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  1. Superkitten

    A blog by Superkitten

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      entries
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    Superkitten

    Well, I got bATARI Visual basic installed, and I'm playing with it to see how it works before digging into tutorials and docs.  We'll see how this goes...

     

    192693959_1833890393458618_8445584953318735765_n.jpg

  2. MegaManFan's Blog

    A blog by MegaManFan

    • 858
      entries
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      comments
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    MegaManFan

     

  3. EricBall's Tech Projects

    A blog by EricBall

    • 312
      entries
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    EricBall

    https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2021/05/exclusive-valve-is-making-a-switch-like-portable-gaming-pc/

     

    Not to be a wet blanket, but I predict failure (based upon the info in the article).

     

    IMHO the main problem going to be processing power.  A decent gaming PC has a CPU & GPU far more powerful than the Switch and if Valve tried to squeeze that into a portable system the battery life would be very short.  But downgrading the CPU & GPU to a level where battery life if reasonable would make the system underpowered for anything more than casual 2D games.

     

    Consoles like the Switch can get away with a lower powered CPU & GPU because developers learn how to do more with less or rework their game to fit within the system limitations.

     

    Other problems:

    1. Basing the SteamPal on Linux because
      1. While Steam supports Linux (and MacOS) this isn't true of the majority of games available through Steam.
      2. Graphics performance on Linux still lags Windows.
    2. Fewer PC games support controllers effectively vs keyboard & mouse
    3. Price - although not stated, I don't think this is going to be a cheap device

     

  4. atari2600land's Blog

    A blog by atari2600land

    • 4248
      entries
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    atari2600land
    Latest Entry

    Saturn on NES

    So I woke up with a really bad stomach ache an hour or so. This time it appears to be nausea. So I took some Pepto Bismol. I guess I am the only person in the entire world who doesn't mind the taste of the stuff. Let's hope that gets to work so I can stop burping and feeling like I need to vomit.

     

    Yesterday, I worked on my NES game some more. I thought of a new location: Space. I tried to draw the planet Saturn, but it looked really awful. So I windered if I could use NESst to import partial graphics. In fact, it requires pictures to be 128 x 128 pixels or less. So I can't, say, import a whole entire screen I drew. But that's okay for now as I wanted to get a picture of Saturn I drew in Paint into the program.

     

    So I made the tile set, opened YYCHR, copied the tile set of Saturn into the game's tile set, and went back and drew Saturn in there with the game's tile set. All that work for this:

    burgers-39.png.7d889c5f57b758220205a743f79985fe.png

    Saturn took 36 tiles to draw. I was hoping for a way lesser amount, but oh well. I guess I have half a tile set empty that I can use for levels 7-10, as well as some empty tiles in my first half of the tile set as well.

     

    And also, it was 15 years ago today I joined AtariAge. That was super long ago. Think about it. I was 15 years younger. All this time I spent playing and making video games and then writing about it in my blog. Let's just hope things will be better 15 years from now in 2036. I'll be a geezer then, but hopefully video games will still be around, as well as ways to play the really old Atari and other stuff.

  5. Brown Altitude Bar

    A blog by Max_Chatsworth

    • 3
      entries
    • 13
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    Max_Chatsworth

    My daughter painted this and gave it to me yesterday for my birthday...

     

    Caitlin_Atari.thumb.jpg.1fca152acdf163df683d3e76a33a762f.jpg

  6. Doctor Clu's Dissertations

    A blog by doctorclu

    • 35
      entries
    • 41
      comments
    • 18914
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    doctorclu

    Question that was posted on Facebook, and one that I had fun thinking about for a second and answering.

     

    1813581525_ScreenShot2021-05-18at12_44_34AM.png.3bffa5df2c40bde674cbe9f6d8b32d01.png

     

    439569321_ScreenShot2021-05-18at12_44_56AM.png.d5b81c86cf7c780112fbc1e6bc3b7543.png

     

    690991780_ScreenShot2021-05-18at12_45_05AM.png.2566c6b8c53b87e49662c2d6803f6ece.png

     

  7. Out of the Pack

    A blog by k-Pack

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    k-Pack

    Of course,  after an afternoon of experimenting with an Arduino and KY-040 Rotary Encoder Board, the question of how to use a Rotary Encoder attached to an ATARI joystick port became an intriguing ponderance.  After all,  the Atari can read a trackball and mouse containing two encoders. How hard can it be to read one?

     

    For this first experiment KISS was an objective.  The objective was to be able to read the input and determine  if the knob was being turned in a CW direction or CCW direction.  Also, the encoder has a switch that is activated when the knob is pushed in.  A simple working BASIC program should yield enough information for development of more advanced methods of use.

     

    First I'll explain getting an encoder hooded up to the joystick port. Then a short explanation of how the encoder works and how it will effect the joystick port reading.  This should make the example program a little easier to understand.

     

     

    Hook-up.

     

    1062726857_Encoderdesoldered.thumb.JPG.6883f60e828b6dad0e3777d5d10681a7.JPG

     

    I started with a bunch of KY-040 Rotary Encoder Boards for the Arduino.  This board has the encoder and  3 pull down 10K resisters required by the Arduino.  So my first encoder was  de-soldered  from the board and pins were added for insertion into the breadboard.

     

     

    26854014_bothencoders.thumb.JPG.6b49d64206fb6650b34439b3d334dfd5.JPG

     

     (I just received an order of cheep EC11 encoders.  They are not as beefy.  They will work and no de-soldering.)

     

    pins.thumb.jpg.f541e1a372e68f4f46227eb013b3b19f.jpg

     

    The wiring is easy if you have an old joystick cable.

    Joystick    

    Pin1 - Clock

    Pin2 - Data

    Pin6 - Pushbutton

    Pin8 - Ground for the three switches

     

    connected.thumb.JPG.f1f3215a5b73c95c4ea7e5098b8d7bf6.JPG

     

    Bread boards and hookup wires were used in this first attempt. Future needs will definitely dictate further hardware improvements.

     

    The Encoder.

     

    Search the net for Rotary Encoder to gain a full explanation of how they work.   Then there is this way of thinking about it…..

     

    The encoder has 2 switches that are offset to achieve a slight difference in activation time.  Before the knob is rotated both switches are off.  Turn the knob one click and one switch turns on before the other.  Turn the knob the other way and the other switch turns on before the one switch.  Take a look at these two equations.

     

    X = A - B - C

    X = A - C - B

     

    When the calculation is complete both equations are equal.  BUT…After the first subtraction the values will be different, if B is not equal to C.  If you can determine the value of X after the first subtraction you can state the direction of rotation.

     

    What if-

    A - the neutral position = 15

    B - Clock Switch            = 1

    C - Data Switch             = 2

     

    The STICK(n) values of the logic table turn out to be:

             Clock

    OFF

    ON

    Data/ OFF

    15

    14

               ON

    13

    12

     

    Since only one switch can be first, the result of 14 or 13 will tell you which direction the knob was turned and the program can act accordingly.

