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2 versions of Winter Games?


gdement

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Ok, I hate to dig up old threads, but what was the general consensus on this? Did Atari accidentally release a beta version of Winter Games? Was it a batch of defective carts? Did they decide that the sounds sucked and release an updated version? I want to know because I'm curious as to if this is a true prototype/beta or not.

 

Tempest

 

I don't think we have any way to be sure what happened. Mine was purchased at Toys 'R Us in 12/88, but the cart is from Fall 87. I don't know the origins of Mitch's cart, and it sounds like RT got his used so it's an unknown. Atari might have been in a hurry for the 87 Christmas release. The use of a reworked C100339 also suggests they were in a rush. But it's hard to figure they wouldn't have had time to add a few sound effects. Maybe the programmer just didn't meet his deadline and they shipped anyway.

 

Somebody on the inside might know whether it was a mistake or deliberate. Also, if somebody disassembles the ROM maybe they could tell if it's a production defect (I have no idea what kind of corruption pattern you'd see).

They weren't defective carts (post-rework anyway) because the bad cart can run the improved ROM with a transplant. Also, the rom dump shows the same symptoms in an emulator, so it's definitely the ROM data at fault.

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As per mitch's request I dug up a Winter Games I had in my pile of 7800 boards and mine is on a 339 series board and has the 8737 date code. No sound in the bobsled run on mine, damn you quality control, for that I'm turning this POS into possible mission :lol:

Edited by Shawn Sr.
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I would be ok with looking at a disassembly, but just not right now (due to time concerns).

As a prelim test, can someone do a byte-compare? That's how I started with Possible Mission awhile back.

 

By having this info, we could figure some things out.

For example, It could be that a whole 4K segment is "gone".

In this case, I'd think that whatever programmer was used simply messed up programming a chunk. This would allow them to get through Quality control.

However, if there are many, little differences scattered throughout the cart, then I'd think we'd have a proto version.

 

Anyone have frhed (free-hex-editor)? Or, some other diff tool?

It'd be neat to list what segments differ, and how big the different sections are in length, i.e.:

From 0x4000 to 0x4244, 0x244 bytes differ, etc.

 

-John

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  • 9 months later...
Ok, I hate to dig up old threads,

 

Tempest

So for the record, there's no way of telling which carts have sounds and which do not? I have the version with no sound. I fired up mess and sure enough, there IS sound. That sucks.

 

Unfortunately I don't think you can tell from the label. However...

 

I think carts built with the reworked C100339 PCB are more likely to be the early, bad version. They probably only used this PCB until the C300565 became available. The older PCB isn't the *cause* of the problem, but it just indicates that it's an early cart so it's more likely to also have an early ROM on it.

 

You can distinguish cartridge PCB's if you look close at the edge connector. They all have some solder pads that are visible from the end, and they're arranged differently on different carts.

http://www.atarihq.com/danb/7800cart/a7800cart.shtml

 

There's lots of sealed, new 7800 carts floating around out there. I would imagine they're all newer versions - the old ones wouldn't have ended up as overstock. For whatever it's worth, I bought one of the sealed Winter Games carts a while back and it was the good version.

Edited by gdement
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Ok, I hate to dig up old threads,

 

Tempest

So for the record, there's no way of telling which carts have sounds and which do not? I have the version with no sound. I fired up mess and sure enough, there IS sound. That sucks.

 

Unfortunately I don't think you can tell from the label. However...

 

I think carts built with the reworked C100339 PCB are more likely to be the early, bad version. They probably only used this PCB until the C300565 became available. The older PCB isn't the *cause* of the problem, but it just indicates that it's an early cart so it's more likely to also have an early ROM on it.

 

You can distinguish cartridge PCB's if you look close at the edge connector. They all have some solder pads that are visible from the end, and they're arranged differently on different carts.

http://www.atarihq.com/danb/7800cart/a7800cart.shtml

 

There's lots of sealed, new 7800 carts floating around out there. I would imagine they're all newer versions - the old ones wouldn't have ended up as overstock. For whatever it's worth, I bought one of the sealed Winter Games carts a while back and it was the good version.

Thanks gdement! I'll be on the lookout. Have been recently been playing the 7800 alot.... It's my only console.

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I was lucky.I bought a sealed 7800 Winter Games not too long ago.Overlooking the issue,i plugged it in,and YES!,I,ve got the good version.I also lucked out on the other sealed 7800 game BallBlazer,i recieved the rare red end label one!

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  • 10 months later...
I demand a refund!

 

Hang on, I think I have a nickel in my pocket :D

 

Somehow, this is all making sense, in that, I did supply a version of WG to Atari for testing that didn't include all the music.

 

I remember a guy, Tom something I think, coming to my home office to work with me on the music. He was a VP-of-something at Atari.

 

VP of Video Game development? Something like that. Ring any bells?

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I demand a refund!

 

Hang on, I think I have a nickel in my pocket :D

 

Somehow, this is all making sense, in that, I did supply a version of WG to Atari for testing that didn't include all the music.

 

I remember a guy, Tom something I think, coming to my home office to work with me on the music. He was a VP-of-something at Atari.

 

VP of Video Game development? Something like that. Ring any bells?

Tom Sloper?

 

Tempest

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Too bad Atari discontinued the use of date codes on the actual cartridges (which they used on 2600 and 5200 games). Then we'd be able to narrow down the early version of the game to a certain date range. Ahh well..

 

..Al

 

Actually they have date codes on the ROM chips. I have opened several copies of the no sound version but the only copy of the "final version" I have is the one in my collection. Once I get another copy I will open it and compare the dates.

 

Mitch

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Too bad Atari discontinued the use of date codes on the actual cartridges (which they used on 2600 and 5200 games). Then we'd be able to narrow down the early version of the game to a certain date range. Ahh well..

 

..Al

 

Actually they have date codes on the ROM chips. I have opened several copies of the no sound version but the only copy of the "final version" I have is the one in my collection. Once I get another copy I will open it and compare the dates.

 

Mitch

Well, that still makes it a bit difficult to identify the version without opening the cartridge up. :)

 

..Al

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Too bad Atari discontinued the use of date codes on the actual cartridges (which they used on 2600 and 5200 games). Then we'd be able to narrow down the early version of the game to a certain date range. Ahh well..

 

..Al

 

Actually they have date codes on the ROM chips. I have opened several copies of the no sound version but the only copy of the "final version" I have is the one in my collection. Once I get another copy I will open it and compare the dates.

 

Mitch

Well, that still makes it a bit difficult to identify the version without opening the cartridge up. :)

 

..Al

 

If my memory serves me correctly, the cart board is also different between the two version. I should verify that though. Still not the easiest way to tell though.

 

Mitch

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