The Atari 2600+ is live for preorders!

[+SabertoothRetro]

Has anyone noticed/reported intro sounds being cutoff? Like the little diddy at the beginning of Q*bert for example?

 

 

 

[+remowilliams]

6 hours ago, Thomas Jentzsch said:

At first glance it looks like frame skips. But something is weird. Usually the player should move 1 pixel per frame. So if a frame is skipped the movement should look like this ...1, 1, 1, 0, 2, 1, 1, 1... But it also does this ...1, 1, 1, 0, 1, 2, 1, 1... So after the frame skipped, a normal move follows. And only after that the double move happens.

 

Maybe your TV is doing something strange. Or is anyone else experiencing this?

 

That's a direct HDMI capture.

[chad5200]

10 minutes ago, SabertoothRetro said:

Has anyone noticed/reported intro sounds being cutoff? Like the little diddy at the beginning of Q*bert for example?

Yes.  Same thing happens on my 2600+.

 

Also happens on the Retron 77 (with community build Stella 6.6) although even more is cut off on that one.

 

Hitting the Reset switch (on both 2600+ and Retron 77) allows you to hear the full tune.

 

Maybe a problem with the emulator start up?

 

[+remowilliams]

14 hours ago, remowilliams said:

I just noticed that H.E.R.O. (NTSC cart) movement is inconsistent and extremely jerky...

 

 

 

@Ben from Plaion is something you see on your end?

[atwwong]

6 hours ago, Ben from Plaion said:

All these PAL 7800 games issues I believe are emulation based and that's being addressed in a different beta

@Ben from Plaion Ben, do you know if the emulator will be switched to a7800 or if the same emulator is being used with fixes? Any ideas of the time frame? Apologies in advance for being so demanding, but there are carts waiting to be played! 😉

 

Incidentally, I got my small 7800 cart collection years ago but never really played them. Now I'm finding it's a mix of NTSC and PAL carts. Oh well... If the 2600+ firmware upgrades can fix all the PAL issues, that would be fantastic! I'm willing to remove the shrink wrap from my CIB's to play them. Let's face it - I'm never going to sell these babies anyways... 🤪

[Ben from Plaion]

2 hours ago, atwwong said:

@Ben from Plaion Ben, do you know if the emulator will be switched to a7800 or if the same emulator is being used with fixes? Any ideas of the time frame? Apologies in advance for being so demanding, but there are carts waiting to be played! 😉

 

Incidentally, I got my small 7800 cart collection years ago but never really played them. Now I'm finding it's a mix of NTSC and PAL carts. Oh well... If the 2600+ firmware upgrades can fix all the PAL issues, that would be fantastic! I'm willing to remove the shrink wrap from my CIB's to play them. Let's face it - I'm never going to sell these babies anyways... 🤪

I'll share more next week on the 7800 update. I don't want to put a time on it now cause I don't know enough. One small snippet of information the 7800 emulation upgrade has been estimated at 50 hours. 

 

But then there maybe a need to update the dumper chip code plus everything else for the 2600 side.

 

One small advantage is that now the 7800 and 2600 work is being done by 2 Devs working concurrently.

 

I'll be posting any news here first.

 

 

Edited December 2, 2023 by Ben from Plaion

[m.o.terra kaesi]

On 12/1/2023 at 9:40 PM, Ben from Plaion said:

I'm no regional macro economic policy expert, but from a layman's view I wonder why they insist on such restrictions to trade.

it's all about market protection. like farmers in US or Europe.

[Ben from Plaion]

1 hour ago, m.o.terra kaesi said:

it's all about market protection. like farmers in US or Europe.

But isn't that a point of interest as one could see protecting your existing markets of corn and beef production as being obvious but when you don't actually have a pre existing home grown industry in a particular field like videogame production why stifle domestic consumption with what the world has to offer.

 

Clearly I'm naive to to the detail and would gladly listen to informed comment but Brazil has always to me seemingly had these obstacles.

