What do you think of 5200 Pole Position?

[Cobra Kai]

This is the current HSC game. Just wanted to talk about it a bit outside of that. A few quick thoughts:

 

Was this game released before Pole Position 2 was in arcades? I'm kind of meh about this version. As usual for the 5200 it has good audio. Being a person that doesn't really understand the abilities of the 5200, it seems like it lacks some graphical polish that 'could' have been there.

 

Graphically, it's still so blocky. The road signs are blank. The cars are put together like a step pyramid. The explosion effect is uninspired. The only thing I like about the graphics is the scrolling, which is superb. I do like the analog controls here, it works and it works good.

 

The reason I ask about PP2 is because this version has plentiful game modes, but only the original track. Seems like the 5200 could have handled more tracks. After playing this quite a bit lately, I really have a renewed appreciation for the 7800 version of Pole Position 2.

 

I guess I'm disappointed, it seems like the 5200 could have atleast had some more refined graphics. Like the car exploding into pieces, and maybe some kind of art on the road signs, like even the ATARI fuji ...something simple.

[SoundGammon]

Someone was doing some hacking of the 8-bit version, better explosions and such.

 

I'll have to do some digging...

[+Cafeman]

The 5200 only has 4 single color player sprites, and 4 missile sprites. That is the reason for blank billboards, used with a dynamically widened missile, but only 1 color and no bitmap image.

 

True, the cars are really ugly. But compare it to the 2600 version!

[Cobra Kai]

I'll admit I tend to romanticize the 5200 and its capabilities. I probably expect too much from it.

[edladdin]

The blank signs were always disappointing to me. Why add them at all to just have them blank? Do they add gameplay by serving as something to wreck into?

[+Cafeman]

The blank signs were always disappointing to me. Why add them at all to just have them blank? Do they add gameplay by serving as something to wreck into?

 

Well yes, it would not be Pole Position if it didn't have those signs to crash into, especially around curves.

[edladdin]

Well yes, it would not be Pole Position if it didn't have those signs to crash into, especially around curves.

 

Ah, ok. I haven't actually played it in so long, I could not remember.

[+Ryan Witmer]

I think 5200 Pole Position is a decent game on its own terms, but not a terribly good port of Pole Position. I very much prefer the 7800 or even the 2600 versions, which just feel better to me.

 

I also played the crap out of the Intellivision version back in the day, but I don't remember how good that version actually was.

[+Cafeman]

The analog control of the 5200 version is really sweet, compared to the tappity-tap-tap of the A8 version's digital control.

[bohoki]

pole position always bugged me i mean you bust your ass to be the top of the pole you start the race and then find out there are jerks already on the track the whole point of the pole position is to not have to deal with slowpokes till you lap them

[SoundGammon]

pole position always bugged me i mean you bust your ass to be the top of the pole you start the race and then find out there are jerks already on the track the whole point of the pole position is to not have to deal with slowpokes till you lap them

Also, there shouldn't be any other cars on the track during the practice lap!

 

Make your best time!

[kiwilove]

If you wanted to see what could be possible on the 5200? You can check out the various road racers that have appeared for the Atari 8-bit computers. There should be videos somewhere with most of them running?

And of the best of these - how many of these could be converted to run on the 5200 hardware?

Elektraglide is like Pole Position without the cars present (from 3rd person to first person viewpoint) - with music. Not a likely 5200 version to hack for - because of the music I guess?

And there's Pole Position X - which is a map editor attached to Pole Position. I can't say if these alternative tracks makes Pole Position better or not? Played them back in the day and can't remember if they were fun or not? Of course it's not likely to be a candidate for a 5200 conversion - but may provide some thought as to changing Pole Positions tracks?

I can't answer the technical questions as to whether Stunt Car Racer could be hacked to run on the 5200? Probably not enough memory to do so? And far too much work to even try hacking it for a 5200 conversion.

 

Baja Buggies only comes to mind - which is probably already hacked to run on the 5200? It's not better than Pole Position - but was OK to play before Pole Position appeared.

Night Driver comes to mind - as something that ought to run on the 5200 - but I can't remember if it was a good conversion or not? To consider it a worthwhile hack to do for someone to do it?

 

There is a current road racer project being coded - but it needs to be already adapted to run on the 5200 - for it to be a prospect for the 5200 also.

Most A8 projects are not written with a 5200 version as well - in mind.

 

Harvey

[bohoki]

a top down indy500 or a champion sprint would have been cool i like the 5200 but the commodore 64 is my first choice

[+Cafeman]

The worst thing about 5200 and A8 Pole Position is how the opponent cars seem to jump position due to the scaling effect. It is difficult to judge if it is safe to pass around them.

[A Black Falcon]

Thanks to its good analog controls and dramatically better audio, 7800 Pole Position II may have more tracks, but I'd probably rather play the 5200 one. The graphics are blocky and maybe the system could do better, but it looks nice enough and the gameplay shines through. This is one of those games that really shows off the advantage of an analog joystick! I wish the 5200 had more racing games (and with analog), it's too bad that this is the only one.

