SemaTor 1.1.329 - Fixing the build that took forever

Hotfix (hopefully) for missing CRT bezel settings and lack of dithering via the CRT itself.

1.1.328 - The build that took forever

SemaTor — changes since public 1.1.230 (through 1.1.328)

Windows x64 and Linux x86-64 desktop preview. Normal optical-flow modes remain available. No new Android or macOS binary is included.

Public downloads: expanded artwork is omitted. Both platform ZIPs and signed .supdate files are provided; existing artwork and user data are preserved.

Compatibility remains game- and disk-edition-specific. Bounded test runs are not full-game certification; some tested titles still have graphics or loader problems.

1.1.328

Install this release from the full platform ZIP once: it adds a new artwork file that older updaters will not accept.

Install note: this release adds the controller artwork, which updaters from 1.1.327 and earlier refuse. Install the full platform ZIP once; your settings, saves and games are preserved.

The F12 Controls page now shows a live picture of your controller. Buttons glow as you press them, the D-pad glows in the direction you push, the sticks lean the way you move them, and every control is labelled with what it does in the game you are playing. It fills the window instead of sitting in a corner.

F11 and F12 are grouped and quieter: sections are separated, only the row you are on is highlighted, and the Picture page no longer repeats the list of sections already shown beside it.

The Mega lo Mania command centre no longer offers INSIDE BEZEL, which covered the game's own screen. A saved setting that used it opens as the side panel.

Fixed the SemaTor badge on the CRT bezel drawing as diagonal streaks under OpenGL.

Fixed the DISK LOADING option being hidden unless a game profile was loaded.

The website's game guides use the new controller artwork, with each control seated on the picture by measurement, and are easier to read.

1.1.328

A live controller page: F12 > Controls > Controller layout draws your pad, lights up each control as you press it - including each D-pad direction and the sticks, which lean the way you push them - and labels every control with what it does in the game you are playing.

Optional fast disk loading, off by default: F12 > Speed & loading > DISK LOADING. It shortens only the drive's waiting, keeps the real data rate, leaves timing-sensitive commands alone and switches itself back off if a game starts re-reading. Measured: Speedball 2 spent 106.5 seconds waiting on the drive, now 0.4.

Switchblade II now loads: a disk whose last track image is a few bytes shorter than declared is no longer refused.

Fixed the SemaTor badge on the CRT bezel drawing as diagonal streaks under OpenGL.

Menus: clearer names throughout, one duplicate brightness entry removed, the Picture & CRT page reordered so the picture mode comes first and no longer repeating its own section list, and a live example on the scanlines, blur and glow page. The Mega lo Mania command centre no longer offers INSIDE BEZEL, which covered the game's own screen; saved settings open as the side panel.

Correction: a package built after 1.1.326 was released briefly carried the 1.1.326 version number as well. Everything it added is in this release; no 1.1.326 download is changed by it.

1.1.326

Frame generation in Turrican II, Return to Genesis, Zak McKracken and Time Bandit widescreen now keeps producing in-between frames when the game and display timing drift slightly apart; previously it could fall back to the game's own frame rate. Fire and Ice native motion uses the same improved pacing. Widescreen gameplay now receives the same CRT shader filtering as 4:3, instead of looking sharp in play and blended in the menu. Returning to the library from a game now opens the same tab and game you launched, without replaying the intro; the next start also opens there.

Correction: earlier frame-generation timing tests assumed exactly matched game and display clocks.

1.1.325

Fixed Fire and Ice native motion falling back to stepping at the original frame rate after a few seconds of smooth motion. The presentation clock now paces each source frame pair to the measured arrival of the next, so small timing differences between the game and the display no longer push it out of step. With native motion on, the session log records how much time was interpolated. Correction: the 1.1.324 clock validation did not cover timing drift or the game's irregular frame cadence.

1.1.324

Changed Fire and Ice native motion to a 50 Hz presentation clock instead of four fixed steps per source frame. Slower supported source frames receive additional samples, repeated display refreshes reuse the existing sample, and playback speed is respected. Original physics and input timing remain unchanged. Corrected the native-motion FPS label.

