Gunstar

Exodus: Ultima III. 49 colors. ExodusU3.xex

I see. Well, remember that the Atari version came out before the C64's version, and the competition at the time vs. Atari 40K cassette version and 48K disk version (which version did you play? I have the disk version, never seen the 40K cassette version to see if it is different) were the TRS-80, PET, both 32K cassette and Apple's 48K version. All the earlier versions before the C64 used character graphics. The Atari and Apple 48K versions were the first to use red-fined character graphics at least. The C64 version benefited from more memory and a redone game engine. I bet the C64 version also used machine language instead of BASIC used in all previous versions. I remember back when I first got into the Atari 8-bit in 1985 with the 130XE (having only the VCS and Timex/Sinclair 1000 before), I was bigoted towards most games for the Atari 8-bit made before '83/84 time period because they looked too primitive and not enough of a step-up, graphically from the 2600 which I was tired of and wanted more "state-of-the-art" graphics of 8-bits of the day. I looked at C64, Nintendo, Master System games and they were my bar, graphically, or at least close (maybe less colors). Of course that bigotry was no longer an issue when I got back into the 8-bit in the 2000's and I had a whole new world of older domestic software and from England and Europe to explore...these days if it's a fun game, I don't care about the graphics as much, though better graphics are always preferred.

I used to be disappointed in some game graphics (which is what I assume you were disappointed with on the Atari version) that were not quite as good as the C64 versions, more to due with a lack of color on-screen, but then I got a C64 about 15 years ago and started trying C64 games that I liked on the Atari, but were more colorful or used a higher resolution (probably due to 48K instead of 64K in most cases), but with most C64 versions, they just didn't control as good, or didn't animate as smoothly, or something else was lost in game play. I'm no longer disappointed in most of those Atari versions for having less color or inferior graphics because they are so much better in the game play department. I haven't played the C64 version of Telengard, but I have fun with the Atari version, even if the graphics are just simple keyboard character graphics. So is there something else to the C64 version that improves the gaming experience besides slightly better graphics? Because these days, playing everything from the 2600 to the Xbox 1, when I look back at the comparatively minute graphical upgrades between one old 8-bit and another, in light of newer systems with far superior graphics, slightly worse graphics don't bother me anymore. Better is good, but with graphics so primitive on 8-bits, by newer standards over the past few decades, the differences seem almost inconsequential to me these days. It's all about GAME PLAY. With Telengard being a BASIC game, it should be quite simple for someone to go hack it for better looking character graphics these days.

Telengard. 44 colors. Telengard.xex

Retronics also includes candy in their shipments and the last time I ordered from Atarimax a pack of 6 'Reboot' computer animated show trading cards where included.

Ikari Warriors. 68 colors. IkariWarriors.xex

I am waiting on Turbo Freezer to arrive in the mail right now. I haven't decided if I'll use it with my 1200XL with PBI or install it internally in my 800 with Incognito yet...I have also modified my 800 so I can use The!Cart and MyIDE II as well, with their sram, which I also already have both. So I can use them on either machine too, if the 576K or 1MB ram isn't enough on my two Atari's. I never thought I'd see the day when I have Atari's with so much memory and alternate memory options on hand!😀

Yes, it does, but technically only 256K is directly available as 256K is reserved for MyIDE II stuff, if you boot up using the on-board MyBIOS and MyDOS, Atarimax Menu, etc.. But if you boot with an internal or other external OS and another DOS like SpartaDOS, then I think more than 256K is available, maybe even the full 512K. Otherwise the 256K that is not used by MyIDE II in sram is utilized by the FAT loader for rom images up to 256K (Commando, Mean 18 and others for example). I was just starting to look into utilizing this MyIDE II sram memory with my SpartDOS X and Warp+/Qmeg 4 OS's because I only had 256K of internal ram, but then I got a Syscheck 2 for my XL with 512K sram and Incognito with 1MB for my 800 and no longer felt the need to look into it at this time.

I've thought about it for a few minutes, and the only other game off the top of my head atm would be Techno Ninja. A 25th anniversary edition was released a few years back. It's a German Turbo Basic XL commercial game, but probably one of the best examples of a BASIC game that exists. It hard and can be frustrating to pull off some of the moves you need to make to get to hard-to-reach areas, but it's such a fun game I played it all the time when it first came out back in the early 90's and got good enough at it that I actually finished it! It's quite a large game too. The animation and movement is a bit jerky, again, probably because it's a BASIC game and movement is from spot-to-spot and not pixel smooth. Still, I highly recommend it too. http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-400-800-xl-xe-tecno-ninja_5304.html

I'd forgotten about Gladiator. I agree with your assessment 100%.

Xenophobe. 68 colors. Xenophobe.xex

@q5sys I private messaged you about the 1200XL side case part...

