rhcocker Posted November 3, 2013 Share Posted November 3, 2013 I know a long time ago a member by the name of Tizoc modded a Sentinel PAL cart into an NTSC cart. I would have asked Tizoc directly, but I noticed he/she hasn't logged on for 5 years. So I am wondering if anyone knows what the best way to go about this. I assume that a NTSC prototype .bin would have to be loaded onto an EPROM and soldered into the PAL case, but what options are available to get the EPROM? Is an Sentinel NTSC .bin file available? Would this be something AA's "Custom Atari 7800 Cartridge" service do? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenjaminStevens Posted November 3, 2013 Share Posted November 3, 2013 I know a long time ago a member by the name of Tizoc modded a Sentinel PAL cart into an NTSC cart. I would have asked Tizoc directly, but I noticed he/she hasn't logged on for 5 years. So I am wondering if anyone knows what the best way to go about this. I assume that a NTSC prototype .bin would have to be loaded onto an EPROM and soldered into the PAL case, but what options are available to get the EPROM? Is an Sentinel NTSC .bin file available? Would this be something AA's "Custom Atari 7800 Cartridge" service do? I know that if a person simply wants to buy an NTSC Sentinel cartridge, he or she can do so for $39.95 via Best Electronics' website: http://www.best-electronics-ca.com/7800.htm#Composite I got mine from there, and the label is of high quality. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhcocker Posted November 4, 2013 Author Share Posted November 4, 2013 I know that if a person simply wants to buy an NTSC Sentinel cartridge, he or she can do so for $39.95 via Best Electronics' website: http://www.best-electronics-ca.com/7800.htm#Composite I got mine from there, and the label is of high quality. Thanks for the link! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
santosp Posted November 19, 2013 Share Posted November 19, 2013 I know a long time ago a member by the name of Tizoc modded a Sentinel PAL cart into an NTSC cart. I would have asked Tizoc directly, but I noticed he/she hasn't logged on for 5 years. So I am wondering if anyone knows what the best way to go about this. I assume that a NTSC prototype .bin would have to be loaded onto an EPROM and soldered into the PAL case, but what options are available to get the EPROM? Is an Sentinel NTSC .bin file available? Would this be something AA's "Custom Atari 7800 Cartridge" service do? Grasp it! Sentinel.zip Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhcocker Posted November 19, 2013 Author Share Posted November 19, 2013 Grasp it! Got it! Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andromeda Stardust Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 (edited) Sorry for the bump. Is Sentinel a good game worth playing? IE is it worth getting for $39.95 plus the light gun? I am a fan of light gun games but I don't want to invest ~$75 for the light gun and the NTSC game if it's a potential stinking turd gameplay wise. The only video I can find on youtube, ala "suicide mission mode" as the guy couldn't really play it without the gun: I'm planning on getting a 7800 from Best Electronics and was thinking of picking it up along with the Atari light gun but there's not really a lot much else to play for it as far as light guns go. Edited June 11, 2014 by stardust4ever Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPUWIZ Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 I can make a NTSC Sentinel for a lot less than that. http://www.atariprotos.com/7800/software/sentinel/sentinel.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stun Runner 87 Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 (edited) Does anybody have a cart of this game on north american format that I can purchase?i really like a graphics for this game. Edited June 12, 2014 by Stun Runner 87 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenixdownita Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 Does anybody have a cart of this game on north american format that I can purchase?i really like a graphics for this game. It was not release on NTSC, there is a prototype ROM that is complete and can be used to build a cart (that is what CPUWIZ refers to above). PM him to see what the current rate is. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenixdownita Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 Sorry for the bump. Is Sentinel a good game worth playing? IE is it worth getting for $39.95 plus the light gun? I am a fan of light gun games but I don't want to invest ~$75 for the light gun and the NTSC game if it's a potential stinking turd gameplay wise. The only video I can find on youtube, ala "suicide mission mode" as the guy couldn't really play it without the gun: I'm planning on getting a 7800 from Best Electronics and was thinking of picking it up along with the Atari light gun but there's not really a lot much else to play for it as far as light guns go. I can tell you that the second half of the 4th (and I believe last) stage you'll get cramp on your trigger finger, there's so much to shot at that at that point it is annoying (and I was playing "easy", I couldn't beat the stage 4 boss with 3 lives, but probably I was tired and annoyed). Apart than that it is moderately entertaining, although the very first boss on stage 1 is harder than it should, compared to stage 2 and 3 at least. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andromeda Stardust Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 I can tell you that the second half of the 4th (and I believe last) stage you'll get cramp on your trigger finger, there's so much to shot at that at that point it is annoying (and I was playing "easy", I couldn't beat the stage 4 boss with 3 lives, but probably I was tired and annoyed). Apart than that it is moderately entertaining, although the very first boss on stage 1 is harder than it should, compared to stage 2 and 3 at least. Well I can give them credit for making a light gun game quite unlike anything on SMS or NES. I find it novel that you're playing a sidescrolling SHMUP with a defenseless ship using a light gun to attack from the front. Do I have to simultaneously steer the planet sized ship around obstacles while I'm gunning away? Seems like that would make for a unique assymetrical 2 player experience. Kinda like you can play Baby Boomer with two people using the Zapper and Dpad. Most light gun games I've played use a head on perspective whether they scroll or not. I had a lot of fun with Bandai Shooting Range on NES and while it provides a mild challenge, I can still beat the game without cheats. The final stage on the Moon was otherworldly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andromeda Stardust Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 It was not release on NTSC, there is a prototype ROM that is complete and can be used to build a cart (that is what CPUWIZ refers to above). PM him to see what the current rate is. Are the Sentinels Best sells from an original run of production/proto PCBs that never got made into finished games (in which case Best would need only make labels and assemble the carts), or are they simply doing what repro makers do and burning EP-ROMs and soldering them into new or old PCBs? Due to the way the carts are designed, there's no way to open the carts to verify this without peeling back or poking holes in the label. Atari actually produced far more of a tamper resistant system than the Nintendo with their exposed security bit screws. If I do buy one from Best, I definitely will not be poking holes in the label just to see what type of ROM is housed inside... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Mitch Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 burning EP-ROMs and soldering them into new or old PCBs This. Mitch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andromeda Stardust Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 This. Mitch So in a nutshell the Best NTSC Sentinel is no more "official" than a repro from AA, Hozer, or elsewhere? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Mitch Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 So in a nutshell the Best NTSC Sentinel is no more "official" than a repro from AA, Hozer, or elsewhere? Back in the 90's they had a handful of real Sentinel protos, nowadays they just sell repros. Here's what the real ones look like: http://www.atari7800.org/labelscans/Sentinel.htm Mitch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPUWIZ Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 Back in the 90's they had a handful of real Sentinel protos, nowadays the just sell repros. Here's what the real ones look like: http://www.atari7800.org/labelscans/Sentinel.htm Mitch And I highly doubt they have boards like mine, I bet they are hacked up and wire jumped boards. EDIT: My Sentinel carts look like this... 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andromeda Stardust Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 ^^Is 7800 Klax anything like the black cart NES version? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Mitch Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 And I highly doubt they have boards like mine, I bet they are hacked up and wire jumped boards. Yes, they use the same hack that I first documented here quite a few years ago. Mitch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andromeda Stardust Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 Yes, they use the same hack that I first documented here quite a few years ago. Mitch Link plz... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Mitch Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 Link plz... Now that I think about it, it may have just been emailed around and not ever posted. Mitch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andromeda Stardust Posted June 14, 2014 Share Posted June 14, 2014 So if I understand correctly, the "Best" Sentinel repro carts are original stock PCB with "rewired" EPROMs in them? How classy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andromeda Stardust Posted June 14, 2014 Share Posted June 14, 2014 Well, looks like I will be getting the Atari light gun after all. I placed a giant order from Atari2600.com last night and got a couple 7800 light gun games, namely crossbow and barnyard raiser or whatever it was called. Next time I place an order from Best, I'll get the light gun along with the Sentinel repro. Regardless of what method Best uses for fabrication, it is the authoritative edition since Best was in possession of the prototypes. I'll call up the 800 rep next week. Wednesday afternoon seems like the perfect time to place orders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPUWIZ Posted June 14, 2014 Share Posted June 14, 2014 Regardless of what method Best uses for fabrication, it is the authoritative edition since Best was in possession of the prototypes. I don't need the sale of a Sentinel cart, but that just doesn't make any sense at all. You rather pay $40 for something inferior, instead of $25 shipped for something that can't pop a wire and has a high quality glossy label. I'd love to see the cart, once you get it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andromeda Stardust Posted June 14, 2014 Share Posted June 14, 2014 I don't need the sale of a Sentinel cart, but that just doesn't make any sense at all. You rather pay $40 for something inferior, instead of $25 shipped for something that can't pop a wire and has a high quality glossy label. I'd love to see the cart, once you get it. I dunno. What other stuff you got? Is Klax as good as the NES Tengen version? I definitely still need to order the light gun through Best though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPUWIZ Posted June 29, 2014 Share Posted June 29, 2014 I have 2 extra NTSC Sentinel carts sitting around, asking $25 each, PM me if interested. EDIT: Gone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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