If Atari were to release a new 7800 today, what would you want it to be

[GroovyBee]

When you mention later versions of the SID, are you referring to any of them included in the Commodore 128?

 

I'm not a C64/128 owner so I can't answer that.

[kool kitty89]

Why would you need dedicated speech synthesis hardware, you can do it fine in software. (better though POKEY than TIA though, as pokey allows direct access to its 4-bit DACs) The the VCS, a separate module makes sense as the 6507 has no interrupt line, but the 7800 already has some fairly decent speech/sample playback in-game. (like with Jynx) As I recall, there were plans to include a voltrax speech synthesizer in the 5200 at one point (or at least the preceding Sylvia/3200 design), but it was dropped after realizing sample playback could be done in software alone.

 

 

Edit: Here's where I read the comments about the speech synthesis: http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic/76096-pam-equates/page__p__1753998#entry1753998

Edited March 24, 2010 by kool kitty89

[Lynxpro]

Why would you need dedicated speech synthesis hardware, you can do it fine in software. (better though POKEY than TIA though, as pokey allows direct access to its 4-bit DACs) The the VCS, a separate module makes sense as the 6507 has no interrupt line, but the 7800 already has some fairly decent speech/sample playback in-game. (like with Jynx) As I recall, there were plans to include a voltrax speech synthesizer in the 5200 at one point (or at least the preceding Sylvia/3200 design), but it was dropped after realizing sample playback could be done in software alone.

 

 

Edit: Here's where I read the comments about the speech synthesis: http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic/76096-pam-equates/page__p__1753998#entry1753998

 

 

 

But when cost is no real factor, is it not better to have things done in hardware versus relying on software tricks? I mean, if that weren't the case then the Apple // would be as worthy as the 800/XL/XE or C64 since hardware sprite capabilities would be of no consequence since they could be done via software...

[littleman jack]

If Atari were to release a new 7800, I would want it to be nearly the same, but with more shielding, a wider cartridge slot, more comfortable joysticks (buttons on top), and a better version of Pole Position. Is that asking too much?

[+wood_jl]

I've made the "blasphemous" suggestion in a couple of posts of using SID chips in some 7800 games for that very reason, and not just because the thought of destroying some C64s for the effort brings a smile to my face. Of course, the Commodore fans would latch onto it as furthering their claims that the SID was the greatest thing ever and further "proof" that Commodore [ahem, excuse me, MOS] engineering was superior back in the day.

 

Commodore 64s are fun. I fail to see any entertainment merit in their destruction, or any other classic hardware. Mine sits about 3 inches from my 130XE and they never fight. The SID is an interesting device. It's not the "greatest thing ever" and need not to be capable for its time. Whose engineering is "superior" (or not) is irrelevant.

 

Since the AMY has yet to make an appearance in fabbed form, perhaps going with an Amiga PAULA - if possible - would be interesting. It would not be "blasphemous" since ex-Atari staff worked on the Amiga and Atari Inc. money went into Amiga's efforts.

What do you mean "AMY has yet to make an appearance?" You have it on some good source that it is going to? You mean since "AMY doesn't exist, period." In the hypothetical PAULA scenario - who needs some silly justification based on who works where and used to work where? Just use it, if you're going to. Not likely to happen, any of this - is it? How about POKEY? Oh yeah, that's been done before! 2 carts as proof of concept. So where are all the other carts with POKEY in them? Not happening? Well if they're not, then what do you think the likelihood someone will put a PAULA in there? Or (good grief) produce and AMY chip and put it in a 7800 cart? Why not speculate on things that have some basis in reality?

[+wood_jl]

When you mention later versions of the SID, are you referring to any of them included in the Commodore 128? The CPU in it [MOS 8502] ran at 2 Mhz. Then again, that doesn't take into the bus speed nor do I know whether the SID was actually accessible in 128 Mode. I'd have to leave that to someone well versed in Commodoredom.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MOS_Technology_SID

[kool kitty89]

But when cost is no real factor, is it not better to have things done in hardware versus relying on software tricks? I mean, if that weren't the case then the Apple // would be as worthy as the 800/XL/XE or C64 since hardware sprite capabilities would be of no consequence since they could be done via software...

