Most liked posts in thread: What's new Pussycat too?

No pictures yet as I've been busy having a play with it, but my Atari Gamestation Pro (GSP from here onwards) arrived today. First impressions though, great little machine. Build quality is excellent and emulation is very good. The included wireless joysticks are much better and more comfortable than I expected. The system even has LED lights that you can change the colour of, sounds a bit daft but looks very cool anyway!

Have spent some time adding various games to a micro sd card and managed to get more 2600 and 7800 titles as well as Megadrive, Gameboy and GB Advance titles working. Some of the PAL 7800 games were either jerky or didn't run at all but the NTSC versions have all been 100%.

Still early days but I can see this getting a lot of play in AL's man cave. It's much more usable than the Atari 2600+ but having the two of them together makes for an epic retro Atari console setup.

In other news, if any of you have the Atari 50 collection on console or PC, Digital Eclipse have just realised a new free update that gives you another twelve titles including the classic Bowling for the 2600 and the utterly awesome Warbirds on the Lynx.

And finally... news just reaching us that Digital Eclipse are also releasing a Llamasoft Collection in early 2024 using the same format as Atari 50. Can't wait

 

Nice posts, Paul, about how to load games on Vic-20 emulated. And yes, the problem with this CBM machine is often related to memory management - the CRT files must be mapped to a particular address in order to function correctly. Sometimes, even normal PRG games, or the ones included in D64 files, have to be loaded in two parts, checking out the right memory address to load and run them. I remember that with VICE it was a little nightmare to just load Dig Dug the correct way because it's often provided on the web split in two PRG files, and each one must be loaded in a precise order and respecting the correct memory address. As Paul pointed out, with PRGs sometimes you have to run the game with a SYS command. And it also depends on how much memory you need to have as a virtual expansion board, which is often included in the name of the game, together with the loading address.

The Vic-20 GameBase is definitely recommended if you just want to play, without getting nuts with memory locations and running commands. For reference, the Sleeping Elephant/Denial forum is the way to go if you're looking for any information about the Vic-20.

http://sleepingelephant.com/denial/

 

Many many thanks for these posts, fellas.
They are keeping me sane whilst my gob aches like hell and oozes blood both into my mush and now dripping from my nostrils... I look like one of those hell hounds from Hammer House of Horror.
Anyhow, when I'm better again I will d'load the Gamebase for the VIC and get these games then running seamlessly and easily... I have mates at work who grew up with a VIC and the last thing they need is me to go in on Fri 22 Dec (games and party day - yes, it's just like primary school at the council - same petty squabbles, name-calling and fall outs) and struggle to get anything running on me laptop to bring them the Jelly Monsters and Gorf retro rush that they crave! They would probably throw a bowl of trifle over me the minute I started quoting Daz and memory start addresses and PRG files - what the feck? Just git it working, you retro retard etc. Our man oop North sounds a great guy, Paul. I will contact him at some point if only to name drop the great Mac/P. Irvine and thank him for all the time & effort he puts in to keeping these much-loved resources current and accessible.
I also enjoyed catching up with Al there and his excellent GSP acquisition... I'm sorely tempted (once me gob heals) to get one of those cheeky set-ups too - it sounds like the dog's bolly's, Al, esp the remote control jossies, excellent compatibility/customisation and flashing lights (you sold me it on the lights alone!)
OK, must dash - have some snot to sort and some packages to send... ;-)

 

Between your mouth and Paul's arse acrobatics it's a pretty picture on here just now

Andy, I'm going to have a proper play with the GSP this weekend and will get some pictures etc posted. Is there anything in particular you want to see or know about it?

I forgot to mention earlier that I played Warlords and Super Breakout using the built in paddle controller and it felt very responsive. Warlords is fast becoming a favourite of mine.

 

Re-got the Gambase for the Vic, link to it with instructions..

It's only little 320mb

https://mega.nz/file/1oJVlaZZ#J6WHV4EFn_TjLoLycRnVGtjQEvdTxzzrH_leBr-F3qE

Edit: 2 things, after installing and running the frontend will ask to update the database, allow this, it's fine. There however is an error that you get with running the games, the script is slightly out of date and throws up a file reference error, it says you can continue to run it anyway, choose that the game will work. I'll get on to .mad and get the old script back

 

Oh, Al, as regards your GSP review and try-outs etc, anything which looks fab running on the 7800 please - I'm thinking Joust, Xevious, Commando, Pole Position, Desert Falcon, Donkey Kong, Star Wars??

Cheers, mate.

Looking fwd to some high end 8bit console action!

 

I've got Pole Position loaded up already Andy, will pop the others on an SD card over the weekend and see if I can assemble a little video clip for you.

