Sears Tele-Games Video Arcade II Score!

[Ze_ro]

Well, here's how things work with paddles and controllers... Regular Atari paddles are two per connector (obviously), but what most people don't know is that the buttons for each paddle are actually wired to the same function as left and right on the joystick (Try plugging in Pitfall with paddles and try it out).

 

Here's how I assume the SVA2 does things: When in "Paddle" mode, it splits all the contacts for paddles to all four ports. Try hooking up a normal Atari paddle for Warlords in "Paddle" mode... if I'm right, only one of the paddles will do anything, and the other will be "dead". All four ports should function similarly (That is, with a pair of paddles plugged into any of the ports, one paddle will always be effectively disabled while the other will work). I'll also bet that when in "Paddle" mode, the button on normal Atari paddles will do absolutely nothing. This would be because the SVA2 controller button is normally wired up as a joystick button and not as a paddle button, but when "Paddle" mode is enabled, it switches things around so that the joystick button actually *is* the paddle button. When in "Joystick" mode, the contacts are rearranged back to the regular Atari configuration, and you should be able to play four player Warlords with two pairs of Atari paddles plugged into ports 1 and 2.

 

However, if you try to play Warlords in "Joystick" mode with SVA2 controllers, it makes sense what happens as you explain it: Atari paddle games always assign player 1 & 2 to port 1 and player 3 & 4 to port 2, when an SVA2 controller is in port 1, it will obviously only control player 1 (player 2 will be "dead"), and the button will do absolutely nothing... however, try holding right on the joystick to catch the ball (This works with my Gemstiks). Interestingly, if you hold left on the SVA2 controller in port 1, you can make player 2 catch the ball (I may have my left and right mixed up here, but I think I have it correct). The controller in port 2 will act similarly, except that it will apply to players 3 and 4 instead.

 

Fwew... sorry if that was a little complicated. I have a pair of Gemsticks, and have learned a lot about how joysticks are wired by using them. I'm pretty sure the SVA2 uses the same technique as the Gemini does. It's worth pointing out that if you're trying to use a Gemstick in a normal Atari for a paddle game, the button won't do anything at all, and instead you'll have to push the joystick to the right to have the console "think" you're pressing the button. It sounds dumb, but it works, and it's not as clumsy as it sounds (hold the controller the way you would expect, but push the stick with your thumb)

 

--Zero

[Ze_ro]

Oh, I forgot to mention: I have no way of knowing wether the 3rd and 4th joystick ports do anything at all in "Joystick" mode. I would assume that they just get electrically disconnected, and effectively ignored. Extra circuitry would be required inside the SVA2, and I have a feeling that Sears wouldn't have put it in since it would add to the price of the system, and to it's complexity (possibly causing weird compatibility problems if it wasn't done properly)

 

Anothing thing that I just thought of: What are you expected to do with keyboard controllers and driving controllers? I'm sure that if you used them while in "Paddle" mode, then they would surely not work properly. "Joystick" mode should set them straight.

 

--Zero

[Arcadenut]

Ok,

 

I just picked up a Sears Tele-Games Video Arcade II off eBay and would like to find out more about it. So far I know its basically an Atari 2800, however, what else is special about it?

 

It has 4 joystick ports, is it possible to have a 4 player game on it? (Other than padles)

 

Any info would be greatly appreciated.

[Ze_ro]

quote:

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Originally posted by Arcadenut:

It has 4 joystick ports, is it possible to have a 4 player game on it? (Other than padles)

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'fraid I don't know much about this system, but I can tell you that the only four-player games you'll be able to play will be paddle games. I'm pretty sure these systems came with an integrated joystick/paddle, and since they only have one paddle per port, you'd need four of those controllers for games like Video Olympics.

 

I'm pretty sure that no game was ever written to use four joysticks, and I'm not even sure it's really possible. The system itself may be only wired up for joysticks on two of the ports, and just ignore the joystick parts of the other two. (Of course, I don't have one of these systems, so I could be wrong)

 

--Zero