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How many of you are enjoying 5200 Asteroids nowadays since Paul Lay (playsoft) has finally fixed it???


BIGHMW

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Like the topic says, I wonder how many of you enjoy playing 5200 Asteroids now that @playsoft has (re-) ported the original Todd Frye 1981 8-bit port over to Big Sexy and even adding some improvements to it after having to put up with that dismal original unfinished 5200 prototype for almost 40 years.

 

I find this new port, to be much better, and yes, true the graphics aren't anything to write home about but certainly the gameplay is so much more controllable and Paul Lay even added and improved some defensive mechanisms that just may get you out of a bind. He improved the defensive modes, including instant response (the original 8-bit port had a 500 ms delay, in which cost players ships) from the shields, hyperspace, and flip-over options (in which you dial up but have to hit the fire button to activate before game start), and my favorite option is the shields, in which acts like an "Inviso", alomst ghost-like effect, in which the oncoming space debris literally goes right through you in which has increased my scores on it for sure.

 

I have three versions for you, one of the straight 8-bit-to-5200 port (in which the shields, hyperspace and flip over all have that 500 ms delayed response), and two improved defensive versions, one with all fast defensive modes (shields, hyperspace and flip-over are all quick), and also one with fast shields and hyperspace but slow filp-over, in which makes it easier to control the flip mode so you don't go the wrong way.

 

Tomorrow I will film S02 E02 of the 8-bit Edition of The Atari Report (it will be about Sky Blazer) and then commence the filming of "Asteroids Week" for the next batch of episodes (S02 E03), featuring all 4 systems' ports of original Asteroids (2600, the 8-bit re-port for the 5200, 7800, and the genius 8-bit Asteroids Emulator), but here are the three 8-bit to 5200 ports for you to try out right her, and once again special thanks goes out to @playsoft for doing the re-port so all Atarians can enjoy this timeless classic.

 

...and really the only difference now between this new and improved 5200 version and the 1982 5200 prototype is the copyright message (where it says "(c)1981 ATARI") on the 8-bit version, that and the defensive options actually work on the re-ports, but other than that that's it. I can't wait to hear from many of you on this and find out what your favorite 5200 version is.

 

Asteroids - 8-Bit Conversion - Original.bin Asteroids - 8-Bit Conversion - Improved Defense.bin Asteroids - 8-Bit Conversion - Improved Defense (Slow Flip).bin Asteroids - 5200 Version - 1982 Prototype.bin Asteroids - 5200 Version - Hack.bin

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.....and just quickly to follow up on this topic, how many of you who own a 4-port 5200 unit plan on (perhaps) exploiting the multi-player modes, both the 2, 3, and 4-player "patrol" and "combat" modes on each the "Co-op", "Melee", and "Team Asteroids" variations, and does the "bounce" function actually work and what is it used for, as well as perhaps taking on the added challenge of the "Fast Asteroids" mode in which the space debris drift around a lot faster.

 

I would love to read about your favorite mode and variation and how you now enjoy this new port in which was 40 YEARS in the making and now wasn't that well worth the wait, I as a 5200 purist think so. If it was ported right back in 1982 the 69 titles official release list could've been 70 instead.

 

Other than the copyright message on these new 8-bit-to-5200 conversions (where it says "(c)1981 ATARI") she is everything the 5200 port should've been, I wonder how many more units this could've sold if IT was the pack-in cart (instead of Super Breakout, in which while fun and better than the OG 8-bit port of wasn't the best pack-in cart in the world), your thoughts await.

 

BTW, after I record the in-game voiceovers for this series of episodes of The Atari Report (S02 E02) (2600 AtariMania, 5200 Xagon, 7800 Frenzy/Berzerk, and 8-bit Arkanoid, as I couldn't figure out Sky Blazer so that's why Arkanoid took its place), I will finish up filming the series of episodes of "Asteroids Week" (S02 E03) I mentioned earlier on, I would've had them done by now except the upstairs apartment is currently going through clean up in the change-over for our next tenant, and also the groundskeepers were here earlier and I can't have all of that external BS noise while I do my filming, plus I've been going over some sort of mental health issues including pondering perhaps retiring from the music business altogether after 27 years due to both the pandemic and the older demographics here in Port Townsend and the official death of the once-vibrant music scene we once had here.

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14 hours ago, sramirez2008 said:

Certainly have to try these conversions.  Thanks.?

5200 Asteroids.jpg

That is a terrific rendition of the box and cart label (I'll take a cart of this re-release can be put in) that this new re-port could be packaged in, perhaps maybe  @Albert might want to take it up as the 8-bit conversions are full and complete and if not a box at least the cart label could be in order for a re-release only with the now-finished version, but yes it will be the CX5201 that should've been put out 40 years ago. 

 

Boy how much we have learned about how to do so much more with less memory than we did 40 years ago, for instance, the original 2600 Todd Frye-produced Pac-Man in 1981 (4K) and then Dennis Debro's Pac-Man 4K in 2007, and yet so much more can be done with so little to start, it's all a matter of how you utilize it.

 

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5 hours ago, BIGHMW said:

Boy how much we have learned about how to do so much more with less memory than we did 40 years ago,

None of it's surprising. It's simply an evolution. More and better tools. Decades of accumulated knowledge. No marketing pressure to cut creativity short. Time to do things properly. Fresh uninhibited thought. Wide and varied feedback from the internet. Collaboration on forums. Instant Q&A. All of that.. All of that and more are factors in the secret sauce of today's hacks, homebrews, and re-releases.

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1 hour ago, Keatah said:

None of it's surprising. It's simply an evolution. More and better tools. Decades of accumulated knowledge. No marketing pressure to cut creativity short. Time to do things properly. Fresh uninhibited thought. Wide and varied feedback from the internet. Collaboration on forums. Instant Q&A. All of that.. All of that and more are factors in the secret sauce of today's hacks, homebrews, and re-releases.

