Atari 2600 ,gameplay crazy fast , joystick problem,graphic notice.

[Mido1976]

I emulated atari 2600 games with stella emulator, when I try to play games like river raid etc... ,

first: I feel like the game play is faster than how it used to be when I played real atari in the bast.

 

second: I feel ike the joystick is very senstive ,when i try to move right or left ,it is very fast ...and gets me nervous ... has this something to do with the joystick? it is joystick geniues f23 ...

 

anyway to get the game motion slower and the shooter moviment's reaction to the joystick slower?

 

I can't enjoy playing because I can't keep playing for long, cause of the rapid crash due to the fast movement right and left of the joysick..

 

I have another question... why do I feel that the graphics and colors are different than the real Atari on TV of the past ? the picture on the real atari of the past seemed better isn't it?!!

 

any help? thanx

 

 

...

[fiddlepaddle]

Colors vary widely depending on display. Try settings on emulator to slow it down?

[Jinks]

Buy real hardware you wont be so nervous.

[+stephena]

Personally, I think you're revisiting the 2600 for the first time in a long time, and mis-remembering how it worked on a real console. I guess you'd need a real console to know for sure, but many people have tested this in the past, and found no difference (particularly in River Raid).

 

The colours being off is a well-known issue, though. It really depends on whatever TV you used in the past. There are a bunch of different palettes in Stella, as well as TV effects that can get your output to look however you like. But it may never look exactly like your original TV. In fact, no other TV may look like that. Someone once told me that NTSC can also stand for 'Never the same colour'

[CapitanClassic]

PAL River Raid runs 17% slower, and the visible resolution is 19% taller allowing you to see more of the river before it gets to your plane.

 

If you originally played a PAL version and are comparing it to the NTSC version, it will seem faster.

[+stephena]

Right, I forgot to mention that one; I assumed he was using an NTSC ROM. The PAL ROM will definitely be slower and the colours different.

[Jinks]

PAL River Raid runs 17% slower, and the visible resolution is 19% taller allowing you to see more of the river before it gets to your plane.

 

If you originally played a PAL version and are comparing it to the NTSC version, it will seem faster.

Those pal guys have it easy.

Try atari 8 bit dropzone on an ntsc machine. Dead every 5 seconds.

[Mido1976]

Thanx all for the replies

 

1- the Tv I used to play atari on was SECAM system ..

 

2- The colors weren't that bold...and was little blurry.. may be that is why I felt it smoother,and less pixilated than on PC...!!

 

3- nice note from Captianclassic , PAL River Raid really slower and remind me of the original Atari set I had... the same speed but wasn't Pal...it was the normal river raid !!!

I have almost 20 roms of river raid,and tried most ,still the same fast speed...speed only different in the pal versions !! but I have strong faith that such slow speed on the pal version,was there on the normal version !!

4- now I started to get it, it seems the problem has something to do with the joystick itself, it seems loose and moves easily ..

anyone tried joystick "flight simulator type" to play emulated Atari on pc before? how was the experience?

 

thanx

Edited December 31, 2017 by Mido1976

[RamrodHare]

SECAM colors were very limited, so I'm sure Pal and NTSC games will look different.

No emulator ever feels "right", unless you have a good joystick.

I love Stella, but I play on real hardware because none of the PC controllers/joysticks have the right feel.

Most of the flight simulator joysticks probably don't have a short throw, so they won't be as responsive as they need to be. The original joysticks had switches, the one you have might be analog. If so, that's your problem.

Someone else may be able to give you advice on what type of joystick they use with Stella.

[+stephena]

The best joysticks to use are real ones, paired with a http://www.2600-daptor.com. They may not be the greatest sticks, but will be the most authentic.

 

Also, if you want to play in SECAM mode, go into ROM properties and select 'SECAM' for the console type. You can also press Control-F to select among console types, and Alt-2, Alt-3, Alt-4, Alt-5 to select different TV filters (Alt-1 restores to no filtering).

[Mido1976]

thanx all for the replies,so far I found out:

 

1- that I was right when I thought that River Raid were slower"never forgot even after 32 years!!" ,thanx to CapitanClassic,for his note about the pal version,now after I checked the 20 roms I have, I found the one typical in speed,it is called: River Raid (unknown) (pal) .bin

so now ,the speed problem is resolved.

 

2- cording to RamrodHare SECAM colors were very limited,yes it was, colors seemed like washed out, less bold, that is why I felt the edges of the objects,ships etc,were smoother,blurry ...on the Pc seems pixilated!

so now ,my misunderstanding about the colors is cleared.

 

3- the joystck I had in the past has 2 shooter buttons on the right and the left , an was much better,comfortable than the one with only one red shooting button.

and the fact playing atari with keyboard,or gamepad is not similar to the joystick original experience,so one must find a joy stick similar to those original I had before.. and I can't have old one ,isn't available where I live !!

 

the problem with the joystick is that,(though it has great options of buttons)it is not similar to the old stick , for example ,while the old one all what you need in order to move left or right ,is to move the handle very short move left or right till it press against the hard end and then moves...

the joystick I have it moves at the least movement ,even if you don't press the hard end... and the distance between the handle and the hard end "left or right" a large one... that is exactly my problem....

Edited December 31, 2017 by Mido1976

[+SpiceWare]

Yep, the color palettes are very different between the three systems:

• NTSC 128 colors
• PAL 104
• SECAM 8