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-^CrossBow^-

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Posts posted by -^CrossBow^-

  1. Posted

    I may have to look into this one. Xenophobe was the sole reason I wanted the 7800. You could say it was the "Killer App" in deciding I had to have one. Too bad your talking about 2600 Xenophobe..but I will see all the same.

     

    Have to do mine in StellaX and then take a screen grab. I don't have the 2600 copy as it is semi ultra rare in NTSC format.

     

    Thanks for the compliment on the Avatar. While I don't use that one...and you didn't direct that compliment towards me. I created it and hence will accept you compliment that way.

     

     

     

    [ 12-14-2001: Message edited by: -^Cro§Bow^- ]

  2. Posted

    You guys didn't look hard enough. I do think the 7800 and 5200 are both cool looking console designs...But I changed out the power LEDs on both my 7800 and 5200 units. Hence why I said they were the "coolest" Atari consoles. Blue = Cool..

     

    Man...humor is so lost on you guys!!!

  4. Posted

    I'm gonna be the rebel here and go with the following as my Faves...

     

    Original 6 Switch Sears...(Silver looks cool!)

     

    5200 as it started the look of the rest of the consoles..and personally..I like it big!

     

    7800 It is the best of both. Small and sleek while still retaining a somewhat classic look by having the cart stuck in it can't quite explain it.

     

    The worst are the Jr. models and the Vader as they simply looked like quick toss outs to keep the supply going to me.

     

    Can't speak for the Jaguar since I have gotten one yet. Note the "yet" there.

  5. Posted

    I don't think there is a reliable way to tell. Both times I have had a copy that could do this they were both Picture labels. I also compared the labels between this one and the other that doesn't shut off the star field and they don't appear different at all..same label pic...same size lettering...same copyright info...and even the same rev level is stated...as being Rev A.

     

    So in short...it is probably a shot in the dark guess as to which ones can and cannot do this...

  6. Posted

    What I find interesting in these sketches is that many elements shown on those pages were later used in final concept drawings for some of the other later units that weren't released. Also the idea of the storage for joysticks and carts was always something Atari was interested in. The 5200 is the only unit where they actually did build some sort of built in storage.

     

    Anyway, the drawings are cool but most of the units in those drawings aren't really all that much smaller than the Jr. turned out to be.

  7. Posted

    Yeah yeah...I know we have Cosmic Ark already but I hadn't seen this one yet avail on the web.

     

    Basically while doing the usual Thrift hunting today to actually shop for another member of this board I came across a couple of interesting things.

     

    The first being a cool Pirate of Defender...basically it has the Defender Label and end label..but has the "P" to designate it as PAL format..but it isnt'...also the cart case is similar to an Activision case in that is has grips on the sides...but the bottom of the case has small rectangulare area on it with ridges for grabbing the cart easier..either way it works and looks different.

     

    The other item was an accident. One of the items on the "Please pick up..." list was Cosmic Ark. I grabbed the first one I saw with a good label. When I came home to test them all out I started with many...but ended up playing Cosmic Ark last. As I was reaching over to turn off my 7800 from which I was playing it...I hit the pause button by accident...and guess what happened?

     

    Yeap..I found me a copy where the stars can be turned off! So without further adieu...I present to you:

     

    Cosmic Ark Star disable option Binary for use in Emulation...

     

    I tested it under Z26 and it worked just fine.

     

    Enjoy and have fun rom hacking to see the differences between this one and the other normal released copy.

     

    BTW...there is Zero difference between the labels on either of mine...so that whole smaller text thing is a Myth as I see it.

     

     

     

    hehe..cool..this was my 555 post!

     

     

     

    [ 12-13-2001: Message edited by: -^Cro§Bow^- ]

  9. Posted

    Sparkster:

    "NOTE: JESUS WILL BURN ALL YOUR LITTLE LIBERAL DEMONCRATIC ASSES IN HELL WHOEVER DOESNT RESPOND TO THIS MESSAGE!!!"

     

    This will not help you to get response faster other than to piss some people off. This wasn't the smartest move of the year whether you were being Sarcastic or not.

     

    Enough of that..onto your question. The RF switch boxes can be bought new at Radio Shack and other electronic hobby stores. Or you can forgo even needing one and get a Coax to F Phono adapter (Radio Shack again...) which depending on you prefrence you can get it in plain chrome for 1.99 per plug or the fancier shinier totally useless gold plated one for 2.99. I have both types and they both produce the exact same picture and sound so I personally go for the cheaper 1.99 ones now.

     

    You may need to purchase a switchbox that allow you to connect multiple Coax inputs and send to one Output (TV). That way you can still have your cable tv hooked up and have the 7800 hooked up. You still have to flip a switch to select which unit you want but they are far better built and the picture quality is much better than the standard RF box.

     

    As for you power question...the adapters are hard to get. I was told once that one of the Nokia cell phones uses a similar plug but without the tip on the one side to indicate polarity. Basically if you can get the tip portion...you can use just about any Adapter provided it supplys at least 9 volts with a 1amp current. You can actually use as low as 9volts and a current of 800MA...but they get hot fast and wear out quicker.

     

    The other alternative is the route I take...this requires some soldering. But basically you solder a different style plug than what the 7800 uses that is more universal that way power supply adapters are much easier and cheaper to get.

     

    I chose the 5.5 mil barrel jack type as it just turn out that a Sega Genesis Model 1 power supply is 10volts with a 1amp current. Meaning that Genesis power supplys are easier to find and more robust over the cheaper Atari 7800 one. I use two pieces of about 6-8 inches of at least 18 guage wire. I solder the wire to a couple of points on the 7800 mainboard..and then solder the barrel plug on the end. It looks odd because the 7800 will have a "Tail" protruding from it..but it is much easier to deal with power wise.

     

    Hope that helps...I or several others can give you more direct instructions if you need them.

  11. Posted

    No contest...Towering Inferno wins hands down...

     

    I swear those Flames have some of the best AI ever...kinda like the spider droids in the movie "Runaway" where the flames will let you in but not always let you out.

     

    My only gripe with TI is that flames in reality can't wrap around to the other side of a building that fast...heheh...

     

    Still a cool game though.

  13. Posted

    Chaz...again..funny.

     

    the problem with the Coleco was that on channel 3..it would only give me black and white..but on channel 4..it was in color..but on channel 3 it was black and white..but crisp. When I rebuilt the RF..all I did was resolder all the components. That was then I noticed the audio was fuzzy and had to adjust the RF.

     

    I was under the impression that he had a picture but staticy audio...that is why I suggested adjusting the RF...

    "Everything's fine (except one of the controllers, but it's usual...) apart the audio: when I connect the console to my tv set (that is, obviously, NTSC compatible), I can see video but instead of audio, there only noise."

     

    Did I have it backwards?

  15. Posted

    surprised no one mentioned this yet...but you can actually use both joysticks to play 7800 Robotron just like the 5200 version. However, there was never a coupler for holding the 7800 proline sticks. But you can move and shoot seperately with the joysticks!

     

    Check it out...may increase your fun factor..or get a pal to handle the firing while you move...

  16. Posted

    It could be the RF trimmer actually. While it wasn't a 5200 I do have a Colecovision that had this same problem after I rebuilt the RF circuit inside it. It would give me a screen...but all I had was a loud static like noise. I simply adjusted the coil pot on the RF circuit a little and was able to get the sound back. In fact...while the unit worked before I rebuilt the RF it was only showing black and white and the audio was fuzzy. Afterwards...the picture is beautiful and now the Audio is better than it was to begin with!

     

    As Chaz stated the other pots are for adjusting the analog controllers and the color or chroma of the 5200. The only pot I wouldn't touch would be the one for the Analog controllers since I can't think of a really good way to know for sure if it is adjusted right without a Diagnostic cart.

     

    Otherwise just keep aware of where you had them starting off with and turn them in slow moves like 1/4 inch or so at a time and see the results. If you want..mark the starting point with some white out or nail polish or a marker so you can match them back up if needed.

  17. Posted

    Gunstar:

     

    Your starting to sound a bit bitter on this I am not sure why however,

     

    So yes, I got the system for my Birthday back in 88'. It took me nearly two years to convince my folks that we needed this. To do that several factors came into why they finally bought it. First I had well over 100+ 2600 games at the time and why that may not have been very large of a library, it was a varied one. The compatibility of the 7800 with the old 2600 games was a big plus with me and my folks simply because they played the Atari nearly as much as I did (Especially Mom). They weren't keen on having more than one console hooked up to the TV and even then they wouldn't allow me to connect the Atari to the big TV in the living room for fear of that whole Burn in thing on the screen. So the compatibility was a big plus here as that would allow one console with newer games and better graphics to still be used to play the older stuff we had had for quite some time now.