Also just saw that there is a new firmware update released which fixes a few little anomalies and also enables better SD card integration as well as adding Super Nintendo emulation. I'll be trying that out as well.

The more I've been using it, the more impressed I have become with the GSP. The paddle control is very nice, even had a few games of Pong which brought a smile to my face.

 

Blimey Al, posting at 5:45am, do you not sleep

When I worked with Maplin I was up and out before 5 as we lived the opposite side of London to my job. We lived almost in Essex and the shop was west London as was Cindy's work. I don't miss the travel..

Sounds like a nice little machine you have there, enjoy...

 

Sorry, no C64 in my collection yet...

 

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..

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

Nice finds Andy I have Submarine Commander, Jumbo Jet Pilot, Soccer and Computer War. They're all in the hard library cases you mention. The only difference is they are cartridges and not on tape. In fact until I saw your photo's I never even realised you could get them on cassette! River Rescue was one of my favourite games that they published originally which is why I have ended up with a small collection of the Thorn EMI titles now.

 

The Thorn EMI stuff was another one that Maplin brought in bulk AFTER they had already been out for ages, I grabbed a load of them as they were going to go in the bin. Over the years it all went..

 

I've had an 8-track connected to my system since I first set it up. It was in the pictures I posted a few years ago, here it is again below. The light cover for tracks 5&6 fell off and was lost at some point in my move from Texas years ago. I'll probably have to find something I can modify or fabricate to replace all the track light covers now just so they all match. I hate that it's missing. I have one button missing from my CED videodisc player too that bothers the hell out of me, lost in the same move.



This 8-Track is only a player unfortunately (I used to have one that recorded years ago). It powers on/off when a tape is inserted, tape auto plays, and one button is press multiple times to change tracks by pairs of two (as with all 8-track decks), no PAUSE or STOP except by pulling out the tape. No tapes to play currently; some of my tapes were lost in the storage unit I had in Texas that was broken into. I do still have a brief case style and size 8-track holder full of tapes someplace but I have misplaced them and haven't come across where I put them yet...

 

Nice to get those THORN EMI updates, fellas - yeah, came out on cart/ROM and tape but I never saw disk versions, Al. You even had them in at Maplins too, eh, Paul? I can imagine that they didn't exactly fly out the door, saleswise, but they were OK titles for the day. As for Matt and his 8track player(s), he might just get an 8track tape one year in his Xmas box... you never know what weird gear 8BitBaz has lurking around his retro shed... Good luck with some custom covers/face plates, mate. I know what you mean when a part is missing and it really gets your goat...

 

As you know, Al, from time to time there are some very tempting bargains on Marketplace.

Here are just 1-2 to whet yer 7800 whistle - so glad to hear that the output on the beauty is as clean as a whistle too!

This gadger just wants £50, yeah, for the lot. Offer him a fiver for Ballblazer, Al!



https://www.facebook.com/marketplac...wse_serp:2a8a1620-defb-49c2-b4e0-904bf6039ca6

Then there's this one:

Working out at just £7 each these carts, mate, BOXED, plus some P&P - if either of these gadgers will post:


https://www.facebook.com/marketplac...wse_serp:2a8a1620-defb-49c2-b4e0-904bf6039ca6

Keep me ears peeled, me ol muckah - am sure these would boost your collection, matey.

 

Good luck, Al.
I'll bet the Joust version on the 7800 is excellent and to have it boxed just adds to the attraction!
All the best, buddy.

 

Amiga 500's are the absolute worst for yellowing, the number I've seen go almost orange is shocking. My days of trying to retrobrite stuff is over, tried a couple of bits and got mixed results. Just seemed a waste of good money as I had to get UV lighting as we can't trust our sunlight strength here in the UK. As long as the item works I no longer care..

 

That is hilarious! Though I am glad I live somewhere that items can be left in the open and even car and home doors unlocked indefinitely and never have something turn up missing or damaged.

 

And there was no exaggeration on my part, so far the only things that remain on the balcony are an old bar stool type chair and a broom, the rest, got stolen. And yeah, put something you don't want outside the block,and it's gone, usually within an hour. It's just one of those areas. The only things that never get taken are mattresses, obvious reasons for that

 

My balcony is a safe space from intruders. But then again I do live on the 4th floor, so unless Spiderman is on the grab...

No new software this week but I did get the latest Pixel Addict magazine which I have now subscribed to as it's my favourite monthly read. Also got a new book called Curious Video Game Machines, it looks like a fun read about some very curious video game machines

I do have something arriving this week though hopefully, a cool piece of new hardware for use on the Atari. The question is though, which Atari....

 

Damn Paul, great shout!

More to follow....

 

Very nice there Al, you might get some titles that are hard coded for disk that may not work 100% although I'm sure they will use a patched OS to fake most of them. Nice price too, hope you get loads of fun with it.