 

Yes, but the comparison of software driven graphics and PCM playback are rather different issues in general. In th econtext of speech synthesis, th esound quality of such may not be substancially better than software 4-bit PCM playback. (artifacting tends to be different though) If cost is no issue, a dedicated CPU/MCU driving a DAC (or group of DACs) would be better, that's what Williams arcade systems of the time used. http://www.system16.com/hardware.php?id=598 (6808 MCU driving a DAC)

Of course, the CoCo did that, but with the CPU, not a dedicated audio controller.

 

And that's only talking about contemporarily available hardware, go a bit later (like '87) and you've got single-chip ADPCM playback hardware commonly available. (or earlier, DPCM playback, as the Famicom did in '83 -hence the relativley high sample playback quality in some NES games. (7-bit DPCM -also useable as a straight DAC for uncompressed 7-bit PCM)

Edited March 25, 2010 by kool kitty89

[Lynxpro]

Commodore 64s are fun. I fail to see any entertainment merit in their destruction, or any other classic hardware. Mine sits about 3 inches from my 130XE and they never fight. The SID is an interesting device. It's not the "greatest thing ever" and need not to be capable for its time. Whose engineering is "superior" (or not) is irrelevant.

 

 

How do you know they don't fight when you aren't around to witness it?

 

 

 

What do you mean "AMY has yet to make an appearance?" You have it on some good source that it is going to? You mean since "AMY doesn't exist, period."

 

 

http://www.atarimax.com/jindroush.atari.org/achamy.html

 

It existed. The question is whether it could be fabbed from any recovered designs from either the company that bought it from Atari and revised it or from the earlier designs that Atari Inc. had done... Maybe Curt has all of this and is going to surprise us in the future. I dunno, but I'm not going to speculate on what he can and cannot do.

 

 

In the hypothetical PAULA scenario - who needs some silly justification based on who works where and used to work where? Just use it, if you're going to. Not likely to happen, any of this - is it? How about POKEY? Oh yeah, that's been done before! 2 carts as proof of concept. So where are all the other carts with POKEY in them? Not happening? Well if they're not, then what do you think the likelihood someone will put a PAULA in there? Or (good grief) produce and AMY chip and put it in a 7800 cart? Why not speculate on things that have some basis in reality?

 

 

You seem to have an issue with hypotheticals, and only the ones from me. In no way did you question suggestions of 5200, Lynx, or Jaguar compatibility that others mentioned.

 

 

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MOS_Technology_SID

 

 

The Wikipedia article does not state whether the SID ran at the full clock speed of Commodore 128's CPU in C128 mode or if it only worked at the slower C64 CPU clock speed in C64 mode. I said in my earlier post that I did not know the details which again the Wikipedia article did not include. This was originally brought up because it was not known if a SID could function in a 7800 cart since the 7800's CPU ran at a higher clock speed than the C64's.

Edited March 25, 2010 by Lynxpro

[kool kitty89]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MOS_Technology_SID

 

 

The Wikipedia article does not state whether the SID ran at the full clock speed of Commodore 128's CPU in C128 mode or if it only worked at the slower C64 CPU clock speed in C64 mode. I said in my earlier post that I did not know the details which again the Wikipedia article did not include. This was originally brought up because it was not known if a SID could function in a 7800 cart since the 7800's CPU ran at a higher clock speed than the C64's.

 

Even if it did work at 2 MHz, the sound would probably be all screwed up compared to the normal speed (like most similar sound chips, the frequency range gets shifted), it would need an internal clock divider to work identically as SID does at 1 MHz. It's most likely it just gets clocked at 1 MHz though.

[+wood_jl]

How do you know they don't fight when you aren't around to witness it?

 

Do you see any bruises here? [i call this picture, "Tramiel's Babies."]

 

 

These two would no more fight than Sam, Leonard, and Gary. [Granted the one of the left is younger, better looking, and gets more "play"]

 

What do you mean "AMY has yet to make an appearance?" You have it on some good source that it is going to? You mean since "AMY doesn't exist, period."

 

 

http://www.atarimax.com/jindroush.atari.org/achamy.html

 

It existed. The question is whether it could be fabbed from any recovered designs from either the company that bought it from Atari and revised it or from the earlier designs that Atari Inc. had done... Maybe Curt has all of this and is going to surprise us in the future. I dunno, but I'm not going to speculate on what he can and cannot do.

 

Well, it's still vaporware. If it was never "fabbed" then in what form was it in the vaporware 65XEM? Was it in a stack of breadboards under the counter? Inside the XEM case? How, if it was never fabbed?