     

    There are timing problems if the program runs slowly.  (Kind of like BASIC slow)  Turn the knob fast enough and you run the risk of jumping from 15 to 12 before polling for the value again (I can see a DLI routine in my future).

     

    As it happens the two rotary switches are tied to pins that control bits 1 and 2 of the Joystick port.  1 being the clock and 2 being data switch.  Atari sets the joystick pins to HIGH for initial value of 15. Turning on a switch grounds the pin to LOW and the value of the bit is subtracted from 15. (It’s a reverse logic situation where switch ON = LOW.)

     

     The push knob switch is wired into the trigger pin and operates just like the trigger button and has no effect on the STICK(0) values.

     

    Example Software:

     

    1 REM ROTARY ENCODER-PROOF OF CONCEPT

    2 REM

    3 REM BY Kevin Packard 5/2021

    4 REM

    5 REM EC11 encoder with switch, hooked

    6 REM to Joystick Port1.

    7 REM PIN 1 -> Clock

    8 REM PIN 2 -> Data (DT)

    9 REM PIN 8 -> Both ground pins

    10 REM PIN 6-> Trigger

    11 REM

    100 LAST=15

    110 SOUND 0,0,0,0

    120 IF STRIG(0)=0 THEN SOUND 0,60,10,15

    130 S1=STICK(0)

    140 IF S1=15 THEN GOTO 170

    150 IF S1=14 AND LAST=15 THEN ? "CW"

    160 IF S1=13 AND LAST=15 THEN ? "CCW"

    170 LAST=S1

    180 GOTO 110

     

    The program displays the direction of rotation and makes a sound when the push button is activated. There's more REM then program lines.

     

    100 sets up neutral value of S1

    110 turns off sound

    120 checks trigger and makes sound if pushed

    130 Gets the present value of STICK(0) - Works best if polled once/cycle.

    140 S1 in neutral position?(no rotation)  save some time goto line 170

    150 Value change of S1 prints CW to screen

    160 Value change of S1 prints CCW to screen

    170 Changes last to S1 -  Keep lines 150 and 160 from execution until LAST reset to 15

    180 Go Back to 110 and  loop until break key pressed.

     

    Also note that there is no action taken if S1 and/or LAST = 12.

    ROTARY01.atr

     

    What next?

     

    Does the world really need another Etch-A-Sketch program. I think not.  How about a microKorg patch editor based on the MIDI control codes and operating in the Diamond GOS environment . Now that's a definite maybe. 

  8. (Insert stupid Blog name here)

    A blog by Nathan Strum

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    Nathan Strum

    A couple of weeks ago, I posted about our students' 2021 Open Show. An eight-hour marathon of animated films, produced over the last two academic years (since we couldn't have a show at all a year ago). For the first time ever we held it online, since we still can't have large screenings in person. But that meant anyone got to watch it! Quite literally, from all over the world.

     

    Of course, not everyone wants to sit through an eight-hour show.

     

    But this Saturday night, you can instead sit through just a two-hour show!

     

    This is our faculty-juried Producers' Show, which is a curated selection of films from the Open Show. The Producers' Show is usually held in a theater in or near Hollywood. We've been at the TV Academy's Leonard H. Goldenson Theatre (although we had to change theaters when they closed it for remodeling), the Director's Guild of America Theater (we had to leave this one because of remodeling too... are they trying to tell us something?), and most recently, the Samuel Goldwyn Theater at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Hmmm... Emmys and Oscars. I wonder if the Grammys have a theater we can borrow?

     

    While the Open Show is a public event that everyone can attend in-person (normally), the Producers' Show isn't. You have to reserve a ticket because seating is limited, and they go fast. Studios, sponsors, alumni, students, friends and family... and suddenly boom! There goes 600+ seats.

     

    It's quite the industry event. If the animation industry had stars, this would be star-studded. I suppose they're stars of a sort, to animation nerds. But basically, they're still just animation nerds themselves that have had success in the biz. Of one sort or another.

     

    Anyway, we can't do the theater thing this year for the Producers' Show, so it's online too. And that means anyone can watch it. No tickets. No limited seating. No restrictions.

     

    For 48 hours.

     

    Then the sponsors (whoever they are) get exclusive access to it because money. But we'll put it back online later, and I'll put that link up when the time comes.

     

    Meanwhile, this Saturday evening at 4:00 PM PST, the 2021 CalArts Character Animation Producers' Show gets streamed live from here:

    https://watch.redcat.org/landing/REDCAT2345

     

    And by live, I mean completely pre-recorded. But there are two hours of really good films in there. And about 20 minutes of talking. All at the beginning.

     

    I'm not suggesting you tune in late or anything. We do have a pretty cool guest speaker. And some of our students will receive awards for their films. But if you're going to order DoorDash or something, have them show up by 4:20.

     

    Anyway, check it out. It's pretty cool seeing the amazing work that students can do in the midst of a pandemic.

     

    Actually... it's pretty cool any year.

  9. HLO projects

    A blog by hloberg

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    hloberg

    At the end of the last post I briefly mentioned you could create a Luma only cable and s-video for the Atari 8-bits. This works on any 8-bit  where the Chroma & Luma are split out in the 5-pin DIN connector for the video & audio. There are some 8-bits that Atari elected NOT to separate out the Luma & Chroma unfortunately; 800XL made before August 1984, 1200XL and most 600XLs. All these computers had a single pin for just the composite connection only. There are ways to modify these computers to include chroma/luma but they all require modifying the motherboard in some form or fashion so I won't go into them here. 

    Here is the video/audio pin-out for the Atari 8-bits.  

    1194183549_Screenshot_2021-05-03AtariMonitor.thumb.png.2f646517c4667f19b2bd7da58f85bb17.png
    To create a luma only video cable for sharp B/W 80 column video on a composite monitor:

    pin 1 > video composite + on monitor

    pin 3 > audio + on monitor

    pin 2 > split to composite video - & audio - on monitor
    what you would do is swap the luma cable for the standard color video cable when you wanted that sharp 80 column look.

    This works on any un-modified Atari with the luma/chroma pins set on or modified Atari with the luma/chroma fix.

     

    If you are lucky enough to still have an s-video monitor you can create an s-video cable that can give you 80 column & color.

    200690911_Screenshot_2021-05-03S-Videopinoutdiagrampinoutsru.png.484c2e708b11d2ed6a9ebaab8679f6a8.png

    s-video pinout.

    Again, you will need an Atari 8-bit where the luma & chroma pins are set on.

    To create an S-video cable:

    Atari pin1 > s-video pin 3

    Atari pin 5 > s-video pin 4

    Atari pin 2 > s-video pins 1 & 2

    sound is separate line from Atari pin 3 & 2.

    If it turns out the 80-column text isn't quite sharp enough just attach Atari lines 1 & 2 which be just luma, no color.

     

    Now I haven't tested the luma only cable personally but I talked to people who have and it worked for them. 

