Collecting for the 2600+

[KainXavier]

11 hours ago, sramirez2008 said:

It’s actually based on the PC game Crossfire. 
 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crossfire_(1981_video_game)

 

if your interested in the game, check out the reviews in the AtariAge Store. 

I actually own T:ME Salvo, and I really like it.  I've been meaning to leave a review for it. 

 

Regarding Crossfire, I've never played the game, but I will definitely check it out if I wind up buying an Atari 400 Mini.  (Or hopefully, the eventual "Maxi" with a full-sized keyboard and/or cartridge port?)  Weirdly enough, there was another game called Crossfire released for the Xbox 360.  It was part of a series of excellent shooters put out by Radiangames.  Sadly, most of them have not made the jump from that platform but they would absolutely feel right at home on the 2600+.

@MikeM_

I don't doubt there would be engineering challenges and even compromises.  I just think an all-in-one solution would be nice.  I have a few 5200 games I would love to be able to play.  I will eventually break down and buy a 5200, and probably a four port model at that 😬, but I'm okay with an imperfect solution or some kind of stop-gap measure in the interim.

 

Edited January 27 by KainXavier

[John Stamos Mullet]

6 hours ago, DEANJIMMY said:

I learned that food fight arcade was using analogue controls when my 8bitdo controller started to suck on mame... and I said why analogue controls... it makes sense for FIFA but not for those old games...

Yeah, the Food Fight gimbal stick was a weird choice. They used that so you can sit on the piles of food and spray in a slow moving circle.

 

if you want to play it properly on MAME with a digital stick, you have to use a newer version of MAME that has the option to set the analog stick dead zone, and set it to 0 so it auto centers.

Edited January 27 by John Stamos Mullet

[Sean_1970]

11 hours ago, DEANJIMMY said:

I learned that food fight arcade was using analogue controls when my 8bitdo controller started to suck on mame... and I said why analogue controls... it makes sense for FIFA but not for those old games...

Sinistar also used an “omnidirectional joystick” - I think it was optical though? MAME uses analogue stick for that as well. I mainly find it just makes it more fiddly to control 😅

[+Intellivision Master]

Some of you might already know this.  But for those who don't.  Atari Age has an eBay store.  I might try getting some homebrews from there.  Because their eBay store has free shipping for the US.  If only the AA store had free shipping as well.

[+Intellivision Master]

I tested Astroblast on my 7800.  The game works with the joystick.  Too bad it doesn't work with one on the Plus.  Maybe the firmware update fixes that.  I'm just glad I can play the game on original hardware without issue.  That's why I have it as a backup system.  And so I can play 7800 homebrews too.  As well as some 2600 homebrews like Galagon.

Edited January 27 by Intellivision Master

[+sramirez2008]

I really like that the 2600+ plays PAL and NTSC games. As such I am after a copy of Parachute. I always wanted a cart copy of this game. Btw, if you like Parachute, check out the homebrew Dare Devil.

[scifidude79]

3 minutes ago, sramirez2008 said:

I really like that the 2600+ plays PAL and NTSC games.

That really makes it easier to get cartridges as you don't have to worry about getting the correct ones for your region. 😎

[Peloquin17]

19 hours ago, MikeM_ said:

I’m curious if all five of those pitfall carts experience the clicking sound or not. 

Haven’t tested them yet, but the one that I already have wasn’t making any clicking noise. 

[JetmanUK]

15 hours ago, Brad_from_the_80s said:

Great game!  Love the sound effects, the game play, even the graphics.  It is technically slightly simplified from other ports, but still a great favorite of mine.  Took me a while for some reason to discern the bonus lives/ships from the little asteroid chunks that fly at you, but there's one to catch in almost every level and is key to having enough chances to advance in the game. 

 

When I first got this one, being an Activision cart, at first it didn't want to work at all and thought I had a DOA.  Then it would work with careful/touchy/just-right insertion.  And now for whatever reason it mostly just works.  Also the label had been punched through exposed the screws, and I think someone had opened the cart for reasons I can't even imagine.  Oh well.  Replacement label is an option but the graphic is so busy one hardly notices either way.

I need to check out a guide on collectables. The thing that goes across the top between waves seems to drop stuff you have to avoid, and it looks like you can't shoot it either. 

 

My cart is the boring white label one, it's in good condition though. 

[+Intellivision Master]

I ordered more stuff.  2 homebrew games and an interesting multi-cart.  The multi-cart has switches on it to select the game.  Hopefully it works on the 2600+, just like the 10in1 does.  If not, then it should work on my 7800.

Edited January 27 by Intellivision Master

[JetmanUK]

21 hours ago, MysticSword said:

Yay! 🥳 I'm happy to get a wonderful goodie in the mail today. Defender II (otherwise known as Stargate).

The cartridge is in excellent condition and I just had a good session for about an hour playing it on my 2600+.

I'm really impressed with this game, the graphics and sounds are really good and overall I find this game a lot of fun to play.

Defender and Stargate were a couple of games I remember fondly playing back in the day in the arcades, and I think this 2600 version of Defender II (Stargate) is excellently done and I can see it quickly becoming one of my fav games to play on my 2600+.