1.1.323

Fixed Fire and Ice widescreen bounds for shorter and narrower maps, including partial tile rows. Prevented stale motion frames across level loads and corrected late terrain updates appearing one frame early. Validated all 27 distinct map layouts across 4:3, 16:9 and 21:9 with edge and full-map rendering sweeps. Original gameplay and enemy activation rules remain.

1.1.322

Added experimental Fire and Ice 16:9/21:9 world rendering and native motion interpolation. Intermediate views redraw terrain and actors while preserving original simulation timing and the HUD. Unsupported scenes fall back to the original view. Existing optical-flow modes remain available.

1.1.321

Fixed Dungeon Master held-item replacement artwork when picking up and moving inventory objects. Fixed two startup blockers in Fire and Ice; the supplied ICS two-disk edition now reaches playable gameplay. Added its edition profile, jump-button default and stable uncropped display. Fixed Bubble Bobble gameplay corruption by honoring its verified loader placement and preventing fixed-buffer overlap. Added a separate Dungeon Master artwork add-on, including inventory and held items. Public downloads omit expanded artwork; existing installed artwork is preserved. Update errors distinguish downloading from verification failures.

SemaTor 1.1.320 - Dither me Timbers

SemaTor changelog — 1.1.300 to 1.1.320

Windows x64 and Linux x86-64 desktop preview. Normal optical-flow modes remain available. No new Android or macOS binary is included.

Upgrading to 1.1.320: install the full platform ZIP once, preserving Games, Media and User. Older update helpers cannot accept the expanded artwork file list. The new helper supports the accompanying signed .supdate packages.

Compatibility remains game- and disk-edition-specific. Bounded test runs are not full-game certification; some tested titles still have graphics or loader problems.

1.1.320

Fixed Vulkan descriptor exhaustion during busy rendering and optical-flow frames. Improved protected-disk reading and library rescans; corrected Lombard Rally data-disk file lookup and Arkanoid II launcher selection. Added enhanced-edition checksums to the game guides. Dungeon Master now repeats the supplied dark stone background seamlessly, with softer torch lighting. Public packages include the latest artwork and expanded signed-update support.

1.1.319

Brighter Dungeon Master interface, corrected spell and party alignment, updated close-up mirror portraits, repaired items and HD cursors. Added warm torch lighting and party-formation dragging.

1.1.318

Restored complete desktop packages with Windows/Linux release and debug builds, debug launchers, tools, installers and an offline source/build kit.

1.1.317

Expanded Dungeon Master UI artwork, character portraits, inventory items and controls; repaired mouse-event delivery and interaction handling.

1.1.316

Fixed register preservation across guest VBL callbacks, helping games that rely on those callbacks. Expanded compatibility checks across varied disk editions.

1.1.315

Tightened public packaging and removed development metadata from public binaries.

1.1.314

Improved frame generation for small moving objects and after rewinding. Fixed graphics-copy and clipping issues.

1.1.313

Improved fine-detail preservation with optional graphics filters and their interaction with frame generation.

1.1.312

Corrected CPU bus accesses and floppy seek verification; added text queries and clipping fixes.

1.1.311

Added classic GEM resource loading, relocation, lookup and lifecycle handling, with malformed-file checks.

1.1.310

Expanded GEM bitmap conversion, graphics attributes, dialog layout and image drawing.

1.1.309

Expanded TOS and graphics services; improved drive access, MIDI, file handling and save-state validation.

1.1.308

Added independent drive B, optional procedural MIDI synthesis and per-game dither, gradient and edge controls.

1.1.307

Added live keyboard buffering, guest-timed key repeat and waiting console input; improved save-state handling.

1.1.306

Added loader execution modes, inherited environments and ST-RAM allocation support; improved console errors.

1.1.305

Corrected CPU error-handler information, protected-sector reads, disk swapping and sector-write handling.

1.1.304

Improved floppy timing and hardware/CPU compatibility; made unsupported services report failures consistently.

