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<p>The <b>Epyx Fast Load</b> is a <a href="Floppy_disk" title="Floppy disk">floppy disk</a> <a href="Fast_loader" title="Fast loader">fast loader</a> <a href="ROM_cartridge" title="ROM cartridge">cartridge</a> made by American software company <a href="Epyx" title="Epyx">Epyx</a> in 1984 for the <a href="Commodore_64" title="Commodore 64">Commodore 64</a> <a href="Home_computer" title="Home computer">home computer</a>. It was programmed by Epyx employee Scott Nelson, who was originally a programmer for <a href="Starpath" title="Starpath">Starpath</a><sup id="cite_ref-starpath_1-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-starpath-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> and later designed the Epyx Vorpal fastloading system for the company's games.

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<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Description">Description</h2></div>

<p>Epyx Fast Load allows programs to load from the <a href="Commodore_1541" title="Commodore 1541">Commodore 1541</a> disk drive at 2,500 <a href="Bytes_per_second" class="mw-redirect" title="Bytes per second">bytes per second</a>, approximately five times faster than the normal speed.<sup id="cite_ref-ieee85_2-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-ieee85-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Since it is stored on a <a href="ROM_cartridge#Software" title="ROM cartridge">cartridge</a>, and thus provides instant access without requiring any hardware modification of the C64 or the disk drive, the Fast Load quickly became a very popular <a href="Peripheral" title="Peripheral">peripheral</a> among C64 users.

</p><p>In addition to disk acceleration, the cartridge also provides a built-in version of the Commodore <a href="DOS_Wedge" title="DOS Wedge">DOS Wedge</a>. This dramatically reduces the number of keystrokes needed to load or save files or perform disk operations, and makes the cartridge even more convenient.

</p><p>Epyx Fast Load incorporates a <a href="Machine_language_monitor" class="mw-redirect" title="Machine language monitor">machine language monitor</a>. Although it does not include an <a href="Assembly_language#Assembler" title="Assembly language">assembler</a>, as most "standard" C64 ML monitors do, it includes a wide array of powerful debugging tools. These include <a href="Disassembler" title="Disassembler">disassembly</a>, single-stepping, and an automatic machine code <a href="Relocation_(computer_science)" class="mw-redirect" title="Relocation (computer science)">relocator</a>.

</p><p>A crude <a href="Disk_editor" title="Disk editor">disk editor</a> is also included with the cartridge, which displays raw data from floppy disks in classical <a href="Hex_editor" title="Hex editor">hex</a>+<a href="PETSCII" title="PETSCII">ASCII</a> <a href="Split_screen_(computer_graphics)" class="mw-redirect" title="Split screen (computer graphics)">split screen</a> mode. Among other things, the disk editor can be used to enter <a href="Cheat_code" class="mw-redirect" title="Cheat code">cheat codes</a> and do the home computer equivalent of <a href="ROM_hacking" title="ROM hacking">ROM hacking</a>.

</p><p>In the unusual case of software that doesn't work with the Fast Load, the cartridge can be disabled via a menu command, thus avoiding the need to physically remove and reinsert it.

</p><p>While the original 1984 version of the Fast Load will not work with the SD2IEC floppy drive <a href="Emulator" title="Emulator">emulation</a> system,<sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> newer variants of the cartridge do support it.

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<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Reception">Reception</h2></div>

<p>In a review of three Commodore 64 fast loaders, <i><a href="Ahoy!" title="Ahoy!">Ahoy!</a></i> wrote that <i>Fast Load</i> "is surprisingly transparent to all the forms of commercial <a href="Copy_protection" title="Copy protection">copy protection</a> we have looked at ... In terms of greatest convenience and speed, we place our bets on" it.<sup id="cite_ref-kevelson198505_4-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-kevelson198505-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup>

</p><p><i><a href="Commodore_Microcomputers" class="mw-redirect" title="Commodore Microcomputers">Commodore Microcomputers</a></i> found that <i>Fast Load</i> did not speed up all software but was very effective when it did. The magazine recommended buying the cartridge for the DOS Wedge and fast copying, with fastloading as a bonus.<sup id="cite_ref-bobo19850708_5-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-bobo19850708-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> A review of five fast loaders in the magazine found that "<i>Fast Load</i> performed well during testing" and approved of its ease of use and documentation. However, the table included in the article showed that the cartridge only significantly sped up loading times for four of nine applications and games, not benefiting the others.<sup id="cite_ref-benford198509_6-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-benford198509-6"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>6<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup>

