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Updated "Encore" Hacks These are updates of my previous hacks. I did this for a variety of reasons. I included some of my "Personal" hacks. They are hacks of Pac-Man games. I use these on my personal systems. I decided to polish them a little and share them with the community. These are located at the end. Popeye When Playsoft & I originally hacked Popeye (2015), we had a version with a "mono" punch. I have since regretted not releasing it. It was NOT popular in the forum, but I always felt it might have caught on if we'd finished it. Development shifted to the popular forum choice. Years later, @TIX asked me if I still had it. I looked; I could find the final A8 version, but I couldn't find the source. People seemed to like the mono punch in Tix's hack (Popeye sacrifices color for a higher resolution punch), so it inspired me to finish mine. I started by porting the rest of my final graphics to the "mono" version. While I was porting the graphics, I noticed little areas I wanted to tweak. I had always disliked my climbing and death frames. I also felt that Olive didn't translate well from emulation to CRT. Since I tweaked some of the graphics, I also updated the original punch version too, for those who still prefer the double-resolution/multi-color punch. I really like Tix's version. His was based off of the NES port, while I grew up with the arcade version; so each offer a unique graphic experience. I thank him for the inspiration to unearth the mono punch and for the angled bottles. Thanks to Playsoft for finding the original source AND adding the animated bottles! -- When I first saw Popeye in the arcades, I was amazed. I never thought games could look this "real". The Atari resolution is lower, the players are limited to 8, fat dots wide, and they're not very tall. The characters are also limited to 3 colors each. Colors are limited to what two colors will overlap to simulate a flesh tone. However, I do not see any competitor, of the time, coming this close. While I love the NES version, it could have been much closer to the arcade original. I would love to see this on the 7800, using 320 mode. (The arcade version actually boxes out when sprites overlap!) I think the C-64 could have had a much better port, but the release was an early titele Atari 8-Bit Computers PopeyeA8_EncoreM.xex (Mono Punch) * (Intro of the MonoPunch - Click Here) PopeyeA8_Encore.xex (Original Punch) Atari 5200 SuperSystem PopeyeEncoreM_5200.bin (Mono Punch) * PopeyeEncore_5200.bin * The original punch uses two overlapping players, since that is the only way to get multi-colored "sprites". One is blue, and the other is flesh colored. When the blue and flesh color overlap, it creates white. The programmer was pretty ingenious in making the flesh color double-width, so the arm could stretch out. He left the blue as low resolution. It allows more detail than if the two were both expanded. However, it sacrifices detail for color. In the "mono" punch, both players are made white, and they are placed side-by-side, allowing for a wider version of Popeye, in greater detail. This thread goes into more detail! Click here! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Donkey Kong (Encore) / Encore RMT (8-bit only) I was pretty happy with the Donkey Kong port. In some of the YouTube comments, I read that some were not happy with the colors I chose. This is a delicate situation, as many do not realize how limited the colors are. Mario's flesh is made up of two overlapping players. Tweaking the colors makes one character look better, and the others look worse. I played around with the colors, and I think I like this better. (Mario's flesh color is a result of red and blue overlapping, so this is truly the best compromise.) I focused on tweaking the contrast. I think this makes the game "pop" a little more. Colors have been slightly adjusted in doing so. I've tested it on real NTSC hardware (5200/800XL), and I am happy. Now there are two color sets to choose from. There was something still not right with Mario's steps and jump. Mario's jump is limited, because Mario is only 8-pixels wide. I think I improved it over the previous. I also improved his walking. Other insignificant changes were made. I hope you enjoy this. Thanks again to @playsoft for making this possible. I believe @Kjmann made the original RMT sound hack, with help from @tep392. Atari 8-bit Computers DKA8_Encore.xex DKA8_RMT_Encore.xex Atari 5200 SuperSystem DKEncore5200.bin ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Donkey Kong Jr. Encore(Arcade) / Donkey Kong