     

    As always, this is just my suggestion. I am in no way responsible for any damage you may do to your Atari. (I don't see how you could harm our Atari making these cables but where there's a will there's a way).

     

    There you have it. Have fun.

     

  10. Mozartkügel's Midnight Retro Development

    A blog by Turbo Laser Lynx

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    Turbo Laser Lynx
    One thing that must be said, is how much I appreciate all the help I've gotten from kind people in retro computing forums and communities. I've been met with patience and kindness everywhere, although I'm not exactly the sharpest programmer out there. I've learned so much about how these old lovely things work in just a couple of years. 
     
    BIG HUGE thanks to all the kind people who's helped me gather tons of knowledge on this adventure / journey over at:
     
    - AtariAge Atari Lynx Forum
    - Datorernas folkvagn and Lemon64 Commodore 64 Forums
    - AtariAge Atari 7800 Forum
    - Vic-20 Denial Forums
    - ZX Spectrum Computing Forums 
    - AtariAge Atari 2600 Forum
    - Plus/4 World Forums
    - CPCWiki Forums
    - AtariAge Atari 8-bit computers Forum
    - Sinclair ZX80/ZX81 Forums
    - TRSE Turbo Rascal Syntax Error FB-group
    - MSX, Amiga and Atari ST FB-groups, Atari-Forum (Atari ST).
    🙏:waving:
     
    "Lovejoy" was/is supposed to be a long term game project for many old systems. So far it's been mostly an adventure into learning about graphics modes, technical details, tools and development for a whole bunch of old computers and consoles. 
     
    Getting the game to the point where the Vic-20, Atari 7800, Commodore 64 and C16/Plus4 version are now, is the fun part, learning about graphic modes, sprite movement, sprite animation, platform collission, collectable collision, sfx & music. After that comes a lot of the more (for me at least) boring stuff. Game states, bank switching, pal/ntsc compatibility, creating content i.e. level design etc. so it's really easy hitting an inspiration wall at that point. 
     
    Of course I would want to finish the game(s), because I'm really fascinated by all of these old systems, but in reality it takes a lot of energy, time and commitment to finish even one single very small game alone (with a day job, kids, I'm all over the place, including drawing, music making and other retro-dev projects too), so let's see if I can manage to pull of one version for starters (at some point) or if I was completely megalomanic when conceiving the idea. Perhaps I should join up with other retro-developers (too), to join some projects that are more sane.
     
    Anyhow, I've realized that with limited spare time it's important to do exactly whatever you want to do at that specific moment - to stay sane, so I'm not going to stress it (anymore).
     
    Here's a small video of the latest version I've experimented with. I thought the main character sprite became pretty funny.  I want the graphics to be really clear, cartoony and cute, but also a bit of "80s euro-clumsy" and very "digital" (few animation frames etc. as opposed to "analog" / "realistic"). Please note I only have collission in the feet yet, that's why I have to jump high to get the coins in the video. The Atari 7800 is really a surprisingly interesting 8-bit system that has way more potential than its official game library would show.
     

  11. simonh's Blog

    A blog by simonh

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      entry
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    simonh

    Well, I just discovered I have the ability to blog here. Maybe I'll write something less vacuous next time... who knows?!

     

    ~Simon

  12. For whom it may concern

    A blog by Thomas Jentzsch

    • 37
      entries
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    Thomas Jentzsch

    I realized that there is no place where people can download my ROMs. So I decided I should use my blog to provide them.

     

    There will be ROMs of all my homebrews. And maybe I will add some demo or unfinished stuff later too.

  13. OldSchoolRetroGamer's Bloggy Nonsense

    A blog by OldSchoolRetroGamer

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    OldSchoolRetroGamer
    Latest Entry

    SHADOWMAN games

    😎I've never finished it but I played the original SHADOWMAN first on the N64 followed by the DREAMCAST then years later the PC version (from STEAM or GOG I cannot recall) of course, each version had some minor improved visuals but here I am again this time playing the recently released REMASTERED version on PC. It runs great and though still incredibly dated it's the best it's ever looked. I like the atmosphere and it's somewhat a guilty pleasure game. Here's a couple grabs I took just now. 

     

    2.thumb.PNG.3b87aedd85020fcc1bbb8b8a4bdfd79e.PNG

    Capture.thumb.PNG.f8cf551392ea943eee67a603a8890f1a.PNG

     

    ANY FANS? 😎

  14. cessnaace's Blog

    A blog by cessnaace

    • 42
      entries
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    cessnaace

    OK, I've been absent for awhile so maybe I missed something. The time of release on pre-orders is January. But is that of 2022, or was January 2021 the original target month? 

  15. Chronogamer

    A blog by Mezrabad

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      entries
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    Mezrabad

    Skiing (Atari VCS, Dec 1980, Activision)

     

    To me, Skiing by Activision will always be that cheesy commercial with the guy doing the bad French accent and playing the game poorly. I didn't really understand at the time what was going on with these "new Atari games" that had a different box style and didn't seem to be by Sears or Atari. The commercial for Skiing (which my friends and I thought was hilarious) really stands out in my mind, even though it doesn't strike me as funny today. Yes, it's on YouTube.

     

    I do remember spending a very focused Saturday afternoon trying to qualify for the Activision Skiing Team. Apparently this has become known as Game 3b (because one plays the third game on the cart with the difficulty settings on "b"). To qualify, your time had to be under 28.2 seconds. I distinctly remember beating qualifying, but I don't remember if I got 28.17 or 28.19. I think I took the actual picture. I never sent it in for the patch, though. This is among my few remaining childhood regrets. Fortunately, um, most of my childhood regrets have been vastly overshadowed by my many adulthood regrets. Such is life.

     

    There are two types of Skiing games: Slalom (Games 1 - 5) and Downhill (Games 6 - 10). The games increase in challenge, but it is possible to get to know each course well. Tonight, I popped the cartridge into my Atari Video Computer System, reviewed the manual, selected Game 3b and after about four tries had my time down to 28.46. A few more tries it was at 28.21 (grrrr) and then finally I hit 28.14. I'm still a spiritual member of the Activision Skiing Team. Go me. Yes, I took a picture.

     

    I had forgotten that the left difficulty switch when set to "a" would let your skier ski off the trail and through the woods, even making it possible to ski around the mountain. I remember finding that concept very interesting as a teen. I loved the idea of parts of the "world" persisting off-screen. All in all, Skiing is one of my better remembered games from back in the day and I honestly feel that Activision can thank their marketing department for selling it to me with that cheesy commercial.

     

    Addendum: I think one of my fondest memories of the Atari was being stuck on the couch for a couple weeks with a broken ankle playing Adventure. I'd broken it while skiing. Maybe that's why I had to get the cartridge.

     

    Addendum duex: Anyone else remember the Flintstones episode where there were spies and one of the code words was "slalom"? Was this the cold war creeping in on our childhoods?

