Comments on: Epyx Fast Load cartridge https://dfarq.homeip.net/epyx-fast-load-cartridge/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=epyx-fast-load-cartridge David L. Farquhar on technology old and new, computer security, and more Thu, 15 Sep 2022 18:24:08 +0000 hourly 1 By: Rob O'Hara https://dfarq.homeip.net/epyx-fast-load-cartridge/#comment-43926 Fri, 12 May 2017 22:42:29 +0000 https://dfarq.homeip.net/?p=12700#comment-43926 Fast load cartridges were a requirement as far as most people were concerned back then. Not only did they speed up load times, but they also had shortcuts that made day-to-day operations so much simpler. All the fast load cartridges added single character replacements for getting directories, loading files, and loading the first file on a disk, but they all also included menus with ways to format disks and do other simple file management tasks. I used my Fast Load for so long that I couldn’t even tell you how to format a C64 diskette from the command line anymore. 😉

In the early days, I had both a Fast Load cartridge and an Isepic cart (for dumping games). The later ones you mentioned (Super Snapshot, Final Cartridge, and Action Replay) combined the functions of both. I had all oft those (and got the Cinemaware one a few years ago) but unless I was dumping a game, I stuck with Epyx’s Fast Load. It may not have been as fast as some of the later offerings but it seemed to be the most compatible. The Super Snapshot and Final Cartridge often locked up commercial games, while Epyx’s cartridge didn’t. My 30-year-old memories could be hazy on that.

When the 1541 Ultimate was released it only supported a handful of cartridges, and I personally put in a request to get Epyx’s Fast Load cartridge added as a built in choice. Several people questioned why I wanted it as the Epyx cart doesn’t have all the fancy features of some of the later ones, but it worked, and it’s what I grew up with.

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