The New 7800 Renaissance

[7800Lover]

I'm all in favor of more original fare for the Atari 7800. But arcade ports are desirable too. I've suggested in past threads some possible attempts like Kickman, Legendary Wings, Popeye, etc.

[Cobra Kai]

I would suggest exclusive arcade ports (exclusive within Atari consoles that is). For instance, I've been considering purchasing 7800 Super Pac-Man for quite awhile, but keep balking because I already have the 5200 version which is already very very good. Not sure I can even justify Pac-Man collection due to the fact that I have 4 different Pac-Man games on the 5200. Beef Drop? Already have the 5200 version.

[8th lutz]

I would suggest be careful on what arcade games should be ported for the Atari 7800 Expansion Module. I think the Sega Master would be a good guideline for cartridge sizes for good arcade ports except for Marble Madness. The thing to remember is the sms has a weaker sound chip than the Atari 7800 Expansion does, the ram built in the system id weaker for the sms, and a different graphic processor.

 

A 128k rom cartridge is fine Atari Expansion Module games depending on what arcade games and what would be missing or lacking for the arcade port.

Edited October 3, 2010 by 8th lutz

[8th lutz]

I think there needs a good balance original games and computer/arcade ports for the Atari expansion Module.

 

The arcade ports that I think would be good Atari 7800 Expansion Module games are the following:

 

1942

Bank Panic

Bubble Bobble

Circus Charlie

Darius

Elevator Action

Fantasy Zone

Gaplus

Gradius

Hang-On

Mappy

Marble Madness with ym2151 sound chip and trackball support

Operation Wolf with Light fun support

Outrun

Pac-Land

Pac-Mania

R-Type

Rastan

Road Fighter

Sagaia aka Darius 2

Shao-lin's Road

Wild Western

Wonderboy

Yie Ar KungFu

Edited October 3, 2010 by 8th lutz

[Lendorien]

Honestly, I think that following the release of the XM module and a few games that support it, community effort should focus on getting out good development tools for the system that make it more accessible to general programming.

 

As far as games go, I would love some original fare, or if anything, arcade ports that didn't get better renditions on newer systems.

 

I mean, it seems silly to, for example, redo 1942 if it had a fantastic version that's easily available on another system.

[OldAtarian]

Does the 7800 use a lock out chip to prevent unauthorized games like the NES and Jaguar did?

[GroovyBee]

Does the 7800 use a lock out chip to prevent unauthorized games like the NES and Jaguar did?

 

On the 7800 ROM images have to pass a signature check for them to be classed as valid games on NTSC 7800s. So its a software "lock out" mechanism. On PAL 7800s the signature check is not performed.

[SoulBlazer]

Does the 7800 use a lock out chip to prevent unauthorized games like the NES and Jaguar did?

 

On the 7800 ROM images have to pass a signature check for them to be classed as valid games on NTSC 7800s. So its a software "lock out" mechanism. On PAL 7800s the signature check is not performed.

 

How come it was removed from the PAL version?

[GroovyBee]

How come it was removed from the PAL version?

 

I think it had to do with export controls on cryptography from the US.

[OldAtarian]

I think there needs a good balance original games and computer/arcade ports for the Atari expansion Module.

 

The arcade ports that I think would be good Atari 7800 Expansion Module games are the following:

 

1942

Bank Panic

Bubble Bobble

Circus Charlie

Darius

Elevator Action

Fantasy Zone

Gaplus

Gradius

Hang-On

Mappy

Marble Madness with ym2151 sound chip and trackball support

Operation Wolf with Light fun support

Outrun

Pac-Land

Pac-Mania

R-Type

Rastan

Road Fighter

Sagaia aka Darius 2

Shao-lin's Road

Wild Western

Wonderboy

Yie Ar KungFu

 

I want Time Pilot! Make it so.

[OldAtarian]

How come it was removed from the PAL version?

 

I think it had to do with export controls on cryptography from the US.

 

I've seen 2600 jrs. manufactured in Ireland, though. Couldn't they have manufactured them there with the software check? They wouldn't have been exporting them then.

 

And technically unless they were making the 7800's in the US, how would they have been exporting them in the first place if they went straight from the factory in Taiwan to Europe? They would have been going from one country outside the US to another country outside the US. That's not exporting.

Edited October 8, 2010 by OldAtarian

[Spurge]

Gauntlet?

[The Usotsuki]

The expansion chassis has an SIO port, right? So it should be possible to hang 810s, 1050s (or whatever they're called), SIO2IDEs, SD adaptors for SIO etc. off the side of the chassis, write a DOS, and have a whole new way to transfer games to the 7800.

 

Think about it...