     

    Okay, we're done with 1980 for the Atari VCS and it only took me from August of 2009 until April of 2021. Ha. I'll start working on the games for the Odyssey^2 next. It's been a very long time since I hooked up my Odyssey^2. Looking forward to seeing how it goes.

  16. bluejay's corner of random shit

    A blog by bluejay

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      entries
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    bluejay

    Remember how I made that PS/2 keyboard interface? Yeah, I decided to get rid of it. Too complex on the software side. Now I have this 8x8 keyboard matrix. It has every key I thought I might need for the computer. 

    keyboard.thumb.JPG.eedb85afddf03b947621ac35d87e7490.JPG

    I know the drawing of the matrix is messy, but who cares. This is how the matrix works: the computer outputs a 1 to all 8 PA bits upon initialization. The other side of the switch matrix is ORed to CB1. If any key is pressed, CB1 will go high and trigger an interrupt. The computer then outputs a 1 to each of the PA bits, and reads from PB to figure out which column the pressed key is on. Then, the computer jumps to a bit of code that figures out exactly which key was pressed. Then it outputs a value into video RAM that the MC6847 can process. (at least, this is what the computer will do. I haven't written the entire keyboard routine yet because I don't know what kind of ASCII the MC6847 wants. Once I've figured that bit out I'll write the rest of the routine.)

     

    Drawing the keyboard layout was surprisingly difficult. I wanted it to be easy to convert into an 8x8 matrix and still be easy to use. Also, I didn't want to deal with having a SHIFT key, so each symbol has its own dedicated key. I don't imagine this would be terribly easy to use, but whatever. You may have noticed the lack of a space bar; I didn't notice it until writing this blog entry. I'll get rid of the CLS key and replace it with a space bar later. The keyboard is 4 rows by 16 columns, which is easily split in half to fit into an 8x8 matrix. The character matrix is shown to the left of the switch matrix. It's gonna be a pain in the ass to decode that.

     

    So, here's the entire BIOS code so far. It's obviously incomplete, and I'll continue to work on it in the future.

    Spoiler

        .org $c000

     

    VIDEO = $B000
    JOYSTICK = $B001
    DDRB1 = $B002
    DDRA1 = $B003
    PCR1 = $B00C
    IFR1 = $B00D
    IER1 = $B00E
    KBIN = $B010
    KBOUT = $B011
    DDRB2 = $B012
    DDRA2 = $B013
    PCR2 = $B01C
    IFR2 = $B01D
    IER2 = $B01E

     

    sysinit:

        JSR viainit
        JSR videoinit
        JSR kbinit
        JSR videotest

     

    system:

        JSR kbinput

     

    viainit:

        LDA #$FF
        STA DDRB1    ; Output to MC6847
        LDA #$00
        STA DDRA1    ; Input from joystick
        LDA #$00
        STA DDRB2    ; Input from keyboard
        LDA #$FF
        STA DDRA2    ; Output to keyboard
        RTS

     

    videoinit:

        LDA #$00
        STA VIDEO    ; set all control bits of MC6847 to low
        LDA #$00
        STA $9FFF    ; set video counter to zero
        RTS

     

    kbinit:
        
        LDA #%10010000
        STA IER2
        LDA #%00010000
        STA PCR2
        LDA #$FF
        STA KBOUT
        RTS

     

    videotest:

        LDA #$13
        STA $8000    ; print T
        jsr videocount
        LDA #$04
        STA $8001    ; print E
        jsr videocount
        LDA #$12
        STA $8002    ; print S
        jsr videocount
        LDA #$13
        STA $8003    ; print T
        jsr videocount
        RTS

     

    videocount:
        LDX $9FFF    ; load value of video counter to X
        INX        ; increment video counter
        STX $9FFF     ; store X to video counter
        RTS

     

    kbinput:
        LDA #%00000001
        JSR keysub
        BNE kb1
        LDA #%00000010
        JSR keysub
        BNE kb2
        LDA #%00000100
        JSR keysub
        BNE kb3
        LDA #%00001000
        JSR keysub
        BNE kb4
        LDA #%00010000
        JSR keysub
        BNE kb5
        LDA #%00100000
        JSR keysub
        BNE kb6
        LDA #%01000000
        JSR keysub
        BNE kb7
        LDA #%10000000
        JSR keysub
        BNE kb8
        PLA
        RTI

     

    kb1:
    kb2:
    kb3:
    kb4:
    kb5:
    kb6:
    kb7:
    kb8:

     

    keysub:

        STA KBOUT
        LDA KBIN
        RTS

     

    joystick:

        PLA
        RTI

     

    nmi:

        RTI

     

    irq:

        PHA
        LDA IFR1
        ASL
        BCS joystick
        LDA IFR2
        ASL
        BCS kbinput
        PLA
        RTI

     

        .org $fffa
        .word nmi
        .word sysinit
        .word irq

     

    That's it for this blog entry. Expect to see floppy controller circuitry in the next one, or perhaps even hard disk! See ya :) 

  17. Bubsy Bobcat Fan Blog

    A blog by doctorclu

    • 258
      entries
    • 193
      comments
    • 291989
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    doctorclu

    (Submitted by Doctor Clu)

     

    So this was originally written in the "Why the hell did I not buy this?!" thread here on AtariAge.

    "a thread for items that you thought you would never need/want but looking back, you think you should have gotten it. "

     

    Got many collections but Bubsy Bobcat is one of the few that I've tried to hunt down everything possible for and try to buy it.   Must admit, I like Bubsy collecting because I can afford the occasional thing that pops up every now and then.   He's a delightful character, the game development for all the releases are a fun triumph in their own ways.  The other Bubsy fans I've met along the way are all generally likeable too.  So for this thread I mentioned the Bubsy collection.  And for that I remarked:

     

     

    I work to not live with too much regret.    I've done pretty well as a Bubsy Bobcat and Zool: Alien Ninja from the nth Dimension collector.

    Both of those collections I have some rare items I'm proud of...

    20200405_140234.jpg.0da124aece2aa2c0cd1577f0e8dc3747.jpg.1447c8e2241a289440a344bd04fe3a30.jpg  :D  1817514923_ScreenShot2021-04-06at12_31_36AM.png.6d37085a67baca113e1a89753df5f066.png

     

    That said, as a Bubsy Bobcat collector, there are some things that got away, but I am happy to know they exist.   Most of the time it was just timing and funds.   Or someone just wanted it more, and well, kudos to them!  :P

     

    2011-ish

    Two very rare items came up at once.   The Bubsy sunglasses as a Babbages promotional item...

     

    948977130_ScreenShot2021-04-05at11_58_53PM.thumb.png.9c26bc59e836aaa830c9c9a234bed4b1.png

    And an invite to the promotional party at a CES for the launch of Bubsy...

     

    575291944_ScreenShot2021-04-05at11_59_01PM.thumb.png.97e17dd3ea82393258ed63786b8fa7de.png

    I decided to let the flip-flop go, and went all in for the sunglasses, giving a $100 ceiling for the auction.  And lost!

