[AtariAge + Atari Q&A]

On 9/11/2023 at 7:38 PM, Albert said:

No, I hate doing that.  They've been on the site like that for over 20 years, they've already been copied ad nauseam, why change that now?  And I'd love to replace many of the images with higher-resolution scans, and replace poor images with higher-quality images.

 

 ..Al

I'm plodding through scanning Atari 5200 manuals at 1200dpi before heading back to Atari 2600 manuals.  Any thoughts on hosting 3rd party titles (like Activision, Imagic, etc.)? Or will those remain just html/text files to remain "safe" due to the new ownership's legal department?

[AtariAge + Atari Q&A]

<at the next quarterly Atari meeting>
"...to capitalize on consumer and investor interest in Artificial Intelligence, we have purchased the AI that runs AtariAge.  This acquisition will herald in a new age of customer relations for our product."
<TrogdarRobusto raises hand>
"ummm.. don't you mean 'AL', short for 'Albert'.. not AI?"

<corporate finance guy looks at screen>
"Sonofa.. what font is this?"

 

[AtariAge + Atari Q&A]

Since actual Atari people are in here.. I've got a project where I've been scanning manuals and I'm wondering on your stance for hosting them going forward.  Would you be limited to Atari-owned or open to 3rd party as well? And who would need approval?  Is this unnecessary as Atari might now free up and post their original pdfs?  Or if those have been lost to time, should I focus more on the Atari side of my project?

 

http://atari7800.videogamemanual.com/

(green & blue links)

 

https://archive.org/details/kirklands_manual_labor_-_atari_2600_-_atari_corp_international_-_4k_version/3-D Tic-Tac-Toe (Atari) [international]/

 

 

 

[Odyssey 2 manual scans]

See, this is what happens when I get sidetracked with other projects

I'd made some progress on editing the last few, but cleaning up that Computer World manual to my standards was taking enough time I wandered over to finish up some other sets (just a complete SNES and complete PS2, so not like it was a big deal)..

I've got good scans of the Conquest of the World and Quest for the Rings- just need to dig up which drive has them on.  Don't need another case of the "Peebs" on this set.

[Odyssey 2 manual scans]

Is this the right page order?  Filenames were a smidge goofy

Atlantis.pdf

[Odyssey 2 manual scans]

Those are some impressive scans- thank-you, sir..

Now to find some time to work on things again ?

[Odyssey 2 manual scans]

On 9/29/2021 at 9:13 PM, metarog said:

Which ones are still needed? I e got a new scanner now. 

Atlantis should be it.  Got sidetracked with a Super Nintendo project…

[Atari Corp international multilanguage manuals]

2 hours ago, Ballblaɀer said:

Here are some not-great photos of Human Cannonball and Home Run -- they do exist.

 

 

 

I have a lead on a second Flag Capture manual. If I can acquire it, I'll loan one to be scanned. Failing that, I need to either repair or replace my scanner. One of these days...

I saw Human Cannonball pop up in Germany on ebay last summer(?), but by the time I got home to check my list for sure it had already sold ?

And if you weren't 18 hours away, I'd have tucked my scanner under my arm and showed up on your doorstep for a scan of Flag Capture and that New Zealand color 3d-Tic-Tac-Toe by now.  I saw one of those 3d-Tic-Tac-Toe for sale earlier this spring, but it was only for sale to fellow New Zealanders on their trading site ? You'd think there would be some Europeans out there with scanners..

[Atari Corp international multilanguage manuals]

12 hours ago, roadrunner said:

Those are nice manuals. Thick too.
Don't forget about the black and white versions.




 

Oh, but I'm trying to

The goal (hahahah) is to scan the "best" version available of every release variation.  I'm trying not to get scary like Philflound with the variations, but I'd like to have a representation of each style as they appeared- so like for Space Invaders I'd like the old black versions- one with Taito Copyright, one without (don't need all 4), same for the 5x7 Whites (w/ and wo/ Taito), then the 1986(?) Corporate re-issue, the B&W re-issue, and the color International.  Now like Solaris has 4 printings, but they are all the "same", just with year variations.  Really only need 1 of those.

For Ms. Pacman, will do the regular and fancy font gray ones, one of the B&W re-issues (1988 vs 1987), the international with the Atari 2600 and without the Atari 2600, and the B&W international.  Somewhat related, was there ever a Corporate variation on that one? I don't think there was- just B&W copies of the gray versions.

 

Here's the next set I'll put up for public consumption- which "later Atari Corporate" variations am I missing..

I also have a Basketball and Missile Command (haven't gotten to scanning yet)- still physically missing the B&W Crystal Castles, Moon Patrol, and Realsports Volleyball.  The RealSports Volleyball makes me feel like there are more...

[Atari Corp international multilanguage manuals]

Let's see if this breaks anything...

[Atari Corp international multilanguage manuals]

Ok, so calling on the best and brightest here to verify/deny if the following Atari corporate manuals exists in multi-language form:

[Bold I'm pretty sure.. but a 2nd set of eyes is greatly appreciated]

 

Atari Video Cube: No

Basic Math: No?

