jaybird3rd

Not sure why anyone even needs to ask ... the INTV version is by far the better of the two. The developer of the 2600 version (Ron Surratt) knew beforehand that BT on the 2600 would look terrible, but Mattel reportedly forced him to do it because they wanted to capitalize on one of the few decent coin-op licenses they got. So he used 1-bit objects for the enemies to avoid flicker, and suddenly they became "bread sticks" and "square slices of cheese."

I'm wondering how many other people like this underappreciated game from Broderbund as much as I do (it's been discussed on these boards recently but I don't remember where). For some reason, it's one of the few games of its kind that was really able to hold my attention and remain interesting. Its world always seemed so gigantic to me, it was full of challenging puzzles, I liked the different varieties of magic, and I liked the fact that the different characters all had different strength/traits that had to be used in certain places and in certain ways to complete the adventure. None of this was entirely unique, I know, but LOTW seemed to bring it all together perfectly. I'm bringing this up now because I've noticed that a few folks have begun sharing their video game maps, and I thought I'd do the same with LOTW. I started putting these together some years ago, but I recently found them again and have slowly begun finishing them. Here's the first piece (it's a 1024x768 PNG):

Hmmm ... I might have to give this one another look. I remember seeing it and thinking "yuck!" when I was a kid, but it was only afterward that I got to enjoy EGA-Trek and the other PD "Star Trek" games like it (that's "public domain," carpecarne ... no gay French bashing here). One thing I do like about it is that Rob Zdybel (the developer) made good use of the venetian blinds technique for the text-like display, and fit the whole thing into 4K. I wonder how much of the kernel was borrowed from BASIC Programming, which (as I recall) used a very similar display about a year earlier.

I'll have to give that one another try then, because it was actually the first one I attempted to build, and for the life of me I couldn't get it to work.

Just out of curiosity, which composite mod did you use? I built this one for my Intellivision II, but I'm having trouble with the video output (lots of noise and interference patterns).

I think you mean S-Video. I'm also anxious to get this, but as I said about two months ago, Curt is a busy guy and I don't want to press the issue. If/when it comes out, it comes out.

Yes. They're the same agents that normally kill people who tear the labels off of the bottom of their mattresses. They thought they stamped out the Atari label-peeling problem years ago, so they'll probably go out of their way to make an example of you. I'm afraid you've peeled your last label, friend. It's been nice knowing you.

Very true! Not to mention the majority of rabid 3D0 fans!

I agree with the points that you and mos6507 have made. Expecting homebrew developers to do brand new 3D games on the Jaguar is highly unrealistic: the hardware seems to be much better-suited for fast high-res 2D graphics (such as those in Raiden or Protector by Songbird Productions) than for 3D graphics, and it would probably take about the same amount of effort to put together a 3D game on a more modern console that MANY more people would buy. Even for 2D games, there are better options with better rates of return. The state of the Jaguar "community" is a whole different problem (a higher percentage of foaming-at-the-mouth lunatics than anywhere else this side of Scientology), and it makes a thriving Jag homebrew scene even more unlikely.

Easy question for me. Outside of the occasional DVD, I don't watch TV anymore, but my TV still gets plenty of action thanks to my collection of classic consoles and computers. Kinda like the old Atari advertising line ... "Don't just watch TV, play it!"

During an interview at CGE, Ed Logg pronounced it with a hard "g", as in "tang-ghen", after the interviewer incorrectly said "ten-jen". Since he developed Tengen Tetris for the NES, I figure he's in a position to know how it's properly pronounced, so that's the way I've pronounced it ever since.

The original model had hard-wired controllers so all you could do was glue a joystick onto the pad. Not a good solution. The Intellivision 2 had detachable controllers and Wico did make a replacement stick (identical to their Colecovision stick, not their best work). Check out the Buy It Now on this Wico stick: The Horrors Of Ebay As ZylonBane once said, "Sweet rollerskating Jesus!" That may be a rare controller, but $699.99 is absurd! There are more REALISTIC options for replacing your Inty2 controllers. 4Jays sells (used) replacements for about $20, and if you don't mind doing a little soldering, I've seen instructions for building an Atari Jaguar adapter for the Inty2.

I believe that One-on-One Basketball also uses one of the 320 modes.

The FB1 is an NES-compatible system in disguise, and as such, the controllers are in reality NES controllers (and very different internally from the original ProLines). Retrofitting them for the original 7800 would be a lot of work: getting a new cable (the FB1 cables do not give you all the pins you'll need), finding and cutting the right traces, and soldering in the new cable in the correct places. It would actually be less work to rebuild a Space Invaders controller as tta583 suggests, and you'll get a much better joystick. I posted some step-by-step instructions on how to do it here, and I also offer to perform the modification for those AtariAge members who can't or don't want to.

This should answer your questions ... http://www.atariage.com/forums/index.php?s...opic=79523&st=0

That's one reason it's a good thing the Jag startup routine skips the roar when the CD drive is attached; otherwise, the Jag would sound and look like a toilet.

I bought a brand new one not that long ago; I've still got it in the box and am saving it for my future game room. I remember that Imagic sold a similar case, but it might just have been a rebranded one that was actually manufactured by someone else. I'll have to dig out my box and give you the manufacturer of the one I have; I'm pretty sure it's identical to the one in the photo.

I was just wondering the same thing ... they could have taken either the CX-85 or the 2600 keypad controller, and using four of the buttons as directionals and the rest as action buttons, repackaged it as a joystick/gamepad. The multiple-keypress issue would have killed that idea, though.

I absolutely agree. I tried to make a similar point in a related thread: it was a mistake from the beginning for Atari to pursue the 5200, and in my opinion, the 7800 (developed by GCC in direct response to the 5200's shortcomings) was truly the system that the 5200 should have been. If Atari had released a 7800-like system in 1982 and immediately dropped development of new 2600 games, it would have allowed them (via the 7800's cartridge validation) to control the release of new games and prevent the glut of bad product that contributed heavily to the crash. At the same time, they could have put the obsolete 2600 to rest while allowing existing customers to keep their old games and controllers. And it was really insufficient by the time the XEGS was released; bundling that system with a CX-40 made it look old right off the bat. I'm sure that, even in 1982, Atari could have found a way of producing an enhanced controller using the existing interface while retaining backward-compatibility with old controllers, just as GCC did with the 7800. Even adding an extra action button would have been a big improvement.

So does this mean he's available for promotional tours for the 2600 game now that he doesn't have the old ball and chain waiting for him at home?

I bought a 15-watt soldering pencil from Radio Shack last year for ~$10, and I've found that it's perfectly suited for soldering small electronics. I also own a 40-watt pencil (also from Radio Shack), which I use mostly for soldering/desoldering larger components, but this is probably overkill for small projects; I've unwittingly scorched a few boards with it.

You also made the "i hate this system with a passion" remark, which had nothing to do with the topic and was totally uncalled for.

I'm sure Playboy readers would have appreciated "Custer's Revenge," but that came later. Out of the games pictured in the ad, I think Indy 500 would have looked good.

Yes, but fighting/driving sims and emulators are a minority among PC games. The ones that the really hard-core gamers are building those killer gaming rigs for (the stupid-looking machines with the neon lights, transparent cases, bubbling water, and lava lamps built into them) are FPS and RTS games. I actually have met PC gamers who hate consoles and insist on using the mouse/keyboard exclusively, but of course those are twelve-year-olds who've never used anything else.

Why do you bother posting in the 7800 boards if that's your opinion of the system? Judging from your username, aren't you a Jaguar fan? Shouldn't you be out trashing Jaguar homebrew developers or something?