 

Fascinating stuff anyhow.

[Chemical Burrito]

8 hours ago, chad5200 said:

Yes.  Same thing happens on my 2600+.

 

Also happens on the Retron 77 (with community build Stella 6.6) although even more is cut off on that one.

 

Hitting the Reset switch (on both 2600+ and Retron 77) allows you to hear the full tune.

 

Maybe a problem with the emulator start up?

 

I think that's a common HDMI (and other digital audio streams) issue.  The 2600+ and Retron 77 both stop the audio data stream when they're not playing a sound and it can take a second for the TV/receiver/preamp to lock in again when the audio stream restarts.

 

Edit:  You hear the tune when hitting reset because your TV/reciever/preamp is still "listening" when the game starts again.  I tried this on the Retron - exited out of the game and quickly restarted the game (not just hitting reset - going all the way back to the stella menu) before my receiver dropped the silent audio connection - and I could hear the initial Q*bert tune then.

Edited December 3, 2023 by Chemical Burrito

[protomank]

3 hours ago, m.o.terra kaesi said:

it's all about market protection. like farmers in US or Europe.

Yep. But it is dumb, Brazil imposes high taxes to protect "the industry" and the result is that the industry was never ever been so bad, because the "protection" becomes lack of competition, and eventually, the imported good become so cheap, it is worth to pay 92% of taxes (yep, that is the rate value for a person to import) because you get a way better product for less. And I won't even start how technology becomes obsolete because lack of high end equipment because it is too expensive to import it. Same thing happens with Europe's agriculture, it is very expensive and outdated compared to ours. (And BTW, yes, lots of burning forests in my country, it is shameful, and I do support not making deals with those who cut trees, we have more than enough farm land already).

 

But well, we end up getting a bit away from topic, the thing is that, yes, if a shop like Amazon brings the product instead of you, a person, importing it, the taxes end up being much lower

[Thomas Jentzsch]

8 hours ago, protomank said:

Same thing happens with Europe's agriculture, it is very expensive and outdated compared to ours.

What makes you think so?

[eCockpit89]

Me checking Amazon to see if my 2600+ has shipped yet...

[vagabondartist]

I heard there were going to be giveaways?

 

Also I’m so grateful to say that my 2600+ is on the way to me with tracking number and everything! I’m so excited!!

[+bent_pin]

On 12/1/2023 at 4:02 PM, Ben from Plaion said:

Let me raid the promo cupboard on Monday!

Any update on a potential giveaway?

[Ben from Plaion]

17 minutes ago, bent_pin said:

Any update on a potential giveaway?

I had a quick look today, some cool stuff to give awy. I'm back in the office Wednesday and will post then.

[+littaum]

1 minute ago, Ben from Plaion said:

I had a quick look today, some cool stuff to give awy. I'm back in the office Wednesday and will post then.

 

Is it the SwordQuest AirWorld Philosopher's Stone or the Sword of Ultimate Sorcery?  I'm sure they're hanging around in an office shelf somewhere!

 

https://www.ataricompendium.com/archives/articles/swordquest_revisited/swordquest_revisited.html

 

[eCockpit89]

5 minutes ago, Ben from Plaion said:

I had a quick look today, some cool stuff to give awy. I'm back in the office Wednesday and will post then.

[Ben from Plaion]

4 minutes ago, littaum said:

 

Is it the SwordQuest AirWorld Philosopher's Stone or the Sword of Ultimate Sorcery?  I'm sure they're hanging around in an office shelf somewhere!

 

https://www.ataricompendium.com/archives/articles/swordquest_revisited/swordquest_revisited.html

 

Yeah, I think they were signed Jack Tramiel prototypes!

 

Jokes aside I got together a VIP box, Prototype PCB, poster collection and a bunch of accesories and games. 

Edited December 4, 2023 by Ben from Plaion

[+bent_pin]

36 minutes ago, Ben from Plaion said:

I had a quick look today, some cool stuff to give awy. I'm back in the office Wednesday and will post then.

