Christophero Sly

Thanks. I still can't believe it.

Picture.

I just scored a loose Waterworld in the wild for $1.

Get "Road Rash" if you get a Genesis. The Genesis was the only version of that game done right, IMHO.

Parker Bros., Activision, and Atari.

What is the INTV version like?

My favorite too.

Is "Heart of the Alien" the correct name? And is it a Genesis Cart, a 32X, or a CD? Thanks

I assume you've played "Out of this World"? If you haven't, it's very similar to Flashback. I remember "Fade to Black" looked like a cool game, but play on a 486 was way to slow, and I never got a accurate impression of the game.

**EDIT...IGNORE**

There are many shortcomings in TI Basic. However, at age 11, I got a lot out of the system. It had simple sprite-based graphics that were easy to manipulate and sound was easy too. There is something to be said for leaving BASIC... basic. Of course, I quickly outgrew the TI, and I was definitely ready to move on when we got our Apple II, but I have fond memories of the TI and learning BASIC progamming on it. Now that I've returned to the system as a collector, I realize the TI still has a lot left to offer. Extended Basic addresses many of the shortcomings found in standard TI Basic and I forgot how good some of the games are. I think the TI was more popular than people commonly assume. It had a fair number of interesting peripherals and, if you could afford them, it was a reasonably capable system. However, a disk drive was only available if you bought the whole expansion module. The TI would have benefited from an inexpensive, stand-alone, plug and play floppy-disk drive like the Atari 1050. Saving your programs on cassette got old, fast, and only magnified the TI's deficiencies in match-ups with other systems.

I don't think brand loyalty has been especially important. Obviously, the success of the NES was important to the success of the SNES. The Mario franchise was still fresh at that point, and that certainly carried over to the SNES. But the 16-bit console wars were fierce. Plenty of gamers transitioned to the Genesis after owning an NES. In it's early stages, the Genesis-SNES fight was very close, and in my opinion, favored the Genesis. It wasn't until later that titles like Donkey Kong Country were able to secure the 16-bit throne for the SNES. Brand loyalty is a mixed-bag. I think it helped Nintendo's consoles because Nintendo had coherent and popular franchises with Mario and Zelda. Had Sega focused it's post-Genesis console efforts on the Saturn, instead of fumbling around with the 32X and CD, I'm convinced that Genesis owners would have been much more enthusiastic about the Saturn. Adding to your criteria for what makes a successful console, I'd say backwards-compatability. Had the 5200 been compatible out of the box with the 2600, it would have been a much more successful console. Sony has capatilized on this concept.

Now these are shity. Original TI Sticks.

Yes.

Just missed this sweet blue-label BIN. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...&category=27180

Just missed this. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...&category=27180

In the past 6 months, I've found Robot Tank, Kaboom, and 2 Enudro blue labels.

Well, I guess I'll edit this for a third time. http://www.atariage.com/2600/archives/desi...l?SystemID=2600 A nice article on 2600 game design. Includes a section discussing some of the technical aspects of Video Chess. Interesting stuff. There, that's better

Ahh...Sorry. I just re-read your original question more carefully. I realize now that your question was whether 2600 or Commodore sitcks will work with the TI. No, they won't. Amiga is the manufacturer of the sticks. I've seen the sticks as singles for use on other systems. I think they even made a version for the 2600--I have an Amiga joystick catalog laying around here somewhere. Actually, I don't find the Amiga sticks shitty at all. They're decent.

Yes, that is what I mean. (See photo below) Don't know the answer to that one. I know Wico made a converter for 2600 sticks. These Power Sticks work so well for me that I've never looked at other controller options.

Sent you a PM.

Bump. If you have an interest in any of the carts on my list, but you don't have anything I'm specifically looking for, I'm also looking for 5200 and 7800 commons. Thanks

The TI-99/4A uses 9-pin joysticks, 2 for 1 like 2600 Paddles. Original TI joysticks suck. They are labelled "Texas Instruments". If you see them in the wild, don't buy them, they WILL be broken. Look for Amiga Power Sticks instead. The TI can use tapes, carts, or disks (with a peripheral expansion box). As far as games go, Parsec, as you mentioned, is great -- lot's of levels. TI-Invaders is an excellent Space Invaders clone. Most of the Atarisoft arcade ports are great as well. Pac-Man is good. However, the first couple of boards play so slow that ones initial reaction might be subdued. TI Donkey Kong is my favorite version of the game. Even though the game lacks several of the elements found in other versions (Kong does not fall on his head at the conclusion of level 2), there is something in the scale of the graphics that closely captures the arcade experience for me. Centipede is acceptable, but Pole Position doesn't come off well. I've never played Defender on the TI. Most of the games that Texas Instruments produced have a certain "TI feel" that pervades every title-- mostly as a consequence of single-colored sprites. Ultimately, you either like that or you don't. I happen to love the TI.

Night Driver is my favorite 2600 racing title as well. As for the important games: 1. Combat 2. Space Invaders 3. Pitfall!