The Atari 2600+ is live for preorders!

[Dr Karnov]

18 minutes ago, Ben from Plaion said:

Yeah it's been on my mind to post a request for community help with beta testing, but I think I leave myself open to accusations of freeloading for commercial gain - this has happened already on this forum. I have to be considered and thoughtful. Pissing people off that built the 2600 scene for 30 years after Atari left it is something that I want to avoid.

 

Generally a big update is made to the firmware and I then travel to the Embracer Archive in Sweden to individually test around 300 original carts. Usually a 4 day round trip. I'm not moaning about visiting such a cool place but still you can see it's certainly an undertaking.

If there's a beta of a new build I'm happy to test my 80 odd carts (mixture of 2600 & 7800, PAL and NTSC) and let you know how they're running

[Ben from Plaion]

4 minutes ago, Dr Karnov said:

If there's a beta of a new build I'm happy to test my 80 odd carts (mixture of 2600 & 7800, PAL and NTSC) and let you know how they're running

Perfect candidate for the 50/60hz auto cartridge territory detect beta. Everything else on the build is stock launch day build.

 

I'll DM tomorrow.

[+remowilliams]

On 11/25/2023 at 8:12 PM, atwwong said:

Has anyone tried out the good old Krokodile Cartridge? Would the results be the same?

I just tried the Kroko with Berzerk single loaded on it.

 

Works on the 7800, does not work on the 2600+ (Loading Game Failed)

[SuperZapperRecharge]

1 hour ago, Ben from Plaion said:

Yeah it's been on my mind to post a request for community help with beta testing, but I think I leave myself open to accusations of freeloading for commercial gain - this has happened already on this forum. I have to be considered and thoughtful. Pissing people off that built the 2600 scene for 30 years after Atari left it is something that I want to avoid.

 

Generally a big update is made to the firmware and I then travel to the Embracer Archive in Sweden to individually test around 300 original carts. Usually a 4 day round trip. I'm not moaning about visiting such a cool place but still you can see it's certainly an undertaking.

I liken it to Apple releasing their beta of the new iPhone OS once a year in June. This goes out to whomever wants to download it and give it a spin. There are people that just like this shit and will gladly help out to make a product better. It's not like beta testers are coding or anything. Yes you use open software but you also contribute back to the software, this is the idea of open source. Now if you need a feature or a particular gnarly debugging session then you may need to may for that level of knowledge at time it takes.

 

The best thing is that most people on Atari Age will gladly beta test. This may produce responses because it is a community and we all have some input, some more than others and deservedly so.

[Albert]

2 minutes ago, SuperZapperRecharge said:

The best thing is that most people on Atari Age will gladly beta test. This may produce responses because it is a community and we all have some input, some more than others and deservedly so.

This is something we are discussing internally...

 

 ..Al

[Rodney Hester]

Semi-random question...I know the new joysticks and paddles have different internals than the originals, but are they clearly marked somehow on the outside of the actual products (stamping in the plastic, whatever) that they are new and not OG hardware (CX40+ or what have you)?  I don't mean on the box, I mean on the controllers themselves (presumably on the underside?).

[atwwong]

12 minutes ago, Rodney Hester said:

Semi-random question...I know the new joysticks and paddles have different internals than the originals, but are they clearly marked somehow on the outside of the actual products (stamping in the plastic, whatever) that they are new and not OG hardware (CX40+ or what have you)?  I don't mean on the box, I mean on the controllers themselves (presumably on the underside?).

Yes, both the joystick and the paddles have a + on the underside.

 

Edited November 28, 2023 by atwwong
Added photos.

[Rodney Hester]

@atwwong Awesome, thank you so much!  If I end up getting a few more next year on the second-hand "gently used" market, I wanted to be confident the seller could establish they are the new ones.  The retail ones are PRICEY!

