jaybird3rd

I must express my support for this endeavor also. In placing my preorder with Ken, I never had the slightest concern about the feasibility of this project or the quality of the product, mostly because Ken's reputation in this community speaks for itself. As someone who never owned an original MIO and is not very familiar with the older SCSI disk technology it was designed for, I did have some questions about it, but I found Ken to be very friendly and patient in answering what I'm sure he thought were stupid n00b questions from a potential buyer. Anyone who is on the fence about placing an order (and we only need two more of you to make this initial production run happen) shouldn't hesitate any longer. I made the above comment (which was almost meant to be a joke at the time) in another thread last November, after hearing about the outrageous prices for old MIO boxes on eBay. I'm amazed at the time and effort that Ken has spent since then to make a new production run possible, and I'm grateful to him for making it available to the community at a fair price. I'm certainly looking forward to receiving mine!

I've said it before in another Intellivision thread, but I've become a HUGE fan of the Intellivision even though I didn't grow up with one. I was first exposed to the system through the BSRs' web site and Intellivision Lives, and I've since built up a collection of Intellivision hardware and most of the best games for the system. It's easily become my very favorite non-Atari console. Regarding "weak" third-party support: the Intellvision didn't sell nearly as many systems as the 2600, and most of the third-party developers that supported it (primarily Activision and Imagic) were started by ex-Atari people who made most of their money with the 2600. I'm sure those publishers must have considered Intellivision development a secondary part of their businesses at the time. Michael Becker (ex-Imagic artist) has claimed that Imagic was reluctant to put their best programmers (Fulop, Smith, Koble, etc.) on Intellivision projects because they were among the few who knew the 2600, so they brought in a bunch of college grads instead. Perhaps this is one reason that their Intellivision games seemed less-polished in some cases than their 2600 games, although I think many of those titles (especially the forementioned Dreadnaught Factor and Happy Trails from Activision and Atlantis from Imagic) are very good. A second issue is that, compared to the 2600, the Intellivision had a lot of custom hardware and a more complex architecture, and it must have been more difficult to reverse-engineer and to find tools and developers for. About the only custom hardware in the 2600 was the Stella chip (TIA), which had been reverse-engineered by several groups by the early 80s. In contrast, Atari could only get Intellivision expertise for their Atarisoft group by stealing developers from other companies. Even the Mattel group didn't begin to really learn to stretch and exploit the system until around 1983. Many of the late Mattel releases, and all of the INTV releases I've seen, are astonishing technical achievements in addition to being outstanding games, and it makes me wonder what more could have been done with the Intellivision if INTV had survived longer. I've also been playing a lot of Intellivision games lately. Among my favorites are Night Stalker, Shark! Shark!, Astrosmash (others have said it's too easy but I start having a really hard time around 10,000 points), Thunder Castle, BurgerTime and Diner, the Dreadnaught Factor, and Thin Ice.

The Intellivision emulator in MESS is very picky. As I recall, it requires cartridge binaries to be in .ROM format, whereas the ones on the Intellivision Lives CD are .BIN files, so to get mine working I tracked down a third-party utility to convert the binaries. But this utility apparently doesn't work with games that are above a certain size (it might be 8K but I could be wrong), and of the games that did load, some of them didn't work properly. I don't think I ever did get the Intellivoice games working either. It's been a long time since I messed with it; I either use the real system or Intellivision Lives these days.

Wow, you've been even busier than I thought, Curt! Looks like an interesting product, and I'll be keeping my eye on it. For now it's out of my price range, of course, but perhaps this will open the door for other things (such as a certain Atari 800-based TV-game product that a certain big company seems to have foolishly passed on! ) Seriously, congratulations and best of luck with this new endeavor.

Even if that was possible, many of the games would be unplayable because of the lack of a numeric keypad on those controllers. Your best bet would probably be to build an adapter for the Atari Jaguar controller, which would give you the keypad AND all of the action keys (even though it's limited to eight directions). Some day I'm going to try to build the Jaguar adapter documented on this page.

There have been a couple of threads comparing the relative merits of the XEGS vs. the 800XL, so you might want to search around a bit for those. Put briefly, the Atari 8-bit computers were repackaged several times over the years, but they're all essentially the same machine except for different OS software and extra RAM: 400/800: The original Atari 8-bit series; did not have BASIC built-in. The 800 typically has a maximum of 48K of RAM. XL Series: Replaced the 400/800 series; added BASIC in the ROM, which usually has to be disabled (by holding down OPTION during powerup) for games to work The 800XL had 64K of RAM, and the 600XL can be easily expanded to 64K. XE Series and XEGS: Replaced the XL series; the 130XE had 128K of RAM and the 65XE and XEGS had 64K. Aside for cosmetic changes (and the added RAM on the 130XE), these are very much like the 800XL internally, and all have built-in BASIC. As a general rule, software written for one series will work on subsequent series; you can play Star Raiders and other 400/800 games on an XL or XE. Some XE titles require 64K of RAM, but these can also be used on an 800XL or upgraded 600XL. The only exception is a small number of 400/800 titles that don't work on the XL/XE because of changes in the OS, but this can be fixed by using a "translator." Since the XEGS has the SIO serial bus (like all other Atari computers), it is compatible with all peripherals that Atari released.