Obviously it came with instructions originally. I think someone did post them in another thread about this game, on here. I think I downloaded it too. I'll see if I can find the topic or the download. But it is definitely frustrating, even when you know what your are doing, but, for me, it was always a level of frustration where I was just not quite making it, but almost, enough for me to just want to "give it one more go." I haven't had enough time to play it properly either, I made it to about the second or third screen on both the platformer games, but that's it. Baroom Brawl I've played more, it's really fun once you learn and get down the fighting controls. But the games, for me, just ooze so much quality in every other way, great animation, good controls, etc, that I think it's an important title in the Atari library, but maybe not everyone's cup of tea due to difficulty. But it's also a game where practice makes perfect and progression is possible if you are willing to put in the time. OK, in post number 10 of this thread @Fred_M took pictures of the manual, etc. that he posted:

Pondering About Max's is the most overlooked I think, as it was only available in '89/90, only via Antic Magazine mail-in ad, so it is ultra rare, but available for download. Really three games in one, the first two are like an original and sequel together and are puzzle platformers where you have to accomplish stuff on one screen to get to the next, a bit like The Goonies game, only you don't have to worry about controlling more than one character. The third is a completely different game, really a fighting game, a combination of boxing and WWF with weapons, like bottles and chairs, etc., fought in a bar-room "fighting ring". All three are top-notch, in all three you play the same "frat boy" character. The only thing I feel is missing graphically is the use of DLI's or other tricks for more color on-screen. Great games in every other way. http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-400-800-xl-xe-pondering-about-max-s_499.html

Here is another, I think, lost-and-found .xex with no .png to be found. Sorry if I did post this before, maybe even under another name. The picture is another screen shot on Altirra. I don't even remember if this is suppose to use a PAL or NTSC palette. It's shown in PAL here. IceMoon3.xex

@Yautja Are you wanting the entire album cover converted or do you want a cropped close-up image of just the girl?

I just go to Atarimania or Homesoft or Fandal's and select a genre I fancy at the moment or random disc number for menu discs, and then basically "judge a book by it's cover" or in this case game by it's screen shot. I'm in the middle of segregating games into genres and sub-genres of memory requirements or other features like stereo sound. And I do the same thing from my own files too, only more randomly. There is always the dozen or two favorites that one always goes back too, but as you say @Mclaneinc , that's very subjective. Heck, I've been given boxed originals of many fantastic games just because they weren't the owner's cup of tea. It's an ever growing list of great games that I can't even keep up with, new home-brew or new found old titles. I could spend the rest of the free time in my life just checking out the thousands of games I haven't gotten 'round too or yet discovered/remembered on the Atari 8-bit alone, forgetting all other systems!

Yes, I and most others here, when making these comments realize it is all theoretical, speculative, unrealistic, whatever you wish to call it and if it could have it would have. And that our modern techniques with modern technology allow us to siphon more power and abilities out of these vintage machines. You aren't the first, and won't be the last, I'm sure, to make such a comment in regards to someone saying "imagine if," which also isn't the first or last time we've heard that either. With graphics, streaming video, new ways of using POKEY's for sound and music, etc., It has come up many times in this and other threads. Much of the new programming techniques that we see in demos, graphics, games, etc., are derived from ideas based on newer technology, that were never thought of before, but then clever programmers say; "hey, I think I can do that on this old processor or system too." Maybe these techniques would have been discovered if tech had stayed the same and these old 8-bits were used commonly for decades (like seems to be the case in the Fallout RPG world) we would have discovered how to wrench more of these concepts out of these old machines, but sometimes a totally new perspective (or technology) is required for a new concept; even if it can be transplanted into older tech with success or leads to an idea not thought of before for older tech. Just let us have our "imagine if" day dreams and set aside the facts and reality for a moment. It's a mental leap called "suspension of disbelief" and we use it often to enjoy all types of media these days.

Actually, that many colors at that resolution should still have been dropping jaws even after the 16-bitters came along. there was nothing to compare on them for at least a year or two, until the ST's Spectrum 512 or whatever the Amiga version of similar graphics was...but, in any case, it would have still been impressive up to at least '85 and making the 16-bitter's look not quite as advanced as supposed.

The NASA 'Space Launch System.' 49 colors. S.L.S rocket. 39 colors. S.L.S launch pad. 42 colors. SpaceLaunchSystem.xex SLSRocket.xex SLSlaunchpad.xex

I don't go by any lists to choose what I play, especially ones that are 500 titles long...oops! I just wasted all my time to play a game looking through that list! I definitely don't look through lists to see what's not listed, so I can list it...time to go play a game...

When I first got my CX22 trackball, back in the late 80's, it was as white as a standard cue-ball comes new, technically it is probably an off-white color, I don't have a new cue-ball to look at. It definitely yellowed significantly over time.

The best way I have found is to crop any image that is not in 4:3 ratio too a 4:3* ratio and then resize it to 320x240. Let Rastaconverter resize to 160x240, which it does automatically when it converts an image. Any other preconditioning of the image is up to you; sometimes it's better to do some contrast. gamma and brightness, along with color saturation before any adjustments within Rastaconverter. The easiest way I have found to get a 4:3 ratio is to start by cropping an image to a rough estimate of a 4:3 crop-box, then choose 4:3 ratio when resizing and type in 320 for horizontal and the graphic program will tell you what the vertical resolution will be on your cropped image. If it is lower than 240, crop a bit off vertically, if it is higher than 240, crop a bit off horizontally until you get to 240 or as close as possible. While doing this I do not confirm the resizing, I check what it will be, then back out and crop more while still at the higher resolution.

I just got some Atari/Fuji metallic badge/labels in the mail I forgot I'd ordered from eBay. They are to add an Atari badge to custom cases I have made for devices without cases. Multiple pictures are an attempt to capture the chrome in the light...with limited success. I originally wanted to order genuine Atari badges like are on the 400/800/810, but MyAtari wants $10 each plus shipping these days which I found ludicrous, so I found these as an alternative, and 4 cost me the price of one badge from MyAtari.

I purchased mine yesterday. I'll be anxiously awaiting for this cool product to arrive.