Curious about the XE

[Dastari Creel]

4.) My understanding is that the 5200 used a lot of the same hardware as the 8-bit computer line but the games are not cross compatible. Has anyone ever made a mod to make 5200 games playable in the 8-bit computers?

Like Rybags said, there is no need to make any mod, as the game code itself can be modified to work on the XL/XEs. Additionally, 99% of all 5200 games have already been fixed to work on the XL/XEs.

 

Do you mean that there is a hardware "fix" that can be applied with the cartridges to work with the Atari 8-bit computers or that they've been converted to a disc acceptable by the Atari 8-bit line. I'm just curious about the nature of this fix.

 

I may end up getting an Atari 8-bit and it would be nice if I could play 5200-only games (like Adventure 2) on it.

[Cebus Capucinis]

Well, for those definite 5200 exclusives, you're going to have to have the physical hardware anyway, as nothing can really replicate that "true" feeling of playing it on its intended platform.

[frogstar_robot]

Do you mean that there is a hardware "fix" that can be applied with the cartridges to work with the Atari 8-bit computers or that they've been converted to a disc acceptable by the Atari 8-bit line. I'm just curious about the nature of this fix.

 

 

Such a "fix" is fairly formidable. The two cart slots share many but not all signals and not in the same physical locations. I'm not even sure if a "hardware remapping dongle" could be done even if you employed the ECI/PBI slot (which an unmodded XEGS lacks BTW). That done, the 5200 mapped the A8 chipset into different locations in memory so you'd need some really impressive glue logic to remap the hardware addresses on the fly, just remapping the cartridge pins wouldn't do it plus the 5200 had it's own OS ROM. Finally, the 5200 primarily employed an analog stick that used the paddle controller hardware as axes while A8 games primarily employ the same digital joysticks that a 2600 uses. Even if you could make some sort of "cart port remapping adapter" work, the controller issue would just kill you. As other posts have mentioned, most 5200 titles have been ported to the 400/800/XL/XE (we commonly call the line of computers "A8").

 

I may end up getting an Atari 8-bit and it would be nice if I could play 5200-only games (like Adventure 2) on it.

 

 

Unfortunately, Adventure 2 sticks out as the one highly desirable title that has never been ported to the A8 and since the author is a member here and highly respected it won't happen unless his wishes on the subject change. Happily, all other 5200 titles were either converted from the A8 in the first place or ported to the A8. Many of these 5200-to-A8 ports are here:

 

http://www.atarimani...cence=1&step=25

 

Apart from three or so titles that exploited the analog control well, you don't lose anything in the conversion. 5200 Star Raiders had proportional turning speed for instance but that ability wasn't commonly enough used on the 5200 to make it a huge selling point for me.

[+MrFish]

4.) My understanding is that the 5200 used a lot of the same hardware as the 8-bit computer line but the games are not cross compatible. Has anyone ever made a mod to make 5200 games playable in the 8-bit computers?

Like Rybags said, there is no need to make any mod, as the game code itself can be modified to work on the XL/XEs. Additionally, 99% of all 5200 games have already been fixed to work on the XL/XEs.

 

Do you mean that there is a hardware "fix" that can be applied with the cartridges to work with the Atari 8-bit computers or that they've been converted to a disc acceptable by the Atari 8-bit line. I'm just curious about the nature of this fix.

 

I may end up getting an Atari 8-bit and it would be nice if I could play 5200-only games (like Adventure 2) on it.

 

By "fixed" I mean that the cartridge code has been modified and converted into a binary file that can be run on an XL/XEs.

[mimo]

Well I have several 8bit Atari Computers and several 7800's. To get the most out of the 7800 you are going to have to buy some homebrews as games like pac man collection and beefdrop are far better than anything released back in the day.

The 8bit computers have an immense library of games available, ok some of them are not very good but a lot of them are real class. Sure the graphics may not be as pretty as some systems but the game play more than makes up for that. as the 7800's library is about 80 games and the xl/xe have thousands, it makes sense to give the xe/xl a go imo.

I play my 1200xl several times a week and my 7800 about once per month

To play almost the whole catalog of XL/XE games you need an XL/XE and some sort of SIO device such as an SIO2PC (uses your PC to load the disc images to the Atari) an SDrive or SIO2SD that use SD cards to load the files, or go old school and get a disc drive and start collecting.

