Last Pong Console(s)?

[Last Pong Console(s)?]

Because i have read many articles and books regarding the Pong era, but mostly, a book called: "Pong et la Modialisation: L'Histoire économique des Consoles" (in English: Pong and Globalization - The Economic History of Consoles), which you can get here: https://www.editionspixnlove.com/tous-nos-ouvrages/656-pong-et-la-mondialisation.html

 

Or on other web sites but the book is ONLY published in French so if you can read French then this book is a great insight of the economics during the Pong era,

which companies made/released Pong consoles, etc. But there is some few errors as the Pong era isn't accurately detailed. Here's the picture of the cover:

 

I highly recommend it as this gave be better insight of the whole "Pong" industry mostly in Europe and Asia.

 

Oh and there is one book that has all the "juice" of all Pong productions in Hong Kong and i have tried to get it transfered to another library for

consultation but when i have wrote to the library in Hong Kong which has the "only" copy of this alleged book, they told me it's a special edition

and cannot be moved from their library, so you need to go to Hong Kong to consult it....well, at 8,000 Km of distance to read i book (and cannot

even make scan of the book, they don't allow it! DAMN!!) i just said..."On va laisser faire Tabarnak...." ;(

 

Still have my notes for this book somewhere in case i ever visit Hong Kong

 

And last, i suggest to you to read "The Real Pong FAQ" as it had the biggest list of Pong consoles back then (think the last version is 1.06?).

This FAQ hasn't been updated for years.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Last Pong Console(s)?]

Sorry but this Pong console and other which uses the same plastic shell were manufactured by Conic (Hong Kong) in 1977.

All game consoles (Pong-type) manufactured in Hong Kong came out in 1977-1978 and they ended production by 1979/80

as there were "no more profits" to be made out of these type of consoles.

 

So the seller made a typo, it's not made in 1997, but 1977.

[Last Pong Console(s)?]

56 minutes ago, Schnurrikowski said:

Very interesting. What makes you sure it's from 1992?

Hi Schnurrikowski,

 

Good question. It was written on a web site that this one came out in 1992, but i only report what was written. The best to be exactly sure

that a game console came out a specific year is either to open up the game console and check the major components for a year or a stamp-date

(example: 4378 - which means 43th week of 1978).

 

But if you want proof, there is one "Leader" that is/was (don't know if it's still active) auctioned on bloshinyjrynok.ru and has five pictures. And this

one has a name translated which is called "Leader Play Lider" (cool, first time i see this variation!) and the date is on the back on the console which

is "1993" !

 

The title of the auction is "Телеигра Лидер Play Lider Тенис" which translates to "TV Game Leader Play Lider Tenis". The seller's name is Ludmila

and wrote this as a description of the article: "I sell the TV game Leader (Play Lider) Tenis. Production of NPO Energoavtomatika Pyatigorsk

experimental plant. Year of release 1993. Working condition. Plus the second console is out of order."

 

If anyone wants to check out the auction page (while it's still displayed on the site), just go here:

http://bloshinyjrynok.ru/items/teleigra_lider_play_lider_tenis_14371

 

And before someone makes a pun, i'll do it right away..."Take me to your LEADER!"

 

Oh and finally found the web page which indicated the "1992" reference:

http://www.rw6ase.narod.ru/00/wideo/lider.html

 

[Last Pong Console(s)?]

The last "Pong" to be released was in Russia called the "Лидер" (aka "Leader") in 1992! (No ?"@% joke!)

 

Here's a picture of the console:

 

[RCA Studio II GOLD MINE! An interview with the Studio 2 Production Manager!]

Hi Marcel,

 

Super Chip8 on the VIP ??  I knew it was possible as the specs for the CDP1861 (also CDP1862 & CDP1864) can go up to 128x64 but needs

more RAM (1k more i think?). With Eproms now, why bother to upload a game or program into RAM when you just need to add a port to install

ROM carts so this will leave the RAM for higher resolution, colors (also this one needs 1k extra RAM), and variables as the rest of the game/program

can be stored into ROM (or Flip's multicart).

 

Maybe ROMS (Eproms) can be inserted by the VIP expansion port ? (haven't checked that out yet). Anyway, i am amazed that you have succeeded

to adapt the Super Chip-8 to the VIP, even if it's only one game but the first step is done! Can't wait to see the development for the VIP S-Chip, so

hats off to you Marcel!

[RCA Studio II GOLD MINE! An interview with the Studio 2 Production Manager!]

Hi folks!

