Tin_Lunchbox

I got Space Chase when I was a kid (in USA). I was gee-whiz from the screenshots (or simulated screenshots) on the back of the box which has the planet scrolling by beneath you as if in cruising orbit. And it has that, kind of. But the gameplay IIRC is just a mediocre vertical shooter. It's not awful, it's just not very good IMO. I saw an online video review in which Space *Cavern* got a real good review though.

In my opinion it looks very cool. Those are interesting-looking "enemies," from the lion to the cloud to the spaceman. Yeah, the flickering is pretty bad, but then will the final game actually require so many in one room? It reminds me somewhat of Nolan Bushnell's "Secret Quest" for the 2600/VCS.

I wasn't aware of this one. It looks great: http://www.atariage.com/hack_page.html?SystemID=2600&SoftwareHackID=262. Do I understand that it actually includes elements from the stand-up arcade sequel Space Invaders Deluxe? From the screenshots, I think what Nukey Shay has done best here is the use of color. The 2600/VCS is limited in many ways but hey, it can do some color if one codes it right. I picked up "Space Instigators" a couple years back. It's I think an "homebrew" as opposed to an "hack." It's truer to the arcade, includes nine invaders per row (2600/VCS Space Invaders has six, the original arcade has eleven). It's very cool, but I haven't played it enough to judge the play value. I will say that saucer is near impossible to hit.

Very sweet set! Very! I was aware of most of those, but I'll websearch to find out about "Piraten Schiff." Is it any good?

Any indication of what could be done with the 4000-8000? "PRESS SELECT TO CHOOSE SATELLITE." "PRESS START TO POSITION DISH." Mind-boggling...

I don't think Angry Birds per se could be done on the 2600/VCS, but one could possibly do some drastic simplification. One could do a game in which a few varieties of bird weapons were launched at sequential structures in order to collapse the structures to crush pig targets hiding within. For aiming the birds, I think Imagic's Trick Shot pool game would be instructive to look at for ideas. The collapsing of the structures would probably have to be more Tetris style collapse than the relatively-advanced goings on in Angry Birds. What I mean is that you knock out some blocks with your bird and the ones above drop. Well, perhaps what I just said means I think Angry Birds could be done on the 2600/VCS.

It was really cool thanks for sharing here.

The Gorf cartridge looks exactly like mine. I have a vague recollection of also seeing it in yellow plastic. I do not believe it to be rare at all, but I consider it a very good port. It's one of my favorite cartridges. The Star Trek cartridge is probably rarer than the Gorf, though I haven't looked at any online rarity lists. Those Wico joysticks are the solidest and arguably best Atari-compatible joysticks ever made, though I am handier with the original 2600/VCS joysticks.

Buy all three, yo.

Peteym5, I just looked at the dominant online auction service and there's maybe 25 listings that include a 2600/VCS driving controller. Oftentimes you'll end up having to buy Indy500/Race to get the controller(s) (it originally came packed with two), but these items do not seem to currently be going at a premium. Here's what Potatohead said over in the 2600/VCS forum about programming for the controller: "The grey code output changes only one bit in the value returned to the controller at a time. Think of it as a list. There are 8 values in the list, and the current one is somewhere in the list. If it's the next value, either to the left, or right, nothing was missed. On the other hand, if it's a few values away, you can know the controller was turned really fast too, and do something with that, if you want to." Another person said the controller makes use of a "binary gray code." There are a very few 2600 carts that make use of the controller, see here: http://www.atariage....&ControllerID=3. I also read it may be used with Track&Field. I am in awe enough of Tempest Xtreem that you may in fact have my 2600/VCS driving controller, no obligation, if you want to explore the question further. TiN[]BoX

Ah man, Petey, he probably deserved some of that, but what gets to me the most is those with no direct purchase activity with dude nevertheless jump in for the mass bash. I also read, looked like reliably, that he got bad sick. Assuming you're whom you say you are, which I assume, I guess what you say about your source is accurate. But that does not include the music, does it? I've admired Xtreem incredibly and from afar (looks Yoomp! level or better) but always wanted 2600/VCS driving controller support. How much for a cartridge like that? I can loan you a 2600/VCS driving controller. If you quote me a middle rather than low number, I want a piece of any additional sales of that until I get it back. You can message me if you like. TiN[]BoX

Sounds like the thing the Rutger Hauer character was looking for in Bladerunner? TiN[]BoX

As long as you saw where I said it was great.

Nice picture, and great if somewhat spastic version of the Imperial March.

Those modified fonts are amazing, never seen anything like that. I guess these characters are actually 3 x 3 arrangements of GR. 0 characters, so 24 x 24 pixels? Incredible work.

Thanks, but I looked and it appears to be sold out (http://www.best-electronics-ca.com/addendum.htm). I noted your comment about the Atari magazine article for home-made printer ribbon refurbishments. For projects, I'd rather program something than work to get the 825 functional right now, however that beast is so solid and incredible that maybe I can eventually find a time to apply an home remedy.

Too bad. Anyone know the current availability and expected condition of printer cartridges for the Atari 825? I hear now and then the home remedies involving an old cartridge and a can of WD40 or whatever, but I dunno if I'll attempt that.

How awful to do a Draw Poker in text mode (without even changing the default colors or using a modified font) on the graphically great Atari 8-bit. Presumably the actually play mechanics would have been solid. It's always seemed ironic to me that Avalon Hill would often market poor and primitive games in those wonderful boxes.

LOL!

I see your point. Indeed the nice, boxed ones are going for $100 and up. In fact even one of the boxes was "markered up" as I said. I think I paid like $40 a couple years ago for my average condition unit in a worn box, so I guess I got a good deal. Thanks for the information.

Hmm, I dunno about that. Maybe the mint, near-mint, and very-fine boxed units can command that kind of price or more, but for your average dusty, somewhat worn thing, maybe with a dried-out label coming off or whatever, in a weathered or markered-up box, you could probably get a Stunt Cycle boxed for $50 or less. I think these units are more scarce than rare, to use coin collector speech. I searched the dominant auction website and did not see one right now. I do have one of these, and yeah it's a fun and different unit, and there's a distinct "cool" factor with the handlebars.

As to the looks of the 2600/VCS prototype Stunt Cycle cartridge, they're attempting to leverage that system's strength in color. This is sometimes a fairly good idea (see Asteroids, Battlezone) but the rest of the transfer there is not very good. I'd like a little more truism to the arcade, as well, surely even the 2600/VCS could do a better motorcycle graphic than that.

That's a great story, thanks for sharing it. I wasn't familiar with Rambit, I take it to be some circuitry that speeds up cassette-tape loading on the 410, the 1010, and whatever the other ones were. That's a nifty mod, but to me the niftiest yet would be a mod that allows loading from various places on the cassette, like a disk drive. In other words it would have some kind of smart rewind/fast forward capability. I guess no-one ever did that.

I have a spare 320 XL by Ctirad. It's a little thing in plastic that plugs into the PBI port on the back of a 600 XL (or 800 XL, or perhaps some other model) and gives you 320K.

I can't let that post and screenshot go by without observing: brilliant. And thank you for the retro-yuks.