eric_ruck

I have a Jaguar but the cartridge port is loose or something...basically if you bump it while you're playing it resets or shuts off completely. But if you don't bump it it does fine, and I guess it would be easy to fix. I have a Saturn but I only have two games and one controller, so I'd trade for a controller and a few games that don't stick too badly. Eric

Strangely, missle command and star wars would actually be difficult, on account of the fact that the 7800 graphics isn't kind to people who want to draw arbitrary lines. I doubt something like Qix would be easy either. Eric

Funny, it's like talking to politician...ask three politicians a question and get 6 answers. So my two: Defender 2000 Hyper Force No one else would pick Hyper Force? Eric

Eh, I think Bubsy is unfairly criticized sometimes...they may not have gone out of their way for special effects, but it's a great 2D platformer that plays smooth, isn't hurtful to look at, and is definitely fun. And it is also a great version of the game...I was watching someone play on on some mystery system behind a counter (SNS?), looked like last gen. Eric

Lemmings is excellent, though. Also I would recommend Chip's Challenge, if you like puzzle games. Eric

Actually most of those games (except maybe LSLarry) would work pretty well given the 7800's capabilities. One problem I see is that many of the titles mentioned have pretty good, playable 2600 versions, kinda makes the effort on a 7800 not worth it. Now Defender I think is a good idea...I still think the only decent home version is on the Jag (and that includes the XBox version). Eric

I'm one of those nuts with shrink wrapped copies of everything for the 7800 as well as play copies. I wouldn't open them, especially since getting play copies of most of those games isn't too tough. Besides, if you don't collect shrinkwrapped, it's too easy to complete your collection, what with the rather small library of games. Eric

I saw a Japanese import one yesterday. Controls are too damn small for adult mitts. It was pretty neat looking, though, and the screen is an improvement (couldn't be worse). Rick

I thought AMP stunk on ice. I usually like games like that. Granted, I mucked around with it for an hour or so, got nowhere, and gave up on it. It's pretty, in a 2D sort of way. Eric

Back when this game was actually current my friend Lee had it (his parents bought him the Oddysey because the keyboard made it educational. Oh well. We actually used the board game part a whole bunch of times, maybe 50% of the time. And this is one of the better Oddysey games so we certainly played this one. Eric

My condolences...I expect the community is more than willing to give you all the time and support that you need. Eric

I think the original, commercial games are ROMs (basically ASICs of a simple sort) and aren't subject to bit rot, although I could stand corrected. (Anyone?) EPROMs are subject to bit rot, i.e. they could fail over time; however, they last an extremely long time, and it is possible that an EPROM could well outlast its owner. Keep in mind that this doesn't just apply to prototype games but also some games that were released on EPROMS, and I think it applies to PROMs as well. Eric

Wow, so you finally got those 9 Combat carts you need to complete your collection. Eric

Dude, throw those things away! Aside from violating your license by giving/selling them to anyone else, they are junk. I've subscribed to MSDN since 1992 when I needed the info for Windows for Pen Computing. (My how things fail to change sometimes.) I kept every last one of them until last year, when I needed the space on account of a growing family. And I still kept a representative sample of some of the very earliest stuff, just for the heck of it. But I threw away hundreds of CDs and DVDs. Eric

Hard Drivin' could be a prototype. Super Offroad could be too...the released version looks like a plain black brick wave soldered to a circuit board. If you get one with, say, a socketed EPROM, well... So let's see some pictures! Eric

Heh, I intentionally didn't keep good records about what all this stuff cost me. I'd also say that postage certainly could skew the results...you know, paying $5 to ship a $2 cartridge. I think I have a small number of items that would be more valuable than when I bought them, plus a few more lucky deals (*cough* Vectrex 3D goggles *cough*) that would probably put me slightly ahead. Eric

Perhaps we should all work on compiling one? I've made notes while working on my Lynx project, but I haven't spent much time, and didn't pick a terribly challenging project. Eric

I think the sales of Othello don't gauge the size of the audience well. How many people who play their Lynx's today don't own Othello, maybe because they don't like the game or didn't want to shell out $50 for it? The volume of Lynx games that move on eBay amazes me. I suspect the community is pretty large, if somewhat hard to reach. Eric

I liked Aircars, although I'm not sure how vigorously I'd defend it. Some rare games released near the end of a system's life reflect the best technology and thinking that ever went into the system. A lot of the later Lynx games are really good. Also 7800 Alient Brigade is an excellent game, and one of the rarer titles. I think Food Fight is also rare for some reason, and it is a total blast. Eric

The problem is that it would cost them more money in terms of effort to sift through the stuff. Of course they won't give it away for fear of losing some hidden gem, plus there could be possible legal issues Daemonsgate has a lot of stuff in it, and it's amusing for a bit, but it is not complete or really playable to any degree. I messed with it for a few hours, a couple of different sessions, and never found any potions you could use. I did make it to a couple of cities but it's pretty clear that there aren't really any goals in place that you can accomplish. It's a neat proto to own if you're into collecting, but not if you like games to play. Eric

I don't mind hosting the Lynx documents...until we start getting a million downloads a month anyway, I think my hosting company would cut me off. Somehow I don't think that'll be a problem. Of course AtariAge is welcome to them first. Eric

My first guess would definitely be cleaning the cartridges, or maybe the cartridge port. Since we're (sort of) on the topic, I also discovered that unless I used a really high quality cable, something in my basement that only operates periodically (possibly the water heater) garbles the picture when any game runs. But just on channel 3. On channel two the system works fine, despite the fact that we have a commercial TV station broadcasting on that frequency locally. Eric

Despite lack of time I've sort of been forcing myself to enjoy my collection. Found a few holes I'd like to fill, preferably by trading. Want: Atari 1200XL-style keyboard or 1200XL that can be cannabalized for a good keyboard Atari SIO cable Boxed 5200 Zaxxon (can't hurt to ask) Just about anything for Sega Saturn that's not an RPG or sports game Can Trade: Lots of Vectrex games Atari Stock Certificate 7800 Alien Brigade with instructions Slightly flakey Jaguar with controller and games (don't jiggle the cart too much while you're playing) Might be able to scare up some other stuff, you can always ask. Eric

Or.... you can do them on the Lynx. No paddle but they would be a heckav an easy conversion. Eric

I haven't quite decided if I want to part with my extra NGPC yet...what's the 3DO worth, and does it come with any stuff? The NGPC I have is the American version, blue, new in box. Eric