2600 adapter for the Jaguar

[Chino8205]

I was considering purchasing a 7800 just for a few select titles but mostly because I can have one system hooked to my TV as I have 50+ 2600 games, and the backwards capability is very attractive in this set up, my question is, Was an adapter ever made or thought up for the Atari Jaguar to play 2600 games? Ala the power base for the Sega Genesis that allowed master system games to be played on it?

[tripled79]

On 9/23/2020 at 7:16 PM, Chino8205 said:

I was considering purchasing a 7800 just for a few select titles but mostly because I can have one system hooked to my TV as I have 50+ 2600 games, and the backwards capability is very attractive in this set up, my question is, Was an adapter ever made or thought up for the Atari Jaguar to play 2600 games? Ala the power base for the Sega Genesis that allowed master system games to be played on it?

Not as far as I'm tracking. But it would have been nice. It would already have the track pad for Star Raiders...

[Chino8205]

20 minutes ago, tripled79 said:

Not as far as I'm tracking. But it would have been nice. It would already have the track pad for Star Raiders...

Right!!! 
 

Wouldn’t it be easy to do since the Jag has the 6800 Motorola in it already?

[Pete5125]

The closest they git was a Jag CDproject that was just going to put 20 to 30 games on a cd, at the time a new idea, now it's been done for every next gen system.  For some reason designing the engine for the jag to play the games in was a major project, then Jag went under in 95, was talked about and never materialized.

 

IT could potentially be made again with a cart/sd drive, that had the clone machine built into the cart, then you down loaded roms for sd card, but at this point their are so many other ways to get atari 2600, I could see very little intrest in it

[doctorclu]

 Virtual VCS by Temporary Sanity Designs actually had a great demo of games that worked in all but hit detection.   So you could control players in a nice looking Defender, Berzerk, Combat, Pac-Man, Adventure, etc.   Just couldn't interact by hitting something or being hit by something.   (And no sound BTW)

 

But, filtering out games that don't don't use hit detection, and keeping games to 4K in size actually found games that work quite well, such as Space Attack, and Sky Diver and other varying titles with varying success.  This was done since Virtual VCS is not compressed so in a hex editor you can find where the 2600 rom images begin and end and paste over it other rom images.

 

You can even have a two player 2600 game played in VirtualVCS on the Jaguar.

 

 

 

So VirtualVCS, with many limits can play a handful of games relatively well.   And if one of the rom banks could look for an Atari 2600 rom image on a game on a cartridge adaptor, about what you'd need for a 2600 adaptor that could actually read like say, Sky Diver, Flag Capture, Hangman, or amazingly, Space Attack!  

 

 

[Chino8205]

I hope someday a unit can be made for the Jaguar to play 2600 carts. Seems possible no? Even using the jag parallel port in the back?  

[tripled79]

I'm surprised we don't have a dedicated Pong game for Jaguar. I mean there's Plasma Pong which was within Defender 2000. But it would be nice to have it's own cart with Rotary controls. Wouldn't need a very big cart or CD for the ROM I imagine...

[doctorclu]

On 9/27/2020 at 10:26 PM, tripled79 said:

I'm surprised we don't have a dedicated Pong game for Jaguar. I mean there's Plasma Pong which was within Defender 2000. But it would be nice to have it's own cart with Rotary controls. Wouldn't need a very big cart or CD for the ROM I imagine...

There was a pong emulator(?) that Matthias did some time ago which had all the variations of a pong unit just can't remember the name.

[danny_galaga]

Or just get a two way switcher and hook up your Jag and 2600 to that...

[Chino8205]

16 hours ago, danny_galaga said:

Or just get a two way switcher and hook up your Jag and 2600 to that...

I have a small living room, so I keep my ps4 hooked up with one retro console. I use my Jag pretty often and that’s why i’d rather have that with a 2600 adapter and i’d be in heaven.

 

it has to be possible to make this a reality in 2020.

[evisu]

On 9/24/2020 at 1:16 AM, Chino8205 said:

I was considering purchasing a 7800 just for a few select titles but mostly because I can have one system hooked to my TV as I have 50+ 2600 games, and the backwards capability is very attractive in this set up, my question is, Was an adapter ever made or thought up for the Atari Jaguar to play 2600 games? Ala the power base for the Sega Genesis that allowed master system games to be played on it?