How about "Chicken Shift" or "Snacks 'n Jaxson" (very strange Sente coin-ops)?

Bravo Curt, and thanks for the update! I'm glad to hear that the Rev. C isn't dead after all. I'm also interested in knowing if there are any distinguishing marks that would help us spot the C. Here's hoping that Atari commissions the FB3; I'd love to see it become a reality, sooner rather than later if possible.

This reminds me ... we're coming up on the 10th anniversary of the end of Atari as an independent company. From ICWhen.com: I know I'm going a little off-topic with some reminiscing here, but it still amazes me that, in the ten years that have gone by, none of the three subsequent owners of Atari have found a way to successfully capitalize on the Atari properties or to grow the Atari legend in a lasting way. JTS only wanted the infusion of cash and a quick way onto the stock market; they never did a thing with Atari except fleamarketing leftover merchandise and keeping poor John Skruch onboard to make as many licensing deals as he could until the whole thing went to Hasbro. Hasbro seemed to have more respect for Atari, but that didn't necessarily result in better products; for every decent 3D remake of a classic game that they did, at least two others were bad. The Infogrames "strategy" seems to be the most boneheaded of all: why take a name that has significant nostalgic value and an innovative history and use it to sell derivative, me-too products to a market for whom nostalgia means nothing? They aren't going to recognize the Atari name for what it is, and the true Atari enthusiasts aren't going to buy the new products because of the name (I've never bought anything Infogrames except the Flashbacks), so the name has no value as long as Infogrames owns it. Since we seem to have pretty much come to the end of the "Infogrames era," my question is: where should Atari go from here? How can the next owner (whether it's another big company or a consortium of fans) make Atari a success in today's world, and is it even possible to do so outside of the retro-gaming fad that the Flashbacks and emulation packs have targeted? I'd love to see Atari do something major and constructive and new, instead of (badly) mimicking the competition and playing in niche markets and withering away a little more with each change of hands.

I just got a load of Apple ][ stuff myself: three Apple ][e Platinum Edition computers, a pair of ][GS computers, some 5.25 inch and 3.5 inch diskette drives, color and monochrome monitors, and a box full of software and peripherals (including a new set of paddles and sealed copies of every AtariSoft release for the Apple ][). I haven't gotten around to testing it all, but I noticed that some clown cut off the data cables on the diskette drives instead of unscrewing the plugs. Other than that, everything is in surprisingly good physical shape. One question I have for those who know Apple machines better than I: will Macintosh monitors work with the ][GS? I have a 21" color CRT for the Macintosh and it seems to use the same monitor interface as the ][GS, and I would be totally stoked if they were compatible. EDIT: Also, does anyone know of a source for 19-pin floppy drive cables?

7800 Robotron with a pair of Radica Space Invaders joysticks is a joy to play. The rubber feet of those sticks (combined with their wide base) keep them in place pretty well without any extra reinforcement.

I'd like to put in a vote for that too. I'd love to see either an upgrade board, or a DETAILED list of step-by-step assembly instructions that describes exactly what needs to be connected to what and in what order; I'd even be willing to pay for the instructions if someone was to document the process in that kind of detail. All of the "documentation" I've seen for existing 1MB upgrades is either written in a language other than English (there are A8 fans who don't understand Polish who would love to get in on the fun too), or consists of quick hard-to-read schematics without any step-by-step instructions at all.

One example I can think of is Intellivision Productions and the Blue Sky Rangers. Their dedication to the Intellivision is the same today as it was in the 1980s. They've stuck with the Intellivision since the beginning, and after the console itself stopped selling, they've continued to market the games through their handhelds and through emulation compilations on consoles, computers, and cell phones. In my view, that's the model and the kind of spirit that Atari should have in handling and marketing their (much larger) library of classic properties. I agree with NovaXpress: Infogrames should fail because they've done nothing to grow the Atari legend. Curt Vendel and his team deserve the credit for the Flashbacks, while Infogrames deserves the blame for anything that was wrong with them. Before long, Infogrames will crash and burn while the classic Atari properties will live on in someone else's hands. I just hope that, when the time comes, Infogrames has enough sense to turn those properties over to somebody who actually cares about them.

