games, they just present the tools to you and encourage you to build your own. The first six lessons concentrate on defining the playing field. Pay close attention! If you find a word being used that you do not understand, consult the Glossary. Once you get through the lessons, read the Glossary in detail. You'll find yourself understanding some of the esoterica. Some of the advanced features you may never use or understand and it may take awhile for you to see why some of the diversions from BASIC were necessary. Before long, however, you will find going back to BASIC unbearable. Just to get you started, there's a test program called NB in the system. Press the red RST on the UV-1 front panel and answer Y. Then type the two letters NB and press the RETURN key. An image will appear. Type NB and press RETURN again. The image will undo itself. For more action, type NB.B and press RETURN. You can stop this by pressing the CTRL (called CONTROL on some keyboards) key, holding it down and simultaneously pressing the C key. Have fun! All Lessons: 0 - Read Me First 1 - Getting Started 2 - Writing Macros 3 - Editing 4 - More on Macros 5 - Storing Macros on Tape and Disk 6 - Debugging 7 - Device Variables and Ports 8 - Arrays 9 - More on Graphics 10 - Swap Modules 11 - Advanced Concepts ZGRASS Lessons Manual IV) Added ZGRASS Glossary Manual (96 Pages) February 12, 1982 ZGRASS Glossary of: 1) Buzzwords - Common computer terms 2) Commands 3) Escoterica - Advanced features for experienced programmers 4) Functions - Must be gotten from disk or tape 5) Idiosyncrasies - Concepts and features peculiar to or specifically modified for ZGRASS 6) Swap Commands - Must be gotten from disk or tape 7) Swap Functions - Must be gotten from disk or tape 8) Switches - Modify commands ZGRASS Glossary Manual March 20, 2009 I) Added ZGRASS Help Document (43 pages) This document was probably originally a dump to the printer by someone typing HELP for each of the commands. The forty-three page ZGRASS Help has been broken into six major sections. 1) Device Conventions in GRASS2 2) Writing Macros in GRASS 3) Creating Pictures in GRASS 4) Arithmetic Programming (Fortran-Style Syntax) 5) Commands (All 92 of them!) 6) Error Messages ZGRASS Help Document II) Added ZGrass Owner's Manual (84 Pages) This manual instructs you on the set-up and testing of the computer and connection of peripheral devices. In addition, it provides you with important information about operating the system... such as, the hardware features and specifications; basic disk and audio tape management techniques; graphic considerations; etc. The included chapters are: 1 - Introduction 2 - Hardware Features 3 - Initial Set Up 4 - System Power-Up 5 - UV-1 ZGRASS System Configuration 6 - Peripheral Device Configuration 7 - Troubleshooting 8 - Index of System Tests This document has been been bookmarked in Acrobat for ease of reading. Z-GRASS Owner's Manual January 9, 2009 I) Added extensive documentation on how to upgrade an Astrocade for hi-res mode. Upgrading an Astrocade for Hi-Res Mode December 23, 2008 I) Added seven pictures of the Computer Ear "Speech Recognition System for the Computer Hobbyist." Computer Ear II) Added three pictures of the Lil' White Ram 32K expansion unit. Lil' White Ram III) Added five pictures of the Blue Ram Keyboard for the Blue Ram expansion unit. Blue Ram Keyboard IV) Added two pictures of an ASCII Keyboard. These were often hacked with the 300-BAUD interface to create a keyboard that could be used with Bally BASIC. ASCII Keyboard V) Added Jameco JE 610 ASCII Keyboard Kit Datasheet. Jameco JE 610 ASCII Keyboard Kit Datasheet December 19, 2008 I) Added five screenshots for the AstroBASIC game "Super Slope" by Esoterica. 'S' Screenshot Area November 21, 2008 I) Added "Pepsi TV Game" by Steve Walters. Steve Walters Program Area II) Added two screenshots for "Pepsi TV Game" by Steve Walters:. Pepsi TV Game - 'P' Screenshot Area III) Added three games by New Image:. 1) Guess Five 2) Quickshot (alternate version) 3) Skunk (alternate version) New Image Program Area IV) Added seven screenshots for three games by New Image:. 