What's new Pussycat too?

Thanks Andy...

One more thing, if the proper 4:3 screen ratio is chosen for Atari Commando, instead of the horizontally stretched 16:9 ratio screens every video on Youtube uses, it looks much better too...also, if you have a CRT monitor that allows the adjustment of the screen width, like my Commodore 1084S(and some modern LCD displays like my projector), the Atari screen window can be further adjusted to closely match the original arcade screen graphic ration of 3:4! Sorry no picture of 3:4 ratio Atari Commando screen atm, I'll take a photo of it on my projector tomorrow and add it in below for comparison (so you know it's coming if you see this post before I edit tomorrow afternoon by Britain's time). Though the screen window displays less of the scrolling graphics vertically to the arcade version still since it was designed for a 4:3 ratio home computer screen instead of the arcade monitor display with a vertically mounted screen 3:4 ratio.

Proper 4:3 screen display of Atari Commando (left) and distorted screen in 16:9 widescreen mode (middle) and proper 3:4 arcade display (left).

 

Ruddy bloody marvellous, Matt.

Once more, excellent information there on the full low-down, proper screen format on this most excellent title.

We must organise a little fun competition in a few weeks when I get back from me jollies.

Anyone up for this, Atari Commando, and see if you can get 100yds up the screen without being shot to shit and throwing your jossie through the bog/w.c. window?

 

I ordered a new toy yesterday that arrived today. As I use a few emulators for playing games as well I wanted something to view them on that wasn't a 27" widescreen monitor. Quick look on Amazon and I found an 8" security monitor in 4:3 ratio with hdmi and vga. Only had a quick try so far and it works pretty well to get that retro feeling, I have really noticed it on ST and PC Engine titles.



Over the course of the next few days I'll give it a go with a few more emulators but so far so good

 

It certainly does, I enjoy that style of graphic. Also didn't realise that the VCS store had 7800 games on it. Might need to take a closer look....

 

Loving yer snazzy wee security monitor, Al.

I've often thought about one of these too and then try and jerry-rig a wee mock-up Atmos notebook type creation... but probably beyond my Pritt stick and Blutack means!!

Seriously now, it's a smashing idea cos as you say, it brings back the correct ratio / original feel factor a lot stronger than does a whacking great widescreen modern LCD.

Mind, horses for courses and some days you do want the bigger screen experience.

A very good acquisition, mate - GAME ON!

 

The good thing is Andy, as you can see from the photo's it is duplicated on my main display so works very nicely for setting options etc.

Also had the thought that couple it with the A500 or C64 Mini consoles and you have a tasty little setup for taking away with you.

 

Very good suggestion for travelling light, Al.
I like it.
OK, catch you in a few days/weeks, lads.
Cheers - take it nice n squeazy.

 

Sounds good, as long as the one stipulation of the closer to proper arcade difficulty level of expert is used all around. Which is faster and more fluid like some of the other ports widely considered, but also is closer to the arcade in the numbers of enemies and a few things that were in the arcade game levels that are removed from the beginner and normal difficulty levels to make them easier to play for the masses, as Atari always did, including less difficult game settings so their home versions wouldn't be too frustrating for the average Joe, but keeping the expert setting closer to the difficulty of the original arcade versions.

I recommend this for any Atari game that has a choice of difficulty levels to see all that the game includes*, and as close to the true arcade speed of animation as the Atari can get. I see it far too often when Atari 8-bit and console games are compared to the competition's versions that "dumbed down" or made easier for casual gamers. I'm not saying that other console and computers don't have difficulty levels on their games, but it is only when Atari versions are played in the easier difficulties that there is a drastic difference in game speeds and the amount of action the graphics are handling in the game.

There are many games on the Atari with not just speed increases but more characters and events happen that do not in the easier difficulties, so you aren't even seeing the entire game on easier levels on top of not getting the same difficulty (excitement and thrill) as the expert level. And old age and "conditions" aside, with practice one can get good and advance in expert levels if the time is put into it. I personally play all my classic Atari games on the highest difficulty if the choice available for these reasons. Atari games would fair much better when comparisons are done if they are done in the highest difficulties of both/all games compared.

Go back and try some of your favorites at the highest difficulty if you haven't, and see what's new added in and just how fast the game can be, even with added animation or sprites over the easy versions. Then try some games again that you don't like the Atari version because they seemed too slow and clunky and possibly missing elements you like from the game port/version you prefer on another system. See if you mind isn't changed when these things change on the highest difficulty.

After all, if the speed of game play and extra enemies, are included in the easiest difficulties, then how would one make the game more difficult for the hardcore gamers? If the system is pushed to it's limit with speed and amount of sprites on screen were at the maximum on the default "normal" difficulty then you have already hit the ceiling and can't offer something more challenging, can you?

For another example, I was following a fellow's post on AA about how the Atari version of Spy Hunter, compared to the C64, was boring and had less action on the screen and slower in comparison which he stated was do too the weaker Atari hardware. I responded by telling him to put it in expert difficulty and play it before he passes judgement. He changed his mind after he played the game at that difficulty.

It doesn't take much for me to go on along rant, does it? Just a mention of a friendly competition and I'm off to the races! Sorry, but when you watch tons of comparison and review videos, you can get upset and passionate about your favorite system being unfairly compared, set on difficulties that handicap the software, and the conclusion being that it's due to weaker hardware when you know the opposite to be true and they are using a dumbed-down difficulty, or a poorly programmed game port, but blame it on the hardware as not powerful enough, or in the case of a good game that it is a poorly programmed game because the easier dumbed-down difficulty is the base line for comparison.

 

Point very well made, Matt.

That's it then - Atari 8bit Commando on expert mode/difficulty and get practising, fellas!

Let's try and get a little comp going by 1st October and say that the highest score achieved by month's end at this level - with accompanying photographic confirmation of score screenshot - is the winner (and gets a night out connected to an Oric). Runner up gets two nights out soldered to an Oric etc.

C'mon now, let's be aving you ;-)

 

You guys have a ball with this, for the competitive folks, there's the Hi Score club on AA (all welcome). So having a similar thing on here would be nice. I'd try to take part, but there's not much hope of that as the neck is giving me serious jip and I've started to get patches of mild numbness on my arms and legs. The consultant said to expect it as the condition worsens.

Looks like I'll be in the old hospital sooner, rather than later for decompression surgery (NOT looking forward to that). No need for sympathy or worry, it's something I knew would happen and made a decision way back to leave it as long as possible, which the consultant begrudgingly agreed with.

Anyway, enough about me, get this game thing going, and no cheating (That's also a reason I'd not partake, I'm a serial open cheat, I spent more time cheating an dissecting games than I did playing found it more fun making the cheat..

 

I'm up for a wee high score competition as well for a bit of fun. The last time we done a couple it was good.
Also gives you a good reason to turn the A8 on and maybe play a game you haven't spent much time with.
GAME ON GUYS (well, from 1st October anyway)....

 

Totally - it gives us extra incentive to get the great games/times going once more.
Paul can possibly give "tactical" advice, ie. Baz, get yer finger out yer ass, mate, and Al - you wanna re-try that level but this time after 3 pints of heavy n Irn Bru?

 

Are we playing bog standard Commando ( ROM ) or Commando+ ( XEX ) for this challenge? I don't have a VBXE so I couldn't play that version.

 

I vote for Commando+

 

I'm good with Commando + if it plays on a standard 800XL/130XE etc.

 

Needs I think 256KB Andy, I have a 512KB expansion loose in my spares box, not much use for this but going forward might be handy.

 

Ah, we might have to stick with the best bog-standard version then - played on Matt's recommended highest difficulty for the comp (we can always train on the lower speeds).

 

Commando + and "bog standard" are exactly the same gameplay wise, the + version just has the revamped title screen that plays either the arcade original music or the C64's SID version (I forget which source they used) music in stereo (if you have it) and was created with Rasta Music Tracker (RMT). Game play is identical and the in-game music is the original 8-bit Pokey tune still. Play which ever version you have or want too, it will make no difference to the contest.

Commando + requires 320K, as it is the 256K rom cartridge turned into a file, and like the cart, requires 64K of main memory to run, hence 320K required for the file version. The cart/rom version will run on 64K as long as you have the cart or Atarimax or TheCart! or one of the many flash drive option available for A8's.

If you don't have any flash cartridge type for the rom/cart image and less than 320K memory (main+extended)for the file .xex version, then you are out of luck.

