Atari2008
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Posts posted by Atari2008
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You must've been looking in the wrong places, the 2600 Jr. and 2600 games were widely available in the latter half of the 80s into the very early 90s. I remember when the St. Lawrence Centre Mall opened in Massena NY in the early 90s, the Hills store was fully stocked with 2600 Jr.'s and several dozen different titles, just for one example. That's just a brand new store that opened in 1991 or so.Ok lets get a little real here. I never "looked" for Atari games back then because it was dead and gone, there was no interest in it like there is now. Naturally I was more interested in the NES and the C64 so yes I cant say that I "looked" for Atar games. I didnt get interested in old systems till the mid 90's and the internet anyway.
When the Genesis and SNES came out I almost trashed all my old 80's systems. I'm glad I didnt.
But from what I remember I saw nothing in the south side of chicago.
No jr. no nothing.
The only thing I saw were bins upon bins of discount 2600 games in the mid 80's.
That part is true though, I can't say from personal experience that Atari stuff was in stores since I wasn't looking for it in the late 80s when I first started gaming. All I knew was the NES and that's all that I was interested in; it was all the rage. But I did have one friend who had a 7800 with some 2600 games at the time so they were there but I definitely don't think they were in most people's consciousness, certainly not mine. I don't even remember Atari commercials or ads.
I was exposed to the 2600 because we had my sister's VCS in a closet in my house. The NES was my gateway and so that's where my interest in the 2600 grew but it wasn't due to any active presence of the 2600. In fact I had a hard time finding accessories for it (ended up going to Radio Shack to get a universal adaptor) and went to the discount bin at Toys R' Us to dig up whatever one or two 2600 games were left. I didn't really expand my collection till the mid-90s when Radio Shack decided to liquidate their stock (and I discovered the 7800 as well).
But I guess these systems were alive in the late 80s in terms of the fact that Atari was still producing games for them and they were being sold in stores, they just weren't front and center in the public consciousness.
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WOW! This looks AWESOME! I had been following this thread with great interest, and was drooling at the screenshots, but seeing the vid has left me speechless. Wow the graphics and sound are awesome!
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My belief exactly there.Regarding systems on "life support" I'm not saying the crash didn't hurt them, it just struck me as odd to realize no successful system at the time of the crash fully died because of the crash. Sure they didn't do as well, software numbers went down, etc, but it was like that first generation of removable cart systems refused to just die easily. You could buy a TG-16 and Genesis at the same time you could still mail order an Intellivision or Colecovision for goodness sakes.
That has struck me, particularly with the 2600. Those early systems really refused to die. I find it interesting with the 2600 that although it was released in '77, it was one of the few systems that really survived the crash and came back, even out-living its intended successor (the 5200). Obviously it wasn't as big a hit in the late 80s as it was in the early, but the 2600 got some great tiles during this time and was pushed with what seemed to be a decent ad campaign (The fun is back!). As was noted, games continued to be released for the 2600 during the crash.
One of the many reasons why the 2600 is my favorite system.
That said it does appear to me that the Vectrex was totally killed by the crash. It had the misfortune of being released late in '82 and then went down right with the crash. Also, it never bounced back like the 2600 or Intellivision. Yet judging from the level of homebrew interest now, who knows it could've continued longer had it not been for the crash.
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I'm not a huge fan of the wico stick either, its ergonomics are like a brick imo. Sounds like you need to get your hands on a masterplay or a cloneI've already shipped it to the seller, but I do plan on talking to her, when she receives it, about re-listing it, and I'll explain that there are collectors out there who can repair it. If/when she does re-list, I plan on posting on here so anyone interested can have a chance.I know I didn't really get a chance to game with the Wico but I wasn't too impressed with the joystick itself, even when locked, it felt loose and mushy; more so than my stock 5200 stick. Also, I found the Wico difficult to use if you're left handed and need to press the fire buttons.
I don't know why, but I just really enjoy the 5200 version of Pac-Man, although I have a more arcade-perfect version for another system, I like the unique look and feel of the 5200 Pac-Man. But I do feel I'm missing precision control...
to fully appreciate the system. It will give you the 'precision' control you looking for.
I suggested the Redmption/Masterplay to him too. I like them all.
