Is there a mod for Asteroids?

[Brewser]

I was wondering if there was a mod for Asteroids in Mame (TM) so the scores don't roll to '0' when you go over 100,000? I see there is a hardware mod available, but I think that is for the original machine.
Me and my buddy are having a discussion that the old asteroids machine went to 999,999 and after I rolled 99,999 on Mame (TM) he thought that was wrong since he swears he rolled Asteroids over a million in the early 80's.
Anyone know?

[Lilwolf]

Interesting.  A clone which would only be changes in the driver? 

Anyway, if you can get information about it, I'm sure that the mame team would love to add a driver for it. 

That is, assuming it wasn't a bootleg

[Thenasty]

its was always 999,999 then it rolls over to zero. Thats how all the Asteroids machine I have played back then and even in the console (2600) port of it, it rolls over. I have not seen one that continues after 999,999. MAME will only emulate how the original was and they won't put a hack to it to function as mentioned.

[Brewser]

No it's doesn't. Asteroids rolls over at 99,999. Asteroids deluxe rolled over at 999,999.
I would like a way for Asteroids to roll over at 999,999 instead of 99,999.

[CJK]

Maybe you are thinking of something like this?

http://www.arcadeshop.com/asteroids-hss/asteroids-hss.htm

-- Chris

[Howard_Casto]

Hmm.... should be as easy as purchasing one of those chips, dumping it's contents, maybe doing a bit of hacking for the new chip added and injecting it all into the original rom. 

Of course I mean, "easy" in mame dev standards.  I have no frikkin clue how to do it myself. 

[Brewser]

That is the one I did see online, but I was wondering if there was a hack specific to mame. It is kind of uneventful to hit 100,000 and go back to zero on Asteroids. It takes the fun out of going for even a bigger score.

[Howard_Casto]

That is the one I did see online, but I was wondering if there was a hack specific to mame. It is kind of uneventful to hit 100,000 and go back to zero on Asteroids. It takes the fun out of going for even a bigger score.

No there isn't afawk.  I suggest you buy the speedup chip, donate it to someone on the mame team willing to help you, and have them make one. 

[SirPoonga]

Howard, that's not a speedup chip.  FYI you can speed asteroids up by doing this

Code: [Select]

This mod will increase the overall speed of your asteroids game.

You will need some 30 gauge wire and a switch.

1. Clip and lift pin 4 of C5 (74LS161)
2. Wire switch as follows:
   * Common to lifted pin 4
   * Normally closed to pad where pin 4 used to be connected
   * normally open to pull up resistor next to C5

NOTE:
1.  Be sure you wire the end of the pull-up resistor *not* tied to +5V.
2.  Clipping any other pins besides pin 4 may have adverse effects on
    Audio, Video, and/or coin discrimination.
About the kit, note it also SAVES the scores.
I might be getting one of these when I get my asteroids working.
I wouldn't think it wouldn't be too hard to add to mame since it is a drop in CPU replacement.  They might add it labeling it Asteroids (Rev 2 high score save kit).  Actually, probably not as that is a selling product.

Thinking about it.  It's just a new "CPU" since all it does it plug into the CPU slot.  In order to do the features it says it has to have it's own rom (which it looks like it does).  Since the CPU is on it's board it probably has code to watch what is coming in and out of the CPU.  If it sees the state in which the score is getting save it writes the score out to a flashrom.  If it sees a state in which the CPU is trying to access the memory where the  score is saved in ram it replaces the score with the one in.

[Howard_Casto]

Actually it does way more than that.  If you look at the article it says you can optionally remove half of the program roms once it's installed.  So it's more than just a simple chip swap.

[SirPoonga]

Where did you see that Howard?
Granted that makes sense since I read "f you game is Rev1 you will need to install a replacement Rev2 vector rom (provided). See step 6 for vector rom instructions." 
They don't say you need to upgrade to Rev2 and they include a Rev2 vector rom.
Found it:
"As a side note, if you want, you can also remove the old code eproms."

So, in theory, htis just "replaces" the Rev2 roms with what looks like one rom on the board.  Asteroids has three games roms and one vector rom (look in your asteroids zip file;) ).  Looking at the high score kit it appears to have one rom, one prom, possibly flash memory, and that 8 pin chip possibly a timer since it looks like that one capacitor is hooked up to it.

To get it working in mame one would just need a jump of the roms, determine how high score is getting saved, and learn address locations of the rom.  From there it owuld be easy to add it to the driver.  One would assume the address location are simular as hopefully it is the same game with fixes.  But if it is a rewrite it could probably is different. different.

[DarkKobold]

Uh, it really could be completely re-written, since the only thing saved are the vector drawing routines. But, I'd hate to see it dumped, just because braze does such great work. If he stopped because people are hacking and stealing his kits/code, that would suck.

[SirPoonga]

Right, that's why I don't think it would ever officially go into mame.

I noticed braze went to the trouble of smudging the names of the chips in all the pics on their website.