Blackjack: No?

BMX Air Master: No

A Game of Concentration: No?

Crazy Climber: No

Crossbow: No

Dark Chambers: No

Defender II: No

Desert Falcon: No

Donkey Kong/Donkey Kong Jr.  [see CBS]

Double Dunk: No

Fatal Run: No

Flag Capture: YES (need scan)

Football: No?

Fun With Numbers: No?

Gravitar: No

Gremlins: No

Home Run: yes(?) (need scan)

Human Cannonball: yes(?) (need scan)

Hunt & Score: No?

Ikari Warriors: No

Jr. Pac-Man: No

Klax: No

Krull: No

Midnight Magic: No

MotoRodeo: No

Mouse Trap: [see CBS]

Off the Wall: No

Oscar's Trash Race: no?

Othello: YES (need scan)

Pengo: No

Q-Bert: [see Parker Bros.]

Quadrun: No

Radar Lock: No

RealSports Boxing: No?

RealSports Football [not Soccer]: yes(?)- coming in mail

Road Runner: No

Rubik's Cube: No

Secret Quest: No

Sentinel: No

Slot Machine: No?

Solaris: No

Sprint Master: No

Stargate: No

Star Ship: No?

Super Baseball: No

Super Football: No

Swordquest: Waterworld: No

Taz: No

Track & Field: No

Xenophobe: No

Venture: [see CBS]

[Atari 7800 manuals..]

A quickee tonight.

Centipede (USA).pdf

[Atari 7800 manuals..]

Impossibull Mission.

Page 12 took a little longer than expected.  Turned out ok, though ?

Impossible Mission (USA).pdf

[Atari 7800 manuals..]

Ok, so I've sidetracked waaaaay too much with Impossibullsh*t Mission, back to our regularly scheduled programming..

BasketBrawl (USA).pdf

[Atari 7800 manuals..]

11 hours ago, Trebor said:

One of the graphical enhanced versions of the game is being viewed on YouTube.   

Sprites and colors have been modified and/or swapped.

After two weeks of playing the game just to get 3 puzzle piece sprites (which I still don't have), it probably would have been quicker to learn Atari 7800 ROM hacking ?

Amazing what we can (and can't) do with old games these days.

[Atari 7800 manuals..]

Ok, so I am at a complete loss here.  So I mapped out a good chunk of the NTSC version, then I mapped out almost all of the PAL version, now I've mapped out the "Possible Mission" version, and while grumbling that I suck at the game and cheats don't work on MAME- I finally take a good look at the above videos and the map screens are not even close to alike.  In the ROM dumps I've been using in MAME, the buttons are all red and the "color" buttons are just circles of red, yellow, and green.  In the videos posted to youtube, the buttons are blue and the "color" buttons look like actual buttons and are blue, yellow, and green.  What is going on here??!!?

[Atari 7800 manuals..]

Ahahaha.  Played through the PAL version and those pieces from the manual aren't even in it.  Sumbitch.

[Atari 7800 manuals..]

Well, this has turned into a slight side mission

Still haven't gotten the pieces, but I have managed to map out a little bit of the PAL rom via MAME.  Oddly my first launch/initial load map doesn't match the one on the internet.  Thought
I'd share what I have so far...

[Atari 7800 manuals..]

On 8/11/2021 at 6:13 AM, Trebor said:

 

 

4:14  = 

 

4:44 = 

 

 

 

2 out of 3 ain't bad.

 

Between the above linked Part 3 - and here is Part 4..

 

 

..that 'should' provide all pieces.

Thanks- I should be able to cobble something together from this

 

[Atari 7800 manuals..]

Well, after 2 nights of playing Impossible Mission, I still haven't found the puzzle pieces on page 12 of the manual ? Beginning to think they are the ones that make it Impossible... (Any idea if the PAL version has them?)

[Atari 7800 manuals..]

16 hours ago, Trebor said:

Hey Kirkland..  just wanted to make mention that I think it is really cool that you're doing these colorized manuals. 

Couple with the colorized cart labels, it makes for a great substitution or replacement set of the originals.

Thank you!

You are welcome!

And on to tonight's..

Scrapyard Dog (USA).pdf

[Atari 7800 manuals..]

A quick Galaga before bed.

Galaga (USA).pdf

[Atari 7800 manuals..]

Uno mas.

Double tap and then move the joystick?  How are you supposed to play this without reading the manual??

Ace of Aces (USA).pdf

[Atari 7800 manuals..]

You wouldn't think it would take so long just just edit a corner of box art.

Fun game for capturing screenshots, though...

Dark Chambers (USA).pdf

[Atari 7800 manuals..]

And this cleans out everything I had in the pipeline.

I'm pretty proud of how Donkey Kong and especially Donkey Kong Junior turned out.  Gives me a foundation for when I attack the same-era 2600 manuals to bring those 28(!?) up to speed.

My only ask is that these don't just end up on Emumovies- them slapping their watermark on *my* hours upon hours of work is a slap in the face.

Tower Toppler (USA).pdf Robotron- 2084 (USA).pdf Donkey Kong Junior (USA).pdf