The Wico is best used if you wrap your thumb around the middle of the stick where it is most bulbous in my opinion. I think the Wicos work great that way. If youre trying to stick your thumb on top of the very tip-top of the stick, then I think you will feel like it is awkward. Just my opinion but I love my Wicos.
Yea didn't feel too ergonomic to me, but that is what I'm looking for the Masterplay Interface or the Redemption adaptor sadly both are rare and expensive, but I'll keep my eyes peeled. It would be great to play 5200 games with my Genny pad like I do for the 2600 and 7800.
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Going to try to get my money back although I doubt it...it says no refunds, no guarantees. ARGH!If you payed via paypal and the auction stated that the stick was in good working condition, you should be able to file a complaint and get at least a partial refund.
Actually, the seller proved to be very nice and she's agreed to take it back for a refund. So I'm mailing it back today.
Crisis averted, and I like my stock sticks so much more after this experience. I didn't really have a problem with them it's just I feel sometimes in a heated game of Pac-Man I miss a turn because of them, so I wanted to see what an alternative controller would do.Perhaps, you can talk to the seller that you will ship to another person who wants it so you save on shipping and make a better solution.
Pac-man was the one of the reasons I had about 100 of my own joystick adapters made for the Atari 5200. The auction ended on one of these: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...em=320308589020. If you want to give it a shot, let me know. Pac-man gives you more control using the arrow keys on the PC (in my opinion).
I've already shipped it to the seller, but I do plan on talking to her, when she receives it, about re-listing it, and I'll explain that there are collectors out there who can repair it. If/when she does re-list, I plan on posting on here so anyone interested can have a chance.
I know I didn't really get a chance to game with the Wico but I wasn't too impressed with the joystick itself, even when locked, it felt loose and mushy; more so than my stock 5200 stick. Also, I found the Wico difficult to use if you're left handed and need to press the fire buttons.
I don't know why, but I just really enjoy the 5200 version of Pac-Man, although I have a more arcade-perfect version for another system, I like the unique look and feel of the 5200 Pac-Man. But I do feel I'm missing precision control...
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This would be awesome, since I've also noticed that all the 5200 controllers are huge. The system is already huge, no need for the controllers to be.
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Going to try to get my money back although I doubt it...it says no refunds, no guarantees. ARGH!If you payed via paypal and the auction stated that the stick was in good working condition, you should be able to file a complaint and get at least a partial refund.
Actually, the seller proved to be very nice and she's agreed to take it back for a refund. So I'm mailing it back today.
Crisis averted, and I like my stock sticks so much more after this experience. I didn't really have a problem with them it's just I feel sometimes in a heated game of Pac-Man I miss a turn because of them, so I wanted to see what an alternative controller would do.man i hope it doesnt get trashed i bet i could fix it
tell the seller to list it as a fix-er up-er
i want it
I will let her know to re-list it as something that could be repaired when she gets it back. I wouldn't want it to go to waste either since I would imagine they're becoming rarer these days.
I might just stick with the stock joysticks after all since I'm left handed and realized it would be hard for me to use the Wico.
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Just played this last night, I've never played this Pac-Man game before so I'll have to get used to it, but the graphics, sound all are amazing. This is truly a top notch product like your Pac-Man Collection.
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Going to try to get my money back although I doubt it...it says no refunds, no guarantees. ARGH!If you payed via paypal and the auction stated that the stick was in good working condition, you should be able to file a complaint and get at least a partial refund.
Actually, the seller proved to be very nice and she's agreed to take it back for a refund. So I'm mailing it back today.
Crisis averted, and I like my stock sticks so much more after this experience. I didn't really have a problem with them it's just I feel sometimes in a heated game of Pac-Man I miss a turn because of them, so I wanted to see what an alternative controller would do. -
Its really quite easy to access just remove the top of your 5200. On my personal machine the stock sticks worked fine even when it was out of adjustment. I noticed a problem with it when I built a masterplay clone and it didn't work too well. Also, one of my two wicos, functioned erratically until I adjusted and cleaned the 5200 motherboard controller pot. Worth a try imo.You might also try adjusting the internal controller pot on the 5200 motherboard. If its not calibrated right it can cause sticks to pull one direction or another. I usually use Super Breakout or Missle Command with the joystick centered then adjust the pot until the paddle or cursor is centered on screen. Also, try dripping a little alcohol on the pot and work it back and forth a few times to clean it.Also the position of the 5200 stick plugged into the wico's y-cable won't interfere as the y-cable only has the keypad connections wired to it. The fire buttons and joystick on the controller won't function.
