DarthDuke Posted August 30, 2022 Share Posted August 30, 2022 I got a Retron77 earlier this year (in January, I think) and have been really enjoying it. I can get it to play all of the 2600 carts I already have from back in the day. I've noticed that there are still quite a few that I don't have though. My local game store has some of them. When I asked about getting some of the ones I don't already have for play on the Retron 77, they said that some cartridges work on it and some don't. Is there a list somewhere of the cartridges that aren't compatible with the Retron 77? My store has a good return policy, but I'd rather know ahead of time before I go buy some. Also, I'm wondering about Atari 5200 and 7800 cartridges. Can the Retron 77 play them? If not, I noticed on the AtariMania site that there are ROMs for the 5200. Would those work if I downloaded them and saved them on the microSD card that I've gotten for my Retron 77? I've managed to save ROMs of 2600 games from the website onto the microSD card and those work quite well. I don't mind playing games in emulation, but I also really like collecting the cartridges, manuals, posters, boxes too for the artwork. You don't get that with just computer files usually. Even if you do, you can't display them in your game room really. Thanks for any info you can help me with. I've done searches online, but mostly find review articles and videos of the Retron77 console instead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Jentzsch Posted August 30, 2022 Share Posted August 30, 2022 The R77 with Community build update can play all ROMs, including modern homebrews. The cart port is only a gimmick which dumps only some carts and then the result is emulated too. The R77 is strictly 2600 only. For a list of carts which work in the cart port, please search the forum. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+GoldLeader Posted August 30, 2022 Share Posted August 30, 2022 1 hour ago, DarthDuke said: I got a Retron77 earlier this year (in January, I think) and have been really enjoying it. I can get it to play all of the 2600 carts I already have from back in the day. I've noticed that there are still quite a few that I don't have though. My local game store has some of them. When I asked about getting some of the ones I don't already have for play on the Retron 77, they said that some cartridges work on it and some don't. Is there a list somewhere of the cartridges that aren't compatible with the Retron 77? My store has a good return policy, but I'd rather know ahead of time before I go buy some. Also, I'm wondering about Atari 5200 and 7800 cartridges. Can the Retron 77 play them? If not, I noticed on the AtariMania site that there are ROMs for the 5200. Would those work if I downloaded them and saved them on the microSD card that I've gotten for my Retron 77? I've managed to save ROMs of 2600 games from the website onto the microSD card and those work quite well. I don't mind playing games in emulation, but I also really like collecting the cartridges, manuals, posters, boxes too for the artwork. You don't get that with just computer files usually. Even if you do, you can't display them in your game room really. Thanks for any info you can help me with. I've done searches online, but mostly find review articles and videos of the Retron77 console instead. My advice is that you might Also want to buy either a 7800 or 2600 (or Both!) to get the "real experience". Of course getting them A/V modded (or S-video) is also a great idea... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarthDuke Posted August 30, 2022 Share Posted August 30, 2022 2 minutes ago, GoldLeader said: My advice is that you might Also want to buy either a 7800 or 2600 (or Both!) to get the "real experience". Of course getting them A/V modded (or S-video) is also a great idea... I have my childhood 2600 and it was working on my modern TV fine with an adapter that give the RF cable a coaxial cable end. But then the RF modulator quit working and no amount of adjusting would make the picture look decent again. One of my cousins gave me an old RF modulator that he said would work, but my soldering skills aren't very good, so I haven't gotten brave enough to try swapping them. I've thought about getting a 7800, but the price of complete ones in good shape made me get a Retron 77 instead. I take it from your reply (thank you for replying btw) that the 5200 ROMs won't work on the Retron 77. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
insertclevernamehere Posted August 30, 2022 Share Posted August 30, 2022 1 hour ago, GoldLeader said: My advice is that you might Also want to buy either a 7800 or 2600 (or Both!) to get the "real experience". Of course getting them A/V modded (or S-video) is also a great idea... I have an R77 and a 2600 but I play on the 2600 about 99% of the time. I only use the R77 as an emergency incase the 2600 or my crt tv goes on the blink. I find that the lag is so bad on the R77 I have to relearn the timing on games e.g. I played the homebrew Spies in the Night on my 2600 recently and then, for reasons I won't go into, I played it on the R77. If I let go of the joystick to stop behind a wall when playing on the 2600, my character would stop behind the wall. If I did the same on the R77, I would end up beyond the wall because of the lag and get shot. I would have to time it so I let go BEFORE I reached the wall in order to stop behind it. Consequently I would time it wrong half the time and like with so many other games, my performance would be way worse on the R77 than it is on original hardware. If you ONLY play on an R77, I guess this may be a non issue as you would essentially get used to the lag and kind of preempting your moves would become second nature. But based on my experience, I would definitely NOT recommend switching frequently between the 2 machines as it is an exercise in frustration. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Jentzsch Posted August 31, 2022 Share Posted August 31, 2022 9 hours ago, insertclevernamehere said: I find that the lag is so bad on the R77 I have to relearn the timing on games. Are you sure the lag is coming from the R77 and not from your TV? Many modern TVs add significant lag to signal processing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+GoldLeader Posted August 31, 2022 Share Posted August 31, 2022 12 hours ago, DarthDuke said: I have my childhood 2600 and it was working on my modern TV fine with an adapter that give the RF cable a coaxial cable end. But then the RF modulator quit working and no amount of adjusting would make the picture look decent again. One of my cousins gave me an old RF modulator that he said would work, but my soldering skills aren't very good, so I haven't gotten brave enough to try swapping them. I've thought about getting a 7800, but the price of complete ones in good shape made me get a Retron 77 instead. I take it from your reply (thank you for replying btw) that the 5200 ROMs won't work on the Retron 77. Right, Only 2600 ROMs work on the RetroN 77. If you bought a 7800, you could then play 7800 games or 2600 games on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+GoldLeader Posted August 31, 2022 Share Posted August 31, 2022 1 hour ago, Thomas Jentzsch said: Are you sure the lag is coming from the R77 and not from your TV? Many modern TVs add significant lag to signal processing. That would be my bet. 11 hours ago, insertclevernamehere said: I have an R77 and a 2600 but I play on the 2600 about 99% of the time. I only use the R77 as an emergency incase the 2600 or my crt tv goes on the blink. I find that the lag is so bad on the R77 I have to relearn the timing on games e.g. I played the homebrew Spies in the Night on my 2600 recently and then, for reasons I won't go into, I played it on the R77. If I let go of the joystick to stop behind a wall when playing on the 2600, my character would stop behind the wall. If I did the same on the R77, I would end up beyond the wall because of the lag and get shot. I would have to time it so I let go BEFORE I reached the wall in order to stop behind it. Consequently I would time it wrong half the time and like with so many other games, my performance would be way worse on the R77 than it is on original hardware. If you ONLY play on an R77, I guess this may be a non issue as you would essentially get used to the lag and kind of preempting your moves would become second nature. But based on my experience, I would definitely NOT recommend switching frequently between the 2 machines as it is an exercise in frustration. As Thomas Jentzsch said, maybe your TV wasn't in GAME mode? It's been a while since I had the R77 up and running but I don't remember any lag. FWIW, I usually play on a 7800...CRT or LCD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
insertclevernamehere Posted August 31, 2022 Share Posted August 31, 2022 4 hours ago, Thomas Jentzsch said: Are you sure the lag is coming from the R77 and not from your TV? Many modern TVs add significant lag to signal processing. 2 hours ago, GoldLeader said: That would be my bet. As Thomas Jentzsch said, maybe your TV wasn't in GAME mode? It's been a while since I had the R77 up and running but I don't remember any lag. FWIW, I usually play on a 7800...CRT or LCD. Interesting. I never knew lag could be a TV issue. I've never noticed lag when playing PS4 but I guess that's quite a different kettle of fish. I will have to test and find GAME mode before playing and report back. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Jentzsch Posted August 31, 2022 Share Posted August 31, 2022 (edited) Not every TV can be set up like this. Else you can try to disable any picture "optimizations", because their processing takes time and therefore can increase the lag. Here are some TV lag test results. Without game mode, lags of 4-8 frames are quite frequent. Edited August 31, 2022 by Thomas Jentzsch 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
insertclevernamehere Posted September 2, 2022 Share Posted September 2, 2022 On 8/31/2022 at 2:31 AM, Thomas Jentzsch said: Are you sure the lag is coming from the R77 and not from your TV? Many modern TVs add significant lag to signal processing. On 8/31/2022 at 6:44 AM, insertclevernamehere said: Interesting. I never knew lag could be a TV issue. I've never noticed lag when playing PS4 but I guess that's quite a different kettle of fish. I will have to test and find GAME mode before playing and report back. I found a game mode in the advanced settings of my tv last night and turned it on before playing the R77. Massive improvement! Even though I have never set my tv in game mode and have never noticed a lag issue with my PS4, Hyperkin MegaRetron HD or Collectorvision Phoenix, it clearly makes a difference with the R77. Strange why it's only so noticeable on the 1 of 4 consoles hooked up to that TV. That's why I always assumed it was a console issue. Glad I posted the issue though. I will get far my enjoyment from my R77 now. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krathoon Posted September 9, 2022 Share Posted September 9, 2022 Yeah. I screwed up and got the 2600-daptor and not the 2600-daptor II. That one supports the keypad. Still you can probably just emulate Star Raiders on the PC and use the keyboard. Really, Star Raiders kinda sucked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keatah Posted September 9, 2022 Share Posted September 9, 2022 9 minutes ago, Krathoon said: Really, Star Raiders kinda sucked. Well yeh. So much was lost in the 400/800 -to- 2600 translation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krathoon Posted September 9, 2022 Share Posted September 9, 2022 I would take Wing Commander over Star Raiders. I miss the heyday of the space flight simulators. There was some pretty neat stuff in the 90s. I remember there was some Microsoft space game. I forget the name. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keatah Posted September 9, 2022 Share Posted September 9, 2022 24 minutes ago, Krathoon said: I would take Wing Commander over Star Raiders. Mmm not sure about Wing Commander vs Star Raiders. Both are different games by necessity of their respective time periods. If you drop down into the 8-bit world of 1979-1980, Star Raiders is #1 through and through. 