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  1. Atari Systems

    1. Atari General

      A general discussion for Atari-related topics that aren't covered by a specific Atari console or computer forum.

      20.3k
      posts
    2. Atari 2600

      The Atari 2600 is the system that started it all for Atari, and is by far the most popular classic gaming console. This forum covers all 2600 systems produced by Atari, as well as 2600-compatible consoles produced by third-parties.

      707.4k
      posts
    3. Atari 5200

      The Atari 5200 was Atari's second cartridge-based game console. Based on the Atari 8-bit computer line and labeled the "SuperSystem", the 5200 was Atari's answer to growing competition in a market they were losing control over.

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      posts
    4. Atari 7800

      The Atari 7800 ProSystem is a contemporary of the Nintendo Entertainment System and the Sega Master System. Based on extensive feedback from Atari customers, the 7800 features a streamlined design, backward compatibility with the 2600, a powerful graphics processor, and simplified controllers.

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      posts
    5. Atari Lynx

      Lynx was Atari's first portable game system, and world's first color handheld. It was designed by Epyx and the engineers who created the Amiga. Ahead of its time, the Lynx sported a backlit color screen, stereo sound (in model 2) and an impressive range of games. Check out our rarity guide or explore many games listed on Atari Gamer.

       

      73.2k
      posts
    6. Atari Jaguar

      Atari's last game console, the Atari Jaguar represented a huge leap in technology from previous offerings. Featuring a 64-bit architecture, the Jaguar had great potential, but its power was difficult to tap. Even then, many great games were released and the Jaguar has an avid fan base today.

      218.6k
      posts
    7. Atari VCS

      Discussion forum for the new Atari VCS console.

      18.9k
      posts
    8. Dedicated Systems

      Before Atari produced the famous 2600, they created many standalone consoles such as Pong, Speedway, and Stunt Cycle. Recently, Atari has been creating new dedicated consoles, such as the Atari Flashback.

      35.9k
      posts
    9. Atari 8-Bit Computers

      Atari's original 8-bit computer line, featuring the Atari 400, 800, XL, and XE series of computers. Powerful and well-engineered, the Atari 8-bit computers are still popular with fans today!

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      posts
    10. Atari ST/TT/Falcon Computers

      Atari's next generation computer line, the Atari ST computers were based on the Motorola 68000 series chips, the same as the Macintosh at the time. The ST would also be followed by the TT and Falcon.

      65.9k
      posts
    11. Atari Portfolio

      The Atari Portfolio is a palmtop, IBM PC-compatible portable computer released by Atari in 1989, the world's first palmtop computer!

      556
      posts
  2. Classic Consoles

    1. Classic Console Discussion

      Discussion of classic gaming consoles outside the Atari realm.

      424.9k
      posts
    2. ColecoVision / Adam

      Coleco launched the ColecoVision in 1982, with the console quickly becoming popular due to its library of arcade ports. The ColecoVision has a large homebrew following today.

      132.4k
      posts
    3. Intellivision / Aquarius

      This forum is for discussion of the Mattel Intellivision, Atari's primary competitor against the 2600, as well as the Mattel Aquarius computer. Intellivision systems include the original Intellivision, Intellivision II, INTV III, and the Sears Super Video Arcade.

      279.9k
      posts
    4. Bally Arcade/Astrocade

      Discussion forum for the Bally Arcade/Astrocade console.

      3.7k
      posts
    5. Odyssey 2 / Videopac

      Discussion revolving around the Odyssey 2 / Videopac G7000/G7400

      7.7k
      posts
    6. Vectrex

      Discuss the world's only vector-based video game console here!

      12.2k
      posts
    7. Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) / Famicom

      Discuss Nintendo's first cartridge-based system, the NES, here!

      12k
      posts
    8. Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) / Super Famicom

      Discuss Nintendo's second cartridge based system here!

      6.5k
      posts
    9. Sega Genesis

      Sega's popular fourth-generation 16-bit system, would ultimately compete head-to-head with the Super Nintendo.

