CV Gus

It would be fairly difficult. I built a paddle controller for the 5200. When you use it for the game Pole Position, it acts like a "real" steering wheel: turn it a bit, you turn a bit. Turn it some more, and you turn some more. This is why a digital controller is so awkward here: you either turn all the way left or right (hence, the skidding). This, a paddle controller, works because the 5200 is able to understand signals from a potentiometer (variable resistor). (To a 5200, there is no such thing as "neutral." The stick turns what are two tiny paddle controllers in the controller: one for vertical, one for horizontal. With, say, a 2600 joystick, if you let it go, then it is not sending any signals. But with a 5200 controller, the joystick is ALWAYS sending a signal. "Neutral" simply means a resistance that the game programmers are telling the game not to react to; any less, go left and/or up. More=right and/or down. This is why, when you unplug the controller, it is as if you jammed the stick down and to the right; the circuits running from the controller port have been disconnected, causing an "infinite" resistance.) A ColecoVision is NOT. It simply uses "pulse" signals; each time you turn a steering module or roller ball, it is as if you are "tapping" a joystick. You cannot really use a potentiometer for a CV, since it cannot understand anything but YES or NO. If you position a paddle in Super Breakout in a certain place with either a paddle or 5200 joystick, turn the game off, and then start it up again, the paddle is in the same place, because the reading from the controller would be the same. This could not be done on such a game for the CV; the paddle controller I designed is more like the one from 2600 Indy 500- it just keeps turning. It would work, but never the same way as one for the 5200. If you wanted to make such a controller, you would have to attach a sort of paddle controller to the shaft of the steering wheel, but- this is important- remember that a paddle controller cannot keep turning over and over; you'd have to do something to limit the way the steering wheel can turn. An exception to this- if you wanted to do it this way- is to have the wheel of the potentiometer "leaning" (with a spring, or something) against the shaft. This way, even if you keep turning the wheel, you cannot break the potentiometer, even though it cannot itself turn any longer. It can be done, but NOT with the existing hardware in the steering controller. You'd only use the "shell."

Have you ever built or redesigned a controller for a particular game? Pitstop. One of my more recent is a modified Driving controller for the CV. One of the main features ia the plug for TWO pedals: the other is a brake that, in the case of Pitstop, acts as a brake (by acting as if you pull down on the joystick- don't forget the diode!). This required a different cable, though. It is also powered directly from the Roller Controller. I suppose the same could be done from the CV itself.

And MAN, are these versions better than the NES versions. Esp. Ms. Pac-Man.

THE main reason I'm getting this one is for Pac-Man Plus. The last time I played it was in an arcade called "Video Chef." Back in 1983.

Ms. Pacman shouldn't flicker too much (at least no more than CV pacman collection) unless a lot of objects are on a line. Missiles are used for the white's in the eyes for instance so players are not wasted on that. Only when you have more than four objects in a row should they flicker. If we were willing to go to a one color maze in ms. pacman like in CV pacman collection (I think it was that way in one of the demos, don't know if it is still the case) there would be free colors and the background objects could be use to probably have no flicker. Look at super pacman on the 5200 for a game with no flicker IIRC. Background is used for a ghost or two I think. Kangaroo I think just flickers monkeys all the time with no intelligent flicker. I am sure it could be improved on some. Well, the reason Opcode went with the one-color mazes was choice: multi-colored mazes were possible, but not if you wanted the exact shape and numbers of dots the arcade version had. In the case of the 5200, count the dots and measure the mazes, and they are by no means arcade-accurate, the way Opcode's are. Guess for the older systems, it was either one or the other. But the mazes are technically not one-color; the dots are not the same. But I'm also considering other applications for the technique- a perfect example would be Q*Bert; now, all of the characters can be multi-colored, as they are in Q*Bert's Qubes. The characters are against multi-colored backgrounds. Could this be done for the 5200 version?

Is Super Pac-Man hidden on this cartridge anywhere?

