Ray casting and the 2600

[Ray casting and the 2600]

I was watching this video on Doom and Wolfenstein 3D and how they simulate 3D. On the part about Wolfenstein he talked about how the game used 'ray casting' to draw the walls of what, in memory is actually a 2d top view shooter.

 

That got me thinking... could ray casting... or something like it be done on the 2600?

 

Heres the video...

https://youtu.be/zb6Eo1D6VW8

[Atari Halloween costumes]

Pac-man looks stoned

[What is the expansion port on the back for?]

No, the 2-ports also have the expansion port.

 

If I remember correctly, the NES systems also had an expansion port, which I believe was never used either.

Not only that...but EVERY Nintendo system, save the Wii/Wii U had this...don't know about the top load NES though. For the NES it was for the never released disk drive, SNES and N64 I don't believe had any proposed products...least licenced ones...The only system to actually use it was the Gamecube.

[6-Switch Tele-Games "Game Select" Crash.]

I'd say your assumption that the RIOT is bad... But double Check to see if the line for the switch isn't shorting out an address or Data line.

[Rename VCS Donkey Kong]

Blocky Kong

"You know what's bullsh*t" the video game

Mario vs Brown Mummy

Donkey Kong : Cliffnotes edition

ET the morbidly obese Extra Terrestrial

Colicovision's "I just took your $20"

 

 

That's all I got

[Atari Age Roms]

I know that Activision roms are missing... Sort of... If you dig deep enough and find the three zip files of all the roms, the Activision roms are there... You can also download rom hunters rom pack.

[Atari 2600 Controller Port Issue]

Do the buttons work on the paddles? If they do you probably have bad caps (the paddle controls how much power is applied to a capacitor and the TIA determines your placement based on how long it takes the cap to charge).

 

If the caps are fine the TIA itself is probably bad.

 

Of course it could be the simplest of problems... Bad control ports... But for both to be bad with the same problem makes it unlikely.

 

For details on the Atari inner workings, Google the Atari field service manual pdf

[Rename VCS Donkey Kong]

Many homebrews use synonym heavy titles to avoid copyright issues... Or just to be funny (like the Astroids clone space rocks) so how about...

 

Ass King

 

No... Maybe not... Sounds more like a lost Mystique title.

[That Guy Who Lied About High Scores]

The question becomes what will be done when arcade hardware is no longer working due to age. Will those scores be considered permanent and no longer allowed to be altered? Will they create a separate category for high scores produced through an emulator? Perhaps they can standardize on an emulator to use for this (Mame comes into mind) and then come up with some sort of ROM certification. Probably not going to happen though.

An MD5 hash check should be all that's needed to verify the legitimacy of a ROM... Just one bit off would generate an incorrect hash.

[Can Someone Make A Custer's Revenge Hack?]

You wanna hack CR... How bout just making the arrows fall to the ground rather than dematerialize.

[2600 games with extra chips]

There was a planned accessory that turned your Atari into a home computer. The actual processing was to be done by the add on and the Atari itself became little more than a video card and i/O bus. Unfortunately the project got scrapped and only saw the light of day in a 'coming soon' article.

[Atari 2600 je built in 1994 ...?]

2600 does hold the record for longest production run of a console and I do believe they were made up to the mid 90s and sold in countries not quite up to speed technology wise.

[Idea for the next version of Stella (if possible)]

My idea is for support for a DIY adapter to run games directly off cartridges. It could be something as complex as a USB device... Or a parallel printer port (not that many computers have them these days) theoretically is should be possible... Although how much demand for it is the big question. Input?

[My miniature controllers]

I like how you just spliced into the existing pcb rather than make your own... Did you have to cut any traces?

[about cartridges, molds, colors etc.. etc..]

My dad works for a company that makes dental implants and he'd make plaster molds of things like our gi Joe guns and fill them with resin and presto! Extra guns! Granted not as heavy duty as a die cast set, the material they used was intended to be filled with molten metal.

 

My point is.. Does a mold set REALLY have to be uber heavy duty for the kind of production numbers we'd be looking at?

[My miniature controllers]

Aren't those the key chain games?

[Cartridge, Manual, Box Photo Variation Website!]

Ok i see.. Would you mind posting the url... I only have my phone for Internet and signatures don't show up for some reason in the mobile version of the forums

[Cartridge, Manual, Box Photo Variation Website!]

Are you doing this for AA or your own site? Looking though the database it surprises me how many games only have HTML manuals considering how many of the missing manuals i see on ebay on any given day.

[Trying to find a Diagnostic Cartridge for the 2600]

I got mine from best electronics... Youll also need the shorting plugs... Someone on here posted the schematics... And finally youll need the field service guide... You can find a pdf of that with a quick Google search.. Of course the plugs and the guide is also available on best.... Along with the STC cart.. but thays only useful if you have an O scope

[Vader going bad?]

So it goes to b&w as if you flipped the color switch then becomes staticly like someone flipped the channel from 2 to 3...or cuts to snow like the power was flipped off?

[2600 Game Idea -- DOORS]

Not sure howd you do that many different puzzle variations but you could do the same trick used in pitfall to create 255 individual rooms with the appearance of mapped out elements... Which in turn could specify different "modes" for each room.

[Who would star in Atari Smash Bros?]

Lets see... Well theyd have to have some iconic value and if its a game with a high and low strike zone, many atari characters just wouldnt do. Also how would they attack? Be kind if boring if characters like Yar just shot bullets. But all that aside here are some of my ideas...

 

Adventure character-attacks with sword and summons bat for power ups.

 

Berzerk character - dodges projectiles and can summon evil otto.

 

Haunted house- can stun opponents by blinding them with matches.

 

Pitfall hary - can summon a croc swamp

 

Swordquest character - not too familiar with the items in this game, but theres enough to have some good abilities.

 

Yar - summons the quotle cannon. Jumps like other opponents but flies when using the cannon. Basic attack is the wall nibble.

 

Astroids ship - like yar only flies when using special abbility, Astroid shower. Can teleport.

 

ET - bores you to death

 

HERO - Plants tnt. Limited flight

[Left Controller Port Problem]

Is your console a H6er? A notorious problem with them is on that model there is a hex buffer ic the trigger lines pass through ;when it goes bad it causes issues with the fire button... Every model afterwards eliminated the need for the hex buffer.

[Atari games that make the room GLOW]

Would Adventure count?

[Check out this homemade multi-controller!]

Is it possible to have all three controller types wired up to the same port with a switch changing which type receives the - line, or would the "dead" controllers interfere with one another?