1) Guess Five - 2 Pics 2) Quickshot - 3 Pics 3) Skunk - 2 Pics Guess Five - 'G' Screenshot Area Quickshot - 'Q' Screenshot Area Skunk - 'S' Screenshot Area V) Added the source code by Bob Colbert for Astrowav and Ballybin 2. Astrowav and Ballybin 2 Sourcecode November 18, 2008 I) Fixed "Qaudron" typo on "What's New" page. It was missing the 'r.' II) When I added "Quadron" and "Star Siege" to The Tiny Arcade area yesterday, I forgot to put the names of the programs (I only put the screenshots). Fixed. November 17, 2008 I) Added Six AstroBASIC programs by Fred Rodney:. 1) Astro Analyst 2) Morse Code Trainer 3) Morse Code II 4) Project Cyclops Radar Base 5) Rhythm Box in 3/4 Time 6) Rhythm Box in 4/4 Time Fred Rodney Program Area II) Added twenty-three screenshots for six AstroBASIC Programs by Fred Rodney:. 1) Astro Analyst - 7 Pics 2) Morse Code Trainer - 6 Pics 3) Morse Code II - 2 Pics 4) Project Cyclops Radar Base - 4 Pics 5) Rhythm Box in 3/4 Time - 2 Pics 6) Rhythm Box in 4/4 Time - Pics Astro Analyst - 'A' Screenshot Area Morse Code - 'M' Screenshot Area Project Cyclops Radar Base - 'P' Screenshot Area Rhythm Box - 'R' Screenshot Area III) Added two programs by John Collins:. 1) Checkers (III) 2) Treasures of Cathy John Collins Area IV) Added six screenshots for two AstroBASIC Programs by John Collins:. 1) Checkers (III) - 2 Pics 2) Treasures of Cathy - 4 Pics Checkers (III) - 'C' Screenshot Area Treasures of Cathy - 'T' Screenshot Area V) Added two alternate versions of programs by The Tiny Arcade:. 1) Quadron 2) Star Siege (Revised) Tiny Arcade Program Download Area VI) Added five screenshots for two games by The Tiny Arcade:. 1) Quadon - 1 Pic 2) Star Siege (Revised) - 4 Pics Quadron - 'Q' Screenshot Area Star Siege (Revised) - 'S' Screenshot Area November 13, 2008 I) Added a link to an article called Bally Home Library Computer - Early E-Commerce. This June 13, 2006 article covers an Bally Astrocade ad in the September 1977 Scientific American. The author's comments are rather amusing and interesting. Bally Alley Links Section II) Added the Keyboard Driver by Perkins Engineering. This version loads at 300-BAUD. 300-Baud Keyboard Driver III) An "interview" by Paul Thacker with a tech named Paul Garber that fixed Bally Astrocades for a company named North Iowa Electronics located in Garner, Iowa. (December, 2006) Paul Garber Interview IV) Added two different versions of Astrowav and Ballybin (dated Feb 27, 2004 and Dec. 31, 2005). Tape Archive Program Area November 11, 2008 I) Updated the description of Color BASIC with a link to the instructions rather than the question about how to use it. Color BASIC Description Modification II) Added cartridges image for Maze Man and additional images for DNA Final Test Cartridge Picture Area November 9, 2008 I) Added screenshots to binary image download page: Binary Image Download Page II) Added Fun with Vectors - Ziggy binary image by Richard Degler. Fun with Vectors - Ziggy binary image III) Added Fun with Vectors - Ziggy source code by Richard Degler. Fun with Vectors - Ziggy source code IV) Added Fun with Vectors - Ziggy screenshot. Fun with Vectors - Ziggy Screenshot V) Added ten screenshots for songs by The Beatles: 1) A Hard Day's Night 2) Can't Buy Me Love 3) Eight Days A Week 4) I Feel Fine 5) I Feel Fine (2008 Update) 6) Let It Be 7) Paperback Writer 8) She Loves You 9) Yesterday 10) Yesterday (2008 Update) Screenshots of Beatles Songs November 8, 2008 I) Added eight songs by The Beatles. This music was originally released on tape format by George Moses. In the mid-eighties Richard Degler converted it to cartridge format and made notes play along to the music on a musical staff. The eight original songs are: 1) A Hard Day's Night 2) Can't Buy Me Love 3) Eight Days a Week 4) I Feel Fine 5) Let It Be 6) Paperback Writer 7) She Loves You 8) Yesterday There are also two additional versions of Yesterday and one additional version of I Feel Fine. This is a pretty complicated release, so there is a file included that goes into detail about the songs. Music by The Beatles July 19, 2008 I) Added seventeen pictures of the elusive Bally Check hardware. There are two versions of Bally Check represented here: a black version and a yellow version. This test hardware plugs into the 50-pin connector on the back of an Astrocade and checks the motherboard for problems. Bally Check Pictures July 18, 2008 I) Added Lil' White Ram Instructions and Warranty