how do you load up an atari 800 game?

[leech]

LOL, at the time we barely knew what to look for in a computer, and "Do we have to type a command to load games?" is not something that crossed our minds when buying one

 

There's a chance a Commodore mouse could work since they used the same joystick port Atari did.

 

But PC serial mice have the same 9-pin connector, but I don't think they could ever be made to work without a proper serial port.

 

As others have said, Atari 8-bit software that can use a mouse is rare, so not much point in trying

Good point about that! I think my family were just Atari nuts. 2600 to 800XL w/1050 to Mega STe, then I got a Jaguar with CD before finally succumbing to the evil of Packard Bell.

 

FWIW, some mice came with a switch for Atari/Commodore. If you plug an Amiga mouse into an ST it will go all squirly and in the wrong directions, so they aren't compatible. I can't speak on 8bits though, since as you say, mouse driven things are very rare. Probably rarer than software that uses the Koala pad.

[atariaction]

I remember playing my strip poker game in about grade 7 or 8 and playing diligently for hours to get the 8 bit hottie naked!

[leech]

I remember playing my strip poker game in about grade 7 or 8 and playing diligently for hours to get the 8 bit hottie naked!

That is almost the exact same time I was playing it as well.

[+CharlieChaplin]

Well, there are several A8 programs that work with a mouse. Just read the A8FAQ -

8.7) What programs are designed to work with a mouse?

ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/faqs/atari-8-bit/faq

 

And here is the list from the A8FAQ:

 

Programs that use the Atari STM1 Mouse or compatible:

