TI99Kitty

Want! ^_^

Simon, set the Wayback Machine for... Sometime between 1982 and 1984, my mom bought me a TI-99/4A, because my stepdad's brother told her it was a good idea (probably so I'd stop bogarting his to play "TI Invaders" and "Parsec"), and because after the $100 rebate, it was like $50 or $100. I got carts for it whenever we could find them cheap, and six games I got were so I could get the free Speech Synthesizer in the mail. I sold it at a yard sale around 1990, because by then I had a C-64. Around 1988 or '89, a friend that I was staying with took me to Target, to get an NES Action Pack (grey lightgun and SMB/Duck Hunt cart). I paid about $90 for the NES, about $30 for the NES Advantage, and (I think) about $20-$25 for "The Legend of Zelda." My friend bought "Metroid," but later sort of just gave it to me when I moved out, since he didn't have a console to play it on. I sold it at the same yard sale I sold my TI at; not really sure why. Around 1990, I was working at Target, and bought a Commodore 64C, monitor, and 1541-II disk drive on clearance there. Some customer had returned it, saying it didn't work. It was insanely cheap, so I figured I'd take a chance on it. It worked. I had that one for a few years, but I don't recall what happened to it. I do know that I had gotten a Packard Bell PC in late 1993, and I didn't have the C-64 anymore when I got married in 1994. Somewhere in between there, I must have sold it or given it to charity. In late 1999 or early 2000 (it couldn't have been more than a few months after my divorce), I bought a purple Game Boy Color, "Pokémon Yellow" and "Pokémon Pinball," as well as a MadCatz rechargeable battery and a MadCatz screen light, from Wal-Mart. I doubt seriously that the GBC cost more than around $90, as I couldn't have afforded more than that, then. I pawned it a couple of times in 2001, and the last time was the last time, because I couldn't afford to get it back out. >_< In late 2002 or early 2003, I bought a PS one for $49.99 at Alco, for the express purpose of playing "Final Fantasy IX," which I had also bought at Alco, for $19.99. A week or so later, I bought a used copy of "Legend of Legaia" at Gamestop (the only time I bought anything from GS), and later picked up a few other titles here and there. I still have this one, and will be giving it to my son, as I have a 5051 PS console. In 2006, I bought a PlayStation 2 slim at Wal-Mart. I had bought the old PS2 (with the 3.5" bay in the back) from a pawn shop for about $50 when "Neopets: The Darkest Faerie" came out, and later replaced it with another pawn shop PS2 in 2005 when the first one stopped working. When the second one started going bad, I took it to a GameStop (now E.B. Games) near my apartment, with the intention of trading it in. E.B. offered me a $25 trade-in on a refurbished PS2 slim, which sold for $160. I took my PS2 to a pawn shop, pawned it for $35, and bought a brand-new PS2 slim for $129 at Wal-Mart. I still have this one as well, and will give it up when they pry it from my cold, dead fingers. ^_^ I haven't bought any new game consoles since then, but in the past year I've picked up a TI-99/4A, ColecoVision, Intellivision, and most recently a Dreamcast, preferring to focus on the older games I've enjoyed. If I can find a 60Gb PS3 fairly cheap ($100 or less), or a used XBox or XBox 360 (again $100 or less), I may invest in those systems. But, because of various reasons, I refuse to give Micro$haft any of my hard-earned money, and I refuse to give Sony any more of my... etc. Now, if Sega were to make a Dreamcast 2, or if someone (other than M$ or Sony) were to release a ColecoVision 2, I might be standing in line on launch day... ^_~ Fake edit: Wow, this turned out long... O_o

Well, for what it's worth, I put the 9001 up on eBay and I'll be giving my son the PSOne, meaning I'm keeping the 5501. I was lucky, as I found both a PlayStation A/V cable and a power cord at Goodwill (they gouged me on the A/V cable, I feel, but at least this way I'm able to offer a complete system). I decided to bundle the 9001 with the one original controller I have and one of the aftermarket controllers. I suppose if I could throw in a memory card and some games, I would stand a chance of being able to sell it, but I don't have any extras. Oh well. As for the multitap, I did some research and found out that on the PS2, it only works with PS1 games (though there is a PS2 multitap available), and on the PS1, it only works with games that specifically support it -- and none of the few multiplayer games I have support the multitap -- so there's still a chance that it works. I won't know until I get a multitap-compatible PS1 game. Again, oh well.

Unfortunately, I just don't have the room to keep the extras... Right now, two of the PlayStations are stacked on my dining table, on top of a "spare" ColecoVision, and the third is on my couch -- and as of about 45 minutes ago, I have a fourth unit on the way (part of a lot that also includes 2 NES's, an N64, a Dreamcast and 2 Genesises ((Genisii?)) ). I seem to keep accumulating these newer systems, as the consoles are always included in stuff I want... >_<

Well, I'm a bit disappointed. Apparently, only the "A" controller/memory card slot works on the multitap. Either that, or 2-player PS games don't recognize it. I also tried it with the PS2, on "Marvel Ultimate Alliance," but I figure there's a possibility that the PS2 can't use the PS1 multitap. The 9001 console works perfectly, however, as do all the controllers. Are you sure about that? While this console is missing the parallel port, it has a port marked "Serial I/O" on the back. OTOH, while examining the bottom of the case, looking for clues, I also noticed a label that says "REFURBISHED" and "For service, contact your local Sony Service Center, or for the name of your local Sony authorized servicer, call 1-800-342-5721 SCE" Maybe that has something to do with it? Well, I suppose it doesn't matter, as I'm probably going to sell the 9001 console.

As of today, a SCPH 9001 has been added to the mix. It came with a multitap and a gray analog controller I wanted (and three other controllers, but meh). Will ask for recommendations as to which of the older consoles is better, but for now, I need to toddle off to bed...

From Goodwill, for $5.59: Sony PlayStation (SCPH 9001), with a 4-player multitap (Sony) and four gamepads (2 Performance, one gray and one charcoal; 1 standard Sony PS controller; 1 Sony analog w/vibration). Only bought it for the multitap and the analog controller. Console and analog controller work beautifully. "A" slots (memory card & controller) work perfectly. Still need to test the other three slots and the other controllers, but it's bedtime.

I thought this was like a hypothetical thread. Sort of a "What if we could build it better, faster, stronger?" type of thing. That was the spirit in which I posted my ideas, when I replied. I mean, it's fun to think about, but to be honest, I think only serious retro gamers would even be interested in a revamped ColecoVision. Younger gamers probably wouldn't be interested in even playing it, unless it could sport ultra-realistic graphics like their XBox 360's and PS3's. My 14 year old son, for example, has played some of my old games, he plays "Parsec" or "Astrosmash" about 5 or 10 minutes, but he'll play "Kingdom Hearts" or "Marvel Ultimate Alliance" until I tell him it's time to turn it off. (Okay, that's PS2, but I don't have a PS3, and I refuse to give Micro$haft any of my hard-earned money -- If I ever do buy an XBox or a 360, it'll be used, and very cheap. So that's the best he's used to.)

Of course, a 25+ year old game box is not likely to be in mint condition anyway, sticker or no sticker, unless it was never handled after it was originally purchased. Some of my TI and Intellivision boxes almost look like they are brand new, but I would hesitate to say that they are "mint," simply because, while they were obviously well-cared for, they have been handled (and shipped through the mail), and I'm sure they have minor imperfections that are visible under close examination. But then, my collection is for my enjoyment, not for any "value" it might have (other than possibly historic). I prefer for them to have the boxes and manuals, but the joy is in playing the games -- not in whether the box it came in is clean and pristine. I'd rather the packaging look nice, but I think the price stickers make it look more interesting.

I just tested this with "Frogger." It does work, however it takes some getting used to. Occasionally, my frog jumped in the opposite direction from where I was trying to go (usually into a truck). When I tried it with "Haunted House," via the expansion module, rolling the ball produced the footstep noises, but did not actually move my character. However, you can try it with "Millipede," when you get it. The worst that could happen is it won't work.

American ColecoVision console play PAL carts normally -- i.e., you can plug a CBS ColecoVision cart into a CV made for the U.S. and it will play normally (despite what it says on the back of the box, and in the instruction manual). However, I can't speak for NTSC carts on PAL consoles, or whether Atari 2600 carts made for one format will play on a machine of another format. It may be that a PAL Atari cart won't display properly on a NTSC console (or vice versa). I'll also echo the advice about cleaning all the connectors, as it may just be a tarnished connector, either at the cartridge port on the expansion module, or at the connection to the CV's expansion port. Also, if you know someone with a 2600, try your game carts on their machine. It's not likely that all of the carts are bad, but this way you can rule that out. Besides, if you bought them used, it is possible that the person who sold you the carts got rid of them because they didn't work.

It depends. On my newer games (the ones I buy from pawn shops, Half Price books, thrift shops, etc.), I remove the stickers and the sticky tape residue. On my older games (usually purchased through eBay), I leave them on -- if they're the original store stickers. Most of my older game packages are cardboard boxes, and I've learned the hard way that those old stickers being on there for years has often discolored the cardboard underneath. The stickers may look tacky, especially on my TI boxes, where there's four or five of them, showing each level of markdown -- but the discolored spot where the sticker used to be (not to mention the now dried-out tape residue) looks nasty. Besides, as others have said, many of those stickers are from stores that are no longer in business, have been bought out by other companies or changed names. I have boxes with tags from Child World/Children's Palace, KB Toys and Richman Gordman. I also have several boxes that have the remains of strapping tape across the flaps and huge stickers on the back showing they were ordered from "JCPenney Catalog Division." Like others, I feel that the labels add a bit of history to the boxes, especially the ones that show increasingly lower price points (sometimes ending with a hand-written clearance price).

Is that a cheetah-person at around 3:48? If so, I may have to track down a copy of this game! ^_^

Both the VMU and the memory card came with game saves on them -- many of them for games I'm interested in anyway (including a "Crazy Taxi" save on the memory card). I'm currently looking for some of these on eBay, and trying to find them for less than $70 each. "Crazy Taxi" and "Sonic Adventure" (two of the games saved) are in a bundle I'm still waiting for UPS to deliver (along with 4 VMU's of different colors). There's a seller on eBay who sells sheets of CR2032's for less than $4, including s&h, and you get 5 sheets with 5 batteries each. I figure they probably won't last long anyway, but at that price, I can afford to but new batteries in every time I take the VMU out of the controller! Another seller has 100 for $4.90, with $4.50 s&h. I've read complaints that the batteries for the VMU are expensive and hard to find. That may have been true when the DC originally came out, but apparently that's no longer the case. The most expensive I've seen so far has been about $3 (without s&h) for 2 Sony-branded CR2032's, and they seem to be pretty plentiful online. So... new question: What games are most recommended for the Dreamcast? I've already had a recommendation for Sega Bass Fishing 2. I already have (or am expecting to receive soon): Dead or Alive 2 (currently have) NCAA College Football 2K2 (currently have) NFL 2K1 (currently have) WWF Attitude (currently have) Caesars Palace 2000 Crazy Taxi F355 Challenge: Passione Rossa Hydro Thunder Iron Aces Maximum Pool NBA 2K1 NBA 2K2 NFL 2K2 NHL 2K Sega Rally 2: Sega Rally Championship Sega Smashpack Volume 1 Shenmue Sonic Adventure Star Wars Episode I: Racer Tennis 2K2 Test Drive 6 Test Drive Le Mans Virtua Striker 2 Virtua Tennis World Series Baseball 2K2 I'm not really into sports games that much, but a whole bunch of them came with another DC console, with games I wanted ("Crazy Taxi" & "Sonic Adventure"), 2 more controllers and 4 VMU's, for a very reasonable price. So... Any suggestions?

I wonder how much hand size affects controller like/dislike. My wife has small hands, and never had a problem with the original NES controller (just the opposite of my experience and yours). She also likes the lap-sized controllers like the Advantage and the one for the Genesis. But she has a tough time using the INTV and 5200 controllers. Maybe it's the same for a lot of people. I don't know. My cousin's hands are about the same size as mine, but she could play for hours using the NES stock controllers, and couldn't play worth $#!t using the Advantage. But then, I played more arcade games than she did, and was used to arcade controls. Now, I'm used to gamepad-type controls and would probably suck with arcade controls now, too. ^_~ OTOH, the Dreamcast controller could be smaller, and still be comfortable for me. Or maybe the controls should just be lower on the controller's face -- I have to reach for the analog stick and the Y button. The PS/PS2 DualShock controller is just about the perfect size for me -- not so small my hands cramp just from trying to hold it, but small enough where I can reach all the buttons easily.

That's kind of how it was when I got a huge TI-99/4A lot. There was a lot of stuff in there. I spent one day trying to catalogue all of it, based on the pics, so I could compare the actual shipment when it arrived (to make sure I got everything). I don't usually do that, but the sheer amount of stuff I got was just too much for me to keep track of otherwise. Plus, I wound up getting some things the seller forgot to list (again, because there was just so much). But the difference here is that this particular seller listed everything he knew for sure was in the shipment, then added something to the effect of, "and there's probably more that isn't in this listing and the pics, and if I find anything else, I'll throw it in." The one the OP quoted said there was a specific amount of stuff, then declined to say what the stuff actually was. I like it, anyway... ^_^ Hmmm... I thought the thread was about sellers who don't want to tell you what you're getting for that ungodly sum of money? ^_~ BTW, "Your nickname was never 'Ace.' Maybe 'Ace-hole.' " ^_~ (edited for emphasis)

I'm the exact opposite -- I'd rather do any cleaning myself. I believe I'm be much more careful and thorough than someone would be. Maybe that's just me.... I'm the same way. Still, Rik has a point. As an eBay seller, I make sure the stuff I sell is clean before I even list it. I mean, who wants to bid on something that looks like the seller dug it up out of the back yard? I have passed on bidding on items where you can tell in the photos that the items are filthy.

Problem is, they just threw it all together into a plastic bag (including the NBA 2K disc, which had no case, and arrived broken), then dumped it into a giant box full of Styrofoam peanuts. Still, at least everything except the broken disc works. I've been having a lot of fun with DOA2 , which I got complete from Amazon for $3.75 (plus about that much for shipping). ^_^ OT: I've been taking the DC and DOA2 to work with me to play at lunch. A lot of my girlfriends there enjoy playing fighting games, too. The one guy who's brave enough to play against me generally gets his @$$ kicked at DOA2 about half the time. Several other guys just like watching, though (could be because I usually play as Kasumi, and usually with her sailor fuku costume). ^_^

The PlayStation (or PSX) is about the size of a hardbound book, grey, and rectangular. It has both serial and parallel port in the back, separate power and reset buttons on top, vents on the sides and uses a standard power cord. On the lid, it has the PlayStation logo, with the name "PlayStation." The PSOne is a rather thick coaster, about the size and thickness of a couple of DVD cases, with just barely enough room on either side of the lid for a combined power/reset button (to reset, you turn it off and back on) and the eject button. It doesn't have any serial or parallel connection ports, and it has no vents on the sides. And instead of "PlayStation," it says "PS one" on the lid. I had heard complaints that it doesn't play all of the old PSX titles, but it plays all the ones I have. The smaller console (and the lack of connection ports), with its slightly simpler construction, probably made it cheaper to produce, and they cost about $50 brand new. You know, the more I look at the two together, the less I like the look of the PSOne (in comparison, that is). It's kind'a sad, because the little guy has served me so well all these years, but the PSX looks like something out of "Star Wars" (the original), and the PSOne looks more like something out of "Blade Runner." The little one is sitting on top of the big one right now, and it (for some reason) reminds me of a remora on top of a shark... ^_^

Not from an Atari auction, but: That's the entire description. And then the questions start: "Likely?" You mean, you don't know what you're selling? Next question: Hmmm... Starting to sound like a pre-recorded, stock answer, here... Next question (mine): Aaaaah... That seems to have done it. ^_^ But, really, why the reluctance to list the games that are in the lot? I've seen a lot of auctions where the seller either lists a few and adds, "and xx more," or simply says, "auction comes with everything you see in the pics," and includes several grainy, low-res, out-of-focus photos of the lot. When I put a lot up for auction, I list everything that's included and the condition each piece is in. Sure, it's a lot of typing for me, and a lot of reading for the prospective buyer, but I figure someone who's interested will be much more likely to buy if they know exactly what they're getting. Besides, one of the items I listed may be exactly what someone is looking for! Plus, it makes it show up in a search for that item, if the buyer checks the box that says "search titles and descriptions." The only reason not to include something in the description is if you think knowing it's in there will make buyers lose interest. ("What? 6 copies of Pac-Man, 2 of Haunted House, and 4 Gorf's? Forget it!")