      14.7k
      posts
    10. 3DO Interactive Multiplayer

      Discussion forum for the 3DO console and the unreleased Panasonic M2

      3.6k
      posts
    11. Dreamcast

      Discussion for the SEGA Dreamcast console.

      1.2k
      posts
    12. SMS High Score Club

      Join the Sega Master System High Score Club today!

      2.4k
      posts
    13. TG-16/PC Engine High Score Club

      Compete for high scores on the TurboGrafx-16 and PC Engine!

      1.4k
      posts
  3. Classic Computing

    1. Classic Computing Discussion

      Use this forum to discuss the plethora of classic computers outside of Atari 8-bit offerings. These include the Apple II, Commodore 64/128, Amiga, TI 99/4a, MSX, TRS-80 and others.

      41.2k
      posts
    2. Apple II Computers

      Discussion for Apple's 8-bit computer line.

      14.1k
      posts
    3. 239k
      posts
    4. Commodore 8-bit Computers

      Discussion for Commodore PET, Vic-20, Commodore 64, Commodore 128, and other 8-bit Commodore systems.

      17.4k
      posts
    5. Commodore Amiga

      Discussion for Amiga Computers, CDTV, and CD32

      7.8k
      posts
    6. Tandy Computers

      Discussion for Tandy computers, including the TRS-80 Models I, II, III, and 4, Color Computers, and Model 100.

      7.9k
      posts
  4. Modern Consoles

    1. Modern Gaming Discussion

      This forum is for discussion of all modern game systems, including gaming on consoles and computers.

      232.5k
      posts
    2. Sony Playstation 5

      Discuss Sony's Playstation 5 console here!

      859
      posts
    3. Xbox Series S/X

      Discuss Microsoft's latest Xbox Series S and X consoles here!

      725
      posts
    4. Atari VCS (Redirect)   (8,750 visits to this link)

      Discussion forum for the new Atari VCS console.

    5. Nintendo Switch

      Discussion about Nintendo's latest game console and games.

      10.2k
      posts
    6. Microsoft Xbox One

      Discussion forum for the Xbox One.

      3.3k
      posts
    7. Sony PlayStation 4

      Talk about the Sony Playstation 4 here.

      3.4k
      posts
    8. Microsoft Xbox 360

      Discussion about the Microsoft Xbox 360 (not including the original Xbox).

      22.4k
      posts
    9. Sony Playstation 3

      Please discuss the Sony Playstation 3 and games here.

      13.4k
      posts
    10. Nintendo Wii / Wii U

      Discussion forum for the Nintendo Wii and Wii U consoles and games.

      27.5k
      posts
  5. Gaming General

    1. Gaming General Discussion

      Gaming discussion not covered by other specific gaming forums.

      3.1k
      posts
    2. Arcade and Pinball

      Many of us grew up pumping quarters into arcade games, and here's where you can discuss all your favorites. From Pong to Pinball to the latest arcade games, if it has a coin slot, then you're at the right place!

      45.9k
      posts
    3. Emulation

      Emulators allow you to experience classic games on modern PCs (and other devices!) Discuss the latest emulator developments and ask questions about emulation here!

      31.7k
      posts
    4. Hardware

      This forum is for discussion of hardware at a more technical level than you'll find in the other forums. If you have a hardware question you'd like to ask or have some interesting knowledge you'd like to share with others, post it here!

      33.3k
      posts
    5. Prototypes

      Ever wondered about all those games that were announced but never released? Or games that have been discovered over the years that no one even knew existed? Or have you discovered a new prototype that no one's seen yet? Here's the place to talk about prototype games, led by Tempest of AtariProtos.com.

      16.6k
      posts
    6. Gaming Publications and Websites

      This forum is for discussion of gaming related magazines, books, websites, and other publications.

      19.9k
      posts
    7. International

      Internacional - Internazionale - Internationaal - Internasjonal - This forum is for discussion of classic and modern gaming in languages other than English.