    Till then I never paid any great amount for Bubsy merchandise, but was shocked when someone wanted those sunglasses that much.  😮

    Other Bubsy fans existed, possibly more fanatical than me?    Shock!!

     

    in 2020 the Bubsy plush I showed at the beginning showed on ebay for the first time in a decade, and I learned from the above story.   I took all steps necessary to make sure to secure that plush, being up against not only Bubsy collectors but PLUSH collectors who had already deemed it a holy grail.   They could have it.. for the cost of a used car!  :D   So gained wisdom from the lost flip flip and sunglasses.

     

    2013?

    Development hand drawn maps were put on ebay from Bubsy: Fractured Furry Tales game producer Faran Thomason.

    286851260_ScreenShot2021-04-06at12_03_02AM.thumb.png.ff2ca72c69aa8faee2206bcac84d6fae.png

     

    Reason for not buying them?   That I had ripped the actual maps from the game rom.  :P

    But would have been a nice piece from the development of the game looking back.  There are such few merchandise and collectables for the Jaguar Bubsy game.  Just glad we have these shots of the maps though.  Kinda nice.

     

    2021

    Had just made a large purchase two weeks ago and as a collector when I use credit for large purchases I work to pay that off before another large purchase.

     

    And so naturally, days later, my first sighting of Toys R' Us VidPro cards for the Jaguar appeared.  A lot of 22 of them.  $499 to buy it now, and with a $199 starting bid.  Also naturally, a Bubsy Vid Pro card was in there.  The first sighting I'd seen of this card... ever.  :P

     

    34406744_ScreenShot2021-04-05at11_46_08PM.png.06628bfd92561e1e2fc08c8d77f3a62a.png

     

    I have other Bubsy vidPro cards, but little known fact...  Bubsy: Fractured Furry Tales is my favorite Bubsy game.  ;)   So would have been nice to pick that up, but not for $499.   There were other cards that would have made the $199 worth it.  Probably would have resold about 19 of them.   Held off till the last minute, and in this instance, was out-sniped. 

     

    Oh well, it would be boring to have a complete collection, right?   Gotta be something out there worth hunting down.

     

    As they said in Pirates of Dark Water "Always the Quest!"

     

  18. -^CroSBow^-'s Hardware Videos

    A blog by -^CrossBow^-

    • 22
      entries
    • 10
      comments
    • 10876
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    -^CrossBow^-

    This might require its own thread but I actually was working on an NTSC 7800 that was eating my lunch most of the weekend. It was sent in for just a basic composite mod installed into it. When I used the diagnostic roms everything was fine with this 7800. But then not long after I got the composite board installed and tested it again, I noticed some odd flashing lines of colors across the screen. It seemed to do this badly on Dungeon Stalker and Ballblazer. In the case of both games, it would flicker around with the color like this for anywhere from a few minutes to about 10min and then just abruptly lock up or got to a black screen?! It was also doing it through the RF when I put everything back in stock condition and reinstalled the original components I had removed. I replaced every single one of the main ICs without any luck starting with the Maria as it wasn't doing this in 2600 games. I did try to install my cap off the A15 line in a similar fashion as my other video I did about this,  but that didn't change anything either. You know what removed 90% of the flickering color bars on the screen and stopped it from locking up?

     

    The freaking crystal! (Y1) I removed the one in it and replaced it from one of my 2 parts donor 7800 boards. The first one I popped in the flashing colors were only occasional on the game ballblazer but didn't happen at all with dungeon stalker or any other games I tried. And more importantly, it didn't lock up either and BB and Dungeon Stalker both ran for several hours before I finally shut them off. I did try other crystals to see if I could get the slight flicker to go away completely but that only took it back to the way it was. So obviously something in the crystal I installed from the other 7800 seem to mesh better with this 7800. I also replaced every single one of the 3904s starting with Q3 and Q4 as both of those were installed. In fact this 7800 was kinda strange. Seem to use a later revision board, had C64 for the extra timing circuit on it, but was missing the rest of the ICs you usually find in that circuit? It also had all of the caps and resistors installed, whereas most of them show some removed at the factory by clipping them out or just not being installed in the first place. It also was using Sony 10ns speed RAM in it but no resistor installed on the bottom RAM chip as I normally see with most of the Sony RAMs. (BTW replacing RAM didn't do anything and in fact just gave me a black screen).

     

    So all I can say is that timing on the 7800 doesn't have much room for tolerance it seems and that all of the components we find installed into the consoles was done so at the factory in what seems like a case by case basis? 

     

    BTW when I put it all back together and replaced all the RF shielding, the flickering seemed to go away completely at that point? I'm still not 100% sure it is 'fixed' but it is a strange issue for sure and one I hadn't yet come across.

     

     

  19. Atari_Ace's Blog

    A blog by Atari_Ace

    • 44
      entries
    • 10
      comments
    • 9369
      views

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    Atari_Ace

    The Internet Archive is a treasure for old computer enthusiasts.  Archivists have been uploading old computer newsletters there for years which provide a vivid view of what it was like to be an Atari enthusiast when Atari was still a going concern.  Thanks to the archive, I've been able to read such excellent old newsletters as the MACE Journal, SLCC Journal, Current Notes, and dozens of others.

     

    The archive itself though has some quirky behaviors.  When you upload content, it examines it and produces derived content.  In the past that included Djvu versions of the content (a feature I sorely miss), and of interest to me, OCR's of the content.

     

    In the past, the OCR's were produced using ABBY FineReader (mostly version 11).  Recently the archive has switched to using Tesseract.  My initial impression of Tesseract is generally favorable, but like all OCR's, it can fail in interesting ways.

     

    Take the Portland Atari Club newsletters @Allan recently added to the archive from 1984/1985.  The metadata for the uploads apparently didn't specify the language, so Tesseract has some heuristic it uses to detect what language it is.  For some reason, it decided that the November 1984 and January 1985 issues are in a combination of Latin and Cyrillic script, so the OCR results are much worse than the usual OCR results (which generally are not great on newsletters in general).  For instance PAC (for Portland Atari Club) was often converted to three Cyrillic letters that look very similar.

     

    The reason I noticed this at all is because I have an archive of those OCR's I scan through when I want to find old reviews or Atari news.  Let's say I'm curious about how Seven Cities of Gold was received when it was released.  Using "grep" on the OCR's I have I find there was a review of it in Current Notes, October 1984 and the MACE Journal, March 1985.  I also see there was a review in v.3 n.8 of the JACG Newsletter because it's in one of their indexes, but that issue isn't archived anywhere to my knowledge.  I also spot a couple of capsule reviews (e.g. PAC Newsletter, July 1987) that I would have missed if I just kept the table of contents for all these old newsletters.