 

Many thanks for clearing that up, Matt, so we've got a level playing field.
I will investigate my options when we get back (pretty sure I sold my 800XL 256K RAM model a wee while ago).
I do though have a few other Cart/Atarimax and a German diagnostic cart with additional RAM so maybe I can boot the enhanced version after all.

 

I'll use the Commando+ version then. Thanks for the clarification Matt

 

Ah, missed this earlier, Rich.

Many thanks in advance if I need the upgrade - though I think I might be OK, mate.

Much appreciate the heads up and might say yes in future!

 

My latest acquisition may or may not pique your interest. It's a Head Mounted Display (HMD) from 1996. Takara brand from Japan. But this one is special enough for me personally to buy instead a modern one with higher resolution. The resolution on this one is good enough for what I'm going to use it for.

It's the Takara HMD Dynovisor. Philips also released an identical version of this HMD at the same time called the Scuba HMD. But what makes the Dynovisor and Scuba HMD especially unique to any others is that both HMD's rose from the ashes of the Atari Jaguar VR headset!

Though missing the head tracking hardware from the original Jaguar VR, everything else about it is identical tech to to the Jaguar's VR unit. There were two Jag VR proto types that exist and are often seen at Jaguar shows runnning Missile Command 3D. One is the red version, which is the same as the Dynovisor and Scuba visor, and was rejected by Atari and Virtuality went back to the drawing board to make one that was higher resolution display which postponed the Jaguar VR to the point that Atari went out of business before it's release.

Virtuality, with the death of Atari had to try and recoup development funds and save themselves so they licensed the tech out to Takara and Philips.

So what does it matter now? What makes it uniquely special? Well though it's missing the head tracking, which makes VR more immersive, it's not missing what makes Virtual Reality virtual, which is the two perspective screens and the optical pupil projector that give the (Jaguar) HMD it's true stereoscopic 3D projection. This tech is still built into the Takara and Philips HMD's, though as far as I know, no games were released for either HMD taking advantage of this stereo tech. Except one singular game: Missile Command 3D on the Atari Jaguar!

That's right, even though I will have to use a controller still to play MC3D, I will get to play MC3D is TRUE STEREOSCOPIC 3D as it was meant to be! With revolutionary tech at the time by virtuality, with dual perspective screens that give the deep distance effect into the image as well as the optical pupil projector(s) that give the image the pop-out, in-your-face 3D, actually projecting objects into your eye pupils for maximum effect! And it works as intended with this Jaguar game!

http://jagcube.atari.org/jaguarvr.html

Jaguar VR



Scuba HMD




My brand-new, old-stock Dynovisor straight from Japan!

 

The latest BigPEmu also supports stereoscopic playing in various ways, add to that, its the BEST Jaguar emulator by a long way..

Sure, it will never beat the real thing, but it's got amazing compatibility..

Nice catch there Matt, I bet it cost a few sheckles... (you don't need to say how much)

 

Bloody marvellous, mate.

Great pics and description/history of what was developed... and what went wrong.

Sounds incredible even just for the 3D Missile Command (one of my faves of all time in the arcades and of course the Atari home computer ports).

A Beeb clone, btw, which I can very definitely recommend (but it aint in 3D stereoscopic vision!) is called MISSILE CONTROL...

FAST FWD to 2:20, guys.








A stone cold (war) classic!

 

I recently found that out when I downloaded Shoot'em Up 3D by Doctor Typo and read the text attachment. It said don't press OPTION to try the VR mode on a real Jag...unless you have a Jag VR headset or the image will be off to the side and upside down. So now I will have two games to use with the HMD!

The next step will be to paint all the purple bits (it looks more blue in my photos, but in real life more purple like the box art) of the Dynovisor red and slap a Jaguar VR logo overtop the Dynovisor logo to match my Jag system.

As to the sheckles it cost me, I say $130 is a lot cheaper than the $10,000+ the prototype Jag VR sold for the last time it was up for sale! So, stereoscopic 3D and head tracking for 10 grand, or just stereoscopic less head tracking (which I can still turn my head following my controller direction if I chose for the feeling of immersion) for $130. Both ways have one compatible game and now one homebrew game...so did I get a good deal in comparison?