disjaukifa

If you want to keep with Ben's mods try this. It gives a decent picture. http://benheck.com/book/support/Atari2600VidMod.htm This one is even better and I would recommend it for someone that knows a decent amount about circuits. You can do without the CD4050 as most CD4050s you buy at electronic stores are the slow gated CD4050BE. If you use the CD4050 mod I would use a CD74HC4050E. http://www.atariage.com/2600/faq/index.html?SystemID=2600#composite Then if you want to go all the way there is mine (sorry for the self promotion ) This mod is based directly on the CD4050 mod. It is more of an evolution of the mod rather then its own mod all together. http://www.longhornengineer.com/Videomods/Videomods Also there is the Cybertech pro mod that is coming out in the future. From the pictures I have seen it looks amazing. http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic/136467-cybertech-pro-2600-av-mod/ Hey Longhorn, Can you recommend a good book for beginners wanting to learn about circuitry and schematics? Reason asking is I am also looking to do the A/V Mod on my 2600s but I can't seem to understand the schematics and its something I want to learn. Thanks Disjaukifa

I will add more tonight but here is what I have as free: Consoles Original Gameboy (missing the little connectors for the batteries, it replace I'm sure it would work) Gameboy Games Battle Unit Zeoth Dragon Warrior III Atari 2600 Ms. Pacman Picture Label that can be claimed (Spare). Game works but the flap on the bottom where the connector is missing. Payment via paypal please and claimer pays shipping. UPDATE Gameboy stuff has been claimed UPDATE Thanks Disjaukifa

Melody is a stripped down version of Harmony which Albert is going to use to sell Homebrew games. The Melody is for homebrews that were developed on the Harmony. The Melody allows from a 2K game to a 32K game including the use of I think its called Sara chip (which the Melody/Harmony emulates) which gives the Atari 2600 another 128 bytes of ram. Really it allows people do develop homebrew games so that they no longer require hard to find chips and custom PCBs for the cartridges. -Disjaukifa

Thanks!!! thats what I wanted to know! -Disjaukifa

Hey Guys, I'm looking to get 2 Tac-2 Joysticks in working shape, I don't really care about small scratches or anything, as long as they work perfectly. I really want two and would rather buy a pair. If you have a set that you don't need or use anymore just send me a PM and well see if we can work something out. I found a pair, thanks guys! Thanks Disjaukifa

Hey Batari, As this is related, will the Melody be ready for homebrew games to be sold on around the time the Production Harmony comes out? Just wondering what the time frame on the Melody was, haven't heard much. Thanks Disjaukifa

Yeah I know they are fantastic, I wont use any old 80's joysticks anymore. My problems are solved. Sadly, I cant find anyone that just sells the joysticks. The whole system is still going for 20 30 bucks I think on ebay. I can imagine having a bunch of joysticks and a pile of flashback systems that I wont know what to do with. Yeah right now it would be easier for me to just get some flashback II for better joysticks. I really want some of the Tac-2 joysticks but they seem to be so good that no one is selling them . -Disjaukifa

Yeah I need to add sound in general ... its on the list of things to do, and to be honest its going to be one of the last. I know I have gone against what I like to do programming wise, but I consider the sound part of what Random Terrain calls "The Clean-Up Phase" which comes after the game dynamics are finished, all the levels are designed and the game is full functional (everything has been implemented). The Clean-Up Phase is where you spend your time refining the colors, sounds, graphics, timings, etc. It is what truly can make a game go from good to great. -Disjaukifa

Hey Guys, I just found this UBER RARE item on ebay. Atari didn't make many of them at ALL. I don't know about you but I am going to throw down big $$$ Here is the link: Amazingly Uber Rare Item!!!!! I hate it when people list stuff like that . . . -Disjaukifa

Do you have to buy a Flashback or can you just get the joysticks??? I was thinking about dismantling mine and seeing if I could clean it to help improve performance. -Disjaukifa

Hey Quick Bonus update. I was reading about the TIA registers and modified the game a little. Also I edited the playfield that I used for the words, I tried to refine them to make them look better. Ok enough talking here before/after screen shots and the .bin file: This is the cleaner look I wanted, however I lost missile0 but I just replaced it with ball and I was back in business. Let me know what you think! Thanks Disjaukifa atomic_meltdown.bin

Good reason, that works. It seem for most people that have responded, their first Atari 2600 console they owned turned out to be their favorite. My first was actually the Dark Vader and I just recently got the Heavy Sixer, and its definitely me favorite. I had a Jr and sold it last night, I liked it, I really did, but when I think of Atari consoles, its got to have wood grain and the big switches . -Disjaukifa

Hey accousticguitar! Yeah before I has it just set on yellow . . . or something and it bothered me. When I think of a nuclear meltdown I think of red/orangish lights going off and that is what I tried to mimic. Also I want something that was going to be easy on the eyes, the last thing I want to do is make someone sick from looking at the screen !!!! I really going to try to get one of the two player modes done tomorrow, I just got frustrated today with trying to get the shared sprites to work and after I reverted my code back, I decided to just work on the easy stuff tonight and do some fine tuning here and there. Also I went back and add better comments to everything. I want to modify the other random atomic matter to do something other than a straight line, and I have an idea that I am going to implement tomorrow. I might have to switch from missile to ball, I'm not sure yet. Oddly enough, I won't be able to test two player really well till I get my Harmony cartridge in so that will be next week sometime I hope. Depends on when Albert can get them in the mail. Hopefully tomorrow nights update will be more progressive and exciting than tonights. Thanks Disjaukifa

