Videlen Posted September 19, 2016 Share Posted September 19, 2016 I recently acquired an Atari 2600 cart from a friend that appears to be a prototype of the game Frostbite. I've only found one other image online of a similar cart, but with no other information besides the picture. This appears to be a different cart because the circles around the R and C are different and the top border of the label is blue while mine is purple. https://meta2600.com/2016/08/15/frostbite-prototype/ Unfortunately I don't have an Atari to play it on, but I'm working on it. I'd love to get the game dumped for archival and preservation purposes. Does anybody have any more information on this cartridge? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+save2600 Posted September 19, 2016 Share Posted September 19, 2016 Matt (Tempest here) might be interested in adding this to his site: http://www.atariprotos.com/2600/software/2600software.htm#F Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Wonder007 Posted September 19, 2016 Share Posted September 19, 2016 Looks like a legitimate prototype to me. It is most likely the final code...there aren't many Activision work in progress (WIP) protos out there. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Videlen Posted September 19, 2016 Author Share Posted September 19, 2016 Matt (Tempest here) might be interested in adding this to his site: http://www.atariprotos.com/2600/software/2600software.htm#F Thank you, I'll be sure to contact him. My first priority is getting the ROM dumped. I got the cart open (very carefully, making sure nothing was damaged) and I'd like to use my EEPROM reader to dump the ROM. This is the model I have: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00K756PB6/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&psc=1&linkCode=ll1&tag=atariage&linkId=056a3450b7f0688088832b7804ee6db5 What kind of chip do the 2600 carts use? Any other info on how to dump it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted September 20, 2016 Share Posted September 20, 2016 Probably the final version, but you never know until it's dumped. WIP versions of Activision games are really rare. I'd really like to know why. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+save2600 Posted September 20, 2016 Share Posted September 20, 2016 Probably the final version, but you never know until it's dumped. WIP versions of Activision games are really rare. I'd really like to know why. Probably super paranoid of leaks. Wonder if they had rigid policies to that effect? Early concepts staying in house and ensuring any loaners made their way back? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted September 20, 2016 Share Posted September 20, 2016 I guess, but you'd think one of the former programmers would have saved something. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Andrew Davie Posted September 20, 2016 Share Posted September 20, 2016 I guess, but you'd think one of the former programmers would have saved something. I walked away from a 10 year professional career as a games programmer without a single line of code. At the time I was concerned about doing the right thing, legally. Now I wish I had copies of stuff - what a treasure that would be. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted September 20, 2016 Share Posted September 20, 2016 I walked away from a 10 year professional career as a games programmer without a single line of code. At the time I was concerned about doing the right thing, legally. Now I wish I had copies of stuff - what a treasure that would be. I guess you're right. I wouldn't want to risk everything just to take home a game. AFAIK the only WIP versions of released Activision games that exist are the two Pitfall protos and the Laser Blast proto. Neither of which are all that interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mayhem Posted September 20, 2016 Share Posted September 20, 2016 Is the Pitfall proto one that only gives you one life? I recall reading making it three lives was very late in the day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted September 20, 2016 Share Posted September 20, 2016 Is the Pitfall proto one that only gives you one life? I recall reading making it three lives was very late in the day. Yes. http://www.atariprotos.com/2600/software/pitfall/pitfall.htm The second proto is kind of weird. It's like they were using it to test something since all the animations (and the timer) are broken, but it has to be later than the more functional 'early' proto since it has the extra lives, lacks the branch graphics, and doesn't have the odd colors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Videlen Posted September 20, 2016 Author Share Posted September 20, 2016 It appears to be a work in progress prototype . I played it on a 2600 today and there are some differences from the final game. There's no sound, only static. There appears to be some kind of glitch where the ice blocks that form the igloo disappear at random and make it impossible to complete the stages. Also, sometimes the direction the ice floes move changes when you land on them, and to my knowledge this doesn't appear in the final game. I'm sure there are other subtle differences that Frostbite experts will notice, I've included a link to a gameplay video below. If anybody knows someone that can