- 8Bit-Mouse (BPAUG)- Artprog- Atari Rechner Simulation mit UPN, (c)1985 MTC Mouse Tecnology Corp.- Black Magic Composer by Sven Tegethoff for Ulf Petersen, 1991- Bomb Down by The Roemer/U.N.O.- BOSS-X by Mirko Sobe / MS Software, 2003- The Brundles by KE-Soft, 1993 (hold SPACE at boot for configuration)- The Brundles Editor by KE-Soft, 1994- CardStax 2.1 by David A. Paterson, 1993- Catch 88 by Simon Trew, 1991  - Supports Multi-Mouse ST Mouse Driver by Simon Trew- Celebrity Cookbook by David Sullivan/Total Control Systems for U.S.A. Media- Click! by Chris Martin, 2008- Copy F'n'F by Mirko Sobe / MS Software, requires BOSS-X- Datenbank by Mirko Sobe / MS Software, requires BOSS-X- Diamond GOS by Reeve Software- Diamond Develop by Reeve Software, requires Diamond GOS- Diamond News Station by Reeve Software, requires Diamond GOS- Diamond Paint by Reeve Software, requires Diamond GOS- Diamond Write by Reeve Software, requires Diamond GOS- Enigmatix! by Stephen A. Firth for Page 6, 1993- EORoid by Daniel Kolakowski for Wolf Software Ltd, 1994- Faecher Patience by Kemal Ezcan for Zong mag, 1993- Fig-Forth by Matt Symonds for Pulsar Software, 1988- FireBall (a Breakout game, requires SAM)- GOE demo by Total Control Systems/David Sullivan, 1988 - Guntris by Richard Gore, 1996- Hardwaretester/Peripheral Test 2.0 by Florian Dingler, 2008- Hong Kong by KE-Soft / Kemal Ezcan (ZONG mag.), 1993- KE-Mouse drivers by KE-Soft- Klony 2010 by Arkadiusz Lubaszka for ArSoft, 2010- Knight Quest by Simon Trew, 1991  - Supports Multi-Mouse ST Mouse Driver by Simon Trew- Kriss Kross by Simon Trew, 1992  - Supports Multi-Mouse ST Mouse Driver by Simon Trew- Macao XL by KE-Soft (ZONG mag.)- Mau Mau X by Mirko Sobe / MS Software, requires BOSS-X- Maus Calculator, by AMC Verlag, (c) by Peter Eilert- Minesweeper by Harald Schoenfeld for PPP, 1992- Mine Sweeper by Raindorf Soft- Mine Sweeper 3 - M.O.S. (from Abbuc mag.)- Mouse-DOS by KE-Soft (ZONG mag.)- MS-Copy 1.1 by Mirko Sobe / MS Software, requires BOSS-X- Multi-Mouse ST Mouse Driver by Simon Trew for New Atari User #42 1990- Multi-Player by Madteam- Multi-DOS- Numblines by Jaroslaw Kucisz & Tomasz Kucisz for Utopia Software, 1997- Operation Blood, P. Kalinowski & P. Bulkowski of Our 5oft for Mirage and  ANG, 1992- Othello by Simon Trew, 1991  - Supports Multi-Mouse ST Mouse Driver by Simon Trew- Pad 1.2 (Padnoid) by Nelson Ramirez / New Age, 1995- Pad 1.83 by Nelson Ramirez, 2014- Patience by Kemal Ezcan for KE-Soft, 1993- P-Graph(s) by ??? - QUICK Ed Character Editor by PPP- SAM (Screen Aided Management) by Power Per Post & Raindorf Soft (a GUI!)- SAM Budget (80 column spreadsheet program, requires SAM)- SAM Convert (text files to/from the SAM Texter format, requires SAM)- SAM Creator (SAM Painter files to/from Micro-Painter format, requires SAM)- SAM Designer (drawing and design / desktop publishing, requires SAM) - SAM Memobox (card filing program, requires SAM)- SAM Monitor (view and change memory, requires SAM)- SAM Painter (128 color paint program, requires SAM)- SAM Texter (80 column word processor, requires SAM)- Shanghai by Peter Sabath for Activision, 1987- Special Forces (Operation Blood II), P. Kalinowski & P. Bulkowski of  Our 5oft for Mirage and ANG, 1993- Sprint XL (from Abbuc)- Tommingi by Tomek Borygo- TRS Desktop by Tristesse, 2006- Unriagh II by Uwe Hartwig, 1986- Vanish by Kemal Ezcan for KE-Soft, 1993- Vier gewinnt - See also Fandal site search for games that use the Atari mouse:  http://a8.fandal.cz/search.php?search=mouse&butt_details_x=x- See also AtariMania lists of programs using the Atari mouse:  http://preview.tinyurl.com/mcm6wwo  http://preview.tinyurl.com/oa7gklkPrograms that use the Zobian Controls RAT (which never shipped):- Business Manager by Reeve Software, 1986- Rich Man's Word Processor, by Mark Rogalski for Computer Software Services- The RAT was equivalent to the Radio Shack TRS-80 Color Mouse #26-3025;  programs designed for the Atari Touch Tablet or for paddles would have also  been at least somewhat usable with the RAT.Programs that use the Zobian Controls SuperRAT (which never shipped): - No released programs.  The SuperRAT as depicted in marketing was either the   Amiga mouse or the Commodore 1351 (which?????); see below for lists of    compatible programs.  (Some customers who ordered a SuperRAT actually   received "The Best" mouse by Best Electronics, a mouse fully compatible   with the Atari STM1.)Programs that use the Amiga mouse:- Black Magic Composer by Sven Tegethoff for Ulf Petersen, 1991- Bomb Down by The Roemer/U.N.O.- Global War by P.M.M. Elfinger & D.J. Garbowski for L.K. Avalon, 1993- Klony 2010 by Arkadiusz Lubaszka for ArSoft, 2010- Multi-Player by MadTeam - Najemnik - Powrot by LK APM for Krysal Software- Operation Blood, P. Kalinowski & P. Bulkowski of Our 5oft for Mirage and  ANG, 1992- Pad 1.83 by Nelson Ramirez, 2014- Samurai's Game by Rafaell Soft for Krysal Software, 1992- Special Forces (Operation Blood II), P. Kalinowski & P. Bulkowski of  Our 5oft for Mirage and ANG, 1993- TRS Desktop by Tristesse, 2006- See also Fandal site search for games that use the Amiga mouse:  http://a8.fandal.cz/search.php?search=amiga+mouse&butt_details_x=xPrograms that use the Commodore 1351 mouse (mouse for Commodore 64/128):- Klony by ArSoft, 2006