voiddweller

Hey, Let me know when you're done. I'd love to know the total cost and time invested. Thanks, - VD

-^Cro§Bow^- Following your timeline would lead me to believe that Atari went from the big stripe (mucho $$$) to black and white graphics that really sucked during the switch to home computing. This also explains the original text labels used when the VCS was just getting started. Atari didn't have enough money for fancy-schmancy graphics, so they just used plain ol' text! Thanks for the edumucation lesson - VD

Hi, Is it me or can everyone play one game of Demon Attack for hours without ever loosing a turn? - VD

Hi, If you are looking for a family game, Warlords can't be beat - VD

Good topic! For me, it would be Megamania, Super Breakout (Progressive, of course), and Kaboom. Honorable mention goes to River Raid! - VD

Interesting theory On later titles (like Mario Bros) , why do you think they got rid of the band completely? - VD

Hi, Are you sure about that? I have the box from my 1982 SuperBreakout, and it is definitely the larger band. Going with the logic that Super Breakout was packaged with the 5200 and was probably one of the first games produced, wouldn't it also be the first type of box? Thanks, - VD

Too funny! - VD

Hi, I just finished calibrating my Joystick ports with the loopback adapter and now I want to get all the colours just right using the diagnostic software provided on Sean Kelly's Multicart. Unfortunately, I have no idea what the right setting is for the pot. I can eyeball it, but that means I have to use my memory to get the colours right. Using my memory = BAD! Thanks, - VD

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...item=1396577942 No it's not me, but I had to check my living room to make sure my system was still there I haven't seen stuff in this great condition (on Ebay) in a while. I can't believe it didn't sell for more. - VD

Hi, I'll bet it could have been perfect, but the original Pac-Man had probably lost much if it's public appeal by the time the 7800 was introduced. I'll bet the Atari marketing guys didn't think they could sell very many with Ms.Pac-Man being so popular... - VD

Wow! This is the first I have heard of a PAL 5200. - VD

I was able to rotate the pieces on the Wico and it helped a little bit. Thanks Mitch! The Wico never seemed to center exactly right, even with the X-Axis slider all the way to the left position. This has been a known issue for years on many Wicos, so I figured this would be a good opportunity to adjust the controller port. After talking to Mitch, I used the 5200 loopback board ($15 from Best-Software) and started the latest Atari diagnostic program from Sean Kelly's multicart. I found a setting of "93" did the trick with the Wico. The great news is that all the games I played worked great. Just like when the controller was new. The bad news is that the setting needs to go back to "112" if you decide to use the standard controllers again (which most people won't if they have a Wico..well... unless you're me, but I'm not most people ) I'm thinking that the setting will vary depending on the condition of certain electronic components in each Wico. Further testing with my newly repaired trakball showed no ill effects by having the "93" setting for the controller port. Centipede and Missile Command were great! On a side note, I tested the loopback board against my 5200 controllers and the controllers were off by 8 - 10 degrees (or whatever the measurement is) when fully centered. A very slight counter-clockwise adjustment put the controllers in the "fully centered" position. I hope this helps someone. Thanks! - VD

I received the new bearing from Best-Software. I put the old one in a vise and gently (well...at first it was gently) tapped out the pin with the flat end of a screw of the same diameter. I put some wood in the vise and gently tapped the pin back in while the bearing was jammed in the wood, preventing damage to the surface. The operation was a success and I am fully enjoying Centipede and Missile Command again!!! - VD

I seem to recall the winter holiday of 1982, but my memory is not what it used to be - VD

Looks like a great idea! Too bad all of the titles are not listed in the Ad... - VD

Countermeasure! I forgot about that one. It's really easy to guess the codes I didn't know about the Lucas Arts game and Pac-Man intermissions. Good info! - VD

The only 5200 exclusive game that I can remember is Space Dungeon, but I thought their may have been one or two others... - VD

Thank you for the replies! I believe I have a better understanding of how the Rarity Guide is being used and how to make suggestions for changes. Thanks again! - VD

I LOVE it!!! - VD

Can you post a pic of your favourite stick? - VD

Hi, Thanks for the replies. I'm still very new to this scene, so please bear with me for a few moments I have been watching auctions on EBay and Yahoo!, while looking at the Rarity Guide. I was hoping to make associations between price and availability to help with buying, selling, and trading transactions. In some cases there is a direct correlation, in others, there is not. I knew this from the beginning, as most auctions and trades are dictated by the wants and desires of the people bidding/trading (infinite variables), but I've noticed a disparity in the guide. This is only a recent observation, but there appears to be a resurgence of interest in the 7800 ProSystem and games. Based on some Ebay samples, the console and standard versions of the NIB games: Rampage, Commando, and Tank Command are fetching prices that seem higher than the Rarity Rating may suggest. This made me think that I may be interpreting the Guide differently than it was intended or it may be out of date. This led to a few questions: 1. If something appears more rare to me and (may or may not) appear rare to other collectors and enthusiasts, what is the proper forum to discuss observations and see if a change in Rarity is warranted? 2. What specific critera is used to make adjustments? Observations in discussion threads, etc...? 3. In what way should the ratings be viewed by collectors and enthusiasts when looking to buy, sell, or trade items? Thanks, - VD

Alex??? Albert???

Nope, you're not And mine doesn't even have the "*" in the serial number. - VD

Agreed! - VD