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MrFish

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Posts posted by MrFish

  1. Posted

    I also typically favor the original cart type that was used for the commercial releases.

     

    In cases where a title was never released on a cartridge commercially, there are sometimes differences in the content. Typically what I've seen in some of these cartridges is that they do not include title/splash screens, whereas others may have it. So, I always favor the ones that retain the extra content.

     

  2. Posted · Edited by MrFish

    I think the last few people posting here are not understanding the question being asked.

     

    This is what he's saying:

    1. He owns a physical AVG multicart.

    2. He has a collection of ROM Files, many of which are duplicates of the same game but that use a different cartridge banking scheme (Atarimax Maxflash, Switchable XEGS, Williams, SIC!, Megacart)

    3. He would like to get rid of the duplicate game ROM's (files).

    4. He would like to know if there is a banking scheme, among those presented, that is more preferable than the others and why that might be so.

    5. Having obtained useful information in regards to the above, he is planning to delete the duplicate ROM files on his AVG cart, so that he doesn't have a bunch redundant games on it.

     

    The first 2 replies [edit: and bfollowell -- who replied while I was typing] answered the question being asked with a meaningful reply. The next 4 replies seem to be answering as if he wants to know what kind of physical cartridge he should get, which is a completely different subject.

     

    • Like 3
    • Thanks 1

  3. Posted

    6 minutes ago, x=usr(1536) said:

    Not particularly unusual for the time, though.  The XL- and XE-series machines (1200XL excepted) just move the AC-to-DC rectification from the computer to the power supply.

     

    The XL/XE supplies are considerably bigger as a result too (except for the 1 amp model, used in 65XE's without ECI -- and maybe XEGS too). The 400/800/1200XL/1050 power supplies are quite compact.

     

    • Like 1

  5. Posted

    2 minutes ago, MrFish said:

    I was just thinking the same thing about 3D printed cases. Wasn't there a guy in Canada that was making nice custom shells for various A8 cartridge hardware? I think he made one specifically for the Ultimate cart. Maybe his skills could be summoned to craft something for the SIDE 3.

     

    Here's the guy I was referring too. He even makes a nice-looking 1200XL cartridge extender, which might be a nice solution for some people.

     

    COREi64 - Atari 3D Printed Cases

     

  6. Posted

    9 minutes ago, Mr Robot said:

    To be fair, tmp has released a 3d printable shell for the AVG that does fit the 1200XL (but not the 400/800). Maybe, if the SIDEB uses the same case as the AVG, this 3d printed shell will work there too?

     

    I was just thinking the same thing about 3D printed cases. Wasn't there a guy in Canada that was making nice custom shells for various A8 cartridge hardware? I think he made one specifically for the Ultimate cart. Maybe his skills could be summoned to craft something for the SIDE 3.

     

      

    9 minutes ago, Mr Robot said:

    Also as has previously been said when this topic assumes zombie status every week, if a flashcart is being used with a 400/800, it's pretty tricky to use the buttons on said cart. 

     

    Most people end up having to modify their machine so the door can stay open while running. These machines are notoriously a pain when it comes to working with such cartridge hardware.

     

  7. Posted

    45 minutes ago, Stephen said:

    There's maybe a few hundred 1200XLs still in existence.

     

    The current Atariage serial number list stands at 472 unique 1200XL's. The 1200XL is an extremely popular model among enthusiasts. Giving that many enthusiasts are not involved with the forums here, I'd venture to guess there are at least twice that number of machines which haven't had their serial number submitted here. The other thing is, Bob1200XL has only submitted 7 serials numbers himself, and we all know he has several hundred stashed away at his place. :D

     

    Note: My statement about the number of 1200XL's is not meant to side (pun) with anyone here regarding the cartridge size discussions. Personally, I think it's perfectly understandable that some cartridges will not end up fitting in 1200XL's or 400's / 800's. I think most hardware developers do their best to accommodate as many machines as possible (as it's it their best interest to do so); but various factors may ultimately dictate that those tougher cases (pun) don't make the cut.