     

    The second thing was price. Back in 88 the Nintendo was still around $200 bucks I believe and my parents didn't have that kind of money to spend on just me for X-mas or anytime of the year. My folks had 3 other step children to shop for as well. So when K-B Toys starting selling the 7800s in 88' for $59.99 that was a big plus money wise to my parents as well.

     

    Then finally the biggest feature as to why I wanted it was actually two things. First I thought the 7800 looked Kick @$$!!! Also the graphics pulled me as well. For me the game that sold the system well was Xenophobe. However, Pole Position 2 while not being anything new wasn't that bad a game to include with it. At least it wasn't another Pac-Man or Combat!

     

    Okay...I will sit back now...and think upon my youthful years. Later!

     

     

     

    [ 12-11-2001: Message edited by: -^Cro§Bow^- ]

  18. Posted

    precisely!

     

    And while Scrapyard Dog may not be the best platformer ever for any system, it is about the only one the 7800 has. If the 7800 had come out in 84 as planned and with some new innovative games like Scrapyard or Midnight Mutants...it would have killed the NES from the get go. Afterall, you say it took SMB to bring the console market back and your right about that. So imagine if the 7800 had come out a year earlier, with Scrapyard Dog. Not as good as SMB perhaps...but it would have been first and might have totally reshaped the way things became.

     

    I don't know, I think what ultimately killed the 7800 was simply Atari's lack of real marketing on it. They should have pushed the fact it was compatible with the 2600 library more. This feature alone was how I was able to convince my parents back in 88' that we needed the 7800. And while the original games to have been released were simply the old ones that had been done for everything else already...they at least had the ability to do the one thing that most think made the NES such a hit. Basically the gaming consumer wanted the games to look more like their arcade counterparts. The NES was able to capitalize on this with SMB since the arcade version and the home version...were the same. So even with the old Lineup of rehashed games that Atari wanted to release, I still think the 7800 would have done much better. After all Food Fight looks pretty dern close to the Arcade, also Joust, Ms. Pac-Man, Xevious, Donkey Kong, DKjr...you get the idea. If these features had been pushed more back in 84...the 7800 probably would have sold much better.

     

     

     

    [ 12-10-2001: Message edited by: -^Cro§Bow^- ]

  19. Posted

    The 7800 would have done much better had it been released originally as schedule in 84 properly. At least then the 7800 would have had 6 months to beat the NES. I think the 7800 at least would have seen more releases and perhaps survived longer than the 4-5 years that is actually did.

  21. Posted

    I haven't any idea...but looking at the artwork it appears that it actually accepted either Beta or VHS tapes from which to run the games from. I wish some concept sketches of the controllers or something like that had been found or shown with this. Because as it looks from the artwork there, it operated via a keypad of some sort just under where it says "GAME 1".

     

    Interesting, notice how futuristic and almost Star Trek looking this is?

     

    Thanks for the Link Alex!

  22. Posted

    My belief (which could be wrong of course...) is that these red labeled versions were made towards the end of the NTSC cart making era..89' or so. So Atari either ran these late in the game...or simply ran out of silver labeled NTSC ends and started to use the pal end labels on them. As I understand it a lot of the Pal 7800 games have this red end label on them.

  23. Posted

    Also do you hear the relay switch over in the switchbox? I had a similar problem although I didn't eve get a black screen. I would get power on the 5200 and all seemed okay but then I discovered that I never heard the relay switch over in the switchbox. I had to replace a transitor and an Op amp in the switchbox before it started to function again. So far so good now.

  24. Posted

    I suppose I was more lucky than the rest here. My first VCS was a 4 switch that I got at Christmas back in 80'. That was my only game console in my house until my B-day 88' when I had finally convinced my parents that we had to have a 7800. At that time the VCS 4 switch after having 20+ controllers used with it, 3 power supplies, 2 rf switchboxes, about an hours worth of other miscellaneous work that I had done to it to keep it working, and an untold number of hours of joy, was finally packed up and sent to a closet for final retirement. Luckily about a month later one of my aunt's had asked about what video games I played as she was wanting to get something for my young cousins to play with. They didn't have a video game system yet and couldn't afford an NES or SMS or anything else that was most currently available that year. So my 4 switch was given to another home. I have no idea what happened to it and that same aunt doesn't recall what they did with it either.

     

    Point is that my 1st 2600 wasn't tossed out or forgotten. It was maintained and loved by at least two families during its lifespan. Someday I am sure she will find that trusty 4 switch and most likely hand it back to me.