      4.6k
      posts
  6. Marketplace

    1. Buy, Sell, and Trade

      Please use this forum as a tool to buy, sell, and trade games and hardware.

      241.2k
      posts
    2. Auction Central

      Use this forum to discuss auctions on eBay. Have something up for auction you'd like to share? Post it here! You can also highlight amusing, off-the-wall, or interesting auctions that others may want to hear about!

      170.5k
      posts
    3. Wanted

      Use this forum to post a list of the gaming hardware and software you're looking for!

      51k
      posts
    4. Free Games and More

      Spreading the Love with Free Games and other items.

      2.5k
      posts
    5. User Feedback Forum

      Please use this forum to leave feedback about other users on AtariAge that you've had good and/or bad experiences with. Please read the sticky at the top of this forum before posting!

      14.4k
      posts
  7. Community

    1. Events

      Use this forum to discuss gaming events of all types, including expos revolving around classic gaming, events catering to modern systems, arcade expos, and local gatherings of collectors getting together or a day of gaming.

      23.5k
      posts
    2. Show Us Your Collection!

      If you're a repeat visitor to AtariAge, it's likely you also collect classic games and systems. Here's your chance to show off to the rest of the community your collection!

      16.4k
      posts
    3. Member Blogs

      As members update their Blogs, messages will be posted in this forum so you can more easily keep tabs on who's writing what!

      11.9k
      posts
    4. 2.4k
      posts
    5. 6.7k
      posts
    6. Contests

      These forums are for discussing and participating in contests started by AtariAge, contests run by forum members, and of course, the weekly High Score Contests!

      15.3k
      posts
    7. User Groups

      This forum and its subforums are for classic gaming and computing user groups. Find people in your area who share your love of this hobby!

      2.7k
      posts
    8. AtariAge News Discussion

      Discuss news posted on the front page of AtariAge!

      • No posts here yet
    9. User Submitted News

      Please submit classic gaming news here!

      124
      posts
  8. Game Programming

    1. Homebrew Discussion

      Here you can talk about homebrew games that don't have their own forums allocated (which will be most of them). Have an idea for a game that you'd like to see someone program? Are you programming a game and want some feedback? Discuss it here!

      53.7k
      posts
    2. Programming

      The programming forums are technical discussions of programming various classic gaming consoles. The more popular consoles have their own dedicated programing forums, so please only use this forum for topics that fall outside of those forums.

      7k
      posts
    3. Hacks

      A hack is an existing game that has somehow been modifed in terms of graphics, colors, sounds, and/or gameplay. If you've modified a game and would like to share it with others, or have an idea for a modification you'd like to see done to an existing game, you can discuss it here.

      23.8k
      posts
  9. Site

    1. Announcements

      Important site or forum-related announcements will be posted here. If you see a new announcement, please stop by to read it!

      6.5k
      posts
    2. Forum Questions and Answers

      Have a question about how to use the forum?  Ask here and others can answer (including admins and mods!)  

      683
      posts
    3. AtariAge Store Discussion

      We'll post announcements about the AtariAge Store here, and you can also post your questions and comments about the store in this forum as well.

      350
      posts
    4. Site and Forum Feedback

      Do you have suggestions for how AtariAge can be improved? Please post them here, as well as criticisms, and kudos about the web site!

      17.5k
      posts
    5. Rarity Guide

      The AtariAge Rarity Guide is a living, breathing document! If you have feedback regarding rarity guide values and the database in general, please discuss it here!

      8.2k
      posts
    6. Archived Forums

      Resting place for forums that have have run their course and are archived here for reference.