information. Eight pages of instructions (including pictures and installation procedure) along with warranty information for the Lil' White 32K RAM expansion. Lil' White Ram Instructions and Warranty II) Added five pictures of the 300-Baud Bally BASIC Interface Adapter for the Astrocade Blue Ram 300-BAUD Adapter June 17, 2008 I) Added four Astrocade documents from early eighties magazines. Thanks to Richard Degler for typing these in. 1) "Astrocade's The Incredible Wizard for Astrocade" By Danny Goodman, Radio Electronics, April 1983 Video game review of The Incredible Wizard. The review score is 9/10 (excellent), which is great in itself and is only better when compared to the review of the Atari 2600 version in the July 1983, which scored 5/10 (fair) 2) "For Bally Arcade Users" ["Letters to Editor" column] By Hank Scott, Science & Electronics, May/June 1981 A letter, with answer, from the Input/Output Dept. ("Letters to the Editor" column). 3) "Latest Micros Offer Power and Graphics" By Carl Warren, Popular Electronics, May 1982 From article: "The AstroArcade [sic] is a Z-80 based add on system starting at $299 for the basic game unit with a $599 keyboard unit that houses a disc controller. It also has serial ports, cassette tape controller and voice synthesizer, and is totally oriented toward color." 4) "Rolling Your Own" By Danny Goodman, Radio Electronics, September 1983 Details how "the open access to the Astrocade has caused a closely knit and loyal following of Astrocade enthusiasts to band together in users groups and in open exchange of information." Magazine Article Section June 16, 2008 I) Added Screenshots for four prototype ROMs 1) ADS System Monitor 2) Color BASIC 3) Fawn Dungeon 4) Rainbow Cartridge Screenshot Section II) Added a keypad overlay for the ADS System Monitor prototype ROM. I also made an overlay so that the program can be used under MESS, presuming that you use the default keyboard setup. Keypad Overlay Section III) Added ROM images of three prototype progams: 1) ADS System Monitor Author Unknown 2K (Actual program size: 1,533 bytes) A machine language monitor program that uses an overlay. It is unknown if this program is complete. No previous mention of this program was known until the EPROM was found. No documentation exists for this program. This program could have really have grown to have more options, had the author desired. 2) Fawn Dungeon Barry McCleave 2K (Actual program size: About 1,856 bytes) An incomplete machine language game written by someone that corresponded with Bob Fabris (the editor and publisher of the Arcadian newsletter). The player in this D&D-type game can wander around a randomly created maze, but there are no monsters. This is an interesting piece of what might have become something interesting. As it stands, it is little more than a programming exercise. No previous mention of this program was known until the EPROM was found. As Barry McCleave mentions in a letter that he wrote to Bob Fabris, there is plenty of room for this program to grow, about six more kilobytes-- so an 8K cart would only be about 1/4 full. 3) Rainbow - Version 2 Hanson 2K (Actual program size: 389 bytes) A program that puts a nice 256-color display on the screen. Note that the EPROM was noted with a sticker as "Ver. 2." No earlier version of this program have been found. This is just a short example program, and it's pretty neat that it fits snugly in about four-hundred bytes. There was a VHS videotape that had this program running before a demo of Color BASIC, so it was presumed that the program was written in Color BASIC-- it was a surprise to discover that it was a machine language program written to run as a cartridge. ROM Image Section IV) Added notes and a letter for two of the recently uploaded programs: 1) ADS System Monitor - Very brief notes on how to use this program. 2) Fawn Dungeon - A letter from the programmer, Barry McCleave, about the progress of this program. Scanned letter and retyped text format. Cartridge Manual Section V) Added early (non-working) Fawn Dungeon disassembly. Fawn Dungeon Disassembly June 13, 2008 I) Created a new section called "Astrocade, Inc. Marketing Materials." Added fourteen documents to this area: 1) Astrocade, Inc. File Folder File folder that Astrocade, Inc. used to distribute varying documentation. 