My first impressions of the TI-99 computer...with questions!

[Crazy Climber]

Hello

So, it's been on my "list" for awhile to get one of these machines and about a month ago I finally scored a nice lot of stuff from a fellow AA member. We have been SO busy at work that I had not even had a chance to open the package, it just sat packed in my front hall waiting patiently for me to give it some time...the package contained a lot of stuff so I knew it would be a little overwhelming, had to wait for just the right moment.

 

Well, last night we had a power outage at the house so my wife and kids abandoned ship and went to Grandma's house. While waiting around to see if I will have to prepare for long term life without power (transfer food, get generator, etc) I decided to open the giant TI box and start to sort through what was what but just then the power flipped back on....TIME TO GAME!!!

 

TI Invaders -

This one seems to be pretty popular so I will not waste to much time talking about it. All I can say is yes, far better than I thought it would be. Flawless gameplay and really just a damn good Space Invaders clone with just enough differences to make it interesting From someone who has played more than enough Space Invaders to last a lifetime I still spent a good 30 minutes with this game and would have kept playing if not for the giant pile of carts I was itching to try out. This ones a keeper!

 

Burgertime -

This would have possibly been my favorite but the music really annoys me. It's not the Burgertime theme, I love that, it's the fact that it resets everytime you climb a stair case which really seems to ruin the flow of the game. Is this a system limitation thing or a problem with my unit? Or is this just how it is? It's a shame since if the music were to play continuously (like it does on other versions) this could have been my top pick! It plays nice and fast, has just the right amount of difficulty and sports excellent graphics....that music resetting is unforgivable though, I noticed it with other games too...is this a common occurrence?

 

The Atari ports -

These are not bad at all but since I own just about all of them on other platforms I was a pretty tough critic. Not bad by any means but nothing special to me and without sounding harsh I just wasn't very impressed. Back in the 80's they would have been fantastic but now I probably will not be spending much time with them and if they are at all desirable will likely sell/trade them off. Being a video game fan, collector, enthusiast for 30 years now I have really just been there and done that with these ones and unless something really grabs me I'm just not too interested in playing Centipede or Pac man AGAIN, lol. The game "protector" I was not familiar with though and that opening title screen music really jumped out at me! I sat and listened to it play all the way through then reset and listing again I don't really understand how to play the game yet though so will have to do a little research on it, this one "could" be a keeper if I like the game play...Lets just say I'm intrigued so far

 

Return to Pirates Isle -

Woah...now were talking! This game was a BLAST! I do not have much (if any really) experience with text adventure games. I played Kings quest a little back in the early 80's but that was more of a point and click style. Man, with Pirates Isle I had a great time rapping out commands and exploring the ship, items, etc.. I did notice when I got a little further along it felt like there was some information I should have already known to continue. Possibly a book was included with some back story or maybe this is a sequel in a series? I did notice it said "Adventure 14" in the beginning so I really have my fingers crossed there are 14 prior text adventures I can play through and maybe even some after 14? I don't know, I'll need to do a little research but I really liked this one! I did have another game in my pile just labeled "Adventure" so I popped it in hoping to find another goldmine...unfortunately it just asked me to load data from a disk (which I do not own) which brings me to my next question..

- Are there more text adventure games like this on cartridge or disk format?

- How hard is it to locate a disk drive and are they expensive?

- Is the disk drive pretty easy to operate/etc.. (keep in mind I have NO experience with these things, lol)

Anyways, due to it's uniqueness and just plain out fun this was a great game and I really felt like it challenged my mind as well, this one is a definite keeper!