 

 

You seem to have an issue with hypotheticals, and only the ones from me. In no way did you question suggestions of 5200, Lynx, or Jaguar compatibility that others mentioned.

 

Sorry if it seems that way. It's not you - it's the vaporware. The other stuff (Lynx, 5200, Jag) all actually exists. Software exists for it. In some wild hypothetical where somebody (for some as well hypothetical reason) was motivated to create actual AMY chips, then somebody (for some other hypothetical reason) would have to develop software for it. What's the liklihood of anybody that talented devoting their efforts in such a manner doing pioneering work for something so obsolete? There's awesome homebrews for mature, well-understood platforms (as opposed to undeveloped, undocumented stuff), but there's no serious commercial endeavors in it. If someone was to develop new retro hardware, the greatest strength it could possibly have is to play the existing software library for the device....in the vein of the Flashback, NOAC, etc. AMY stuff is so improbable (impossible?) on so many levels that one could just as easily wish for Saturn V moonrocket functionality.

 

The Wikipedia article does not state whether the SID ran at the full clock speed of Commodore 128's CPU in C128 mode or if it only worked at the slower C64 CPU clock speed in C64 mode. I said in my earlier post that I did not know the details which again the Wikipedia article did not include. This was originally brought up because it was not known if a SID could function in a 7800 cart since the 7800's CPU ran at a higher clock speed than the C64's.

 

I think you just secretly want a Commodore 64. It's O.K. You won't be made fun of. [i used to be afraid to confront my own fanboyism; now I find myself strangely playing C64 and looking at TI-99/4A]

[Lynxpro]

How do you know they don't fight when you aren't around to witness it?

 

Do you see any bruises here? [i call this picture, "Tramiel's Babies."]

 

 

 

 

 

No bruises but they both could use a touch of Retrobright. Kudos on what looks to be the Flash Card adapters for them both...

 

 

 

These two would no more fight than Sam, Leonard, and Gary. [Granted the one of the left is younger, better looking, and gets more "play"

 

 

If they ever did fight, my money is on Gary.

 

 

Sorry if it seems that way. It's not you - it's the vaporware. The other stuff (Lynx, 5200, Jag) all actually exists. Software exists for it. In some wild hypothetical where somebody (for some as well hypothetical reason) was motivated to create actual AMY chips, then somebody (for some other hypothetical reason) would have to develop software for it. What's the liklihood of anybody that talented devoting their efforts in such a manner doing pioneering work for something so obsolete? There's awesome homebrews for mature, well-understood platforms (as opposed to undeveloped, undocumented stuff), but there's no serious commercial endeavors in it. If someone was to develop new retro hardware, the greatest strength it could possibly have is to play the existing software library for the device....in the vein of the Flashback, NOAC, etc. AMY stuff is so improbable (impossible?) on so many levels that one could just as easily wish for Saturn V moonrocket functionality.

 

 

 

One day, we will go back to the moon. Granted, it won't be during this Administration's time...

 

Improbable? Yep, I concede. As for it being vaporware, well, yes, it was due to the Tramiel team not being able to get it to work. The other company that bought it up did get it to work and improved upon it but apparently either did not fab it or the fabbed chips were destroyed.

 

As for the question of whether anyone would make software for it if it actually did get fabbed, I would say "yes". People are writing music software for 8-bits still. If someone is willing to write such software for the 2600 - which people did - then I'm sure someone would want to try their hat at the AMY. Hell, when there's people out there porting "Space Harrier" to the Atari 8-bit and doing a damn good job of it, I'd say anything is possible from the "scene".

 

 

 

 

I think you just secretly want a Commodore 64. It's O.K. You won't be made fun of. [i used to be afraid to confront my own fanboyism; now I find myself strangely playing C64 and looking at TI-99/4A]

 

 

Only to be made the biotch of any Atari 8-bit laying around. Actually, I might be tempted with a C64C model.

 

As for the TI-99 4/A, my cousins had one. The Voice Module was cool with the game "Parsec" and I picked up some AtariSoft titles ["Picnic Paranoid", etc.] for it for them [for like $2.99 or $4.99 a piece] when Tramiel Atari was dumping as much of the leftover Atari Inc. inventory through Federated. It had a decent keyboard but it still was no Atari 8-bit [or C64]. Their parents had picked one up for free during some real estate seminar. It was during that era - after the video game crash and the fallout of the Commodore price cuts - where all sorts of time share seminars were giving away free computers. I tried convincing my grandmother to go to one - which was giving away an 800XL - but she procrastinated and didn't go until the next month's seminar and then she only got a Commodore Plus 4 out of it. Oh the humanity...