What sense would make a VCS "power base" for the Jaguar, back in 1993-1995? Nobody, seriously nobody, wanted to play a VCS game back then. And if somebody wanted to play the classics from the early days of video gaming, he or she could buy a VCS console with games for almost nothing. The Master System for Mega Drive power base made sense for Sega. Lot of Master System users could upgrade to 16-bit and keep their favorite cards, like Phantasy Star. But who upgraded in 1993 straight from the 8-bit VCS to the Jaguar and asked for an opportunity to play the crappy VCS Pac-Man on a system, what have been launched as 64-bit (whatever it was finally, not the point here) killer hardware?

I´m very happy, that such a thing like a VCS adapter for the Jaguar doen´t exist.

 

*sarcasm on*

Then better a Jaguar Disk System, what allows to play ST games on the Jaguar

*sarcasm off*

[Arcadia]

3 hours ago, evisu said:

What sense would make a VCS "power base" for the Jaguar, back in 1993-1995? Nobody, seriously nobody, wanted to play a VCS game back then. And if somebody wanted to play the classics from the early days of video gaming, he or she could buy a VCS console with games for almost nothing. The Master System for Mega Drive power base made sense for Sega. Lot of Master System users could upgrade to 16-bit and keep their favorite cards, like Phantasy Star. But who upgraded in 1993 straight from the 8-bit VCS to the Jaguar and asked for an opportunity to play the crappy VCS Pac-Man on a system, what have been launched as 64-bit (whatever it was finally, not the point here) killer hardware?

I´m very happy, that such a thing like a VCS adapter for the Jaguar doen´t exist.

 

*sarcasm on*

Then better a Jaguar Disk System, what allows to play ST games on the Jaguar

*sarcasm off*

You're right, but I would still argue that a "Best of Atari" cartridge would've been cool, and maybe a CD with their best arcade games, considering all other consoles got such compilations just a few years later. 

[Gummy Bear]

23 hours ago, Chino8205 said:

it has to be possible to make this a reality in 2020.

I wouldn't hold my breath for that, bud. ?

[evisu]

On 10/2/2020 at 5:34 PM, Arcadia said:

You're right, but I would still argue that a "Best of Atari" cartridge would've been cool, and maybe a CD with their best arcade games, considering all other consoles got such compilations just a few years later. 

Missile Command 3d included the original MC, Tempest 2000 have a close to the original mode, the new Pitfall included the original Pitfall, Defender 2000 had Pong and the original Defender, not sure if Breakout 2000 have a classic mode too ... there was no need for a "20 best VCS games" CD or cart. What Atari (yeah, Pitfall is not an Atari game) did, was the better way. Take the iconic originals and release the games in a mode colorful and better version.

[Pete5125]

It is intresting Atari had the same thought, and put very little into developing the 2600 compilation disk, then Tempest 2000, came out and was a huge hit, and Atari started looking into old IPs to update Space War, Missile Command etc. They were even looking towards developing a Major Havoc 2000 game.

 

They were probably correct in 1995, a Atari 2600 compilation would be a hard sell, at this point the games were maybe a little over a decade old yet even then were rudimentary in graphics, and sound something Atari boasted as the bread and butter of the Jag. Interestingly 5 yrs later, theses compilation games do descent buisness on home computer/ps1/xbox, granted a ton more love was put into that product then I believe Atari would of released on the Jag, with menus, history etc.

[Chino8205]

On 10/2/2020 at 8:58 AM, evisu said:

What sense would make a VCS "power base" for the Jaguar, back in 1993-1995? Nobody, seriously nobody, wanted to play a VCS game back then. And if somebody wanted to play the classics from the early days of video gaming, he or she could buy a VCS console with games for almost nothing. The Master System for Mega Drive power base made sense for Sega. Lot of Master System users could upgrade to 16-bit and keep their favorite cards, like Phantasy Star. But who upgraded in 1993 straight from the 8-bit VCS to the Jaguar and asked for an opportunity to play the crappy VCS Pac-Man on a system, what have been launched as 64-bit (whatever it was finally, not the point here) killer hardware?

I´m very happy, that such a thing like a VCS adapter for the Jaguar doen´t exist.

 

*sarcasm on*

Then better a Jaguar Disk System, what allows to play ST games on the Jaguar

*sarcasm off*

I’m not talking about 1993-1995, i’m speaking about today. Retro consoles and games are in demand and have a cult following in 2020. I’m surprised with all the highly intelligent and talented programmers that a 2600 adapter has not be made.

[swapd0]

A 2600 adapter it's in reality a console, you need a 6507 & TIA, also, how you can connect the TIA output to the Jaguar video output from the cartridge?  I bet it's impossible.

 

[Zerosquare]

And what would be the point, anyway? Jaguars are much less common than Atari 2600s.

