marlowe221

You might try installing the Windows version and playing the game via Proton. I use Linux exclusively and often find that games run better via Proton than native Linux ports, which are often neglected and get little in the way of development resources.

My avatar on this forum is the cover art for Asteroids on the 2600 for a reason - I love this game! It’s easily one my most played 2600 games and definitely in my top 5 favorites. I still play it regularly on my Retron77, Atari 50, and various emulation devices. I even play it on my Steam Deck. I think I normally play on game 8 (?) with UFOs and satellites turned on. The 7800 version is pretty good too though…

I think I will send you that email. I haven't been able to find a way to get to the right menu in the EmuDeck/Retroarch implementation on the Steam Deck. As far as the AtariVox goes, I'm afraid I don't have any real hardware any more. I'm all emulation at this point when it comes to retro gaming. I bought the physical cartridge of Wizard of Wor Arcade just to... have it!

I purchased the cartridge at PRGE and later the ROM via your website. I'll have to play around with the settings more in Retroarch on the Steam Deck to see if I can get to the right options. I've played the game quite a bit on my Retron77 flashed with Stella though. I've really been enjoying it! I never played the actual arcade cabinet but I had the 2600 port as a kid and this version is a great upgrade.

I think that's what is happening. Unfortunately, I can't seem to get to the menu you've screenshotted there in Retroarch via EmulationStation/Steam Deck.

According to Retroarch, I'm using Stella 7.0 The game boots and loads just fine. The start button starts a game... the rest of the controls are just totally unresponsive after that.

Thanks! I thought Retroarch was using stella (and not stella2014) but.... maybe not? I'll check!

I'm having an issue trying to play this game in Stella via Retroarch on the Steam Deck (via EmuDeck). All other 2600 ROMs I have work just fine with the default controls. I have not been able to find any setting in Retroarch that seems to affect the controls in this way... Do I need to figure out how to access the settings of Stella itself?

I can't pick just one... Asteroids Beamrider Solaris Gravitar Galaxian Starmaster Star Raiders Defender The 2600 has a lot of great space themed games!

At this point, my daily driver is the Retro77 flashed with Stella. The Stella emulator takes the 77 from pretty good to wonderful, IMHO. I keep it attached to my computer monitor (which has it's own speakers) on my desk so it's really convenient to switch inputs, flip it on, and get in a few quick rounds of Beamrider, Defender or Asteroids. It's not quite the same as sitting on the floor in front of a CRT like I did as a kid but at this point proximity and convenience mean that 2600 games get a lot more play time than they probably would otherwise.

I’m afraid I don’t know the library well enough to suggest specific examples of lost games. But I’m definitely looking forward to watching your video on the topic once the kids are in bed and I can hear myself think!

Excellent point! I'm definitely leaning more toward the idea that the serial number thing is more for high score tracking purposes than security. And it makes sense for them to distribute digital copies. After all, most people (shoot, even most people interested in older video games) don't have an Atari 2600 or even a Retron77 sitting around at home. But Stella is readily available on any and all platforms and will essentially run on a potato as far as required computational horsepower is concerned.

According to this article in Gamespot (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/ex-activision-pioneers-form-audacity-games-will-develop-new-atari-2600-titles/1100-6488500/) each purchase comes with a ROM that is Stella compatible "with the same serial number", whatever that means exactly. So I'm not sure that a lot of hardware-level security measures would serve much purpose. I suppose this serial number might be used to track down the person who uploaded the game to a ROM site or something maybe, but it doesn't sound like on-cart security would have much point. ?‍♂️

I totally understand the sentiment in the OP even though I came to the system a little later than most people in the forum. I didn't get mine until '89 or so (I was born in '82). I wanted an NES like all my friends had but we couldn't afford it. Instead my mother picked up a Vader model and 20-ish carts at a yard sale for $40. I was thrilled to have it and played the crap out of it. I still have that console and it still works to this day. It was my only console until 1993 when I got an SNES - even then I would still trade it out with the 2600 at times and play it instead of the newer console. Now I keep a Retron 77 and a small stack of games on my computer desk hooked to my monitor at all times. I can switch over inputs and have a quick game of Beamrider or Galaxian any time. It's great! I play plenty of modern games too (though more indie games and fewer AAA games as time goes on) but I will always make sure I have a way to play Atari. It just fills a gap that nothing else really does for me.

Thanks, that's very interesting. Also, what's your podcast called? Sounds like I should be listening to it!