[leech]

If you wanted to see what could be possible on the 5200? You can check out the various road racers that have appeared for the Atari 8-bit computers. There should be videos somewhere with most of them running?

And of the best of these - how many of these could be converted to run on the 5200 hardware?

Elektraglide is like Pole Position without the cars present (from 3rd person to first person viewpoint) - with music. Not a likely 5200 version to hack for - because of the music I guess?

And there's Pole Position X - which is a map editor attached to Pole Position. I can't say if these alternative tracks makes Pole Position better or not? Played them back in the day and can't remember if they were fun or not? Of course it's not likely to be a candidate for a 5200 conversion - but may provide some thought as to changing Pole Positions tracks?

I can't answer the technical questions as to whether Stunt Car Racer could be hacked to run on the 5200? Probably not enough memory to do so? And far too much work to even try hacking it for a 5200 conversion.

 

Baja Buggies only comes to mind - which is probably already hacked to run on the 5200? It's not better than Pole Position - but was OK to play before Pole Position appeared.

Night Driver comes to mind - as something that ought to run on the 5200 - but I can't remember if it was a good conversion or not? To consider it a worthwhile hack to do for someone to do it?

 

There is a current road racer project being coded - but it needs to be already adapted to run on the 5200 - for it to be a prospect for the 5200 also.

Most A8 projects are not written with a 5200 version as well - in mind.

 

Harvey

Would LOVE a conversion of the great american cross country road race for the 5200. https://www.mobygames.com/game/great-american-cross-country-road-race

[+FujiSkunk]

I played a lot of 5200 Pole Position back in the day, thanks to the 5200 owned by the guy my mother was dating at the time. Sure, the graphics weren't the greatest, but as people have mentioned, it was still much better than the 2600 version (which, I'll say, is no slouch on its own). Set the difficulty to "Miami", plug in a track-ball, and then get ready to do a lot of weaving, zigging and zagging! Good times.

 

Plus, you know, D.A.R.Y.L.

[BassGuitari]

It's pretty good IMO! The analog control does a lot for it.

[TIX]

Someone was doing some hacking of the 8-bit version, better explosions and such.

 

I'll have to do some digging...

 

Hey guys,

 

you can find my hack for the 8-bit here: http://atariage.com/forums/index.php?app=core&module=attach&section=attach&attach_id=608487

and the discussion thread here: http://atariage.com/forums/topic/284958-pole-position-modest-sprite-hack/

 

I'm, sure it'll be pretty easy for someone to port the changes to the 5200..

Edited June 1, 2019 by TIX

[Lynxpro]

The 5200 only has 4 single color player sprites, and 4 missile sprites. That is the reason for blank billboards, used with a dynamically widened missile, but only 1 color and no bitmap image.

 

True, the cars are really ugly. But compare it to the 2600 version!

 

 

Don't forget about software sprites!

 

The limitations are probably due to cart size and GCC not really going the extra mile on the coding. After all, Warner didn't nickname them "The Toaster" for nothing.

 

What's that one really impressive - yet similar - racing game on A8? The Great American Cross Country Road Race? There you go. Convert/transport it over to the 5200 and bankswitch the memory and Bob's your uncle.

 

Hell, mod that game into RoadBlasters. I'm surprised that hasn't already been done on the A8 eons ago.

 

 

 

Now, as for Pole Position, and what I'd also want to see from The Great American Cross Country Road Race/Roadblasters ported to the 5200, would be the codes for the Trak-Ball Controller. Dan Kramer had GCC add Trak-Ball Controller support to 5200 Pole Position because he was going to build a Steering Wheel/Shifter/Pedals controller for the 5200. Of course, playing the game with a converted 5200 Paddle - like with Pole Position - would be an awesome experience.

 

Edit: Leech beat me to it. Needless to say, this idea has been in my head for awhile...

Edited June 11, 2019 by Lynxpro

[Lynxpro]

a top down indy500 or a champion sprint would have been cool i like the 5200 but the commodore 64 is my first choice

 

Was Super Sprint/Championship Sprint released for A8? I know the C64 got one of them. That was during the post Atari Inc breakup where some of the Atari Games/Tengen/Domark/US Gold titles did make it to A8 [like Gauntlet] while others didn't...

 

And didn't someone port the arcade original version of Indy 500/Sprint to A8? I vaguely remember that being a big deal since they also used the 2600 Driving Controller with it. I guess one would have to do a "Driving Controller" mod to a CX52 - like the Paddle Mods - for the CX52 if that was ultimately ported to the 5200.

[+Cafeman]

Don't forget about software sprites!

I don't think software sprites would work well for this engine. To make the curves of the road, IIRC they are using mode line scroll registers. Thus the billboard images would also scroll or shift with the road. On the other hand, I'd like to see that effect!