4 port on the way

[OldAtarian]

Managed to get a 4 port boxed with all accessories and 8 games for $89.95 shipped from a musical instrument and game shop in Wisconsin. Pole Position, Pac Man, Football, Super Breakout, Space Dungeon, Kangaroo, Galaxian and Defender are the games. The switchbox is still in it's own individual box and 2 unboxed controllers.

Edited October 14, 2010 by OldAtarian

[Rex Dart]

Ewwwwww... Wisconsin.

[OldAtarian]

Ewwwwww... Wisconsin.

 

The land of cheese and cheeseheads!

[Charlie_]

Managed to get a 4 port boxed with all accessories and 8 games for $89.95 shipped from a musical instrument and game shop in Wisconsin. Pole Position, Pac Man, Football, Super Breakout, Space Dungeon, Kangaroo, Galaxian and Defender are the games. The switchbox is still in it's own individual box and 2 unboxed controllers.

 

Congrats! I hope it all works well for you.

[NoahsMyBro]

Sounds awesome. I'd be especially jealous if it includes the joystick coupler for Space Dungeon. I live in eternal fear that mine will one day break as I insert or remove a controller.

 

 

 

[OldSchoolRetroGamer]

Seems this past month there has been a lot of 5200 activity! I too will soon be experiencing my first system soon. I guess these things come and go in cycles, I have heard so much about the 5200 both good and bad and look forward to forming my own opinion.

[Cobra Kai]

Congrats! But, (yes a BUT), I'm not sure what the trend is with this forum lately about 4-ports being the must have unit. There's not really anything extra useful about it guys, except it's more fiddly with the AC, if you consider that a plus.

[OldSchoolRetroGamer]

Congrats! But, (yes a BUT), I'm not sure what the trend is with this forum lately about 4-ports being the must have unit. There's not really anything extra useful about it guys, except it's more fiddly with the AC, if you consider that a plus.

 

I can certainly see your point about that. I can only say that in my case, had I initially just started looking I would have gone with the 2 port version as the couple games I have heard the 2 port version is not compatible with seemed worth the trade off. However, I just decided to jump on the 5200 4 port package eightbit was selling becuase first and foremost it seems to be in excellent condition. On top of that it is an asterisk version that is compatible with the VCS adapter that is included along with the Roller controller and some games to get me started, I could not resist. There is also the silly side of me that also wanted the 4 port version simply because it was Atari's original vision and again having never experienced the 5200 to any degree I wanted to get the full effect for better or worse, I'm weird that way. Plus I ordered one of those Gold Refurbed controllers from Best Electronics now that might be considered cheating in a way and breaking the whole "original experience" concept as they likely wont work any better than getting an original brand new controller but the way I see it is it would have been hard to truly track down an original new and unused controller for a decent price so getting this one from BEST ELECTRONICS will give me that same initial experience one would of had getting a new one back in the day with the bonus of this one lasting longer over time.

[OldAtarian]

Congrats! But, (yes a BUT), I'm not sure what the trend is with this forum lately about 4-ports being the must have unit. There's not really anything extra useful about it guys, except it's more fiddly with the AC, if you consider that a plus.

 

I can certainly see your point about that. I can only say that in my case, had I initially just started looking I would have gone with the 2 port version as the couple games I have heard the 2 port version is not compatible with seemed worth the trade off. However, I just decided to jump on the 5200 4 port package eightbit was selling becuase first and foremost it seems to be in excellent condition. On top of that it is an asterisk version that is compatible with the VCS adapter that is included along with the Roller controller and some games to get me started, I could not resist. There is also the silly side of me that also wanted the 4 port version simply because it was Atari's original vision and again having never experienced the 5200 to any degree I wanted to get the full effect for better or worse, I'm weird that way. Plus I ordered one of those Gold Refurbed controllers from Best Electronics now that might be considered cheating in a way and breaking the whole "original experience" concept as they likely wont work any better than getting an original brand new controller but the way I see it is it would have been hard to truly track down an original new and unused controller for a decent price so getting this one from BEST ELECTRONICS will give me that same initial experience one would of had getting a new one back in the day with the bonus of this one lasting longer over time.