     

    So when new Atari newsletters show up, I download the OCR's and clean them up (mostly fixing errors and de-hyphenating) so that I can search them in the future.  Someday I'll make these available, but I've attached the Portland Atari Club ones I recently did since the OCR's on the archive aren't very good.

    pac1.zip

  20. Atari Jaguar Game Mascots

    A blog by doctorclu

    • 12
      entries
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    doctorclu

    This was originally posted on the Zool 2 Discussion board here on Atariage.com

     

    On 2/21/2021 at 12:26 PM, KidGameR186496 said:

    Hey doctorclu! You might want to download this as a MP3 for preservation sake. Someone at YouTube finally uploaded the Jaguar-exclusive track Metal Blockage of Zool 2. This song actually doesn't appear at all in the Amiga versions of Zool 2 :)

     

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McepqEfOI0w

     

    That is a cool tune.   This blog was unofficially started for the character Zool so this is just amazing.  

     

    One thing I enjoy and hope to learn more about are the differences between all the Zool games.

     

    Thanks KidGameR186496!

     

    -Doctor Clu

  21. DoctorSpuds Reviews Things

    A blog by DoctorSpuds

    • 309
      entries
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    DoctorSpuds
    Latest Entry

    Audio Slumming

    While I will sometimes jump to spend too much money on something I don’t really need, I’m generally a ‘cheap bastard’. I won’t usually spend a lot of money on something as long as it’s good enough. Nowhere is my cheapness more evident than in my audio setup. Let me just say this, I am not an audiophile, I think the lengths some people will go to and the amounts they pay for the smallest jump in audio quality is utterly strange, especially when they’re not in the situation to make such investments.

    Now, my current setup is a ramshackle mix of equipment from all over the place. Let’s start with the heart of it all. My stereo is a 1984 JVC R-K200 Digital Synthesizer and Stereo Receiver, whilst it can put out some serious volume it’s also crusty as hell. It runs too hot in the summer, the power supply buzzes, and the radio is weak. The headphone jack is too noisy to use and half the time if you press any of the buttons the right channel will cut out and you have to gently finger the buttons to make it reappear again, but it works, and for 25 bucks that’s good enough.

     

    For those interested in the stats:

    7C1CE844A6F8A03555A60B46F592D3F0735D7B40003.thumb.png.f80c13d7af2526e683e93431a4783af7.png

     

    For audio playback I have an autoreverse ‘twin’ cassette deck. It’s an Onkyo R1 TA-RW303 and I believe it was found in a garage. It had leaves in the cassette mechanism and was full of spiders but the belts are excellent and it has no noticeable wow or flutter, in fact this piece of junk is better than my previous three decks which all had speed issues. The big problem with this guy is that the ‘B’ deck is unusable. The mechs work great but as the motor heats up it begins to splice in static that makes it impossible to listen to. It also records this static onto tapes so I can’t make anymore mixtapes, how sad. But deck ‘A’ plays and it plays good and for 20 bucks that all I can really ask for.

     

    Speakers, now these aren’t the sorts of things you cheap out on. You can have the best stereo on the planet but if you use it with bunk speakers it’s greatness is a moot point. Bad speakers make bad sounds. Of course I cheaped out on my speakers! I found these lads for a grand total of 10 bucks for the pair, and this is where I got luckiest, forget the amazing garage deck these things make that look like crap.

     

    I got two Klipsch’s for five bucks each. To be specific they’re satellite speakers for Klipsch’s most recent Quintet Speaker system. The reason these guys flew under the radar is because they are some of the saddest looking speakers Klipsch has ever made. They’re small they’re unassuming and if it wasn’t for that tiny Klipsch badge on the easily destroyed speaker grille you’d have no idea what they were. I suspect that most stores would treat these little guys similarly to the store I got my pair from. Either they’re glanced over because they’re small and look kinda crappy, like a bunch of those budget surround systems from the early 2000’s, or they’re priced down because even though they’re Klipsch’s they’re not their fancy/higher end speakers or it’s not a complete set. But the sound, what do they sound like? I’ve been kinda trashing how they look so can they make up for that in the sound?

     

    Well… Yes, oh my shit yes! Just the two I have provide a better surround experience than the Bose system my parents dumped on me. The separation of the audio levels is unbelievable, even on muddier EDM or hair metal tracks with a lot of mids and bass the two don’t blend and homogenize. The treble is incredibly crisp, vocals are incredible, and with some EQ tweaking, mainly further boosting the treble and mid-level bass, they sound just heavenly.

    1209637923_Screenshot(115).png.f9bb21573d2e1abe18938805e1107516.png

    Some sounds just seems to roll over you whilst others feel like they’re sitting directly in front of you, the sounds of crowds and even echoes in tracks just feel enormous. The only weak point for these guys is the sub bass, it’s weak. Now looking at my EQ you’ll see that I basically killed the already limited sub bass, but that’s for a reason. I live in an apartment, and as with most apartments the things separating me from my neighbors are particle board and balsa wood so I can’t have really heavy bass on all the time. Lowering the 32k zone still leaves enough so that I’m not missing anything in the music, kick drums and lower basslines are still represented wonderfully but not so much that my neighbors can participate in my listening. So before I rattle on about bass I’ll just say this. Klipsch Quintet 5 Satellite speakers: Incredible, good noise separation, crisp, great soundscape, with some basic EQ tweaking they are unbeatable for any genre of music. Alright, time for bass.

     

    The last thing an apartment dweller like myself needs is a big stinky subwoofer, which is why I’m always confused when I see people move in and they have a big stinky subwoofer in tow. The Bose system that’s in the living room has a woofer and I have it turned all the way down because the last thing my neighbors need is to listen to my music along with me. Whenever I see a subwoofer I immediately think ‘noise complaint’ because that’s all its gonna net you. Now, I do actually own a subwoofer, but I had to be considerate in what I purchased. It couldn’t be something I put on the floor; it would rattle my downstairs neighbor’s ceiling with some of the tracks I listen to. I need something small, with an unconventional form factor to allow easy when not in use. Folks I found something that fits those criteria perfectly, and it’s from 1995. Those old enough to really be into Sega back in the day may remember seeing the Aura Interactor on clearance in stores, well they made a general use version that can hook up to computers and TV’s.

     

    Yes, a novelty subwoofer from 1995 is my solution. The bass is pumped directly into my back not letting it dissipate through the building and I can lower the levels so that I can comfortably hear/feel it without annoying anyone. I usually have it turned off but for a few select songs I’ll switch it on, otherwise I just use it like a conventional back cushion for my computer chair. It can still pump out some massive bass though and you can get some serious volume from it without distortion. Due to them being a novelty you can find them on Ebay for relatively cheap and I’d say their performance rivals that of name-brand woofers that go for double or triple the money.

     

    So in total I paid 135 dollars for my entire setup: 25 for the stereo, 20 for the cassette deck, 10 for the speakers and 80 for the subwoofer. Now, you probably won’t find comparable prices for those online, especially the speakers, that was just plain luck. Interact cushions have actually dropped in price if you don’t mind a preowned one; I’m seeing a few on Ebay for 50 to 60 bucks. The Cassette Deck is entirely subjective, I know most folks would rather have a turntable and it looks like the model of deck I have is slightly desirable but in its current condition I think the price was fair. And besides, there are so many decks out there that going after a specific model is rather futile. The stereo is hovering around the 50 dollar range online and shipping probably won’t be very fun. As for the speakers I think the value for money is incredible, even at Ebay prices, each speaker is easily worth 100 dollars loose, which is awesome since the whole system can still be found for around 550 dollars from some retailers.

