Will they ever release a 5200/ATARI 800 Stick?

[Lord-Chaos]

They have released the Flashback , will release the Flashback 2.0 and other companies have released various joysticks based on arcade machines, 8 Bit computers or video game consoles.

 

Is there any chance of an ATARI 5200/800 joystick ?

 

These systems weren't as commercially successful as others, BUT there are some great games on the 5200/ATARI 800.

 

The ATARI 800 has the best version of M.U.L.E. , this game would be reason enough for buying such a system (when multiplayer is possible).

The ATARI 800 has the best versions of the 4 Lucasfilm classics, Ballblazer, Rescue on Fractalus, The Eidolon and Koronis Rift.

 

I think the ATARI 800 "Boulder Dash" is the best version, the Commodore 64 version is too slow, the Z80 versions are awful, the DOS version is not very good, too and even the ATARI ST version sucks.

 

There are many more great games like 7 Cities of Gold, Archon, Montezuma's Revenge, Mr.Robot on the ATARI 800 + the great ATARI 5200 games.

 

Some games may not work without storage RAM, Alternate Reality for example, but I think people won't play role-playing games on such a system.

 

The 5200 was never released in Europe, so 5200 games in a "5200 Flashback" should sell in PAL countries, especially because the ATARI 800 XL was quite successful in Eastern Europe.

 

And it would be possible to add ATARI 800 games programmed in Poland which were never released in the USA.

 

And they may even fix the PAL-NTSC problems, so that games using "artifacting" would be colorful, not monochrome on PAL TVs.

 

I think there is an ATARI 800 market, ATARI 800 games usually sell for more on ebay than the average ATARI 2600 game and in Germany, ATARI 800 XL/XE hardware does sell for more than 2600 units or Commodore 64 systems.

 

LC

[The Eidolon]

I would love to see such a thing, but I think the odds are poor. The must-have

titles for the 800 series are spread out over several different software

publishers, each of which would have to be convinced to license it to the

new console. An all first party title stick would be more easily arranged, but

then the selection of games would be greatly limited. One can alway hope, though.

 

--The Eidolon

[ZylonBane]

The single must-have title for such a product, Star Raiders, would be unplayable on a stick due to the lack of keyboard.

 

Moving beyond Atari titles though, a Synapse Stick would be pretty darn cool. I wonder whatever happened to their intellectual properties?

 

EDIT: Ah, that's right. Broderbund bought them. What a waste.

Edited June 29, 2005 by ZylonBane

[+davidcalgary29]

I would love to see such a thing, but I think the odds are poor.  The must-have

titles for the 800 series are spread out over several different software

publishers, each of which would have to be convinced to license it to the

new console.  An all first party title stick would be more easily arranged, but

then the selection of games would be greatly limited.  One can alway hope, though.

 

--The Eidolon

882908[/snapback]

 

 

I don't see why Atari wouldn't have retained the software rights to its own computer games titles from the early '80s, despite the fact that many classic titles were licenses. I personally think that a stick containing such classics as "Defender", "Ms. Pac-Man", "Donkey Kong/ DKjr", "Asteroids", and perhaps "Crystal Castles" would be an excellent item. That C64 product seems to be selling well enough...

[deathtrappomegranate]

I disagree with the prevailing opinion thus far.

 

I don't think that it will be done, and wouldn't be very interested if it were.

 

As far as a general market for this kind of system goes, it's predominantly nostalgia-driven. Compared to the 2600 and C64, the A8 machines sold in low numbers.

 

IMO buyers will prefer to have the real hardware, or a PC emulator. The A8 software library is so diverse and interesting that I would be disappointed to see a "redux" system that was limited to a handful of games.

 

I suppose that it might spark a revival of interest in the real hardware, but that hasn't really happened with the 2600 or C64.

 

If the Flashback 2 had included a cart socket, that might just have been something really big. However, with the A8, so many of the games are disk or cassette based that it doesn't seem like such a good idea. Well, not to me, anyhow

[+Allan]

I disagree with the prevailing opinion thus far.

 

I don't think that it will be done, and wouldn't be very interested if it were.

 

As far as a general market for this kind of system goes, it's predominantly nostalgia-driven. Compared to the 2600 and C64, the A8 machines sold in low numbers.

 

IMO buyers will prefer to have the real hardware, or a PC emulator. The A8 software library is so diverse and interesting that I would be disappointed to see a "redux" system that was limited to a handful of games.

 

I suppose that it might spark a revival of interest in the real hardware, but that hasn't really happened with the 2600 or C64.

 

If the Flashback 2 had included a cart socket, that might just have been something really big. However, with the A8, so many of the games are disk or cassette based that it doesn't seem like such a good idea. Well, not to me, anyhow 

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I think it's already being worked on.

 

Allan

[kevin242]

The single must-have title for such a product, Star Raiders, would be unplayable on a stick due to the lack of keyboard.

 

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actually the Commodore 64 stick has some extra buttons so that with some simple

reprogramming if the Atari 800 stick was similar, Star Raiders would be possible.

 

 

I agree with the OP I would love to see it and would be first in line ( I bought the

C64DTV because it was an easy 8bit fix... specially for Jumpman JR, but of course

would of preferred an ATARI 8bit DTV).

 

I suppose if the cost of making and distributing one of these became cheap enough

we might see one, but like someone else said the total # of 400/800/XL/XE/5200

owners were small in comparison to the Commodore 64/A2600 (the biggest selling

computer and consoles of the 80's) so we may never see it.

 

I would love to see an Amiga on stick as well.

Edited June 30, 2005 by kevin242

[ZylonBane]

actually the Commodore 64 stick has some extra buttons so that with some simple

reprogramming if the Atari 800 stick was similar, Star Raiders would  be possible.

Ummm, even the console ports required a twelve-button keypad. Somehow I can't imagine a handheld joystick with twelve buttons on it. Not a practical one, anyway.

[+FujiSkunk]

Somehow I can't imagine a handheld joystick with twelve buttons on it. Not a practical one, anyway.

883498[/snapback]

 

Hey, they could build a 5200-in-a-stick, shaped just like the original 5200 stick! Wouldn't that go for a mint!

Edited June 30, 2005 by skunkworx

[ZylonBane]

Ugh. Speaking of "not practical" sticks.

[Gregory DG]

I'd love a 5200-in-a-stick!

[Retro Rogue]

I don't see why Atari wouldn't have retained the software rights to its own computer games titles from the early '80s, despite the fact that many classic titles were licenses. I personally think that a stick containing such classics as "Defender", "Ms. Pac-Man", "Donkey Kong/ DKjr", "Asteroids", and perhaps "Crystal Castles" would be an excellent item. That C64 product seems to be selling well enough...

883162[/snapback]

 

 

Defender, Ms. Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, and Donkey Kong Jr. are not Atari titles however, and would all need to be relicensed by Midway, Namco, and Nintendo respectively. And personally, last thing I'd want to see is Crystal Castles with a stick. Possibly some sort of trak-ball plug-n-play would be interesting in the future.

[moycon]

I would probably get a 5200 stick if it included the right games and a decent joystick to play them on.

[Zonie]

actually the Commodore 64 stick has some extra buttons so that with some simple

reprogramming if the Atari 800 stick was similar, Star Raiders would  be possible.

Ummm, even the console ports required a twelve-button keypad. Somehow I can't imagine a handheld joystick with twelve buttons on it. Not a practical one, anyway.

883498[/snapback]

 

 

Hmmm.. Maybe a 5200/8-bit in a stick that looks like a 5200 controller but with a regular digital joystick instead?

 

Star Raiders, Mule, both must haves.