 

To play all the 7800 games you will have to buy all the carts or invest heavily in a Cuttle Cart 2 (about $600 at the current time- if you can find one)

 

I love both systems but I love the 8bit computers more

[+wood_jl]

Haven't been following the thread for a while.....

 

But to the original poster:

 

I think you're "more into" this stuff than I figured, at the beginning. You sound to me like someone who has an appreciation (that's what it's about) for the older systems. So I think you might enjoy the XE or XL (whichever). Star Raiders and Donkey Kong are a lot of fun to begin with, and you can get those on cartridge cheap off Ebay. Pick up a few carts and play, then decide if you want to invest more heavily. If you do, there are a TON of cool hookups (SIO2PC, programmable cartridges, etc) you can fool with later.

[Havok69]

No matter what you pick up, whether it be an XL or XE, make sure to try out the Infocom games - lots of fun, even though they are text based...

 

And I would definitely second the opinion on the SIO2PC - there's a few torrents out there with a ton of stuff to get you going for free.

[+davidcalgary29]

No matter what you pick up, whether it be an XL or XE, make sure to try out the Infocom games - lots of fun, even though they are text based...

 

Absolutely, but only if the OP gets the boxed games, and those are going for a premium these days. Some of them are unplayable without the supplemental materials, and the goodies are at least 50% of the fun of the games in any case.

 

And I would definitely second the opinion on the SIO2PC - there's a few torrents out there with a ton of stuff to get you going for free.

 

Thirded. I've been collecting for the A8 since I got my first 800 in '83, and I cannot believe that modern releases were coded for the A8 platform. Star Raiders will always be a classic game, but it looks (and sounds) like an early 2600 game in comparison with some of the games that have been coded in Europe in the past two decades.

[Havok69]

Absolutely, but only if the OP gets the boxed games, and those are going for a premium these days. Some of them are unplayable without the supplemental materials, and the goodies are at least 50% of the fun of the games in any case.

 

Actually there's a torrent out there that has all the stuff you need to play all the games, including hint books. However, in my best Sergeant Schultz voice, I know nothing!

 

 

 

 

[DracIsBack]

I guess my confusion over the XE and thinking it was a game console comes from the fact that I've never heard of a computer using cartridges and the fact that the commercials definiteluesy tried to show it as a competitor to the NES.

 

The problem you identify is - in my opinion - one of the reasons why the XE didn't really take off as a console. A lot of consumers, sales people and press didn't know what to make of it.

 

Is it a game system? Well - it looks like a computer?

 

Is it a real computer? Well - they call it a game system?

 

I remember a sales droid at Zellers in Kanata saying, "it's not a computer, no way" and arguing that feverishly until I pointed out the disk drive and printer pictures on the side of the box.

 

It certainly was confusing.

 

I wrote my major papers in high school on it (yay - Atariwriter Plus!) so it definitely was a computer.

[atariksi]

I guess my confusion over the XE and thinking it was a game console comes from the fact that I've never heard of a computer using cartridges and the fact that the commercials definiteluesy tried to show it as a competitor to the NES.

 

The problem you identify is - in my opinion - one of the reasons why the XE didn't really take off as a console. A lot of consumers, sales people and press didn't know what to make of it.

 

Is it a game system? Well - it looks like a computer?

 

Is it a real computer? Well - they call it a game system?

 

I remember a sales droid at Zellers in Kanata saying, "it's not a computer, no way" and arguing that feverishly until I pointed out the disk drive and printer pictures on the side of the box.

 

It certainly was confusing.

...

I thought they sold the XEGS w/keyboard bundled. And an insect repellent too (some sort of gun for killing bugs).

 

I wrote my major papers in high school on it (yay - Atariwriter Plus!) so it definitely was a computer.

 

Give it a break, with modern joystick controllers you have more buttons than the Atari keyboard.

[DracIsBack]

I thought they sold the XEGS w/keyboard bundled. And an insect repellent too (some sort of gun for killing bugs).

 

That was my argument too. But he didn't buy that, so I pointed to the picture with the peripherals.

 

 

Give it a break, with modern joystick controllers you have more buttons than the Atari keyboard.

 

LOL

[DracIsBack]

Speaking of Atari XE Game System, here's a few vintage commercials for it: