CV Gus

I guess what I meant was, what part(s) of what that demo showed couldn't be done on a Megacart? If there was to be no module, then what would DK be like? Please keep it in layman terms. My only area of "expertise" is with controllers and such. Such as it is.

What do you mean by "DKA?" I'm thinking of the 4-screen version of DKJr., which I have for the CV on cartridge. It cannot be more than the usual 32K ROM, but, although rough around the edges, it is complete. You said that DK version is on a Megacart; if it works, then why woiuld extra RAM be needed?

My vote would be for a module you can plug into a CV- like the Atari 2600 module- that could still play regulay CV games. It would add memory, less flickering (maybe?), and possibly the use of analog controllers. But why not just stick to those super CV games? If DK and DKJr. can be done on a megacart as in those YouTube demos, then why not do it that way? Isn't a module supposed to be for games that cannot really be done on a parent console? Just my one farthing...

Well, then that's one thing the module could take care of! Would it also make such "super games" less expensive, since all of the necessary enhancements would be in the module, not each and every cartridge- so it would be less expensive after buying several such games?

It would seem as though a trap is that anyone smart enough to build such a thing will "...just want to add this..." on and on. Just what do people want in such a module? 1) Extra memory...but can't you do that already, as with Pac-Man Collection? So this would have to go beyond even that- say, 512K? 2) Less flickering? 3) More colors? 4) A/V outputs? 5) Voice synthesis? Note- rumor has it that Kevin Horton has done this without anything but a regualr CV to work with. 6) Auto-smooth scrolling? But what about the 2 colors/8-pixel line/character space limit? 7) Extra sound capacity? Analog control ability? What combo? Just one? All eight? Some things never change: the more you're going to want, the more it will take- in time, in effort, in hardware (and thus...), IN PRICE. Opcode, just what is possible with an unexpanded CV? Could you do that fantastic DK version if you use a Megacart the way you did for the PMC? The latter was something nobody thought could be done on a CV- well, maybe a half-dozen other people or so. But you actually did it. I would assume that this module is for games that even a Megacart cannot properly handle, for whatever reason. The only thing I can suggest is that the module merely expands what a CV can do, while still keeping it a CV. Extra memory (beyond what a Megacart can really do), less flickering, and analog control (although such would be of limited use) would be such a module. But- the final decision is yours. How many of us here could even design such a thing?

It is highly unlikely that the 7800 outsold the CV. In fact, I'd bet my next paycheck that it outsold neither the CV NOR the 5200. You have to remember that when speaking of CV and 5200 sales, the figures usually given pertained to American (USA) sales. But there was a comment one video game magazine from the 7800 era mentioned: that the 7800 was selling best in Europe (according to Atari). So if the 7800 did sell as many as the figure given above, it was likely the COMBINED sales of here and abroad. It was similar to the Jaguar being a 64-bit system- it was, if you based it on the data bus (which only Atari did). It was all hocus-pocus. The 7800 did not even outsell the SMS. What happened to the 5200 I already mentioned above. But, for the 7800, it was even worse, although similar: The NES had a head start on it- as did the CV over the 5200. But while the 5200 had the advantage of Atari still being one company- and this included its arcade division, which was vital (Tempest, etc.), the 7800 did not- Atari was now split into two. Atari was hurt by the way it had abandoned the 5200 (few trusted them not to do the same for the 7800), almost all of the strong third party companies had put their best into the NES and maybe the SMS, you could not count on "Atari" arcade games being made into 7800 versions (unlike the 2600 and 5200), and, worst of all...the Tramiels, who couldn't sell ice water in the Sahara. While exact sales figures do not exist, all publications agreed that the CV outsold the 5200. The fact that some mentioned that 5200 sales eventually equalled the CV did not matter- this was by 1984; in order to OVERTAKE (i.e. outsell) anything that has a head start (as did the CV) AND better sales figures for some time means that you must not only start to outsell, but you must continue to do so for quite some time. It is no different than a race- if I have a headstart on you, and I am going faster, then it is not nearly enough for you to move faster as I am slowing down- you must keep it up. And even if this would have been the case, it was moot- Atari had dropped the 5200. There is simply no way any rational person can say the 5200 did better overall. All of the evidence indicates otherwise. There are also other things: 1) Garage sales- I have found over 2 dozen CVs over the years at them, but only ONE 5200, and it wasn't even working. It took me quite some time to get it running, and I still need to find some 15-pin sockets for it to play Space Dungeon, Robotron: 2084, and any two-player games (simultaneous). By the way- I ask if they have any "5200 stuff." With only one or two exceptions, I find out they menat the 2600. When I expalin what a 5200 was, they have no idea what I am talking about. This is NOT the case with the CV; at least 80% of the time, they know of it. 2) If the 5200 was doing so well, even I cannot believe Atari was insanely stupid enough to have dropped the 5200 in favor of the 7800, which, quite frankly, was not such a huge step from the 5200, and was introduced with games which the 5200 had already done, or (as with Desert Falcon and Galaga) could've done. Did they think Atari owners would forgive them? Or did they think to attract the larger CV crowd with games that did not work the first time? No matter how you add it up, it just doesn't work. 3) Again- this is worth mentioning again- the 5200 was hurt by the continued support the 2600 was receiving. No doubt, the CV was hurt in a similar way by that stupid ADAM computer, but it was worse for the 5200. I've also often wondered why the second console- the 5200 (1982) was not 2600 compatable, while the third console- the 7800 (1984)- was. Why would a next generation console not be, while the one after that would? It does seem as if the 7800 was originally to have been Atari's next system, but they had to rush something out to meet the CV. It's only a guess, but at times it does seem that way, esp. as they dropped the 5200 after no more than 18 months. Once again, after playing the 5200 and 7800 last night...I prefer the 5200. There's just something about it that, well, is "brighter." As for the 3-6 million sold figure for the CV- it is likely that the actual number was about 4 1/2 million. Part of the problem is that the CV continued to be sold after mid-1984, so figures at that point would be blurry. For you 5200 programmers- how much better could the 5200 Joust, Pac-Man, and Dig Dug have been? How good could Galaga and Desert Falcon have been? Alien Brigade? Dark Chambers?

It's strange that people cannot accept the idea that the CV outsold the 5200. Nobody seems to have a problem with the NES having outsold the 7800, after all. There were a number of reasons why the 5200 lost out- although, unlike the poor 7800, it was NOT a massacre: 1) The 2600. In any field, it's hard to follow up something that was a huge hit. It also took resources, time, and effort away from the 5200. It is interesting to wonder how the 5200 would've done if the CV had never been; would the 2600 have still badly hurt it? 2) The crummy controllers. To this day, bleah. 3) The 5200 had a "been there, done that" feel. Especially since the pack-in game, Super Breakout, was really no better than the 2600 version, which was actually better because of the paddles. And the 5200 Space Invaders was inferior to the 2600. 4) First impressions. Overall, the initial batch of CV games were better-looking and more unique than the 5200's. This too gave the CV an important head start.

Well, we are just CV owners, after all. The module does not have to turn a CV into a Super NES. Some of the better MSX games have shown what a "CV with more memory" can do, and that's more than good enough for us- especially if the module would allow use of analog controllers (e.g. for Arkanoid and a game like Pole Position, although, unless you want to get into 1970s games, that would be limited). You mentioned how the above game (Space Manbow) uses a graphics mode that allows "8 sprites per scan line." I assume that means that twice as many sprites can be lined up left to right before they flicker? That alone is something, imagine Burgetime or Bump `N Jump with that...hey, is that one of the "improvements" regular games will get from your module? Excellent! What did that version of DK require? If the module allows that, and anything more, then you're already there. Especially if it'll make the games themselves less expensive.

Radio Shack found in the late 90's that pimping cell phones and other monthly service products was way more lucrative than their hobby electronic stuff - hence if you go to a RS today and ask about anything other than a phone you will get a blank stare followed by a pointing to the back of the store. You know, I've noticed that, and I'm wondering who the hell came up with that stupid idea? The whole thing about Radio Shack was that it was a place where an electronic hobbyist could get supplies. But lately, that place has been a dead end- as you say, it's becoming more of a retail outlet. The problem here is simple- what do they sell that you cannot find at a Wal-Mart? They can't be insane enough to believe that they can undersell them- are they? As for amperage- that is no problem. Even if the adapter has just 3/4 of an amp- not hard to find- then you should be fine. I've never had a problem.

There is something else about these two systems I've experienced, as has someone else at this website, a factor which, after all of these years, is more important than ever (vast echo and distance...) The power supplies. Since it's been so many years, you're not likely to find a CV or 5200 power supply for sale in your local Radio Shack. And here, the 5200- as do the 7800 and 2600- wins out. The Atari systems use a simple adapter to convert household current to 9V DC. That's it. + and -. Easy. It's easy to find another power supply, even today, and I've even managed to run Ataris off of a 12V battery, using a simple voltage converter I picked up for 25 cents at a garage sale. Hell, just by using a couple of resistors, you could reduce the voltage to what it should be. Thus, with the 12V color television I picked up at a garage sale yesterday, during a power outage playing some 5200 games is no problem. A CV power supply, on the other hand, is a real pain. Try to build your own, and if you are not VERY careful, then you'll blow something out. That -5V in particular is a booby trap. It can be done, but to tell you the truth, you're probably better off just getting an adapter through the mail, and plugging it into one of those little inverters if you want to use a 12V battery. Coleco fumbled the ball on this one.

At this point, what exactly would this module do? If it simply added memory, allowed the use of analog controllers, and cut down/eliminated the flickering, that would be great by itself. Opcode, I'm still impressed by the Pac-Man Collection. It is better than the NES, 7800, 5200, 2600, and 5-in-one handheld versions. And those above screenshots are simply amazing. A CV can do that? Then that programmer I contacted a while back underestimated what a CV could do with a side-scroll.

Well, that's a huge plus- that means you don't have to plug and unplug such an accessory every time you want a game of Ladybug or Space Panic. That means a lot less wear and tear on the works.

Can you plug in normal CV cartridges into the module, and will they work normally?

Maybe I can answer that- his module does more than just add RAM- it adds other abilities to the CV, such as the use of analog controllers (a CV has nothing for paddle controllers like a 2600). Cost is probably another factor. It is easier and less expensive to have a module give added abilities to a console, rather than put them into each and every additional cartridge, especially as the needed enhancements would vary from game to game.

All I'm trying to get across here is that just because you might like one system better than another does NOT mean you don't like that other system. Didn't I not only build a digital 5200 controller without any help, but also posted full text instructions and background, as well as (thanks to Big O) diagrams so anyone can build one? Didn't I fix my 7800 so paddle controllers work once again? When I post something at a website like this, they are usually just what you see. When I posted about 5200 vs. 7800, it was not only to compare the two, but to wonder if Atari might have made it if they had stuck with the 5200. Don't forget, the 5200 was doomed BEFORE the crash of 1984. A CV vs. 7800 thread was not as crazy as some have implied. From what evidence I've gathered, as well as memories, the CV actually continued on into 1987 (some release dates of some games are listed as 1986). Again, it seemed as though it could've matched a 7800, as could the 5200. Don't forget, there is more than technology involved in a system's success: if tech specs were all that mattered, then the SMS would've pounded the NES. I am also curious about some things, and hope to get some answers here. In my latest CV vs. 5200 post, it should have been obvious that I was wondering why more 5200 games aren't "ported" from an obvious source: Atari computers, just as MSX games can be put on a CV (e.g. Sky Jaguar). Well, at the Digital Press, it turns out that a good number of games HAVE been put on the 5200- in fact, there are so many, why didn't anyone ever point out this large number? In my earlier such post, I would then have simply stated that for after-years support, both are now supported by too many games to call- including Gateway to Apshai for the 5200 (thus, the CV advantage with RPGs is much less than I had thought). Some are hypothetical. Obviously, the CV and 7800 never went directly head to head, just as the 5200 and 7800 never did- but indirectly, both the 5200 and CV may have hurt the 7800. The 5200, by being dumped so suddenly after too-short a time probably soured many potential customers to Atari, and the CV had a large enough following, a large enough library, and had lasted long enough (again, into 1987?) to make a CV to 7800 jump seem unnecessary. Thus, indirectly, both the CV and 5200 may have helped the NES against the 7800. Aren't websites like this a logical place to bring these things up? That's all there is to it. So don't look for some "ulterior motives" to my posts- there just aren't any. Latest 5200 high scores: Berzerk- 24,000+ Wizard of Wor- 209,400.

It is difficult to describe just how impressive this version looks so far. I remember the Super Game version (what was shown of it back then). I was not impressed at all; all of the flaws of the original were still there. It would not have been worth the purchase. But yours is something else. It is what the SG version SHOULD have been. One thing I did not like about other versions was the 1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4 way the screens were presented. At least the CV version, esp. with DKJr., got the sequence right. Yours I assume will present the screens in proper order? (Dumb question- of course it will...) There is one thing I'm wondering- will regular CV games be playable with that module?

Apparently, this post is needed. Lately, I've had a number of people whining about how I "don't like" Atari (esp. the 5200) and am a CV fanatic. Enough already. As I've posted before, and will do so here again, I first obtained a 5200 back in 1998, from a townwide garage sale. It came with a number of games, and even instruction booklets. Problem was, it didn't work- the plugs were mostly broken, esp. Player 1 (which is vital for a 5200), and the switchbox was broken. This was back in 1998. What technical skill I have now I did not have back then. In spite of this, soldering and desoldering, cleaning and dusting, as best I could then, I managed, after many hours of effort, finally, when I tried the controller in port #1- "THE HUMANOID MUST NOT ESCAPE" It was victory. Question: Does someone who hates the 5200 go through all of that trouble to get it running? Yes, I've complained about the crummy 5200 controllers- as did 99% of people back in the day, if the letters and reviews in the magazines back then were any indication. So- what did I do? FROM SCRATCH, using old junk and the greater know-how I now have, BUILT A WORKING 5200 DIGITAL CONTROLLER!!! ANNNNND...I even posted text and diagrams right here at this website, so anyone else can build one, too. Not to mention a real paddle controller- for just two games, Super Breakout and Pole Position- two games- so I can play them better. A lightgun, even though no lightgun games exist (hopefully, that won't be true much longer?). AND- the niftiest thing yet, not one but TWO adapters to allow use of standard 9-pin controllers on a 5200. One (passive) only allows the use of "good" contact controllers like the 7800 pro-line, while the other (battery) allows the use of almost any 9-pin. I have always conceded that for exotic controllers, the 5200 wins out, and it is easier to convert analog to digital rather than the other way around- which means the 5200 scores. I bought Blueprint for the 5200 last year. Right now, hooked up to the television is...the CV AND the 5200 (that switchbox allows both systems plus the digital converter box). I happen to own a 2600, a 5200, a 7800, an NES, and a CV- yet, the two systems readily hooked up include a 5200. So- what does all of this mean? I REALLY LIKE THE FRIGGIN` 5200! Better than the 2600, the 7800, and the NES. And even the GBC. Just because I may like the CV better DOES NOT mean that I don't like the 5200. But I will not allow the likes of anyone here to tell me not to mention that the 5200 was outsold by the CV, or that the CV controllers themselves were better than the 5200 ones. The latter most people agreed with, even if they didn't like the CV ones (games digital, CV controllers digital, plus the 9-pin factor). The former is documented fact, and when it is relevant, I will mention it. I also said that the NES pounded the 7800. Since you now know that I own one, since 2000, does that make me a CV fanatic, or an NES fanatic? In my generations post, the CV outselling the 5200 was relevant, because nothing outsold the 2600- therefore, the 5200 did not do as well as the 2600. That was relevant to "diminishing generations." If that offended, then why not my statement that the NES pounded the 7800? Why doesn't that ever get me into hot water here? So, in conclusion- I LIKE MY 5200, AND ALWAYS WILL! Why not visit the Digital Press, and read my review for 5200 Qix, and the CV Space Fury? If that doesn't settle it, then I give up. Have a nice day- or night, depending on your time zone.

(sighs) If I thought Atari sucked, people, then why did I purchase a 7800 in 1988, when the NES was THE thing? Why did I pick up a 5200 from a townwide garage sale in 1998, and spend hours working on getting it to function for at least one player, because, among other things, control ports one, two, and four were busted? Why have I built a digital controller, a paddle controller, a light gun, and a 7800 controller/2600 paddle controller-5200 module for the 5200 if I thought it "sucked?" Hell, that thing has gotten more hardware built from me than the CV! And elsewhere here, I explained how I fixed my 7800 so paddle controllers worked on it again. Who does that for a system that terminally "sucks?" If someone points out that the SMS was outsold by the NES- which it was- does that mean they're saying the SMS sucked? And why didn't you comment on my 7800 vs. NES statement? What the hell are you babbling about? I was comparing earlier Atari generations to later ones. Yes, I mentioned how the CV outsold the 5200, because that was a factor- NOTHING outsold the 2600 in its time. And why aren't you accusing me of being an NES fan, since I pointed out how the NES pounded the 7800- which (in case you didn't get it) I purchased in 1988 instead of an NES or SMS? You didn't get it, did you? I'll simplify it: 2600: Nothing matched it. 5200- Second to CV, but it was not a beating. Just outdone, but respectable. 7800- Pounded by the NES and SMS, both. Jaguar- What major system DIDN'T outdo it? How wasn't it a bad joke?

There's also a PIA missing and a disk drive missing and a 10K/16K ROM OS missing. There, you see? That's the sort of thing I'm trying to find out about! But I don't know how much of a problem this would present. Does it make it next to impossible, or very difficult? What about the program (game) itself? A small game? Would there be similar problems with MSX games?

It makes perfect sense, Opcode, believe me. Things have changed a whole lot...a whole lot. Myself, I don't like it much. And that version of DK looks FANTASTIC so far- it has that "essense" of the arcade version- if you played it back in the early 1980s, in a nice arcade, you'll know what I mean! Just as your SIC and your PMC both do. I think I'd prefer the "regular" four-screen version.

(sighs) If I thought Atari sucked, people, then why did I purchase a 7800 in 1988, when the NES was THE thing? Why did I pick up a 5200 from a townwide garage sale in 1998, and spend hours working on getting it to function for at least one player, because, among other things, control ports one, two, and four were busted? Why have I built a digital controller, a paddle controller, a light gun, and a 7800 controller/2600 paddle controller-5200 module for the 5200 if I thought it "sucked?" Hell, that thing has gotten more hardware built from me than the CV! And elsewhere here, I explained how I fixed my 7800 so paddle controllers worked on it again. Who does that for a system that terminally "sucks?" If someone points out that the SMS was outsold by the NES- which it was- does that mean they're saying the SMS sucked? And why didn't you comment on my 7800 vs. NES statement? Fact is, people, it was a case of diminishing generations. The 2600 was the NES of the 1970s. The 5200 was outsold by the CV, but what I was pointing out was that the 5200 did not do as well as the 2600. The 7800 was even worse. The CV outsold, but did not annihilate, the 5200, and the 5200 got respect. But with the 7800, it wasn't even close; the SMS outdid it, it was a pathetic third. At least the 5200 was relevant to its time (Ms. Pac-Man, Robotron: 2084, Pengo, Space Dungeon, Ballblazer, etc.), but not really so with the 7800. And the Jaguar? Who here will say that Atari wasn't a bad joke by then? It all goes to show that you can have all the hardware and software you want, but if you neglect the other things- which is what Atari started to do when they dropped the 5200- then your company is doomed. I'm not concerned with the technology of these things in this post; I'm just pointing out that whatever Atari did during the days of the 2600 in the 1970s, they did less and less of in later years. By the way- thanks to that 5200 digital controller, my new high score in Berzerk is over 24,000.

Well, it's because I never mentioned these things in my previous comparison. This post is, in effect, a continuation of that other one. I'm curious about these things. We know MSX games can be put on a CV- obviously- but since a 5200 is "an Atari computer minus the keyboard," I've always wondered why more 5200 homebrewers aren't trying to bring more such games to the 5200. Is there some other factor, like memory blocks or expansion, involved? Keep in mind that the only programming experience I've had is with Commodore computers.

It seems as if, when you check out the history of Atari's home consoles, each generation was a less successful effort. First, there was the 2600. What more has to be said? All things taken into consideration, this was the most successful programmable console of all time, even over the NES. This one had something for everyone; except for gun games (which were quite possible), it had nearly all genres you could want. It could appeal to young and old, even, with games like Chess, Poker, and Reversi. Trouble first started with the 5200. Outsold by the CV, this one never was as successful as Atari had hoped. Of course, there was the 2600 gumming up the works: it was doing too well for Atari to drop, so they were dividing their efforts, with the 2600 apparently getting more than the 5200. Also, there was repetition: the 5200 had a "been there, done that" feel, especially with the first generation of games (Super Breakout and Space Invaders, with the latter being better on the 2600!). To be fair, expecting ANY next-generation system to do as well as the 2600 was unrealistic. With games like Tempest, Super Pac-Man, and Millipede coming out, Atari should not have flatlined this one after a mere 18 months. Arnie Katz himself pointed out how disappointing sales were for Atari, but at this point they should not have looked at mere numbers- gamer loyalty was the thing. A pity. There's something about it that just works, somehow. Not equal to the CV, perhaps, but it could've made money for Atari. It was from a brighter era. Ah, the 7800. I was onboard for this video console version of the Titanic. What games were initially released? Why, THE SAME GAMES AS FOR THE 5200 AND 2600, for the most part, or games that should have come out for the 5200- like Xevious and Galaga. No wonder 5200 owners felt burned. And hey, let's release it AFTER the NES had a deathgrip on the market that not even Sega could overcome at that point. Add to that the cheap efforts (at least the 5200 had colorful and nicely-done labels and booklets), and the lack of released genres that were obviously popular (where was the Boss/Level/Side-Scrollers? The RPGs?), and the 7800 was the perfect example of how not to do it. I had hoped, and hoped...then finally wised up and went back to the CV. No wonder I've gone through so much trouble to get my 5200 up and running with homemade controllers, even. The Jaguar. By now Atari was a bad joke. Both 5200 and 7800 owners weren't likely to trust them, and the new generation of gamers were raised on Sega and Nintendo. Had they cleaned up their acts, even so the Jaguar could've been a new start, but as with the 7800, every time they started to do anything right, they would right away wreck it. Anyone else here remember that stupid infomercial? With the 7800, there was at least the feeling that Atari could start coming back. With the Jaguar, it was too late.