     

  8. Posted

    9 minutes ago, milpool^tired said:

    Maybe it's a matter of taste, but i think this one is better. It's probably one of the most playable and best looking shooters on any 8bit.

     

    I'm just so glad that i have something to let off steam on the atari8 now!! :)

     

    I was partly joking, because Bosconian was made by the same author as Last Squadron -- hence the "wink" at the end of the message.

     

    They're quite different games, so a bit difficult to compare, actually.

     

  9. Posted

    6 hours ago, Irgendwer said:

    IMHO a progress indicator for the boss (which you can find in many games) would already help to keep the motivation up...

    Yes, agreed. A lot games also used models where the boss would either change colors or lose pieces of himself as his strength diminished. These are all useful indicators that progress is being made towards defeating him.

     

  10. Posted · Edited by MrFish

    4 hours ago, MrFish said:

    • More alternate gun shot types
    Another good feature in Atari Blast, with a great array of shot types. I know Last Squadron isn't a space ship game, but I think more variety would be nice, especially if you can add some bonuses that get you the special shots/guns. One example would be: double shots/bullets at 2-pixel width.

     

    Going back to 1942 / 1943 again: 1942 used a "back loop" for its action when pressing the second button. This would help you get out of tight spots and prevent you from being hit by any enemy fire for a short time; 1943 used a "kill all enemies on screen" for its action when pressing the second button. Both of these actions worked for a limited number of times, but were repowered at various points. So, this type of behavior (or anything else that might be suitable) is something else you might want to consider.

     

  11. Posted

    3 hours ago, MrFish said:

    • Continue from last spot after game over (and possibly use of continue codes)
    • Make protagonist more distinctive graphically
    The protagonist looks the same as the other planes on screen. Generally speaking, it's fine (I don't lose track of who I am on screen); but it's nice to have some sort of special graphic, for instance, like how 1942 has the bi-plane graphic, which is different from all other planes in the game.

     

    I didn't mean bi-plane here, I meant that they used some type of twin prop aircraft. The main point, though, is something unique in the game, whatever it happens to be.

     

  12. Posted · Edited by MrFish

    On 11/15/2020 at 4:36 PM, shanti77 said:

    @MrFish I am eager to listen to your suggestions, previously after commenting on the video, I shared the code with GadZombiE user and took some of his tips. I always need a fresh look, of course the last sentence belongs to me;)

     

    OK, you asked for it. ;)  Suggestions of varying levels of importance, listed in no particular order.

     

    Improvements

    • Protagonist hit sound
    I see the protagonist's plane will change colors momentarily when shot by an enemy; but it would be nice to have some sort of sound effect for it too. The reason I say this is that my focus is most often on the enemies and other objects coming up ahead; so, I'm not always sure when I've been hit or not; and it takes away from my focus if I have to continually look up at the health meter to see where I'm at.
    • Continue from last spot after game over (and possibly use of continue codes)
    • Make protagonist more distinctive graphically
    The protagonist looks the same as the other planes on screen. Generally speaking, it's fine (I don't lose track of who I am on screen); but it's nice to have some sort of special graphic, for instance, like how 1942 has the bi-plane graphic, which is different from all other planes in the game.
    • On screen point displays for certain objects
    This would be more for eye candy; but it's also nice to know what kind of points you're getting for certain objects. I don't know exactly how the scoring goes for the game, but maybe the higher point items could be shown. As an example, the occasional points shown in Atari Blast are really nice (they used a really nice graphic for it).

     

    Options
    • Difficulty level
    For me, the regular gameplay difficulty is just about right; but the bosses seem a bit over the top difficult. So maybe a setting to tone down the bosses a bit; or maybe there could be settings for bosses and gameplay that are separate.
    • Music on/off
    With music off there could also be room to add more sound effects, since more voices would be available for use.
    • Option to use unmodified Sega Genesis controllers
    I don't have one at the moment, but I'd been using one before. The unmodified controllers are simple to program for; and, as stated by Gunstar, there are other games that use them; therefore I think there would already be an audience of Atari users who have them unmodified and would like to use them.

