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Lord Thag

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Posts posted by Lord Thag

  1. Posted · Edited by Lord Thag

    There are not a lot of games similar to Solaris, but here they are:

     

    Starmaster - Activision title with a star map, first person shooting, and light strategy elements. No planetary sections

    Star Voyager - Imagic. Very basic. Just a first person starship shooter with little strategy and no map. Not recommended.

    The Earth Dies Screaming - CBS. See Star Voyager but slightly more fun.

    Star Raiders - Atari. Similar to Starmaster, with better combat and a much worse star map. Needs a special controller in P2 slot to work

    Phasor Patrol - Arcadia Supercharger game. Very good. Excellent graphics, great map, and fun. Probably the closest to Solaris in play, t hough still, no planetary sections

    Radar Lock - Atari. This game actually uses the Solaris game engine, but is very different in play. Kind of plays like a more strategic Afterburner, with the second joystick controlling missles. Multiple enemies, awesome planet segments, guns, missles and in flight refueling. Everybody forgets this game exists, and they shouldn't, it's GREAT. 

     

     

  2. Posted

    On 5/17/2021 at 1:25 PM, atarialoha said:

    Intrigued by your dot matrix ribbon. It has lasted for so long? I remember some magazine article (I mean, back in the day, not a recent magazine) mentioning how to extend the ink supply by rigging up a small sponge at the end (past the print head) portion of the ribbon, and you would drip a bit of ink onto that sponge, whereby the sponge would re-ink the ribbon as it goes past and back into the cartridge. But the ribbon of course gets physically worn out eventually.

     

    I think I tried that scheme but it was a huge mess (not unlike trying to reload my own laser toners; shoot, one time I was trying to take toner from one incompatible cartridge to put into another one and when I was struggling with it, the whole toner cartridge suddenly opened up and toner flew everywhere! It was pretty scary too, cuz I didn't want to breathe in the stuff.)

     

    I had the Epson MX-80, and then later some other "Near Letter Quality (NLQ)" model maybe from Epson or another vendor.

    Yeah it's this ancient trick, think I got it out of an old 80s PC mag: You stretch the ribbon out flat, and hit it with WD-40. This breaks up all the old, dried ink and makes it 'work' again. This one's had the same on in it since the 90's I believe, though to be fair, it's not like I'm printing reams either.

    Still, it's a great way to revitalize old ribbons. You can add new ink too if needed.

  4. Posted

    I do still use mine occasionally for 'work' or more accurately, productivity.

    The Last Word is a great word processor, and it makes it a cinch to write text files or notes and spit them out of a dot matrix printer that's cheap to print from (the ribbon dates back to 1997, and gets shot with WD-40 every few years). With the modern SD card interfaces, it's easy to copy stuff from my laptop over if needed. Also do a couple of home use Syncalc spreadsheets.

    Do I NEED to use it for those things? Nope. But it's kinda fun occasionally to have something that is offline, can do one thing at a time, and allows me to focus without distractions while also still offering basic cut and paste, formatting etc. 

    • Like 1

  6. Posted

    4 minutes ago, marko1301 said:

    Ive been tinkering with computers since my original Atari 400 with which I introduced many "30 yr old" kids to the joys of computing if not to programming then playing star raiders and eastern front. I moved on as we do to various other machines over the years including this current Mac and a few windoze machines. I always wanted to get to grips with assembler as that seemed such a pure and powerful way to communicate with hardware. I guess the closest I ever got was with industrial PLC coding which I did for long enough. That was a raw and bit banging approach to control. I flitted between industrial control and 3D graphics which (using Maya) I was creating upto the dreaded pandemic. (Hope this isn't sounding like a CV)

    I never left Atari 8 bit completely and have enjoyed star raiders on many emulators. I also took to grappling with 6502 assembler again using the W65C02SXB board for starters but recently picked up the WUDSN IDE and this seems the best of both worlds. The great work by phaeron with the Altirra emulator and Peter's tutorials etc have made the experience fun - but I haven't got serious yet.