Jr. Encore (Enhanced) This is one I was never really happy with. I got tired of "playing" with this back in the day. I tried to add all of Jr.'s arcade detail, but it ended up making his head too big. This update was focused on trimming the "fat" off of the sprites. Due to the lower resolution, I needed to sacrifice detail for proportion. I made a few color tweaks. This game has the most graphic updates of the "Encore" tweaks. Notice Donkey Kong's hands in the cage. I had some downtime, so I was able to focus on detail that I couldn't before. Thanks to @playsoft, for all the help. @tep392 helped tweak the floor and vine boundaries, back when we first hacked this. It's not as easy to slip off of the floors, and the red snapjaws can't get Junior at the bottom of a vine. The game still takes some adjustment, but it's a lot more forgiving. The Atari 8-Bit version was always a little touchy, due to the graphics mode used, but it captures a few of details that other versions are missing. Atari 8-bit Computers DkJr_Arcade_Encore.xex DKJr_Enhanced_Encore.xex Atari 5200 SuperSystem DKJr_5200_Arcade_Encore.bin DKJr_5200_Enhanced_Encore.bin ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mario Bros 5200 Encore / Encore-Improved I was pretty happy with the Mario Bros hacks. I did tweak some of the colors, especially in the ice ages. The regular "Encore" version includes graphic and color tweaks. The fighter flies are redrawn. The Encore-Improved version includes tweaks by @playsoft, that reduce slowdown in areas. The 5200 version included more arcade details than the NES version, which is what the poor 7800 version was based off of. It just needed a graphics overhaul to realize its full potential. Mario Bros52 Encore MarioBros52_Encore.bin MarioBros52_Encore.car Mario Bros52 Encore Improved (Less slowdown) MarioBros52_Encore_improved.bin MarioBros52_Encore_improved.car ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mario Bros XE Encore Mario Bros XE is, in my opinion, the most accurate home port of the Mario Bros. I recall that there is only one other home port of Mario Bros that includes the icicles (No, I am not talking about the Slipice. Even the 2600 has Slipice!) I think that version might be the Apple II, and it isn't even close to this standard. I made some tweaks to Mario. I think it makes his running a little more fluent. I added the pupil up to his jump. I carried the improved fighter flies over from the 5200 version. That can't always be done, because the software sprites are configured differently on each version. I was able to do so. They look better in this version, however, due to more animation frames. I adjusted the contrast and colors a little, to make things POP. I REALLY wanted to make the Shellcreepers jump OUT of their shells. There just wasn't enough room. Atari 8-Bit Computers (need 128K or 128K Cartridge) MarioBrosXE_Encore.car MarioBrosXE_Encore.bin MarioBrosXE_Encore.xex --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- These are the Ms Pac-Man versions I use on my Atari 800XL & 5200. Atari Computer Ms Pac-Man Encore I always wondered why GCC didn't try to add red "lips" to Ms Pac-Man, especially in the 7800 version. I figured A8/5200 suspected it was a hardware limitation for this machine. When I realized that the A8/5200 versions had full player width available for the bow and lips, I made it happen. On a CRT, the lips can be hard to notice, especially if the signal isn't great. I suspect that might be the reason. Plus the red and black (eye next to red lips) tend to look like holes. I doubled the lips a little from the arcade for emphasis. I think they add and anti-aliasing effect, which "fakes" a higher resolution. I had to move her dimple down, because it interfered with the wide open mouth, due to the lower resolution and size. The monsters must remain 8-pixels wide, to hide the quad-width missile. It is behind their eyes, to make their eyes white. Thinner eyes are either off center or too far apart, due to the odd-numbered full-width players. I used a full "v" shape for years. I recently removed the inside pixel, to give them an angle, and I think it makes a subtle improvement. I wasn't going to post these, since there have been so many Ms Pac-Man hacks; plus I am not SURE who all have contributed to the various hacks that this is based off of. While I was cleaning up my other hacks, I decided to finally tackle all of the fruit prizes. I figure I will include these, since I didn't before. I will do my best to give credit where due. This A8 game already had the dot slowdown adjusted, Pokey sound was tweaked, and