[+Stephen]

I never really understood the fascination for wanting to play one console's games on a different one.  I've never thought to myself "damn - it would be cool if I could play Playstation games on my Dreamcast.  Perhaps I have too many consoles in my collection?

[Brentarian]

I thought the 2600 adapter was a bad idea for the 5200.  Although, my opinion would be different if it had allowed the use of 9pin sticks with 5200 games and the 5200 analog stick with 2600 paddle games.

[jhd]

On 10/6/2020 at 3:11 PM, Stephen said:

I've never thought to myself "damn - it would be cool if I could play Playstation games on my Dreamcast. 

 

But if you ever wanted to do so, there is Bleem! ?

 

Seriously though, most of my gaming time is devoted to classic arcade game compilations. I love being able to play, e.g. Space Duel or Gauntlet, on modern-ish hardware. If the cost and limited availability were not alone sufficient deterrents, the (almost) total absence of such games would dissuade me from buying a Jaguar.

[Arcadia]

On 10/6/2020 at 11:11 PM, Stephen said:

I never really understood the fascination for wanting to play one console's games on a different one.  I've never thought to myself "damn - it would be cool if I could play Playstation games on my Dreamcast.  Perhaps I have too many consoles in my collection?

 

My main argument would be that the Jag has native RGB so I can play it on my PVM. I have a 2600, but no TV to connect it to at the moment. The 2600 was before my time, so no biggie.

 

There's a lot of people here that get excited for ST conversions to the Jag though, so obviously there's interest in video games made for other consoles being playable on the Jag.

 

(As a sidenote, Bleem! for DC does make PS1 games look loads better than on the PS1.)

[+Stephen]

Thanks for the replies fellas!  You are correct - I always forget that the RF only output of the 2600 (without being modded).

[Agent X]

On 9/27/2020 at 8:15 PM, Chino8205 said:

I hope someday a unit can be made for the Jaguar to play 2600 carts. Seems possible no? Even using the jag parallel port in the back?  

 

It's possible, in the same sense that Atari 2600 game adapters existed for ColecoVision, Intellivision, and Atari 5200. Those adapters essentially contained the 2600 chipset. They could have surely done the same thing for the Jaguar even in the mid 1990s, but it would have been expensive and (especially at that time) had limited appeal.

 

The alternative approach would be to emulate the system in software, and include some games in the package. This actually was something that was in development. It would have been much cheaper, but performance would not be as accurate as using the chipset.

 

On 10/2/2020 at 12:34 PM, Arcadia said:

You're right, but I would still argue that a "Best of Atari" cartridge would've been cool, and maybe a CD with their best arcade games, considering all other consoles got such compilations just a few years later. 

 

It would have been excellent if Atari could have produced arcade-quality adaptations of their most popular arcade games. Many people were familiar with the 2600 versions of the games, then you saw the quality and accuracy of conversions gradually improve with the 5200 and 7800 and Atari computer versions. The Jaguar was advanced enough to finally do the arcade games justice at the proper screen resolution and with the proper color palette, without having to make compromises. Emulation might have been a tall order (PS1 and Saturn were just barely powerful enough to handle it), but studying the arcade code and translating it to the Jaguar could have worked.

 

On 10/6/2020 at 5:53 PM, Brentarian said:

I thought the 2600 adapter was a bad idea for the 5200.  Although, my opinion would be different if it had allowed the use of 9pin sticks with 5200 games and the 5200 analog stick with 2600 paddle games.

 

The 2600 adapter for the 5200 was developed out of necessity. They had to do it because Coleco offered such an adapter for the ColecoVision, and then soon afterward Mattel produced on for the Intellivision. If Atari didn't respond in kind, then it would have been a total embarrassment for the company (that created the 2600) if they couldn't offer the ability to play 2600 games on their new "advanced" system while two of their chief competitors could. They truly had no choice but to make the adapter as a gesture to maintain a positive image in customers' eyes.

[Pete5125]

On 10/7/2020 at 6:18 PM, jhd said:

 

But if you ever wanted to do so, there is Bleem! ?

 

Seriously though, most of my gaming time is devoted to classic arcade game compilations. I love being able to play, e.g. Space Duel or Gauntlet, on modern-ish hardware. If the cost and limited availability were not alone sufficient deterrents, the (almost) total absence of such games would dissuade me from buying a Jaguar.

Bleem would seem to be an ingenuous  solution, the idea the dreamcast would play ps2 or ps1 games, since you loose money making systems gain money on liscencing games should be a win/win.

 

A better adapter for Jag would be a sega cd, adapter as parts for both systems were similar.

 

I'm sure it's not worth the time as the user base for jagcd is minimal.

 

But would help deliver another 100 games or so to the jag.