 

What's with this asterisk version I keep reading about? Why would Atari release a 2600 adapter that isn't compatible with all 5200 units? They were already getting a lot of flak over the controllers, having customers buy the VCS module and then not be able to use would be too much for those customers to bear. Is everyone absolutely certain there are units that it doesn't work with? What's the exact issue with them that it doesn't work?

Edited October 14, 2010 by OldAtarian

[jaybird3rd]

What's with this asterisk version I keep reading about? Why would Atari release a 2600 adapter that isn't compatible with all 5200 units? They were already getting a lot of flak over the controllers, having customers buy the VCS module and then not be able to use would be too much for those customers to bear. Is everyone absolutely certain there are units that it doesn't work with? What's the exact issue with them that it doesn't work?

Curt Vendel's CX-55 page has a good write-up about the reasons why it won't work with most four-port models.

 

I recently acquired a compatible four-port 5200 console (the "asterisk version"). I really don't plan on using the CX-55 adapter with it, since I already own several 2600s, but I do like having four controller ports. If you think about it, there aren't very many classic systems that you could connect four joysticks/trackballs to, and I'm interested in classic-style games that more than two people can play together.

 

The funky RF/power connector isn't much of an issue nowadays, especially with the easy video upgrade and power mods that have been developed.

[tz101]

I recently acquired a compatible four-port 5200 console (the "asterisk version"). I really don't plan on using the CX-55 adapter with it, since I already own several 2600s, but I do like having four controller ports. If you think about it, there aren't very many classic systems that you could connect four joysticks/trackballs to, and I'm interested in classic-style games that more than two people can play together.

 

I think there is only one game for 5200 that takes advantage of four controllers, Super Breakout. Asteroids was rumored to support 4 players as well, but was never released.

[jaybird3rd]

I think there is only one game for 5200 that takes advantage of four controllers, Super Breakout. Asteroids was rumored to support 4 players as well, but was never released.

Dan Kramer (who designed the 5200 Trak-Ball) said once that RealSports Tennis supports four simultaneous players as well, because he had to supply four Trak-Ball prototypes for the programmer to test it with. I don't know if the four-player option made it into the released version, but it was in the prototype.

 

Actually, I'm much more interested in designing new multi-player games, and of all the Atari machines, I'd rather do them on the 5200 because that's the only Atari console that had a built-in four-player option.

[OldAtarian]

I think there is only one game for 5200 that takes advantage of four controllers, Super Breakout. Asteroids was rumored to support 4 players as well, but was never released.

Dan Kramer (who designed the 5200 Trak-Ball) said once that RealSports Tennis supports four simultaneous players as well, because he had to supply four Trak-Ball prototypes for the programmer to test it with. I don't know if the four-player option made it into the released version, but it was in the prototype.

 

Actually, I'm much more interested in designing new multi-player games, and of all the Atari machines, I'd rather do them on the 5200 because that's the only Atari console that had a built-in four-player option.

 

Yeah, I can see someone buying 4 trackball controllers to play Tennis. NOT! Whoever had that idea should have been fired. Adding 4 trackballs makes Tennis a VERY expensive game.

Edited October 15, 2010 by OldAtarian

[tz101]

Actually, I'm much more interested in designing new multi-player games, and of all the Atari machines, I'd rather do them on the 5200 because that's the only Atari console that had a built-in four-player option.

 

I have a four controller port Tele Games II console, so 4-player 2600 games could be developed for it as well. Not certain what 4-player 2600 games were released, other than Warlords.

[OldAtarian]

Any game that uses 4 players on the 400/800 could also be ported. Anyone for a game of MULE 5200?

 

Oh, and to update the thread, I have it now and it does work, the case is ok with no cracks or serious dings, the metal applique has a couple tiny ones, but nothing that detracts too much, the switchbox seems fine, none of the carts are dead, Space Dungeon did come with the controller holder someone mentioned at the top of the thread, all the wires look to be in good shape with no kinks or exposed copper, physically the two controllers look ok, but as fully expected are non-functional. I emailed Best for the needed information to send them in for exchange with a pair of their gold units and will probably be doing that this week. Even the box and the packing materials that that came with it looked good, but I don't know if I have everything that is supposed to come with it to be considered CIB. Does anyone have a packing list?

