Tempest Posted August 19, 2004 Share Posted August 19, 2004 After much delay, I'm finally starting work on the 8-bit section of Atariprotos. Since the Atari 8-bit computers had literally thousands of games available (thanks to the tape and disk drive), I'm only going to concentrate on prototype cartridges at this time. That being said, I need your help. While I pride myself on being up to date on all the latest prototype news for the 2600, 5200, and 7800, my knowledge of 8-bit protos is a bit old. I'd appreciate it if people could help me put together a list of all the known 8-bit prototypes (unreleased and WIP betas) out there. Here are the ones I know of: Animated Puzzle Berzerk Commando Cosmic Tunnels Crystal Castles (84 version) Da Fuzz Deflektor Destiny: The Cruiser Jinks Kangaroo Letter Tutor Lifespan Mario Bros. (84 version) Mean 18 Midi Maze Montezumas Revenge Mr. Do's Castle (debateable release) Pac-Mac Pac-Man Jr. Saucer (anyone have more info on where this came from?) Star Trux (anyone have more info on where this came from?) Stargate Superman III Super Pac-Man The Last Starfighter Tower Toppler Tutankham (disc only, but it was going to be a cart release) I'm also looking for the following 8-bit roms (cartridge only versions please) so I can review them Animated Puzzle Berzerk Bruce Lee Cosmic Tunnels Crystal Castles (I believe there is a later beta out there where Bentley isn't invincible) Da Fuzz Deflektor Final Legacy (there are at least 2 betas with icons out there) Jinks Kangaroo Letter Tutor Lifespan Mario Bros. (84 version) Mr. Do's Castle Montezuma's Revenge Pac-Man Jr. Stargate Starship the Destiny Tempest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Mitch Posted August 19, 2004 Share Posted August 19, 2004 You can add Superman 3 to your list. Mitch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted August 19, 2004 Author Share Posted August 19, 2004 Doh! I knew I forgot one. Thanks. Tempest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
www.atarimania.com Posted August 19, 2004 Share Posted August 19, 2004 There are many more if you count all third-party developers. I'll add some other titles later on. -- Atari Frog http://www.atarimania.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted August 19, 2004 Author Share Posted August 19, 2004 There are many more if you count all third-party developers. I'll add some other titles later on. Yes I suppose you're right. I wasn't even thinking about htird part cartridges, but I will cover them. The ones I can think of off the top of my head: Starship Destiny (Adventure International I think) Cosmic Tunnels Da Fuzz Lifespan Montezumas Revenge Pac-Mac Tutankham (disc only, but it was going to be a cart release) Mr. Do's Castle (debateable release) Tempest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+davidcalgary29 Posted August 19, 2004 Share Posted August 19, 2004 You can also add "Jinks" (available now from Video 61) to that list. Xenophobe is known to exist. Mat Mania Challenge is most likely out there, and I've heard that some retailers plan to release it next year. Tickled Pink advises that he almost completed Loopz. Does this make it a homebrew or a proto? I think Curt advised that he was sure a proto existed for Liberator, and we now (of course) have Blaster. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goochman Posted August 19, 2004 Share Posted August 19, 2004 Id love to see how Xenophobe came out for the 8bit - Video61 was about to sell it and then nothing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted August 19, 2004 Author Share Posted August 19, 2004 Xenophobe is known to exist. Mat Mania Challenge is most likely out there, and I've heard that some retailers plan to release it next year. Same with Ikari Warriors, but I haven't seen those yet so it's hard to review them. Liberator does indeed exist, but it too has yet to be seen. Just thought of another one: Jinks. Tempest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+davidcalgary29 Posted August 19, 2004 Share Posted August 19, 2004 You can also add: Rampage Bruce Lee from PB: Montezuma's Revenge (I do have a proto of this) Dig Dug is an interesting problem, as two versions were released for the 8-bits. Does the "blocky" version count as a proto? I've also heard that the 5200 version of Qix was ported by Atari to the A8 and that a proto cart exists -- somewhere. Battlezone was released in 1987, but I'd be surprised if an earlier version isn't floating around somewhere. I have a feeling that Ninja Golf is going to turn up for the XE one day, but am not holding my breath for this one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted August 19, 2004 Author Share Posted August 19, 2004 You can also add: Rampage Bruce Lee Rampage wasn't a prototype, it was a conversion done by Sunmark. I don't know what to make of Bruce Lee, Lance told me he found it in a box of carts so I guess it is a prototype, but it seems really odd. Apperently Datasoft was planning on