What's new Pussycat too?

I take it that getting an NTSC one is a little harder than a PAL?

PS, Keep safe with all those tornadoes in the area..

 

A new firmware update was released over the weekend for the GSP, so I installed it and spent a bit of time playing around.
Improvements to the software include a proper directory structure on the SD Card, easier to use screen layout, proper aspect ratio in arcade games and added SNES and Pc Engine emulation. Unfortunately the SNES and Pc Engine could do with better controller mapping as currently not a lot of games run correctly due to things like missing the A button on the SNES!

As requested by Andy I tried out some 7800 games he was asking after so have popped in some screenshots and video clip below. The colours are a lot more accurate on the screen than they look in the video. All the 7800 titles run very smooth, I've been using NTSC images as some PAL ones are a bit juddery in places. Pole Position II and Commando play really well here.






This is Asteroids 7800 with an overlay to make it look like an old tv


SD Card support is much improved




The user interface has been changed as well to make it easier to navigate. You now have a better guide to the in-game controls as well.




Here are some close ups of the joystick (you get two in the box) with the different LED light patterns available. The multicoloured one does a nice colour cycle. They are matched up to the colours on the power and home buttons of the console.








Last couple of images show the joystick button layout and the save game menu. Not all games have the save feature but the ones that do let you store on either the console itself or the micro sd card.




Lastly, a little bit of video showing a couple of 7800 being loaded and played

 

Nice screens Al, looks good, shame about the lack of A button for the Snes, really needs it, that and the PC Engine have some crackers on them as you know. Never owned a PCE, my brother did and I'd borrow it and his big collection of HU cards and keep it for ages. I'd sit and play Gunhead for HOURS and HOURS..Still a top shooter. I'd also play Atomic Robo Kid as the Amiga version was awful..

 

Nice work, Al.
Sorry, I must have missed this post over the weekend somehow.
I'm getting some really heavy needs for this little monster and may look to buy one in New Year (eg sit outside my local console games shop and wait for the Jan Sales?!).
Very much liking the 7800 software you are showing us there - many thanks, buddy.
I will ask a few more questions when I get a mo... me gob needs a serious saline swill right now - some horrid mouth ulcers plaguing me at the mo and I wanna blow me nose... but best not, eh?!

 

I've been having another mess around tonight with the GSP Andy.
Gameboy and Gameboy Advance emulation is nice, it scales the screen up well. I would say that it starts to struggle around SNES games. You begin to hear some miscues in the music and the scrolling can scroll down a bit. Megadrive is pretty good though, I've been playing Sensible Soccer, Outrun and Dragon's Fury with no problems whatsoever. PC Engine is also very good although some games you can't play as the buttons haven't been properly mapped (yet!).

The other thing I've yet to try is an alternative controller as I really like the feel of the included sticks. And that little paddle is lovely on titles like Warlords and Video Olympics. XBox One controllers are meant to be the most compatible, I even purchased one before the GSP so I could use them together but like I say, haven't found the need to use it yet.

One oddity is that not all games make use of the save feature, but maybe that's something they will look at in a future update. All in all though it's a great little package and I'm having lots of fun with it. 7800 emulation is spot on of course which was my main reason for purchasing in the first place.

Talking of buying, HMV were the first main retailer to advertise it, but they want £159. I bought mine from an Amazon seller based in Wales for just under £97 and had it delivered within 3 working days. And tonight I've just noticed Game have it for £99.99 mail order now as well so expect possibly Argos and Smyths to follow suit at some point soon.

If anybody is thinking about treating themsel (I'm looking at you in particular Mr Barr) then I'd say you won't regret going for the GSP.

 

Brilliant, Al.
Many many thanks for the heads-up there, mate, in terms of best prices, bargain sales outlets and further feedback on features. It sounds like a super system all round even with 1-2 wee issues.

 

You need to pick one up at some point Matt. For all the old schoolyard rivalries the C64 is a decent machine, it’s just the BASIC is abysmal for sound and graphics, all peeking and poking to get sprites or sound. So really you need to know assembly, but you could argue that similar issues applied to Atari’s BASIC, but maybe display lists are a bit easier to use when you get your head around the concept.

