The Vic was my first computer, had a Downsway 16K RAM pack. The sound was great for me, especially the Llamasoft games, like LaserZone and HellGate. Happy memories.😃
Offset of the screen was a hardware register. I wrote a passable vic20 moon lander program using only a static image and the hardware screen offset for the altitude
You had to poke lots of mysterious numbers into random addresses to do stuff on commodore 8-bits but it saved having roms taking space with custom commands I guess.
I never had a Vic-20 back in the day, in fact, I thought they were not that great. However, my first computer probably wasn't any better and might've actually been worse. I had been begging for a computer for a while and I knew I was getting one for Christmas. When my dad went to purchase the computer somebody somebody at the store told him the Vic-20 was not that great and convinced him to buy a TI-99/4a. I used it for around six months and then it broke. Around a year later I spent the summer mowing lawns and got a Commodore 64 and 1541 Drive which had just been released.
I'm surprised it broke - sorry to hear that, I always thought they were pretty solid (state 😁). C64 was probably the right path. Things you earn are often better than things you're given.
There's no doubt it was a big step up from a ZX81 in almost every way - but I think the not particularly crisp 22 column text was my first on-screen impression of the VIC and it was a bit underwhelming.
3:15 This is crazy, adjusting cartridge screen positioning using cursor keys. It was just some "agreed contract' , most cartridges would allow for that. Pinball Spectacular only allows this in attract mode, not when the instructions are scrolling by. The reason is different X/Y default offset values in the PAL/NTSC VIC chip registers. Unbelievable how crude the user experiences at the time were, what developers could get away with. I mean, same default values for the VIC chips should have been a priority and if you do need a workaround, then make PAL/NTSC detection and auto-adjustment the norm. Shaking my head... and appreciating how much more brushed-up the C64 turned out. No more crazy memory layout variants depending on the available memory. Just fully-loaded with 64kB, perfect for loading the software into RAM rather than just the program's state. Perfect for pirating software, too.
This was my first computer and I had a love hate relationship with it. I loved it because I had a computer and could learn to program. I hated it because it was such a useless machine compared to the C64. Later I luckily got a C64 and for me that always feels as the first "Real" computer.
The cartridges like the penultimate really make life on the Vic a whole lot better these days.
It's really good. Apart from the great content, it's useful not to have to keep swapping cartridges. I worry about stressing the components too much.
The Vic was my first computer, had a Downsway 16K RAM pack. The sound was great for me, especially the Llamasoft games, like LaserZone and HellGate. Happy memories.😃
I do remember plugging a 16k ram pack into a VIC was much less nerve wracking than doing the same with a ZX81.
Offset of the screen was a hardware register. I wrote a passable vic20 moon lander program using only a static image and the hardware screen offset for the altitude
You had to poke lots of mysterious numbers into random addresses to do stuff on commodore 8-bits but it saved having roms taking space with custom commands I guess.
I never had a Vic-20 back in the day, in fact, I thought they were not that great. However, my first computer probably wasn't any better and might've actually been worse. I had been begging for a computer for a while and I knew I was getting one for Christmas. When my dad went to purchase the computer somebody somebody at the store told him the Vic-20 was not that great and convinced him to buy a TI-99/4a. I used it for around six months and then it broke. Around a year later I spent the summer mowing lawns and got a Commodore 64 and 1541 Drive which had just been released.
I'm surprised it broke - sorry to hear that, I always thought they were pretty solid (state 😁). C64 was probably the right path. Things you earn are often better than things you're given.
How could you have possibly been disappointed by the Vic if you got the Vic after having a zx81?
There's no doubt it was a big step up from a ZX81 in almost every way - but I think the not particularly crisp 22 column text was my first on-screen impression of the VIC and it was a bit underwhelming.
3:15 This is crazy, adjusting cartridge screen positioning using cursor keys. It was just some "agreed contract' , most cartridges would allow for that. Pinball Spectacular only allows this in attract mode, not when the instructions are scrolling by. The reason is different X/Y default offset values in the PAL/NTSC VIC chip registers. Unbelievable how crude the user experiences at the time were, what developers could get away with. I mean, same default values for the VIC chips should have been a priority and if you do need a workaround, then make PAL/NTSC detection and auto-adjustment the norm. Shaking my head... and appreciating how much more brushed-up the C64 turned out. No more crazy memory layout variants depending on the available memory. Just fully-loaded with 64kB, perfect for loading the software into RAM rather than just the program's state. Perfect for pirating software, too.
Is a VIC-20 video review better 20th time around? Definitely yes.
I think that means you like the video. I hope so. Cheers!
@@pixel_fandango That's right sir! :)
There it started ... Got 8k? ROM with switches to play Shamus and more ..."advanced" game :-D Back then...
Отличный клон ZX!
any 1 know how to make donkey kong work on the vic 20 emulator? using winvice or other program ?? thanks................
This was my first computer and I had a love hate relationship with it. I loved it because I had a computer and could learn to program. I hated it because it was such a useless machine compared to the C64. Later I luckily got a C64 and for me that always feels as the first "Real" computer.
I completely understand that.
Give the Super Expander cart language extensions a go! Lots of great graphics and sound commands like the ZX81 & BBC
Interesting. Cheers.
Hi jist found you through retro UK ed
Nice to see you. Hope you enjoy. Cheers!