[Help Loading a Disk]

Just now, Allan said:

It plays on both 800 and XL/XEs and with or without Basic loaded, so the holding the option key or not at startup doesn't matter. It should work on all Atari 8-bits except an un-expanded 600XL or un-expanded 400. My guess is that your disk is bad. If your drive loads other programs without a problem that is probably it.

Thank you for the info. That's what I feared. The disks do have a limited shelf life.

[Help Loading a Disk]

Hello all,

I need suggestions to help load a disk.

I just acquired a new (to me) copy of Star League Baseball, one of my favorites from childhood.

However, when I start it up, it gets stuck at the start screen and loads no further. It normally would display the scoreboard, play a tune, and show the date. Then it would move on to show options that you could chose using the option, select, and start keys. But as it is, it will not go to the options screen. It should load more. It just keeps playing the tune and showing the title and date.

Any ideas on what to do? OR what might be the problem (drive, ram, disk, SIO cable)?

This is the first time I've run a disk in over 6 years.

Thanks for any help and suggestions.

[HSC19 (2022) R4: POOYAN + E.T. Bonus]

littleman jack (me): 4 pieces, score 52,641

 

littleman jr. (my son): 3 pieces, score 30,000

 

 

[I SO love playing Dandy!]

6 minutes ago, Lord Thag said:

Weirdly, this was one I didn't play. I had a huge stack of disks I got with my Atari, but none of them had Dandy on it. I've only played it in the last decade, but it's fun. You can totally see the inspiration for Gauntlet there too.

 

I'd love to see it on cart.

Video 61 sells it on cart.

And yes, it is a really fun game! I've only played it on an emulator, but hope to get the cart eventually.

[Could the 5200 have succeeded?]

I think the video game crash and the computers (Atari, Commodore, TI, Tandy, Apple) really made the 5200 a runner up to most people at the time.

 

Atari didn't do a good job with the marketing or joysticks. but most people still had 2600s and then moved on to computers, and the cost was prohibitive.

 

Most kids had to convince their parents that a home computer was more than a game machine. At least in my neighborhood. So getting a 5200 wasn't an option. We did all want one because the games looked great in the magazines and in the Toys R' Us, but our parent wouldn't go for it.

[HSC19 (2022) R3: PAC-MAN]

My score was 73,960 instead of 73,690. However, it doesn't change my place on the tables, so it probably doesn't matter and probably doesn't need checking. It sure was fun.

I hope to join in some more in the next few weeks.

Thanks to therealbountybob.

[Which console do 2600 gamers use to play physical 2600 games?]

9 hours ago, 0078265317 said:

So which games are tight in the 7800?  Or too many to list?  I wonder if I have any.

It depends on which 7800 you have. There seems to be two batches of 7800s. Some don't have a problem with any carts. Mine has trouble with Imagic carts and some red label carts.

[How did you find out about The Crash(TM)?]

I didn't know about the crash. At the time, I just thought personal computers killed the consoles. We got an Atari 800 in 1979 or 1980 and kept it going until 1992, when we got a Mac. And then my brother got into the Nintendo (NES and SNES) and Sega Genesis and at that point we broke out the Atari again because we missed the blocky graphics and 8-bit style. Later, I read about The Crash in magazines and on the internet and realized that's when the Atari 2600 and 5200 games dried up at the local stores, and when the arcades started vanishing.

[HSC19 (2022) R3: PAC-MAN]

73,960 newest high score for me.

13,480 for my son.

[Which console do 2600 gamers use to play physical 2600 games?]

On 3/4/2022 at 2:03 PM, sixersfan105 said:

Focusing on the "fit" in a 7800 (emphasis above is mine), you should consider purchasing the Lock-On 2600. No more fit issues with 2600 carts in a 7800 console!  I have one and it's great. If you're interested, I recommend contacting the OP of that thread with interest as opposed to purchasing at whatever link is listed in that thread, as it sounds like he's considering switching distributors.

Thanks for the tip!

[HSC19 (2022) R3: PAC-MAN]

A slight improvement: 62,540.

 

[HSC19 (2022) R3: PAC-MAN]

51,080 on the original cart. Is this version allowed?

My son scored 8260 as Player 2 (nickname bumper jumper).

[Which console do 2600 gamers use to play physical 2600 games?]

I use both. Mostly the 7800, unless I want to play a game that doesn't run on or fit in the 7800. The nice thing about the 7800 is that it lends itself to a quick game of two-player cooperative Centipede after a barrage of 2600 games.