there are noticeable improvements in the monster logic. It plays more like the 7800 counterpart. Somewhere along the lines, I saw credits by @MrFish and @tep392. These are just my graphic edits. If anybody else needs credit, please let me know. Of all the monster eye hacks I've tried, below is my favorite for the A8/5200 tweak. I would like to round the monsters' "head", but that would reveal the white missiles behind the monsters. I am not sure who made the splash screen. It's pretty cool! Note: The 5200 version is slightly different. It only contained updated sound effects, which are slightly different than the A8 version's sound. @playsoft helped merge the dot slowdown fix, from the A8 to the 5200 version. Somebody had added a Ms Pac-Man splash screen to the 5200 ROM, but the game would freeze when I'd press Pause on real hardware. @playsoft stripped that off, and all works fine. It's a shame, because it was cool. I'd rather be able to use my pause button. Atari Computer Ms Pac-Man Encore Ms. Pac-Man_Encore.xex 5200 SuperSytem Ms Pac-Man Encore Ms Pac-Man Encore 5200.BIN --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pac-Man Collection 7800 Hack I bought Pac-Man Collection at the Cleveland Classic Gaming Show (CCAG). It was the first and last time AtariAge had a booth there, so it was a long time ago. I loved @PacManPlus's creation. It was exciting to have Pac-Man on the 7800, but Hangly-Man is one of my childhood favorites! The lack of Pokey sound kept me from playing it as much as I would have. When I found the Pokey enhanced version, I was pumped. The graphics had also been updated, but there were some things I preferred from my old A8 hacks. I used "Pac-Man Construction Set" to hack this. I found I was able to fine tune the monsters even more than the A8/5200, since I didn't have to worry about exposing the big white rectangle behind the monsters. I was able to thin them a little. I tried to make Ms Pac-Man as close to the arcade as possible. It looked great in emulation, but it was blurry and awkward on my actual system and Sony CRT. I tweaked it a little. I felt the result played to the strengths of the RF output on my 7800, and this is the version I have been using for years. As I was cleaning up old hacks, I decided to update the fruit prizes, as I had not done that in the hack I was using. I decided include this with my full-blow hack collaborations, because I enjoy it. I appreciate Pac-Man Plus's blessing to share this. I would ultimately like to update Ms Pac-Man to resemble my A8/5200 main characters, as they seem to be a better average for CRT and emulation. I was tired after hitting the fruits for all the different versions. If I update the main characters, I will add them here. I don't know when I'll have the time again, and I don't know if my A8/5200 main character will look the same on the 7800. 7800 Pac-Man Collection Pokey, with my graphic hacks. Pac-Man Collection Encore.a78 Pac-Man Collection Encore.bin 7800 Pac-Man Collection Pokey, with updates from the A8/5200 version. Not sure how they will look on a regular CRT. Not yet tested on actual 7800 hardware. Pac-Man Collection Encore(Alt).a78 Pac-Man Collection Encore(Alt).bin PacManPlus, @tep392, and @Defender_2600 have created a NEW 7800XM Pac-Man Collection, Pac-Man Collection XM. It has taken everything up a notch. It uses 320 mode, so there's very little need to approximate the graphics. Click the link to check it out. The TIA sound is mind-blowing, but Perry also added Yamaha sound for the XM Expansion. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Atari Computer / 5200 * Unplayable * Baby Pac-Man maze concept When @PacManPlus was working on Baby Pac-Man, I couldn't help but think that the A8 would be a perfect candidate for the game. Since the arcade monsters do no have whites in their eyes, it would be much like the original A8/5200 Pac-Man. Four Players could make up the monsters, and the "5th" Player could make up Pac-Man, or Pac-Man could be a software sprite. I shared a few Baby Pac-Man sprites with @playsoft, and he sent back a maze with wandering monsters. I proceeded to fine-tune some of the playfield elements. The monsters move randomly. They are lacking any personality. This was just a quick demo for fun. There is no plan to work on this, but maybe it will inspire somebody to bring Baby Pac-Man to the A8/5200?? I personally got a kick out of running this on my A8 and 5200 hardware. There is a regular version and enhanced. The enhanced version uses software sprites to create the monster's eyes. That was @playsoft's idea. I have a thing for arcade purity, and he wanted to see real eyes. It would be cool to have a toggle option for "Arcade" or "Enhanced" mode. Atari Home Computers BabyPac-Man_A8.xex BabyPac-Man_A8(Enhanced).xex Atari 5200 SuperSystem BabyPac-Man_5200.bin BabyPac-Man_5200(Enhanced).bin