    My point is I guess is that surely Atari have missed a trick by trying to compete with Sony/Xbox/Nintendo with another games console when surely they should have re-created an 8 bit (65C02 maybe) device with emulated POKEY and GTIA/Antic etc. With Easy access to storage and HDMI hookup to any old monitor and a USB port or two the machine would be current and capable of introducing generations to a more simple and slower architecture. They could hammer in an assembler listing from a magazine if they wanted given there are still heaps of code snippets in the old 80's magazines and really understand how these devices work. I think for sure its not just us nostalgia junkies looking to relive our youth. Just look at the work of makers and Arduino. That stuff is pretty raw.

    Anyway just my little rant at Atari probably going to drop the ball again. Do we need another console? Thanks for listening.

    'Atari' isn't Atari anymore, sadly. It's just a brand name you can pay to use on your product at this point.

    That said, I agree. A hackable retrocomputer with polished, easy to use programming interface that teaches programming/hardware/hacking at the assembly level is certainly something that would sell these days. But I doubt a remade Atari would, as the 6502 isn't anywhere near as used as something like the ARM processor is these days, which is why things like the Raspberry PI sell so well.

    I'd certainly buy one though!

  7. Posted

    On 10/28/2020 at 6:59 AM, HDN said:

    Here's the deal:

    I'm a big Ms. Pac-Man fan.

    Of all the other Pac-Man games where you eat dots (Not Super and Pac n Pal), Ms. Pac-Man is my favorite.

    The only reason I play the other games is if Ms. Pac-Man isn't an option.

    I just got Ms. Pac-Man from @cjherr.

    I don't need the speed mode or anything as I feel the original cart is a fantastic port by itself.

    I would rather get a more different Pac-Man game, like Super or Baby.

     

    Sorry if I sounded a bit rude there. I'm just trying to get my point across. Thanks for the recommendations

    Not rude at all, just personal preference. You'll really enjoy the Super Pac port then. It's also outstanding and MY personal favorite of the original Pac games. This one is just about arcade perfect too. This and Baby will keep you covered if you're not into the original.

    Another great game that no one mentions much that's an exclusive is 'Failsafe' (an unofficial sequel to the 8-bit Countermeasure). Think of it as single player Combat with different levels where you're trying to find the pass code to disable armageddon. Really fun, though not an arcade port, even if it is very 'arcade like' in gameplay.

    • Like 1

  8. Posted

    The 7800 is a weird one. On one hand, the 8-bit line is better in many ways, on the other, it's MARIA/Sprite handling capabilities are superior. It's a step forward in terms of sprites and a step backwards in terms of sound and (often) cheap, quick ports. Had Atari included a POKEY or some other sound chip, taken the time to do quality ports, and not been giant cheap asses, I would be less on the fence in terms of 'historical necessity' even though I had one at launch and always really enjoyed a few games from the library.

    However, this doesn't take into account the modern Atariage homebrew library, particularly Bob's stuff. When you add in all of the incredibly good arcade ports and homebrews, especially the stuff you can get nowhere else like Pac Man collection, Baby Pac, Moon Cresta, Frenzy, Space Duel, Failsafe, Crystal Quest, Rikki and Vikki, and so on, I really do think the console becomes essential. It went from a console I'd drag out occasionally to play Desert Falcon, Xevious and Midnight Mutants on a couple of times a year to one of my go-to arcade port consoles I keep perpetually hooked up. 

    Honestly, I think the 7800 is literally the only console in history where fans of the system have retroactively made the library twice as good as the original games made it. The programmers here have really shows what the console is/was capable of, had it gotten the support it deserved back in the 80s.

    • Like 7

  9. Posted

    Honestly, the homebrew library here generally beats anything from back in the day, particularly if you love arcade games, which I'll confine my recommendations to. Here's my picks for Arcade games from the AA store and why:

    1. Pac Man Collection: Pac Man, Ms Pac, Hangly Man, Pac Man Plus etc all on one cart plus a mode with random mazes, and tons of settings to tweak it to your liking. It's fantastic, and the most bang for your buck you will find. Buy it.

    2. Baby Pac Man: The ONLY home port of this obscure pinball/arcade game hybrid. Also, it's completely awesome (as are any of the Pac games by Bob, Jr and Super are excellent as well).

    3. Moon Cresta: Perfect port of a highly underrated (and tough) arcade title. This is so good that I sold my actual arcade game of it after it came out, no joke.