     

    Something else to as I read about some of you having your mothers toss out your old VCS units. My mother never tossed out my 7800 when I retired it 1st back in 90' (Blame IBM PCs). Instead it was boxed with everthing with it. Then placed out in the garage where it remained for almost 10 years until I unearthed it again and brought it back to its new home back with me. I am grateful that my mother would have never thrown out anything like that. Instead she tends to hold onto everything I once owned as a child. To her, with me having my own family now and my own responsibilities in life, my old toys and video game stuff are her happy memories. In fact I am willing to bet that ever since I took the 7800 and all the games back, that she probably has missed me more than ever.

     

    Not to fear mom, I have a special Christmas planned for you this year...

  25. Posted

    Its interesting to read about this. This is actually something that I myself had been wondering. Where I live (Oklahoma Flea market heaven!), I never find Atari stuff and only occasionally will I happen upon a joystick here and there. But there are several places in town that resell, repair, and trade in old computers and video game systems. This is where the Atari items are to usually be found. The problem here is that all these shops know each other..and the guys who run them can be seen working any of those shops from time to time. Also every shop has a DP Rarity guide and the guys are really knowlegable about the value of the games. However, they also think they know more and that is their mistake. Most of these shops have placed really low prices on most of the commons that you and I see all the time. But then they also put inflated prices on commons because they know they will sell at those prices. Examples are Frogger averages anywhere from $5 - $10 bucks depending on its condition at these stores. So they may have a DP Rarity guide...but it is apparent that they also associate the history and name of a game to the value.

     

    Either way it doesn't matter to me too much. They sell Wico Controllers for about $15 bucks...and the standard CX2400 sticks for $9 bucks. Since they don't grab those things at the thrifts and fleas...I am able to pick up same said controllers for usually .45 cents to a $1.

     

    Also I have managed to snag some deals from them when I visit. Case in point, once I was in there casually browsing looking at the Atari, Sega, Nintendo...etc stuff they carry. I was looking for some specific Genesis games this day. So a kid about 12 or so came in with his mom and together they have about 3 grocery bags full of "stuff". One bag had a complete Intellivision model 1 with about 15 games to include their instructions and overlays. Another had a Nintendo...and SNES...and he also had a N64. The kid was clearing out the old stock from the house and hoping to trade it all in towards a new PS2. I stood close by to listen to the offer made to him for his stuff. The shop only offered $10 bucks for the Intellivision...and would only give him .10 cents for each cart!!! They also were only going to offer him about $5 for the NES front loader (blinker I might add...). And only $10 bucks for his SNES too. I don't remember what they offered him for the N64...but it probably wasn't much more. Most of the games they were only going to buy from him at .50 cents to $1 depending on the condition and what it came with.

     

    Okay...so total deal for this kid was going to be somewhere around $60 total as a cash trade in towards a PS2.

     

    Now the sad thing is this. The kid accepted this offer because he probably wasn't aware of what he could make. Also I am sure the kid was impatient and just really wanted that PS2. Keep in mind that this place will basically clean up the stuff and resell it with a 1 week guarantee and a much higher cost. Examples:

     

    That kid's Intv was put on the shelf 3 days later for the price of $44.95. It came with only 7 of the 15 games he had traded in. The other games were placed out seperately for the cost of $1 a piece. Which is actually a decent deal to me. But the SNES and NES units sold for well over $50 each!!! Also they sell most of their NES games at the price of a least $5 bucks with some ranging as high as $20 or more. The kid traded a NES Dragon Warrior 3 complete and they only gave him $3 for it. They sold that a week later for well over $40.

     

    I guess the point is...I felt bad that the kid in my opinion got ripped. But then the place is there to make money. And they can't do that if they sell stuff at the price they pay for it.

     

    However, with as much stuff as they get in. I can't believe they have to inflate the prices so high on the consoles. The SNES units sell for $50 there complete and you can get them on Ebay for much less than that!

     

    I can tell you that since that day. I have stuck around longer until after the offers were made. And then when the clerks go off to get the paper work. I counter offer with the customer. Needless to say I only have to offer 5 more bucks for the stuff then what the shop gives..and I walk away with the stuff before the clerk comes back.

     

    So I guess it is very probable that Flea market sellers or vendors scope out the finds ahead of us. I do know that another source I get lots of Atari stuff from (Got a Xonox- Ghost Manor - Spikes Peak for $10), is only open on the weekends. During the week he is searching all the goodwills, salvation armies, thrifts and even other flea markets outside of town to replenish his own booth.

     

    However, this guy doesn't keep a DP guide on him...hehe...

     

     

     

    [ 11-29-2001: Message edited by: -^Cro§Bow^- ]

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