Who needs some 8-bit classics, especially some of the harder to find XE titles? All tested and working perfectly; cart-only unless otherwise noted. PM for pics and we can chat about a price that works for both of us. Thanks! Cartridge-based: Crime Buster XE Donkey Kong XE AtariArtist (silver label) AtariWriter Pilot Tape-based: Caverns of Khafka cassette tape + box UNTESTED but I received it brand new - only opened it because I needed the manual for my collection Let me know if you have any q's! Need a manual? Check out my "manual man" post for a semi-complete list (still worth inquiring about others that I may have)!

UPDATE: The final version can be found here! Donkey Kong was one of my childhood favorite games. I have always loved the attention to detail in the Atari Computer port. The gameplay is smooth, and it include more game nuances than other conversions of the time. I always thought that Mario and Donkey Kong could have looked a little better. I actually thought Pauline looked BETTER than the arcade. (I did make her more arcade-like in this hack, because I am going for arcade closeness.) After I dug into the game, I found even more appreciation for the A8 version. The memory-saving techniques that Landon used were great. His software sprite routine is terrific. These techniques allowed him to fit SO MUCH into 16K. They did come with a price. Donkey Kong is a mirror image, which means that there are some sacrifices that need to be made. In order to keep Kong's eyes only 1-pixel apart, his mouth is a little off-center in one of the chest-beating frames. Drawing the software sprites on screen seems to mean one less color than a "tile/character" mode. That means no white teeth or eyes for Kong. However, the smoothness at which the software sprites move make it totally worth it. So, in the end, I am trying to make some tweaks, using the advantage of modern day tools. Mario will be the toughest. Mario's made up of 3 player/sprites: red, flesh, and blue. The blue player seems to always be 1-pixel behind the other two. I would really prefer to get rid of that, because it is going to create issues for some of the frames. At this point, I have tweaked most of the playfield objects (Kong, Pauline, Girders, Oil Can, Still Hammers, Fireballs, Pies, etc.). The only player (sprite) I have touched is Mario, and I have only replace ONE of his frames at this point. Pauline's items are also a player. I am sure, as with JR, this will evolve. Original Update Updated Screens:

I acquired this back in August but realistically don't have room for it and am looking to sell. A bit difficult to get a true valuation since there aren't too many of these around and little is known about the system, other than that it was sold in at least two countries, Mexico and Chile. I currently have it listed on eBay for $499 but I'll certainly consider all reasonable offers and will offer free, fully-insured USPS Priority Mail or FedEx shipping in a well-packed box. Sure, lots of us know that the regular XE Game System (XEGS) is a repackaged 65XE, but this here is an ACTUAL 65XE branded as an XE Video Game System. And to take it a step further, it is the extremely hard to find NTSC final production run model, where Atari made the 65XE on a 130XE motherboard and case. Yep, that's right, it has the Expansion (ECI) Port present and the board internally is identical to the 130XE, minus the 130XE's added RAM, of course. Cosmetically, the system and accessories are in good shape. Even the plastic protective film over the system nameplate is still present. As far as I know, this bundle includes everything that originally came with the system, including all paperwork, manuals, accessories and packaging. Note that some of the manuals are only in Spanish. Please see the eBay link above for pictures of everything. I have additional pictures beyond the 12 that eBay limits me to that I would be happy to provide - just shoot me a note. This system and has been lightly cleaned, fully tested and works, and passed all of the "self tests" that Atari built-in to the system software. That said, it has the following flaws: Color output seems a bit "off." For example, when playing Donkey Kong, the ladders are a pinkish color instead of blue. Similarly, when loading into basic, instead of a blue screen with "ready," a pink screen with "ready" appears. I have tested