Edit_5 Posted August 8, 2003 Share Posted August 8, 2003 Just out of curiousity, how many of the games available through the AA store are available in PAL format? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert Posted August 8, 2003 Share Posted August 8, 2003 Just out of curiousity, how many of the games available through the AA store are available in PAL format? Quite a few of them are available either as separate PAL versions, or are switchable between PAL and NTSC. Let's see: Euchre (separate versions) Gunfight (separate versions) Jammed (switchable) Okie Dokie (switchable) Oystron (switchable) Qb (separate versions) Skeleton+ (separate versions) Space Treat Deluxe (separate versions) Star Fire (separate versions) Synthcart (separate versions) Thrust+ Platinum (switchable) I know Paul Slocum has a PAL version of Marble Craze also (I don't remember if he finished testing it--I need to check my email) and the Missile Command Trakball hacks also have PAL flavors. ..Al Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edit_5 Posted August 8, 2003 Author Share Posted August 8, 2003 Drool I think it's time to max out on the card soon... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Jentzsch Posted August 8, 2003 Share Posted August 8, 2003 Some of the "switchables" (like Thrust) will only change the color palette. So you better check before if your TV (or VCR) can sync to 60Hz. I can adapt all my hacks (e.g. Asteroids DC+) to the PAL versions quite easily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edit_5 Posted August 8, 2003 Author Share Posted August 8, 2003 Only the newer TV's seem to be able to handle NTSC/PAL, I mean it's useful but there's something about just being able to slot in a game and play it from the start without getting the TV to cooperate. Even though these TV's now let you play NTSC stuff through them, sometimes the colour palletes are not right, but I think that's more of a consequence of using a PAL machine with NTSC carts. In an ideal world Atari would have produced games to a generic single standard and the machines could have determind wether or not the game got rendered in either format, this would have also been easier on the programmers. Then you wouldn't have to worry where the carts came from, it would just come down to playing some great games without any hassle from the equipment... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Jentzsch Posted August 8, 2003 Share Posted August 8, 2003 In an ideal world Atari would have produced games to a generic single standard and the machines could have determind wether or not the game got rendered in either format... Hm, but in that ideal world, nobody could have afforded those complex consoles anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edit_5 Posted August 8, 2003 Author Share Posted August 8, 2003 True, but it would have put everyone on a level playing field, I think it would have been cheaper to produce, just have one TIA for all regions, and just let the external components handle all the output conditions. But it's easy to say that now, btw your stuff rocks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricBall Posted August 8, 2003 Share Posted August 8, 2003 In an ideal world Atari would have produced games to a generic single standard and the machines could have determind wether or not the game got rendered in either format, this would have also been easier on the programmers. Unfortunately, there are just too many differences between NTSC and PAL to make a universal TV standard console. True, but it would have put everyone on a level playing field, I think it would have been cheaper to produce, just have one TIA for all regions, and just let the external components handle all the output conditions. Also remember that the TIA only knows how to draw a single line; it's up to the program to keep track of how many lines have been drawn and handle vertical synch. (Thus, it's possible for a 2600 game to contain both versions and make it selectable via the switches.) The MARIA (7800) handles the vertical synch automatically, and it's possible to for the game to determine the number of lines and thus NTSC vs PAL. However, the game then has to also handle 50 vs 60 Hz frame rate and 240 vs 200 lines per frame. Creating both versions of a game requires effort and is not trivial. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edit_5 Posted August 8, 2003 Author Share Posted August 8, 2003 Most of that I already know, just that I get really because there's all these different standards, it was just a bit of "what if". There's so many cool games that I would love to get, but I get put off because they're not PAL. And I hope that my post didn't come across as making it all sound trivial, full respect goes out to those who developed the games, and uber respect goes out to those who still develop and hack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rasty Posted August 8, 2003 Share Posted August 8, 2003 Just for information, Space Treat Deluxe PAL is indeed a separate version from NTSC, but you can switch it between 50hz and 60hz modes. 60hz is the best but should you have troubles with the TV, you can still go 50hz.. Regards, Rasty.- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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