 

Sorry if me and Marcel has been going a bit "off-topic" with the Chip-8 stuffs and all, but Chip-8 is related to the RCA Studio II/III since the

COSMAC VIP is almost the same hardware as the Studio II, the big difference between the two is the tape interface and ram. The Studio II

can be easily be modified into a VIP with ram upgrade and others little mods. And with Flip's multicart, we can even add Chip-8 games to play

them (but not all) on a Studio II without modding it, so this expands the game library to more than 200 games  as there is about 200 more

Chip-8 games not typed from various newsletters/magazines.

 

I have finally made mini-manuals, especially which buttons does what, for each Chip-8 games (existing in a ROM-type format) which is 163

as of today (Sept.19, 2020). I'm not sure if every mini-manual is exact as i've mostly copy-pasted descriptions of the games when they had one.

There is only two games that the manuals aren't finished: Chesmac (no manual right now) and Space Explorer.

 

So if anyone wants to check all 163 Chip-8 games works or not with Flip's multicart, be my guess as i'm trying to concentrate that each games

as been correctly identified (title, author, year) and have their manual and later on screenshots.

 

The Chip-8 Database will be updated during this week-end. Have fun!

[RCA Studio II GOLD MINE! An interview with the Studio 2 Production Manager!]

Hi Marcel!

 

Yes i am very sure that Highres Blinky is the same as the original as i have compared both programs with a hex compare program like this:

 

 

No problem for the explanations of some games, glad i can help.

 

I also updated the Chip-8 excel sheet with these new fixes and problems, thanks very much!

 

For the four games (Snake, Sokoban1, Snek and Tank!), i have compared them with 4 emulator (including yours of course!)

 

* Snake: In Octo and Emma 02 it doesn't work but with Fish 'N Chip it works and with Kiwi8 it works only if the Load/Store & Shift Quirks are enabled.

 

* Sokoban1: Same results as for the Snake game.

 

* Snek: in Octo, it doesn't move and in Emma 02 & Kiwi8, it "bugs". But it works with Fish 'N Chip.

 

* Tank!: This one works with all four emulators but is very slow with Fish N Chip and Kiwi8. I tried it with Emma 02

and works like a charm once you configured the hex keypad like this:

 

1-2-3-4        1-2-3-C

Q-W-E-R       4-5-6-D

A-S-D-F        7-8-9-E

Z-X-C-V        A-0-B-F

 

And with the PNG manual sheet, i played a few rounds without any problems.

 

As for the other three games, i'll put them in a folder called "not-properly-working".

 

The "Chip-8 Database" took at least 5 years to gather all the programs and info and there's still a lot more to be done.

Hopefully, all programs will be in a "rom" format with their proper manual, screenshots and hex list to all to enjoy (gamers,

programmers, etc) for many years to come.

 

 

[Cassette Vision Adventures, or: A Request For Help]

Hi! Well in the near 25 years of game consoles collecting, i have seen so many types of RF plug (RCA, screws, x2 "U" shaped, etc.) but they all do

the same thing: transmit the video/audio signal as Radio Frequency (RF) (oh and on so many Pong-type consoles, it is only the video which is converted

in RF as the audio is outputted by a simple speaker).

 

The best is try to find an adapter which can adapt both ends (one from the RF cable and the other to plug into a TV). Usually the best ones are those

that can adapt from the 300 ohms (RCA-type plug) to 75 ohms (cable-input).

 

 

And i was successful at playing an Epoch Cassette Vision Jr. on Channel 3 (VHF band) and the image/sound was perfect! But i live in Canada

and it is NTSC here. So to play European game consoles, i have a multi-signal TV which plays any NTSC, PAL or SECAM signal on this TV.

Try some cheap China/Korean TV's as they usually does that and the TV i have is a Daytek and it's not even listed in the specs...just discovered

that feature when i plugged a PTG-2600 (a rare Atari 2600 clone TV-Boy type) and the image was crystal clear (no Vertical rolling, in color (not

B&W) and can hear the sounds). 

 

So first step, find an adapter for plugging the console to the TV and if you have a bad image (like on your picture), try to switch from Channel 1

to Channel 2 underneath the Cassette Vision Jr., if i remember, i have selected Channel 2 under the CV JR and tuned Channel 3 on the TV and have

a great image/sound.

 

And if you tried all the channel on the TV + either Channel 1 and 2, then you will need a multi-signal TV. Those can be found anywhere worldwide.

 

All the best!