     I didn't know how to use the smart-bombs at first, then I thought "Hmm... Maybe it uses the fire-button on a 2nd controller?" as I vaguely remember reading or hearing that somewhere (maybe a Youtube game review video, as I often watch game-play / reviews of games before deciding to go ahead and buy it). And sure enough that's how to use a smart-bomb. So, using a thick rubber band to hold together two game-pad controllers I placed back-to back, controlling my ship and firing with one controller with my left hand, then my right-index finger just resting underneath next to the fire-button on the 2nd controller so I can then quickly use a smart-bomb when I want.

   By the way, many thanks to @Intellivision Master for recommending me TheNerdporium.com , where I got Defender II from and for a much more reasonable price compared to the ones I seen listed on Ebay.

~

And another game arrived today as well (which I got from Ebay for a cheap price), Grand Prix. An Activision game. It's a side-scrolling racing game, with 4 different tracks (one longer than the next) in which you try to get the fastest time you can. I find it's rather fun actually.

 

Great buy, both fun. You could say that Defender 2 is one of the best scrolling shooters on the platform. 

[JetmanUK]

20 hours ago, DEANJIMMY said:

Playing Stargate with the unijoysticle2 and a Dualsense. Two controllers on one pad🤙

I am STILL awaiting mine, the tracking on eBay shows that the expected day has passed, I've contacted the seller, not their fault obviously, I have just have to sit tight for now. 

[JetmanUK]

19 hours ago, Intellivision Master said:

I started playing some of the M Network games.  Astroblast doesn't work with the joystick or gamepad.  I read somewhere it uses paddles on the Atari 2600+.  Right now I don't have any.  But I'll try the game on my 7800.  

 

Next I played Armor Ambush.  That works fine.  Lastly I played JetmanUK's favorite game Dark Cavern.  This one didn't work when fully inserted.  The screen glitched out.  I had to pull the cart up a little then it was good to go.

 

By the way, I tried the hot swap method when playing these games.  I like it.  It's fun doing that.  Tomorrow I'll test out the other 4 games from the lot using the hot swap.  It makes it easier.

I'm glad you enjoyed your haul! Yeah hot swapping is the way to go, when you get past the jarring no no that it would be on original hardware you realise that it's a more authentic experience overall, loading is much faster and therefore more cartridge gaming-esque. 

[MysticSword]

5 minutes ago, JetmanUK said:

Great buy, both fun. You could say that Defender 2 is one of the best scrolling shooters on the platform. 

Agreed! Well at least to me and of the games I currently have in my growing collection of Atari 2600 cartridges (now over 60 games), Defender II (Stargate) I'd say is the best scrolling-shooter 2600 game I have and after playing it more it's up in my top favs from my collection. With Pitfall I'd say still being my top fav 2600 game, though of course the games are a lot different of course, so it depends on what I'm in the mood to play at the time, and I still enjoy playing a variety of the other games in my collection too.

[shane857]

6 hours ago, Intellivision Master said:

Some of you might already know this.  But for those who don't.  Atari Age has an eBay store.  I might try getting some homebrews from there.  Because their eBay store has free shipping for the US.  If only the AA store had free shipping as well.

Yes free or even reduced shipping to the UK would be awesome.

[shane857]

Won this on ebay recently for about £50. I didn't play this as a child...back in the day. If I had, probably would have enjoyed the game thou walked about aimlessly wondering WTF to do! 🤣 Playing it now thou I

Edited January 27 by shane857
edit

[shane857]

like how the ark is randomly placed. Multiple play throughs

[+sramirez2008]

29 minutes ago, shane857 said:

Won this on ebay recently for about £50. I didn't play this as a child...back in the day. If I had, probably would have enjoyed the game thou walked about aimlessly wondering WTF to do! 🤣 Playing it now thou I

Make sure you have two controllers. The right controls Indy, the left controls your inventory. 
 

Game On!

[+Intellivision Master]

I played the other 4 M Network games.  They all worked fine.  

[+Intellivision Master]

Here are the 7 games I got recently.  It's a good collection.  

 

Frogs and Flies is fun.  I like how the frogs jump off screen when the game is over and "The End" appears.

 

By the way, I like all the games in this lot.  Some more than others.  The Tron Deadly Discs is another good one.

Edited January 28 by Intellivision Master

[Brad_from_the_80s]

7 hours ago, JetmanUK said:

I need to check out a guide on collectables. The thing that goes across the top between waves seems to drop stuff you have to avoid, and it looks like you can't shoot it either. 

 

My cart is the boring white label one, it's in good condition though. 

That's the Sentinel ship.  You have 3 torpedoes each round (Up on joystick) that can destroy it, but you have to also avoid the Green Blockers descending on whatever beam you're on.  So it's a matter of maneuvering and timing, but pretty easy to kill the Sentinel in the first few rounds.

[Brad_from_the_80s]

WOW, 50 pages on this topic!

Edited January 28 by Brad_from_the_80s

[+Intellivision Master]

1 minute ago, Brad_from_the_80s said:

WOW, 50 pages on this topic!

Here's to 50 more.  

[+jeremiahjt]

Some of the posts in the thread could have been new topics themselves. The best maze shooters, fixed shooters, and non-fixed shooters all could have easily been separate threads.

[JetmanUK]

11 hours ago, Brad_from_the_80s said:

That's the Sentinel ship.  You have 3 torpedoes each round (Up on joystick) that can destroy it, but you have to also avoid the Green Blockers descending on whatever beam you're on.  So it's a matter of maneuvering and timing, but pretty easy to kill the Sentinel in the first few rounds.

I didn't even know you had torpedos in this game. 🤷🏻🤦🏻🤣

Edited January 28 by JetmanUK