The Atari 2600+ is live for preorders!

[doctorclu]

A step in the right direction.  Being able to play 2600/7800 carts and HDMI support.

 

Add in 5200, Lynx, and Jaguar and I'm in 100%. 

Hey the hardware power and emulation is there now, give me a game system that will play 90% of ANY Atari systems cartridge.

[alex_79]

10 hours ago, T.A.P. said:

Honestly, when I looked at the compatibility list, I was surprised to see so few games were listed as incompatible. I figured it was going to be way more.

People who know a bit about the technical aspects had the exact opposite reaction to that compatibility list.

What it shows is that the dumper only supports plain 2k and 4k games plus 2 types of bank-switched carts: Atari F8 (8K) and Atari F6 (16K). The same as the dumper in the Retron 77. Games using other bank-switching methods are marked "untested". 

 

The list looks quite suspicious, if anything.

They tested "Custer Revenge", "Gamma Attack" and "Red Sea Crossing" but they couldn't find a "Decathlon" cart?

Why Supercharger games are in the list? Those are cassette tapes, where are you supposed to insert them in the 2600+? Wouldn't the Supercharger itself been there and not the tapes?

 

 

It has been stated that the dumper software can be updated, so maybe some more scheme could be added before the launch. But at the moment that compatibility list is quite unimpressive.

Edited August 31, 2023 by alex_79

[+jgkspsx]

Mr Run and Jump is 32kB and confirmed to work.

[Dionoid]

7 hours ago, jgkspsx said:

Mr Run and Jump is 32kB and confirmed to work.

I remember the developer said the game is 12kB. This was during his interview on the ZPH stream.

[+jgkspsx]

49 minutes ago, Dionoid said:

I remember the developer said the game is 12kB. This was during his interview on the ZPH stream.

Oh. Well, there goes that ray of hope. I sweat I read it was 32 somewhere officialish but that doesn’t mean it’s true.

[nopaybob]

Been going back and forth on this, Finally did it. 

[Dionoid]

2 hours ago, nopaybob said:

Been going back and forth on this, Finally did it. 

Why is that CX30+ Paddle Controller Bundle $79.98?

On the Atari website, the price is $39.99.

[alex_79]

17 minutes ago, Dionoid said:

Why is that CX30+ Paddle Controller Bundle $79.98?

On the Atari website, the price is $39.99.

He bought 2 of them.

[juansolo]

Showing off that he has three friends that are into Warlords... 😜 Lucky bugger.

Edited September 1, 2023 by juansolo

[roots.genoa]

Now how is he gonna connect four paddle controllers to a single Atari 2600+ is the real question. 🤔

[Spriggy]

25 minutes ago, roots.genoa said:

Now how is he gonna connect four paddle controllers to a single Atari 2600+ is the real question. 🤔

The original CX30 paddles are two paddles connected via a single DB9 port.  Joined persay.  Hence two DB9 ports .... 4 paddles.  Really only for Warlords.  A bit pricey I admit.

[alex_79]

12 minutes ago, Spriggy said:

Really only for Warlords.

Video Olympics has 4-players variations for each of the games. QuadraPong is actually 4-players only.

[BassGuitari]

3 hours ago, roots.genoa said:

Now how is he gonna connect four paddle controllers to a single Atari 2600+ is the real question. 🤔

The same way he would to a real 2600.  What's the question?

[legeek]

I'll be curious to hear how well the controllers work, I definitely could use some non-jittery paddles and some more CX40s.

[roots.genoa]

5 hours ago, BassGuitari said:

The same way he would to a real 2600.  What's the question?

I didn't know they used one port for two controllers, that's all.

[Giles N]

So - if Atari wants to make it compatible with as many 2600 games as possible, they’d need to use the same sort of code as is used on Retron 77 firmware updates ?

 

Or are the lists from the most recent firmware that can be run on a Retron 77 ?

 

And what kind of emulation software is used for the 7800 games…?

