Decathlon 5200--how to start 2p??

[unoclay]

I cannot seem to add a second player.  I have 2 joysticks plugged in, and the keypad seems to do nothing.  I can only seem to start the game in 1p mode.  

 

A manual online says "pull back" and press the button....but doesnt seem to be working.  

 

Any advice?

[fiddlepaddle]

Try swapping joysticks, see what happens.

[unoclay]

Ive tried a variety of joysticks, to no avail.  Really need someone else to try plugging in the game and 2 controllers and tell me im not crazy.....

[ASalvaro]

On 3/26/2020 at 9:07 PM, unoclay said:

I cannot seem to add a second player.  I have 2 joysticks plugged in, and the keypad seems to do nothing.  I can only seem to start the game in 1p mode.  

 

A manual online says "pull back" and press the button....but doesnt seem to be working.  

 

Any advice?

press lower red button then pull back 

[unoclay]

what does "pull back" mean---thats what the manual says--i assume you're reading that/copy pasting?  It doesnt seem to work when i press button/pull down...

 

 

[patroclus99]

This may be another Activision anomaly; Activision's 2600->5200 ports were abysmal, right down to the cartridge PCBs.  Their non-2600 titles (Dreadnaught and Zone Ranger) were actually very good.

 

I have the same problem with Pitfall, I get on a vine, but can't get off, because there's no downward movement, across all 4 joysticks.  I also can't go down ladders.  I'm sure there's a solution; I feel like it's an overly sensitive analog register in the ROM. . . not sure.  Pitfall 2. . . no problem.

 

 

[unoclay]

in pitfall, was playing the other night, and i think i needed to press a button AND move the stick to disembark a vine.  I sort of did a forward>down forward>down movement.  Maybe a button press.

 

I actually like several of the activision games i have, if memory serves.  And Decathalon is a great game---but you need 2p to truly enjoy it.  There has GOT to be a way to get it to work.