[+Neon Wraith]

On 10/31/2023 at 7:57 AM, Ben from Plaion said:

Always fun comparing originals to freshly pressed pre-production samples

Hi Ben,

 

I was just curious if there were to be any design improvements to the new joy pads, what would they be?  For me, I like the original 7800 joy pad but some things seem a little out of place ergonomically.  The cord for example exits the pad at the right rear where I would normally put my index finger.  It just seems in the way.  I would personally put it more toward center.  Also the buttons don't seem to stand up from the pad enough.  I honestly think they could use another millimeter of height.  Just my 2P but thought I'd share.

[+remowilliams]

Well, this probably isn't of much use to just about everyone - but the A26 Maxicart seems to work 😄

 

 

 

[Ben from Plaion]

8 hours ago, joeatari1 said:

Hi Ben,

 

I was just curious if there were to be any design improvements to the new joy pads, what would they be?  For me, I like the original 7800 joy pad but some things seem a little out of place ergonomically.  The cord for example exits the pad at the right rear where I would normally put my index finger.  It just seems in the way.  I would personally put it more toward center.  Also the buttons don't seem to stand up from the pad enough.  I honestly think they could use another millimeter of height.  Just my 2P but thought I'd share.

Havent deviated much from the original design from an aesthetic standpoint. Few minor changes on the inside. Feels good. If I get time I'll do a video comparing the two.

[Dalton]

22 hours ago, DEANJIMMY said:

I have a running Super Cobra cart... from the shell it looks like Parker Carts...

Part of the label are gone... could take a picture tomorrow.

Running on 2600+? 

I would love to see it!

[Thomas Jentzsch]

14 minutes ago, Dalton said:

Running on 2600+? 

I would love to see it!

I suppose he means the original Super Cobra (not Super Cobra Arcade).

[Albert]

23 hours ago, Thomas Jentzsch said:

And I am sure Albert can provide the necessary carts for testing.

Yep!

[Albert]

23 hours ago, Ben from Plaion said:

Switching on the Albert Bat signal!

Just saw this, lol. 
 

  ..Al

[DEANJIMMY]

1 hour ago, Thomas Jentzsch said:

I suppose he means the original Super Cobra (not Super Cobra Arcade).

Yes, that's right, never tried the homebrew as I expect it to fail anyway...

[donjn]

I am a little down on the 2600+.

 

I ended up returning mine to Amazon. Its just not for me. It is not an economically viable solution to chase down some of my favorite Atari games like H.E.R.O. ($60), Saboteur ($40) and many more when Stella does a great job on my PC especially with this amazing guy https://atari.com/products/classic-joystick which has a great spinner for Breakout, etc.. I also think any new Atari 2600+ products should have offered support for Atari USB joysticks like the one below which is my favorite classic Atari joystick ever.

 

 

We are seeing games like Outlaw, Fatal Run and others get a re-release and as long as those continue, there will never be a push internally for ROM support.

 

So what would have been my solution? I would have offered a menu system and the option to purchase electronic roms that include a menu with the game instructions. The rom purchase would only work with your system serial number to prevent them form being distributed. And yes, I would have done whatever it takes to get Activision games included as purchases. That way both parties are satisfied. If you want the feel of plugging in a cartridge, you still get that.

 

I enjoyed plugging in my cartridges into the Atari 2600+. However, the nostalgia and need for this lasted about 15 minutes. After that, I began to see potential issues. The 2600 games are slightly loose (obviously because 7800 cartridges are a little bigger) and I still to this day wonder over time on using old, corroded cartridges (not all of us are going to spend the time it takes to clean them completely) on a brand new piece of hardware and how easy it would be to clean 2600+ contacts.

 

I think scan-lines should have been an option instead of 4:3 and 16:9 (I don't know anyone who would play these games stretched).

 

I will still watch this thread and might someday give it a go again and I appreciate @Ben from Plaion and @Albert tremendously for their tireless work and answering all of our questions!

