Pole Position (two cart versions?)

[sanny]

Were there two different versions of the Pole Position cartridge released by Atari?

 

Background:

 

I bought a Pole Position cart in 1984 or 1985. I seem to remember that I had to press the button to accelerate. Releasing the button would brake/slow down.

 

On the versions from the internet I've tried tried, the controls are reversed: accelerate by default, brake with button.

 

Were there two versions or is my memory playing tricks on me?

 

My cart came in a box with the XL design, but in the size of the 400/800 cartridge boxes. Sadly, I gave my cartridge away at the end of the eighties.

Some years ago I bought a boxed version again from Ebay, but the box is smaller (like the newer XL and XE boxes), and the controls are the same

as in the images on the internet.

 

regards,

chris

[Rybags]

Lots of confusion with that game. I don't know what's going on.

Cart version/s, Datasoft version, probably more user hacks than any other game.

 

I think there was even one where you had to press forward to accelerate, possibly the button changed gear.

Then there was one with persistent steering where you had to use the opposite direction to centre it.

[sanny]

"changing gears": "I think there was even one where you had to press forward to accelerate, possibly the button changed gear." --> First I thought I misremembered, and that was my version. But I think, still, pressing button was to accelerate and joy-up changed gear to lower one, and joy-down to upper one.

 

regards,

chris

[+Stephen]

Was there ever a version with the "prepare to qualify" speech? I swear I remember having it BITD. Terrible quality - like a muffled hmm-hm hu hmmmmm-hm-hm. Was a young kid getting tons off of BBSes, could have very well been a dream.

[_The Doctor__]

might have been a hacked title screen at one time..

[peteym5]

Rybags Attempted a hack a few years ago, but had issues because of the way the program generates the road with HSCROLS + WYSNC + P/M register changes on every pixel line. The CPU is tied up during a part of the refresh cycle.

 

KJMANN12 approached me a few years ago asking if I can do a hack to improve its graphics to make the cars look better. I basically told him that game is probably as good as you can get it.

Edited November 5, 2018 by peteym5