I've never opened up a console so I'm not comfortable checking out the controller pot, but I'm not sure if that's an issue though. I've never had any problems with the stock 5200 controller being pulled in one direction or another. Unless this is something that only comes into play with the Wico? All this drama with the Wico has made me appreciate the stock sticks even more.
Just my $0.02.
Thanks for the diagram, it doesn't look so bad now. I'll give it a shot. I didn't realize that the stock sticks would work fine even if the pot was not adjusted.
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You might also try adjusting the internal controller pot on the 5200 motherboard. If its not calibrated right it can cause sticks to pull one direction or another. I usually use Super Breakout or Missle Command with the joystick centered then adjust the pot until the paddle or cursor is centered on screen. Also, try dripping a little alcohol on the pot and work it back and forth a few times to clean it.Also the position of the 5200 stick plugged into the wico's y-cable won't interfere as the y-cable only has the keypad connections wired to it. The fire buttons and joystick on the controller won't function.
I've never opened up a console so I'm not comfortable checking out the controller pot, but I'm not sure if that's an issue though. I've never had any problems with the stock 5200 controller being pulled in one direction or another. Unless this is something that only comes into play with the Wico? All this drama with the Wico has made me appreciate the stock sticks even more.
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There's a switch on the bottom that controls whether it self-centers or not. For the other issue, what are you using for a keypad? Do you have the Wico keypad or are you using the y-cable with a standard 5200 stick? If the latter, make sure the standard stick is centered as well or it will overide the Wico.Mitch
Both of the switches are locked so that it does self center and it does, except when I push the joystick up, then it just sits in the up position. I'm using a stock 5200 controller for the keypad. The 5200 controller looks pretty centered to me but I'll try messing around with that see if I can get it to work. What I don't get are the two red switches on the side labeled with an -X- and a -Y-. What settings are those supposed to be on?
Thanks!
It sounds like the up/down switch didn't lock properly. Try unlocking it and then center the joystick and relock it. The X and Y sliders on the side are trimmers for adjusting the center of the stick. Usually you want them to be centered and you tweak them a little if you stick tends to go to one direction too much.
Mitch
I've tried everything, it just doesn't seem to work. I would try with another 5200 controller but unfortunately my 2nd controller doesn't work. Thank you for your help though, I guess next time I'll be more selective of whom I buy classic gaming stuff from.
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There's a switch on the bottom that controls whether it self-centers or not. For the other issue, what are you using for a keypad? Do you have the Wico keypad or are you using the y-cable with a standard 5200 stick? If the latter, make sure the standard stick is centered as well or it will overide the Wico.Mitch
Both of the switches are locked so that it does self center and it does, except when I push the joystick up, then it just sits in the up position. I'm using a stock 5200 controller for the keypad. The 5200 controller looks pretty centered to me but I'll try messing around with that see if I can get it to work. What I don't get are the two red switches on the side labeled with an -X- and a -Y-. What settings are those supposed to be on?
Thanks!
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So I was trying to enhance my 5200 experience (although I've been doing alright with the stock 5200 sticks), and I thought I was getting a deal on a Wico with Y-cable on eBay which the seller claimed works, and of course it doesn't! I'm so mad because I was excited to try out a different joystick on the 5200 but I'm also mad because I should've known better than to get something on eBay. It's so weird because the fire buttons work but the joystick doesn't, I tried it with Berzerk and the man just moves in various directions without me moving the joystick at all...in Pac-Man he just goes left and down and that's about it...the character movements don't correspond to where I move the joystick. And the stick doesn't self-center if I push up, it just stays there. This sucks.
Going to try to get my money back although I doubt it...it says no refunds, no guarantees. ARGH!
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But for my money, I'll take the 2600s higher color pallete and tons of 60fps games over just about anything comparable on the low-color coleco. So, if I think the 2600 is better than the cv...
I think the 2600 is better than most classic consoles.