[donjn]

On 12/1/2023 at 6:54 PM, remowilliams said:

I just noticed that H.E.R.O. (NTSC cart) movement is inconsistent and extremely jerky...

 

 

 

This is exactly why I didnt like the Atari Flashback Anniversary and I had a feeling it would happen here.

The Atari 2600+ CPU is based on a 9 year old modified chip. It simply is just not strong enough. The same thing happened with the Flashback. These things are not built on strong chips. 

Try playing HERO on Stella on your I7 computer, smooth as silk. Or play it on an original Atari, smooth as silk.

 

I think you either need a high end computer or an original Atari to produce perfectly smooth movement especially in HERO.

 

[Chemical Burrito]

3 hours ago, donjn said:

 

The Atari 2600+ CPU is based on a 9 year old modified chip. It simply is just not strong enough. The same thing happened with the Flashback. These things are not built on strong chips. 

Try playing HERO on Stella on your I7 computer, smooth as silk. Or play it on an original Atari, smooth as silk.

 

I think you either need a high end computer or an original Atari to produce perfectly smooth movement especially in HERO.

 

I think this is some other problem than the 2600+'s CPU.  I get far smoother movement in HERO than what's recorded in that video clip with a Retron 77 ... and with Retroarch/Stella on a Miyoo Mini Plus.

 

Edit:  I need to try out HERO on the 2600+ myself, but that is going to take some digging in the cartridge library boxes in my storage closet - I've only got my 7800 cartridges out right now for the 2600+.

Edited December 5, 2023 by Chemical Burrito
More info

[+Stephen]

2 hours ago, donjn said:

Try playing HERO on Stella on your I7 computer, smooth as silk. Or play it on an original Atari, smooth as silk.

 

I think you either need a high end computer or an original Atari to produce perfectly smooth movement especially in HERO.

The hell you talking about?  2600 emulators were silky smooth from the 486 days and up.  It doesn't take an i7 to emulate one - trust me.

[tradyblix]

4 hours ago, littaum said:

 

Is it the SwordQuest AirWorld Philosopher's Stone or the Sword of Ultimate Sorcery?  I'm sure they're hanging around in an office shelf somewhere!

 

https://www.ataricompendium.com/archives/articles/swordquest_revisited/swordquest_revisited.html

 

Honestly the new Atari would be nuts to not do something around this. because there is so much of a legend that has grown up around this game and this competition that it is insane.

 

It's almost as big as the digging ET out of the landfill thing.

 

I mean just imagine the PR you could generate from actually getting a new sword and Philosopher's Stone created and giving them away in some kind of new competition. and then completing this Legend once and for all. I mean it would be covered by people that don't even play Atari.

[donjn]

1 hour ago, Stephen said:

The hell you talking about?  2600 emulators were silky smooth from the 486 days and up.  It doesn't take an i7 to emulate one - trust me.

Then show me one Retron 77, Atari Flashback or anything other than a Windows PC or original Atari 2600 that can have your character in HERO go left and right and have it be silky smooth.

 

I dont know why it happens but it just does.

 

Edited December 5, 2023 by donjn

[Brad_from_the_80s]

57 minutes ago, tradyblix said:

Honestly the new Atari would be nuts to not do something around this. because there is so much of a legend that has grown up around this game and this competition that it is insane.

 

It's almost as big as the digging ET out of the landfill thing.

 

I mean just imagine the PR you could generate from actually getting a new sword and Philosopher's Stone created and giving them away in some kind of new competition. and then completing this Legend once and for all. I mean it would be covered by people that don't even play Atari.

Yeah, they probably wouldn't even really have to be worth a million dollars or whatever crazy amount it was ($50k? $100k?), something more modest but just unique and one-of-a-kind, or extremely limited quantities or something.  And/or also release SQ Air World on a limited cart and a new comic and make a big deal about it as the final phase of the quest.

Edited December 5, 2023 by Brad_from_the_80s