Midnight Magic

[farquh]

I recently bought Midnight Magic. I played it with the joystick, and then noticed that the picture on the cart had a guy using the paddles.

 

I connected the paddles, and while the buttons operate the flippers nicely, I can't launch the ball. This was done by pulling down on the joystick.

 

I thought that maybe the paddles were to be connected to controller two and the joystick connected to controller one (like GI Joe), but this didn't work either.

 

Anyone know for certain?

[Rex Dart]

Can't be done; you'll need a y-adapter or custom controller.

[farquh]

Really? Then why the picture on the front of the cart with the guy using the paddles I wonder?

[ComputerSpaceFan]

Or this awesome hack by Nukey!

[Rex Dart]

Because, as you noticed, it can be played with paddles. It just isn't too fun that way.

Also, look at the back of the box -- For use with Joystick controller.

[high voltage]

Because it is an old Apple ][ (later A8, C64) computer game from 1981:

Edited October 12, 2011 by high voltage

[ComputerSpaceFan]

Or this awesome hack by Nukey!

 

.... seriously .... you guys should just use Nukey's Midnight Magic hack....

 

It allows you to hold both paddle buttons at the same time to launch the ball and then play the rest of the game using the paddle buttons for flipper control (just like in the picture). It's the only way I play Midnight Magic these days.

[farquh]

Is this hack available as a cart or a rom?

[farquh]

Actually thought about launching the ball and quickly switching to the paddles. Honestly, the paddles seemed great! The game recognized that left pad button controlled left flippers and right pad button right flippers. It's a shame they didn't just add one extra line of code that both buttons together also operated what would be the 'down' motion on the joystick. Couldn't imagine that it would have taken that much longer even back then!

[Legend]

Nukey's hack is definitely awesome and the game is even better using paddle controllers. It's a rom. There is probably a way to put it on a cart or use a multi cart.

[BrianC]

Nukey's hack is definitely awesome and the game is even better using paddle controllers. It's a rom. There is probably a way to put it on a cart or use a multi cart.

 

Works great on the Harmony Cart!

[Keatah]

The artwork is indeed a carryover from the original 1982 Apple II version done up by Br0derbund Software. You will also note the difference in the play field. The playfield depicted in the box artwork is what the Apple II version looked like. The 2600 version playfield was less curvy and was more simplified. In the Apple II version, you could launch the ball with the right paddle, and after launch, the paddle buttons would just fire the flippers.

 

Also, the paddles depicted in the artwork are by TG products, and are specifically used on the Apple II.

 

The original game was written in 1982, and later ported to the 2600 in 1987-1988. This is supported by the copyright date -- http://www.atariage.com/box_page.html?SystemID=2600&SoftwareID=1148&BoxStyleID=4&ItemTypeID=BOX

 

This was a time of increased cost-cutting (after the crash of course) and re-using artwork seemed to be becoming more popular when porting from system to system.

[AtariLeaf]

I actually discuss this in this video review of David's Midnight Magic for the Atari 8-bit computers: