258 replies to this topic

[xybot67]

I was just searching youtube and I found this video of the lost Turbo prototype for Atari 2600. Do you believe this is legit? I really hope it is! I would love to try it.

[else]

Very interesting. Looks legit to me, but I'm no expert on prototypes. Why is the video grainy though? That's the only thing that raises my suspicions....

[Gregory DG]

Fake or not, it looks much better than the April Fool's joke from a couple of years back.

[8th lutz]

I don't know if it fake for sure. I did expect the video to show a date or some on the catridge. Something the video didn't show. I wish I knew for sure. If it is, I am sure people want the game to be dumped.

Edited by 8th lutz, Sun Nov 5, 2006 10:36 PM.

[Albert]

I think this may be legitimate, as I was emailed by this individual last week with some details about this particular prototype..

..Al

[Crazy Climber]

Sweet
I'm a Turbo fan myself.

Edited by Crazy Climber, Sun Nov 5, 2006 8:27 PM.

[Wonder007]

Very interesting development.

[else]

I think this may be legitimate, as I was emailed by this individual last week with some details about this particular prototype..

What an amazing development development this will be if it turns out to be true. And by the looks of the video, it is. The gameplay even looks to be pretty much complete!!!

[Uzumaki]

I sucked the file out and played it on my computer, it does appear to be someone was using a video camera to record the game from TV.

[Nathan Strum]

Interesting. Although he'd get better quality running the 2600 straight into a VCR instead of shooting it with a camcorder.

This looks pretty good though. Certainly seems feasible for the 2600.

The big question though - will it get dumped?

[Omegamatrix]

This looks cool, and the background of the city looks very detailed for a 2600 game. Any news on this would be appreciated!

[jpfalcon2003]

This game would be a fine new addition to the 2600 collection

[Thomas Jentzsch]

Wow!

This seems legit and definitely doable on a 2600. But it also looks a bit unfinished, e.g. the gameplay seems very tough, the bend does never change, no speed indicator there and the background doesn't scroll.

@Al: Do you know if it is played with paddles? It more looks like being joystick controlled.

Edited by Thomas Jentzsch, Mon Nov 6, 2006 3:59 AM.

[else]

the bend does never change

The bend never changes on the Colecovision version, so it's no surprise that it doesn't change here either....

[Rom Hunter]

Simply amazing.

According to the Turbo ad it's played with a paddle controller:
http://www.atarimani...YPE_GOODIE_ID=7

Edited by Rom Hunter, Mon Nov 6, 2006 11:02 AM.

[Shawn]

The video sure does show a date 1983 it's on the title screen. My only question is if it's real when do we expect it to be on ebay?

Edited by Shawn Sr., Mon Nov 6, 2006 7:56 AM.

[Tempest]

I try to get out, but they keep dragging me back in...

Ok here's the skinny on the Turbo prototype.

Yes, it is legit. The game is about 80%-85% complete. All that it is missing is the animated edges of the road, and some other graphical animations (mostly stuff moving on the sides of the road to give the illusion on movement). The reason the game was never completed is that one of the programmers was in a car accident (got hit by a car anyway) and could not finish the game in time to meet Colecos deadline. The game also uses joysticks as the developers begged Coleco to drop the paddle controls (Coleco finally allowed the to do so).

Now he's the part everyone is interested in. The programmer wants to sell it, and has asked me for help in doing so. So my task is to gather a list of people who might be interested in this prototype and to conduct a private sale of sorts. The programmer also has the mock up cartridge case for the game (a little ratty looking, but still nice). I assume he is going to toss this in, but I'm not sure.

If anyone is interested in buying the prototype, shoot me a PM and I'll add your name to the list. The names of the people on the list, as well as the winner will be kept private unless they want to make themselves public. The programmer asks that the winner supply him with a copy of the rom, and would like the game distributed although he himself will not do so (it's the winners choice). Keep in mind that the programmer knows what the game is worth, so please don't waste his time with lowball offers (sorry, no Turbo for $200).

Tempest

[Wonder007]

Oh my goodness, PM sent!!!

[else]

That's disappointing, quite honestly. Certainly it's his right to try to maximize his profit, so I'm not going to criticize him. If I were in the same position who knows what I would do. But it would have been nice if he was willing to donate the ROM to the public domain....

[Albert]

That's disappointing, quite honestly. Certainly it's his right to try to maximize his profit, so I'm not going to criticize him. If I were in the same position who knows what I would do. But it would have been nice if he was willing to donate the ROM to the public domain....

Yes, it would be nice, but sadly I'm not holding my breath.

..Al

[Dusk2600]

he probibaly knows next to nothing about atari until now.

[mos6507]

It's not quite as impressive as I hoped it would be. I don't see the same city and score effect as the screenshot that Thomas worked so hard to accomplish.

[Tempest]

he probibaly knows next to nothing about atari until now.

Uhh... He was a 2600 programmer for several games. I'd guess that he knows more about Atari than you.

That's disappointing, quite honestly. Certainly it's his right to try to maximize his profit, so I'm not going to criticize him. If I were in the same position who knows what I would do. But it would have been nice if he was willing to donate the ROM to the public domain....

Trust me, he's not in this to make obscene amounts of money. He really would like to share the game with the community, but he's going to leave that decision up to the buyer. He will however strongly request that the buyer share the rom, although he won't force them to do so.

I'm sure the rom will get released, have faith.

Tempest

[Tempest]

It's not quite as impressive as I hoped it would be. I don't see the same city and score effect as the screenshot that Thomas worked so hard to accomplish.

Well we should probably cut the programmers some slack since this was the groups first 2600 game. Also, Coleco put some really tight and unrealistic time tables on the team, so they really didn't have as much time to as they would have liked to create the game.

tempest

[Tempest]

That's disappointing, quite honestly. Certainly it's his right to try to maximize his profit, so I'm not going to criticize him. If I were in the same position who knows what I would do. But it would have been nice if he was willing to donate the ROM to the public domain....

Yes, it would be nice, but sadly I'm not holding my breath.

..Al

Tsk tsk. Aren't we the negative nelly...

Tempest