 

I'd say machine code was a good goto for both machines. I definitely found the DLI's so much easier to get on with, all the raster / interrupt based stuff on the C64 was hard work. It's also why the Amiga was such an easy choice, Display list became Copper Lists on it, mid line changes her there and everywhere. Only thing was that the 16bit addressing took my maths to it's limit.

I know Matt has looked for a C64 in the past and I'd say it's a machine worth getting, there's plenty of all sorts of software for it. When you got past the early ported games, which in most cases were awful, you can find a load of cracking games on the machine.

 

XMas is already here, my friends, thanks to the traditional greeting card from the stainless Baz!

This year he has succeeded in the not-so-easy task of outdoing himself, with an envelope that has just reached my address in the land of cheese and chocolate (and cuckoo clocks too!). As usual, there are no adjectives to describe the imagination and creativity of our Baz. He has succeeded in turning the tradition of sending Christmas cards into an art form!

Thank you very much, Baz! You have lifted my spirits again this year!

 

Yup, always brings a smile to your face...Well done Bazza and Bev(va)..

 

It might sound corny, guys, but you folks are pure inspiration - I wouldn't bother if it wasn't for you fellas caring all year round by bothering - to help, to contribute, to suggest, to reflect, to hark back with another great story from the golden days, to advise, to fix, to pull someone's leg... and really to be there. You all make a big difference time after time - you're all smashing chaps and life would be far less enjoyable without the fun of our little retro community.

So no thanks necessary and just glad to spread some Christmas cheer to yer eyes... and yer ears!

ENJOY, FELLAS - YOU ROCK!

 

Many many festive greetings to you guys who have sent Bev and I Christmas raspberries, strawberries and tad glidings over the past week.

We have had a couple of arrivals ere at the Northern Biome and lined up tonight we must give our thanks to:


Robofruit Al for really tekkin the piss out of Man United (mind,
everyone is this year, incl Accrington Stanley!)



Then we have these three arrivals which crashed through our slot, ooerr, missus:



Card A was sent to us by a viewer in Scotland - loosely translated it reads - get the fek oot of ma face pal else yer winduz is gonna crash, reet? No, it's from Al Nysavant and it wishes us all the best DESPITE us being sassenach peasants...



Card B was sent to us by an Orician living in a musical box in Cumbria - many thanks Steve & Ally for what is clearly a work of artistic merit - she's quite a gal is Ally! Awesome, Al!



and finally Card C has come all the way from the land of cuckoo clocks, bank accounts and toblerones - yes, the Yaarkshire TV studios, no, Switzerland and Dazzling Dazza Dave - aka Cercamon / Alex Drito! Many many thanks to you too, mate, for imagining me and Bev as characters from the olden days (1982) and the front, possibly, of a Quality Street tin (though in my case, probably off the cover of Stig of the Dump). Once more, Daz's family are also in possession of incredible artistic talents so many thanks to you Virginia. What a resounding result!



I thankew all - a million, zillion, gazillion times - sincerely, it is lovely to get your greets either through the post or electronically.


So, cheers very much, Al, Steve and Ally and of course Daz and his smashing family.

Wishing you all a rip roaring retro Chrimbo, you micronauts - enjoy every replay, extra life, highest score and toffo you can get out yer selection boxes...

 

Glad you got some nice little ditties from the folk, we just never got into the habit of sending stuff. Most likely down to Cindy's mums annual send 200 cards out to her family. She of course wrote none of them, it was down to Cindy. As you can imagine, it put you off doing a load for yourself.

 

I received that wonderful card from Andy yesterday, along with some nice print memorabilia that is Dreamcast oriented. A very nice Christmas gift that fits the season for me, since as you all know, I repaired and upgraded my Dreamcast a month or two ago. Thankyou Andy and Merry Christmas to all!
(I'll post pics tomorrow)

I also received a few goodies from ABBUC, including a couple of ABBUC magazines and one of their annual or bi-yearly extra publications. I haven't had much time to do the usual surfing of the Atari sites, so I'm a bit behind on the latest goodies to come out for the Atari 8-bit, but I see that one of the new games with the ABBUC magazine disk is DOOM for the good old A8! I haven't had a chance to check it out, or any other new game releases, but the screen shots for A8 DOOM look very impressive!