Homebrewing was brought up, which made me wonder: what about these things? 1) Memory expansion. Which of the two is easier to make expanded memory games for? Are there practical upper limits? If so, then what? How would the upper limits compare practically, since the two systems are different? 2) Opcode had already released MSX games on the CV. How hard is it to do this? Now, how does one release Atari 400 computer games on a 5200? Easier? Tougher? 3) Which is easier to get the hardware for to do these things? There is also the question of controllers, but I covered that myself before, since controllers is the one technical area here I have some skill in. For regular within their spheres controllers, it is the CV, especially when building new joysticks. For more exotic ones, like steering, paddle, or lightgun controllers, the 5200 is easier to handle.

Thanks for the advice on the flaky controller port. I am not knowledgeable with electronics, but I can solder. Would I pop off the black controller port? Where are the connections? I know it has plastic connectors to keep it on the machine. Another repair question - what do you do when the screws in the machine no longer screw in (I assume the plastic in the machine is stripped?). Two of them just sit there and turn, but they don't screw in anymore. Don't worry about them? Any fixes? There is one thing you can do, awkward as it is, to see if it's the controller or the control port on the 5200: Plug in two controllers. Choose a cartridge which uses the fire button, like Berzerk. Choose a two-player game. Play both briefly. See what happens. If player one cannot shoot, but player two can, switch controllers. If now player one can shoot but not player two, then it's the controller. If it's the same as before, it's the 5200. (If neither can shoot ever, then maybe you have two bad controllers. Try another.) If you think it's the 5200 at the port, then first check to see if all 15 pins are there. If they are, then it's likely a bad solder somewhere. If that's the case, then it could be easy: Just touch each of the 15 pins where they connect to the circuit board with a hot soldering iron (you said you can do basic soldering). Add a bit of solder if you think it needs it. You do not have to remove that part at all if this is all that is the matter. HELPFUL HINT: UPPER FIRE BUTTON= GREEN/WHITE and ORANGE. LOWER FIRE BUTTON= YELLOW and ORANGE The 5200 controller plug has 15 holes: there are 2 rows; 8 in the top row, and 7 in the bottom row. OOOOOOOO OOOOOOO I will number them. This assumes you are looking at the holes in the plug, with the 8-hole row on top: 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 01= GREEN 02= RED/WHITE 03= PURPLE 04= BLUE 05= ORANGE/WHITE 06= NOTHING 07= WHITE 08= GREY 09= ORANGE 10= GREEN/WHITE 11= YELLOW 12= NOTHING 13= RED 14= BROWN 15= BLACK When looking at the shiny pins on the 5200, it is a mirror image of the above. If you have a thin piece of wire and a delicate enough touch, you can directly test the 5200 port. Using a stripped garbage tie would do nicely for a wire. A multi-tester is better, use the setting for detect current (DC low). To test the upper fire button, touch these two pins: Rightmost one on the bottom row, and the one right next to it (to the left of it). 00000000 00000XX To test the lower fire button, touch these two pins: Rightmost one on the bottom row, and the one two over from it (to the left). 00000000 0000X0X If this does nothing, then it is certainly something with the 5200. As for the screws: you could try a slightly wider one. Good luck.