The XEGS and Atari 800 Cartridges

[7800Lover]

I'm strongly debating getting an Atari XE game system within the next few months. The main reason is its backwards compatibility I've heard about.

 

The main reason I got my Atari 7800 over the 2600 is that the 7800 is backwards compatible with the 2600 library; that I felt was more value for my money.

 

My research tells me that the Atari XE, besides it own games and having Missile Command built in, can play Atari 800 cartridges too.

 

Is this true?

 

Is it true that the Atari XE can play Atari 800 diskettes and cassettes too?

[R.Cade]

Yes, almost all will work. Some very early games need OS-A, which is in the 800, but you can find alternate versions, or use the Translator disk to load in the old OS first.

[Scooter83]

Xegs will.not.play imagic game and pool 400. Haven't tested those titles on a 65 or 130xe. But the 800xl would be a good bet if you want to play those titles

[_The Doctor__]

here on Atari Age I uploaded a few translators and utils to not only use the translators but create your own... one such translator along with a procedure to hot swap in a cartridge and have it work on the XL XE provided the cartridge port is clean and the cartridge itself is clean it works like a charm...

 

roll your own for the XEGS or perhaps someone will dig the old threads up and experiment.... making sure it will work on the XEGS...

 

I am not a fan of the XEGS.... it was ill conceived and broke a number of conventions for no reason at all... save a quick and dirty way to get something to a market that really didn't exist... I think more was spent on the pastel colors and commercials than on the actual machines abilities.... some where I also uploaded config software to control the XEGS better as well...

Edited February 10, 2017 by _The Doctor__

[peteym5]

If you use the translator, you will only be able to load the games from floppy and not on cartridge. You need to turn the power off to insert one of these cartridges before loading them. So the translator won't help you there. I am not sure if any hacks were done or if Imagic Updated their games to run on XL/XE machines. Someone would need to hack the game rom to make it run on XL/XE, and re-burn them to a new EPROM.

[+Psionic]

I am not sure if any hacks were done or if Imagic Updated their games to run on XL/XE machines. Someone would need to hack the game rom to make it run on XL/XE, and re-burn them to a new EPROM.

Demon Attack is the only one with serious issues. The other Imagic titles should work, although some have apparently reported issues with Atlantis as well. For what its worth, my copy of Atlantis works fine on my XEGS.

 

With some games you never really know for sure until you try it, although as a reference for the uninformed, here is the list of known incompatibilities...

 

http://www.atarimania.com/faq-atari-400-800-xl-xe-what-programs-run-only-on-the-400-and-800-models-and-why_68.html

[_The Doctor__]

peteym5 I hot swap carts with a translator all the time... wtf are you talking about?

Edited February 13, 2017 by _The Doctor__

[Andromeda Stardust]

Demon Attack is the only one with serious issues. The other Imagic titles should work, although some have apparently reported issues with Atlantis as well. For what its worth, my copy of Atlantis works fine on my XEGS.

 

With some games you never really know for sure until you try it, although as a reference for the uninformed, here is the list of known incompatibilities...

 

http://www.atarimania.com/faq-atari-400-800-xl-xe-what-programs-run-only-on-the-400-and-800-models-and-why_68.html

That is a huge list. How many of those were carts as opposed to disks?

 

Is the XEGS even worth it with all the incompatibilities?

[José Pereira]

It is worth because those are the older games that existed when only 400 and 800 were available.

And they aren't compatible with only the XEGS but also all the others, the computers XL and XE lines.

And after these incompatible all were and are still done for the XLs and XEs so they're plenty more and best ones for sure. In that list probably Mule is worth to play but that is for people that like board type games that isn't much my side and I never played it but I'm almost sure that it exists, at least on disc that can load and run in XLs and XEs.

And those old machines haven't memory and even if you add it there's still issues. With XLs and XEs you can run what, 95% or even more and that include carts but also tapes and disks of most software and are the best and after untill today.

If you're not a collector I would suggest an 800XL computer that was the one I bought back then but probably I would been in doubt if the XEGS were available because I always really like it appearance and those colour circle function buttons on the Games Machine that is very nice and in my humble opinion put the C64GS to shame , that fits so nice with the same colour/design of the Light Gun.

 

P.s.- And some, if not most, of those incompatible has ways to load and run or exist in tape or disc.

Probably you wouldn't play much of those, maybe Mule and a couple more.

One nice thing and sad that Atari cut of on following machines was on those first A8 having the 4 joysticks ports though there weren't back then all that much games that support it .

Edited February 13, 2017 by José Pereira

[Johny_lovin_it]

Will Frogger II: Threedeep work on my xegs? Cuz' I read Gorf on atari 400/800 won't work on xegs.

[+Psionic]

9 minutes ago, Johny_lovin_it said:

Will Frogger II: Threedeep work on my xegs? Cuz' I read Gorf on atari 400/800 won't work on xegs.

 

This guy was reporting a problem with certain Parker Brothers cartridges not working, but I've only ever heard of a problem with Astro Chase in the past.  Frogger II should work fine.