 

P.S. For Japanese 1st and 2nd generation game consoles, check channel 3, 6, 7, 11, 13, 22, 42, 55, 82, 95, 96, 97 which are usually the best channels

that works depending on the selected channel (1 or 2) on the game console.

 

 

[RCA Studio II GOLD MINE! An interview with the Studio 2 Production Manager!]

Hi Marcel!

 

Looks like you were pretty occupied. First, thank you so much for all the "fixed" programs and with text which

described what was the problem in the program. I'll add these info with the proper manual program (if exists).

 

I have made the corrections:

 

The following code is Super-chip8:

Super Square (tann)(2014).ch8 (is in the chip8 folder)

Traffic (by Christian Kosman)(2018).sc8 (is in the chip8 folder)

Hires Blinky (by Michael Wales)(2015).ch8 (is in the high res folder but is not a high res game)

 

## Those are in the proper folder except for "Hires Blinky" as i have find out it is exactly the same version

as the one made by Hans Christian Egeberg. So have to delete this one. ##

 

The following code is hybrid not chip8X:

Bingo [Andrew Modla] (hybrid).c8x
Blackjack [Andrew Modla] (hybrid).c8x
Message Center [Andrew Modla] (hybrid).c8x
Pinball [Andrew Modla] (hybrid).c8x
Video Display Draw [TCNJ S.572.2].c8x
Video Display Drawing Game [Joseph Weisbecker] (hybrid).c8x

 

## All in their respective folder now and change their extension also: ".hc8" (for Hybrid Chip8) and

".c8h" are for Hires Chip-8 (64x64) and put those in the "various" tab. ##

 

Last the following games gave some problem or I don't really 'get them', if anyone has more info please comment:

 

## There is two i can't explain for now (the two already "fix") and the rest, i have made manuals on how to play

them as clearly as possible. ##

 

So here's the manuals for 12 of the games listed above, have fun all!

 

P.S.: The Snake.png is what is supposed to look like from the emulator of the same author. Tried it in Emma02, was able to

play with it but it crashes after pressing a few buttons.

boot-128.txt Death Star vs Yoda.txt Deep8.txt Mysterious.txt snafu.txt snake - Daniel Jianoran.txt Snek.txt Sokoban1 - Daniel Jianoran.txt Super Block.txt Tank!.txt Warshaws Revenge.txt X-Ray.txt

[RCA Studio II GOLD MINE! An interview with the Studio 2 Production Manager!]

Hi Marcel,

 

The best is trying to "fix" the games that have "quirks" and to tell apart an original game or a fixed one, we should put a "fix"

notification in the identification like this: Blitz (fix)(David Winter)(199x).ch8

 

If the "load_store_quirk" can't be fixed in the games, then make a new Chip-8 interpreter with the notification: Chip-8 (VIP)(load_store_fix).bin

so this way we will know that this interpreter fixes the "load_store_quirk" problem. And i completely agree with you, Chip-8 interpreters are

deviating from each others over time....sigh.

 

Oh and putting in each games that needs the "load_store_quirk" interpreter in the (how-to-play) text manual will also be very helpful before

too many persons ask why (specific game) doesn't work.

 

And if anyone wants to know how many different interpreters already exists, go here (and go crazy):

https://gist.github.com/tobiasvl/a0e43bdcd64d9ef6be35f5c67fcff0dd

 

[RCA Studio II GOLD MINE! An interview with the Studio 2 Production Manager!]

Hi Marcel,

 

Thanks very much for all the fixes you've made and they all work flawlessly on Emma02, now just need to test it

with the multicart on a Studio II.

 

About the Chip8.bin for the Studio II: Indeed that was fun and i still grateful that you did this as i've always wanted to play

Chip-8 games on a Studio II, and now we can play more than 100 Chip-8 Games and there still al least 200 Chip-8 games

that haven't been saved/typed-in so this will expand the game library by so much. And you also ported it to the Elf2K ?

Is there anything you can't do ?! LOL!!

 

As for other programs that has the "shift" problem, there is "Blinky" that when you try it, the maze is gibberish. And the

author (Thomas Daley) of the emulator "Kiwi8" has made a list of games/programs that has mostly the same problem or

have other "glitches". You can check his list/report here: https://github.com/tomdaley92/kiwi-8/issues/9

 

 

 

 

 

[RCA Studio II GOLD MINE! An interview with the Studio 2 Production Manager!]

Hi Marcel,

 

Long time since we chatted, how are you ? Yeah all the BMP viewers don't work on a real Studio II or VIP and same thing

for your Emma 02 (you emulated the VIP too exactly but does work on other emulator like Fish 'N' Chip or Kiwi8 (with

the "emulation option: Shift Quirk".