24 minutes ago, Krathoon said: I remember there was some Microsoft space game. I forget the name. Probably this.. http://www.planetmic.com/mlahren/spasim1.htm https://www.filfre.net/2021/01/microsoft-space-simulator-or-charles-guys-galaxy-in-a-box/ Not long after that came out. Orbiter Spaceflight Simulator hit the scene. And was under some pretty intense development for a while. Has some uber-realistic physics, but essentially no worldbuilding. Has tons of add-ons, but hasn't been under much development since a couple of years ago. Last version is 2016'ish. Still a staple in my hangar however. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krathoon Posted September 9, 2022 Share Posted September 9, 2022 It turns out those Microsoft games I was thinking about were Starlancer and Freelancer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Firebrand Posted October 7, 2022 Share Posted October 7, 2022 Hello, I recently purchased a RetroN 77 and loaded the latest community build 6.6.0 onto the SD card and loaded it up with ROMs. It works really well. However, I also purchased a OTG USB hub/adapter so I could plug a keyboard and other controllers into the device. I followed the instructions shown here and even ordered the same OTG adapter: https://retrogamestart.com/answers/hdmi-atari-2600-retron-77-updated-firmware-stella-emulator#attach-keyboard For some reason I cannot get any keyboard to actually input into Stella. I've tried three now, two wireless and actually bought a wired USB keyboard just to see if that's the problem. Interestingly, I plugged another USB wireless gamepad dongle into the OTG and Stella recognizes that and I'm able to map events to it no problem thought the interface. But, the interface would be so much easier to use if I could just get a keyboard working. What's really strange is I can see the keyboard appears to be recognized, as the LED toggles when I push the num lock key or caps lock key when the Retron is powered and keyboard connected to OTG. They don't do this if I just plug them into a USB charger, so it's clear that some kind of handshaking/HID recognition has taken place, but if I press any key there is no effect on the Retron, I cannot navigate the GUI, map keys from the keyboard to events, etc... each keyboard works fine on a Windows PC, and the OTG seems OK too since it can connect the gamepad to the Retron. Am I missing something really basic to get Stella on the Retron to actually use the keyboard? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Jentzsch Posted October 12, 2022 Share Posted October 12, 2022 I am wondering here too. Have you checked the input mappings in advanced settings? Are the keyboard keys mapped? Do only the navigation keys not work (e.g. can you change data in Game Properties/Cartridge)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Firebrand Posted October 18, 2022 Share Posted October 18, 2022 On 10/12/2022 at 8:56 AM, Thomas Jentzsch said: I am wondering here too. Have you checked the input mappings in advanced settings? Are the keyboard keys mapped? Do only the navigation keys not work (e.g. can you change data in Game Properties/Cartridge)? Thanks for the reply, Thomas. When I go to the event mappings, I'm able to map buttons from the wireless gamepad to any event as well as the included joystick button and stick movements. But, pressing any key after I've asked the system to "map" results in no effect. The keyboard input appears to be completely unrecognized by the system, whereas the gamepad and joystick are working fine. Also, I looked at the initialization log, I see an entry that says "Keyboard: QWERTY" and I also see it finding the wireless gamepad if it's plugged in to the OTG adapter. Still really confused why I can't seem to use any keyboard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Jentzsch Posted October 19, 2022 Share Posted October 19, 2022 21 hours ago, Firebrand said: Still really confused why I can't seem to use any keyboard. Me too. Anyone else experiencing the same issue? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dman11111 Posted October 24, 2022 Share Posted October 24, 2022 What kind of internal hardware does the 77 have. Can you for instance install Linux os on an sd card and run it by itself Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Atari2600PAL Posted January 31, 2023 Share Posted January 31, 2023 Hi All I've bought a Dapter II, which has arrived today, and despite reading this and other threads I can't work out what cable(s) I need to connect it up to the R77 I had, in advance, bought the cable pictured below but obviously there's no way to attach it to the Dapter II Do I need an extra cable, or something completely different please? I'm looking to use original paddles and/or ranger via the R77 USB port with the community build Many thanks for any advise please Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Jentzsch Posted January 31, 2023 Share Posted January 31, 2023 (edited) That looks good so far. Since you ordered your 2600-daptor without cable, now you need a simple A Male to B Male USB cable. These often come with printers, maybe you already own one. Edited January 31, 2023 by Thomas Jentzsch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Atari2600PAL Posted January 31, 2023 Share Posted January 31, 2023 22 minutes ago, Thomas Jentzsch said: That looks good so far. Since you ordered your 2600-daptor without cable, now you need a simple A Male to B Male USB cable. These often come with printers, maybe you already own one. Many thanks, will get one on order! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akator Posted February 1, 2023 Share Posted February 1, 2023 On 10/19/2022 at 2:30 PM, Thomas Jentzsch said: Me too. Anyone else experiencing the same issue? I haven't. I one of those Rii small wireless remote keyboards that I use with my R77. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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