1.1.303

Improved library sorting/search, F11/F12 navigation, save naming and keyboard/controller focus.

1.1.302

Added clearer compatibility notices and prefilled game-report drafts; improved library empty states, disk-picker cancellation and screenshot saving.

1.1.301

Introduced the experimental Dungeon Master native party interface, packaged its artwork and fixed its Vulkan presentation. Corrected system calls, keyboard waits and stale palettes.

1.1.300

Starting point for this changelog; subsequent compatibility, interface and packaging changes are listed above.

SemaTor 1.1.230 - Mega Lo Mania + Zak oh my

SemaTor 1.1.230

Changes since 1.1.227, bringing together the 228–230 development builds.

Mega lo Mania gets a Command Centre

• New in-game companion panel with island information, player portraits, sector ownership, population, armies and tech levels. Keep it beside the game, include it inside an expanded bezel, or switch it off.
• Resource names and icons, local stockpiles, island totals, mining progress, research names and design costs make planning easier. Stockpiles remain local to each tower; an island total is a reference, not a shared pool.
• Difficulty presets and custom AI timing, starting-men options, reaction speed, personality controls and autopilot. Enemy details stay behind a spoiler toggle.
• Event and speech logs help you follow the action. Panel portraits and player colours have been corrected.
• Added support and startup fixes for the English Pompey Pirates edition, plus corrected mouse input for player selection and island setup.

Music, effects and speech together

• Mega lo Mania can play music, sound effects and voices simultaneously through separate players, with an individual volume and on/off control for each.
• Faster speech loading for supported original and Pompey editions, and fixes for speech interrupt timing that could cause broken or rapid playback.
• The supported original edition also offers clean/stereo title music and selected English interface text. Options vary by edition; Pompey skips that title sequence and already uses English voices. Stereo title music does not mean stereo gameplay audio.
• Fixed startup audio-clock handover and excessive audio-queue resets. Continuous sample-rate conversion improves playback at slow and accelerated game speeds, with a short buffer to absorb scheduling jitter. PAL ORIGINAL gives normal timing and pitch; turbo still speeds up the sound.

Zak McKracken feels better to control

• A responsive host-drawn pointer moves independently of the game's update rate.
• Widescreen scenery accepts mouse clicks, with native, 16:9 and 21:9 views available.
• Fixed cursor drawing after screen-page changes and added a steady-cursor option.
• Per-game crop handling keeps Zak's picture stable without changing the global auto-crop setting.

A tidier Enhanced library

• Compilation menus no longer appear as unrelated enhanced games. Compilations explicitly linked to a supported title remain available as sources under that title.
• Improved compilation recognition and removal of stale profile hints from cached entries, including the reported Vectronix releases.

Desktop public builds are available for Windows x64 and Linux x86-64. Features depend on the game and disk edition; complete campaigns and every hardware configuration have not been tested. Keep your Games, Media and User folders when updating. No game disks or TOS ROM are included.

SemaTor 1.1.227 - Update icon fix Hotfix

Ok this one I didn't see because it was the first time I used the new auto updater (need a update to check for update)

It works within settings just not on the icon, this should be fixed now.

SemaTor 1.1.226 - HotFix + more

SemaTor 1.1.226

Changes since 1.1.225:

• Time Bandit widescreen stability: Fixed unwanted switching between native and widescreen views. Improved framing on small levels and around text/signs in both 16:9 and 21:9, without changing global auto-crop settings.
• Time Bandit 0.96: Fixed a level-selection crash that could also occur with enhancements disabled.
• Easier-to-find saves: New save states use game-named folders and readable game/slot filenames, with previews alongside them. Existing saves remain loadable, custom slot names are retained, and different editions stay separate.
• Website and documentation: Refreshed the README and website for 1.1.226, with updated feature descriptions, release information and matching download links.

v1.1.225

SemaTor 1.1.225 — Better controls, wider views and smoother disk handling

This update brings together the improvements since public release 1.1.222.

1.Time Bandit enhancements

Fixed loading issues with supported disk editions and added optional 16:9 and 21:9 gameplay views, with cameras kept inside the map boundaries. Versions 0.96, 2.0 and 2.1 also gain an optional Energy Shield, with a faster early-game pacing option for 2.0 and 2.1.

