geogray

Burgertimeboy: Download a copy of StellaX and use that. It is MUCH better than the thing that Activision shipped. Sound works too. I agree:Activision was most helpful with a problem I had with another title.

quote: Originally posted by MoonlightKnight: You guys actually had to pay for these? I got the first two on one CD for free with a box of cereal, no joke. I didn't even know they were for sale. I thought it was just some giveaway to get you to buy cereal... geez! Gosh...what the hell were we THINKING!?!

I only paid $3 for my copy. I have seen one of them (don't know which) for $1.99 at K-Bee. Shoulda bought it then. At any rate, it DOES get you some 'legal' roms if you don't own the real thing. I'm one of those who don't mind paying collections such as this provided the value is there. In this case, getting River Raid and Atlantis legitimately was worth it (even though Atlantis is on my 10-in-1.) I also have purchased both of the Intellivision collections from the Blue Sky folks. Now, THAT'S a great collection: behind the scenes stories, the games, the videos, the extras AND, on volume 2, a wonderful emulator. The Sega Smash Pack was ok. The Atari Arcade 2 volume set (which, for reasons I don't get, was rereleased recently as 'Atari Anniversary' even though both volumes had already been released separately. People acted like it was something great. I got the two volume set from Target...for $10. Go figure) was great. It was much like the Intv stuff. But, I digress. I'd have been p/o'ed had I paid full price for the Activision collection.

Many of you probably know already... I just got the Action Pack #2. I anxiously install it on my XP machine. Of course, all did not go well, but I did manage to install the games. (A collection of 15 Imagic and Activision games including River Raid 2, Barnstorming, LaserBlast, Atlantis...) Anyway, after fiddling around with settings and setting the compatibility to Windows 95, 256 color, 640x480, no visual styles I got the emulator to work. Well, I am less than impressed with the emulator. So, I tried playing the .bin files with StellaX. Well, it worked. StellaX played all of the games perfectly. I was pleased and a little surprised that the .bin files were no different than the few I have for StellaX. I don't really know why I expected otherwise. Anyone know anything about Action Pack #1 or #3? Any more than that?

I must have a fantastic unit then. Colors are fine. Sound is ok, it is somewhat close to 2600 quality (I use that lightly) and the motion is as fluid as can be expected, considering the technology being emulated. I don't want to seem like I am trashing the 2600, I am not, but this little device, with some minor exceptions, does a decent job. As far as PC Emulators, Stellax is great. I don't think it would dissuade anyone. Makes me wish I still had the real thing! : ) I suspect the quality control (or lack thereof) of the TV Games thingy is poor and I got real lucky. Of course, if I plug it into the VIDEO IN and AUDIO IN of my set, the signal IS bad. Going through the video switch or the VCR seems to clean it up. Also, my little 5 inch LCD monitor does an ok job with it too.

Thought I'd throw my two cents worth in: While this unit may not be a prize winner, it still plays a decent game of Pitfall. My four year old LOVES the Freeway game. Colorful, simple and easy for him to play. The unit is the right size for him as well. I suspect ToyMax had really young kids and old timers like us in mind when they released this thing. Far from state of the art, it is still a decent play...15 minutes at a time. And for ten bucks, you can't go wrong! Cheers!

Keyboard...hmmm...we're talking 25 years here! I *THINK* he was going to use the cartridge bus. I vaguely, and I mean vaguely, remember something about all or part of the cartridge bus being or containing something like today's serial port. I don't recall for sure. On one of those Studio II web sites, there is a hardware section. It may tell you for sure. I was only like 13 or so when this was going on, so I probably am remembering these details incorrectly (and I am not hardware person anyway.) Heck, he could have done something with the two keypads. The basic interpreter he was going to use was designed, initially, for one of those funky hex keypads anyway. Kind of like the Bally Astrocade: it had a version of Basic that you keyed in the source using the funky hexpad. Each key could have 4 or 5 different meanings ala Sinclair ZX80 (now THERE is a cool computer!)

It's not too far a stretch to have it in an eprom. If I remember correctly, the carts were rather simplistic and used eproms you could buy at Radio Shack (which, btw, also sold the Studio II) for a few bucks. One could take an existing cart and either reprogram or replace the eprom...I remember my father was going to undertake the task of turning a Studio II into a little computer with BASIC burned into a cartridge. He never did...he built a real computer instead (based on the Signetics 2650-the same chip in the Emerson Arcadia.) These little memory lane trips are quite enjoyable!

Heck, I forgot about the Studio II emulator written by Mr. Robson: http://www.classicgaming.com/studio2/

Well, folks, I went back to get the URL to the CHIP-8 site and discovered that the PacMan game was in SuperChip8-that was NOT in the Studio II. SuperChip is an enhanced CHIP designed to deal with 'high'resolution graphics: 128X64, I think. Anyway, here's the url: http://home.worldnet.fr/~winter/chip8/chip8.htm Sorry for my poor memory. Oh yeah, I forgot about the JOUST and Tetris games written in Chip/SuperChip. What a gas!