 

Edited November 28, 2023 by donjn

[+jgkspsx]

27 minutes ago, donjn said:

It is not an economically viable solution to chase down some of my favorite Atari games like H.E.R.O. ($60), Saboteur ($40) and many more

This is a little unfair - very few Atari 2600 games are in this price range and it is very easy to assemble a solid collection locally from game stores, flea markets, Facebook Marketplace, garage sales, etc. Admittedly HERO is an amazing game that I do not personally own for the 2600 (I have it on SG-1000 though). Saboteur is a great game that is only available as a modern reproduction although if you watch the buy/sell/trade here you might find one cheaper. But I agree lack of rom/flashcart support is all that is holding me back from buying one.

[donjn]

4 minutes ago, jgkspsx said:

This is a little unfair - very few Atari 2600 games are in this price range and it is very easy to assemble a solid collection locally from game stores, flea markets, Facebook Marketplace, garage sales, etc. Admittedly HERO is an amazing game that I do not personally own for the 2600 (I have it on SG-1000 though). Saboteur is a great game that is only available as a modern reproduction although if you watch the buy/sell/trade here you might find one cheaper. But I agree lack of rom/flashcart support is all that is holding me back from buying one.

Yes it is unfair in general, that's why I said it is a no-go for me.
The games I really like are unfortunately almost all over $15 minimum and there are a lot.

I did the math and it would be hundreds of dollars on top of the Atari 2600+ cost. All for old corroded games that may or may not damage the 2600+.
This is not like vinyl. Old vinyls work on new record players but the needle is easy to clean or change. How do you get into the 2600+ to clean where the old cartridges touch without taking it apart (and I assume voiding the warranty)?

 

I do support the 2600+ and hope it does well for sure.

 

 

Edited November 28, 2023 by donjn

[protomank]

Also, it depends on the country. An original HERO cart is about USD 20 here in Brazil, and you can pick clone carts (her had LOTS of them at the time due to no software copyright law) for less than that. 

[E. King]

1 hour ago, donjn said:

I am a little down on the 2600+.

 

I ended up returning mine to Amazon. Its just not for me. It is not an economically viable solution to chase down some of my favorite Atari games like H.E.R.O. ($60), Saboteur ($40) and many more when Stella does a great job on my PC especially with this amazing guy https://atari.com/products/classic-joystick which has a great spinner for Breakout, etc.. I also think any new Atari 2600+ products should have offered support for Atari USB joysticks like the one below which is my favorite classic Atari joystick ever.

 

 

We are seeing games like Outlaw, Fatal Run and others get a re-release and as long as those continue, there will never be a push internally for ROM support.

 

So what would have been my solution? I would have offered a menu system and the option to purchase electronic roms that include a menu with the game instructions. The rom purchase would only work with your system serial number to prevent them form being distributed. And yes, I would have done whatever it takes to get Activision games included as purchases. That way both parties are satisfied. If you want the feel of plugging in a cartridge, you still get that.

 

I enjoyed plugging in my cartridges into the Atari 2600+. However, the nostalgia and need for this lasted about 15 minutes. After that, I began to see potential issues. The 2600 games are slightly loose (obviously because 7800 cartridges are a little bigger) and I still to this day wonder over time on using old, corroded cartridges (not all of us are going to spend the time it takes to clean them completely) on a brand new piece of hardware and how easy it would be to clean 2600+ contacts.

 

I think scan-lines should have been an option instead of 4:3 and 16:9 (I don't know anyone who would play these games stretched).

 

I will still watch this thread and might someday give it a go again and I appreciate @Ben from Plaion and @Albert tremendously for their tireless work and answering all of our questions!

 

I agree with your overall message though a simple customer friendly sd card slot to add roms would have solved all of this very easily.

The Atari Gamestation Pro and some of the Atari Flashbacks and the Retron 77 all have a very user friendly sd card slot.

[Dalton]

3 hours ago, DEANJIMMY said:

Yes, that's right, never tried the homebrew as I expect it to fail anyway...

 

Sorry for the confusion. Last time when I saw "Compatibility list", "Super Cobra" was marked as "Fail". I was convinced that it uses the same bankswitching method as non-reworked "Bump'n'Jump".

