PFL

I tried the ROM on my PAL Jr and I couldn't get the game started. One man was stuck in the balloons and I could move the see saw back and forward but that was it. Not sure what's happening...

Yeah, that's the one. I don't think it's too expensive especially for such a niche item. It really does make a big difference.

Forgive my ignorance but is P8?

That's good news. Thanks for responding so quickly.

Bump again.

Just wondering if anyone has experience of viewing the forum from the Orient. I'm about to start a new job there and it's going to be at least 3 years. That's a long time with any Atariage!

This might seem like a bit of a strange query but what books are there that feature the VCS in some way or other? I have Brina O's childrens book and it's a great curiosity. I vaguely remember a book fairly recently that was kind of an 'on the road' style book but for the life of me I can't remember what it was called. So, does anyone know of other books like that?

I've never played it. Is it worth getting? I know it's pretty cheap but I don't want to waste my money! I don't really care if it's different from the arcade as long as it's playable...

It's in the genes to hunt and gather. It's a bit like a dog playing with a rubber bone. Is there any point? No but it's in its nature... I sometimes go overboard and it's got me into trouble. That's not good. Those are my demons I suppose. But for the average, healthy human being? I think it's fine.

rmaerz you're on a bit of a necro bumping spree aren't you? My favourite is the Jr. It's small, sleek and doesn't look out of place in the modern living room. It's just a great wee machine.

People often comment on the weaknesses of the down ports but I think of them as a slightly different take on the games they represent. Personally, I really like Streets of Rage, Golden Axe and Outrun on the SMS but most people compare them to the Megadrive versions. In that case of course the Megadrive versions are better. However, if you can look past that fact you'll find they hold charm of their own. The Sonic games on the SMS play and feel very different compared to their 16 bit cousins but I actually prefer them. These aren't Megadrive ports but they are worth considering. Other SMS games I find really enjoyable are Alex Kidd in Shinobi World, Super Space Invaders, the Monster Boy games, Ninja Gaiden, Master of Darkness and quite a few of the shmups (Bomber Raid, Power Strike etc). There are also old classics like The Ninja (a port of an old arcade game called Ninja Princess) and Teddy Boy. The RPGs are also pretty good on the system. There's Ultima and Ys as well as exclusives like Dragon Crystal, Golden Axe Warrior, Golvelius and, of course, Phantasy Star.

IT's true that most of the box art is bad but now I find it kind of charming. It's certainly unmistakable that's for sure! One thing I d like about them though is that they look really good on your shelf. Almost book like. It's really easy to get games in their boxes and the spines tend to have a nice uniformity that sits well with my OCD and pedantry.

I prefer PAL60. I have no problem with it on my 14" CRT. I have tried a few different LCD tv's and the VCS just looks crap on all of them whether at 50Hz or 60Hz. Granted, some look less crap than others but they're all crap nonetheless! I will always use CRT's for my old consoles. And besides 50 Hz flicker just kills your eyes... on any TV.

You can buy an FM soundcard for the SMS from the SMS Power forums. It's pretty cheap and easy to install (it plugs into the expansion and 2 easy solder points). There are quite a few games that utilise the FM chip if detected even in western releases. It really makes a big difference to the variation of the tunes. I would go for a model 1 SMS. Mainly for the reasons that others have already mentioned (AV out, card slot) but also because it just looks really cool in real life. Plus, Mordecai and Rigby from the Regular Show play one!

Thanks for the above ROMs. Just a question though. I've tried out Beamrider v4 on a couple of tellys but the picture rolls on both of them. They're both old 14" CRT's and they have no problem with other games. Is anyone else having this issue?

Thanks bataais for the new version of Beamrider. I'm looking forward to trying it out later. @ BrianC; I've never heard of that. I suppose if it's using the PAL palette and it runs at 60Hz then I would qualify it as PAL60. It's pretty unusual though to see on a commercial cart. Telegames are such a strange company for such things though. Funnily enough I just got Urban Yeti for the GBA brand new this morning. The box is the PAL release but the cart is the US one...

No, no, carry on if you're enjoying it. I've downloaded every one and stuck them on my Harmony. In fact, the only reason I saw your last post was because I was checking for Beamrider updates. PS: I hit the Like button on the above post.

I only ever use my GC to play Game Boy games on the telly as I use my Wii for any GC game-play and I can just leave my GBP boot disc in the 'Cube permanently without faffing around. The only problem is the 'Cube is fairly noisy. I know it's not XBox 360 noisy but certainly noisy enough to irritate my partner when she's trying to get to sleep! Do you guys think it would be really bad to disconnect the fans of the Gamecube so that it would be silent? My gut tells me that it would probably be okay as the CPU, GPU and RAM aren't doing anything so therefore not generating heat. Am I right in thinking that while using the GBP the 'Cube is essentially just a pass through device for powering the GBP and outputting it's video signal?

davyK hosts his conversions here: http://www.davykelly.com/ Maybe if you asked him he'd host the other PAL60 conversions too.

I actually managed to pick up a modded Jr for a really, really good price. Good luck.

Bump.

Where are you based?

Ah, so it's still not quite resolved. I really hope that people like Curt or Albert end up owning the name and logo. Imagine the possibilities!

I know there was the recent sell off and that some companies bought particular IPs but I found out about that through a number of articles. I haven't come across an up to date article that summarises what's happened to the company name and logo itself. Does anyone have a link to something like that? If not, can anyone summarise the state of ownership/value of Atari these days? Thanks for any help or pointers.

Cannot wait for the PAL version. I think it'll be a day one purchase for me along with a box for Princess Rescue...