 

I wrote about it here on my blog: http://rcastudio2.blogspot.com/2019/07/chip-8-for-studio-ii-part-3.html

 

So i found out the problem but since i'm no Chip-8 programmer, i don't know how to fix it....(sigh!)

 

A few days ago, i discovered a tool called "OctoPaint Pictures" made by SystemLogoff which you can convert a picture

and convert it to Chip-8 (the program is in LÖVE) and redone my "Hello World" picture and it works on Emma 02!

But not all picture will work with this tool as i tried to convert other BMP viewer i've made and some crash right away

or is missing a few to many pixels and if you have a picture with a white background and black drawing, then it will

definitively crash so i had to invert my Hello World to make it work.

 

Here's the converted file with OctoPaint: Hello World! (by Sly DC)(converted with OctoPaint) (2020).ch8

 

 

If there's anything else (beside programming...lol!), let me know! 😃

 

 

[RCA Studio II GOLD MINE! An interview with the Studio 2 Production Manager!]

Chip-8 Database is now online!

 

Hi folks!

 

For the past weeks, i have finally listed all the Chip-8 games, demos, programs etc...that i have find over the internet for the past

10-15 years or so and had many headaches to prove it. I also post this on my RCA Studio II Database blog - http://rcastudio2.blogspot.com/

 

As of September 01, 2020, there is in the Database:

 

* x174 Chip-8 Games (and missing x213 not yet typed)

* x146 Chip-8 Demos/Progs

* x10 Chip-8X (with Hybrids)

* x53 Super Chip-8 Games

* x50 Super Chip-8 Demos/Progs

* x25 XO-Chip Games

* x28 XO-Chip Demos/Progs

* x22 Machine Languages Games (and missing x46 not typed)

* x41 Machine Language Demos/Progs

* x09 Chip-8 Hires (64x64)

* x05 MegaChip files

 

So go here: https://archive.org/details/chip-8-games and have fun! Hoping that this will help numerous programmers and gamers

(maybe even a dedicated Chip-8 multicart ?!) and if Marcel wants to add all the files which aren't included for the Emma 02, be my guest!

 

Have fun folks!

 

[RIP Curt Vendel]

WHAT ???!!?!?

 

I...i don't believe it!! No$^*%&* way!!!!

 

He was the "Atari Insider", the head huncho of all thing Atari's...damn, he known more about Atari than even Bushnell himself!

 

I only met him once in a PhillyClassic meeting and we exchange a few emails here and there and he was always so helpful and

so dedicated. This is indeed the saddest news i've heard this year. =(

 

So Rest In Peace Curt, we will cherish all the things you did for this community...bless you!

[Nintendo And The Magnavox Odyssey]

Hi Magmavision2000,

 

Indeed, as of today (August 31, 2020) there is officially no example of the Nintendo Odyssey (game console, box, accessories, etc) but Nintendo did made the gun

for Magnavox. There is a few web sites that also talks about it and in 2-3 days, i'll have x2 Nintendo Rifle SP to really compare with the Magnavox Rifle, so watch the

OdySim blog in the following weeks.

 

There was an Odyssey that was sold on Ebay indicating it was coming from Japan (Ebay #113233003466 in October 2018) and had three pictures, but seeing these

pictures, it looked like an ordinary U.S. Magnavox Odyssey with a photocopy of the manual. The seller was asking $4,711.03 in US dollars. Pretty hefty sum to pay

for an imported US Odyssey with photocopied manual =(

 

About the flyer, Leonard Herman contacted me saying the flyer is from the Nanyang Radio Co. of Singapore and not from Nintendo Japan. That was my goof

on that part but the pictures are so tiny, hard to see. My bad on this, sorry!

[RCA Studio II GOLD MINE! An interview with the Studio 2 Production Manager!]

Hi folks!

 

There is a new homebrew game that was released 3 days ago by azya52 (the same author that did Microbird & Tetris for the Milton Bradley Microvision),

the name of the game is "Race" (i know, not very original) but he did a HELL of a homebrew!! Check it out here on Youtube:

 

 

I just have one word seeing this.... WOW!! The game is not finished yet but i have never dreamed to see a game like this for the RCA Studio II.

He uses a resolution of 64x128 (!!!) which we only see for Super Chip. What fascinates me is he writes that it can be played on a real Studio II !!!

Anyway, check out the video and read his description.

