Jump to content
IGNORED

Would it be possible to have a 5200-to-7800 adapter produced?


Giles N

Recommended Posts

If there was a way to play 5200 titles on the 7800 console, it would be sort of a back-compatibility making lots of high-quality early 3gen. games play on a the late 3gen 7800.

 

Would it be possible as to hardware and software?

 

Could a 7800 read an analogue joystick-input given a converter?

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is a dream peripheral of mine, and if someone somehow made it happen, I'd certainly be interested. As far as I know though, nothing has ever been attempted.

The 5200 uses the POKEY soundchip while the 7800 obviously doesn't, so there's something to consider. And then there's the whole controller keypad issue; a theoretical 5200-to-7800 adapter would have to include at least one on the module itself, but even if they got two (four?) on it, playing games that make extensive use of the pads that way doesn't exactly seem practical - unless 5200 controller ports were also put on the module itself, in which case you're back to contending with one of the issues that would make a 5200-to-7800 adapter attractive in the first place (IMO).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

19 minutes ago, King Atari said:

This is a dream peripheral of mine, and if someone somehow made it happen, I'd certainly be interested. As far as I know though, nothing has ever been attempted.

The 5200 uses the POKEY soundchip while the 7800 obviously doesn't, so there's something to consider. And then there's the whole controller keypad issue; a theoretical 5200-to-7800 adapter would have to include at least one on the module itself, but even if they got two (four?) on it, playing games that make extensive use of the pads that way doesn't exactly seem practical - unless 5200 controller ports were also put on the module itself, in which case you're back to contending with one of the issues that would make a 5200-to-7800 adapter attractive in the first place (IMO).

Perhaps we should voice a wish for a Retron-style universal Atari-console that can play any (original)atari cartridge from any atari-console, with high-quality controllers?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

31 minutes ago, King Atari said:

This is a dream peripheral of mine, and if someone somehow made it happen, I'd certainly be interested. As far as I know though, nothing has ever been attempted.

The 5200 uses the POKEY soundchip while the 7800 obviously doesn't, so there's something to consider. And then there's the whole controller keypad issue; a theoretical 5200-to-7800 adapter would have to include at least one on the module itself, but even if they got two (four?) on it, playing games that make extensive use of the pads that way doesn't exactly seem practical - unless 5200 controller ports were also put on the module itself, in which case you're back to contending with one of the issues that would make a 5200-to-7800 adapter attractive in the first place (IMO).

What would be the atteaction:

You buy a 7800 with a 5200-converter-thing.

 

Then you can play

1) 2600 games

2) 5200 games

3) 7800 games

 

on the the same console unit.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

19 minutes ago, Flojomojo said:

Aren't all these "system changers" just the old system on a board with an A.V. pass through?

 

I know I'm oversimplifying the effort involved to make something like this, but that's because you basically need a whole donor to mount up the "guest" system. Hardly seems worth it. 

Actually a good point.

 

But lets say you had some tech-geek who had like 3 or 4 5200 units that had broken down on different areas of hardware...

 

But anyway, as I don’t know much about hardware, I was just asking.

 

Perhaps, for all I knew, all it would take would be some analogue-joystick hardware, put it them toether in the right manner, and then it would work.

 

But if one would have to pick apart several 5200s to make one converter, you sure have a point man.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, Swami said:

I think we should just put all the boards in one box and have dip switches to switch between them, wire all the cart connectors to the top and all the controller ports to the front and call it Frankentari.

...and then to have it come after you to take revenge...unless we make a ms.Frankentari?

Edited by Giles N
Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, Swami said:

I think we should just put all the boards in one box and have dip switches to switch between them, wire all the cart connectors to the top and all the controller ports to the front and call it Frankentari.

Yeah, and call it The Atari Super-Retron 78000

Edited by Giles N
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, Giles N said:

What would be the atteaction:

You buy a 7800 with a 5200-converter-thing.

 

Then you can play

1) 2600 games

2) 5200 games

3) 7800 games

 

on the the same console unit.