 

Kids games -

I have a few kids cartridges, facemaker and some maze game come to mind. I gave them a quick play and this is something I have been dying to find honestly. Games that I can play with my six year old that are not too challenging but engaging enough for her to actually "want" to play. Most of my classic systems (atari, nes, sega, etc..) do not have games like this, I never even thought to think that vintage computers were often sold as learning tools and they will likely have an abundance of games like this. Any recommendations for games of this style would be great. As much as I would love to sit around and play Space Invaders with my kids it just doesn't hold there interest as well as "borderline" educational games do. I guess it's a good thing, don't get me wrong, it's just been quite a challenge to actually find games like this up to this point. I could see the TI-99 getting a LOT of play if I can get my kids to like it

 

Munchman - Another popular one so I will not waste too much time. I had fun with this, I wasn't blown away but it was different enough to keep me interested. I only played 5 or 6 levels and if I had a gripe it would be that the maze lay out does not seem to change at all. Unfortunately this could make some pretty stale gameplay as time goes on. Do they ever change it up or is it just the same maze? If so it's a shame as this game was pretty fun. I like the insane speed you get after you eat a "TI pill" lol

 

Miner 2049er -

This was a strange one. I tried to fit it in my cartridge port and it obviously did NOT fit, lol. I assumed it was for a different system but had TI-99 stamped right in view so it had to be right. The natural detective in me eventually figured out it fits in the expansion port...strange... Well, I fired it up and just got a garbled screen and loud beep tone. Tried a few times with the same results. Is there some trick to this game or do I need something else to make it work? Or do I just have a dirty (or dead) cartridge? I'm not really dying to play Miner or anything but just curious Please tell me it IS supposed to go in the expansion port and I didn't just fry my cartridge, lol.

 

There were more games, I have a pile of 30 or so and I did try each and every one but many of them were just "ok" and nothing I will probably spend too much time with. Car Wars comes to mind, reminds me of the arcade game Head on and atari 2600 game Dodge em. Not bad but nothing too interesting. I do have a game called "Tunnel of Doom" which I have a feeling will be spectacular...but it seems to require a disk format as well...something I need to look into again. Actually I had a few games that asked me to load data from another source Congo Bongo...sigh...why this mediocre game was released on so many platforms is a mystery to me, lol. I also have a Super Demon Attack game, while not really my favorite I did notice it was made by Imagic! Did not know it was a "sequel" to Demon attack at first which caught me by surprise but most importantly did not know IMAGIC made TI-99 games...oohhhh...did Fathom make the cut to be put on cartridge? I hope so, I like the majority of Imagics stuff so I'll have to see just what was released on this system. There were some other games I found "interesting" like Parsec, blasto, some picnic atari game and a few others I can't think of off hand but outside of a few plays I probably will not re visit them anytime soon.

 

Overall I'm very impressed with how much fun I had with my two hour TI session. Like I mentioned, I've been doing the video game thing for awhile and usually when I lack nostalgia with a system it is tough for me to really get into it. I do remember the era of time, I remember seeing TI-99's for sale and thinking they were cool, seeing magazine ads, etc.. but I just never played one. I can say that the TI-99 has earned a spot in my game room, an honor that is not given to every system...many have tried and failed! I don't think it will ever be my main system of interest or anything but I do see myself actually using it and having fun with it. I'm excited to play with it again

 

A few random questions...

I like my stuff to be organized, I noticed the TI carts do not stack very well. I spotted this little thing on Ebay...

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/252016398220?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

 

I think something like this would fit perfect, is $30 shipped a decent price or are these pretty common? I asked if he would sell it cheaper without the games but he mentioned he didn't even consider the games in the price, lol

 

I also spotted this cool little device

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NOS-NEW-TEXAS-INSTRUMENTS-TI-99-4A-CARTRIDGE-EXPANDER-NAVARONE-INDUSTRIES-/221524981205?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3393eaf5d5

 

Little pricey but would look oh so cool in the cave. Are these any good? High failure rates/etc?

 

I also breifly spoke with Omega (sorry, I don't know how to make the cool little symbol on a keyboard, lol) about Homebrews. He showed me a cool little 3 in 1 cart but it requires the expansion module. Is this the only homebrew sold on cart or was there others made that could be played on a "stock" system I don't think I will be dropping the coin for the expansion and it seems you can "mod" the TI-99 but I can just be honest with myself that I will never get around to it, lol

 

Well, thats enough rambling for now. Thanks guys! See you around

 

[+Lee Stewart]

Hello

So, it's been on my "list" for awhile to get one of these machines and about a month ago I finally scored a nice lot of stuff from a fellow AA member. We have been SO busy at work that I had not even had a chance to open the package, it just sat packed in my front hall waiting patiently for me to give it some time...the package contained a lot of stuff so I knew it would be a little overwhelming, had to wait for just the right moment.

