All Video Olympics ROMS are defective? Flashback 8 wins?

[YeOldeTARDIS]

I boggles my mind how many issues are arising with Video Olympics.

It would appear that 4 player Video Olympics games (for example games 5 and 33) are not encoded in the ROMS?

I using a light sixer.

When I play the Video Olympics cartridge (the physical cartridge) there is no problem with 4 player Pong games.

When I use the Harmony Encore with ROMS, players 3 and 4 are not even drawn on the screen.

I have tried 3 versions of the Video Olympics ROM called:

- Video Olympics - Pong Sports

- Video Olympics - Pong Sports (Paddle) (1977) (Atari, Joe Decuir - Sears) (CX2621 - 99806, 6-99806, 49-75104) ~

- Video Olympics (Paddle) (1977) (Atari, Joe Decuir) (CX2621, CX2621P) (PAL)

 

On the Retron77 the same thing happens, that is players 3 and 4 are not drawn on the screen.

 

Here where things get weird...

 

On the Flashback 8 Gold Activision edition Video Olympics works perfectly, including all 4 player variations, and I can use my original Atari paddles.

YES the paddles work perfectly on the Flashback 8 and so does the game.

Plus it look great in HD and plays with no lag!

 

On Flashback 9 Gold players 3 and 4 can be seen on the screen when 4 player game variants are selected, but currently there are no paddles that will work with the Flashback 9. Youtube reviews confirm original paddles do not work with the non-gold Flashback 9.

I contacted AtGames, they have told me (repeatedly) that compatible paddles with be available in early 2019.

 

So for now it seems the Flashback 8 wins the Video Olympics!!!

- HD picture with no playing lag

- supports players 3 and 4 on games like QuadraPong

- supports original Atari paddles

 

The problem is Flashback 8 has no SD card or cartridge port. When I want to play three player, "G.I. Joe Cobra Strike" or good old, "Piece o' Cake" it's back to the light sixer.

Edited November 26, 2018 by YeOldeTARDIS

[+wongojack]

Well, I just tested the ROM from Atarimania and the 4 player variations seemed to work just fine. The 3rd and 4th player paddles were drawn in games 21 and 22 which are easy ones to check.

 

You shouldn't ever need any other ROMs than this collection for the original library: http://www.atarimania.com/rom_collection_archive_atari_2600_roms.html

[YeOldeTARDIS]

Well, I just tested the ROM from Atarimania and the 4 player variations seemed to work just fine. The 3rd and 4th player paddles were drawn in games 21 and 22 which are easy ones to check.

 

You shouldn't ever need any other ROMs than this collection for the original library: http://www.atarimania.com/rom_collection_archive_atari_2600_roms.html

Yes, I too downloaded the ROMs from the same place.

What emulator/system are you using for the ROMS? Does game 33 run on your set up?

[YeOldeTARDIS]

Well, I just tested the ROM from Atarimania and the 4 player variations seemed to work just fine. The 3rd and 4th player paddles were drawn in games 21 and 22 which are easy ones to check.

 

You shouldn't ever need any other ROMs than this collection for the original library: http://www.atarimania.com/rom_collection_archive_atari_2600_roms.html

Just downloaded the ROM from the game description page on AtariMania instead of the massive zip file.

Yes indeed it works 100% on the Harmony cart on my Light Sixer You are correct!

 

The same ROM does not work on the Retron77. Players 3 & 4 are drawn on the screen for games 21 & 22 but the paddles are not working on port 2.

Also, players 3 & 4 for QuadraPong are not drawn on the Retron77.

 

No point in trying this ROM on the Flashback 9, Video Olympics is included in the built-in game selection, and Flashback 9 has no current paddle support.

 

It might sound like I'm nit picking about the 4 player Pong games, but the truth is my family and I regularly play 4 player Atari games.

Ages range from 5 years old to 70 years of age during any given 4 player game, making this a game of three generations simultaneously playing.

I always like to use the AVGN joke: a square ball, this was before circles were invented.

Edited November 26, 2018 by YeOldeTARDIS

[Andromeda Stardust]

Just curious, does Warlords work in 4 player on the Retron77?

 

The Hyperkin dumper clones and Atgames emulation are both kind of janky. However good known rom dumps of any 4 player paddle games should have no issues playing on Harmony using stock hardware.

[AtariLeaf]

Just downloaded the ROM from the game description page on AtariMania instead of the massive zip file.

Yes indeed it works 100% on the Harmony cart on my Light Sixer You are correct!

 

The same ROM does not work on the Retron77. Players 3 & 4 are drawn on the screen for games 21 & 22 but the paddles are not working on port 2.

Also, players 3 & 4 for QuadraPong are not drawn on the Retron77.

 

No point in trying this ROM on the Flashback 9, Video Olympics is included in the built-in game selection, and Flashback 9 has no current paddle support.

 

It might sound like I'm nit picking about the 4 player Pong games, but the truth is my family and I regularly play 4 player Atari games.

Ages range from 5 years old to 70 years of age during any given 4 player game, making this a game of three generations simultaneously playing.

I always like to use the AVGN joke: a square ball, this was before circles were invented.

 

The longer this goes with no word on the paddles I get more convinced that there are serious problems getting these things working. Of course I could be wrong but since there's been silence both here and Atgames facebook page about the availability of paddles for the 9 series speculation is all we have. The "hope to have info soon" line has been trotted out for almost a couple months now.

[+wongojack]

Yes, I too downloaded the ROMs from the same place.

What emulator/system are you using for the ROMS? Does game 33 run on your set up?

 

It feels like you've gotten your answer, but I thought I would reply and let you know that I was just using Stella 4.x on my laptop. I didn't actually try to use paddles 3 and 4, I simply saw the players were drawn independently and stopped.

[+stephena]

There are issues with 'Video Olympics' on the R77 for 4 player paddle modes. This may actually being addressed in a future community build, although I can't say when this will happen. It's likely the same issue for the Flashback 9, but since I don't have that system and have no experience with it, I can offer no further advice there.