2) Astrocade, Inc. Price Listing (Direct) A 1982 direct price listing. Mentions Zgrass-100 Computer with Keyboard ($419, $599 Retail). 3) Astrocade, Inc. Price Listing (Distributor) A 1982 distributor price listing. Mentions Zgrass-100 Computer with Keyboard ($340, $599 Retail). 4) Astrocade: The Professional Arcade" 1982 Consumer Ad Campaign Magazine and TV "blitz" ad campaign. Quite an impressive line-up. This says that commercials would be placed during forty-eight different TV shows and print ads in sixteen different magazines. Check out where Astrocade, Inc. planned to put ads in 1982. 5) Astrocade: The Professional Arcade, Expandable Computer System Small promotional flyer advertising the games for the Astrocade. There are many color screenshots as well as pictures of ten upcoming releases (four of which never came out). There is quite a bit of information packed into these few pages. 6) Astrocade (TM) Video Game by Astrocade, Inc. Promotional high-quality grayscale photo titled "Astrocade (TM) Video Game by Astrocade, Inc." This photo features the Astrocade with five games (Football, Grand Prix / Demolition Derby, Space Fortress, Astro Battle and Galactic Invasion). 7) Bally Professional Arcade Plus - First Version This is a generic ad for dealers to use. There are no screenshots of built-in games, but the ad does have eight other screenshots. The 2000-BAUD version of BASIC included with this package is called "Bally BASIC." This ad mentions the soon-to-come Zgrass-32 expansion keyboard. Price is 299.55. 8) Bally Professional Arcade Plus - Second Version This is a generic ad for dealers to use. There are screenshots of the three built-in games (and the calculator) and eight other screenshots. The 2000-BAUD version of BASIC included with this package is called "Bally BASIC." This ad does NOT mention the Zgrass-32 expansion keyboard. Price is 299.55. 9) Bally Professional Arcade Plus - Third Version This is a generic ad for dealers to use. There are screenshots of the three built-in games (and the calculator). The 2000-BAUD version of BASIC included with this package is called "Astrocade BASIC." This ad does NOT mention the Zgrass-32 expansion keyboard. Price is not specified. 10) Cooperative Advertising Program Manual This manual covers: General Policy, Method of Fund Accrual, Claiming Submittal, Method of Payment, Eligible Advertising Media, Displays and Other POP Material. 11) "Here's What They Say..." Quotes from 1982 about the Astrocade from ten different magazines. 12) Order Form (Triplicate) Astrocade, Inc. order form. Includes cartridges that were never released (i.e. Conan and Music Maker) as well as the Zgrass expansion. 13) Sales Meeting (1981) The agenda for the Astrovision, Inc. one-and-a-half day Chicago sales meeting from March 20-21 1981. 14) Sales Meeting (1982) The agenda for the Astrocade, Inc. half-day sales meeting on June 5 1982. Astrocade, Inc. Marketing Materials Area June 12, 2008 I) The wording of my description of Ward Shrake's multicart permission has been changed to, "electrically but not visually identical to his own." Ward Shrake Multicart Hardware Picture Area June 1, 2008 I) Updated the picture section for the Ward Shrake multicart. Only pictures are in this section now-- all documentation has been moved to a new section. Ward Shrake Multicart Hardware Picture Area II) Added a section for the Ward Shrake multicart. These documents have been either moved or added here: 1) Multicart 7432 Truth Table (Original) Notes from September 27, 2001. 2) Multicart 7432 Truth Table (Simplified) Notes from September 27, 2001. 3) Multicart 7432 Visualization Aide Notes on how the 7432 (Quad 2-Input OR Gate) works with the dipswitches on the multicart. Notes from September 27, 2001. 4) Multicart Board Revision Notes Multicart revision notes from December 18, 2001. 5) Multicart DipSwitch Setting DIP Switch Settings for the "Bally Astrocade" Multicart version 1.3a (that's the last version of the ROM). These documents should be considered the instructions for the cartridge. This zipped download includes two Word Documents, two PDF documents and a text document; use the pdf documents, not the Word documents (which are included in case any changes need to be made). Two documents are the same information sorted into two different ways: alphabetically and alphabetically sorted by extra RAM needed or not. The last document shows which dipswitch settings are still available. 