this via both RF and monitor (composite) outputs (monitor/composite cable not included; only RF, RF adapter and the very old school switchbox (no need to ever use this but included for completeness)) and got the same results. Would be happy to provide pictures demonstrating the color output; just send me a message. Research has indicated that a slight adjustment of the "color adjust pot" under the hood will likely fix this easily. I didn't discover the fix until after I packaged it all up and I'm also not too familiar with doing that adjustment, so I will leave that up to the buyer. Joystick, while good cosmetically, needs some work. Occasionally it will respond as it should, other times the directions don't respond immediately and sometimes it thinks fire is pressed without it actually being pressed. Light gun, while great cosmetically (both stickers are intact) and the trigger does respond, it does not seem to communicate properly with the TV and system to indicate "hits." System outer box is worn, as evidenced by the pictures, but it still holds its shape well. All three games have also been cleaned and tested and work great. Star Raiders II has both English and Spanish manuals included; Bug Hunt and Flight Simulator II are Spanish-only. Please let me know if you have any questions about this extremely rare piece of Atari gaming history!

2600 games and controllers eBay Auction -- Item Number: 173008302608 A8 games lot eBay Auction -- Item Number: 173008359922

I believe the saying that happiness is not always having what you want, but it is wanting what you have. With the Fall season taking hold, I find myself getting back into a nostalgic frame of mind. While I find it is not productive to live in the past, I find that some of the best memories actually help me appreciate what I have more. As I tossed the draw of nostalgia around in my head, I began to wonder if kids today will have the same opportunities. We live in the age of the microwave. We want things when we want them, and that is usually now. I guess one can argue that it has always been that way, but I it is truly a lot more attainable in today's age. Sometimes it makes me wonder if kids of today are missing out. Although I do not prefer them, the rough times in my life have been some of my best opportunities for growth. I am not going to go that deep. I am just talking about video games here, but I find it an interesting parallel, how many of times of want have become some of my most cherished memories. When I was writing this the first time (I accidentally tabbed out and pressed backspace.. gone), "I'll Wait", by Van Halen started playing in my headphones. In my mind, I was thrust back into the late 80's. I was inside the arcade/corner shop, which many would stop by, on the way to our Junior High School. As much as I didn't care for cigarette smoke, it was a small price to pay, because games were 2 credits for a quarter! in fact, I met my longest friend there. We used to play Mario Bros. Sometimes we would play as a team; other times, we would play competitively. We still talk about those times to this day. I was very fortunate to have my Atari 5200, because the Mario Bros version was better than other conversions of the time. In many ways, it even outshines the NES version in animation and competitive nuances. We would sit and play that game all night at times. As much fun as it was, it was still a treat to play the arcade version. Of course we wished we could have our own arcade machine, but that just wasn't realistic at the time. Those are some great memories. Who would have thought that wishing for arcade perfect (or even better than we had) would be just as great of a memory? Pac-Man is probably the game that changed my life. Just as there are memories of actually enjoying the 2600 Pac-Man, I have just as many fond memories drooling over the Sear's catalog, because the Atari 400/800 computers had a version with the same maze layout. The sounds were closer than I ever imagined a home version could be. When the 5200 was released, I was finally able to obtain that version. It was even better than the computer version, because the high score racked up during gameplay, and it had the intermission cut scenes. I was so enamored with it. However, I still longed for that crunchy "whacka", when I dropped a quarter into the actual arcade machine. It wasn't the same. Donkey Kong was another favorite. I had a friend with a ColecoVision. While I was very hung up on that version, it was very lacking. The graphics were very sharp, but it had very few on screen enemies, it was slow, and it was very