I've never really had anything against the Intellivision controllers -- except for the fire buttons. They're small, have sharply-defined edges, and are very stiff. I always had difficulty using them for more than a few minutes (even as a kid, when I used to play games on my younger cousin's console). I've also never had problems with the TI-99/4A's joystick, even though it apparently made #6 on IGN's "Top 10 Worst Game Controllers" (Intellivision's is #4). The only thing is that I always forgot (and still do, in fact) that it's a digital controller, and does not react to how far you shove it over to the side. However, despite all the times my TI controllers made sickening snapping/cracking noises, they held up through at least 5 years of almost daily use and abuse. ColecoVision had a really cool-looking controller, but as others have said, cause hands (or at least thumbs) to cramp. My older younger cousin (she was younger than me, but older than my other cousin, who had the Intellivision) was somehow able to use the stick like an arcade joystick, but I never mastered that. Of course, she also totally kicked my @$$ at maze games on the CV, especially "Mouse Trap," which she seemed to be able to play virtually forever (or at least, until she got bored with it). The only controller I've ever really hated was the NES controller. My cousin who had the ColecoVision married a guy who had an NES (and she proceeded to kick both of our @$$es at Super Mario Brothers on it), and everytime we played games together, my thumbs would get so sore from operating the controller (small buttons, sharp edges; really, my same complaint with Intellivision's fire buttons, but this was the whole controller). Not to mention that it was so tiny it made my hands cramp just trying to hold it. When I bought my own NES, I made sure that I also bought an NES Advantage at the same time. The turbo function was useless to me (it was mostly unusable in "Metroid"), but the full-size arcade-style joystick and buttons made those "Legend of Zelda" and "Metroid" marathons actually playable. ^_^ Edit: Forgot to add that one of the things I liked best about Intellivision's controllers (besides the control disc) was the satisfying "click" the keypad made when you pushed a number. You could tell, by feel and sound, that you had successfully pressed whatever it was you pressed. I wouldn't want a whole keyboard like that, but for a game controller, it was nice (especially on games that might not play a sound effect when you push something).

I use WColEm as my CV emulator -- or, I *did*, before I finally got a working CV. It works just fine for me (at least, in full-screen mode -- in windowed mode, it slows down considerably). The thing is, any existing emulator would have to be rewritten to recognize the actual physical cartridge slot (though I see no reason why support for ROMs on the hard drive could not be kept in), and read from it. Plus, I would also want to have the expansion port, even if just so I could plug in my Expansion Module #1 and play "Haunted House." ^_^

Well, space is pretty tight (*very* small apartment), and I really can't see keeping two copies of what amounts to the same console -- especially since I also have a PS2. Of course, I've had problems with PS2 backwards-compatability disappearing in the past... Plus, getting rid of one of the PS consoles means room for my Dreamcast on my console coffee table. ^_^ I wanted the Intellivision collection because I didn't have an Intellivision console at the time. I won't say that the emulation isn't *accurate*, but the aspect ratio seems off, and the emulation runs a bit faster than the original console, which apparently also makes the sound a bit higher in pitch. I was able to confirm this when I got a real Intellivision console and played "Astrosmash" on it. Therefore, the Intellivision collection is *usually* the disc I use for testing, because if something happens to it I won't be as upset as if it were, say, one of my "Final Fantasy" discs. Eh. Not worth the effort of finding one that I can afford on my budget, as most of the PS* games I want to play, I already have. Besides, most of my retro gaming budget is already going to my TI-99/4A collection, with my Dreamcast getting whatever's left.