6) Multicart FAQ This text answers people's questions about the Astrocade and Arcadia multicarts that Ward Shrake created. Document date is January 25, 2002. 7) Multicart FAQ - Update This FAQ covers Ward Shrakes "Bally Astrocade" and "Emerson Arcadia 2001" multicarts. Ward reaffirms that no more Astrocade multicarts will be sold to the public. Document date is April 16, 2008. 8) Multicart Jumper Assembly Steps and Tips Multicart jumper assembly steps and tips. Including wire color and length, as well as much more detailed final jumper wire routing. Notes from December 13, 2002. 9) Multicart Jumper-Wire Template An index card with short notes on how to set-up the jumper wires. This was written in December 2002. 10) Astrocade Multicart - Photo Mask (Part 1) 11) Astrocade Multicart - Photo Mask (Part 2) 12) Ward Shrake's Release Letter Ward Shrake gave permission on January 3, 2008 to use his documentation to create another multicart-- one that could be identical to his own. This letter is written to Adam Trionfo, the man who has assembled the Ballyalley.com website. Ward Shrake Multicart documentation Area May 31, 2008 I) Added and/or replaced High-resolution (300dpi) tape scans for six games by Esoterica Ltd. The tapes are: 1. Home Budget Keeper (Added Hi-Res)(Removed Lo-Res) 2. Big City Slick / Great American Jigsaw (Added Hi-Res as Alt Version) 3. Bomb Squad / Wildcatter (Added Hi-Res)(Removed Low-Res) 4. Fox and Hounds / Treasure Island (Added Hi-Res)(Removed Low-Res) 5. Garberville / Ten Pins (Added Hi-Res)(Removed Low-Res) 6. Mini Golf and Starship Command (Added Hi-Res)(Removed Low-Res) Esoterica Ltd. Tape Picture Section II) Added tapes images of two tapes by George Moses. The two tapes are: 1. Bally Arcade Ragtime (Alternate Hi-Res Version-- Side 2 is handwritten) 2. Beatles Music (Added Hi-Res) George Moses Tape Picture Section III) Added pictures of WaveMakers Tape #2 (Clue and Flying Ace). Also changed the list order from alphabetical to ordered by tape number. WaveMakers Tape Picture Section IV) Added tapes images of two tapes by Perkins Engineering. The two tapes are: 1. Artillery Duel 2. Blue Ram Utility 2 Perkins Engineering Tape Picture Section V) Added tapes images of Mike White's Quadra: 1. Quadra - Marathon (Side 1) 2. Quadra - Practice Programs (Side 2) Miscellaneous Tape Picture Section VI) Added box (actually the cassette tape case) for The Tiny Arcade's Beep! and Star Siege. The Tiny Arcade Box Section VII) Added tape cassette picture for The Tiny Arcade's Beep! and Star Siege. The Tiny Arcade Tape Picture Section VIII) Added instructions for The Tiny Arcade's Beep! and Star Siege. The Tiny Arcade Tape Instructions Section IX) Added Wavemakers covers from tape cases to the box section. 1 - Tape 3 - Maze Race (Hi-Res, 300dpi) 2 - Tape 7 - Guitar Course (Hi-Res, 300dpi) 3 - Tape 14 - Collision Course (Low-Res, 72 dpi) WaveMakers Boxes Section X) Added two cassette tape cases to the miscellaneous box section: 1 - Artillery Duel Tape Case 2 - Niagara Bugs Tape Case Miscellaneous Box Section XI) Added entry form for L&M's 1983 Candyman high score contest. L&M Candyman Contest Entry May 30, 2008 I) Added instructions for the tape game Treasure Island and Fox & Hounds by Esoterica Ltd. Treasure Island and Fox & Hounds Instructions II) Added Bally's 1978 tape cover for Audio Program Tape 1, Software No. 1 (APC-7001). Software on this tape includes: Side A Side B 1. Electric Doily 1. Lunar Lander 2. Line Graph 2. Gravity Game 3. Monthly Records 3. Newtona '500' 4. Electronic Music 5. Number Match Audio Program Tape 1, Software No. 1 (APC-7001) May 28, 2008 I) Added video of the Bally BASIC version of The Bit Fiddler's Goldfish Demo. Goldfish Demo Video II) Added screenshots for the BASIC versions and the MLM version of The Bit Fiddler's Goldfish Demo. 