glitchy. It was still fun. It was like an alternate. I couldn't afford to also own a ColecoVision, and I personally thought the 5200 conversions were more detail oriented. One day, I noticed Donkey Kong in an Atari Computer brochure. Could this be? The 5200 and A8s (Atari 8-bit computers) were just different arrangements of the same hardware. The version I saw had the missing "crazy barrels", "Springers", and the Conveyor level. I later found out that Atari had the computer rights, but they could not produce the video game system version. Now I had to pine after an Atari A8 if I wanted the best Donkey Kong home version. I can't count how much time I spent re-reading that catalog and looking at that still picture. It came to life in my imagination. One of the major retail catalogs later got another screen shot. It just all added to the image in my mind. Just when the 5200 was getting some unique games, such as Pengo and Space Dungeon, Atari announced the 7800. I was a little disappointed, because I felt the 5200 was just starting to see its potential. I had two articles on the 7800. The first was announcing the new system. It touted virtually unlimited sprites, with virtually unlimited colors. The pictures were crude drawing, as screenshots were not common back in the day. I wasn't sure how the game would actually look. I assumed they would be higher resolution, since the current A8/5200 fell a little short on detail at times. The extra colors sounded nice. I assumed the sound would be just as good, if not better. it was also backward compatible with the Atari 2600, which didn't seem like such a big deal in this generation. I was thankful that there would be a module to allow my 5200 to play 7800 games. I was hopeful that my deluxe 5200 TrakBall would be compatible. The second article I had stated that Atari had dropped the 7800. It was a sad article, stating what could have been. At that point, I figured I would never know what incredible capabilities this Atari system possessed. Even though, I can't even count the number of times I re-read those articles. I still fondly look back on how great I dreamed it would be. I still have the tattered magazines. When I look at them, I feel that same excitement, even though the actual system is in my current basement. I've seen how badly the 7800 missed the mark of my imagination, and I still enjoy the memory of wanting one. Around 1985/1986, Mom and Dad said I could get a new video game system. It was a gift for some achievement in school. I heard the 7800 was finally released. I was anxious to get to see how amazing this Maria chip is. I would finally get to see the system that would blow away my beloved 5200. They took me to Children's Palace. There were no systems in stock. I looked at the back of the game boxes. The games didn't really look much better than my 5200 versions. Ms Pac-Man looked almost the same. There weren't many games, and I began to wonder if it was as good as I had heard. They did have the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in stock. I took a look, and I saw graphics that were arcade realistic. Super Mario Bros looked incredible, and I couldn't tell the difference from the version at the local arcade. The pictures of my favorite classics, Donkey Kong and Mario Bros, looked spot on too. I took a chance and grabbed an NES. Man, did I dodge a bullet! I got the NES home, and I couldn't believe what I was seeing and hearing. The graphics were arcade perfect. The sound was incredible. It was unlike anything I ever thought would play on my television. I couldn't wait to get Donkey Kong and Mario Bros. I didn't see a 7800 in person until about a year later. The sprites were multi color, but the resolution was low, the colors were washed out, and the game play was choppy. I was so disappointed. Worse than any of that was the sound. Unlike some, I can't enjoy a game fully without sound. With the 7800, it's hard for me to enjoy the games because of the sound. I already had an almost arcade mirror of Galaga for my NES. Here was a 7800 version that looked like a colorful 2600 version. It sounded like it too. Apparently, Maria takes up so much processing time, it's hard for the system to draw smooth curves. Similar issues were seen in Mario Bros, where Mario leaps off the ground, ending in a crude arch. In fairness to the 7800, I have seen some redeeming homebrews. Although the 320 mode is limited, it exists. One of my favorite redeeming games is Donkey Kong Pokey. Even with the lower resolution, it would have blown me away back in the day and justified the 7800 as a successor to the A8. My point here is that I own a 7800 now, and I think I sometimes enjoy the memory of WANTING a 7800 more than I do the system itself. I think I enjoy homebrews, because they kind validate the expectations of my fond memories. As for the NES, I was blown away by Super Mario Bros, Ghost & Goblins, and Galaga. However, I was not impressed with Donkey Kong, Mario Bros, Pac-Man, or even DK Jr. While they looked better than previous versions, but they lacked the charm and challenge of the arcade counterparts. Pac-Man didn't fit in the maze, the whacka was off, and it was sluggish. Donkey Kong was missing game elements, a whole level, and it was too easy. As much as I felt the NES could have handled a perfect conversion, I am kind of thankful that I still had something to want. The 16-bit generation changed it up a little. I actually started to get into fighters. I wasn't a big fan of the 16-bit era. Sonic was fun. The only thing I cared about was that they could handle almost arcade-perfect versions of SF2, MK, MK2, SF2 Turbo, etc... This was a very fun period, because arcades were still chugging along. I have played games online with friends. It's fun, but it's not like meeting strangers at the arcade fun. It was great to be able to go to the arcade with a few close friends. They were in your corner, you played, and you went home with your close friends. At home, you practiced with your close friends. The home versions were not arcade perfect, but they were great. There's a great memory to still having that superior version to look forward to. I have great memories of wishing I had the arcade version at home. When PS1 came out, I saw the writing on the wall. Ridge Racer, Tekken, and Namco Classics were all about as close to the arcade as I could tell. Memory restrictions were an obstacle for games like MK3, as were loading times, but they were still pretty good. I think this was the crossing point. After this, games at home were pretty much arcade quality. The arcade was dying. Fast forward to today. I caught myself in a nostalgic mood. I now own about every system I have ever owned or wanted. Every system has some sort of SD card to play ROMs, except the 7800, for which I made my own EPROM carts. I can play most games on my PC, phone, PSP, GP2X, etc., via emulation. I even bought a few of my favorite arcade cabinets. When it comes to video games, there's not much that I badly want, but yet I still felt something was missing. That didn't make sense to me. One day, I realized that I think I enjoy wanting as much as having. Some of my fondest memories are wanting. They were looking at still magazine pictures and imagining what it would be like to have all of those games at my disposal. It was using my imagination to dream about the day that I would have arcade quality games at home. Back then, it was only reserved for the elite, like Rick Shroeder. Could some of my fondest memories be of reading video game magazines and "wishbooks"? I think they might be. That explains why it's sometimes fun to just turn the arcade machines on and watch the attract mode. It's almost as fun to think back to the times I wished I had a quarter, as it is to actually play the game. Is that why I enjoy classic game shows so much? One of my friends once made a point that classic game shows don't really change; if you've seen one, you've seen them all. Aside from the fact that "classic" is relative and does change, there's something great about going back and remembering what it was like to WANT those childhood gems. Sometimes, it's seeing something in person that we only saw in a magazine. I then got to wondering if today's generation is missing out. Sure, they want the latest video game, but they are going to have that game when it's released. They do not have to use their imagination to make it fit the arcade counterpart. They don't have to worry about making their quarter last. There's nothing to lose. Maybe that's why I still prefer retro games. I downloaded Rayman3 the other day. The first part of the game was flying through a 3D environment. I needed to steer my character into the gems. It really felt like a lame combination of Pole Position and Pac-Man. It was lame, because there was no challenge. If I missed, I looped back through. if I am going to collect dots on a screen, I am fine doing that on my Pac-Man machine. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the modern games, even though they are just putting lipstick on a combination of our childhood pigs. It's just that I prefer the real thing! Strangely, my XBoxOne gets more Mortal Kombat X play than anything else. lol.

