VOGONS


Patching 286+ games for XT machines

Topic actions

Reply 20 of 26, by Gustavo

User metadata
Rank Newbie
Rank
Newbie
aVd wrote on 2026-02-24, 07:46:

Hi, @Gustavo!
Appreciate your effort in these 80286/80386 game patches for 8088/86 XT machines! But I have one note here. I think these IPS-format patches are not the best for distribution as they do not contain any information of original file to be patched - at least it's size. For example there are a couple of exe-file versions for some of the games you made IPS patches for - floppy versions, CD versions, different version with game bugfixes... Why don't you use something like PatchMaker instead?

Hi aVd!
I understand the limitations of IPS format you mentioned, but I think it's better to use IPS since it's almost a universal format for simple cheats and videogame hacks. Also IPS software is available for many platforms.

These are the versions I patched:
MONKEY2.EXE 110.811 bytes
wrath.exe 32.897
magic.exe 155.382 (needs to be UNP'd first - 446.215 bytes when UNPacked)

Reply 21 of 26, by Gustavo

User metadata
Rank Newbie
Rank
Newbie
amstrad1640 wrote on 2026-03-01, 16:39:

Hi,
Can you patch corridor 7 game?

Hi amstrad,
here is the IPS for Corridor 7 - Floppy disk version.
File: C7.EXE 201.444 bytes

Tested on 12 Mhz NEC V20. The game runs, but very slowly: 2.0 to 1.0 FPS.

Reply 22 of 26, by amstrad1640

User metadata
Rank Newbie
Rank
Newbie

HI Gustavo,
Thanx
Alien carnage/Halloween Harry need 286 CPU to run.
Kyrandia 1 + Xmas lemmings + Holidays lemmings runs perfectly on NECV30 8mhz

Reply 23 of 26, by aVd

User metadata
Rank Newbie
Rank
Newbie
Gustavo wrote on 2026-03-03, 01:06:
Hi aVd! I understand the limitations of IPS format you mentioned, but I think it's better to use IPS since it's almost a univer […]
Show full quote

Hi aVd!
I understand the limitations of IPS format you mentioned, but I think it's better to use IPS since it's almost a universal format for simple cheats and videogame hacks. Also IPS software is available for many platforms.

These are the versions I patched:
MONKEY2.EXE 110.811 bytes
wrath.exe 32.897
magic.exe 155.382 (needs to be UNP'd first - 446.215 bytes when UNPacked)

Thanks for the additional info, @Gustavo! I'll try these patches.

DOS fan :: artificial "intelligence" - not a fan... not a fan at all :: is freeware a lie, when human freedom is a fundamental lie?

Reply 24 of 26, by Gustavo

User metadata
Rank Newbie
Rank
Newbie
amstrad1640 wrote on 2026-03-03, 16:15:

Alien carnage/Halloween Harry need 286 CPU to run.

Hi Amstrad.

Here is the patch for Carnage. You'll need to patch these two files:
CARNAGE.EXE 9.968 bytes
HARRY1.-0 17.680 bytes.

This game was a little hard to patch. It has multiple checks and I think it has 386 specific routines too.
Unfortunately it also run too slow on my Turbo XT.

Reply 25 of 26, by aVd

User metadata
Rank Newbie
Rank
Newbie
GreatStone wrote on 2026-02-20, 22:27:
As a new owner of an Amstrad ppc512 (8086 compatible NEC V30 8MHz cpu), with a VGA extension card, I am grateful to see this pat […]
Show full quote

As a new owner of an Amstrad ppc512 (8086 compatible NEC V30 8MHz cpu), with a VGA extension card, I am grateful to see this patch 😀
Monkey Island 2 was also refusing to start on this machine: the ips patch allows it and it runs enough to be playable, which is fantastic!
I consequently tried to do the same for "Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis": it is working now, even if a bit slow, still manageable.
You can find it as an attachment (it has to be applied on the international release 1.0 of Fate of Atlantis, tested on the 5x1.44M installation disks).

Is there other games like that (checking 286 as min requirement, but running well if removed)?

Hi, @GreatStone,
I tried your patch for "Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis" floppy version 1.00 ("atlantis.exe" file from 1992.04.17, interpreter version 5.2.20) and it works fine on emulated 80186 CPU in DOSBox-X (probably NEC V20/V30 CPUs are fine too). But unfortunately this executable is incompatible with 8086/88 CPUs.

I also tried the CD-ROM version of the game (CD-ROM version 1.00, "atlantis.exe" file from 1993.05.05, interpreter version 5.5.00) and it's way better compared to the floppy version: it has digital speech, no CD-ROM checks and game protections by default and works on 80186 CPUs (probably NEC V20/V30 CPUs are fine too) without any patches. I patched CD-ROM version "atlantis.exe" to save/load gamesave-files in current install directory ("C:." instead of "C:\FATE") by default, but I can't make it to save scores-file "IQ_POINT" in current install directory instead of the drive root directory. Can someone help with this?

Thanks!

DOS fan :: artificial "intelligence" - not a fan... not a fan at all :: is freeware a lie, when human freedom is a fundamental lie?

Reply 26 of 26, by amstrad1640

User metadata
Rank Newbie
Rank
Newbie

Blake Stone need 286 CPU to run