 

I'm still kicking myself for not snagging the 5200 carts of "Ballblazer" and "Rescue on Fractalus" in the Atari/LucasFilm Games boxes that Federated sold for $4.99. Damn my earlier self for not buying them... they were already collector's items!

Edited March 26, 2010 by Lynxpro

[kool kitty89]

I think you just secretly want a Commodore 64. It's O.K. You won't be made fun of. [i used to be afraid to confront my own fanboyism; now I find myself strangely playing C64 and looking at TI-99/4A]

 

He already mentioned preferring POKEY to SID overall though, unless he's in denial. I like pretty much all the classic sound chips, of course there are poor compositions for each as well, but I do think I prefer POKEY to SID overall too, though I definitely like both. (I'd like to hear more SID stuff using less filtering though, or a mix of filtered an unfiltered channels) That said, the VIC and SN76489 tend to be pretty simplistic (YM2149 isn't a whole lot better), TIA is pretty flexible for the time though. (as some 7800 games show, it's like a 2 channel POKEY in some ways)

[Lynxpro]

I think you just secretly want a Commodore 64. It's O.K. You won't be made fun of. [i used to be afraid to confront my own fanboyism; now I find myself strangely playing C64 and looking at TI-99/4A]

 

He already mentioned preferring POKEY to SID overall though, unless he's in denial. I like pretty much all the classic sound chips, of course there are poor compositions for each as well, but I do think I prefer POKEY to SID overall too, though I definitely like both. (I'd like to hear more SID stuff using less filtering though, or a mix of filtered an unfiltered channels) That said, the VIC and SN76489 tend to be pretty simplistic (YM2149 isn't a whole lot better), TIA is pretty flexible for the time though. (as some 7800 games show, it's like a 2 channel POKEY in some ways)

 

 

Not in denial but it would be interesting to see if it would be possible to use a SID in a 7800 cart simply because it was designed to use accessory music chips. That's why I also included the AMY, the PAULA, the Motorola 56K DSP, etc. Heck, if someone can squeeze Dual POKEYs into a cart, that would also be interesting.

 

The SID has some interesting effects to it and the POKEYs version of an explosion kinda grates but I'm not really impressed with the SIDs alleged superiority. To me, the POKEY version of the music from BallBlazer and MULE sound better than the SID versions but I'm willing to accept the possibility that that is a minority viewpoint...

 

Death to the Yamaha chip in the ST! Oh what a Faustian bargain Jack Tramiel paid with the inclusion of that cursed chip. Dual POKEYs and/or Quad POKEYs probably would've sounded better, although it would've cramped the ST's mobo layout and probably wouldn't have been cost effective.

[kool kitty89]

Motorola 56K DSP, etc.

With what else? What does that DSP have to do with the discussion on sound chips... Sure it was part of the Falcon's resources, but wasn't an integral part of its sound hardware. (it wasn't required to use the 8 added DMA sound channels of the Falcon afik)

 

Heck, if someone can squeeze Dual POKEYs into a cart, that would also be interesting.

Or find one of the rare quad pokey chips. (uncommon enough to prompt atari to introduce an adapter for 4x POKEYs to be plugged into on arcade boards instead)

 

The SID has some interesting effects to it and the POKEYs version of an explosion kinda grates but I'm not really impressed with the SIDs alleged superiority. To me, the POKEY version of the music from BallBlazer and MULE sound better than the SID versions but I'm willing to accept the possibility that that is a minority viewpoint...

Some of that stuff specifically caters to the sound chip, and while I like both (among many others), I personally prefer POKEY overall.

I think Ballblazer's music depends on pokey's polynomial generator for the improve portions, so it would be impossible to recreate on other platforms without POKEY. (except with emulation, of course)

 

Death to the Yamaha chip in the ST! Oh what a Faustian bargain Jack Tramiel paid with the inclusion of that cursed chip. Dual POKEYs and/or Quad POKEYs probably would've sounded better, although it would've cramped the ST's mobo layout and probably wouldn't have been cost effective.

Yes, I already addressed that POKEYs in the ST would probably not be cost effective, they seem to need a 650x to interface to (all arcade boards with POKEY have a 650x, even 68k based ones).