I always thought the A8 version of Donkey Kong Jr. would look more arcade-like if the brick patterns were removed from the screens. After the Popeye Arcade conversion, I decided to show Donkey Kong Jr. some love. I also saw a thread comparing the A8 to the 7800 Dk Jr. The A8 version does have some control issues, but I wanted to give it a little boost. Playsoft generously made some time to help out with this effort and make it possible. dkjr_A8_V7.zip I still have a few more tweaks to go, but I thought I'd get some feedback. Please keep in mind that this version uses character tiles for all enemies. Donkey Kong Jr is the only sprite on the the screen, so there is no way to keep the enemies, fruits, etc from temporarily overwriting the screen slot.

eBay Auction -- Item Number: 171632497533 * Star Raiders II, complete in box * One-on-One, complete in box * Asteroids * Basketball * Caverns of Mars * Centipede * Defender * Dig Dug * Pole Position * Qix * Rescue on Fractalus * Star Raiders * Super Breakout * Atlantis * MegaMania * Kaboom! * River Raid, with manual * Choplifter * Star Trek: Strategic Operations Center

So, Hi As the title states, I'm searching for PAL A8 items in working condition. - 1200XL - Atari 5200 (no preference over 2 or 4 ports) - PSU for Atari 1010 (got 2 tape players, NONE with a PSU !) - A8 accessories or related goodies (manuals, advertisings, Atari/Koala pad, etc...) In working order, loose, eventually with the PSU for the 1200XL (I have a step-down converter, don't worry), RF cable not mandatory, box & manuals not mandatory ! If you have a bundle of cartdriges for XL/XE pal computers for cheap, I'm interested too I am in France, and I'll pay for the shipping TRACKED and SIGNED FOR even from the USA. PM If you have any of what I'm searching for...

(SEE LAST POST... I JUST DUG THIS OUT AGAIN, NOW FOR SALE, WITH PRICE... $200 FOR ALL OF IT). I have this collection of originals of many of Alpha Systems' Atari 8-bit offerings. All in fantastic condition. I can provide closer pics of any of it if I get a very interested party. Awhile back I tested the disks and they all worked. I'm interested in seeing what offers would be for these, to see if they're worth selling. I like them, so I'm not going to give them away, but I don't know what they might be worth. Make an offer and we'll go from there. Again, these are not necessarily for sale, so if I don't get a tempting enough offer, they will go back into my collection. I hate to do "best offer" posts, but due to the nature, not sure what to even ask. - Impersonator with cart, book, disk, "Attn: 800XL/XE owners" sheet that original owner taped to sleeve to make a nice pocket for the cart. - Atari Software Protection Techniques book with disk. - Advanced Atari Software Protection Techniques book with disk. - Chipmunk Atari Disk copier book with disk. - Disk Pack 1000 book with disk. Thanks.

SOLD For Sale: Indus GT for Atari 8-bit machines. Tested, fully working, smoked door intact. The whole unit is very nice. Sorry I just realized the pictures are out of focus. If you need better pics, let me know. Has all the disks with their manuals, plus the overall disk drive manual. I rarely see one of these for sale with all of the disks and manuals... in their original Indus sleeves too. Has original working power supply with the "For use with Indus GT only" sticker wrapped around the input side. No disappointments here... goes great with your 800xl, 1200xl or any other Atari computer. $100 plus actual shipping. I'll double box it and pack it carefully. Prefer cash (PayPal), but will consider trades, tell me what you have, I'll tell you if I'm intersted!

SOLD I have a brand new SDrive micro I bought last year (2012) for sale. I tested it to make sure it works (it does) and that's it. I also have a SIO2SD that is good enough for my needs, so this one can go. Has the case and the SIO cable attached. Don't wait for another run, get yours now! I think this was right around USD$75 last year. I can get a better pic if you want, but it looks just like any other SDrive micro Make offers via PM. Thanks.

Altirra? Atari800? Atari800Win PLus? other? Which one is the best for you? Why? - Y -

Is it possible to use any Atari 8-bit emulator on iPad or another tablet device? Regards, - Y -