'G' Area of Tape Screenshot Section III) Added the Bally BASIC version of The Bit Fiddler's Goldfish Demo. Bally BASIC Goldfish Demo IV) Added the Machine Language Manager version of The Bit Fiddler's Goldfish Demo. Machine Language Manager Goldfish Demo V) Added The Bit Fiddler's Goldfish Demo instructions. Goldfish Demo Instructions VI) Added a print-out of Richard C. Degler's Music Decomposer for Blue Ram BASIC 1.1. Music Decomposer By Richard C. Degler May 27, 2008 I) Added two early 1970's Scientific American articles on the mathematical game Life. 1) Life - Scientific American Article (Oct 1970) 2) Life - Scientific American Follow-Up Article (Feb 1971) II) Added the source-code for Lance F. Squire's cartridge conversion of The Bit Fiddler's Goldfish Demo. Goldfish Demo Cartridge Conversion (Source Code) III) Added the ROM image file for Lance F. Squire's cartridge conversion of The Bit Fiddler's Goldfish Demo. This can be played in the MESS Astrocade emulator. Goldfish Demo Cartridge Conversion (ROM Image) IV) Added screenshots for Lance F. Squire's cartridge conversion of The Bit Fiddler's Goldfish Demo. 'G' Screenshots V) Added two game listing (with dip-switch settings) to the RetroKidz Multicart section. RetroKidz Multicart Section May 24, 2008 I) Added two links to the Astrocade web links section. These two links are: 1) Dick Ainsworth - He wrote the Bally BASIC book and the companion cassette, designed the Easy-Entry Keypad that made the original Arcade programmable and wrote the program for the Bally Demo Cartridge. 2) Mike Peace - He wrote all of the BASIC games released by WaveMakers. These games are considered to be the best BASIC games for the Astrocade. This website is about Mike's music. Astrocade Web Links May 23, 2008 I) Added updated Video Storybook instructions that Richard Degler created by disassembling the game's ROM. Yes, these are different than yesterday's upload. Video Storybook instructions II) Added added a Video Storybook disassembly that Richard Degler created from scratch by disassembling the game's ROM. Video Storybook Disassembly III) Did major surgery to the Misc. Documents section. This includes alphabetizing, categorizing, moving directory structures, and more. Misc. Documents Section IV) Separated the Viper documents from the misc. documents and created a new section Viper RAM Expansion Section May 22, 2008 I) I have redone the "S-Video Upgrade" section. I have split it into two sections: 1) Pictures by Mike Mallory 2) Pictures by Mike Di Salvo S-Video Modification Section II) I have added the Fawn Dungeon EPROM repair pictures that Ward Shrake took these back in February. Fawn Dungeon EPROM Repairs III) I have added pictures of the inside of Ward Shrake's multicart, including photomasks. Here is what has been added: 1) Astrocade Multicart - Front (Inside PCB) - 150dpi jpg and 300dpi jpg versions 2) Astrocade Multicart - Back (Inside PCB) - 150dpi jpg and 300dpi jpg versions 3) Astrocade Multicart - Photo Mask (Part 1) - 150dpi GIF, 300dpi GIF and 600dpi BMP versions 4) Astrocade Multicart - Photo Mask (Part 2) - 150dpi GIF, 300dpi GIF and 600dpi BMP versions. Multicart Pictures IV) I have added the Video Storybook instructions that Richard Degler created by disassembling the game's ROM. Video Storybook instructions May 21, 2008 I) Added reviews for three unreleased cartridges: 1) Munchie 2) Music Maker 3) Quest for the Orb Cartridge Reviews Section II) Added source-code for three versions of BASIC. All versions of the source code have been updated or created by Richard Degler. 1) AstroBASIC - Updated Source-code 2) Bally BASIC - From Scratch Disassembly 3) Color BASIC - From Scratch Disassembly Astrocade Machine Language Source Code Section III) Changed the thumbnail for the "Bally Professional Arcade" manual cover. It is now a jpg that is smooth and easy to read. Manual Covers Section IV) Added sales flyer called "Astrocade The Professional Arcade." Sales Flyer (150DPI) May 20, 2008 I) Removed two dead links: DZ80 Disassembler and Gamerland: Links Section II) Removed Bally DIP Settings from "Misc. Documentation" Section: "Misc. Documentation" Section III) Archived the year 2007 of the "What's New" Section: What's New Archives (2000-2007) Section IV) Added The Bally Arcade! A Great Video Game Becomes A Great Computer! by George Moses. This is probably marketing material. The Bally Arcade! A Great Video Game Becomes A Great Computer! V) Added Videocades and Accessories leaflet A B&W leaflet that lists the available "videocades" (cartridges) available from Astrocade, Inc. This includes