Stellax works great, as someone already pointed out. MESS works just fine for the 'other' Atari's. You do not need to set the compatibility for StellaX either. Runs just fine as is 'out of the box.'

Very Cool! I played this thing recently, courtesy of MESS. I got bored after about 5 minutes. The game, I believe, was Spitfire. A little biplane, something that looked a tower. No background. Blips for sound. Terrible control. Of course, the emulator could be the problem with the controls.

The first I recall for sure is DOOM. I THINK Sonic the Hedgehog for the old Sega Master System may have had some too. I don't recall any Atari VCS or Inty games though. I am wrong, though, I'm sure.

Pierre, I don't think anyone doubts you. It is just surprising that Space Invaders would be in a legit cart from RCA. They stopped producing them in 1977. Space Invaders did not come out until 1979 or 1980. There WAS a CHIP-8 version of Space Invaders that Paul Robson (I think) had written a few years ago. There was even a PacMan written in CHIP-8. CHIP-8 btw, was the 'language' used in the Studio-II. It is a cross between assembler-like and tiny basic. Very crude, but you could write full blown video games in something like 512 BYTES of ram. Amazing.

DOH! Space Invaders? I was not aware that RCA released this game for Studio II. Is it a cartridge? Don't forget the 5 built in games! Bowling was my favorite. Ya know, I had five of these consoles at one time! Now I have zero. Sigh. What was I thinking?

The thing has a charm about it. I wish I still had mine. I'd buy one again, except my wife would definitely shoot me! ; ) I still play the games via the O2em emulator. Not quite the same as those great controllers, the clunky silver and black console and those wacky carts. Ah! My youth. Where did it go? Looking back, boy, those graphics were horrific! The sound was not good either. But the gameplay...at least on a hand full of them, was fantastic. I remember being mesmerized by Cosmic Conflict (I always did like 'first person shooters' even though it barely qualified) and titles like KC Munchkin (wow! Pac Man, for real!) and KC's Krazy Chase. I liked the bowling thing, though I don't know why. Guess I was easily amused.

You are probably seeing one of the dedicated consoles that played Pong style games. Magnavox used the Odyssey name for this line as well. I doubt it is worth anything. (Unless you like Pong, I suppose.)

I had one of the originals too. My switch box broke, and, being a rather thrifty soul, I spliced on a normal cable-type connecter and used a generic switch box from one of the numerous pong games I had accumalated. So, if you don't mind splicing the cable, these work just fine. Great find, btw. Wish I still had mine!

Since one of my earliest game 'consoles' was the original Odyssey, I desparately wanted the Channel F...for about a year. That was the late '70s, of course. By the time I got my Odyssey 2, I pined for the Intellivision. Man, I wanted one bad. However, I have to admit to being jealous of a friend who had a VCS. He had Space Invaders! Man! An arcade game at home! I had Alien Invaders (or whatever the O2 version was called) but it just was not the same. When I FINALLY got a 2600 AND Space Invaders, the Nintendo thingy was out and I was excited because the Atari stuff was like a buck a cart. Those Nintendo's were 30-50 bucks. Little did I realize that no one was making Atari 2600 games. Oh well, I did not care. I finally had my Space Invaders.

You are welcome! One thing I have noticed, don't know if this will help, is that the video signal level is very weak. On my son's set, the menu washes out. Atlantis is difficult to see. However, through any of the household VCR's, it is just fine. I also have a small LCD monitor and the signal seems to OVERDRIVE it! So, on one hand, it does not seem to be enough to drive some sets, it seems to be too much for my little monitor. Go figure.

quote: Originally posted by AtariKari: Also: any word on whether a cartridge port could be wired into the unit? I remember some discussion here when it first came out, but haven't heard anything since. Dunno, its late. Thanks. No chance. I opened mine up and there two chips (covered in goo) and no way to integrate a cartridge slot. For pictures, you can go here: http://hometown.aol.com/georgeg175/myhomep...page/games.html Since it's AOL, you may have to try several times. They seem to be having problems lately.

Burgertimedude, you probably got a defective unit or, perhaps, the connector has a problem. I have one of these things and it works great. If possible, take it back and try another OR try it on a different tv. If you use a VCR to play, try bypassing the VCR. The only gripe I have with mine is the missle in Atlantis: it NEVER displays. The color, tint, contrast and brightness on mine is fine.

quote: Originally posted by Horax: It seems like i´m the only one who likes the good old Channel F??!!! I always liked the Controllers and i still play Labyrinth, Bowling or Torpedo with my Girlfriend from time to time! But, nevermind! I enjoy this Machine!!!! :-P Hey, if it makes you happy, go for it! I, myself, rather enjoy the Odyssey 2 and Arcadia 2001! Heck, I bet I'd even breakout that RCA Studio II if I still had it...hmm, where's THAT emulator?

Well, my interest in the Channel F is strictly historical (or would that be hysterical?) It was, after all, THE first fully programmable console to hit the market. But, we don't need another history lesson, do we? (wink, wink) Cheers!

Horax, Thanks for the info. Wow! Someone actually CLONED the Channel F? That is truly amazing, my friend!