The yin-yang spinner indicates that the cart is busy. Sounds like it is waiting endlessly for the SD card. We will release an instruction sheet soon. Still that is better than some dull loading bar . Also just to double check I know the Harmony can do 2k, 4k, 8k, 8kSC, 16k, 16kSC, 32k, and 32kSC. The Melody will be able to do the same correct? Thanks -Disjaukifa

Ok here is the second post I promised. Here is a list of what I did: -Animated Title Screen -Programmed Game Select Menu (No matter which is select it automatically goes to Single Player) -Add Animated game ending however its not programmed to come up yet (bank2 has a whopping 266 bytes of space left) All I really did tonight was comestics, I didn't feel like tackling anything else tonight, I wanted to just work on something easy. I tried to implement shared sprites like the tutorial here Post #21 but I could never get it to work, I spent 2 hours on it so I then decided I would just work on other simpler stuff, I'm tired so I tackled the easy stuff. If you are at the title screen, you hit the "fire" button to get to the game selection screen. At the game selection screen you hit the Game Select button the console to scroll through the different game modes and "fire" and soon to be "reset" to select a mode you want to play. Again noting that only Single Player Mode is hit at the moment. That will change tomorrow. Here are some screen shots and the .bin file. Download it, mess with it and let me know what you think!!! Tomorrow night I am going to at least try to tackle the Two Player Coop (as it is easy to program). Thanks guys! -Disjaukifa atomic_meltdown.bin

Hey I bought a copy of Harmony cartridge at the portland retro I am trying right now, but no matter what I do, it keeps stock on this blue and red Yin-Yang thing can I somehow get some instruction? what kind of format should I format this memory card? Does that matter? I am on a MAC Does it have a limitation on card size? thanks, Kyle HAHAHAHAH if the card is not formatted correctly it displays an blue and red Yin-Yang? Thats awesome!!! . . . . better than the *&[email protected]#*( blue screen I get at work every few days!!! -Disjaukifa

Hey, I am just going to be really quick, I have a lot of other stuff want to get done with this tonight. Here is the latest build. I will post again in a few hours. Changes: -Title Screen -change game from 4k to 16kSC (Thank goodness the Melody can take up to 32kSC) -pfres is 28 now I think I will post again later tonight. Enjoy!!! I love bank switching, its actually making everything easier in a weird way. Thanks Disjaukifa atomic_meltdown.bin

RevEng, that is exactly what I was looking for. I had looked in that thread before I asked but somehow I missed it. I can't tell you how much code that is going to save me!!!. Thanks Disjaukifa

Java based software? I think it's C++. The GUI is written in QT4 which I understand works under multiple platforms. I can expand on that part. It's in C++ with Qt4. The GUI partly comes from KrokCom (which I still haven't released) and the autodetection stuff from Stella, which were both written in C++. And the actual programming code itself is in C, so it made sense to just use C++. Porting to Java would have been even more work. The software will be released under the GPL/v3, and will be available in 32-bit versions for Windows and OSX, and 32/64-bit for Linux. Obviously, it will require the Qt4 libraries. These will be included in the Windows and OSX ports. Linux users can just install them from their distro repositories. Wow thanks for the info and all the hard work on the software and hardware!!! -Disjaukifa

Hey Guys, I have a different question, but this is something I have been wondering. Lets say I have a two player game and both players are going to look exactly the same, is there a way I can write a subroutine or generic player that player0 and player1 could be assigned? For instance have something like this player: %11111111 %10000001 %10000001 %10000001 %10000001 %10000001 %10000001 %11111111 end player0=player player1=player I trying to figure out how to reuse code instead of having to copy could which takes up alot of space very quickly. Thanks Disjaukifa

Funny little game, its just the same level repeating but still I like it, its fun. Can't wait to play it again once you have updated it. -Disjaukifa

Java based software? Could be C or C++ programmed and compiled with the GNU tools . . . but yeah Java would be the easiest to port . . . because there is no porting really. -Disjaukifa

Yes, we are releasing Windows, Linux and OS X versions. :!: :!: :!: :!: ITS A DREAM COME TRUE :!: :!: :!: :!: Batari you just made my day and I have not had a good day at all !!!!! Thanks Disajukifa

Yes, the Harmony driver is entirely read-only for the SD card. This was necessary to fit the driver in the limited space available. Also, it is safer as there is less chance of the SD card contents getting corrupted. As batari has pointed out, it would be very slow to write to the SD card through the Harmony. It is much better just to write to the SD card on a PC instead. I suspect most people won't modify the contents of their SD cards very often. For development, it is probably better just to flash the game directly onto the Harmony, rather than using the SD card. Chris How does the Flash work? I am in the process of writing two Homebrews for the 2600, and I will be using the Harmony for development for the most part (I hate testing with keyboard controls ). Its easy enough for me to just use an SD card, but I am curious about the flash as well. Thanks Disjaukifa Harmony has 32k of flash, and this can be programmed through USB with a single game image so it will run the game without the SD even inserted. When we release the programming software, there will be a "development" tab that will facilitate this process. When you are finished developing, you may reprogram the multicart BIOS and use SD cards again. Any chance that this software will be Mac compatible? If not again the SD won't be difficult to do. -Disjaukifa

Yes, the Harmony driver is entirely read-only for the SD card. This was necessary to fit the driver in the limited space available. Also, it is safer as there is less chance of the SD card contents getting corrupted. As batari has pointed out, it would be very slow to write to the SD card through the Harmony. It is much better just to write to the SD card on a PC instead. I suspect most people won't modify the contents of their SD cards very often. For development, it is probably better just to flash the game directly onto the Harmony, rather than using the SD card. Chris How does the Flash work? I am in the process of writing two Homebrews for the 2600, and I will be using the Harmony for development for the most part (I hate testing with keyboard controls ). Its easy enough for me to just use an SD card, but I am curious about the flash as well. Thanks Disjaukifa