    4. Frenzy: Berzerk and it's underrated sequel on one cart? Yessir. It's damn near arcade perfect too. With the voices. 

    5. Space Duel: Oldie but goodie, this is the also the only home cart port of this game, which basically perfects the old Asteroids formula. Tough and really fun. Gets forgotten with all of Bob's newer games.

    • Like 1
    • Thanks 1

  11. Posted

    Yeah, same. Fall is always the start of 'retro season' for me. It usually lasts through spring when more outdoor hobbies (astronomy, photography, hiking etc) start demanding more time. There's something about just curling up with some cocoa, a few old favorites and a blanket or robe when it's dark and the rain is pattering against the window.

    It tends to be reading season, for the same reason.

    • Thanks 1

  12. Posted

    I use two. A 20" CRT for an original Sears Video Arcade II and (usually) A Retron 77 on my flatsceen. It's nice sitting across the room on big screen from a comfortable chair, but I'll use the 20 incher whenever I want the 'classic' experience.

    • Like 2

  13. Posted

    13 hours ago, Alectmc said:

    Mappy for the 2600, Pac-Man Collection for the 7800, K.C. Munchkin for the 7800, and an AtariVox+!

    Good choices. Pac Man collection is one of the highlights of the 7800 library, and Mappy is FANTASTIC. I actually prefer the 2600 port to anything else now, much like I do the Wizard of Wor port.

    Also, I always turn into Ralphie waiting for his decoder ring when I order from AA. Maybe, MAYBE it'll get here TODAY..... 😝

  14. Posted

    21 hours ago, Torr said:

    So many people praising ROTJ, yet it has only 1 vote (mine) as opposed to ESB having 12. Hmmm.

     

    I love the game, dont get me wrong, but what's missing is the theme tune that EVERY other game has.

    Why??

     

    When you blow up the Death Star II and are dodging the fireballs (which I imagine was the best they could do to recapture Lando's escape from the explosion within the Death Star II) you should hear the theme, not that... that... stuff? noise? crazy shit?, you hear instead!

    I think it's because lots of people who have played it like Jedi, but few consider it the best game on the system. If you own it, and it's more obscure, you probably have owned/played the rest of the PB stuff as a collector and more likely find something like Montezuma the best. That's the case for me, anyway. Like it much better than Empire, but nowhere near as much as Montezuma.

    Empire is up there with Frogger as one of the two most common PB carts back in the day. Everyone played it. I think that's why it's so popular: everyone had it and frogger. Most people ONLY had those and maybe Q'bert. The better PB games are far more scarce, which is why they get less votes. Jedi is an R4/5. Qbert's Qubes is an R9. Frogger II is R6, Montezuma an R5. Empire and Frogger are R2. 

    I think Empire gets votes because it was far more available and played than the others. Nostalgia is a factor too. I just personally find it way less fun than Montezuma or some of the others. Ultimately, though, it's just personal taste. A good friend of mine could sit there for HOURS playing it. I get bored after five minutes.

    • Like 1

  15. Posted

    36 minutes ago, zzip said:

    For me it was just the novelty of having a Star Wars game, especially one based on my favorite SW movie (of the two movies that had been released by 82 🙂 ).   But you are right, it wasn't much fun, it was repetitive.   Not one of my favorites in retrospect

    I somehow ended up owning Jedi first back in the day, which nowadays is quite a bit less common. I always found it the better game. It was tougher, had multiple stages and was more fun

     

    I ended up with Empire a couple of years later, which I traded from a friend. I liked it ok then, but increasingly less so over the years. While I wouldn't put any of the PB Star Wars games on my A list (though the unreleased Ewok Adventure is probably closest), I definitely liked Jedi better than the others at the time. Empire was too repetitive, The lightsaber game was just odd (though decent with two), and the Arcade Game was a valiant attempt to port something that should never have been ported. Star Strike was a better Star Wars game, just minus the license.

  19. Posted

    22 hours ago, 8th lutz said:

    I have an explanation with the game selection. The Chinese emulator handhelds get games illegally and Evercade gets their games legally. The problem with Evercade's route is there are companies that do not want their past games to be compilations at $20.00.  I don't think a lot can be done with getting more commercial Atari 7800 games. 

     

    I think anyone who expects to play a lot of games that were released for classic game systems back in the day will be disappointed.