If you haven't already seen Opcode & Company's fantastic CV Pac-Man Collection preview yet, here it is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WrsIT1N1CM The flickering is much worse here than on an actual television. Normally a CV cannot show more than 4 sprites on a horizontal line without flickering- this is esp. clear on Burgertime (note- for some reason, I'd always thought it was 3- thanks, Vigo). Since each character on this game is made of at least 2 sprites, in Pac-Man this would be (2X4)+1=9, at least. In Ms. Pac-Man, at at least 3 more (since the prizes are mobile). That's 12. Normally, this would constantly cause an intolerable amount of flickering and disappearance. The game would be unplayable. But what Opcode did here was what was attempted with Atarisoft's CV Dig Dug: forming an image by first flashing one sprite (say, the eyes), and then the other (the body). The result is that far fewer sprites are actually on-screen at any one time. Since the human eye cannot detect changes faster than about 1/12 of a second, the result looks like a continuous single image. Some other technique must also be used, since the normal amount of flickering you'd expect even if all images just used one sprite and color (think 5200 Pac-Man) simply isn't here. A CV limitation has been better than 90% overcome. As I was playing the just-great 5200 version of Ms. Pac-Man, I noticed the flickering (while never really BAD), when several objects line up. I also noticed the translucent look of the monkeys in Kangaroo. So here's my question: if a really skilled 5200 programmer wanted to try this technique(s) to do the same thing on a 5200 Pac-Man Collection, could it be done (effectively, that is)? How about on a 7800 (assuming you had to)?

Especially considering that Atari screenshots never do justice to the game, so far it looks very good indeed.

Sure, it may have been the least of the "original 3" in sales and such, but a good game is a good game. And so- Dig Dug- One of the best versions of the arcade game. It is VERY playable, and captures the essence of the arcade classic. Joust- The reason I got a 7800. Granted, had the CV version existed, I wouldn't've, but this one really is great. The Pterydactyl could've looked a bit better, but still fantastic. Xevious- I like it better than the NES version, even if the NES version looks sleeker. Another great arcade-to-home translation. Food Fight- Sure, it looks more like a good 2600 Activision game, but this is the sort of goofy game one expected from years ago. Like a funny Robotron. Asteroids- I preferred the vector look, but this version is just fine. The 7800's abilities shine here. Robotron: 2084- I prefer the 5200 version, but this one is also good. If only it had the border. Pole Position 2- Beautiful racing game, which also captures the essence of the arcade game. Ms. Pac Man- O.K., so it's not really much better than the 5200 version- but that was really good to begin with. So how can this be anything but a winner? Tower Toppler- Proof of what the 7800 could really do. You'd almost expect to see this one on a SMS.

The problem with Pole Position is that you skid every time when you use a digital controller- the more gradual turning isn't possible. This is why it plays so well with a paddle controller.

Street Racer 2. Since the 2600 broke before we got it, we had to wait and wait to play it. When we finally did, well, we thought it would never get better than that.

What games do you have, and how do you rate them?* *Please note that any bad reviews of homebrews will go under "undecided."

That says it all...mine are all CV, by the way. Cosmo Fighter 2- Very strange Galaxian/Gorf-style shooter. Very difficult, but multi-plane scrolling starfields are impressive, as is the sheer size of the Boss. But this is mostly for those who'd like one of the earliest homebrews, or fans of very unusual games of that sort. Good, in that way. Kevtris- Superb Tetris game for the CV, with excellent music and good effects. The only problem: the two-player games. In those, the second player scores 2X as he should. For single players, though, it's great. Star Fortress- Yes, it's Star Castle. Another good game, except it should get more difficult with time, not ships destroyed. Try it with the Roller Controller. Sky Jaguar- MSX version of the little-known arcade game. It's like Xevious, minus the ground targets. Very difficult, an amazing amount of action, simple power-ups, and a must-have for CV owners. The only problem is the choppy scrolling, which was simply brought over from the MSX version. Amazing Snake- One of those "eat things in a maze while you get bigger and bigger" games you used to see so often in the early 1980's. Not the best looking, sounding, or playing game ever, but it's a good one, very attractive, and the addition of Snake Pong only makes it a better value. I like it. Dac-Man V1.3- Actually, a sort of prototype Pac-Man, but different. Action is choppy, it's an unfinished prototype, but the sound is excellent, and it is satisfying. However, the Atarisoft and Opcode versions are better. If it's ever completed, though, Pac-Man fans should consider it- it's like those "alternate versions" you'd see in those small arcades and stores. Bejeweled- Yes, CV owners can play this game on a CV! If you know Bejeweled, then you know how good it is. This one is not as tough, but it has options the on-line version never offered. Excellent. Space Invaders Collection- Actually, you get THREE game here, since the USA and Japan versions of Deluxe are quite different. With all of the different settings, options, and the like, this is quite possibly the best version of the classics that started it all in high gear, unless you want to be like that kid from the commercial who lugged an arcade machine up that hill (remember him?). Pretty much flawless in every way. And the title screen! Until Pac Man Collection, it was unbeatable in quality. Space Invasion- This is John Dondzila's 1998 version of Space Invaders and Space Invaders Deluxe. It has exactly two options (just mentioned). The UFO's point value is randomly determined, so don't count shots, and the "death row" trick does not work here. The UFO in Deluxe drops a bomb, not invaders. Not up to SIC, but it is very professional, the use of colors excellent, and it was the first home option I ever played in which your shots and enemy bombs interacted. It also has a fine title screen, that 1000/500 point invader trick in Deluxe (cascade and all), and the invader-escaping-on-a-UFO routine between screens in Deluxe, too. Funny- it makes me think of the Astrocade. A perfect companion game for SIC. Actually, I don't have a bad one among them.