I've been working on a couple things here and there for my hobbies, but have been spending a lot of time (out of work at the moment) cleaning up and doing badly needed chores around the homestead. Today I was the designated Christmas light fixer, and spent a few hours replacing fuses and bulbs on our Xmas tree lights, which was a pain. Tomorrow I'll be cleaning house getting ready for Christmas day and family that will be visiting for the holidays. So it will most likely be January before I get significant free time to return to my hobbies, along with doing home repairs that are far overdue,

Lots of vehicle and business related projects and repairs to do as well. I don't know if I ever mentioned it, but about a year and a half ago I bought a Nissan Sentra for a few hundred dollars. It needs lots of work, and it had been sitting for a year, but I finally found time to work on it and I have it running again. Now I have to power wash and detail it to make it respectable looking again. But I finally have an economy vehicle of my own for running errands and my Suburban and Blazer can now be for business use only, except for emergencies, which is nice with everything being so expensive these days.

That's all for now, I hope to hang and contribute more in the coming weeks.

Merry Christmas!

Matt

 

I'm in a hurry, gotta get some food and some good wine for the upcoming XMas celebrations... but I'd like to wish everyone here in AOC the best Season Holidays. It is truly a privilege to be counted on this little, special community.

 

Very very nice to hear, Matt, that the card and wee gift made it through to you, mate.
I think yours is the package that does the most mileage each year to reach you so I was wondering whether or not it would get through in time - great to hear that it did -
ALL THE VERY BEST to you too, buddy and to all the rest of the smashing fellas here on the forum - we might not be the biggest but you guys are the best - cheers, one and all and hope you and your families get all you wish for - especially peace, relaxation and joy together...and more if Santa's been kind in the retro department!

 

Hey, who's been sending this gear? I don't recall ordering these - cheers, me dears!

 

Sorry Andy and lads, while getting ready to post my latest toy (Xmas gift to self, see post below) I realized I forgot to post pictures of the card, etc. I received from Andy. So here they are now.



By the way, I do still have all the Christmas cards and gifts you have sent me over the last...how long has Atari Owner's Club been around now? Also, IIRC, you started sending them out to me and some other members before this forum, on Brenski's old site didn't you? Even the gifts like the cassette magnet and Atari tapes, and on and on...

The point being, I wanted to show all the cards from over the years as others have, but finding them is a huge issue atm, as my 'XL Command Center' nook has been in chaos and piled up with my software collection and tons of bits, hastily moved from display shelves and whatnot since my puppies* grew to the "toddler" chew everything phase. They ruined or damaged a number of collection items (And speakers). Luckily not expensive rarities for the most part though. I've started to slowly clean up the chaos, but there is a lot of stuff that got piled up over nearly a year, and it's a bit overwhelming. Not to mention a quarter inch of dust that has collected in that nook.

*Not the Huskies that died over two years ago now, but my Rottweiler-Blood Hound pups born last Christmas Eve. I kept 3 and one died of a sudden illness/poisoning last summer but with the tragic loss of 3 pups in two years at the age of 5-6 months, 2 pups have thankfully, and finally survived more than a year and are hopefully out of the puppy stage when they are much more susceptible to hereditary and virus illnesses. These pups had their shots though, unlike my Huskies where I was negligent in forgetting (due to being very busy and lots of stress at the time, but that's no excuse, just an explanation).

Another thing that I've been too heart broken to mention until now is that my best friend of 12 years, my beloved Husky Beaux was mistakenly run over by me with my truck and trailer. He had gone deaf of the previous year or so and he laid down under the front of my truck and I didn't know he was there and he couldn't hear the truck start. I saw what I had done in the rearview mirror after the fact, he was alive, but barely, and couldn't even make any noise, he was crushed, and I had to borrow a shot gun from a neighbor to put him down as quickly as possible after a quick sobbing goodbye to my old friend. I buried him outside my bedroom window next to my bed, like he always did at night. I have to stop now as I have started crying and can barely see the screen now.