     

    Expansion
    • Bombing & special bomb targets
    Well, bombing just rules. :D  It's one of the fun things to do in Blue Max.
    • More alternate gun shot types
    Another good feature in Atari Blast, with a great array of shot types. I know Last Squadron isn't a space ship game, but I think more variety would be nice, especially if you can add some bonuses that get you the special shots/guns. One example would be: double shots/bullets at 2-pixel width.

     

    • Like 1

  13. Posted

    On 11/15/2020 at 6:49 AM, popmilo said:

    I had common cold symptoms for last three weeks, and then it got worse around a week ago, I fell in bed, couple days later I got tested positive for Covid...
    I'm recovering now, all looks to be good, but I'm still half time spending in bed.

     

    Good to hear you're getting better.

     

    The game looks interesting. How do you play it? Are there any instructions?

     

  15. Posted

    8 hours ago, kheller2 said:

    The 1090 was a bit more than a 800 slot replacement.  The 1090 had the ability to use multiple 64K memory cards (one of which would take your 600XL to 64k) and it would also allow you to bankswitch another 128K (up to 192K).  In addition to the 80 column card, and the others.  Granted the 1090 doesn't have much logic on it.

     

    I certainly didn't mean an exact one to one replacement. The 1090 just needed to at least cover what the 800's internal slots could do. But of course it made a lot of sense to bring more to the table with the 1090, from both an evolutionary and marketing standpoint.

     

  17. Posted

    8 hours ago, shanti77 said:

    Usually I make the title page at the very end, there wasn't enough time for a better title, but in the cartridge version I will definitely work on it.

     

    I think we can all appreciate the fact that contest-entry deadlines can dictate some lack of focus on bells and whistles and more concentration on the actual game.

     

    I have a few suggestions for improvements too, which I can provide at some point, if you're interested.

     

  18. Posted

    3 minutes ago, The V-Man said:

    Looking forward to getting Adventure II.    Adventure was the first game on the Atari 2600 that I was exposed to and i wanted a 2600 after i played that.  Before that I only saw Atari Pong system at a friends house that we played all the time.  The same game, over and over.  :)

     

    Yeah, Adventure is kinda like Pong... only you're the ball and the dragons are the paddles that hit you back and forth across the terrain. :D

     

  19. Posted · Edited by MrFish

    1 hour ago, shanti77 said:

    Full version game from ABBUC cometition.

     

    Fantastic game, sprite engine, graphics, and sound effects. An amazing amount of colors and action on screen at the same time. Nice use of P/M's, including extended width graphics. Thanks for sharing it with us all.

     

    I like the damage model (power meter / hit points + instant death when running into enemies)

     

    Congratulations on the win. Definitely one of the best shooters on the Atari computers -- maybe only eclipsed by Bosconian. ;)

     

      

    1 hour ago, shanti77 said:

    The game recognizes PAL / NTSC system and adjusts its speed, colors and music.

     

    Appreciate the great level of NTSC support.

     

      

    1 hour ago, shanti77 said:

    There are 4 levels at the end of each one you have to defeat the boss.

     

    Dem bosses is tough!

     

      

    1 hour ago, shanti77 said:

    There are 4 levels at the end of each one you have to defeat the boss. There are 2 types of shots, the special shot is fired by pressing the fire button several times or by using the second fire button (if you have one).

     

    It seems that the special shot is latched ("by pressing the fire button several times") with a 1-button controller, but then seems revert after a while and needs to be relatched. Is that due to a limit on how many special shots the player gets? Are there full instructions for the game, or at least a few more specifics on things?

      

     

    1 hour ago, shanti77 said:

    Last Squadron will be released in an extended version on cartridge, featuring new levels, new enemies, different bosses and additional graphics, among others.

     

    I'll be interested in the extended version.

     

    • Like 1

  20. Posted

    15 minutes ago, mytek said:

    I didn't expect to be taken quite so literally ;) . What I really meant to say is that Atari was obviously 'influenced' by the 1090 being in the works, with its built-in independent power supply. And that it was 'short-sighted' to presume that all PBI peripherals would or should be done in this way. So bottom line, no allowance was made for a PBI peripheral to steal power from the Atari instead. By the time that 800XL was released, there were already other non-PBI peripherals that were stealing power without compromising the Atari, and with many more to come as the age of low power CMOS and microcontrollers were making inroads (SIO parallel printer, serial, and modem interfaces to name a few).