Well, since I've never seen an XE lightgun, I couldn't tell you that. But in theory, any light gun that simply detects and sends a difference between dark and light should work. Since NES light guns are still fairly common, that's the design I prefer. Keep in mind that I did heavily modify it for the 5200. The beauty of an analog set-up is that all you have to do is compare two resistances/currents- regardless of what they are. 1,000,000 Ohms to 999,500 Ohms or 1,000 to 500, it doesn't matter. But for a CV light gun, it's all or nothing. Therefore, the comparison has to be in the hardware (the gun or related part) itself. In this case, between a set value (as opposed to a 5200, which can be nearly any value), and a certain change. It's a good deal trickier, really. But it can be done, although a sensitivity dial is very important. In effect, you'd have to have a set-up that will allow a current through (say, the left fire button) completely when the chip is exposed to a little light, or not allow ANY current through when not exposed to that light. Op-Amps can do this, but man, why couldn't it be like a 5200?

So far, my successful hardware projects are: 1) A "regular" CV controller that converts to a 4-button (using keypad buttons 1 and 3) at the flick of a switch. 2) A digital 5200 controller. 3) A 5200 paddle controller- it has a "rocker" switch on the side for shifting gears during Pole Position. 4) The 5200 Light Gun. However, I need a simple 5200 test cartridge for the final fine-tuning, although it has passed every other test I- with my limited equipment- have given it. My future projects are a CV light gun (much trickier), and a CV "slow-fire" module. For Looping, mainly, although it can also be good for Spectar, Mr. Do!'s Castle, and Tarzan.

Well, show me where I can see the MSX version in action, and then I'll know. Until then...mere screenshots'll have to do. Also, Atari 5200 fans usually state that there isn't anything a CV can do that a 5200 can't, but the same is not true the other way, even if not quite as good (e.g. Mr. Do!s Castle). Wouldn't the same apply here, even if the CV version turns out to be not quite as smooth? If it's on the MSX, then it can be done on a CV. An interesting thing about this comparison is this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WrsIT1N1CM This is Opcode's long-awaited Pac Man Collection. Since the ghosts are made of more than one sprite, as no doubt Ms. Pac-Man is, you'd expect some serious flickering. But even with the problematic Youtube video, it's minor- and, if you read the comments below it, on a "real" television it's nowhere near even that bad. Therefore, a game which, if you read the CV tech specs, esp. at AGH, should be all but unplayable (due to flickering) is accomplished here. This is what I meant about "application." This game proves that what one would assume is "impossible" on a CV based on normal techniques or specs is often untrue. This is why I wonder if the 7800 was really that much better than a CV. To be fair, the same would apply to the 5200 (so who knows what it was capable of)? In any case, enjoy the video.

Well, I just did see Ms. Pac-Man, courtesy of newcoleco. Opcode, your Pac-Man is better than the Atarisoft version, and it has more of that arcade "feel" or essence than the NES version. Just looking at it makes you want to play it! And yes, it is better than the Dreamcast version. Very much so. Another thing that fascinates me is the way you handled the mazes in Ms. Pac-Man. Now that I know how a CV presents on-screen images, it's even more astonishing. It's also fun to compare it to the Atari 5200 version (which was anything but a letdown, then or now). The 5200 has multi-colored mazes, but yours are precise arcade-proportioned. Also, the numbers of dots are exact, too. Even the 7800 version cannot make that claim. By the way- pertaining to the flickering on the Youtube version- the human eye cannot usually detect changing images more quickly than 12 times/second, so if it's 30 times/second, it shouldn't be really noticeable at all. Just what do you have in store for the future? (SNNNAAAAAAAAAPPPP JAAAAACKKKKKKK........). By the by, I answered your DP mailing. Absolutely.

