CV Gus

I do not have a computer of my own; I'm stuck using these library computers. This is probably why I cannot run most emulators. The only ones I've ever been able to run- and this is not 100%- are the ones you just click and start. If anything else is required, you run into the proverbial brick wall. Keep in mind that NOBODY here has been able to do it- even when they try other things that DO work on their home computers.

But wouldn't a paddle controller give me an unfair advantage? With it, I could beat even someone who is better than I am, because, well...it's a paddle controller.

Well, it is a fact that the CV pounded the 5200 in sales. Otherwise, again, why would Atari have dropped it when it was finally getting somewhere? This would only have destroyed any consumer faith in Atari. In the post-1984 era, they apparently did this with their computers, too. But the 5200? Even someone as cynical as I am just can't believe anyone is that idiotic. Oddly enough, both systems died for the same reason- idiot marketers giving know-nothing advice, and boneheaded CEOs who believed them. This is what caused the so-called "crash." I resent the usual theory because it's yet another case of the Baby Boomers trying to blame US for their stupid ideas. The whole crash theory assumes that since there were too many games, we spread the money out too thinly for any of the companies to survive. Therefore, the crash was OUR fault. That is one generation that demands the powers of a tyrant, expects us to obey them (watch Judge Joe Brown and see this sort of behavior) in every way,..and then makes us "more than equal" when the obvious disastrous results occur.and it's time to assign blame. In other words, we were too stupid to know a good game from a bad one. 5200 Ms. Pac-Man sold as well as I Want My Mommy or Dishaster? CV Slurpy sold as well as Pepper 2 or Bump `N Jump? It's ridiculous, and I'm just fed up with taking the blame caused by someone else's stupidity. So should you, really. Neither the 5200 nor the CV should have perished when they did. Period. Support the homebrewers of your classic system. .

Including Super Breakout was really foolish. Again, anyone who wanted this game had the 2600 version, and with the paddle controllers, it was better. 5200 Space Invaders was, quite frankly, inferior to the 2600 version, which looked as good and was more like the arcade version in spirit. Plus, it had more options. But never forget that the 5200 had a tough act to follow. The ColecoVision didn't, it came out sooner, and its first batch of games were better and did NOT have previous versions to follow. Atari should have had the sense to realize that the 5200, especially with those controllers, was doomed to, at the very least, a slow start. While Qix, Defender, and Berzerk, as well as Space Dungeon and Pengo, not to mention Ms. Pac-Man, were great, it was going to take time. They absolutely should NOT have abandoned it in 1984. Doing so damned them in the eyes of their consumer base, who felt abandoned themselves, especially since the 7800 AGAIN just had rehashes of games mostly seen on the 2600 AND 5200. It's still hard to believe to the Tramiels actually thought the 7800, with a late start and other handicaps, like Nintendo grabbing up the then-recent arcade titles, ever had a chance. Had they stood with the 5200, especially as programming improved (look at Super Pac-Man), they may have been able to stand up to the NES, especially as Nintendo was originally afraid of trying to match the NES against Atari here in America, and Atari would have held on to the arcade manufacturers here. But they dropped out, and what did they think those manufacturers were going to do- float about in Limbo? This all was a textbook example of how NOT to run a business. Dilbert's boss couldn't have done any worse.

Gluing aluminum foil to those tiny black contacts works for me. But know this- You must be VERY careful when taking apart and closing up these things. Move slowly, and don't take any short cuts. These controllers are notoriously fragile and easily broken, because of the stupid plastic "circuitry tape" they use. I've managed to solder it, but man, it's easier stealing a steak from a starving wolverine. The Angry Gaming Nerd was 100% on target about the 5200 controllers.

So the game has an ending, unlike Frenzy? Does it have "special" rooms? By the by- do all copies of Frenzy give you an extra life at 1,000 points, and then every 2,000 thereafter?

I have managed to finish both Double and Cavity several times. I can find out the scores, but- I used the paddle controller I built. Is this cheating, so my scores do not count?

Does not work here, I'm afraid. Thanks anyway, but someone will have to describe it for me. I should mention that these computers are also the reason why I gave up any plans to try and program text adventure games for the CV. Nobody here can get the emulators running. John Dondzila himself warned me that this was a problem. He was right. How can you learn CV programming without instructions and a working machine?

Can anyone here tell me anything about this game? I'm especially interested in whether or not this game is randomized at all so you cannot beat it by playing the same way every time.

Was Tramiel Atari capable of doing ANYTHING right, one wonders...

While watching the "Angry Video Game Nerd" on YouTube (5200)- it really is hilarious!- I noticed a clip for the Atari 7800 KLAX. Having read about this 'way back in 1991 (an "upcoming" game), and having seen screenshots years later, I was interested. It was absolutely fantastic looking. Sound was still a bit weak, but otherwise it seemed really excellent. So why was it never released here? Was Atari TRYING to ruin themselves? Wonder how a CV KLAX would be...