I can only awnser the ones I knwo about, but here goes: It's pretty easy, you just attach a male-to-male gender changer to the 2600 joystick cable and then bend the pins until they fit into the Jaguar gamepad ports (you might have to use hot glue to hold it in afterward). If you want the extra buttons, just cut the cable off of a 2600 Kid's Controller and superglue it right to the joystick. Good luck and let us know how it works out. He's Firefox's brother. You know, the one that delivers the mail. Yes, but first you have to remove the common sense particle from your brain so you can hold tea and no tea at the same time. That's easy, just plug it back into the SNES. Simple fix. Checkered Flag, of course. Every Atari fan knows that. Because Genesis does what Nintendon't, and the Jaguar is what the Genesisn't. Any video game store that carries Scatologic products. Ask for them by name (unless you're too embarassed by your impotence). I'm not sure ... someone created Jaguar Gorf, and then everybody started eating each other.

Heh ... it seems to me that "major motion picture licensed IP" and "established franchises" are what got them where they are now ("Matrix: Path of Neo"? "Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure"? WTF were they thinking?!) Their online efforts have been underwhelming, too, and it's just stupid to try to bet the whole company on more of the same.

Well, there you have it. Atari can't compete in the multi-million-dollar mainstream game market, so why continue to throw money down that hole? They should focus instead on casual gaming (especially their successful Flashback series), more and better emulation compilations for modern consoles and handhelds, and the strong nostalgic appeal that the classic Atari properties continue to have.

B&C ComputerVisions sells the Innovative Concepts 128K upgrade kit for about $50. I installed it in my XEGS some years ago, and as I recall, it only involved adding two 4464 RAM chips, a CO25953 chip, and a couple of resistors to the XEGS. You might be able to get the individual parts cheaper, though; it isn't too hard to find 4464s (I've got several extras that I pulled off of an old video card), and I think Best Electronics sells the CO25953 for about $10.

I absolutely agree. This, and the enthusiasm and dedication of the Blue Sky Rangers that you talked about earlier, has made me a HUGE Intellivision fan even though I did not grow up with the system. It had a much higher percentage of quality games than the 2600 did (even though its library was much smaller at ~125 games), and it was able to attract strong third-party support while remaining untainted by the trashy 2600 publishers looking to cash in on the fad. The games that came out of Mattel were almost always outstanding titles, and some of the later INTV releases are nothing short of spectacular. Some of those include solid entries like the revamped sports games and the forementioned Diner, Thin Ice, and Thunder Castle. I also appreciate the fact that the Blue Sky Rangers have remained involved with the Intellivision through the years and continue to support it today. They own the rights to the games, they developed (or supervised the development of) all of the emulation compilations on the market today, and I even heard talk of brand new cartridges which might include totally new games written by the original programmers. You don't see that kind of dedication among the 2600 developers, and it makes me more than willing to put up with the system's unusual controllers and other quirks. Out of all of my non-Atari consoles, the Intellivision is easily my favorite (as evidenced by the truckload of loose cartridges I've bought from Albert!)

I really wish Atari had put in a little calibration routine at the beginning of each light gun game, something that would detect how far out of alignment the gun is and adjust the targeting routines to compensate. Maybe something similar to the stylus calibration utility used in Pocket PCs: hit the target in the center of the screen, hit it in the four corners, hit it in the center again, and compute the X and Y offsets. I just got a bunch of new light gun games today (Meltdown for the 7800 and Crossbow and Crime Buster for the XEGS), and I agree that they're practically unplayable with the XE light gun.

Meltdown, Barnyard Blaster, and Sentinel are the only ones I can remember. EDIT: Oops ... forgot about Crossbow!

I imagine it's even worse with Playstation memory cards, which are smaller and even easier to lose than a VMU. Makes me appreciate my Jaguar Memory Track cartridge.

Not sure if it's the same adapter you're talking about, but I've also got a Y-cable that allows the use of Atari-compatible joysticks on the 99/4A. I've been using it for a while with a pair of RSI sticks, and it's a tremendous improvement over TI's stock controllers.

It's pretty easy once you remember that there are eight bits per byte. So, the part number "2732" indicates 32 kilobits, which is equivalent to 4 kilobytes (since 32 divided by eight equals four). Along similar lines, if you have an 8K game, you would need a 2764 EPROM to put it on a cartridge.

Heyyyy ... this one is too good to pass up! I wrote a favorable review of these units in this thread a while ago, and I agree with jbanes: the Arcade Warlords and Pong games are worth the purchase price alone, although all of the games are very well done. I'll be picking up two or three more this weekend!

Hard to say. He said he'd update us if he was allowed to, and since he hasn't yet, I can only assume that Atari is proceeding with the FB3 and doesn't want their plans for it divulged just yet. If they decided to do nothing, there'd be no need to keep it a secret.