Popeye 7800

[Jaden (JRH)]

Add me to the list too! This is one of my all time favorite arcade games and this 7800 port is a work of art. I didn't get to buy the game physically when it was on the store, and I would buy the ROM for this in a heartbeat!

[Ouzy]

Popeye is one of my favourite games from back in the day. I remember fondly going into a shopping arcade and playing this for ages. Would love to be able to purchase the rom 🙂

[+save2600]

Playing RC3.5 yesterday on my Concerto... the game would randomly freeze on me, then turn b/w with some weird shimmering color artifacts going on. Power cycled it the first time, but when it happened again, pressed the pause button and sure enough, the game came back to life. Is that normal behavior when pausing the game? And only my 7800 is flaking out by the random/ghost pause presses?
 

People are talking about strange behavior sometimes when nothing is plugged into joystick port #2, but I have an AtariVox plugged into that port. 
 

-edit-

 

I see on the first post now that Concerto still has issues when playing this game. What I experienced must be some of 'em.  🙃

[TurboWesties]

I would definitely get in on a rom purchase if that ever comes around

[+darryl1970]

On 8/5/2023 at 11:59 AM, save2600 said:

Playing RC3.5 yesterday on my Concerto... the game would randomly freeze on me, then turn b/w with some weird shimmering color artifacts going on. Power cycled it the first time, but when it happened again, pressed the pause button and sure enough, the game came back to life. Is that normal behavior when pausing the game? And only my 7800 is flaking out by the random/ghost pause presses?

I see on the first post now that Concerto still has issues when playing this game. What I experienced must be some of 'em.  🙃

I do not have issues on my Concerto, but I cannot update to the latest firmware. All of my games play on the .95 version of the firmware for me. If I recall, James @ ZPH didn't have the same luck with the sound.

I am not sure if there is a newer demo, but I will get one.

 

As for the comments on the ROM distribution, I appreciate all of the interest. Life has been a little hectic lately. I have been thinking about how to handle this.

 

In the mean time, I created a 2.40 version of Popeye. It has the High Score Cartridge header, so it should utilize the 7800GD built-in high score cartridge functionality.

 

I added the new demo to the first page:

For Concerto compatibility, I have to run firmware .95.

1. Added High Score Cartridge header for use on 7800GD
2. No slowdown
3. Better collision detection
4. Brutus throws 4 bottles, regardless of whether Popeye leaves his line of sight.
5. Revision F is now pink, like the arcade. It can still be turned off with the code.
6. Unlocked Novice and Expert levels for the demo
7. Popeye now has 3 lives for all demo difficulty levels. (Full version offers 5 lives on Novice.)
8. Still limited to 3 levels of play.
9. Points awarded for punching bottles on the See-Saw level.

Let me know if 7800GD HSC is working!

 

Thanks,

 

Darryl

[+Trebor]

28 minutes ago, darryl1970 said:

...

For Concerto compatibility, I have to run firmware .95.

1. Added High Score Cartridge header for use on 7800GD
2. No slowdown
3. Better collision detection
4. Brutus throws 4 bottles, regardless of whether Popeye leaves his line of sight.
5. Revision F is now pink, like the arcade. It can still be turned off with the code.
6. Unlocked Novice and Expert levels for the demo
7. Popeye now has 3 lives for all demo difficulty levels. (Full version offers 5 lives on Novice.)
8. Still limited to 3 levels of play.

...

9. Points awarded for punching a bottle on Building/Seesaw Level.

[+x=usr(1536)]

Derp.  Not awake yet.  Deleted 

[+DrVenkman]

8 hours ago, darryl1970 said:

In the mean time, I created a 2.40 version of Popeye. It has the High Score Cartridge header, so it should utilize the 7800GD built-in high score cartridge functionality.

Just tested this and it works great on my end. 

[PhoenixMoonPatrol]

I'd like to be added to the list for a rom also. Thanks.

[groundtrooper]

12 hours ago, PhoenixMoonPatrol said:

I'd like to be added to the list for a rom also. Thanks.

The list that doesn't exist? 🤣

[+Razzie.P]

Add me to the nonexistent list, too. 🙂

[Atari the Jedi]

So I will admit I mostly live in the arcade world, but I did know there was a sale going on as Albert was going to blow out some cartridges. For some reason I just didn't see this. If I had in my brain registered I would have bought one. One of my all-time favorite games by far. I've got the arcade the 2600 the 5200 and the slew of other console versions. I also wish I had the 5200 cleaned up versions in cartridge format but I never got it. Oh well maybe things will change down the road

[Lord_of_Sipan]

Al, will copies of Popeye built for the last chance sale use one of the newer versions of the rom compared to the earlier cartridge copies similar to what you are doing with Moon Cresta?

[+darryl1970]

1 hour ago, Lord_of_Sipan said:

Al, will copies of Popeye built for the last chance sale use one of the newer versions of the rom compared to the earlier cartridge copies similar to what you are doing with Moon Cresta?

Al has has been using the most recent for a while now. Last chance should continue to use that code.

[insertclevernamehere]

I’ve only just started considering getting the 2600+.  Have never had a 7800 and so I missed the opportunity to get this in the last chance sale.  So firstly I was wondering if this would even work on the 2600+ and if it can even be ordered as a custom cart from AtariAge.

 

I was wondering the same for Rikki & Vikki and 1942.

[SiLic0ne t0aD]

5 hours ago, insertclevernamehere said:

I’ve only just started considering getting the 2600+.  Have never had a 7800 and so I missed the opportunity to get this in the last chance sale.  So firstly I was wondering if this would even work on the 2600+ and if it can even be ordered as a custom cart from AtariAge.

 

I was wondering the same for Rikki & Vikki and 1942.

Highly doubt any advanced homebrews you mentioned will work on the 2600+. 😕

 

I'd get a 7800 instead to ensure maximum compatibility.

[Dark Descent]

I'd prefer a cart but if we can't get those, I'd love to buy the rom. 

[+Trebor]

On 11/7/2023 at 4:46 PM, insertclevernamehere said:

I’ve only just started considering getting the 2600+.  Have never had a 7800 and so I missed the opportunity to get this in the last chance sale.  So firstly I was wondering if this would even work on the 2600+ and if it can even be ordered as a custom cart from AtariAge.

 

I was wondering the same for Rikki & Vikki and 1942.

According to a latest update:

Quote

I also instructed work to be done to further improve homebrew compatibilty for 7800 (basically adding new headers for a couple of games and they do now work) which will require an firmware / dumper update.

There is work "to be done" for adding some additional header support to the ProSystem 1.3e core the 2600+ is using.  Unfortunately, more than additional header support is needed, especially to the core emulation, for compatibility and accuracy sake, to properly support the games mentioned.   Integration of JS7800 source files would be a significant improvement for compatibility with many homebrews.

 

Sadly, new headers will not even fix graphical issues with several retail games, if leveraging the original ProSystem 1.3e source files.  Hopefully, the 'ProSystem 1.3e core' utilized includes more than what is present in RetroArch, or else the aforementioned will be the results.

[Flyindrew]

Ive been an active gamer for 44 years. Ive never seen an instance where a super fantastic game has been developed (7800 Popeye), and nobody can purchase the damn thing. Lol

[groundtrooper]

23 hours ago, insertclevernamehere said:

I’ve only just started considering getting the 2600+.  Have never had a 7800 and so I missed the opportunity to get this in the last chance sale.  So firstly I was wondering if this would even work on the 2600+ and if it can even be ordered as a custom cart from AtariAge.

 

I was wondering the same for Rikki & Vikki and 1942.

Given the so called Ports Ban I doubt you can get a custom cart of a licensed property from the AA store at this point. 

[insertclevernamehere]

18 hours ago, SiLic0ne t0aD said:

Highly doubt any advanced homebrews you mentioned will work on the 2600+. 😕

 

I'd get a 7800 instead to ensure maximum compatibility.

Is there a way of hooking up a 7800 to a hdtv with a decent picture?  I have my 2600 hooked up to a crt tv because the picture is garbage on an hdtv.  I was hoping the 2600+ would be a viable 7800 alternative that would reduce my need for a crt.   Getting an actual 7800 just seems to increase my reliance on crt's instead but hopefully I'm wrong about that. 

[128Kgames]

1 hour ago, Flyindrew said:

Ive been an active gamer for 44 years. Ive never seen an instance where a super fantastic game has been developed (7800 Popeye), and nobody can purchase the damn thing. Lol

I see that all the time with homebrews for other systems.  

[+DrVenkman]

1 hour ago, Flyindrew said:

Ive been an active gamer for 44 years. Ive never seen an instance where a super fantastic game has been developed (7800 Popeye), and nobody can purchase the damn thing. Lol

Well, we could. We just can't anymore. 👀

 

[Albert]

4 minutes ago, DrVenkman said:

Well, we could. We just can't anymore. 👀

 

And quite a few people did!

 

  ..Al

[envytomdead2]

14 hours ago, insertclevernamehere said:

Is there a way of hooking up a 7800 to a hdtv with a decent picture?  I have my 2600 hooked up to a crt tv because the picture is garbage on an hdtv.  I was hoping the 2600+ would be a viable 7800 alternative that would reduce my need for a crt.   Getting an actual 7800 just seems to increase my reliance on crt's instead but hopefully I'm wrong about that. 

Ultimately your best bet for that is a scaler like the RetroTink 2x or 5x and a console modification. Crossbow here on the forums modded mine. He did awesome work. I started by getting the scaler. I hooked my 7800 up through the antenna of an old vcr and used the av out to the RetroTink 2x. Then a little bit later I had my console modded.