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<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2></div>

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<li id="cite_note-starpath-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-starpath_1-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://thedoteaters.com/?bitstory=epyx">The Dot Eaters - Epyx | The Dot Eaters</a>, <i>Scott Nelson, one of the former Starpath programmers, had created a decathlon game for the Supercharger called Sweat!, but when the company merges with Epyx the project is shelved.</i></span>

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</style><cite id="CITEREFPerryWallich1985" class="citation journal cs1">Perry, Tekla S.; Wallich, Paul (March 1985). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120513181613/http://spectrum.ieee.org/ns/pdfs/commodore64_mar1985.pdf">"Design case history: the Commodore 64"</a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span>. <i>IEEE Spectrum</i>. <b>22</b> (3): <span class="nowrap">48–</span>58. <a href="Doi_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Doi (identifier)">doi</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.1109%2FMSPEC.1985.6370590">10.1109/MSPEC.1985.6370590</a>. <a href="ISSN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISSN (identifier)">ISSN</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0018-9235">0018-9235</a>. <a href="S2CID_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="S2CID (identifier)">S2CID</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:11900865">11900865</a>. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/ns/pdfs/commodore64_mar1985.pdf">the original</a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span> on May 13, 2012<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2011-11-12</span></span>.</cite></span>

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<li id="cite_note-3"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-3">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><cite id="CITEREFMurray2017" class="citation web cs1">Murray, Mike (26 July 2017). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.thegeekpub.com/9473/sd2iec-manual-use-sd2iec-c64/">"SD2IEC Manual (How to use the SD2IEC on the C64)"</a>. <i>The Geek Pub</i><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">16 August</span> 2018</span>.</cite></span>

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<li id="cite_note-kevelson198505-4"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-kevelson198505_4-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><cite id="CITEREFKevelson,_Morton1985" class="citation news cs1">Kevelson, Morton (May 1985). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/stream/ahoy-magazine-17/Ahoy_17_May_1985#page/n31/mode/2up">"Disk Spinners, Part II"</a>. <i>Ahoy!</i>. pp. <span class="nowrap">33–</span>38<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">16 October</span> 2013</span>.</cite></span>

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<li id="cite_note-bobo19850708-5"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-bobo19850708_5-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><cite id="CITEREFBobo1985" class="citation magazine cs1">Bobo, Ervin (July–August 1985). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/Commodore_MicroComputer_Issue_36_1985_Jul_Aug/page/n33/mode/1up?view=theater">"Fast Load"</a>. <i>Comodore Microcomputers</i>. Contemporary Marketing Inc. p. 32<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2024-09-28</span></span>.</cite></span>

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<li id="cite_note-benford198509-6"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-benford198509_6-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><cite id="CITEREFBenford1985" class="citation magazine cs1">Benford, Tom (September–October 1985). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/stream/Commodore_MicroComputer_Issue_37_1985_Sep_Oct#page/n27/mode/2up">"The Fast-Loader Grand Prix"</a>. <i>Commodore Microcomputers</i>. pp. <span class="nowrap">26–</span>28.</cite></span>

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<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="External_links">External links</h2></div>

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<div class="side-box-text plainlist">Wikimedia Commons has media related to <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Epyx_Fast_Load_Cartridge" class="extiw external" title="commons:Category:Epyx Fast Load Cartridge">Epyx Fast Load Cartridge</a></span>.</div></div>

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<ul><li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.devili.iki.fi/pub/Commodore/docs/Project64/hw/epxflc10.txt">Epyx Fast Load instruction manual</a> from Project64</li>

<li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/stream/run-magazine-56/Run_Issue_56_1988_Aug#page/n61/mode/2up">RUN MagazinIssue 56</a></li>

<li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_2PPYoY5OY">Exploring Epyx Fast Load for the Commodore 64</a></li></ul></div><div><div class="zim-footer">

This article is issued from <a class="external text" title="Last edited on 2025-02-25" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/?title=Epyx_Fast_Load&oldid=1277600151">Wikipedia</a>. The text is available under <a class="external text" href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en">Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0</a> unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.

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