[Brad_from_the_80s]

It's possible this console just isn't for everybody.  It closely recreates a 2600, so the lack of menus, USB, wireless, digital delivery, flash storage, drm, etc, should not be a surprise.  And I like the controller we got WAY better than the modern controller - a nice looking piece of kit that I otherwise don't enjoy that much.  An entirely different product option came to market with wireless controllers and easy rom support.  I feel like the VCS is the most realistic platform for some of the rest.

 

I think describing old carts as all corroded is a bit exaggerated.  I naively thought I was one of the few without a collection trying to catch up really quick scarfing them up on ebay or locally for my 2600+, but apparently several people are doing this and having a lot of fun I'd say.  Even the dirtiest carts I've received cannot remotely be described as corroded, and give every indication that they may last for decades yet.  And these are just loose carts with lots of cosmetic wear.  I've seen pics of really nasty ones, but many even 40+ years old are safe to buy.  Some few particular games are definitely pricey, but most can still be found pretty cheap without too much effort.

[donjn]

2 minutes ago, Brad_from_the_80s said:

It's possible this console just isn't for everybody.  It closely recreates a 2600, so the lack of menus, USB, wireless, digital delivery, flash storage, drm, etc, should not be a surprise.  And I like the controller we got WAY better than the modern controller - a nice looking piece of kit that I otherwise don't enjoy that much.  An entirely different product option came to market with wireless controllers and easy rom support.  I feel like the VCS is the most realistic platform for some of the rest.

 

I think describing old carts as all corroded is a bit exaggerated.  I naively thought I was one of the few without a collection trying to catch up really quick scarfing them up on ebay or locally for my 2600+, but apparently several people are doing this and having a lot of fun I'd say.  Even the dirtiest carts I've received cannot remotely be described as corroded, and give every indication that they may last for decades yet.  And these are just loose carts with lots of cosmetic wear.  I've seen pics of really nasty ones, but many even 40+ years old are safe to buy.  Some few particular games are definitely pricey, but most can still be found pretty cheap without too much effort.

The irony is, if the 2600+ gets SUPER popular, cartridges become more scarce, devaluing the 2600+!
Unless you want to pay $30 for Outlaw, etc, etc....
I'm not a tin foil hat guy but....

 

[Ben from Plaion]

1 hour ago, donjn said:

I am a little down on the 2600+.

 

I ended up returning mine to Amazon. Its just not for me. It is not an economically viable solution to chase down some of my favorite Atari games like H.E.R.O. ($60), Saboteur ($40) and many more when Stella does a great job on my PC especially with this amazing guy https://atari.com/products/classic-joystick which has a great spinner for Breakout, etc.. I also think any new Atari 2600+ products should have offered support for Atari USB joysticks like the one below which is my favorite classic Atari joystick ever.

 

 

We are seeing games like Outlaw, Fatal Run and others get a re-release and as long as those continue, there will never be a push internally for ROM support.

 

So what would have been my solution? I would have offered a menu system and the option to purchase electronic roms that include a menu with the game instructions. The rom purchase would only work with your system serial number to prevent them form being distributed. And yes, I would have done whatever it takes to get Activision games included as purchases. That way both parties are satisfied. If you want the feel of plugging in a cartridge, you still get that.

 

I enjoyed plugging in my cartridges into the Atari 2600+. However, the nostalgia and need for this lasted about 15 minutes. After that, I began to see potential issues. The 2600 games are slightly loose (obviously because 7800 cartridges are a little bigger) and I still to this day wonder over time on using old, corroded cartridges (not all of us are going to spend the time it takes to clean them completely) on a brand new piece of hardware and how easy it would be to clean 2600+ contacts.

 

I think scan-lines should have been an option instead of 4:3 and 16:9 (I don't know anyone who would play these games stretched).

 

I will still watch this thread and might someday give it a go again and I appreciate @Ben from Plaion and @Albert tremendously for their tireless work and answering all of our questions!

 

I kept writing and rewriting a long response, but I'll hold back and say...

 

Well you have your consumer right

to return the product. For sure I'm very disappointed to hear your outcome still. I hope you get to regret your decision in the future 😜