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Texasmame

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Posts posted by Texasmame

  1. Posted · Edited by Texasmame

    Been a looooong time so I've forgotten:

     

    Did the 4 port and 2 port systems have different switchboxes?  Just got a minty two port and all it's missing is the switchbox.

     

    Will the classic "slider" switchbox work (the 2600 type) or is one of the bulky 5200 switchboxes needed?

     

    Embarrassed.  :(

     

    EDIT:  Looks like standard "slider" box would do, correct?

     

     

  2. Posted

    Hey, all.

     

    Things are pretty nailed down, but in the midst of working hard on the book, I'm just waiting for the OK from our publisher's marketing department to be able to talk about the details publicly. As soon as I can, I'll spill all the beans! :)

     

    I love this project - the artwork for the 20+ launch titles. . . man, that's some frame-worthy stuff.

     

    Any updates?

  5. Posted · Edited by Texasmame

    Spent most of my youth, literally, at the "Third World" arcade on University Ave. in Lowell, MA just up the road from ULowell (now UMass Lowell). I still dream about this place sometimes, remember the layout of the games, etc. *sigh* It's now a computer repair place. Went in when I was a collector a few years back and asked to poke around the basement, HOPING the big wooden sign they used to have in the window was still down there. Alas, nothing but dirt.

     

    "Astro's," "Johnny's Pizza," and "Jim and Irene's" were three fast food joints on the same strip. Defender and Jack the Giantkiller I remember from Astro's; Joust, Satan's Hollow and Cliff Hanger (!) from Johnny's and Asteroids, Battlezone mini and Missile Command from Jim and Irene's. Astro's is now a police substation, Johnny's is some other pizza joint and Jim and Irene's is some Mexican place. None have games.

     

    Would also trek down to "World of Games" in downtown Lowell, which was a multi-level place. It's now a health club. Back when I collected, I went there and managed to get 5 games from their 5th floor storage space from back in the day (Star Trek cockpit, Mario Bros. Centipede, MACH 3 cockpit and Tron - all for $500 total. Pretty cool to have some of the ACTUAL games I played way back when!

     

    "New England Grand Prix" in Tewksbury, MA would also be on my list, as they managed to get the newer coin-ops before anyone else. Only place I ever saw "Cloak and Dagger" and "Quantum" in the wild. Last I saw it, it was closed down - abandoned entirely. :(

     

    And, while I never got up there back in the day, (no need given the great selection locally, really), the legendary "Funspot" up in Weare, NH I've visited many times. BTW, if you ever go up there, hit up "Hart's Turkey Farm" just up the road for dinner. Perfect, home made fare!

     

    Those were the days, my friend, and we never even knew it! :_)

  7. Posted

    Joust

    Centipede

    Dragons Lair

    Donkey Kong (ahahahah below)

    Donkey Kong (46 votes [100.00%]) Percentage of vote: 100.00%

    Thief (0 votes [0.00%]) Percentage of vote: 0.00%

    Battlezone (Maybe my fav of all time?)

    Zoo Keeper

    Jungle King / Hunt

    Defender (one of my top 3 of all time)

    Space Harrier (both suck)

    Mario Bros.

  9. Posted · Edited by Texasmame

    Crystal Castles (This game blew me away with its awesome graphics)

    Ms. Pac-Man (So much better than Pac-Man)

    Spy Hunter (The soundtrack for this game alone made it worth playing, but it was also a GREAT game)

    Tempest (Best Vector game ever?)

     

    Same votes but I wanted to abstain on the Castles/Blueprint vote - didn't like either - but the system wouldn't let me not vote for one question! :P

     

    Spy Hunter and Battlezone battle it out for my all-time fav game with Defender 3rd.

  11. Posted · Edited by Texasmame

    Pac-Man. Duh. :x

     

    Being as it's one of my Top 3 arcade games of all time, Defender was a major, major let down on the 2600. The artwork was fine, but the game - terrrrrible.

