Can anyone tell me what game this is?

[mitlong]

Hi all, my dad was a buyer for a major department store back in the day and was given electronics to try out from time to time.  This one never worked but I held on to it and here we are 38 years later.  I had always guessed it was Crypts of Chaos based on the sticker, but I really have no idea.

 

I asked the same question on the Atari 2600 subreddit, someone had me open it up, and they suggested that I post here based on what was found.    From - https://www.reddit.com/r/Atari2600/comments/pavtrx/does_anyone_have_an_idea_of_what_game_this_might/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3

 

Wow wow wow that's very interesting. Looks like it can be a test cart, it's using a 2732 eprom and a hex inverter. I think they mostly used 2532's when testing so this one is very interesting. You said it doesn't work? The EPROM should be fine but the hex might need to be replaced or just flip the eprom around and try that. EDIT: It looks fine, don't do anything and find a rom dumper to see if anything is different with the code. I could dump it for you but that's about it. Look on atariage.com someone can do both for you.

 

I don't know anything about this stuff.  Does anyone here have any initial suggestions to help identity what this might be?  Should I purchase a ROM dumper?  Thanks!

[sn8k]

Leave it to the pros. 

 

Al- The Man, The Myth, The Legend.....and the owner of this very place.

 

Mitch- i think his name is Tempest here...not sure. He runs atariprotos.com... He may be able to identify it from photos.

 

CpuWiz- not a fan of eachother, but I have 100% trust in this man. Still.

 

These are the people off the top of my head who you can trust and should be able to help you out. All honorable individuals.

Edited August 25, 2021 by sn8k

[+SvOlli]

You might not have to go for a 2600 dumper. A standard EPROM programmer should be capable of reading the EPROM, if pulled from the socket. The TL866, a very common device will accomplish this for example. Just make sure you line up the pins correctly. And that the notch is on the right side, EPROMs are not very forgiving about this and lose their magic smoke.

 

After a successful dump, it might be case, that some address of data lines are switched (either for "encryption" or just to make the layout of the PCB "easier"). Nevertheless, this can be resolved by matching the pins of the socket to the cartridge connector using a voltmeter in continuity mode. Then those changes can be reproduced in a small "conversion tool" then.

 

But an easy first step might also be plugging it into a 2600 and post some screenshots here. At least the game will be most probably identified this way.

[+Andrew Davie]

2 hours ago, SvOlli said:

And that the notch is on the right side, EPROMs are not very forgiving about this and lose their magic smoke.

 

And by "right side", I'm sure you mean "correct side" ... not necessarily the side on the opposite of the left side 

[+SvOlli]

51 minutes ago, Andrew Davie said:

And by "right side", I'm sure you mean "correct side" ... not necessarily the side on the opposite of the left side 

Yeah, yeah. Always on the non native speakers... "right" as in "opposite of wrong". But most EPROM programmers want notch neither left nor right, but at the top... ?

[+Andrew Davie]

1 minute ago, SvOlli said:

Yeah, yeah. Always on the non native speakers... "right" as in "opposite of wrong". But most EPROM programmers want notch neither left nor right, but at the top... ?

I was just being pedantic because it would be a shame for a simple ambiguity to cause loss of this ROM.

[Rom Hunter]

On 8/25/2021 at 7:58 PM, mitlong said:

Hi all, my dad was a buyer for a major department store back in the day and was given electronics to try out from time to time.  This one never worked but I held on to it and here we are 38 years later.  I had always guessed it was Crypts of Chaos based on the sticker, but I really have no idea.

 

I asked the same question on the Atari 2600 subreddit, someone had me open it up, and they suggested that I post here based on what was found.    From - https://www.reddit.com/r/Atari2600/comments/pavtrx/does_anyone_have_an_idea_of_what_game_this_might/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3

 

Wow wow wow that's very interesting. Looks like it can be a test cart, it's using a 2732 eprom and a hex inverter. I think they mostly used 2532's when testing so this one is very interesting. You said it doesn't work? The EPROM should be fine but the hex might need to be replaced or just flip the eprom around and try that. EDIT: It looks fine, don't do anything and find a rom dumper to see if anything is different with the code. I could dump it for you but that's about it. Look on atariage.com someone can do both for you.

 

I don't know anything about this stuff.  Does anyone here have any initial suggestions to help identity what this might be?  Should I purchase a ROM dumper?  Thanks!

According to the title and cartridge casing, I'm pretty sure the game is Crypts of Chaos.

This looks like a prototype to me.

Would be interesting to dump this one.

Perhaps it shows some difference from the final release.