     

    So, I’m curious, now that I’ve talked for way too long about my setup, what’s yours look like? Do you even have one?  Is it vintage? Modern? Are you a headphone user? Whaddaya rockin’?

     

    I need to know

  22. BUBSY Blogs [blank]

    A blog by Busby the Bobcat

    • 27
      entries
    • 22
      comments
    • 2231
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    Busby the Bobcat
    Latest Entry

    Bubsy 4 theory

    You think, that Bubsy 3 "No More Mr. Nice Guy!" is the rarest media from Bubsy? Well apparently, Michael Berlyn tried to make Bubsy 4 after Bubsy 3D. Or did he?

    There are only two articles about it. The first article confirms the existence of it:

     

    "We learned a lot about 3D design and coding and the environment and what could and what couldn’t be done," he said, "and we went to Sony to pitch them on doing a product. We brought a prototype for Bubsy 4, which was really just nothing other than a calling card. And they could see where we had taken it, and said, 'Oh yeah, we’d be interested in doing a product with you. Absolutely not a furry animal product, though, we already have one of those." At this time, the Sony marketing machine was busy placing their new mascot, Crash Bandicoot, into pizza commercials. "So we said okay, pick a product any product, and by mutual consent, we agreed to do Syphon Filter." Syphon Filter, a 3D action game obviously inspired by Metal Gear Solid, would prove to be Berlyn's last.

    - Gamasutra, 2005

     

    The other article declines it:

     

    Josh: As the legend goes, you sort of got pulled into Syphon Filter as you were trying to pitch Bubsy 4. Is that true?

     

    Michael: I pitched two other products that were not Bubsy. One was called Sparky and Bolt, which was an electrical boy and a sidekick who was a dog, who was electrical also, in kind of a Jetsons future where appliances had come to life and were attacking the city. Sparky’s goal was to kill the enemies, and Bolt would act as a sidekick and recharge him and shoot lightning bolts out of his nose. It was a very well-developed concept.

     

    Josh: Yeah, that sounds really fun.

     

    Michael: I pitched it to Sega, and Sega said, “Not enough edge. Have Sparky be a punk with an attitude, and have Bolt be some sort of nasty cat or something.” And I said, “You’re missing the point.” And I guess I was the one missing the point, because they turned it down.

    I pitched it to Accolade, and Accolade said, “Ummmmm, I don’t think so. We’re more interested in a Bubsy 4.” And I said, “I really think Bubsy’s dead by now. Between what you guys did with Bubsy 2 and What I did with Bubsy 3D, it’s time to move on.” They didn’t agree.

    At the time, Sony was making noises about wanting to buy the development company, and I had just left it. So Bubsy 4 was not a possibility, and Sparky and Bolt never happened, and Dingo Dan never happened.

    - Retrovolve, 2015

     

    Sources:

    https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/97672/Playing_CatchUp_Bubsys_Michael_Berlyn.php

    https://retrovolve.com/a-chat-with-bubsys-michael-berlyn-part-2-rejection-and-reinvention/

    (found by Polimpiastro on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/user/Polimpiastro/)

     

     

     

  23. The Atari Jaguar Game by Game Podcast

    A blog by Shinto

    • 37
      entries
    • 16
      comments
    • 43497
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    Shinto
    Latest Entry

    31 - Syndicate

    Download or listen to the podcast episode at atarijaguargamebygame.libsyn.com/31-syndicate

    Set your cybernetic sights on world domination in Syndicate! Get a handle on the controls, concoct an unofficial overlay, peruse reviews from around the world, and question the ESRB rating in this episode about Bullfrog's cyberpunk classic.

    Oh, yeah, and check out several previously-undisclosed cheat codes.

    Also included is feedback from RJ, the Lost Dragon, PFG 9000, tripled79, MightyFrog, cubanismo, Kyle, Louis, and Bobby Tribble! Woohoo!

     

    All that plus storytime involving out-of-context Atari, and nerds makin' noise in the computer lab.

     

    Show Notes


    General Links


    Forums


    Game Links



    Developer, Distributor, and Development


    Gameplay & Graphics Notes


    Cheat Codes

    Company Name What It Does
    ROB A BANK 100M in money
    WATCH THE CLOCK Speed up time (1 day in 10 seconds)*
    NUK THEM Unlock all regions*
    TO THE TOP Combines ROB A BANK and NUK THEM*
    COOPER TEAM NOT Unlock all regions, full weapons/research, 100M in money, 16 fully-upgraded agents
    ALANS TEAM NOT Unlock all regions, full weapons/research, 100M in money, 8 fully-upgraded agents
    ALAN2 NOT Unlock all regions, full weapons/research, default money, 16 fully-upgraded agents
    ALANS CITIES All but 10 regions conquered
    CREDITS CHECK1 End of game (all agents lost) upon finishing the next mission
    CREDITS CHECK2 End of game (all states conquered) upon finishing the next mission
    CREDITS CHECK3 End of game (mission failed) upon finishing the next mission
    CREDITS CHECK4 End of game (mission completed) upon finishing the next mission
    DO IT AGAIN Repeat mission with previously obtained items? Couldn't get this to work.

    * Already present on AtariAge


    Advertisements

    • Jaguar Promo Magazine high-quality scan at RetroMags!
      Ad_JaguarPromoMag.thumb.jpg.e8c7fb575a5dd14772b3c3a4d0664023.jpg
    • From "Best Games..." ad, GamePro magazine
      Ad_GamePro070_BestGames.jpg.1cf06d0716579c1ddd33fb122ce5dd00.jpg
    • From Ultimate Future Games magazine
      Ad_UltimateFutureGames_01.thumb.jpg.85b50ceb19e3e4f5cb8950282b421a48.jpg


    Reviews


    Ports


    TV/Movie/Game/Music/Book References


    Vendors


    Podcast references


    Misc. Stuff


    Listener Feedback


    Storytime



    Next up: Rayman!

    KEEP ON THINKING

  24. FireStarW's Blog

    A blog by FireStar

    • 3
      entries
    • 1
      comment
    • 2741
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    FireStar

    I've always loved the look and form factor of the Coleco Mini Arcades from the early 80's ever since I saw them in the background of Angry Video Game Nerd videos and similar in the late 2000's, and have had one one my wishlist for that amount of time as well. While the Basic Fun and similar modern mini arcade things are cool they aren't nearly as big as the Coleco OGs, although in buying this I did run across 2006 era Excalibur mini arcades I think are actually better looking. I decided to go on a little ebay spree this december/january and decided to pick up a galaxian mini arcade missing stickers, after a google search revealed an AtariAge post linking to an ebay seller of repro stickers. (Good on Atariage for sticking around). In the below video is a rough vlog of the light "restoration" I did which I do believe the end result to be pretty convincing!

