Some opinions on the greatness of 5200 games & collecting for the system

[phattyboombatty]

Your best one yet, keep going! Better lighting and more punctuated journalism are advisable and would be helpful. I see your improvements and way to go!

[ave1]

Swami,

 

Ah, I get it. All that steering wheel and mouse tinkering is really worth the trouble if you can play dual analog stick Robotron and Space Dungeon with the Playstation controller! Way to go

Edited October 11, 2018 by ave1

[BIGHMW]

Yup, love the big sexy!

 

I also play and support Big Sexy!!! I grew up defying everyone who chose ColecoVision or Intellivision, and although the 5200 was gone within 2 years I didn't know that there were companies like Best Electronics, Good Deal Homebrew Games, AtariAge (right here), and Atarimax who have continued to support and keep her alive with the reproductions, all the great homebrews, and 400/800/XL/XE conversions of games we back in 1983 thought we would never have in our lineup. I guess if I was a religious man (I'm not) that God graced me to own one of these iconic machines for the past 35 years, and although I aced my original USA-made 4-port 5200 and got a 2-port unit (for using the 2600 adapter) I am proud to still be "in the game" when it comes to vintage gaming. I also am smart enough to get 2 gold-plated Best 5200 controillers and also 2 Best 7800 sticks as well, along with 2 Redemption 5200 7800-controller compatible units, Atarimax Ultimate SD 5200 and Harmony Encore 2600 SD multicarts and TONS of games (all on the above when it comes to games) on each SD card.

 

I was, at first, thinking of aceing my 5200 for an XEGS but I'm glad someone here talked me out of it, I was simply frustrated with having to use my CX52's, but I realize I don't have very much money on me right now, and I already have a complete home arcade system that does the job well (and has for 35 years), and I also remember that the XEGS won't work with 2600 games due to no adapter to use them on it.

 

Mainly I just need to practice again on my system, it seems like nowadays if I can't light the scoreboard up like I used to in my prime as an Atarian back in the 1980s when I used my system to train for the arcade version, then I just turn it off, I've got to be persistent about it, I sure am glad that my mother bought me a 5200, she was pleased that less of my quarters were going in the arcade machines and more dollars were going towards carts instead!!! Now I've gotta go and post up some of my cartridges (since I have both the AtariMax and Harmony) for sale to all of you, so look for them, as I don't want to throw them up on eBay where I'd have to pay a seller's fee and possibly get them lost in the massive cartridge jumble.

[Swami]

Wow Swami- that is very awesome. I didn't know you could get the Innovation Smartjoy adapter to read the right analog stick at all. How did you figure that out? I'm going to have to look into this

 

I also realized I could use one of these...at least I think I can....just bought one off eBay:

 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:PlayStation-Analog-Joystick.jpg

 

 

[ave1]

I have the Dual Analog Joystick. Also- if you start experimenting- be aware that Sony's Dual Analog gamepad has a green-light mode which allows it to do what the Dual Analog Joystick does.

 

Good luck on seeing what you can do with the controllers!

Edited October 18, 2018 by ave1

[Swami]

I have the Dual Analog Joystick. Also- if you start experimenting- be aware that Sony's Dual Analog gamepad has a green-light mode which allows it to do what the Dual Analog Joystick does.

 

Good luck on seeing what you can do with the controllers!

Dual analog gamepad? Do you mean like a dual shock with the two thumb sticks?

 

Edit: Nevermind. I recall the dual shocks predecessor now.

[ave1]

Ah yes- the Dual Shock's predecessor.

[Swami]

Ah yes- the Dual Shock's predecessor.

 

So the PS2 dual analog stick and the new Tototek PS2 to Genesis adapter arrived today. The dual analog stick works good with robotron using the Smart Joy Emulator and that adapter I built. However, I think I'm done with Tototek, The first one broke after a few months and quit working and this new one moves you slightly to the right when you push the fire 1 button in analog mode. So, if you're facing right in defender and press the fire, it changes your direction. Fire moves you to the right in Centipede. Glad I have the Willingham adapters, never had a problem with either.

[+Ryan Witmer]

The 5200 was the second system I started collecting for, after the Sega Master System.

 

I never had one when I was a kid, but I knew a few people who did, and I relished the rare opportunities I got to play it. Seeing the superior versions of so many of my 2600 games was mind blowing and I was obsessed with this system, spending hours poring over catalogs and dreaming of owning one someday.

 

I finally bought one sometime around 2007 and began my quest to collect all the games. At this year's PRGE, I added Mr. Do's Castle to my collection, leaving only 10 games I need to find. It keeps getting harder, but my streak of finding at least one game at PRGE every year is still alive!

 

It was around this time that I also discovered the Atari homebrew scene. I've been programming for about as a long as I can remember, and of course when I was a kid I wanted to make games! Since Atari was the thing at the time, I would always talk about all these awesome Atari games I was going to make. Now was my chance to make that stupid childhood dream a reality, so I started researching 5200 programming and tried to come up with a project.

 

Now I have two games done and a third on the way. For me, the 5200 is just as fun to program for as it is to play.

 

Now, if only I had one of those nice dust covers...