 

Since all I got for Christmas was a nice card, etc. from Andy, and some slippers and T-shirts and underwear, I decided to go hunting for something special for myself today (Saturday, Jan. 6th) and while heading out to hunt for something I stopped at a road-side swap meet/flea market (I think you chaps refer to them as boot sales?) I came across something far better than I had hoped for, the cherry on the top of my vintage JVC component stereo system.

I happened upon a Roberts 770X 4-track stereo reel-to-reel tape recorder! In excellent cosmetic and working condition! And 14 tapes! Six 7" 600ft, four 10" 1200ft, two 10" 1800ft, one 10" 2400ft and one 10" 3600ft reel tapes. These range from 15 min. per tape side for 600ft to 1.5 hour for 3600ft tape, recording at 7.5 ins. Double or half that time for 3.5 ins and 15 ins speeds respectively.

After doing some pricing on eBay, I found that theses tapes range in price from $5-$30. So I have 6 worth $5, 4 worth $10, 2 worth $15, one worth $20 and one worth $30 (used tape prices, of course). So that is $150 worth of used tapes. The Reel-to-reel recorder sells on eBay, in working condition for $300-500, depending on cosmetic condition. Mine would probably sell closer to the $500 price point!

I payed $100 for all! And I don't even have to refurbish or repair it! I'm officially in audiophile territory now guys!

This recorder/player is able to record/play all reel-to-reel tape speeds including 3.5 ips (inches per second), 7.5 ips and 15 ips. 3.5 ips is standard commercial quality and about equal to the high-end type IV metal cassette tapes, 7.5 ips is audiophile quality that pre-recorded releases sell for about $150-200 for an album, and 15 ips master tape quality.

I owned a reel-to-reel recorder/player when I was in college, but it wasn't as nice as this one!

I almost forgot to mention that this reel-to-reel also is an audiophile quality VACCUM TUBE machine, not solid state. That's what you can see glowing through the grills on the recorder, not internal lighting...doesn't it look just too damn brilliant?

 

Awesome find Matt, I'm sure you will have lots of fun with it!

It is a bit disturbing that Andy sent you some 'seaman' (sic) in the post though

 

I want one, but there is now a decisive lack of space to fit more micros in my room or office trailer. Also, I really don't have enough time to enjoy my Atari 8-bits, Coco 2 and Bally Arcade Computer. I just happen to be at a saturation point with space, computers & Consoles and having time to play and deep dive exploration of all of them. On the programming side, I already was and will again, one day, get back to learning 6502 Assembly, 6809 assembly, and Z80 assembly on the Bally computer. I always have been interested in learning Action! on the A8 too. Of course learning A8 assembly would make it easy to pick it up on the C64 too, should I ever still get one.

But a few years ago I was looking to by a C64 system and some peripherals but had sticker shock at the prices of C64's, especially since it was the world's best selling 8-bit and there should still be millions in the wild. Yet they cost more than an Atari 800XL/65XE with about 10% of the C64's production numbers. So I decided to substitute the Coco 2 for a C64, even more rare and comparatively less expensive (of course I got very lucky buying a non-working unit for half the price that turned out to be working after reseating some IC's and after a good cleaning brought it back to near mint condition. But even C64's non-working for parts were as expensive as working Coco 2's.

Also I had decided years back to restrict myself to just 3 different brands of micro computers, and my custom upgrade of the Bally Arcade to full-fledged computer ended up being my third 8-bit to expand my 8-bit horizons beyond the Atari. I've got 10 different consoles, from the 70's to the last model of the Xbox 360 including my new VCS 800 PC now too and the ability to emulate other computers and consoles with my OG Xbox, Dreamcast and VCS 800. So I'm pretty well covered there too, except I still plan to get a Sega Saturn someday too.