such unreleased goodies as Conan and the ZGRASS keyboard. Videocades and Accessories leaflet May 19, 2008 I) Added thumbnails of documents to the Bally and Astrovision Ads and Catalogs section. Bally and Astrovision Ads and Catalogs Section II) Added thumbnails of documents to the JS&A Ads from Catalogs section. JS&A Ads from Catalogs Section III) Added thumbnails of documents to the Postcards section. Postcards Section IV) Added thumbnails of documents to the Sourcebooks section. Sourcebooks Section V) Added thumbnails of documents to the Ads and Catalogs section. Ads and Catalogs Section VI) Put buttons on index page into alphabetical order: index.html May 17, 2008 I) Added two pictures of the front and back of the 300-BAUD interface PCB: 300-BAUD Interface Pictures II) Added three pictures of the homebrew DVD-style Astrocade cartridge box. Homebrew DVD-Style Box III) Added review for the unreleased cartridge Coloring Book. Coloring Book Review IV) Added an April 16, 2008 update to Ward Shrake's multicart FAQ. Ward Shrake's Multicart FAQ Update V) Added Richard Degler's completed Dogpatch Disassembly: Completed Dogpatch Disassembly VI) Added picture of the Demo Cartridge in the box: Demo Cartridge in Box May 16, 2008 I) Removed separate entries for Letter Match / Spell 'n Score / Crosswords and Spell 'N Score / Crosswords / Lettermatch manuals. The B&W scan of the manual has now been removed since there is an updated color version. Cartridge Manuals II) Combined entries for the Speed Math / Bingo Math manuals. Cartridge Manuals III) Added note that Astrocade cartridge manuals are also available in PDF format. Misc. Documentation IV) Added author names to programs in the Type-In Program Section: 1) Bowling - By John Collins 2) Robot War - By Scott Waldinger 3) Video Instructions for EB - By Alternative Engineering Misc. Type-In Programs V) Added new section on Sebree's Computing (Timothy Hays) with these programs: 1) Down the Trench 2) Hit the Pedestrian 3) Munch 4) Submarine Minefield 5) Star Fire 6) UFO Battle Misc. Documentation VI) Added instructions, written by Richard Degler, for the cartridge prototype game Coloring Book. Coloring Book Instructions VII) Added instructions, written by Richard Degler, for the cartridge prototype Color BASIC. COLOR BASIC Instructions May 15, 2008 I) Added pictures of the Multi-Cart Demo Unit by Bally Mfg. Corp. Allows input of eight game cartridges and offers the option to switch and play any of them or automatically cycle through them. Used by dealers for demo purposes. Pictures of Multi-Cart Demo Unit II) Added a pictures of the inside of the CPUWiz Multicart. Inside view of the CPUWiz Multicart III) Added fourteen pictures of the Sea Wolf II arcade mainboard. Sea Wolf II Arcade mainboard IV) Updated the Bally/Astrocade FAQ to version 3.3. Included is a new section called "Restoring the Astrocade's Gold Trimming" by Marty Goldberg. Bally Astrocade FAQ February 22, 2008 I) Added alternate version of instructions for John Conway's Game of Life by Richard C. Degler. John Conway's Game of Life Instructions February 10, 2008 I) Added eighteen press releases from Astrocade, Inc. 1) Ad Campaign - Astrocade kicks off $12 million ad campaign, Baseball game promos. 2) Artillery Duel - Astrocade introduces "Artillery Duel" video game at CES. 3) Astrocade, Inc. Backgrounder - Brief and general background history about Astrocade, Inc. 4) Bowling - Astrocade unveils Bowling video game cartridge at CES. 5) Comiskey Park - Giant video games to invade Comiskey Park Tuesday. 6) Conan - Astrocade introduces Conan video game cartridge at CES. 7) Cosmic Raiders - Cosmic Raiders announcement. 8) Creative Crayon: Technical Description - Technical description of the Creative Crayon cartridge. 9) Creative Crayon - Creative Crayon announcement. 10) Incredible Wizard Contest - Astrocade's "Incredible Wizard" contest running at CES. 11) Incredible Wizard - The Incredible Wizard announcement. 12) Music Maker - Music Maker announcement. 13) Patent Infringement - Astrocade sues Atari and Commodore for patent infringements. 14) Pirate's Chase - Pirate's Chase announcement. 15) Soccer - Astrocade unveils Soccer/Dribbling video game cartridge at CES. 16) Solar Conqueror - Solar Conqueror announcement. 