[2600 Video Chip Repair]

It's been a long while since I've seen anyone discussing this one. Is there anyone currently repairing 2600s?

I used to send my 2600s to Video 61, but right now Lance is not able to do repairs.

Is there an Atari Age member, or someone in the community of Atari fans, who is currently repairing consoles?

My light-sixer seems to have a dying video chip. The lower part of the screen gets fuzzy and sometimes discolored when playing games.

Thanks for any suggestions!

[Which classic hardware is the most durable?]

I would say the Atari 800, the Apple II, and perhaps the Sega Genesis (models 1 and 2). They all seem extremely sturdy to me. Mine are all still going strong.

[Where were Atari games sold?]

On 9/1/2012 at 11:14 AM, Philflound said:

I wasn't really looking for a list but rather scans of actual labels. Seeing price stickers gives more of a history rather than someone remembering a store that had games.

Phil

Sorry, I didn't see this one until after I posted my memories. If I find a box with a price tag, I'll post that.

[Where were Atari games sold?]

I remember seeing the games at Playworld, Toys R Us, and Sears.

[Adventure -- Why Was it Never Ported?]

I wondered about it as well. I loved the game for the 2600 as a kid and always wished there were more games like it. Haunted House was a little like it.

I felt like Pharaoh's Curse, Shamus, Montezuma's Revenge, and Castle Wolfenstein were kind of spiritual successors on the Atari 800 when I was a kid.

Montezuma's Revenge did come out on the 2600, but I didn't know about it until I was an adult.

 

Thankfully there's a modern homebrew  for the 5200, Adventure II, that contains a lot of the same qualities. If you have a 5200, it's worth checking out here at the Atari Age store. Also, Albert is planning on releasing Cafeman's Adventure II for the Atari 800XL soon at the store as well.

 

[SHOWDOWN: Video Pinball vs. Midnight Magic]

I go back and forth. If I'm up for a challenge, then Midnight Magic. If I'm feeling very mellow and just want to relax, Video Pinball.

 

I'd really like to find Bumper Bash on cart and give that one a go too.

[For the programmers...]

On 7/23/2020 at 11:21 AM, Max_Chatsworth said:

The only game I loved more than Hardball! was later on the NES Bases Loaded by Jaleco.

My brother and I played the snot out of that one, Bases Loaded. Good times.

I need to go back and check out Hardball. My brother got that one for the Atari 800 after I left for college, so I never played that one. He also got it for the Sega Genesis a bit later.

[Shamus, two questions]

I agree with you both McIaneinc and Rybags. Shamus II was nowhere near as good as Shamus. It got tedious with all those ladders.

 

I forgot about how fast Jumpman could be, erichenneke, if you choose the higher speeds. Really fast, like Shamus on expert, maybe faster.

 

I often ran into the walls after clearing a room in Shamus, when he sped up. I wonder if that was put in on purpose, speeding up after a room is cleared. Or was it the result of the processor having less going on? Like when Choplifter would slow down because there were so many enemies on the screen at once. I think Cathryn Mataga added that feature on purpose to make it more challenging. You had to really be careful not to run into a wall after clearing a room.

[Shamus, two questions]

I recently acquired Shamus on cartridge, to replace the dead Shamus disk of mine from the original days. Playing it again brought to mind two questions:

 

1-Have any of you other Atari Agers ever completed the game? Back when I was a kid I reached the red level, but never finished the game. As an adult I have yet to reach the green level.

 

2-Is Shamus, on expert mode, the fastest Atari 8-bit game? It runs at a breathtaking speed on expert. I don't remember ever seeing another game go that fast on the Atari 800. However, there are a lot of games that I haven't seen.

[For the programmers...]

7 hours ago, Max_Chatsworth said:

By the way..what baseball game is that on your icon? I know I saw it back in the day. Was it something like realsports baseball..or strat-o-matic digital or something?

As zzip said, it's Star League Baseball from Game Star. It had some crazy pitches, right fielders that could make plays at first, and silly announcements between innings. Not as professional as Hardball. But more silly and simple to play.

[Champ Games - Qyx (aka Qix) for the Atari 2600]

Qix for the 2600 would be very exciting, especially from Champ Games. You do excellent work. The 5200 version is a lot of fun, and plays better than the version for the 400/800.

[Do you run your 5200 (or other system) through a VCR for a better picture???]

No, but maybe I should try it. I plug directly into an old CRT television using a coaxial (F-Type) to Female RCA Adapter. It works pretty well, but the closer the 5200 sits to the TV the more interference it shows. So I usually play on a long desk or the coffee table.