Edited October 23, 2010 by OldAtarian

[+Allan]

Any game that uses 4 players on the 400/800 could also be ported. Anyone for a game of MULE 5200?

 

There already is a 5200 MULE.

 

Allan

[OldAtarian]

Any game that uses 4 players on the 400/800 could also be ported. Anyone for a game of MULE 5200?

 

There already is a 5200 MULE.

 

Allan

 

I hardly consider a limited run of 50 from 7 years ago as sufficient.

[ApolloBoy]

Any game that uses 4 players on the 400/800 could also be ported. Anyone for a game of MULE 5200?

 

There already is a 5200 MULE.

 

Allan

 

I hardly consider a limited run of 50 from 7 years ago as sufficient.

You can always get Al to make one for you, just give him a label and the binary, and you're good to go!

[+Mitch]

Any game that uses 4 players on the 400/800 could also be ported. Anyone for a game of MULE 5200?

 

There already is a 5200 MULE.

 

Allan

 

I hardly consider a limited run of 50 from 7 years ago as sufficient.

You can always get Al to make one for you, just give him a label and the binary, and you're good to go!

 

Mule is bankswitched and won't work on a standard 5200 cart board. It will work on the AtariMax USB multicart though.

 

Mitch

[OldAtarian]

Any game that uses 4 players on the 400/800 could also be ported. Anyone for a game of MULE 5200?

 

There already is a 5200 MULE.

 

Allan

 

I hardly consider a limited run of 50 from 7 years ago as sufficient.

You can always get Al to make one for you, just give him a label and the binary, and you're good to go!

 

Mule is bankswitched and won't work on a standard 5200 cart board. It will work on the AtariMax USB multicart though.

 

Mitch

 

That and the binary of 400/800 MULE won't work as is. It has to be modded to work on the 5200 and I don't know how to do that.

[+Allan]

Any game that uses 4 players on the 400/800 could also be ported. Anyone for a game of MULE 5200?

 

There already is a 5200 MULE.

 

Allan

 

I hardly consider a limited run of 50 from 7 years ago as sufficient.

You can always get Al to make one for you, just give him a label and the binary, and you're good to go!

 

Mule is bankswitched and won't work on a standard 5200 cart board. It will work on the AtariMax USB multicart though.

 

Mitch

 

That and the binary of 400/800 MULE won't work as is. It has to be modded to work on the 5200 and I don't know how to do that.

It already is modded to work on a 5200. You just need to put it on a bank-switched cart. Unfortunately they aren't available. Just get an Atarimax multicart. You won't regret it.

 

Allan

[Charlie_]

That and the binary of 400/800 MULE won't work as is. It has to be modded to work on the 5200 and I don't know how to do that.

 

MULE will work on the ATARIMAX usb cart in the last 2 program slots. In fact the ATARIMAX cart runs all 5200 roms except Bounty BoB Strikes Back. Its a great product and if you enjoy your 5200 I highly recommend it. You wont need any other carts

[WERY]

Yeah, I can see someone buying 4 trackball controllers to play Tennis. NOT! Whoever had that idea should have been fired. Adding 4 trackballs makes Tennis a VERY expensive game.

 

Haha yeah that would be damn hilarious to see

 

Otherwise, how well does this trakballcontrollers work?

[jaybird3rd]

Haha yeah that would be damn hilarious to see

Dan Kramer and some of the 5200 programmers got together and re-enacted four-player Tennis at one of the Classic Gaming Expo shows, all playing with Trak-Ball controllers. Pretty cool, if you ask me.

[jaybird3rd]

Yeah, I can see someone buying 4 trackball controllers to play Tennis. NOT! Whoever had that idea should have been fired. Adding 4 trackballs makes Tennis a VERY expensive game.

 

Fired? Really??? Just for adding the option to use four Trak-Balls? I can see why very few people would ever have the opportunity to try it, given how expensive the Trak-Ball is, but I think it's great that the option is there for those who can take advantage of it. To say that somebody should be fired for giving the players more choices is just stupid.