Scott's version of Astro Invader that's in the AA store is definitely not too easy. It's easier than the arcade but the difficulty ramps up nicely in the CV cart. I'm glad to hear that. I will most CERTAINLY purchase it this year, if not now. Of course, Opcode's Pac-Man Collection is a must... Can anyone here tell me about Reversi? Does the computer make random moves, so you can't figure out simple patterns?

Would anyone here be interested in purchasing copies of Kevtris, Space Invasion, or Star Fortress? I do not have them, but maybe if there was enough interest, the programmers may permit copies to be made and sold?

As I am saving up for a homebrew- the first one since Spectar (read my review!), I am trying to decide if it should be: Yi- Ar Kung Fu Reversi (does anyone know about this game?) Astro Invader...Being a gamer who was around since Pong, I really like being able to get older games like this- especially obscure ones. Just as long as it's not too easy. It's a good time to be a CV owner- the console has arisen, Phoenix-like, from marketer-inspired death.

Oh, there's much more to it than that- when you combine EVERYTHING that has to be happening (ask any homebrewer if it's as simple as you imply). Hadn't you noticed how utterly flawless it all was? This was at a time when many "experts" questioned whether or not the 7800 was even a fourth-generation system. When you consider everything, it's probable that Gauntlet on the 7800 would have been better than on the NES. Again, that ability to handle massive on-screen movement. The NES and SMS had massive investment in R&D behind them, which is how we got those later games, such as Super Mario Bros. 3 and the later Castlevania games. The 2600 also had that, which is why the games for the same system were so much more advanced in 1982 than in 1978. No, the 7800 had what it took- but a skilled wimp with a one-shot pistol from 1770 can beat a stupid Rambo. And the Tramiels weren't Rambo, smart or dumb. Just plain dumb. And the NES was no wimp. That situation was more like a skilled Rambo against a stupid wimp who didn't even load the pistol... I think you'll agree that if the Tramiels had run a desert, they couldn't have found sand.

Well, to figure out just what the 7800 could have done, you could look at the games that did exist: Xevious- Never, in the now two decades I've had this game, have I ever seen any choppy scrolling or flickering, no matter how much action is occurring on-screen. Even when the huge mothership is attacking, too. I hear about glitching up, but I've never seen it. It always runs perfectly. Robotron: 2084- Although the 5200 has better explosions, sounds, and the border, this is a matter of programming- the fact remains that the 7800 is handling the on-screen movement much better than the good, but choppier, 5200 version. Plus, it has the color GREEN on it. I think a CV version of this game would have equaled or exceeded the 5200 version, by the by. Tower Toppler. Animated enemies. The entire screen moving to produce the illusion of character movement. The way the bricks shrink as you "go around" the "sides" (the tower is cylindrical, remember). The way things gradually appear or disappear around the sides. The way things speed up or slow down based on their motion AND yours. The intermissions! THIS was a game that said "the 7800 is fourth-generation, like the NES." Joust. First-generation, all good. Except maybe the pterydactyl... Midnight Mutants. Look at the creepy graphics. Clearly, except for the sounds, the 7800 was really good. Its ability to handle on-screen motion exceeded even the SMS, the graphics were very good- but they just never brought it all together enough. Sirius shows us the 7800 that could've been. It was boneheaded leadership that did in the 7800. can you say "Tramiels?" Grrrrr....

You know what would be an interesting "what if?" How well would the 5200 have done if there had never been a ColecoVision? Would there have been a 7800 in 1984?

Video Games Player Magazine in mid-1983 did mention that Atari had to support an arcade division, the computer division, the 2600, AND the 5200. Even at its best, that would be spreading itself thin. Again, you must remember (if you were around in those days) or understand (if you weren't) that arcade games had made tremendous strides during this time. It seemed that one moment we were playing Super Breakout and Berzerk; the next, we were playing Robotron: 2084 and Zaxxon. The old stand-bys, the 2600, Astrocade, Odyssey 2, and even the great Intellivision, just fell too far behind. We were eager for something new at home, and when we saw those pictures of the first CV games- LADYBUG! ZAXXON! And those promised games, including...TUNNELS AND TROLLS! Well! The few-month head start the CV got on the 5200 does not seem significant in 2008, when the difference among the Playstation, X-Box 360, and the like does not seem THAT big, and since it's been 26 years, after all...but back then, it was a HUGE head start. Plus, the CV didn't have an equivalent of the 2600 to compete and to be compared to (especially with Space Invaders and Super Breakout). Add in those ridiculous joysticks, and the 5200 was in trouble from the start. Now, I still have those old magazines from that era, and the NES isn't so much as mentioned in any of them. Even in 1984. Now, why would Atari risk angering its customers by abandoning the 5200 after just less than 1 1/2 years, especially if, as 5200 fans claim, "...the 5200's sales passed those of the CV by then?" Why do that only to release the 7800, most of its first games being just rehashes of the ones from the 5200 AND 2600 AND computers? My guess is that not only did the 5200 sales fall far short of expectations (the only logical guess, unless Atari was run by total imbeciles), but that they knew about the NES and the marketer-created collapse. The 7800 may well have been rushed out to intercept it. Even when Nintendo offered to let Atari sell it. Then, the Tramiels took over, and released the 7800 as cheaply as possible, AFTER the NES was established, and the rest is a valuable history lesson on how the older generations ruined our once-strong economy through outright stupidity. It's all the more frustrating when you look at CV games like Kevtris (which could have looked even better than it already does!), Sky Jaguar, Lord of the Dungeon, etc...the CV, if Coleco had not stupidly ruined itself, could have been strong enough to head off the NES and SMS- at least, via the learning curve, by 1986 its games would have been numerous and improved enough to have made the NES a good deal less impressive. But alas, it's 2008, and you know the situation as well as I do. We're stuck with it, not that the ones responsible will ever admit it. You see, what happened in 1984 reflects what happened everywhere here. By the by- my complements to the programmer of 5200 Warlords. Looks good.

There are a few others but they really only didn't come out until 1989 or 1990 after a) customers complained; b) Their plans for the XEGS didn't work out. Alien Brigade, Scrapyard dog, Ikari Warriors, Midnight Mutants, Commando, and Ninja Golf all fit within this genre. What Gradius-style games were there back then? I have Double Dragon (it's lacking...), but I've never heard of a side-scroller, and the only vertical scrollers were Xevious and Planet Smashers.

This game looks great. Does it have everything from the arcade version? This game would really have been welcomed by Intellivision owners "back in the day." Not just because they'd have another recent arcade game for their console, but because it's a splendid translation, too. The scrolling looks just fine. Excellent work.

Last night, I was playing Matt Patrol for the ColecoVision. The 3-level scrolling on this game is amazing, and it very much captures most of the essence of Moon Patrol- although the ridiculous brassieres spoil it. Then I looked over a photo of CV Joust. Does anyone have any plans to complete these sort of games? Redoing the ships in Matt Patrol and adding in missing elements (uphill would be a problem, but is it really needed, as long as the boulders are there?)? Adding sound and title screen in Joust?

Where were you Back in 1982? THIS is what the 2600 version should've looked like. It's all about programming talent.

What happens when you defeat all of the enemies? How many such "rounds" are there? does it just go on, getting more dificult? Can you skip earlier rounds?

And a complete step backwards from the version on the Atari 5200. Of all the games that reflect Tramiel's half-ass effort, that may be the biggest. Even Absolute's Pete Rose Baseball (A "not so great game" from, IMO, a "not so great" dev house) walks all over Real Sports Baseball, IMO. You know something? You're right about this! Especially with voice synthesis, the 5200 version is, overall, the better of the two. Even the CV version, unique for its time, holds up better than the 7800 version. But clearly you agree that the Tramiels never really put enough effort into the 7800. And looking at Matt Patrol, Opcode's incredible games for the CV, Lord of the Dungeon and Galaxian, was the 7800 really that far ahead of the ColecoVision? The sound for the 5200 and CV were both superior in any case. It would take the 7800 version of Opcode to ever know just what the 7800 was actually capable of. What the 7800 really needed were- in 1988 or even 1989, latest: Side-scrolling/level/boss games, a-la Gradius. Battery-backed RPGs. Even the ColecoVision had one! If Nintendo and Sega had a death grip on recent arcade titles, then go back and find unusual older titles: Snap Jack, Jump Bug, Do!-Run-Run, etc. Anything for variety, Since it was likely that older gamers were the ones who bought the 7800, then these games would likely appeal to them.

The other day, I played Pole Position 2 for the 7800. This game once again made me think how the 7800 was "the little system that could have." I think one problem, considering existing games for the 7800, such as Xevious, Dark Chambers, Tower Toppler, and Robotron: 2084, was that the 7800's abilities were never really used. It was mentioned above that Klax was completed. I doubt a serious 7800 version would have been less than the NES version. You have to keep in mind that I bought a 7800 back in mid-1988. I went with Atari. And after a time I felt that the Tramiels were never serious about the 7800. This is why the games never matched those of the NES. Look at Pac-Man and Space Invaders for the CV. Look at the 3-level scrolling of Matt Patrol. Hell, look at the overall game Matt Patrol; if seriously completed, it would have been nearly up to arcade standards. It's obvious that the CV could have stood up to the NES. How then could the 7800 not? I got a 7800 mainly for Joust. To be honest, if the CV version had been 100% completed and released, then, since the same would have been true for Dig Dug and Pac-Man, I would not have bought a 7800. In fact, I am still astonished that the CV is overall the better choice. As is, to a large extent, the 5200.