Guess what I just picked up for $3.00 at a local second-hand store? A nice DIGITAL multitester! If it works, I now have something that can give me much more precise readings! This should greatly help me with hardware projects, such as the CV Light Gun!

Oh, wait- there it is, by Newcoleco. That's unbelievable! You know, the most fascinating thing is how Opcode managed to give the appearance of the CV being able to show more colors and shades than it actually can. Look at the main title screen. As for the flickering- a very minor issue. Besides, the 5200 version had that problem, too, and choppier motion besides.

Opcode, I just saw those two YouTube samples, and I still can't believe it. I did not think the Space Invaders Collection could be beat, but you've done it. This game blows the NES version out of the water. When can we see a sample of Ms. Pac-Man and Pac-Man Plus? Just as important is the fact that you've managed to greatly reduce the flicker problem. Imagine if Bump `N Jump or Burgertime used that technique. This is yet another example of what the CV was capable of in capable hands. I also haven't heard that dumb song in years. A perfect touch!

Well- there is an MSX version of Ballblazer! Looks somewhat sloppy with the colors, and I haven't seen it in actual action, but there it is. So the CV can do that one, clearly. Thanks for mentioning it. Never would've tried to find it, otherwise.

Does this mean your module uses a battery back-up? This module must be something else. Does it make the CV into an MSX 2? As for the time- folks, look at all the time it's taking me for the hardware I'm building. And Opcode's projects are far more advanced than anything I'm building. So any delay is understandable.

Good news! I'm very close to a working CV Light Gun design that does NOT need an outside power source! And I think I can apply the new design to my slow-fire module, too!

But Berzerk and Qix are among the tops for me, still. In all my years of being in the classic arcade scene, there was one and only one place where I was ever able to play Qix- across the street from my high school. So during lunch, I'd sorta, well, "accidently" wander off the grounds, and if I found myself there across the street and I just happened to have a few quarters, well, as long as I wasn't late "wandering" back...

Look, I'll always say that Atari dumping the 5200 after just 1 1/2 years was a rotten thing to do. The situation at that time just did not justify it in any realistic way. DracIsBack, you couldn't expect the 5200 to sell as well as the 2600. The 2600 was the very foundation of the programmable video game scene; even the Playstation 3 and X-Box 360 owe it all to the 2600. So the contention that the 2600 was a factor for the third generation (CV and 5200) just isn't logical. Sooner or later a more advanced system was going to be needed, so even if there were more 2600s out there than CVs or 5200s, that didn't matter. Those systems were from two different eras and situations, and so cannot be compared in sales or "established." But it did put Atari in a bind. On the one hand- as you point out- the 2600 was still a moneymaker. So Atari understandably did not want to abandon it. Yet, they did need something to compete with the CV. So it was that the 5200 really was caught between the hammer and the anvil. The (outside) CV, AND the (inside!) 2600. For every ounce of effort put into the 2600, was an ounce less that could be put into the 5200. When Coleco put its efforts into the CV, it was a strong result; but when they diverted some of that effort into the (&^%@#$!) ADAM, the CV suffered- which probably explains why games like Mr. Do!, Time Pilot, Space Fury, and the (defective) Victory were overall inferior to the 1982 batch, or had a rushed-out look. But so it was, and so it had to be. Atari came out with the 5200. Although its sales did not match those of the CV, it was itself no wimp. With games like Tempest, Super Pac-Man, and Millipede, it's not unreasonable, with lower prices, that at least some CV and other system owners would have gotten it as a second system, not unlike me now. But that didn't matter. Once Atari came out with it, Atari was committed. They chose to do it. Therefore, they owed it to their customers, and to their reputation, NOT to dump the thing. Sales were not nearly bad enough to justify it, and the 7800- esp. with its first batch of games- was not that much better. It was never likely that the 7800 would ever have toppled the CV from its position, and quite frankly, the 5200 was a more effective rival. But by doing what they did, they betrayed the trust their customers put into them, and that hurts any business worse than a system not quite meeting sales expectations. It was that loss of trust that helped the NES against Atari. And who knows what the 5200 would have been capable of? Just compare the earliest 2600 games to the later ones (e.g. Robot Tank). Learning curve and all. Hell, now that it has a light gun, we'll see what "Alien Brigade" and Crossbow-type games are possible. So 7800, NES, and SMS- As for the Telstar Arcade- my point was that both Atari and Coleco had first generation systems. But Coleco clearly did not want to repeat that fiasco, and got it right. Of course, I'll grant you this: it's always easier to make a better showing after a crummy first try than after a good one.