Jordan Posted June 15, 2012 Share Posted June 15, 2012 Hey guys, im planning a review of the 7800 but I was wondering is there any information that most reviewers just seem to ignore? I half improvise, so I like to know as much info as possible before hand. Here is a link to my last review so you can understand my style - http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6rWTavyQirw I want interesting trivia etc, not just the wiki boring basics! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rybags Posted June 15, 2012 Share Posted June 15, 2012 The Retro Gamer magazine article is worth looking up if you have it. I suppose you could throw some trivial stuff in: - first console sold by Atari that was developed by an outside company. - first Atari system to use a lockout mechanism to prevent execution of unauthorised software. Certain negatives surrounding the console: - the impact of the limited first release, prolonged withdrawl and re-release. - many "out of date" early games. - somewhat small library compared to contemporary consoles. - poor sound (TIA), small amount of Ram (4K) - remained 2600 compatible at the expense of other features, esp memory and sound (some call 2600 compatability a plus, I don't quite see it that way) A good angle would be to concentrate on homebrew releases in recent years. In many cases they far exceed the quality of the earlier games and give a true indication of the potential of the system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jordan Posted June 15, 2012 Author Share Posted June 15, 2012 Whilst that would be nice, I dont have any. Never even seen any sale in the UK. But thanks for the other info! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GroovyBee Posted June 15, 2012 Share Posted June 15, 2012 Whilst that would be nice, I dont have any. Never even seen any sale in the UK. But thanks for the other info! You might want to go to the next Replay event which will be held in Manchester in October. There was a good selection of homebrew stuff there (on a variety of platforms) last year. If you are into emulation you can download most of the 7800's legacy game ROMs and also homebrews too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jordan Posted June 15, 2012 Author Share Posted June 15, 2012 I live in Kent so it might be a little difficult to get there, but thanks for the info!! What did you think of my other vids if you saw? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GroovyBee Posted June 15, 2012 Share Posted June 15, 2012 I live in Kent so it might be a little difficult to get there, but thanks for the info!! What did you think of my other vids if you saw? Replay is the biggest retro event in the UK. Around 5000 people attend over the two days (its a weekend event) so its well worth a visit if you like arcade/pinball machines, computers, consoles etc. Sorry, I haven't seen your vids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jordan Posted June 15, 2012 Author Share Posted June 15, 2012 Ah okay, links in the first post if you get a chance And I will definetly look into it, they always do a great little mini show at the Eurogamer Expo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desiv Posted June 15, 2012 Share Posted June 15, 2012 I would think any review of the 7800 nowadays would HAVE to cover homebrew... It's one of the most interesting parts of the 7800 now. It's one of (if not THE) most active consoles with homebrew software AND hardware... desiv Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jordan Posted June 15, 2012 Author Share Posted June 15, 2012 Thanks for all the help guys, would never have thought of homebrew otherwise! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GroovyBee Posted June 15, 2012 Share Posted June 15, 2012 Checkout the upcoming 7800 Expansion Module (XM) too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jordan Posted June 15, 2012 Author Share Posted June 15, 2012 Yeah I read it, seemed a bit more hassle than its worth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thursday83 Posted June 16, 2012 Share Posted June 16, 2012 A bit more hassle than it's worth? The XM Project? No review of the 7800 would be complete without featuring the XM project and the upcoming games involving it. And all homebrews, past, present, and future. And hacks. Why not. It's so much more material to work with, and it gives the review a future outlook to maintain interest. Plus, isn't it crucial to be thorough? Or why bother doing a review, when so many have been done in the past. Wouldn't that be stale then? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mimo Posted June 16, 2012 Share Posted June 16, 2012 Yeah I read it, seemed a bit more hassle than its worth I just lost interest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jordan Posted June 16, 2012 Author Share Posted June 16, 2012 No no ill talk about it of course, I meant me personally buying one since im not a big 7800 gamer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DracIsBack Posted June 16, 2012 Share Posted June 16, 2012 small amount of Ram (4K) Wasn't that the trend at the time, due to memory prices? The NES was 2K of RAM and 2K of video RAM. For the original poster, it's also helpful to check out Curt's 7800 reunion. The hour long MP3 is a must listen: http://www.atarimuseum.com/videogames/consoles/7800/7800-20th/ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mimo Posted June 16, 2012 Share Posted June 16, 2012 No no ill talk about it of course, I meant me personally buying one since im not a big 7800 gamer fair enough. how about trying some of the more recent games on an emulator, some of them are awesome such as scramble, pac man collection, beef drop etc etc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jordan Posted June 16, 2012 Author Share Posted June 16, 2012 Yah I definetly need to try more games, I mostly use it for 2600 games atm! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
svenski Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 Have a look through this section of the forum for the great games released by Bob (pacmanplus) , and use an emulator - the 7800 rocks and there are some very talented people here on AA doing wonders with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian R. Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 It was ready earlier, but was a victim of Atari's sale to Tramiels, who wanted to focus on computers. They only released it after Nintendo showed there was still a market. While it has excellent versions of arcade games, by the time the 7800 hit gamers had moved on to the NES games, like Mario and such, and interest in the arcade classics was fading. It was meant to correct two "mistakes" of the 5200 - lack of backwards compatibility and the poor controllers. The 7800 was backwards compatible, but not with the system before it (the 5200) but with the 2600, showing it's enduring popularity. Its controllers were simplified, but still not the greatest. NES-style pad controllers were released in Europe, and sought after by collectors in the US. Great graphics, poor sound. You can use a 2600 controller on the 7800, but only for games that don't need the second fire button. The power supply can be a pain in the ass because it doesn't have a standard connection to the console. Early 7800s have an expansion port on the back that later units lacked. As for hacks/homebrews, the PacMan collection that came out and Space Invaders are excellent. I have them both. Could also be said the 7800 shows "bits' ain't everything. The 2600, 5200 and 7800 are all 8 bit systems, despite what fools on Youtube like to say about 2 bit or 4 bit Atari systems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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