MIDIMaze

MIDI Maze on the #Fujinet

The #FujiNet is also able to simulate a MIDIMate device, for the purpose of playing multiplayer games of "MIDI Maze".

MIDIMate backstory

MIDIMate, produced by Hybrid-Arts, and first released in 1985, was one of a number of Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) devices created for the Atari 8-bit. MIDI itself is a technical standard that describes a communications protocol, digital interface, and electrical connectors that connect a wide variety of electronic musical instruments, computers, and related audio devices for playing, editing and recording music. (See Wikipedia's entry on MIDI)

Today (2020s) there are a few MIDIMate compatible devices out there, but we won't discuss it here in detail, since the focus of this page is how #FujiNet emulates a MIDIMate, for the purpose of playing multiplayer games, like "MIDI Maze"...

MIDI Maze backstory

"MIDI Maze" was a well-known 3D first-person shooter deathmatch game for the Atari ST, developed by Xanth Software F/X and released in 1987 by Hybrid Arts. Ports of this game were released, as "Faceball 2000", for a variety of platforms in the early 1990s, including Game Boy, Super Nintendo, and Game Gear. (See Wikipedia's entry on MIDI Maze)

The Atari ST version of the game supported up to 16 computers networked together via a "MIDI Ring", daisy-chaining MIDI ports, which were built into Atari ST computers.

Atari 8-bit port

An Atari 8-bit port of the game, for use with the MIDIMate, was also created by Xanth in 1989, to be published by Atari Corp., but was not released. A prototype was eventually released. You can learn more at AtariMania's entry for MIDI-Maze, and Michael St. Pierre ('mytek')'s extensive "MIDI - Music and MultiPlayer Gaming on your Atari" page.

Along with MIDIMate support, the 8-bit version also offers single-player ("Solo") play, and two-player play via modem, with support for XM301 and SX212 modems, or use of an Atari 850 interface (R: device).

Playing MIDI Maze on your Atari with #FujiNet

"MIDI Maze" was to come on a cartridge, so you will either need a cartridge version of it -- Bits of the Past sells a cartridge PCB with MIDI Maze -- or a cartridge that can be flashed, or has removable (SD or CF) storage, like a AtariMax MaxFlash cart, The Ultimate SD Cart, a SIDE2 or SIDE3, etc.

Requirements

It requires an Atari with at least 64KB of RAM (so all XL and XE models, including the XEGS, except an unmodified 600XL). A joystick is required to play the game. The keyboard can be used to chat with other players.

Boot into MIDI Maze, with #FujiNet Off

When you boot your Atari with the cartridge, it will attempt to boot off of a floppy disk, if one is available. This is to allow use of a disk containing a suitable R: device handler, if you need one. Since the #FujiNet will respond to D1: requests, and boot your Atari into the it's CONFIG tool, you'll actually want to disable the #FujiNet while you power on your Atari with the MIDI Maze cartridge installed.

So flip the #FujiNet's power switch to "OFF", then turn your Atari on.

Once booted into MIDI Maze (it takes only a moment), you will see the main menu. ("MIDI🙂MAZE", "Kill Put on a Happy Face!")

WORK IN PROGRESS