 

I think they’d be able to sell much more of if they could firmly say by November 17th - all 7800 titles will work, - even better - it will run just like a true 7800, but via emulation, and the same for 2600 games.

 

It may be that’d have to make exceptions if they don’t use universally reading emulation software ‘it plays everything released for the 2600 with exception of 3 rare titles…’ 

Anything in this direction would sound much better.

 

And should this be very hard?

 

How common are emulation-softwares running/playing any 2600 or 7800 ROM?

 

Or how much work or investments will it be to get the Retron 77-like firmware (if thats what they’re really using) to go read ROMs for 2 consoles universally…?

 

I believe they’d serve everyones interest by making it (firmware) as universal as possible:

- sell more consoles since more retro-gamers get to play their actual favourite title

- enable themselves for a wider range of ‘new releases’ for both the 2600 and 7800 (if they care too)

- thus, by selling much to many, catering broadly to retro-gamers intererests, they make more money!

That should be a sort-of win-win thing.

 

Hope they get that firmware updated and refined asap.

[alex_79]

5 hours ago, Giles N said:

So - if Atari wants to make it compatible with as many 2600 games as possible, they’d need to use the same sort of code as is used on Retron 77 firmware updates ?

 

Or are the lists from the most recent firmware that can be run on a Retron 77 ?

The Retron 77, with the community build, can play everything that Stella can play (so, almost any known game) through the sd card.

The 2600+ ships with the latest Stella, so it would do the same if it could load roms (and if there was a way to access the emulator settings that you might need to tweak in some cases). But it doesn't offer that possibility out of the box.

 

The cart port is the issue and the R77 one is no better than the one on the 2600+ by looking at the compatibility list they provided. The 2600+ cart dumper is apparently upgradable, so there's the possibility that things might improve a bit. But do not expect it to work with everything. It's just not possible.

 

5 hours ago, Giles N said:

I think they’d be able to sell much more of if they could firmly say by November 17th - all 7800 titles will work, - even better - it will run just like a true 7800, but via emulation, and the same for 2600 games.

 

That's an inherent contraddiction. Cannot happen. It has been repeated basically on every page of this and the other 2600+ threads and also on the R77 ones: emulators don't play cartridges.

 

5 hours ago, Giles N said:

It may be that’d have to make exceptions if they don’t use universally reading emulation software ‘it plays everything released for the 2600 with exception of 3 rare titles…’ 

Anything in this direction would sound much better.

 

And should this be very hard?

Not hard. Impossible.

 

5 hours ago, Giles N said:

How common are emulation-softwares running/playing any 2600 or 7800 ROM?

As long as the emulators are mantained (to add support for new cart types and controllers/accessories) and you keep updating them, they'll play basically every rom. But the 2600+ pretends to play cartridges. That's the problem.

 

 

Edited September 4, 2023 by alex_79

[+batari]

On 8/31/2023 at 5:53 AM, alex_79 said:

People who know a bit about the technical aspects had the exact opposite reaction to that compatibility list.

What it shows is that the dumper only supports plain 2k and 4k games plus 2 types of bank-switched carts: Atari F8 (8K) and Atari F6 (16K). The same as the dumper in the Retron 77. Games using other bank-switching methods are marked "untested". 

 

The list looks quite suspicious, if anything.

They tested "Custer Revenge", "Gamma Attack" and "Red Sea Crossing" but they couldn't find a "Decathlon" cart?

Why Supercharger games are in the list? Those are cassette tapes, where are you supposed to insert them in the 2600+? Wouldn't the Supercharger itself been there and not the tapes?

 

 

It has been stated that the dumper software can be updated, so maybe some more scheme could be added before the launch. But at the moment that compatibility list is quite unimpressive.

I had no idea that the R77 had such a limited library, and that the 2600+ was the same. I assumed that Retron and Atari had done their diligence in figuring out how to autodetect and dump most of the known cartridge types, as we did more than a decade ago in an old thread about how to use your Harmony as a cart dumper.