People were asking for just such a thing when the subject of Retron supporting Atari conoles first came up. IIRC they got to looking into 7800-compatibility but the 5200 posed too many issues. Someone probably remembers for sure how that went or where they are as far as all that goes, as I haven't really been following - I don't really go for the new 'retro' consoles that employ emulation when real hardware is readily available to me. That's strictly a personal choice on my part, and if they made something 5200-compatible and with new controllers, I'd probably buy it just to make my life easier in that area, emulation or no emulation.

But the fact remains that if someone were to get new-produced 5200 'guts' (i.e., not emulated) into something I could plug into my actual 7800, I'd be all for it. That doesn't really solve the controller issue of course, and I have no idea is such a thing is even possible, but it's fun to daydream about.
 

2 minutes ago, Flojomojo said:

Aren't all these "system changers" just the old system on a board with an A.V. pass through?

 

I know I'm oversimplifying the effort involved to make something like this, but that's because you basically need a whole donor to mount up the "guest" system. Hardly seems worth it. 


I'm far, far from a programmer, but it seems that where this topic is concerned, well, therein lies the rub. The 5200 has so many unique components to it (in comparison to the 2600/7800, I mean) that getting many/most/all of its games playable on a 7800 would essentially need an entire 5200 crammed into a module that plugs into the 7800, basically using the 7800 for power and little else. Or so it seems to me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, King Atari said:


People were asking for just such a thing when the subject of Retron supporting Atari conoles first came up. IIRC they got to looking into 7800-compatibility but the 5200 posed too many issues. Someone probably remembers for sure how that went or where they are as far as all that goes, as I haven't really been following - I don't really go for the new 'retro' consoles that employ emulation when real hardware is readily available to me. That's strictly a personal choice on my part, and if they made something 5200-compatible and with new controllers, I'd probably buy it just to make my life easier in that area, emulation or no emulation.

But the fact remains that if someone were to get new-produced 5200 'guts' (i.e., not emulated) into something I could plug into my actual 7800, I'd be all for it. That doesn't really solve the controller issue of course, and I have no idea is such a thing is even possible, but it's fun to daydream about.
 


I'm far, far from a programmer, but it seems that where this topic is concerned, well, therein lies the rub. The 5200 has so many unique components to it (in comparison to the 2600/7800, I mean) that getting many/most/all of its games playable on a 7800 would essentially need an entire 5200 crammed into a module that plugs into the 7800, basically using the 7800 for power and little else. Or so it seems to me.

I can’t believe that making a new sort of joystick for an AtariRetron would be like ‘difficult’ to a professional hardware-firm; emulations do it.

Old 15 pin PC joysticks did it.

And number-keypad.

Come on, thats not like difficult.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, Flojomojo said:

Just two observations:

 

1. Retron is emulation

2. Emulation isn't bad. 

 

It it might not be what you want, but short of FPGA, it's a cheap and easy way to get most of the way there. 

What I would like, would be a console  where you could put in original (ie old) cartridges in say 2, 3 or 4 different slots, to be able to play any atari-console-thing on one unit.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 minutes ago, Flojomojo said:

How many cartridges do you have, anyway? ?

I have 40++ 5200 carts

30+ ntsc 7800 carts

25+ pal 7800 carts

a few 2600 games, but not many; I mostly connect with multicolour-sprite/multicolour-background level of grfx, with exception of early vector-games where 3D made things more difficult.

 

But if a Super-Atari-FrankenTron78000 could play any atari-console-cart from any system using cartridges, how many titles would exist?

Edited by Giles N
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 minutes ago, Flojomojo said:

Just two observations:

 

1. Retron is emulation

2. Emulation isn't bad. 

 

It it might not be what you want, but short of FPGA, it's a cheap and easy way to get most of the way there. 


I take it you're replying to my post right above this response. Of course Retron is emulation, and I never once said emulation was bad; I said I prefer real hardware, and made sure to specify that's strictly a choice on my part. No snobbery; I don't care if someone else wants to play on a new console via emulation or whatever. I also point blank said if Retron were to produce something 5200-compatible, I'd probably buy it, specifically because it would be so much easier.
 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...