The AY/YM chip isn't bad either, it's superior overall to the common SN76489 at least (ti-99/4, colecovision, master system, PC-Jr, Tandy-1000, etc), but still can't even do variable pulse wave, just square and some ADSR envelop control. It would have been OK if they'd upgraded it soon, or left provisions for simple internal upgrade, but that wasn't the case.

 

I've been through this before too, I think most recently on the ST vs Amiga thread, but I think the most practical option for enhanced audio would have been one of Yamaha's FM synthesis chips, particularly since they were getting that YM2149 from Yamaha already. In fact, Yamaha had a few direct successors to the YM2149 which should be fully compatible (square wave channels and 2x I/O ports), these were the YM2203 and YM2608. (also note that the YM2610 of the Neo Geo and YM2612 of the Mega Drive are in the same family of chips, the OPN series)

Now, the YM2203 was the same size as the YM2149 and was available in 1985 (introduced on the NEC's 8-bit PC-8801 computer that year) and simply adds 3x 4-operator FM synthesis channels (that's the same type as the popular YM2151 fromt he arcade and the Sega Genesis, not the weaker 2-op FM of the OPL series like adlib on PC). THe only addition to board space would have been an external DAC for the chip. (a tiny 8-pin DIP, the YM3014b) The YM2608 came later, was much more capable (6 FM channels, 6 percussion voices, 1 ADPCM channel), but came later and used a large 64-pin DIP. (so as big as a 68k, and used a larger DAC too)

 

Other than that, there are some other options which would require the YM2149 to stay as well: namely the YM2612 used in the Genesis/MD, one of the various OPL series (which includes those used by the Adlib/Sound Blaster sound cards). The YM2612 is a nice chip, a 24-pin DIP, 6x 4-op FM channels, stereo capabilities (hard panning and paired channels for true stereo), integrated DAC, and ability to have channel 6 disabled and directly written to as an 8-bit DAC. (so no more having to use the YM2149 for pseudo PCM playback) -I'm not sure it was available at the ST's launch though.

 

There are a number of possible choices of the OPL family, most aimed at the low-cost market to begin with.

The earliest is the YM3526 (OPL), this should have been available for the ST at launch, features 9x 4-op FM channels, and is meant for a YM3014 mono DAC like the YM2203.

The YM3812 (OPL2) is very similar, with 9 2-op channels and using the same DAC but with some added features like additional base waveforms (OPL is only sine), this came somewhat later and was used in the 1987 Adlib card and Sound Blaster line.

The OPL3, YMF262 features double the channels (18), hard panning stereo plus full pan with pairing, additional waveforms, and supported 4-op FM channels by pairing 2-op channels (up to 6x 4-op channels, plus remaining 6x 2-op); this was used in sound blaster 16 and compatibles and required a stereo DAC. All of these use 24-pin DIP packaging. (note there's an OPL4, but that's a wavetable chip with embedded OPL3 block)

Finally there's the super cheapo one, the YM2413! Now, this, I can really see them going for on the ST, super cut-down, in fact it's a cut-down OPL2 in a tiny 18-pin narrow DIP, features all 9 channels, but is limited to 2 base waveforms, 1 user defined instrument at a time (15 hard-coded instruments are available), has a percussion mode like the OPL2 (3 FM channels sacrificed for 5 drum/percussion channels), and requires no external DAC: used in the Japanese Master System and sound expansion for the SG-1000 mk.III and MSX. It's probably the weakest of the bunch though and I'm not sure when it was available either, definitely by '87. (you only get 3 channels with the 2203, but those are 3-op FM channels; the fact that it can replace the YM2149 entirely)

 

I should also note the YM2151, the first single-chip FM synthesis implementation by Yamaha and the standard in many arcade games of the mid 80s into the early 90s. It's 8-op FM channels in a 24-pin DIP using the 3014 mono DAC like several others, so lacking the stereo capabilities of the YM2612 (and integrated DAC obviously). This most definitely would have been available by the ST's release, but it would probably have been a bit pricey at the time. Atari Games sure ended up using a ton of them though.