porting a bunch of disk games to cartridge. Speaking of which here's another one to add: Cosmic Tunnels Montezuma's Revenge (I do have a proto of this) Yep I forgot that. Thank you. Dig Dug is an interesting problem, as two versions were released for the 8-bits. Does the "blocky" version count as a proto? Yeah I don't know how I'll handle that one. It's really not a prototype, but it is interesting... I've also heard that the 5200 version of Qix was ported by Atari to the A8 and that a proto cart exists -- somewhere. I've never heard that but it would make sense. I'd be interested if that ever turns up. Battlezone was released in 1987, but I'd be surprised if an earlier version isn't floating around somewhere Well the 87 version was a complete rewrite, much like Mario Bros was. It would make sense that the 5200 version was out there, but I haven't seen it. Same deal with Xevious, it's got to be out there. I have a feeling that Ninja Golf is going to turn up for the XE one day, but am not holding my breath for this one I talked to David Dentt (who did the 7800 version) and he told me that the XE version was finished. He didn't have a copy though. Tempest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+davidcalgary29 Posted August 19, 2004 Share Posted August 19, 2004 Point taken with Rampage, but Atari did plan to release it as a cart for the XEGS. I'm certain that the ROM image for that one will show up (someday). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted August 19, 2004 Author Share Posted August 19, 2004 Point taken with Rampage, but Atari did plan to release it as a cart for the XEGS. I'm certain that the ROM image for that one will show up (someday). Would it have been the same version? Tempest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+davidcalgary29 Posted August 19, 2004 Share Posted August 19, 2004 I don't know that much about the XEGS development team, but I have been told that that "talks were in place to license "Rampage" for the XEGS". It does seems likely that Atari was talking to different software houses to license titles in the hopes of bolstering their XEGS lineup. I haven't heard of a separate effort on the part of Atari to code a version of "Rampage" from the ground up, although this should have been done IMO. The XE version of "Rampage" is pretty weak. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ndary Posted August 19, 2004 Share Posted August 19, 2004 its been months since my last post i would like to add one proto that i have: Blue Print, its 16k version (not the 5200 glenn port) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted August 19, 2004 Author Share Posted August 19, 2004 i would like to add one proto that i have: Blue Print, its 16k version (not the 5200 glenn port) So it DOES exist! Have you dumped it? Is it exactly the same as the 5200 version? Tempest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curt Vendel Posted August 19, 2004 Share Posted August 19, 2004 Matt, A proto of Cloak & Dagger for the Atari 800 prototype should be added to your list... According to the programmer, while rumors had always circulated about it being a new title of the Atari 5200 (and of course in the movie, it was shown as a 5200 cartridge), that version was never started, but in fact the Atari 800 version was being done first and one would assume, it would then be ported to the 5200. To answer David's question, myself and another expert have detected and are in the works of tracking down an actual Atari 800 version of Liberator, we've found a lot of conclusive evidence to date and we are hoping that once a certain 500LB washing machine sized hard disk system is brought back on-line by me in the coming months, we may have found the actual game itself... Curt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ApolloBoy Posted August 19, 2004 Share Posted August 19, 2004 Montezuma's Revenge (I do have a proto of this) By any chance do you mean the cart version? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deathtrappomegranate Posted August 19, 2004 Share Posted August 19, 2004 AA member "atari-passion" posted a message here a while back about having a cart of Cosmic Tunnels, although he didn't post any pictures or a dump. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+davidcalgary29 Posted August 19, 2004 Share Posted August 19, 2004 Montezuma's Revenge (I do have a proto of this) By any chance do you mean the cart version? Yes; I was fortunate enough to acquire it from Nir Dary. I think there's a few proto carts of this game floating around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