17) ZGRASS-100: Technical Description - Technical description about the ZGRASS-100 Add-Under. 18) ZGRASS-100 - Astrocade unveils ZGRASS-100 Personal Computer Add-Under at CES. Press Releases II) Added Color BASIC ROM An updated BASIC featuring 32 colors. This cartridge was never released. This ROM is from a prototype. No documentation is available for this program; we are not even sure how to access more colors. Here are some hints for those that want to try. Use the original BASIC overlay. Now Word + ERASE gives you the COLOR keyword and Word + SPACE gives you the CLINE keyword. Can you figure how to get some color out of this version of BASIC? Color BASIC January 19, 2008 I) Updated the Magazine and Newspaper Article Area This area was in disarray. Nothing was in alphabetical order, no authors were mentioned, and there was no summary of the articles. I've fixed that. Magazine and Newspaper Article Area II) Added a Magazine Article called Astrocade: One More Time By Mark Borwnstein from Video Games, June 1983. This is not a review of the Astrocade console; it's an overview of the system. It covers both the history and the current situation. In 1983 this would have been very helpful to Astrocade owners that were in the dark. It even mentions rare (released) hardware items like the Blue Ram expansion (which I've never seen mentioned in mainstream press elsewhere). Astrocade: One More Time By Mark Borwnstein (Color Version, 1.35MB) Astrocade: One More Time By Mark Borwnstein (B&W Version, 612K) III) Added a Magazine Article called Game Workout - Astrocade By Michael Blanchet From Electronic Fun with Computers & Games, January 1983 This is a review of the Astrocade console. Included are some screenshots of unreleased games. Game Workout - Astrocade By Michael Blanchet (Color Version, 3.9MB) Game Workout - Astrocade By Michael Blanchet (B&W Version, 847K) IV) Added a Magazine Article called Test Lab: Astro Professional Arcade By Henry B. Cohen From Electronic Games, June 1982 An Astrocade console review that contains a screenshot of an unreleased game (Coloring Book). Test Lab: Astro Professional Arcade By Henry B. Cohen (Color Version, 3.2MB) Test Lab: Astro Professional Arcade By Henry B. Cohen (B&W Version, 244K) January 18, 2008 I) Added ten Astrocade-style cartridge manuals. 1) 280 ZZZap / Dodgem (#2001) 2) Artillery Duel (#5005) 3) Bally Pin (#3005) 4) Biorhythm (#4004) 5) Brickyard / Clowns (#2004) 6) Dog Patch (#2010) 7) Grand Prix / Demolition Derby (#2014) 8) Pirate's Chase (#2015) 9) Solar Conqueror (#2018) 10) Tornado Baseball / Tennis / Handball / Hockey (#3001) Astrocade-Stle Cartridge Manuals II) Added alternate version of the AstroBASIC manual. This is the second version of the manual. I'm not sure what the differences are, but there are a few. It fixes some mistakes in the first manual, but introduces a few of its own. AstroBASIC manual (Alternative version) III) Updated the AstroBASIC Manual that was already online. This is the first version of the manual. The first scan, from 2000, had low-resolution scans of the color pictures, plus the inside pictures that were color were scanned in B&W; this has been fixed. AstroBASIC manual (Updated Version) IV) Added Life and Nuke the @&#%$* manual for the tape games by Jay Fenton. Life and Nuke the @&#%$* Manual January 7, 2008 I) Added Color Picker by Michael Garber. A helpful tool/demo. Choose a background color using the knob and get its corresponding hex number for the Astrocade. This program runs as a cartridge. Color Picker Assembler Source-Code II) Added Winter/Spring 1984 issue of The Sourcebook A great Astrocade catalog that attempted to contain everything that existed for the Astrocade. 114 Pages (15.5MB) Winter/Spring 1984 issue of The Sourcebook III) Added prototype version of Solar Conqueror cartridge by Astrocade Inc. An early version of Solor Conqueror. This game is 8K. Solor Conqueror [Prototype] IV) Added the Astrocade version of the Goldfish Demo (1982) by The Bit Fiddlers. Seven goldfish swim around a fishtank, a clock runs, and a cat meows every minute. An example of a smooth machine language program. Goldfish Demo What's New - Archives (2000-2007) I) These archives go back to October 22, 2000. Bally Alley is actually older than that, but not by much. whats_new_archives_(2000-2007).html