5200 Centipede vs. 7800 Version.

[darthkur]

Although the CX-80/CX-22 controllers don't function in actual TB mode with the 7800, 2600 and A8 versions I still find them very enjoyable using them.

 

The CX-22 has a switch to put it into real trackball mode. There are games that support it in real trackball mode too.

 

 

I meant as far as Centipede goes. I would like to find a list of games that actually support the TB mode. I assume they all be A8 games. Other than hacks there aren't any carts for either the 2600 or 7800 that utilized the TB setting is there?

[tripletopper]

Sorry to resurrect a old forum, but...

 

The 7800 has a tall screen. And someone said that was a bad thing. The 5200, along with the 2600, Intelliviision, and Colecovision, are"pan and scan" versions. The dimensions of the screen is not the the arcade. When a movie is made pan and scan, it destroys the picture composition by either panning and scanning, slicing and dicing (when you jump between the

"left half" and "right half" in a frame, or worst of all "skinny-scope". In video games it even more fundamentally changes the game. You have more horizontal room, which at first makes it harder, by making you hit dead air more often with more vertical columns, if the characters are the same proportion as the arcade, and less vertical room. which makes it easier later by giving you more columns so there's less time worrying about activating leas to clear scorpion-poisoned mushrooms. It's also easier to kill a scorpion in a 4:3 than a 3:4 screen. More verrtical room and being able to maneuver in the bottom third is more Centepede like and less Galaxian like. The 7800 versio preserves the arcades proportions of how game elements work with each other. If you can play an arcade version, and compare the 7800 and 5200 versions, which ones have strategy more compatible with the arcade version without making certain things easier or harder than the arcade? The only advantage the 5200 has is the trakball. I wish (though I wouldn't waste a genie wish on it) if someone made hobbyist 7800 Centipede Trackball Hack cartridges in a decent quantity. They should sell it at best-electronics-ca.com The other 7800 game I'd like is Possible Mission, the beatable version of Impossible Mission. Maybe Best Electronics can distribute it to hobyists who have a common interest instead of being dispersed on ebay.

[Charlie_]

Both are good. All that BS aside, the 5200 version with the track ball has the better game play. It might be the best playing version of centipede that was ever done. Except for the arcade machine itself. Even then, the 5200 version holds up....

 

The 5200 version was converted for the eight bit computers and uses the track ball. Plays the same. Really good.

 

[Jinks]

7800 better. i cant stand the 5200s 80s computery blocky graphics for any game. 2"player co op is fun with kids. In fact its the only atari game my 10 year old daughter will play..

but my comments are personal choice its great people keep there console of choice alive.

[Ransom]

The older I get, the less I care about graphics and the more I care about controllers. I like the 5200's trackball version more than any of the others I've played (aside from the arcade cab). It just feels righter.

[jaybird3rd]

I like both versions, but the 7800 version—particularly the modified version which supports the CX80 trackball—has a slight edge. The 5200 Trak-Ball is a gorgeous, amazing, sexy controller, and I'm very pleased with the 5200 translation of Centipede, so I'm sure I'll be playing it for many years to come. But for two-player games, it's just too much fun for both players to play simultaneously, so I usually go with the 7800 version. I also like that the 7800 version more closely replicates the aspect ratio of the original playfield.

 

I've seen several complaints in the older posts about the CX80 trackball (no speed control, etc), and I don't think they realize that it's possible to use the CX80 in native trackball mode in games that were designed to support it. Usually, someone voicing these complaints hasn't used the CX80 in anything other than "joystick emulation" mode, so of course they'd be unhappy with it. I only wish Atari had released their two-button 7800 trackball, which I believe 7800 Centipede was originally designed to support.

[the.golden.ax]

Since I got the vertical cabinet and multi-jamma I haven't played anything but the arcade version

[fernando marrin]

milipede 5200 all the way...

[walter_J64bit]

The 5200 Centipede could be hacked to look like the 7800's then the 5200 would be spot to the arcade version.

[jetset]

The 5200 Centipede could be hacked to look like the 7800's then the 5200 would be spot to the arcade version.

 

Much like if we were to hack the 2600's version of Donkey Kong to sound like the 7800 version we'd have a spot on arcade experience as well!

[Jinks]

The 5200 Centipede could be hacked to look like the 7800's then the 5200 would be spot to the arcade version.

 

Much like if we were to hack the 2600's version of Donkey Kong to sound like the 7800 version we'd have a spot on arcade experience as well!

The new 7800 pokey kong is awesome, it soumds great and with the xm coming out new games can have arcade sound.

So pick a different game to do a 7800 bash.

Btw vs threads are troll threads.. I REGRET participating..

 

 

[jetset]

The 5200 Centipede could be hacked to look like the 7800's then the 5200 would be spot to the arcade version.

 

Much like if we were to hack the 2600's version of Donkey Kong to sound like the 7800 version we'd have a spot on arcade experience as well!

The new 7800 pokey kong is awesome, it soumds great and with the xm coming out new games can have arcade sound.

So pick a different game to do a 7800 bash.

Btw vs threads are troll threads.. I REGRET participating..

 

It was a joke to match the sarcasm of the post I quoted. Clearly you missed that. But if it makes you feel any better, I regret your participation as well.

 

80's blocky graphics? No, no trolling there right?

Edited April 20, 2012 by jetset

[Jinks]

Yeah i seen that jab at the 5200 too forgot to mention that..whatever..sorry.

Edited April 20, 2012 by Jinks

[+Cafeman]

I just read through this thread.

 

Sorry to resurrect a old forum, but...

 

I'm sorry, but this line grabbed my attention and confused me for a few moments. Amazingly, the easily-mispelled word "resurrect" is spelled correctly, but the grammar that follows "a old forum" just barely makes sense.

 

Anyway ... both versions are nice ports of the coin-op but for different reasons. The 5200's fat sprites, nice Pokey sound, and excellent control and gameplay makes it special. The 7800's higher res graphics and simultaneous 2-player mode makes it special.

[+MrFish]

The 7800's higher res graphics...

 

The graphics in the 7800 version are at the same res as the 5200 version.

 

I like them both pretty well. I prefer the 7800's difficulty level to the 5200 version -- the 5200 version makes me want to bust the controller sometimes. For graphics I think the 5200 version looks better overall. The 7800's spider looks pretty cheesy, while 5200's is quite nicely done. Also that box around the playfield on the 7800 version... not very class looking. Wide/Narrow playfield? Probably a toss-up on this, although I generally prefer the wide-screen graphics on arcade conversions. The 5200 version could use at least a basic title screen though.