Figmatic Posted November 12, 2015 Share Posted November 12, 2015 (edited) i can't seem to load my images of this on the forum so i'm providing a Nintendoage link where i also posted this item http://nintendoage.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=29&threadid=155065 (you will have to copy and paste this link for it to work i believe) Thanks muchly on any info anyone can provide Edited November 12, 2015 by Figmatic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rom Hunter Posted November 12, 2015 Share Posted November 12, 2015 Don't see any pics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Figmatic Posted November 13, 2015 Author Share Posted November 13, 2015 oky here's an imgur link with pics it should work! https://imgur.com/a/wqoE6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alex_79 Posted November 13, 2015 Share Posted November 13, 2015 (edited) Very interesting! I attach here your pictures resized (the zipfile in your link is almost 5Mb, maybe they were too big to be uploaded directly in the forum) It seems to be aspecial version of the Video Game Brain (http://www.8-bitcentral.com/blog/2014/gameBrain.html). Never seen before. Is it working? Could you take a screenshot of the game?. If it can be opened without damaging any label would be interesting to see pictures of the board inside. Thanks for sharing! Edited November 13, 2015 by alex_79 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rom Hunter Posted November 13, 2015 Share Posted November 13, 2015 (edited) This is interesting indeed. Never seen this version of the Video Game Brain before. Made a note of this in our database. Thanks for sharing! Edited November 13, 2015 by Rom Hunter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Figmatic Posted November 13, 2015 Author Share Posted November 13, 2015 (edited) i will upload what i can about the board inside and a pic of it running (i have tested it and can confirm it works) as soon as i can! PS thanks for uploading the pics better i'm not very tech savvy cheers Edited November 13, 2015 by Figmatic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alex_79 Posted November 15, 2015 Share Posted November 15, 2015 I found this old thread about another unit like yours which was on ebay some years ago:http://atariage.com/forums/topic/123773-rare-2600-game-selector/In the last post there's a picture from that auction. Unfortunately it's very small, but you can see the box in it: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iesposta Posted November 15, 2015 Share Posted November 15, 2015 There was a warning from Batari about the Video Game Brain and the way it gives power to all the carts and possible damage to the Atari. He even has a mod to rewrite it for proper safe operation. I followed the mod, but now the carts farther away from the first slot seem to fail more (as in failing to play, the carts are undamaged). My questions about the capacitors, or kind of wire used, or suggestions of what I did wrong were never answered. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wickeycolumbus Posted November 16, 2015 Share Posted November 16, 2015 Cool, looking forward to see the pictures Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Figmatic Posted November 17, 2015 Author Share Posted November 17, 2015 http://imgur.com/a/nykRRhere's another imgur link with shots of cat trax working and the board inside the unit i tried to take good enough pics, kinda didnt want tot take it apart any more then i did 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 The real question is: Is there any difference between this version of Cat Trax and the prototype version? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Figmatic Posted November 17, 2015 Author Share Posted November 17, 2015 good question, i would love to able to know what to look for actually Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigO Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 There was a warning from Batari about the Video Game Brain and the way it gives power to all the carts and possible damage to the Atari. He even has a mod to rewrite it for proper safe operation. I followed the mod, but now the carts farther away from the first slot seem to fail more (as in failing to play, the carts are undamaged). My questions about the capacitors, or kind of wire used, or suggestions of what I did wrong were never answered. Based on my limited experience with batari, not answering most likely means he was unaware of your question. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wickeycolumbus Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 (edited) Interesting, looks like a Mask ROM to me. Edit: actually it looks like it may be an EPROM with a discrete transistor inverter hacked into the footprint for the IC inverter. Edited November 17, 2015 by Wickeycolumbus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iesposta Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 Based on my limited experience with batari, not answering most likely means he was unaware of your question.Probably. I won't bug him about a small issue like this. And nobody else either did this mod, or did it and had no problems. Plus I need to try different wire, even if all the continuity checks out the type of wire and solder joints might be poor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iesposta Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 Interesting, looks like a Mask ROM to me. Edit: actually it looks like it may be an EPROM with a discrete transistor inverter hacked into the footprint for the IC inverter. Cool! I didn't realize it had a game built-in! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Figmatic Posted November 17, 2015 Author Share Posted November 17, 2015 they don't generally but this has Cat Trax on it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+save2600 Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 Cool! I didn't realize it had a game built-in! No kidding! Was wondering why in the heck it points to the game in an empty slot. As if in an alternate universe, Cat Trax was released and you were expected to place the cart in standby there. So… can almost say that Cat Trax WAS indeed released BITD! But what an incredibly strange way to market it. Including it in such a strange and unpopular device. Were probably thinking it would help sell the damned thing. I was given a Video Game Brain for Christmas one year BITD, but it most certainly did not include that game! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Figmatic Posted November 17, 2015 Author Share Posted November 17, 2015 (edited) ya finding info on this particular unit does seem very very limited also :\ Edited November 17, 2015 by Figmatic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+save2600 Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 ya finding info on this particular unit does seem very very limited also :\ You selling it here or what's the story morning glory? If selling here, I'll offer 'ya ten oil changes at your nearest F&F Tire… that's a $300+ value! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Figmatic Posted November 17, 2015 Author Share Posted November 17, 2015 i mean i would consider selling for the right price but mostly interested on info about the hardware its rarity and possible value. I will have to respectively decline your offer even though it was very generous @save2600 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alex_79 Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 here's another imgur link with shots of cat trax working and the board inside the unit Thank you for the pictures! Interesting, looks like a Mask ROM to me. Edit: actually it looks like it may be an EPROM with a discrete transistor inverter hacked into the footprint for the IC inverter. The inverter is an IC (you can see that all the pins are there), but they saved on solder and just connected GND, VCC and the only used gate! The rom probably is a 2532 eprom by looking at the traces from the nearest cart port and because the inverter output goes to pin 20 (which is /CE on a 2532). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wickeycolumbus Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 Thank you for the pictures! The inverter is an IC (you can see that all the pins are there), but they saved on solder and just connected GND, VCC and the only used gate! The rom probably is a 2532 eprom by looking at the traces from the nearest cart port and because the inverter output goes to pin 20 (which is /CE on a 2532). vgb+cattrax.jpg Wow, what a bunch of cheap wads! I saw the missing solder and assumed the IC was not present. I wonder how many units it takes to save a penny !? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigO Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 (edited) Wow, what a bunch of cheap wads! I saw the missing solder and assumed the IC was not present. I wonder how many units it takes to save a penny !? To skip those that specifically, I'd guess they were hand soldered. If so, it wouldn't take long to recover the cost of doing nothing. Edited November 18, 2015 by BigO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supergun Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 This is interesting indeed. Never seen this version of the Video Game Brain before. Made a note of this in our database. Thanks for sharing! Rom, you accidentally wrote Cat "Rax" rather then "Trax" in your text. A question if I may? The CIB Cat Trax game shown in your pictures on that page has me confused. You have it marked as NTSC and with an R10 grail. So was it actually an officially released 2600 game? And if so, where? (USA, Canada, South America, Europe,)? Either way, regardless of the above, if this variation of the video game brain / videoplexer was intended for and available for purchase to USA consumers, and it did indeed come with Cat Trax built in on slot 7, then this is quite significant. At the very least, revisiting a discussion or debate about the games official status is now on the table again. Similar examples that come to my mind would be Colecovision Meteoric Shower & Sega Master System Snail Game. This could throw a massive monkey wrench into my list, that's for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Like us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
AtariAge on Instagram
Watch us on YouTube
Chat on Discord
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.