 

Well, last night we had a power outage at the house so my wife and kids abandoned ship and went to Grandma's house. While waiting around to see if I will have to prepare for long term life without power (transfer food, get generator, etc) I decided to open the giant TI box and start to sort through what was what but just then the power flipped back on....TIME TO GAME!!!

 

Welcome aboard!

I also breifly spoke with Omega (sorry, I don't know how to make the cool little symbol on a keyboard, lol)

 

On a PC, hold down the ALT key while tapping out 234 on the number keypad: Ω

 

 

...lee

[Opry99er]

Welcome!!!

 

The Expansion box is large, heavy, and can be pricey... With it you can use the disk controller and drives, 32k memory expansion, etc...

 

Or, you can do a search for nanoPEB and CF7 on this forum and get a much smaller and cheaper alternative.

 

All the disks you need (or 99% of them) are right here and on the WHTech ftp site, uploaded for you to DL and transfer to your real gear or your nanoPEB.

 

TUNNELS of DOOM is epic in every way, shape and form.

 

Note also that you can load programs from tape... If you have a tape player. Adventure and ToD accept this format.

 

You have a very nice starter setup, sounds like...

 

Ask questions to receive answers. This community is awesome.

 

You were correct on the side port for the 2049er cart. You likely have dirty contacts.

[+Lee Stewart]

... Miner 2049er -

This was a strange one. I tried to fit it in my cartridge port and it obviously did NOT fit, lol. I assumed it was for a different system but had TI-99 stamped right in view so it had to be right. The natural detective in me eventually figured out it fits in the expansion port...strange... Well, I fired it up and just got a garbled screen and loud beep tone. Tried a few times with the same results. Is there some trick to this game or do I need something else to make it work? Or do I just have a dirty (or dead) cartridge? I'm not really dying to play Miner or anything but just curious Please tell me it IS supposed to go in the expansion port and I didn't just fry my cartridge, lol. ...

 

See Really Stupid Miner 2049er Question.

 

...lee

[AtariTexas]

So glad to read this...been thinking of picking up a TI-99.....

[Crazy Climber]

 

Welcome aboard!

 

On a PC, hold down the ALT key while tapping out 234 on the number keypad: Ω

 

 

...lee

 

Ω Ω

OMG! Awesome, I feel so tech savvy now

Thanks man!

Welcome!!!

 

The Expansion box is large, heavy, and can be pricey... With it you can use the disk controller and drives, 32k memory expansion, etc...

 

Or, you can do a search for nanoPEB and CF7 on this forum and get a much smaller and cheaper alternative.

 

All the disks you need (or 99% of them) are right here and on the WHTech ftp site, uploaded for you to DL and transfer to your real gear or your nanoPEB.

 

TUNNELS of DOOM is epic in every way, shape and form.

 

Note also that you can load programs from tape... If you have a tape player. Adventure and ToD accept this format.

 

You have a very nice starter setup, sounds like...

 

Ask questions to receive answers. This community is awesome.

 

You were correct on the side port for the 2049er cart. You likely have dirty contacts.

Ah, so you need the entire expansion port to hook up a disk drive at all it seems, yeah, probably will NOT get that into it

 

Now.. I DO have a tape player that was included in the lot! I don't suppose someone can sell tapes with Tunnel of Doom and Adventure on them? I know you said you can download/etc but I do not even own a computer (have to use my phone for internettin' most of the time)

 

I remember Ω mentioned the nanoPEB to me, what I very briefly read about it looked like a little modding/etc was required and well, like I said, I barely get time to actually play this stuff so modding is usually out of the question for me. Not that I can't do it but my "to do" list is just too long these days to take on more projects...I'll read the full description on it though and see if it's something I could realistically do

 

Thanks!

[Opry99er]

The nano-PEB is plug and play for the most part... Other than having to load up your CF cards from a PC. Quite simple and efficient, perfect for a minimalist system.

 

I have ToD games on tape... Im sure others on here do as well. You can get them on eBay pretty regularly.

