5200 emulation on MyArcade Gamestation Pro

[rra]

The new myArcade GameStation Pro supports Atari 2600, 5200, 7800, and Arcade games.  It is great that they include about ten 5200 games and remembered the 5200 in the Atari console lineage (no Jag support though).

 

In the YouTube review by GenXGrownup, he shows that the 5200 games use Altirra as an emulator.  There is even an on-screen acknowledgement of Altirra when a game loads.  Since previously Altirra was only available under Windows, I wonder how they implemented this version running on a non-windows custom OS?  Did @phaeron help support this version of Altirra?

 

 

 

[phaeron]

It looks like it is using the AltirraOS 5200 ROM, which is a reimplementation of the 5200 OS ROM. It doesn't have any dependency on the main emulator, so it can be used on anything that implements the 5200 hardware. I permissively licensed it, so it can be used this way, but I had no knowledge of or involvement with this device or company. I don't even understand why it would be used here if they had official licensing for the games, they couldn't license the OS ROM too...?

 

 

[+x=usr(1536)]

Option 2 (assuming this is a Linux-based device) would be running Altirra under WINE.  This would make sense if A8 emulation is also included since both it and the 5200 could be covered by a single emulator.

[rra]

52 minutes ago, phaeron said:

It looks like it is using the AltirraOS 5200 ROM, which is a reimplementation of the 5200 OS ROM. It doesn't have any dependency on the main emulator, so it can be used on anything that implements the 5200 hardware. I permissively licensed it, so it can be used this way, but I had no knowledge of or involvement with this device or company. I don't even understand why it would be used here if they had official licensing for the games, they couldn't license the OS ROM too...?

 

 

Yes, I froze the video right before the video launches Missile Command and the text displayed on the screen says "Altirra 5200 ROM Kernal now playing Missile Command."  The message doesn't say it is using the Altirra emulator, but it does say it is using the Altirra 5200 ROM.  Like you say, they licensed all these games, but didn't license the ROM for the 5200?

[0078265317]

Also how can you play 5200 titles with this thing?  There controllers have no keypad.  So its not the same.

[GaryH917]

Looks like a pretty cool device! SD card to download additional games: Wow! Would definitely purchase this before the Atari 2600+.

[BIGHMW]

7 hours ago, GaryH917 said:

Looks like a pretty cool device! SD card to download additional games: Wow! Would definitely purchase this before the Atari 2600+.

I also, saw the video this morning, I'm both stoked AND skeptical about which 5200 titles will work on this unit but the overall capability of being able to run 2600, 5200, AND 7800 games on an SD card is an awesome thing and since my last post in the Atari General section on this same console I have begun to put together a list of 750 (maybe 900, meaning 300 of each) total titles (250 each) that I will load up on a microSD card to play on her that are not keypad-intensive but I'm looking forward to her release but also I want to see if she can play the majority of the homebrews and (in the case of the 2600 titles) ARM-based titles like Champ Games puts out for the 2600, hey it's certainly not another Flashback THIS TIME AROUND!!!

 

But hold the phone, I'm not yet gonna get rid of my vintage consoles yet, in case of any foul-ups involving certain 5200 titles not working properly with this console, but I'm sure since MyArcade seems like they (unlike AtGames) listen to their customer base and their ideas and/or suggestions, that this may not be the end of possible development of the Atari GSP, perhaps a trak-ball or mouse-like controller (for games like Missile Command or Centipede/Millipede) might be in the cards, as well as other designs of joysticks for those who may not be fans of the current stocked flight stick idea.

[BIGHMW]

On 9/18/2023 at 6:53 PM, x=usr(1536) said:

Option 2 (assuming this is a Linux-based device) would be running Altirra under WINE.  This would make sense if A8 emulation is also included since both it and the 5200 could be covered by a single emulator.

That's an excellent suggestion, since it seems like (unlike AtGames) MyArcade takes input from their potential customers seriously (as evident of the comments in the video from GenXGrownUp, who I thought did a wonderful job on the clip) that maybe some of us should throw in OUR TWO CENTS and see if we can get A8/XL/XE support in that Altirra emulator segment of the GSP.

[0078265317]

Plus only 10 5200 games are on this so the real 5200 is still needed.  And the SD slot is not verified to run games and is only for save states currently.

[BIGHMW]

7 minutes ago, 0078265317 said:

Plus only 10 5200 games are on this so the real 5200 is still needed.  And the SD slot is not verified to run games and is only for save states currently.

I suggest you watch the video on this console that Gen X Grown Up made on his YouTube channel, he actually did load up a ton of games including several 5200 titles not on the GSP and they all worked. Now, will almost all of the titles that are not keypad-intensive work, that remains to be seen but from what I saw and heard on the video she is very impressive but Im not ready yet to put my vintage consoles up for grabs quite yet, she's got to go through the BIGHMW here to see just how many 5200 titles (and which ones including homebrews, very important here) she'll work with, 2600 and 7800 titles yes, but it's gonna come down to (after all the development and input from some of us is done) whether her Altirra emulator will also support A8/XL/XE titles as well as certain 5200-exclusive/superior titles.

Edited yesterday at 02:46 AM by BIGHMW
spelling error

[0078265317]

2 minutes ago, BIGHMW said:

I suggest you watch the video on this console that Gen X Grown Up made on his YouTube channel, he actually did load up a ton of game including several 5200 titles not on the GSP and they all worked. Now, will almost all of the titles that are not keypad-intensive work, that remains to be seen but from what I saw and heard on the video she is very impressive but Im not ready yet to put my vintage consoles up for grabs quite yet, she's got to go through the BIGHMW here to see just how many 5200 titles (and which ones including homebrews, very important here) she'll work with, 2600 and 7800 titles yes, but it's gonna come down to (after all the development and input from some of us is done) whether her Altirra emulator will also support A8/XL/XE titles as well as certain 5200-exclusive/superior titles.

Maybe he did.  But that is still unofficial.  Their site does not list that feature.  So they will be no help if you need it or if you brick the console trying to load games from the micro sd card.

[OldSchoolRetroGamer]

6 minutes ago, 0078265317 said:

Maybe he did.  But that is still unofficial.  Their site does not list that feature.  So they will be no help if you need it or if you brick the console trying to load games from the micro sd card.

Not official no, likely it never will be but not the first such console to have the feature or for the feature to be easily added for the home user to take advantage of, they don't make mention of it because it's a technically grey legal area they want no part of, in this case though, they included the feature for people to use for obvious reasons and they know full well it will increase the interest and add to sales if they did not want people doing it officially or otherwise it would have been a simple thing to disable that functionality. Most that buy one will be doing exactly that with it no question. 

Edited yesterday at 02:55 AM by OldSchoolRetroGamer

[0078265317]

I suppose.  Anyhow as for the 5200 maybe they can do some sort of virtual keypad for those 10 games.

[0078265317]

Also here is the list of games.  Not sure if this is correct.  Only 7 5200 titles show.

 

https://armchairarcade.com/perspectives/2023/09/19/game-list-for-my-arcade-atari-gamestation-pro/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=game-list-for-my-arcade-atari-gamestation-pro