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Now, I am not attacking the CV. I am simply dealing with an indisputable fact. The CV was a very typical 2nd generation system, perhaps in some ways better than others. But the fact that Atari made the 7800 early and then didn't release it doesn't mean that it was of the same quality. The Neo-Geo was *way* ahead of its time when it first came out.These two systems just aren't comparable.
This is something I've been thinking for a long time, and that's that the 7800 is more similar to other 3rd generation consoles like the NES and SMS, and the Colecovision is more similar to 2nd generation systems like the Intellivision. The CV is a great system, was awesome in its time, and as a result ended up with a great software library that people enjoy today. Truth be told, I enjoy the CV's game library far more than I do the 7800's, but this doesn't deny the technical superiority of the 7800. I mean the 7800 could have competed better against the NES if Atari's programmers were pushed to do so...the CV would've had no shot against the NES. The 7800 could pull of games like Scrapyard Dog and Midnight Mutants, I doubt the CV could do those. Unfortunately, given the situation at Atari at the time, the 7800 didn't end up with as memorable a library as the 2600 or 5200.
For me though the more important thing is enjoying what these systems have to offer and what's to come with new homebrews. This rehashing of the past doesn't really seem productive and involves so many what if's, who's to say what would've happened. I'm just enjoying these classic system and what they still have to offer now.
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I don't know about anyone else, but when I was a kid I didn't even know people with 25 games for a supported system. Generally you had 5 or 10, and you rented and traded/ borrowed the rest.Bingo. I had maybe a total of 25 games by the time I stopped playing the 2600 in the late 80's when I whored over to the NES fulltime. Only reason I eventually had that many is cause I got my cousins games after he stopped playing atari right when the NES came out so in a sense I had 2 collections. Some where doubles also on really popular games like asteroids,ect.
This is true. The NES was my first system and looking back I don't think I owned more than 10 games for it. Games were expensive and so one game had to last a long time. And yes I rented far more than I owned, going to the video store and getting an NES game for the weekend was routine.
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Wow I just watched the video that you posted on YouTube and I see what a difference the Channel F II sound makes. I had been playing Pac-Man on MESS using the original Channel F audio and the intro song to the level sounded horrible, but it sounds great in this version. I'm going to have to download the modified MESS so I can play this with the sounds the way they're supposed to. This game is a masterpiece on so many levels....great work!
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Wow! This game is awesome. Very addicting and the music is tight!
Great work. -
Funny all these wishes can be granted by firing up an A8 computer
LOL
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1. Games: Great ports of classic 80s arcade games.
2. Graphics: Games look much closer to their arcade counterparts. Colors are bright and vibrant.
3. Sound: Nice audio, capable of voice synthesis.
4. Controllers: Unreliable and non-self centering BUT able to accomodate left-handed and right-handed players whereas almost every other controller of the era seems to accomodate right-handed players. Also, one of the first systems (or the first?) to have the pause button on the controllers.
5. Sysem Design: The 5200 just looks cool; slick and rather simple design with all major functions on the controller.
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I'm new to the Channel F also and I've noticed that its graphics are very unique, hard to describe, I don't think I've seen it in other systems. This is very impressive. It's amazing what programmers can do with this old systems that pushes them to their limits. Look forward to seeing the final product and any other games.
I dunno, I think low-res with only a few colors describes it pretty well.
LOL that's a good way to describe that fuzzy glow all the games have.
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I second that, CV Gus. I'd say this blows away any other game on the platform, ever. Not even close.Agreed! Curiosity let me to try a sampling of Channel F games and for the most part I was unimpressed, which makes sense given the time the system came out and the fact that they were first. Then I tried this Pac-Man port and couldn't believe that the Channel F was capable of it. Even the title screen is nice.
You should also do a search on this forum for another game that e5frog is working on called International Karate. That one too is very impressive.
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Smurf Rescue In Gargamel's Castle. (Too bad there wasn't a ColecoSoft division!)I will second that! Smurf is one of my favorite Colecovision games and I enjoy the 2600 version very much as well. A 5200 version would've rocked, and added a much needed adventure game to the 5200 library.
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Which Atari 2600 Games Have the Best Title Screens?
in Atari 2600
Posted
I like the title screen for Kangaroo. I think the way the g wraps around the c to make the copyright logo is cool. Not to mention the baby kangaroo that you need to rescue.