 

 

 

Good luck and keep posting!!

[sparkdrummer]

Did you get the ti cassette cable as well as the recorder?

I can load up a cassette with tod games for you if you like. I can do Scott Adams adventures on the flip side if you have that module.

Ralph.

[Crazy Climber]

Did you get the ti cassette cable as well as the recorder?

I can load up a cassette with tod games for you if you like. I can do Scott Adams adventures on the flip side if you have that module.

Ralph.

That would be AWESOME!!

I'll check tonight after work. There were a few cables/etc that I didn't really recognize.

Thanks man!

[+save2600]

Welcome to the awesomeness that is the TI-99 home computer! Hope you and the kids stick with it as it's surely is a great bridge between edutainment AND learning how to program your very own games. TI BASIC and Extended BASIC especially are incredibly easy to get into and might even be compelling enough for your children to explore. There's lots of books out there with programs already to go, you just type them in! While the 32k memory expansion, disk drive or PEB isn't a "must" starting out, they're awfully nice to have once you really start getting into the TI. Like others mentioned, I'd get a cassette cable and some kind of recorder at the very least. Years ago, I put together a CD that has .wav files of all the Scott Adams Adventures on it, so can use a CD player to load games from too of course, just like the 2600's Supercharger.

 

Re: Munchman - same maze I'm afraid. Very good game though and of interest… there's a version floating around I discovered that instead of building a chain, has you eating dots like Pac-Man. Is on one of the 512k Game carts, which btw: I have the 512k Games ROMS 1-4 if you wanted to purchase or build your own 512k boards. You're welcome to them free and can include with our next trade we've got going.

 

Re: the cartridge port expander… never cared for these types of devices on any system. In the case of the TI, cartridges jut out vertically of course and inserting them into a connector is a little awkward as there's no real guide to help slide them into.

 

Oh and yeah, Tunnels of Doom is friggin' amazing - to_this_day - highly recommended!

[CyberTaco]

Welcome to the world of TI! Let's see what I can answer that hasn't already been answered:

Burgertime: The music shouldn't reset when you climb the stairs/ladder. Resets every time you step on a burger part, though. Take a listen to this gameplay footage I found:

Protector (Fun fact: it's actually Protector II, the labels are misprinted! There is no Protector I.) Sounds like you could use the manual, here it is: http://www.99er.net/files/docs/protectorII_manual.pdf

Return to Pirate's Isle: Yes, there are a bunch more text adventures like this one, but I should warn you, they have no graphics - text only. They're still good. :-) That Adventure cartridge you have would have originally come with a cassette or disk with a free adventure, Pirate Adventure (which automatically made it popular, since everyone had it and it was good), and 'Return' is the sequel to it, which was actually #2 of the original 13 adventure games from Scott Adams. (I personally never understood why it didn't come with #1, Adventureland, it was a little easier - good starting point.) Here's some good info and a list: http://www.videogamehouse.net/gamemain/cartsab/adventure/

 

Munchman: Wanna see something fun? On the title screen, BEFORE everything starts moving, hold shift and press 838. A few other games have this as well!

 

Super Demon Attack: It's not actually a sequel to Demon Attack, it's just the TI port of it. No idea why it was called 'Super'. Fun fact, once you get far enough, you can't beat the boss - the enemies with you ram you faster than you can shoot them down! Guess they never expected anyone to get that far, but I did several times when I was a kid. Frustrating. Fun game otherwise.

 

Imagic games: Fathom, you say? Wish granted! http://www.videogamehouse.net/fathom.html

 

That's all I can think of to mention, for now. :-)

[Crazy Climber]

Thanks!

I honestly haven't touched it since that night, but in my defense I haven't touched ANY of my games, just too busy...plan on messing around this weekend though.

 

For Burgertime I think if I run a loop of the Benny Hill chase scene through my smartphone while I'm playing I counteract how much I hate the music resetting (I always thought that music would fit well)

 

Now...to track down a Fathom! Seems to be a bit uncommon...

 

Oh, I did snap a pic of the suspected tape loader cables...I'll upload that soon and hopefully someone can verify it IS them

 

Thanks again everyone