That's an excellent call. No wonder so many great games have been churned out over even the past 10 years, with titles we never thought we'd ever see 40 years ago with the quality of what we have today.

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1 hour ago, BIGHMW said:

That's an excellent call. No wonder so many great games have been churned out over even the past 10 years, with titles we never thought we'd ever see 40 years ago with the quality of what we have today.

Yeah - it still amazes me, as an owner of the Atari 8-bit computers since 1982, what is possible, even on the stock un-expanded machines. 

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8 hours ago, Stephen said:

Yeah - it still amazes me, as an owner of the Atari 8-bit computers since 1982, what is possible, even on the stock un-expanded machines. 

We see it present in 8-bit titles like Albert, in which is available right now for the 8-bit computers and just think 40 years ago you wouldn't think doing things like what they did on it like they do nowadays. Albert is a masterpiece of a graphics capability considering what they did with it, I even reviewed it on the 8-bit Edition of The Atari Report YouTube channel last season (Episode 2 or 3 I think it was).

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9 hours ago, BIGHMW said:

We see it present in 8-bit titles like Albert, in which is available right now for the 8-bit computers and just think 40 years ago you wouldn't think doing things like what they did on it like they do nowadays. Albert is a masterpiece of a graphics capability considering what they did with it, I even reviewed it on the 8-bit Edition of The Atari Report YouTube channel last season (Episode 2 or 3 I think it was).

 

.....and, you talk about a masterpiece of 8-bit graphic work here is the aforementioned Albert for the 8-bit as played on my XEGS.

 

 

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2 hours ago, Keatah said:

All the things in the first post. 500ms is measurable with a stopwatch.

......and it cost most of us a lot of ships in which dragged our scores down too. It's tougher to get out of a predicament when you have to wait a half-a-second to warp into hyperspace or utilize the shields/inviso, now isn't it?

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  • 3 weeks later...

Looking at the download count so far the 5200 somewhat patchup (42 downloads) and the re-ported 8-bit with improved defense systems (fast shields, fast hyperspace and fast flip-over) (40 downloads) are neck and neck with the unfinished prototype leading the way with 62 downloads (that's just front this thread alone) but it's so nice to see all the love this once-maligned port is getting thanks to the genius work of Paul Lay @playsoft and his great contributions to the 5200 community. SALUD!!!

 

I myself prefer the 8-bit re-port with all 3 improved defenses myself, but which one do you play, and why did you pick it?

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3 hours ago, Keatah said:

I prefer the invisibility shield. Hyperspace is too random. And reverse-direction is confusing, not interested in what's behind me.

 

Agreed on that. Seconded. I also like the "inviso" effect where space debris literally goes right through you of all things.

 

But you misunderstood the concept of the question, I meant which port/re-port do you like the most and why?

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If you mean between the 5200 and 400/800, I'm definitely in the 400/800 8-bit camp. I never cared much for the 5200 because, as a kid, I spent too much money on it only to discover it was a scaled-down Atari 400 and that the games were the same as what I already owned for the 400/800.

 

Additionally I like the crisp digital response of a simple switch-based joystick. Analog is sloppy and wishy-washy.

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6 hours ago, phuzaxeman said:

The updated @playsoft versions play really well.  My favorite Asteroids version is the one that uses the 5200 keypad.  Reminds me of the arcade with no stick.  

That'll work. I'll upload those keypad files right now! :) 

 

 

Asteroids - 8-Bit Conversion - Player 1 Keypad Hack - 1.bin Asteroids - 8-Bit Conversion - Player 1 Keypad Hack - 2.bin

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19 hours ago, Keatah said:

If you mean between the 5200 and 400/800, I'm definitely in the 400/800 8-bit camp. I never cared much for the 5200 because, as a kid, I spent too much money on it only to discover it was a scaled-down Atari 400 and that the games were the same as what I already owned for the 400/800.

 

Additionally I like the crisp digital response of a simple switch-based joystick. Analog is sloppy and wishy-washy.

 

Oh but some of the games were but there were others that had significant improvements and/or differences over the original 400/800 versions. Centipede, Qix, and Dig Dug (since then they have been ported to the 400/800/XL/XE/XEGS) come to mind as being different animals when compared side-by-side to the 400/800 version, so the 5200 DID have some original games on her that have also since been ported over to the 8-bit computers.

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19 hours ago, Keatah said:

If you mean between the 5200 and 400/800, I'm definitely in the 400/800 8-bit camp. I never cared much for the 5200 because, as a kid, I spent too much money on it only to discover it was a scaled-down Atari 400 and that the games were the same as what I already owned for the 400/800.

Funnily enough, it's the 5200 being the A8's cousin that has me interested in it.  Didn't own any of Atari's consoles growing up, so my nostalgia for it is pretty much nil.  But as an offshoot of the A8 line, it's interesting to me to see how it's a machine that falls into the category of being mostly the right idea, but with flawed execution in a number of ways.

19 hours ago, Keatah said:

Additionally I like the crisp digital response of a simple switch-based joystick. Analog is sloppy and wishy-washy.

Agreed, though with the caveat that it's game-dependent.  Having said that, I did recently use Ms. Pac-Man to test my 5200 trak-ball, which was perversely amusing by way of how completely wrong it was to use that controller with that game :-D

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7 minutes ago, BIGHMW said:

I’ve always used my Starplex controller with all versions (2600, 7800 & 5200) of Asteroids, but I’ll try these out as well.  If you have a Masterplay or clone, the Starplex controller will work just fine. There’s not a better controller (IMO) to simulate the coin-op gameplay.

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