 

Or if they couldn't or didn't want to figure it out, they could have always contacted me about it. It's not like it's hard to find me

 

 

[alex_79]

18 minutes ago, batari said:

I assumed that Retron and Atari had done their diligence in figuring out how to autodetect and dump most of the known cartridge types, as we did more than a decade ago in an old thread about how to use your Harmony as a cart dumper.

I built the adapter cable back then and I remember that auto-detection worked well and I could dump my original carts correctly with it. (link)

Edited September 4, 2023 by alex_79

[Thomas Jentzsch]

12 minutes ago, batari said:

Or if they couldn't or didn't want to figure it out, they could have always contacted me about it. It's not like it's hard to find me

AFAIK Hyperkin never reacted to our community comments. But since their dumper cannot be updated, they could have not reacted anyway.

 

Atari/Plaion did better. They contacted us (The Stella team), listened to our advice and at least partially followed them. I am optimistic that the dumper will be improved.

 

@batari I suppose you are not prepared to share information about dumping Harmony/Melody carts with us or them?

Edited September 4, 2023 by Thomas Jentzsch

[Giles N]

5 hours ago, alex_79 said:

The Retron 77, with the community build, can play everything that Stella can play (so, almost any known game) through the sd card.

(…)

The 2600+ cart dumper is apparently upgradable, so there's the possibility that things might improve a bit. But do not expect it to work with everything. It's just not possible.

1) the community build? Like hardware changes or multi-csrts with SD cards…?

Why couldn’t Atari do something similar if not 100% the same?

 

2) improvements would be welcome, and would probably help selling the 2600 + to more people, 

5 hours ago, alex_79 said:

As long as the emulators are mantained (to add support for new cart types and controllers/accessories) and you keep updating them, they'll play basically every rom. But the 2600+ pretends to play cartridges. That's the problem.

 

 

Well, so if Atari makes necessary upgrades it could expand the rom-library at to become much bigger?

 

- - -  

 

Why don’t they get all officially launched 7800 titles to run, when you can find such emulations virtually thrown after you on the net…?

 

Is it simply a dumper-reading problem…?

 

Can dumper reading problems be fixed with software updates, or would you need another hardware set-up for dumper and pc-hardware…?

 

That is: is there any reason to wait around for a firmware update to be able to play Commando, Midnight Mutants, Motor Psycho etc… or would Atari have to fix this as to hardware and/or in combination to software prior to launch? (And if they don’t just use it for what it is or leave it)?

[Thomas Jentzsch]

26 minutes ago, Giles N said:

Why...?

I suggest reading this thread before you repeat asking questions which have been answered in detail before. In this very thread.

Edited September 4, 2023 by Thomas Jentzsch

[Giles N]

1 hour ago, Thomas Jentzsch said:

answered in detail before.

Sorry, but I don’t find a detailed description of the 7800 emulation software the 2600+ uses in this thread.

 

I see people pointing out that emulation isn’t like true hardware reading cartridges, but if it’s using emulation, and emulation already exist to successfully read all officially launched 7800-titles (…often the prototypes in addition), then I still wonder why it would be a problem to get the 2600+ emulation software to do the same…

 

 

[+Defender_2600]

I hope the Atari 2600+ doesn't use ProSystem emulator for 7800 games.

[alex_79]

41 minutes ago, Giles N said:

I see people pointing out that emulation isn’t like true hardware reading cartridges, but if it’s using emulation, and emulation already exist to successfully read all officially launched 7800-titles (…often the prototypes in addition), then I still wonder why it would be a problem to get the 2600+ emulation software to do the same…

The problem is the cartridge dumper, not the emulator.

Obtaining a correct rom trying to autodetect the cartridge type is difficult and prone to errors.
And if you don't get a proper rom, even if you have the most accurate emulator in the world, you won't be able to play the game.