     

    Now days we of course have multitudes of internal upgrades all working in harmony and all relying on the Atari computer's power supply.

     

    Interestingly the PSU that came with the 800XL was rated for twice the requirement of the 800XL, being capable of 1.5 amps.

     

    Actually, devices drawing too much power from the computer may not have even been a concern for Atari; they may not have even cared what anyone else might want to do the PBI port; they could have simply been designing it with their own concerns in mind. So, in that sense, it could be seen as having been somewhat short-sighted.

     

    I suppose, partly, it has to be considered from the standpoint that Atari was designing the replacement for the 800 to be cheaper, but they still wanted a means of adding upgrades in a plug and play manner. So, the 1090 was the external version of the 800's internal upgrade slots; and the PBI was probably not really seen as some playground for 3rd party developers, but rather a means of accomplishing their own goals.

     

  21. Posted

    8 minutes ago, x=usr(1536) said:

    Absolutely.  I just find it interesting that Atari under Tramiel was every bit as capable as Warner-era Atari of making decisions that were, to be charitable, perplexing.

     

    That's not to say that the Tramiels' decisions were all terrible; they weren't, and some are understandable given the state of Atari when they acquired it.  But more than a few babies were thrown out with the bathwater.

     

    From all the interviews I've heard with Atari employees, I think it's safe to say that Atari never was a cohesive company; and I think its decision making was at least partly a symptom of that fact. 

     

    • Like 1

  22. Posted

    4 hours ago, x=usr(1536) said:

    All of this makes perfect sense.

     

    Then the XE range is launched, and +5V is present on the ECI.

     

    I swear that I will never understand some of Atari's design decisions - it's not so much that they don't make sense in retrospect, it's that they didn't make sense at the time.

     

    The thing about the XE range is that we're dealing with a completely different company by that time.

     

  23. Posted

    17 hours ago, MrFish said:

    This is basically what I was saying in the quote above. Some developer might have perfect success using their device powered on the PBI when it's the only add-on device doing so; but as soon as one or more other devices get plugged in expecting to receive power from the Atari, all bets are off. Devices could draw power from the machine on the SIO port too (unless you're an unmodded 1200XL), which adds another ingredient to the cauldron. Developers have no way of knowing how many other devices someone might have hanging off the machine, and could easily create devices that were completely void of consideration for what else might demand power from the machine (especially back in the "wild west" of computing 80's). So, by Atari forcing them to get their PBI devices powered elsewhere, it could avoid a lot of potential user frustration (and support frustration for Atari).

     

    3 hours ago, mytek said:

    But when looked at from today's viewpoint it was a short sighted decision, and presumes only one way of doing business - the 1090. From a financial point of view adding 5V to the 800XL PBI would have not changed the cost what so ever - so no momentary benefit to come from leaving it out.

     

    Considering the ideas in the post of mine that I'm quoting here, it wouldn't have been short-sighted. It wouldn't have left the 1090 as the only way of utilizing the PBI for upgrades either; it just dictated that devices pull power from elsewhere.

     

    Do I agree with this philosophy or their decision? It's hard to say. We can't rewrite history and see how things would have turned out if the 1090 had been released. From the modern standpoint, 5 volts on the PBI makes perfect sense. But considering the remedy is so simple to implement, it's hardly a realistic point of concern -- more of an annoyance.

     

    • Like 1

  24. Posted

    4 hours ago, kheller2 said:

     Perhaps Atari added the 5v line to 600XLs.  Easy enough to validate.  There are several documents on pre finalized PBI design notes.   

     

    So, I guess the 1090 (where all upgrades would live) was the main goal of the PBI, and it couldn't be powered by a host machine, so no reason to have 5 volt power on the PBI. But the 600XL (economy machine) needed a simple (relatively cheap) memory upgrade, which required 5 volt power; and external power would have been rather silly. It all makes sense, if the 1090 gets released.

     

    • Like 2
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