2. Game-specific controls

Improved control pages and gamepad defaults across 13 profiles covering 11 titles. Mouse-driven games now have gamepad pointer movement, left/right clicks and adjustable sensitivity. Existing custom mappings are preserved; restore the game’s defaults if you want to adopt the updated layout.

3. Zak McKracken fixes
   Fixed the missing cursor and unresponsive mouse clicks. Auto-crop is now disabled specifically for Zak to keep the picture stable when subtitles appear, without changing your global preference.

4. Easier disk changes
   Improved automatic switching between matching game disks. When manual selection is needed, an in-game disk picker shows likely candidates without sending you back to the full library. Some custom loaders still require manual selection.

5. Library polish
   The previous 90% library size is now the new 100% default. The update button also stays visible in the top bar, showing whether an update is available or you’re already running the latest version.

6. More natural floppy sounds
   Drive sounds now respond more closely to disk activity, with improved startup, spinning and seeking sounds, plus more varied loading passages. Repeated reads no longer hammer the same short recording. Drive sounds remain optional.

Available for Linux and Windows, with signed updates for existing installations. Windows still needs broader hardware testing; compatibility can vary by game edition.

SemaTor 1.1.222 — Public Preview

1.1.217 → 1.1.222

• Signed desktop updates: download and install future releases inside SemaTor, preserving games, saves, settings and artwork. New persistent Update available button in the library header.

• Better F11/F12 menus: prominent Resume, Library and Quit buttons, shoulder-button navigation, and fixed mouse-hover scroll resets.

• Visible game controls: check each game’s actual keyboard/gamepad mappings from the menus.

• Enhancements across recognised editions: includes untested editions with a clear warning; improved Enhanced filtering, including Arkanoid II.

• Library cleanup: Refresh library/F5, immediate removal of deleted folder sources, and filtering out ZIPs containing no supported disks.

• Optional ST Drive Sounds: disk activity sounds with an easy F12 Sound toggle.

• Game fixes: Time Bandit palette correction; Zak McKracken startup memory fix; Mega lo Mania credits-freeze fix, optional shorter intro and automatic matching-disk switching for the verified French original.

• macOS groundwork: initial shared-core source port and packaging scripts; no tested Mac release yet.

SemaTor 1.1.217 — First Public Preview

Welcome to the first public preview of SemaTor, an Atari ST translation layer for Linux and Windows.

Bring your own disk collection, explore the library, and try enhanced options for supported titles. No Atari TOS ROM is required.

What’s included
Desktop library with cover and list views, search, favourites and recently played games.
Game-folder and cover selection through a file browser.
Individual and bulk artwork fetching.
Gold ENHANCED badges for supported titles, with per-game options.
CRT presets, bezel effects and picture controls.
Optional frame generation, depending on your GPU and graphics backend.
Four manual save slots with previews, plus rewind and session features where supported.
F11 session controls and F12 settings.
Downloads and installation

Linux x86-64: Download and extract the Linux ZIP, then run sh install.sh from the extracted folder. Installation defaults to ~/Games/SemaTor. Python 3 and the SDL2 runtime are required.

Windows x64: Download and extract the Windows ZIP into a writable folder, then launch SemaTor.exe. Keep SDL2.dll beside it.

Keep your Games, Media and User folders when updating.

Preview status

Compatibility varies by game and disk edition. Linux has received hands-on testing; Windows has been built and checked automatically but needs broader testing on real machines.

CRT effects and frame generation can behave differently across GPUs and drivers. Android and AYN Thor builds are still in development and are not included in this release.

No commercial game disk images or Atari TOS ROM are supplied.

Feedback welcome

Please include your SemaTor version, operating system, GPU and driver, game/disk edition, relevant settings, and steps to reproduce any problem.

An optional local support report is available under F12 → Support & diagnostics. Please do not attach game disks or ROMs.

Join the Discord community · Report a bug or game compatibility issue · Website