Along with my other audio/video, electronic tinkering, 3D printing and more hobbies I feel it's time to stop just hoarding more and more and just be satisfied with, and enjoy what I already have. I can't possibly do all I want with all I already have and plan for my hobbies bucket list.

It just wasn't in the cards for the C64 and I, along with others like Sinclair, BBC, Oric, and more. If I'm honest with myself, and you guys, I'm more than satisfied with the toys I already have and just want to enjoy them and projects I want to do with what I already have. I've bought so much software and hardware for the various machines I have, that lots of stuff I bought even 5 years ago still lays unopened and unused/played. I at least need to catch up and use what I already invested in before I expand any more.

 

Hell, mate, I barely know where to start with the posts you've made in the past 24hrs or so. Quickly, we're fresh back from a torturous trip to watch our beloved Mackems get mashed up by the Geordie Maggots in the Tyne Wear FA Cup football derby. 3-0 sounds like a disaster but the lads actually did as well as they could given the fact they were playing against a team assembled on the back of Saudi Arabian oil money to the tune of hundreds of millions of £s rather than the more modest sums Sunderland were put together with... a handful of millions (still a lot of money but nowt compared to the BILLIONS now being mentioned and spent in the Prem league). Anyhow, we gave em 3 goals - an o.g., a defensive howler and a penalty, were never overawed by them and the home fans were in magnificent voice and mostly blew the Mags away off the pitch if not on it (mind, Pritch went close twice to reducing the deficit but a cup shock was sadly never on the cards so our long 5hr round trip journey was in vain in the rain coming back last night). The sad summary is that Sunderland were outSPENT all over the park and 2-3 of the home players didn't really turn up and had off-days which you can't afford to have against elite-division opponents.

ANYHOW, Jeez, Matt, you've had some good news and some sad, bad bad news mate... god, you don't half suffer at times out there in the wilds and your love of your dogs comes shining through - again through good and bad times. Hell, our hearts just about overloaded reading about some of the stories regarding the pups and your lovely loyal Beaux. God, you must have wept buckets over his sad demise in that terrible accident. Christ almighty, you must've been beside yersen with grief and probably still are. So, so sorry, fella - I know we all love animals on here so can totally empathise with the terrible sense of grief and loss over this shocking event.

Your superb reel to reel tape machine new addition is wonderful to see - this hi-fi component couldn't have gone to a better new home as you will properly treasure it, look after it and, essentially, USE IT!

As regards my old retro Christmas cards and the odd (very odd) gift, hey, if I can spread a little joy and humour once a year to you guys then that's cool with me. I've hesitated once or twice (esp this year) when the overseas quotes to post from the post office were ASTRONOMICAL so have told them to stuff their charges and I'll look at cheaper options wherever possible but the way it's going - ever skyward the postal rates - I probably won't be able to continue indefinitely but will try and keep going another few years if I can. To be honest, I get a lot of joy out of knocking out some ridiculous retro retard image or 3 and then sending it off to be made into a card and then freaking you guys out with the results that come crashing through your doors. IF I can find/afford some small gift which fits into a small/medium envelope or slim parcel then all well and good.

So, many thanks to you, Matt, and the other guys on here who make me smile and make me realise what a treasured little community of help, expert advice, good humour, bonhomie and comradeship we have on here. It's a rare thing and I think a lot of this is mutual in that we seem to be kindred spirits who all get on effortlessly as we understand each other's situations and each other's love of things retro from our golden days which we managed to accidently spend together - albeit miles and miles apart... if ONLY we could get us all together for just one day/evening/hour, but I know these things only happen in the movies as we are all separated by so many miles and miles and miles and we haven't all got the capability of easily doing this - in fact few of us have due to family, life, work, circumstance and health etc etc. Never mind. We are all here on this forum and we keep on going - for each other as well as ourselves.