 

Note: all these chips have listings on wikipedia and many are also covered here: http://www.srcf.ucam.org/~rga24/computer/music/

[+wood_jl]

 

As for the TI-99 4/A, my cousins had one. The Voice Module was cool with the game "Parsec" and I picked up some AtariSoft titles ["Picnic Paranoid", etc.] for it for them [for like $2.99 or $4.99 a piece] when Tramiel Atari was dumping as much of the leftover Atari Inc. inventory through Federated. It had a decent keyboard but it still was

<snip>

I'm still kicking myself for not snagging the 5200 carts of "Ballblazer" and "Rescue on Fractalus" in the Atari/LucasFilm Games boxes that Federated sold for $4.99. Damn my earlier self for not buying them... they were already collector's items!

 

The TI-99/4A isn't the top of my list but it's always been a curiosity, and it had the sprites and graphics (for the time) to be a contender if things worked out differently (and if they'd made a few logistical changes).

 

I know the complaints and the mistake that the Federated deal was, just 2-cents about my own experience. In 1988 I spent some time in Riverside, CA. I had read about the Federated thing (was living in AK, excited to see some *real* "lower-48" retail) and I hunted down a Federated store....don't recall if it was in Riverside or just kind of nearby. I was all jazzed about going to "an Atari store" and I was never more disappointed. Granted, this is merely anecdotal "evidence" and may not be representative, but they had NO ST computers, a few 8-bits jumbled, some 2600jr but NO 7800. The entire store was disorganized and many items out of stock (I mean everything other than Atari) and pretty much a mess. The employees didn't know jack-shit about **anything** - not only didn't know anything about what was for sale, also couldn't answer questions about what stock was coming or what was ordered...or even HOW to find out what was ordered. . I asked them if the place was owned by Atari and they absolutely did NOT know what I was talking about. I may as well have asked for Voodoo dolls in Mandarin Chinese; I'd have received the same look.

[Lynxpro]

I know the complaints and the mistake that the Federated deal was, just 2-cents about my own experience. In 1988 I spent some time in Riverside, CA. I had read about the Federated thing (was living in AK, excited to see some *real* "lower-48" retail) and I hunted down a Federated store....don't recall if it was in Riverside or just kind of nearby. I was all jazzed about going to "an Atari store" and I was never more disappointed. Granted, this is merely anecdotal "evidence" and may not be representative, but they had NO ST computers, a few 8-bits jumbled, some 2600jr but NO 7800. The entire store was disorganized and many items out of stock (I mean everything other than Atari) and pretty much a mess. The employees didn't know jack-shit about **anything** - not only didn't know anything about what was for sale, also couldn't answer questions about what stock was coming or what was ordered...or even HOW to find out what was ordered. . I asked them if the place was owned by Atari and they absolutely did NOT know what I was talking about. I may as well have asked for Voodoo dolls in Mandarin Chinese; I'd have received the same look.

 

 

That wasn't my [anecdotal] experience at the Federated stores here in the Sac area. To my recollection, they carried the Mac, the Atari ST, and the Amiga when they were released. Did the sales staff know anything? At 1 of the Sac area stores they did because they owned ST [at least in the South Sac location; the Greenback store was clueless]. Once Atari took over, the Amiga was dropped from the chain. Atari also recruited user's group members to work part time in the computer department(s). I would've done it but I wasn't 16 at the time.

 

After the Atari takeover, Federated was the best place to buy 7800 carts. They consistently had more stock of carts than Toys R Us or KB. Of course, I think those were the only chains that carried them anyway around here... oh wait, add The Good Guys, the Sears Catalog, and possibly Montgomery Ward's Electric Avenue.

 

What really doomed Federated was the sheer waste of floor space at the usual store. Incredible Universe also replicated that mistake later in the 90s.

[etschuetz]

If you want to go this route, why limit yourself?

 

The All-in-One Atari MegaSystem!

 

This would be an add-on for the Atari Jaguar system. It would give it the following features...

 

1. 2600/7800 cart slot

2. 5200 cart slot

3. Lynx port

4. A front mounting CD drive

5. New controllers with better button feel

6. No need for an extra power supply

7. a new catbox type device for clearer picture and sound

8. ability to use Jaguar's built in hardware to provide faster game processing, better sound, better visual effects, etc.

9. Full compatibility with the Jaguar Controllers on all classic games.

[kool kitty89]

Number 4 should be an SD card interface, not disc drive.

 

Any any system like that would be most practical using software emulation... using hardware ASICs you could probably make an integrated VCS+5200+7800+800 compatible system fairly reasonably, but there's nowhere near the demand to merit such a commercial venture.