 

You can download a copy of the unfinished game here: https://github.com/azya52/rcastudioii

 

Have fun (and start drooling....LOL!!!)

 

 

 

[Diamond GOS 3.0]

On 8/3/2020 at 11:26 AM, k-Pack said:

You will want configure your system to avoid using the mouse controller in the Diamond cart. The software is in post #57 and mentioned in the manual.  Several programs can't determine if you want to move the cursor or mouse and will crash trying.

 

I have posted most of the software I have written for the Diamond GOS in the blog "Diamond in the Rough".  I found an old file on how to turn a CX22 trackball into a mouse and took some photos during the process.  Couple of games, an RPN Calculator and some accessories.   A couple I put out as shareware they are now in the public domain.

 

Have fun with Diamond GOS.

Thanks for the info about the ST mouse, didn't know that.

 

And again thanks for uploading the Diamond GOS softwares and all the infos on your Diamond blog!

Really appreciate this!

[Diamond GOS 3.0]

Hi again folks,

 

OK, i've just tried the Diamond GOS v.3 (ROM format) into the UNO cart and here's the result:

 

Sorry, doesn't work BUT...after that, i've convert the ROM into a CAR format with the

option: Diamond 64 KB cartridge (10), here's the new result:

 

 

Oh YEAH! It works! Would be better with the ST Mouse but does work with the arrow cursors

but it's slower. So here's the ROM in CAR format:

 

Diamond GOS v3.car

 

Have fun and enjoy!

 

[Diamond GOS 3.0]

21 hours ago, MrFish said:

 

Thanks for posting. Your ROM is an exact match with k-Pack's.

 

Really ? Cool! It's been 18 years that this ROM has been dumped with and old Eprom programmer

and was dumped corrected on the only attempt. Didn't even know if it was dumped correctly accept

that them program to dump didn't have any errors once finished.

 

At least know we know thanks to you Mrfish that both dump (k-pack and mine) are the same.

[Diamond GOS 3.0]

On 7/30/2020 at 7:06 PM, 8bitguy1 said:

I've read in this thread that an Unocart can run this on real hardware?  Has anyone had a luck doing that?

 

Hummm...don't know but i have an UNO cart, i'll check that out on my XEGS whenever i can.

 

[Diamond GOS 3.0]

On 7/30/2020 at 11:00 AM, k-Pack said:

 

 

Post #55 in this thread has the rom and links to the manual and programmers guide

 

OUPS!! Sorry! I have only read until page 2 and went to the end to post, should have read and checked

everything.

 

But i will still post the ROM so it can be compared to your dump k-pack.

 

Diamond GOS v3.rom

 

An as for the picture(s), i think i have sols all my disks and the GOS cart to one of my friend. I have asked him

to check in his "Ali Baba cavern" if he still has it.

[Diamond GOS 3.0]

Hi folks,

 

Sorry to revive this old thread but just got back to sorting all the files i've downloaded for the past 20 years

as i've have more than 100 Gigs of data for the Atari 8bit. I have dumped the Diamond GOS 3.0 way back

in 2002 (checking the file date: July 17, 2002 to be exact).

 

I have dumped this cartridge with my Eprom burner (with also Monopoly and Zybex from Video 61) before i've

sold those carts and were (ahem) back in storage for the past 18 years (time surely flies when you have kids!).

So just to know if the dump is working, i've attached it to the Altirra emulator and took this screenshot:

 

 

So if anyone still needs the dump, let me know and i'll uploaded here.

 

 

[Any done a full cart to CAR conversion as yet?]

Indeed, all the links are in the dimension "404". As anyone back-up these files somewhere like Archive.org ?

 

Thanks in advanced to any new link(s) and uploaded file(s).

 

*** Update: ***

 

Just found out the download links here:

 

 

[Interest: Color Composite video of Coleco Combat?]

Just go here:

 

http://www.ne.jp/asahi/shared/o-family/ElecRoom/ElecGame/AY3_8700/AY3_8700.html

 

And also check: http://www.ne.jp/asahi/shared/o-family/ElecRoom/ElecGame.htm

 

 

 

[WANTED: MS. SPACE FURY for ColecoVision]

LOL!!!! Well there still one article he never sold, the toilet cover seat which has the Digital Press logo printed on it with the sprites

of Mr. & Ms.Space fury....NO JOKE!! When i visited his store in Clifton, NJ in 2009, i went to the bathroom and there is was....i was so

"?%$* laughing when i saw this.

 

Ha! Finally found the picture:

 

 

Don't know if it's for sale ....LOL!!!!