     

    One of Evercade's strengths is the aftermarket games and I am referring to stuff like Mega Cat studios Collection.  The makers of Evercade last week announced they will be having October 7th announcement for a new compilation cartridge.  The makers of Evercade mentioned it is a cartridge that has brand new games for classic systems. 

     

     

    Yeah that makes total sense.

    For me though, I have the actual physical versions of the games I want to play, so a chinese emulator console works much better as I have dumped or downloaded the roms for the games that I own. 

    The Evercade also seems to favor types of games (NES/very speccy/British style stuff, platformers etc) I don't really care for, I'm more of a 16 bit shooter person if it isn't Atari era Arcade stuff. Also, the proliferation of the 'mini' consoles also tend to have much better licensed game selections, so I favor those.

    That said, if they get some carts together that have stuff I actually want to play (new games are fine) I might bite, but so far, the $200 it would cost of the system and the carts puts me in Nintendo Switch Lite territory, and that has far more retro options I want to play than Evercade does.

    If the game selection is your thing though, I would see how people could enjoy this little gadget. Wish I could say otherwise, I love the concept of a modern retro handheld with real carts, but the games just are not there for me.

  20. Posted

    I have a friend who has one of these I got to fool around with. I wasn't impressed. Awkward (and chunky) design, and the carts are full of questionable game choices, often only having a game or two per cart I wanted to play. Short battery life too. I was initially excited for this one but since I actually played it, my interest has pretty much waned. 

    I could have put up with the weird colors and design if the carts had good game mixes... but most of them don't. May just be my tastes there though. 

    I use one of the many $60 chinese emulator handhelds to play 7800 portably, works much better. 

  21. Posted

    That's awesome. I had a friend who made shit zombie movies on his own dime and they were super fun. I love these 'made on dime and three gas station burritos we traded to this one dude who had access to the college editing PC' flicks. Lots of times, they're great and far more fun (and silly, weird and ridiculous) than the latest predictable cash in. You can tell the people in them are having a blast. Hope it does well for ya!

    • Like 1

  23. Posted

    They are veeeery similar as they used some of the same chips (Zilog z80 processor, TI TMS9928A for Video and a TI SN76489 for audio) from what I've seen online. Same RAM/VRAM too. The main difference was the SG-1000 lacking the CV's boot ROM, and differences in RAM addressing I think. Nothing major.

    I always assumed that the differences had to do with the talent of (and time available to) the programmers making the games.

    These days, I believe games have been ported both ways, so it isn't a raw capability issue. The Dyna 2 in 1 IS both consoles in one, after all. It's like looking at the differences between Atari and Activision's output for the 2600... they almost look like two different consoles. And that's because the Activision folks were really, really good. I assume the same is/was true of the Colecovision programmers vs. the SG-1000 people?

    • Like 2

  24. Posted

    Yeah, I've always felt like this was the red-headed step child of the Pac Man line of games. It's much better than the original, just as fun as Ms Pac, and far less frustrating and cheap than Jr or Baby Pac. It allows a newbie to feel like their making some progress (much like Ms Pac) but gets hard fairly quickly.

    Damn fun game. I also play the hell out of the Atari 8-bit port, it's a great home version.

    • Like 1

  25. Posted

    On 9/21/2020 at 4:01 PM, Gunstar said:

    Thanks @Lord Thag , I was aware of, and have played the Epyx games except for Invasion Orion.

     

    Have you tried Datasoft's Bismark on a expanded memory machine? It's suppose to use up to 128K for advanced features not included on 64K machines. That, and it being a later release, I thought might be a more advanced simulation in some way.

     

     

    Huh, hadn't heard that one before. Where did you hear it had additional features in 128k? I don't recall anything like that in the manual.

    The game itself is certainly worth checking out. It's similar to Dragonriders in that it alternates between a 'grand strategy' screen and an action sequence. Basically, you maneuver around (you can play either side) and try to evade or engage your target. When you catch them, battle ensues, which is a real time volley exchange between ships. It's not an arcade game though, as the ships (all reflecting real life ship classes) have different weapons, damageable sections (boiler rooms, magazines etc), blind spots and all kinds of stuff. Generally victory conditions are centered around the Bismarck surviving or escaping relatively unscathed (Germans), or preventing her from sinking your ships or sinking her yourself (Brits). Like Dragonriders of Pern, it's a kind of unique game. Well worth playing.

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