     

    What made it worse, was Defender II / Stargate for the 2600 was very, very well done. Why not get it right the first time? :roll:

     

    OTOH, Defender for the 5200 was one of the best ports ever for any system.

  17. Posted · Edited by Texasmame

    Original Carts:

    1. Pitfall! (496 points, 74 votes, 10 first place votes)

    2. Pitfall II (488 points, 65 votes, 18 first place votes)

    3. Adventure (465 points, 67 votes, 21 first place votes)

    4. Kaboom! (373 points, 60 votes, 12 first place votes)

    5. River Raid (356 points, 60 votes, 6 first place votes)

    6. H.E.R.O. (324 points, 53 votes, 8 first place votes)

    7. Space Invaders (318 points, 55 votes, 8 first place votes)

    8. Yar's Revenge (278 points, 49 votes, 5 first place votes)

    9. Warlords (275 points, 41 votes, 8 first place votes)

    10. Asteroids (268 points, 48 votes, 8 first place votes)

     

     

    **snyp**

     

     

    Great, thanx for the update.

     

    Damn - never DID understand the attraction to Pitfall!

     

    Redundant as hell. :P

  18. Posted

    My brother e-mailed me a link to this YouTube video about the 1983 Consumer Electronics Show, which features a nice bit about Cookie Monster Munch. The video was apparently posted by that game's designer, Gary Stark.

     

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OItxKQ1W23w

     

    While watching, check out those clunky VCRs and camcorders :ponder:

     

    Wow, we had a VCR like that. The thing was a tank. I think my father bought it used at lechmere (anyone from New England remember that place?) for over $400. Funny how times change and things that were once so hot are now sitting in basements and attics collecting dust... except my Atari that is.

     

    Yes, I remember Lechmere (aka LEECHmere). The one in Weymouth where I grew up is now a Wal*Mart. I miss that store. :(

     

     

    Yup, Lechemere was the balls. :D

     

    I liked the talk of the horrid recession in the clip - the world didn't end, no "bailouts" were needed, either. AMAZING!!!

     

    :ponder: :x

  19. Posted

    For best results keep your trak-ball controller on a solid surface (like a table top) and bear down a little more when thrusting in a direction. It doesn't work great when sitting in your lap and slinging the ball around. I have a few arcade trackballs around the house, wonder if there's a way to modify the controller to use them as I doubt the standard parts can handle a full weighted arcade ball.

    The parts in there aren't what I'd call light-duty. They're full ball-bearing with all axles and driven shafts being steel or brass. I don't know how that compares to an arcade quality unit, but I think the 5200 parts would be fairly difficult to mechanically damage.

     

    Ditto. I remember the first time I opened one up - arcade quality all the way.

     

    I wonder if that guy's shafts are getting worn down. I'd be shocked since the only place you usually see that is on arcade games (especially the full-size Missile Command ball) due to the long, hard usage.

     

    Enough innuendo in that last paragraph for everyone?

     

    ;)

  21. Posted

    Sold 'em all when I moved to TX from NH. :(

    Wow, dunno if I could part with that much to a set. I'm at 29 CIB games and 3 loose carts. I actually just picked up Meteorites CIB today, like new for $5 with several other games at a local game store. It's too late to part with my system, games, or accessories at this point. I'd like to create my own little arcade stick for the system after graduation and once I've cleaned up my cocktail arcade in the garage a bit. Any plans on gathering those games back?

     

     

    Nah, once thru was enough for me. :)

     

     

    Still, in addition to purchasing Atari if I ever hit the big money, I'll probably go mad with collecting again. :D

  24. Posted

    Cool! :thumbsup: Although it looks like his six-switch changes into a four-switch by the time he gets it hooked up to his TV ;) (tough to see though - could just be due to the quality of the video).

     

     

    Very cute.

     

    What, you didn't have at least TWO back in the day? :D

     

     

    Too bad they picked Centipede instead of a true 2600 classic, tho.

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