Reet - 1-2 pics of my new acquisitions and funnily enough these THORN EMI sporting titles from way back arrive the week that in the UK we had the excitement of the 16yr old KID Luke Littler take on his opponent in the PDC World Darts Tournament and push the guy all the way and in fact led during the final putting the other Luke under enormous pressure - it was an amazing match and now, Atarians, you can recreate some of this thrilling experience on your Atari 8bit!!! LOL Here we go, guys - the last main point here is that you can see you get plenty of "extras" with these titles and the whole lot came to a fiver plus post... I am so pleased with this little bargain as I know Matt was with his acquisitions from his thrift store - it's MAGIC when this happens and don't we like to share the good news! Excellent, have a good rest of the weekend and take care, guys - all the best for more bargains like ours - and of course health and happiness to you and your families - for the rest of 2024.







A bargain for a fiver - the only thing they are missing are the "Betamax" size video boxes that they would originally have come in, ie. this case:



They are not the world's greatest Atari classic games but they are interesting in that they are quite collectable and some quite rare (never seen the jigsaw titles etc).

Do you own any of these?

I already have Soccer, Submarine Commander and I think I did have Jumbo Jet Pilot... somewhere!

LOL, like Matt, my Atari storage/collection areas need a ruddy good spring clean and sort out.

Check you later, fellas.

 

So sorry re the animals, Matt, heart-rending reading...

Non pet people don't get the bond that you develop with these wonderful creatures, when they go it's a family member going, a beloved one. Try and take your mind off of it with all that lovely kit you have, sink yourself into another project.

Me, Cindy Serena and Felix send our best wishes..

 

I find the microphone that comes with 'seaman' is a bit suspect as well with the green foam ball. It looks much better when removed.

The one peripheral that I'd never heard of for the Dreamcast is the dual stick controller. I must find one of those! though I may change my mind once I see the price...

 

So I've been busy finding and downloading PDF files of user and service manuals and schematics for my Roberts 770X R-to-R, finding out some more interesting aspects of it, like it's a very popular machine with audiophiles and guitar players, even if the tape deck is non working, because the tubed dual amplifiers that can be used as a pre-amp for turntables or even as a straight up guitar amplifier. This feature will certainly be a huge upgrade to my turntable that currently uses a small solid-state $50 pre-amp I use with my turntable currently. Making my LP's sound much fuller and richer, with the obvious recording benefits of my audiophile quality LP's when copying to R-to-R, leaving my LP's for strictly archival purposes.

The 770X can also be used in conjunction with equalizers and sound reduction systems, meaning I can feed my turntable through my 770X pre-amp, then out to the EQ and cassette deck, using JVC's ANRS (noise reduction) and then back to the R-to-R recorder for both recording and playback of R-to-R tapes (I can also record to metal tape cassettes on my cassette recorder at the same time. I'll make a video at some point comparing my LP's with R-to-R and cassettes I recorded them onto.

Another thing I did was open up the 770X and cleaned out all the old grease and re-greased and oiled parts that require it. I checked the belts which were in excellent condition and I suspect that they have been replaced in more recent years (The 770X is 53 years old). Rubber rollers were in very respectable shape too, but definitely older rubber. And the one rubber friction pulley that is on the face of the recorder that the tape passes over was in fair condition but definite signs of cracking and drying. I soaked all the rubber parts in vinegar for several hours which helped restore some of their "rubberyness" and less hard. All are working competently now, though I will purchase back0up replacements.

After that I started researching vintage used R-to-R tapes to see which brands and types were the best for their time and which ones still hold up today as opposed to some that flake or grew sticky and are unusable anymore. Luckily I found that the majority of the used tapes I acquired were very good to great quality back then, and were industry standards, as well as being of quality manufacturing and chemical attributes that stand the test of time and still work today. One of the tapes I have is recommended not to use at all, and two may or may not be good still depending on if they were earlier or later manufacture dates. I still have to look into that, but those two are the small 5" reels with only 15-30 minutes per side depending on the play speed, and I don't know if I'll even have a need for tapes that short...maybe for using to store and load 8-bit computer cassette software for archival purposes.

I did a pre-recording erase of an hour long tape at high speed today, just the first side. After I do the other side, I'll be ready to attempt my first recording and playback of a reel tape. I have to wait on some special cables and adapters (pics below) I've ordered to connect it all up to my JVC stereo system though.