     

     

     

    mpv-shot0001.thumb.jpg.95bf64dbcaf682b2c802ff73a7e51d4b.jpgIMG_20210131_152158.thumb.jpg.40e4a08587ceb7672451944d7ea36679.jpg

     

  25. Skwrl63's Blog

    A blog by Skwrl63

    • 2
      entries
    • 7
      comments
    • 826
      views

    Recent Entries

    Skwrl63

            Creating the Retro Gaming Experience

     

    To me, sitting infront of a flat screen TV using some emulator and a wireless controller didn't really provide me with the best Retro Gaming experience. When I first tried playing the old games I used to love on emulation, it just felt empty and stale. I wasn't sure why at first, then it hit me. 

     

    When I was playing the games, I was looking for that nostalgic experience. I wanted to relive the memories of my youth. Unfortunately emulation wasn't sparking that nostalgic memory. I needed a true Retro Gaming experience.

     

    I learned then, there was a difference between just playing a retro game at home and actually "experiencing" home retro gaming. I kinda compare it to the experience of playing one of the new Arcade One-Up machines in your house compared to actually going to a real (retro) arcade. Both experiences are extremely different even though you're playing the same game. So it's the atmosphere that plays a big part in contributing to the experience.

     

    (I needed to bring the atomsphere back)

     

    So a few years ago I decided to create my own Home Retro Gaming experience by creating a retro gaming nook. I had a small space in the corner of my garage to use as a template. This would take a lot of patience and hunting. Though I had plenty of Atari stuff in my collection, I still needed to hunt out the decor I needed for this retro nook.

     

    To sit down somewhere and feel like I went back in time. The act of playing on a old CRT TV, being restricted by cords. The earthy tones of the wood paneling. The simplistic decor of the late 70s/early 80s of my youth. To design something that took me back in time would offer the true experience.

     

    My first pick-up was this 1977 Sony Trinitron with matching TV Cart: 

     

    1977 Sony Trinitron with matching TV Cart

     

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    So during the next year-and-a-half I combed eBay, Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, and local thrift stores. I not only needed the right decor, but I needed it cheap (I didn't really have much of a budget). Once I accumulated enough stuff to make my design reality, it was time to begin. I decided to dedicate a small corner of my garage for a retro corner.

     

    I started with the wood paneling. Luckily, many of the home improvement stores still carries wood paneling for very cheap. After getting the wood paneling up, it was only a matter of laying the carpet down and putting the pieces in the place.

     

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    When all was said and done I only spent around $300 to complete this project. A lot of the cost savings came with patience. waiting to find the right stuff for the right price without overspending (For example, the TV and cart I was able to pick up for $30).

     

    Here was the end result.

     

    FB_IMG_1585659714645.thumb.jpg.fac4c079fe2c5e222b211535dbc973a6.jpg

     

    The final Retro Nook came out better than I imagined. Sitting in this corner playing my Atari, I almost thought I was back in 1983. Even the copper colored wing-back chair was the same chair we had a 1983 (my family never had the heart to get rid of it). People have to remember...... Back in the early 80s, most home decor were still from the 70s (unless they recently remodeled).

     

    273874117_FB_IMG_15856596418862.thumb.jpg.239502a1ce379aa1cbe988b60b98451f.jpg

     

    Add a little stale tobacco smoke to the nook to complete the Retro Gaming experience😂. 

     

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    For the rest of the year I often enjoyed disappearing in my little gaming area to relive some of my nostalgic memories. At times my kids even joined me. It was great to show my children how "dad" played games when he was a little boy.

     

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    During the next summer I decided to do a redesign of my retro corner. I wanted to make it a themed corner, as well as incorporate one of the old cabinet TVs that I have.

     

    I have always been a fan of playing original hardware on original hardware. So I have multiple CRT TVs that my children and myself use. I do have a few cabinet TVs and I had one in particular I wanted to use for my new "themed" retro corner.

     

    Here is a old cabinet TV I have in my bedroom. It's the TV I used most of the time before I designed my retro corner.

     

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    Anyways, since I wanted to redesign my retro corner I decided to do it themed design. I decided to go with a Q*Bert theme which was one of my favorite Retro Gaming characters.

     

    It took a while to gather all the stuff I needed for the redesign. I already had an old 1970 zenith cabinet TV I wanted to use, but to find the right Q*Bert themed decor was a little challenging (more specifically the wall art). Then I found the perfect piece. A Q*Bert latch hook rug became available and I just had to have it. I was also able to acquire a orange wingback chair for $20.

     

    Here is the final design......

     

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    This Q*Bert themed design I was extremely happy with. I decided to get rid of the table to bring back the good ole days of having to sit on the floor to play. Coincidentally enough, I finished this design right around Halloween. 

     

    I actually had a old early 80s Q*Bert costume (one of those old vinyl Collegeville costumes). My son decided to humor me and put the costume on so I could do a Halloween photo. I tried to use an aging filter to make the photo look a little less "high def". I'm not professional photographer so I did what I could with my cell phone, lol

     

    Here was the end result.

     

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    MY 2020 DESIGN.....

     

    In 2020 I decided to shrink up the design a little. To make something simpler, and to design a area that would mimic a image you would see on a Atari Ad. I used a different TV for this one (1984 Zenith). One of the best parts about having this retro corner is being able to spend time with my kids introducing them too the early gaming experience. Due to Covid-19 and spending a lot of time at home, we were able to spend a lot of time playing games together.

     

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    All in all, creating a authentic Retro Gaming experience is relatively inexpensive and you only need a very small space. Playing these games takes me back to a simpler time. For some reason I find it more enjoyable playing on my retro setups then I do behind a computer screen or on some other type of emulation.

     

    The feel of the carpet, the act of inserting the cartridge, the smell of the TV tubes, the sight of the wood paneling, and being restricted to the limitations of technology all help contribute to the overall Retro Gaming experience.

     

    This is what I remember, and I find myself actually enjoying playing these old games more as I disappear in my time machine.

     

    COVID-19

     

    The summer of 2020 I came across a old 1979 Sony Trinitron. I decided to do a very quick redesign to include that TV, as well as using my Space Invaders wall art I've been holding onto for a while. After I was done my children's school went to "virtual learning" due to the Coronavirus. My kids decided to turn my Retro Nook into a Virtual Learning Battle Station, (where old technology mixes with new technology..😂).

     

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    I'll end with one last photo. My most recent setup that I may use if I decide to redesign my Retro Corner in the future. It's my 1976 Zeinth gaming station.

     

    It's been a blast having this little retro gaming corner. In the past 3 years I have been able to spend a lot of time in my retro corner playing my old Atari with my kids (and creating awesome memories). Hopefully someday I will be able to dedicate a entire room to the simplicity days before the internet. The days before the constant bombardment of social digital stress.

     

    Thank you for reading my blog

     

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