dump this, please PM me. Video game preservation is very important to me and I want to get this ROM preserved. I might know someone in my area that can do it but it's not a sure thing. https://vid.me/ZLat 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted September 20, 2016 Share Posted September 20, 2016 Are you sure it's not just bit rot or dirty contacts? Those sound more like glitches. Then again it very well could be a WIP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Videlen Posted September 20, 2016 Author Share Posted September 20, 2016 (edited) I can't be sure if it's bit rot but I'm pretty darn sure it's not dirty contacts. When I took the game apart I cleaned them with rubbing alcohol and they're in great shape. Wouldn't bit rot cause more substantial problems, or at least different problems than the ones I'm seeing? From my amateur Atari 2600 programming experience, things like the ice floes reversing direction are a total change in program logic which is unlikely to be caused by bit rot. The only way to know for sure at this point would be to dump it. Edited September 21, 2016 by Videlen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Andrew Davie Posted September 21, 2016 Share Posted September 21, 2016 I can't be sure if it's bit rot but I'm pretty darn sure it's not dirty contacts. When I took the game apart I cleaned them with rubbing alcohol and they're in great shape. Wouldn't bit rot cause more substantial problems, or at least different problems than the ones I'm seeing? From my amateur Atari 2600 programming experience, things like the ice floes reversing direction are a total change in program logic which is unlikely to be caused by bit rot. The only way to know for sure at this point would be to dump it. If the ice flow speed was a variable, then just changing a single bit (the top bit) could. I don't think it's bit rot, but just pointing out that your comment about this requiring a "total change in program logic" is not necessarily true. Single-bit changes could easily change the direction of objects. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Videlen Posted September 21, 2016 Author Share Posted September 21, 2016 If the ice flow speed was a variable, then just changing a single bit (the top bit) could. I don't think it's bit rot, but just pointing out that your comment about this requiring a "total change in program logic" is not necessarily true. Single-bit changes could easily change the direction of objects. Yeah, that's totally right. Your experience trumps mine lol. Another thing, the game appears to be on either a mask ROM or an EEPROM, it lacks the window that EPROMs have. From what I heard, bit rot is nigh impossible on mask ROMs, and I don't think EEPROMs were widely used in the early 80s. Then again, why would Activision put a WIP game on a mask ROM? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supergun Posted September 21, 2016 Share Posted September 21, 2016 ...because it's not... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enthusi Posted September 21, 2016 Share Posted September 21, 2016 The ice flow direction changes when you press fire while standing on it in the final game. Them changing direction when jumping on them sound more like a bug to me than a WIP. Also I find the aweful noise surprising. In my previews/WIP-demos muting audio-output would be the first thing to do. Weird. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Videlen Posted September 21, 2016 Author Share Posted September 21, 2016 (edited) The ice flow direction changes when you press fire while standing on it in the final game. Them changing direction when jumping on them sound more like a bug to me than a WIP. Also I find the aweful noise surprising. In my previews/WIP-demos muting audio-output would be the first thing to do. Weird. I wasn't aware of that. I just played it on emulator and the igloo parts also disappear when you change the direction of the ice floes. The "glitches" I saw could easily be explained with a faulty controller or system. ...because it's not... Perhaps I got a bit too excited too quickly. All this info (ice floes changing direction in the final game, the bad audio, and the mask ROM) means it's not a WIP game. I'd still like to get it dumped, but my hopes are down. Sorry if I excited anybody. I've included a picture of the top of the chip. Edited September 21, 2016 by Videlen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alex_79 Posted September 21, 2016 Share Posted September 21, 2016 (edited) Another thing, the game appears to be on either a mask ROM or an EEPROM, it lacks the window that EPROMs have. It might be an OTP eprom (that is, standard eprom in a plastic package without the window). Can you read the markings on the chip? EDIT: Nevermind, I see you posted a picture of the chip and it appears to be a mask rom. Edited September 21, 2016 by alex_79 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Videlen Posted September 23, 2016 Author Share Posted September 23, 2016 We dumped the ROM. There's no difference in the final code. I'm going to be selling this cart off, I'm not much of a collector anymore and I need money for the NX. Still, it was cool to hold a piece of Atari history in my hands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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