      547
      posts
  • Recent Status Updates

  • Recent Posts

    • Nova Blast, actually.   
    • It's a technical quick of the graphics chip, and the reason for it has to do with the "207 code": In the sprite attribute table, when the VDP encounters the value "207" as the "y" value, it interprets this as "end of sprite list", and it will ignore the rest of the data in the sprite attribute table.   So for example, let's say you have only two sprites to display on the screen, you place the 207 value in the "y" value of the third sprite, and only those two sprites will be displayed.   For this to work properly, the "y" value has to be the first byte of each sprite in the table, so that's why "y" comes before "x". It makes life simpler for the VDP.  
    • LOL. Just tried this and it didn't work as expected, so I looked it up: Couid we just have a global flag to turn this off entirely? I don't think it's reasonable to have to edit every line containing DEW and similar just to silence a warning that older versions of the assembler never produced in the first place.
    • interesting! I have the original package and always been curious to know more about it
    • @astroguy suggested using a Pico W, would this (or an comparable better device) provide a solution? I understand enabling WiFi causes him problems, could the use of dip switches be an alternative in order to achieve rom selection on the 2600+? 
    • Worry not, i'm sure it's possible   Though, what is your concern about the 2600+? I don't really know my Atari stuff, nor do i know the 2600+, but if normal games work there, why wouldn't a homebrew that displays text?   Ram on pico is not an issue, you can have it load from flash directly if you really need it. Checkout this project doing exactly that for a gameboy flashcart (https://github.com/shilga/rp2040-gameboy-cartridge-firmware).   Though to be fair, i'm personally not really interested in the 7800 and was planning to server the games from ram for convenience, as i also wanted to support cartridges with external ram.   Maybe if you *really* want 7800 support, i could try coding the flashcart such that roms are loaded from flash. But even if i do that someone would need to pick up the project and adjust it for the 7800 as i have no intention to do so (because i don't have the hardware and also don't really care personally).   First i will work on serving the data from ram though and try fixing the "slow boot" problem. Once that's done we'll see what's up next.   For the slow boot i have 2 ideas. The first ist to race the atari, by writing some pico assembly code which sets up GPIO super early in the boot to hold the atari CPU in a busyloop (something similar to `b .`) by emiiting one magic opcode. Then when the pico fully booted, release that busyloop and run the software. My other idea is to catch the atari from an undefined state assuming the CPU doesn't halt itself meanwhile. The assumption is that the CPU keeps executing random garbadge, so at some point it will fetch an instruction from ROM. If that happens i just server a $00 (BRK) opcode, which causes the CPU to read a ptr fom 0xFFFE and jump there. From there the menu (which needs to be coded at some point anyways) needs to clean up whatever mess the undefined execution of the CPU did until then, bring the system in a clean state and show the list of roms.   Basically keep writing $00 (BRK) on the bus untill you detect that this was an instruction fetch which the CPU executed (because the next addr on the bus if 0x1FE and 0x1FF). Then once we confirmed we actually caught the CPU, emit another $00 (BRK), but now serve the real entrypoint of the rom that we load (later this should be the rom selection menu software).   What are your thoughts on these approaches? Anything i need to know as a non-Atari guy?   Worst case if i can't fix this in software maybe we can add a capacitor to the cart so that we boot the atari, charge the capacitor, then power cycle the atari with the pico still booted.
    • All three are fantastic, but the second was the highlight for me. Have fun!   P.S. Shouldn't you be starting with Crystals of Arborea -you haven't reallly got the full set there tut tut
    • Thanks, it looks much cooler in person actually and the way it feels in your hand is almost fidget toy like. LOL   I wonder if it would survive a cycle in the washing machine? 
    • Today's arrivals. Two early carts, one CIB, both NTSC. I like to put my boxes in these clear cases, not only do they protect them I think they look better too.     As you know, I have already RTFM for Slot Machine, and I now have an original one for Bowling too. 
    • I did. 4 rows of 8 ICS. So its definitely the 4MB version. If Bank 1 is not working could it be the address decoder chip? Or if one Ram IC is bad would it short the entire 2MB in bank 1? Could it be the ceramic caps on each ram IC? Apart from the IC being warm what's the best way to test for a failed IC?
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