ROM Builder: Viking Child LX for the Atari Lynx =============================================== Version 0.1 This program builds Viking Child LX (.lnx) from your own cartridge image of Viking Child for the Atari Lynx (Atari Corp., 1991, developed by Imagitec Design). In Viking Child LX the Viking walks and jumps at twice the speed - same jumps, same levels, same enemies - and the pause switches back to the original speed at any time. The program contains only the LX additions (a few hundred bytes of new 6502 code) and the steps to put them into the game. The game itself is read from your file when you run it. Python or other software does not need to be installed. Made by a human and an AI ------------------------- The author read that many players find Viking Child too slow, wanted to know why, and decided that only the Viking should get faster. Claude, Anthropic's AI, analysed the cartridge and wrote the LX code, this builder, the tests and these texts. The game itself is Imagitec's work: design Nigel Cook, programming David Chiles, graphics P. Goldsmith and Nigel Cook, music Barry Leitch, producer Juli Wade. What you need ------------- Your own cartridge image of Viking Child for the Atari Lynx, as - an .lnx file (with the usual 64-byte header), - an .lyx file (the plain 256 KB cartridge contents), or - a .zip archive that contains one of them. The builder accepts only an exact copy of the original cartridge and checks every byte of it. Damaged or changed images are refused with an explanation. The name in the file header does not matter. How to use it ------------- 1. Start "ROM Builder - Viking Child LX v0.1.exe" (or drag your cartridge image onto it). 2. Click "Select Lynx cartridge image and build ..." and choose your file. 3. After about two seconds Viking_Child_LX.lnx is saved next to your file. "Open folder" shows it. Play it in a Lynx emulator (for example Felix or Handy) or on a real Lynx with a flash cartridge. The builder checks the result: the message "identical to the reference build" means your file is exactly the one that was tested. Windows may show "Windows protected your PC" the first time, because the program is not signed. Click "More info" and then "Run anyway". In the game ----------- Pause shows the line VIKING CLASSIC FAST below GAME PAUSED. A or B switches: FAST the Viking runs two original game steps per step: he walks 60 instead of 30 pixels per second, and every jump keeps its height and width but takes half the time (default) CLASSIC exactly the original game Enemies, timers, the energy clock, sound and music keep the original pace. The choice is kept until the Lynx is switched off. Controls: D-pad move, A attack, B jump, Option 1 use the selected item, Option 2 select the next item, Pause pause (with Option 1: restart, with Option 2: turn the picture round). Linux (command line) -------------------- vc-lx-builder-0.1.pyz is the same builder for Linux. It needs only Python 3.8 or newer. python3 vc-lx-builder-0.1.pyz FILE [OUTPUT_DIR] build Viking Child LX (default: next to FILE) python3 vc-lx-builder-0.1.pyz --info FILE only check FILE python3 vc-lx-builder-0.1.pyz help Exit status: 0 = built and identical to the reference build, 1 = error, 3 = built, but different from the reference build. Tested ------ In the Felix emulator: level 1 and its dragon fight; CLASSIC compared with the original game step by step (identical), FAST compared with the original jump by jump (the same path in half the time), and a five-minute run with random input, pauses and Game Over. The later levels and real hardware have not been tested yet - feedback is welcome. Unofficial, non-commercial fan project, not affiliated with or endorsed by the rights holders. Viking Child (c) 1991 Imagitec Design, published by Atari Corp. Use it only with your own copy of the game and do not share the built .lnx file. Licenses of the parts in this tool: see LICENSES.txt.