'the MSX page' update / atualizacao de 'the MSX page'

[Adriano Camargo Rodrigues da Cunha]

[english]

        Hi, folks!

        I updated my page, including my MSX page.
        Here as the news:
        - redesign, optimized for 800x600 pixels;
        - all sections revised and updated (including MSX!);
        - New programs for MSX:
          PROKIT zapper
          Double Dragon II
          Robocop
          Ghostbusters II
          ExecROM 1.1a

        'Ghostbusters II' is a correct disk version of the game, loading
all levels in the right sequence (not another 'choose-a-level-and-play-
it-until-you-get-crazy').
        All the versions I got of this game had problem with the first
level, so it crashed without start. This version has the first level
working ok, 'cause I reconstructed (yes!) the level from the original
Spectrum 48k game (yes, it's true!). It took me two weeks of disassembling
and work. Yeah, I know this game is terrible, that it has an horrible
playability, but I like Ghostbusters, I never saw the first level working
on MSX and the intro music is nice (too bad, it's too short).
        The updated versions of Robocop and Double Dragon II runs on MSX
that has RAM in subslot. I had to debug both games to find the error, and
now they work nice. I would like to thanks Manuel Bilderbeek for
beta-testing and helping me hunting the bugs.

        By the way...
        Some time ago, a well known guy said that brazilians don't know
how to program the MSX conform the standard.
        Well, after debugging 4 spanish games (I also debugged Double
Dragon 1), I can say that, in fact, the spanishs are the people who don't
know how to program conform the standard.
        All the spanish games I disassembled had severe errors. They
overwrite FFXXh area (corrupting subslot register), they access VDP
directly without waiting the VDP finishing the work (the famous double EX
(SP),HL after an OUT to VDP), they assume the slot configuration, 
they assume some reserved ports, they ignore the BIOS...
        Here in Brazil, "3rd world", "latin american", "indians",
"underdeveloped country", etc, etc, etc (and any other bad adjective
anyone may want to add), the problem was that we had no documentation
about MSX. Closed market, high priced imported devices (and anything
else). Who had docs didn't share them. MSX makers hide docs, infos and
changed the standard by their own desires. So the programmers had to
discover the things by themselves. And Brazil produced many
good and interesting programs.
        But Spain? First world, on Europe, open market, developed country,
making this terrible things? Come on...
        The better thin I can say is that the spanish programmers are
big fudebas...

        That's all. I needed to say this.

        Regards,

                        Adriano

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[portugues]


        Povo,

        Eu atualizei a minha pagina, incluindo a pagina de MSX.
        As novidades:
        -redesign, otimizado pra 800x600;
        - todas as secoes revisadas e atualizadas (incluindo MSX!);
        - Novos programas pra MSX:
          PROKIT zapper
          Double Dragon II
          Robocop
          Ghostbusters II
          ExecROM 1.1a

        Ghostbusters II e' a versao em disco correta do jogo, carregando
todos os niveis na sequencia correta (nao apenas mais um 'escolha-o-
nivel-e-jogue-ate'-ficar-maluco).
        Todas as versoes que eu peguei desse jogo tinham problema com o
primeiro nivel, que travava sem comecar nem apresentar nada. Essa versao
tem o nivel 1 rodando ok, por que eu o reconstrui (sim!) a partir do jogo
original pra Spectrum 48k (sim, e' verdade!). Isso me gastou duas semanas
de disassembly e trabalho. Ok, eu sei que o jogo e' pessimo, que a
jogabilidade e' horrivel, mas eu gosto dos Caca-Fantasmas, eu nunca tinha
visto o primeiro nivel e a musica de entrada e' legal (pena que e'
curta).
        As versoes atualizadas do Robocop e Double Dragon II rodam em MSX
com RAM em subslot. Eu tive que debugar os dois pra achar o erro, e agora
eles rodam legal. Agradecimentos ao Manuel Bilderbeek pelo beta-test e
ajuda na caca aos bugs.

        A proposito...
        Algum tempo atras, um cara conhecido disse que os brasileiros nao
sabem programas o MSX dentro do padrao.
        Bom, depois de debugar 4 jogos espanhois (eu tambem debuguei o
Double Dragon 1), eu posso dizer que, na verdade, os espanhois sao quem
nao sabem de fato como programar dentro do padrao.
        Todos os jogos espanhois que eu disassemblei tinham erros
grosseiros. Eles sobrescrevem a area FFXXh (corrompendo o registrador de
subslot), eles acessam o VDP diretamente sem nem dar o tempo certo pra ele
processar (o 'EX (SP),HL' duplo apos os OUT), eles assumem configuracao de
RAM, eles assumem certas portas reservadas, eles ignoram a BIOS...
        Aqui no Brasil, "3o mundo", "latino americano", "indios", "pais
subdesenvolvido", etc, etc, etc (e qualquer outra infamia que alguem
quiser adicionar), o problema era que nos nao tinhamos documentacao sobre
MSX. Quem tinha escondia. Os fabricantes escondiam documentacao,
informacao e mudavam o padrao conforme seu desejo. Assim, os programadores
tinham que descobrir as coisas por si proprios. E o Brasil produziu muita
coisa boa e interessante.
        Mas a Espanha? Primeiro mundo, Europa, mercado aberto, pais
desenvolvido, fazendo essas coisas terriveis? Quale'...
        A melhor coisa que eu posso dizer e' que os programadores
espanhois sao grandes fudebas...

        Bom, e' isso. Eu precisava desabafar.

        Ate',


Adriano Camargo Rodrigues da Cunha               ([EMAIL PROTECTED])
Engenharia de Computacao - UNICAMP
http://www.adrpage.cjb.net                       MSX-TR:I have one.And you?

* Windows isn't a virus. A virus does something. *


****
MSX Mailinglist. To unsubscribe, send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and put
in the body (not subject) "unsubscribe msx [EMAIL PROTECTED]" (without the
quotes :-) Problems? contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] (www.stack.nl/~wiebe/mailinglist/)
****