Some prototypes of released titles...

[Tempest]

On 6/6/2023 at 9:54 AM, www.atarimania.com said:

Gameplay appears to be exactly the same.

 

Two interesting bits in this version:

- Chris Crawford has his name in the REM statements

- Q doesn't quit the game to BASIC but attempts to load a menu that doesn't exist

 

Now my theory could be completely off but, in late 1979, Atari announced a compilation called BASIC Game Programs. The title was never released but Kingdom appeared under the same catalog number. Could it be that Energy Czar was to be part of the original package, hence the menu? The only thing that doesn't fit is that the programs would've been sold on tape, not disk.

That's a really good theory.  Got any more info about this BASIC Game Programs?  This is the first I've heard of it.

[www.atarimania.com]

@Tempest There isn't that much information on BASIC Game Programs as the tape is, as far as I know, only mentioned in one of the very first press kits such as this one:

http://www.atarimania.com/documents/atari-400-800-launch-press-kit.pdf

 

What I think is that this compilation would've included Kingdom - before Atari decided the game would be released on its own - as well as other programs like Energy Czar plus other "rejects" which eventually ended up in the APX catalog such as Lemonade or Mugwump.  

 

Dig deeper and you'll notice a number of other titles were announced before the 8-bit computers were officially released: Backgammon, Fur Trader, Superman, Fire Truck...

[Tempest]

Makes sense, I always thought those games were a little simplistic for full priced stand alone releases.  Maybe they split it up to have more individual titles available?  

 

@ChrisCrawford just posted in another thread, maybe he could comment? 
 

 

[www.atarimania.com]

We now have a proto of... Mugwump by Bob Polaro:

http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-400-800-xl-xe-mugwump_41567.html

 

The game itself is the same as the one that ended up in the APX catalog but this version features additional loading screens.

 

[www.atarimania.com]

Another day, another proto from John:

http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-400-800-xl-xe-states-and-capitals_41570.html

 

[www.atarimania.com]

...and here's a proto of Kingdom: 

http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-400-800-xl-xe-kingdom_41577.html

 

This one is actually pretty close to the retail version (proto on the right): 

 

[Tempest]

I've always loved that title screen graphics on this one.  Simple yet amazing looking.

[www.atarimania.com]

Here's an unusual "pumped up" version of Frogger which was likely used for testing purposes:

http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-400-800-xl-xe-frogger-on-steroids_41638.html

 

The game has unlimited lives and no options. Pressing the fire button crashes the program. Title taken from the handwritten disk label.

[Rybags]

Off topic but relating to Atarimania's collection - I have a manual for Eastern Front which seems different from that on the webpage

http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-400-800-xl-xe-eastern-front-1941_5986.html

 

The first inside page, the text is somewhat different.  Not sure about the remainder.

I could scan it if it's not archived anywhere.

 

 

[+DjayBee]

48 minutes ago, www.atarimania.com said:

Title taken from the handwritten disk label.

Photo or it does not exist.

😜

[www.atarimania.com]

On 8/11/2023 at 1:24 PM, Rybags said:

The first inside page, the text is somewhat different.  Not sure about the remainder.

I could scan it if it's not archived anywhere.

That would be great. There are three or four different versions with a black and white cover but I don't think this one has been archived.

 

@Allan What do you think?

[www.atarimania.com]

Here's a prototype of Dunion's Debugging Tool when the program still had Little Jimmy D's Bugger as its working title:

http://www.atarimania.com/utility-atari-400-800-xl-xe-little-jimmy-d-s-bugger_41654.html

[www.atarimania.com]

This one is long-overdue!

 

Here's a proto of Greg Christensen's Caverns of Mars:

http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-400-800-xl-xe-caverns-of-mars_41702.html

 

The game underwent a few changes before its APX release (proto on the right):

 

 

Main visible differences:

_ no sound on intro screen

_ no level selection / indication

_ harder default game mode

_ shooting sound is different

_ no cheat mode

_ no "yellow glow" 

_ slight graphic corruption near end of level

Edited September 6, 2023 by www.atarimania.com

[+Allan]

@www.atarimania.com  Can you link to the Atari internal documents (if on-line) that reference the APX Digitbowl?

[www.atarimania.com]

You probably won't find anything online. The information comes from a text file recovered from one of Atari's mainframe computer tapes dated late 1984 (before the Tramiels got rid of the system).

 

There are more unreleased APX titles mentioned, one or two previously unheard of and some six programs eventually picked up by other publishers. I'll gradually add the entries to Atarimania.

[+Allan]

Thanks, @www.atarimania.com

 

It would be great if you could share the text file with us archivists.

 

Looking forward to the entries into Atarimania.

[www.atarimania.com]

This one eventually got released by LotsaBytes:

http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-400-800-xl-xe-super-stud-poker_41700.html

[www.atarimania.com]

Early version of the Light Pen Demonstration Program:

http://www.atarimania.com/utility-atari-400-800-xl-xe-light-pen-demonstration-program_41709.html

 

The disk supposedly contains all the demos featured in the manual. Compared to the official tape release, the main files appear to be slightly different.

 

Does anybody have a copy of the manual? As far as I'm aware, it hasn't been scanned yet. 

[cx2k]

Original CX-70 Light Pen Instructions have been scanned and put online.

http://www.atarimania.com/utility-atari-400-800-xl-xe-light-pen-demonstration-program_30282.html

 

 

 

[www.atarimania.com]

Preliminary version of Text Formatter (Forms) which was eventually released through APX:

http://www.atarimania.com/utility-atari-400-800-xl-xe-text-formatter-forms_41739.html

 

This is V1.0 from April 17th, 1980.

[www.atarimania.com]

...and three different protos of Disk Fixer later sold through APX as well:

http://www.atarimania.com/utility-atari-400-800-xl-xe-disk-fixer_41770.html

Edited September 30, 2023 by www.atarimania.com

[www.atarimania.com]

This version appears to have flown under the radar, although it made it to most archives.

 

Here's what seems to be a prototype of Dennis Koble's Avalanche with some minor differences compared to the commercial release:

http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-400-800-xl-xe-avalanche_42784.html

 

Official edition on the left, proto on the right:

 

 

Visible differences:

_ no year displayed on the prototype

_ ending screen shows "THE END" on the prototype 

_ tighter code on released game (?)