the.golden.ax Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 There will be no more Jr. Pac-Man carts made. I apologize greatly. Bob Never? Bob, if everyone knows and doesn't care you should let go. Take your time to perfect it if you want, sure. I have a CC2, I still want one even if it has some flaw (I have 22, 7800 consoles right now, I'd be happy to test the cart on every one of them. I'd bet its one of those systems that doesn't work with any of Alberts 2600 homebrews (my first one was like that). I guess my point is though, that just because something might happen later on you shouldn't (you can... but you shouldn't) hide your work from the world... I mean look at Mission Impossible... this isn't anything like that, and that was sold in stores. If it's a matter of time, that's okay... if it's a matter of never, I hope you will reconsider. We all have to accept that life isn't 100% perfect. Your games are better than most of what Atari cranked out back in the day. Minor flaws and all. If no more are really to be made, I'll offer $50 to anyone who doesn't want their copy (and plans to return it), as long as Bob isn't upset with me for doing so. I'd rather pay you for one Bob... sure I can play the rom all day long (and have) but I want this for my collection... Thanks, AX Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Godzilla Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 don't know if i said this already, but id take two. is it coming to the atariage store? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mayhem Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 Yeah I have to agree with the general sentiment; I'd still like my cartridge whether it might glitch a little or not. I've got two 7800s here, I'm sure it would work fine on at least one of them... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdeptRapier Posted May 8, 2009 Share Posted May 8, 2009 Why doesn't the person who has the non performing 7800 send it to one of the 7800 gurus in exchange for a working unit? Said guru can then examine the 7800 and report back their findings to the 7800 homebrewing community. Then "we" (the community) can come up with a fix for the problem and get on releasing new games for everybody to enjoy. I don't see this situation as a major problem. We're bound to have problems running new stuff on these good ole girls at some time or other . Hello! Being "The Person who has the non performing 7800" I am going to send it to Al as soon as I get a working 7800 so I have one to use. I have purchased another 7800 off of Ebay and hopefully when it arrives it will work with the Homebrews. Thanks! AdeptRapier Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdeptRapier Posted May 8, 2009 Share Posted May 8, 2009 HOLD ON!!!! Unfortunately I have to stop making these carts, as there apparently is some issue with the extra RAM memory on some consoles. Everyone who has paid this far has been sent out a cart. PLEASE check your carts when you get them, and let me know if you see a similar issue to this: If you do, please send the cart back to me and I will refund the money. BTW, I tested EVERY ONE of these before they went out and this didn't happen to me. I have to stop, as I cannot take the chance of something like this getting out again. There will be no more Jr. Pac-Man carts made. I apologize greatly. Bob What is the "Glitch", I cannot see the screenshot very clearly? Thanks!! AdeptRapier Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GroovyBee Posted May 8, 2009 Share Posted May 8, 2009 (edited) Being "The Person who has the non performing 7800" I am going to send it to Al as soon as I get a working 7800 so I have one to use. Ummmm! OK! I meant the person who tried the Pacman cart in their machine and then pointed out the hardware fault to PacManPlus. I know you've had problems with homebrews from another thread and I wasn't blaming you for anything . Edited May 8, 2009 by GroovyBee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emehr Posted May 8, 2009 Share Posted May 8, 2009 Being "The Person who has the non performing 7800" I am going to send it to Al as soon as I get a working 7800 so I have one to use. Ummmm! OK! I meant the person who tried the Pacman cart in their machine and then pointed out the hardware fault out to PacManPlus. I know you've had problems with homebrews from another thread and I wasn't blaming you for anything . That would be me! Yeah, that's a possibility. Even though I have a sentimental attachment to my 7800 (who doesn't!) I would gladly send it to someone who may be able to make heads or tails out of the situation. If we can verify that my 7800 shows the Jr. Pac glitch, we may be onto something! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GroovyBee Posted May 8, 2009 Share Posted May 8, 2009 Although the screen shot is fuzzy I take it that the glitch is the missing blocks in the right hand wall? @Emehr Any chance you can take a picture of the game directly infont of the TV when its paused? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PacManPlus Posted May 8, 2009 Author Share Posted May 8, 2009 Hello all: Yes, the glitch is the missing blocks in the right hand wall, which affects game play. (If one of the monsters go out that 'hole', the game can very well be over at that point as it is entering memory not meant for sprites). This is not the first time I heard of this. Another AA member had this issue, and being that I had never seen it before, chalked it up to a bad RAM chip (which he replaced, and the game ended up working). So I didn't think anything of it. But now the one Mitch has has the same issue. Two other people (Shawn Sr. being one of them) did not have this issue. That's a 50% failure rate. Not good. That's the reason I panicked. I don't want to take anyone's money and have a sub-par product out there. What I can do, however, is wait and see how many more people come up with this issue. If it ends up being just Mitch and jweirer, I will continue selling the carts. If I continue to get this kind of failure, I will hold off until further notice. I truly am sorry about this. Really. I had a bad day at work today and this just made my day worse. BTW, GroovyBee, I shudder every time I see your Avatar. I have a bad phobia of Bees/Wasps/Hornets, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GroovyBee Posted May 8, 2009 Share Posted May 8, 2009 Yes, the glitch is the missing blocks in the right hand wall, which affects game play. (If one of the monsters go out that 'hole', the game can very well be over at that point as it is entering memory not meant for sprites). Bit of game killer that . Maybe you can add code to the ghost movement logic so they don't wander off the playfield? This is not the first time I heard of this. Another AA member had this issue, and being that I had never seen it before, chalked it up to a bad RAM chip (which he replaced, and the game ended up working). So I didn't think anything of it. But now the one Mitch has has the same issue. Two other people (Shawn Sr. being one of them) did not have this issue. That's a 50% failure rate. Not good. Maybe you need to make a "burn in" RAM test? Develop some code that writes a known pattern to the RAM and reads it back, then displays a tally of how many times its done it. Leave it running for some hours. Put the 7800 in a box with a low watt light bulb (<40W) to exaggerate/stress the problem and keep an eye on it for fire safety reasons. If you think its a MARIA speed/access time issue then you could have a DL entry that moves through the RAM. I'm assuming that its a failure to pick up character data? Access time shouldn't be an issue in that case because I'm pretty sure MARIA "slows down" to access the character data because its expected to be in ROM. Maybe build the RAM test into the game code if there is space. That way people receiving future versions can confirm the problem (if it exists), before shipping it back. That's the reason I panicked. I don't want to take anyone's money and have a sub-par product out there. Thats understandable. However everybody is excited that a new game is coming to their system (not much homebrew love goes to the 7800 ). Some teething troubles are to be expected given the limited audience, age of systems and how those systems have been stored. I don't think its going to do your reputation any harm. What I can do, however, is wait and see how many more people come up with this issue. If it ends up being just Mitch and jweirer, I will continue selling the carts. If I continue to get this kind of failure, I will hold off until further notice. Yep! Sounds like a plan. BTW, GroovyBee, I shudder every time I see your Avatar. I have a bad phobia of Bees/Wasps/Hornets, etc. I keep bees, so I'm biased in their favour . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickybaby Posted May 8, 2009 Share Posted May 8, 2009 I keep bees, so I'm biased in their favour . I am deathly allergic to bees, wasps, spiders, scorpions, etc. However my Uncle kept bees. It's a dying art. I would really be interested in a good size chunk of comb with a good amount of honey. It'd be perfect for my tea because there is nothing like fresh honey especially since it's like wildfower honey and each batch can be unique flavored depending on what they find. Drop me a PM if you could send me some and how much pretty please. It also reminds me that I have to call my Dr for an Epi-pen and a medrol/prednisolone dose pack. There have been some really weird very dark colored small bee like things flying around my yard trying to make a nest somewhere. If you know what they could be Groovybee it'd rock. No pics as I am not getting close enough to take one. Sorry to hijack the thread for a moment. As soon as I can get my stupid 7800 to work, I'll check my cart as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazy Climber Posted May 8, 2009 Share Posted May 8, 2009 There will be no more Jr. Pac-Man carts made. I apologize greatly. Bob I understand man, things happen. If they are available again someday I will be back in line Thanks for the update Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwierer Posted May 8, 2009 Share Posted May 8, 2009 HOLD ON!!!! Unfortunately I have to stop making these carts, as there apparently is some issue with the extra RAM memory on some consoles. Everyone who has paid this far has been sent out a cart. PLEASE check your carts when you get them, and let me know if you see a similar issue to this: If you do, please send the cart back to me and I will refund the money. BTW, I tested EVERY ONE of these before they went out and this didn't happen to me. I have to stop, as I cannot take the chance of something like this getting out again. There will be no more Jr. Pac-Man carts made. I apologize greatly. Bob I came across this when I made my own cart. Basically it would come up every time I cold-booted my 7800 and was instantly corrected if I hit reset. I finally tried different ram and this went away so I think it might be related to the ram on the cart vs. the 7800 though some might more sensitive than others. -Jeff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emehr Posted May 8, 2009 Share Posted May 8, 2009 @Emehr Any chance you can take a picture of the game directly infont of the TV when its paused? I don't have Jr. Pac (so I guess it wasn't me you were talking about earlier!). I'm on the next wave, though (hopefully!). My 7800 issues are with Pac-Man Collection and I was curious if my 7800 would have the same issues with Jr. too. Sounds like a RAM issue, though. Sorry to hear about your bad day, Bob. I know something like this can be disheartening. Especially with such an overwhelming number of people on your list! I'll be more than happy to wait as long as it takes. No sweat! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GroovyBee Posted May 8, 2009 Share Posted May 8, 2009 I don't have Jr. Pac (so I guess it wasn't me you were talking about earlier!). I'm on the next wave, though (hopefully!). My 7800 issues are with Pac-Man Collection and I was curious if my 7800 would have the same issues with Jr. too. Sounds like a RAM issue, though. Arrrgggggghhh!!! Confusion! Too many people with too many dodgy 7800s! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadow460 Posted May 8, 2009 Share Posted May 8, 2009 I'm allergic to bees also. Ah well. I am still willing to pay the $30 and shipping for a cart even if this bug is not corrected. IMO, it's still a full release. I've paid more for some games that weren't ever finished. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hhwolfman Posted May 8, 2009 Share Posted May 8, 2009 I'm allergic to bees also. Ah well. I am still willing to pay the $30 and shipping for a cart even if this bug is not corrected. IMO, it's still a full release. I've paid more for some games that weren't ever finished. Yeah Me too. Fork it over BUB. OMG To much Wolverine as of late. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FireTiger Posted May 8, 2009 Share Posted May 8, 2009 So who has theirs sent? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mord Posted May 8, 2009 Share Posted May 8, 2009 (edited) Hello all: Yes, the glitch is the missing blocks in the right hand wall, which affects game play. (If one of the monsters go out that 'hole', the game can very well be over at that point as it is entering memory not meant for sprites). So you're saying the ghosts are nastier in this version that the original. I give the little buggers props for finding a more efficient way to kill pacman tho. It's about as evil as the way Raki crashes the game on players in Ar Tonelico 2 with one of her attacks. Not that it saved her. On a more serious note, I'm in the "Doesn't matter to me" group regarding it. If it affects only a certain model, just means those of us that end up with such a model will actively look for a mod to fix the incompatibility, or look into getting a new console that doesn't share the problem. So in case the wait list resumes, keep me on the list. I'm patient for stuff like this. *edit* Additionally, the idea of the ghosts causing bugs in the data make me think of .hack for some reason. Edited May 8, 2009 by Mord Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PacManPlus Posted May 8, 2009 Author Share Posted May 8, 2009 (edited) So who has theirs sent? Everyone who has paid as of this date has had their cart sent out. I'm going to try and pick up another 7800 somehow (the one I have has it's top cover missing anyway), to see if I can have the issue happen to me. BTW, the one I am using is the one with the expansion port on the side (the '84 version). The carts work fine for me on that one. Thanks, Bob Edited May 8, 2009 by PacManPlus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FireTiger Posted May 8, 2009 Share Posted May 8, 2009 (edited) Received, works perfectly even after being in 90 degree weather all day. Mine is also the one with the expansion port on the side (the '84 version). It works with every cart that fits in it. ALSO it on my 7800 backups- they are both 85 year units (I think) with on cutout or bevel for the expansion port. Edited May 8, 2009 by FireTiger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PacManPlus Posted May 8, 2009 Author Share Posted May 8, 2009 This sounds promising. Thanks for the update. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PacManPlus Posted May 8, 2009 Author Share Posted May 8, 2009 (edited) Hello All: Ok: I went digging through my parts, and I found a 7800 console (board only) that didn’t have the expansion port. I tested the last 7 carts I had from this batch, and sure enough I got three that showed the bug. I then took those three and put them back into my ’84 model, and they worked fine. I'm guessing this is a timing thing? I'm going to see if I can 'program' a way around it, now that I can test for it. Hopefully a majority of the people that have them have the '84 version and those that don't have a working cart. I will be selling the rest of the list to those of you that still want it, after I play around with this a little. Thanks, Bob ***NOTE*** By the way, I found out that once you hit RESET, this all goes away. It's only the first game you start after powering the unit on that this happens on. Edited May 8, 2009 by PacManPlus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dauber Posted May 8, 2009 Share Posted May 8, 2009 (edited) Eep...okay, I have one that does not have any sign that an expansion port ever existed...got the cartridge today, will probably test it tomorrow morning....but thanks for the warning and hints! Seriously, if the bug is in mine but it's playable, I really want to keep this. You worked too hard to have to refund my money. (Plus, I'm sure I'd be able to find another 7800 for cheap that would play it!) Edited May 8, 2009 by Dauber Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mayhem Posted May 8, 2009 Share Posted May 8, 2009 My NTSC 7800 has the port so I should be okay down the line... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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