As a purely intellectual excerise, I designed a "ColecoVision 2" console (specs and visual design only, I know nothing about creating new hardware). Before I knew much (i.e.: anything) about the Dreamcast, I decided that a CV2 should: · be a next-gen console, fully capable of competing with whatever Sony, Micro$haft and Nintendo might put out in the next couple of years · run on a standard OS (even if it's a modified version); most likely Linux, as it's less prone to crashing than Windows · be fully backwards-compatible with original CV software and hardware (meaning you could use original CV carts and expansion modules, not just emulator ROMs); the console would include a cartridge slot and a front expansion slot for this purpose, and would include adapters to allow the original controllers to be plugged into the controller ports · have ports for 4 standard CV2 controllers · come bundled with 2 CV2 controllers · be about the same size as the original CV, which leaves some room to have a built-in controller "dock" · have retractable cords on the controllers, much like the Recoil controllers I have for my PC (this, along with the controller "dock" would help reduce clutter) · include a handheld console, about the size of a Game Boy, that docks with the main console, and provides an extra screen for games that are capable of using it (think instrument panel for simulators, etc.); when separated from the main console, it would function as an independent handheld, for a playing your games when you're away from your console, and would store games and save data on an SDHC or standard SD card · allow for online play (see the first point) and network connectivity · include at *least* two USB ports and at *least* one SDHC card slot (probably built into the detachable handheld unit) I was thinking at least a quad-core processor, 3d accelerator card, and at least 5.1 surround-capable sound card, with an at least 200GB hard drive and at least 1GB of RAM (both of which would be easily upgraded/replaced by the end user). Some games would be downloadable to the handheld unit, for remote play (with fewer features, of course). Video output would be composite/component, with the options for s-video or HDMI (s-video and HDMI cables would, of course, be sold separately). Games could be played from CD or DVD (or Blu-Ray as well, if Sony isn't too greedy over the license fees), as well as CV carts or SD/SDHC cards (having games on SDHC cards might help make up for lack of Blu-Ray support, and would make it easier to play games on the handheld unit). Separate expansion units would allow for playing Atari 2600 carts, TI-99/4a carts, Intellivision carts, or games for any system we could get permission to emulate. The console itself would be capable of functioning as a PC, and therefore capable of emulation, and would have a keyboard/mouse/printer/etc. (all sold separately, of course). This was all before I knew anything about the Dreamcast. After learning about the DC (when I was planning to buy one), I decided I liked the idea of the handheld unit docking with the controller better than docking with the console, as this allows each player to have their own mini-screen, and their own save game slots. I'd make the handhelds a bit bigger than Sega's VMU, though. And to save space on the controller, to allow for a bigger handheld unit, the rumble feature would be built into the handheld. (If an agreement with Sega could be reached, the console would also be capable of playing Dreamcast, Saturn, Genesis, etc., games out of the box. The console could then be called the ColecoVision Dreamcast (as opposed to the Sega Dreamcast, see?), or CV Dreamcast for short.) Fake edit: Better idea -- the controller cords would retract into the *console*, rather than the controllers. Each controller itself would be handheld game unit with a port for the console to plug into. Think of a handheld, about the size of a DC controller, but with a bigger screen. The console would still come bundled with two controllers, and additional controllers would retail for about the same as a current gen handheld from Sony or Nintendo. Games for the handheld would be available on SDHC cards, or for download through the CV2 console. Real edit: for spelling/punctuation errors.

So... A few months ago, I bought a PlayStation (model SCPH-5501) console on eBay, because I wanted the "A Collection of Classic Games From the Intellivision" disc it came with. I already had a PS One, which I had bought around 2003-'04, which still works just fine. The new-to-me older console had no power cord or A/V cable, so I couldn't test it before I put it up on eBay; naturally, since I don't have anything else bundled with it, it hasn't sold. HOWEVER... When I got my Dreamcast yesterday, I used the power cord from the DC and the A/V cable from my PS One (or maybe it's the one from my PS2) to test the older model console, and it works *beautifully*. Hence, my question, which would be better to keep: the older console, or the newer one? For the older system, the pros are: Separate power and reset buttons, serial and parallel ports, looks like it has better ventilation (actually *has* vents), cool retro look. Cons: Bigger "footprint" on my coffee table, color doesn't match the DualShock controller I have, don't know how much longer it will remain operable, and are the serial and parallel ports even *used* for anything. For the newer system, pros: Smaller "footprint," leaving room for more consoles/accessories, it's newer and I know how much it's been used and how it's been treated (so it may last longer), color matches the DualShock controller (because the controller came with it). Cons: No reset button (I know the power button is marked as being both, but you reset by turning the console off and back on again), quality control on newer versions of the console are an unknown to me (so it may not last as long), not as "cool" looking as the older console, appears to have poor ventilation (only has vents on the bottom, and those look like they're covered by the RF shielding). So, which would *you* keep, if you were only going to keep one, and why?