www.atarimania.com Posted August 20, 2004 Share Posted August 20, 2004 Yes, the reworked version of Montezuma's Revenge (not the original Utopia Software beta) was supposed to be on cart but it ended up as a disk-only release in the US. Does anybody know what happened to the sequel, Barbados Booty? There is no disk version of Tutankham. It seems there are two versions floating around but they are just files extracted from the unreleased cartridge. Box exists, be sure to check the ad: http://www.atarimania.com/detail_soft.php?...VERSION_ID=5561 There is now evidence Mr. Do's Castle was officially released by Parker Brothers Canada. It was also sold in the US but on disk only. The manual mentions a cartridge version of Cosmic Tunnels and I believe Video 61 has it for sale. You can add the following to your list: - Hardhat Willy by Inhome Software - Gold Mine by Spectravideo - Eyes, Rockball, Gyruss by Roklan (don't know whether the first two were ever started but Gyruss definitely was) - several titles by ZiMAG probably - some four or five games by Romox - Winter Games - Ixion... Don't forget all the planned CBS Software stuff, Imagic games (Fathom, Moonsweeper...), missing SEGA or Activision programs... -- Atari Frog http://www.atarimania.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted August 20, 2004 Author Share Posted August 20, 2004 Wow alot of stuff to go through, I'm going to have to choose what I add to my page carefully. There is no disk version of Tutankham. It seems there are two versions floating around but they are just files extracted from the unreleased cartridge. Good to know. You can add the following to your list:- Gold Mine by Spectravideo I've seen a picture of the cartridge, I think it was released. - Eyes, Rockball, Gyruss by Roklan (don't know whether the first two were ever started but Gyruss definitely was) Gyruss? Was it the same as the PB version? - some four or five games by Romox I've got some Romox ECPC carts, but I'm not sure they count as protos. For instance I have MASH and Porky's which were never released by 20th Century Fox, but I guess they were semi-officially released by Romox. Do they count as protos? I'd lean towards yes. - Winter Games- Ixion... Any evidence of Winter Games (I assume you mean the XE release)? Ixion on cartridge for the 8-bit? Tempest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
www.atarimania.com Posted August 20, 2004 Share Posted August 20, 2004 I've seen a picture of the cartridge, I think it was released. Flyer states Gold Mine was tape only. I would believe the cartridge pictured is a sample only. Gyruss? Was it the same as the PB version? Here's the full story: http://www.digitpress.com/archives/arc00168.htm I've got some Romox ECPC carts, but I'm not sure they count as protos. For instance I have MASH and Porky's which were never released by 20th Century Fox, but I guess they were semi-officially released by Romox. Do they count as protos? I'd lean towards yes. Nope, I'm referring to other titles. I'll send you a PM... Any evidence of Winter Games (I assume you mean the XE release)? Box is said to exist and there is at least a demo of the game. Don't know whether it's the unreleased Epyx port or a rewrite. What about Skyfox? Ixion on cartridge for the 8-bit? Probably. Check http://www.atarimania.com/detail_soft.php?...VERSION_ID=2628 and the thread in the VCS section for more information. Don't forget Tigervision as well. -- Atari Frog http://www.atarimania.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted August 20, 2004 Author Share Posted August 20, 2004 Quote:Gyruss? Was it the same as the PB version? Here's the full story: http://www.digitpress.com/archives/arc00168.htm Huh interesting. Looks like he lived right near me and even worked at Ford at one point. Kinda cool since I don't know many game programmers from Michigan. Tempest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myatari Posted August 25, 2004 Share Posted August 25, 2004 Had a great show at CGE2004. We brought with us and sold. Mash Crystal Castles 1984(works on 16K machine where 99 version req 64K) Berzerk Superman II Deflector Tower Toppler Super Man III(Author came by and bought one for his collection) Kangaroo Last Starfighter Pac Man Jr Stargate Super Pac Man Still packed from our move many years ago we do have Commando Midi Maze Mat Mania Xenophobe Bruce Lee Picnic Paranoia Plus others that I can not remember. There was a whole room at Atari that we cleaned out which only contained 2600, 7800 and 8-bit proto stuff. My problem is time. Most of it is still boxed in our warehouse. Auctions past and present. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...item=8125986099 http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...item=8125986968 http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...item=8125312083 http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...item=8119008691 http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...item=8125986599 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Mitch Posted August 25, 2004 Share Posted August 25, 2004 There was a whole room at Atari that we cleaned out which only contained 2600, 7800 and 8-bit proto stuff. Do you happen to remember what 7800 proto stuff you had? Mitch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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