2600 Adapter for the 5200

[atari_aaron]

I have a 2600 adapter for the 5200. Will that 2600 adapter work with either the 400 or 800 computer?

[Christophero Sly]

I'm almost certain that it will not.

[Albert]

Assuming you are talking about the cartridge adapter that plugs into the cartridge port, absolutely not. The 5200 cartridge slot is completely different than the cartridge slots on the Atari 8-bit computers. If you're talking about a joystick adapter, that won't work either, as the controller ports are also unique to the 5200. Sorry.

 

..Al

[atari_aaron]

Ok.. thanks, I just remembering reading somewhere that the 5200 was an 8 bit computer without the keyboard.

 

Aaron

[Albert]

Ok.. thanks, I just remembering reading somewhere that the 5200 was an 8 bit computer without the keyboard.

 

Yeah, that is essentially true, but there are enough differences (such as the analog controllers) that games do need some work in order to be ported over to the 5200 from the 8-bit computers. It's a shame that Atari engineered the 5200 to be incompatible with 8-bit software and peripherals.

 

..Al

[Dr. Van Thorp]

Do you think that they were trying (once again) to discourage third-party developers?

[ApolloBoy]

Do you think that they were trying (once again) to discourage third-party developers?

 

No, IIRC, it was supposed to prevent 400/800 games from being played on the 5200. In fact, when the console division of Atari suggested a computer add-on for the 5200, the computer division rejected it for obvious reasons.

[JB]

Ok.. thanks, I just remembering reading somewhere that the 5200 was an 8 bit computer without the keyboard.

 

Yeah, that is essentially true, but there are enough differences (such as the analog controllers) that games do need some work in order to be ported over to the 5200 from the 8-bit computers. It's a shame that Atari engineered the 5200 to be incompatible with 8-bit software and peripherals.

 

..Al

Personally, I think they should've changed the hardware enough to make them entirely unportable.

There's far too many minimal-effort ports on the 5200 where new games should've been coded.

 

 

There is ABSOLUTELY NO excuse for Missile Command to have 1 turret when there's SEVENTEEN BUTTONS ON THE STICK!!!!

There should AT LEAST be 2 turrets(1 per fire button)!

 

Personally, I'd set the stick on the table, rotate it 90 degrees, set my left hand on the phone pad, right on the stick, and get a full 3 turrets fired from the phone pad. But I can see where they wouldn't want to go that route.

...

Of course, I should probably quit griping and just be thankful that they recoded the cursor for absolute positioning with the analog stick instead of leaving it at relatve positioning like the computer version had.