DECO Cassette System Section Now Open!

[Tempest]

Although it's not prototype related, I've opened up a new section on my web site.

 

http://www.atariprotos.com/deco/deco.htm

 

So if you've ever wonder just what the heck a DECO Cassette system is, be sure to check it out.

 

Tempest

[Cassidy Nolen]

You know I feel like I helped create a monster

 

Dude, that is THE most comprehensive info I have ever seen compiled on the DECO stuff. Way to go man. Very impressive collection you have. Did you ever find a way to transfer the data to a regular cassette?

 

Cassidy

[Tempest]

You know I feel like I helped create a monster

 

Dude, that is THE most comprehensive info I have ever seen compiled on the DECO stuff.  Way to go man.  Very impressive collection you have.  Did you ever find a way to transfer the data to a regular cassette?

 

Cassidy

1024652[/snapback]

 

No I haven't. Although even if you could, you'd need to hack the machine to handle regular cassette tapes anyway and if you succeeded in transfering the tapes to a more stable medium, you still have to deal with the security dongles...

 

Tempest

[bedouin]

Were those cassettes used in anything else, such as audio devices? Just wondering because it would seem difficult for Data East to manufacture their own proprietary cassette for something that was distributed in relatively low numbers.

[Dav]

Although it's not prototype related, I've opened up a new section on my web site.

 

http://www.atariprotos.com/deco/deco.htm

 

So if you've ever wonder just what the heck a DECO Cassette system is, be sure to check it out.

 

Tempest

1024621[/snapback]

 

 

Very nice. Some sort of solid state tape replacement is on my list of things to do, I just never seem to have enough time and I don't think there's a lot of interest. It's too bad there weren't more great games for it. The only thing really compelling I've noticed is Ice Cream Factory. I have ported that over to a Cook's Race board, so I might do some kind of multigame with Hamburger and Ice Cream factory. There's a couple of other games on that hardware that are interesting too.

[Dav]

Were those cassettes used in anything else, such as audio devices?  Just wondering because it would seem difficult for Data East to manufacture their own proprietary cassette for something that was distributed in relatively low numbers.

1024690[/snapback]

 

If they were ever used in anything else no one has discovered what it was yet.

[SteveW]

Maybe it's possible to rig up something with those cassette adapters that you can use with your car's stereo to hook up MP3 players. Take an adapter apart, remove all the unnecessary bits to get it to fit that proprietary cassette deck, and load the games from audio files archived online.

[jaybird3rd]

Apparently someone has already figured out how to copy off the contents of those tapes; isn't the DECO Cassette System version of Ice Cream Factory on MAME?

[Tempest]

Maybe it's possible to rig up something with those cassette adapters that you can use with your car's stereo to hook up MP3 players. Take an adapter apart, remove all the unnecessary bits to get it to fit that proprietary cassette deck, and load the games from audio files archived online.

1025182[/snapback]

 

As I mentioned earlier, the tape is just one of the problems. To play each game you still need the appropriate security dongle and those have a habit of going bad as well. In fact one of my games (Explorer) doesn't work for that very reason.

 

Tempest

[Bryan]

What would be really cool is if someone made an all-inclusive FPGA based dongle.

 

-Bry

[Bill Brasky]

Were those cassettes used in anything else, such as audio devices?  Just wondering because it would seem difficult for Data East to manufacture their own proprietary cassette for something that was distributed in relatively low numbers.

1024690[/snapback]

 

They might be used in certain stenographer machines.

[Fellow Atari Man]

A good job was done in explaining what it was, but without losing us technically inefficient people that had heard of this for years, but didn't know exactly what it was

 

Any idea what the game Astro Fighter had to do with DECO, exactly? Because you can see the DECO name in the upper right hand corner of most of the A. Fighter screens.

[Tempest]

A good job was done in explaining what it was, but without losing us technically inefficient people that had heard of this for years, but didn't know exactly what it was

 

Any idea what the game Astro Fighter had to do with DECO, exactly?  Because you can see the DECO name in the upper right hand corner of most of the A. Fighter screens.

1025395[/snapback]

 

I'm guessing that the original game was created by Data East (DECO) and licensed to Sega/Gremlin.

 

Tempest

[Tempest]

Here's an interesting list of games with their offical DECO #. I found this list on the web and filled in some missing numbers based on release (or supposed release) dates. The last few at the bottom have me confused, especially if Boulder Dash really is cassette #44.

 

Tempest

 

(01) Highway Chase (12/80)

(02) Sengoku Ninja tai (12/80)

(03) Manhattan (1/81)

(04) Terranean (81)

(05) Missile Sprinter (81)

(06) Nebula (3/81)

(07) Astro Fantasia (3/81)

(08) The Tower (2/81)

(09) Super Astro Fighter (5/81)

(10) Buramzon (81)

(11) Lock N Chase (4/81)

(12) The DECO Kid / Flash Boy (8/81)

(13) Pro Golf (9/81)

(14) DS TeleJang (6/81)

(15) Lucky Poker (2/81)

(16) Treasure Island (1/82)

(17) ????????

(18) Explorer (11/82)

(19) Disco No. 1 (3/82)

(20) Tornado (82)

(21) Mission X (3/82)

(22) Pro Tennis (5/82)

(23) ????????

(24) ????????

(25) Angler Dangler (7/82)

(26) Burger Time (6/83)

(27) Burnin' Rubber (11/82) / Bump N Jump (4/83)

(28) Grapolop (11/82) / Cluster Buster (9/83)

(29) La pa pa (11/82) / Rootin Tootin

(30) Skater (3/83)

(31) Pro Bowling (10/83)

(32) Night Star (4/83)

(33) Pro Soccer (11/83)

(34) Super Doubles Tennis

(35) Genesis (11/83)

(36) Bambolin (83)

(37) Zeroize (10/83)

(38) Scrum Try (3/84)

(39) Peter Pepper's Ice Cream Factory (2/84)

(40) Fighting Ice Hockey (4/84)

(41) Oh Zumou (5/84)

(42) Hello Gate Ball (8/84)

(??) Yellow Cab (84)

(44) Boulder Dash (8/85)

(??) Tokyo Mie Sinryohjyo (10/84)

(??) Tokyo Mie Sinryohyo2 (1/85)

(??) Geinohijin Sikaku Siken (5/85)

[Dav]

Maybe it's possible to rig up something with those cassette adapters that you can use with your car's stereo to hook up MP3 players. Take an adapter apart, remove all the unnecessary bits to get it to fit that proprietary cassette deck, and load the games from audio files archived online.

1025182[/snapback]

 

As I mentioned earlier, the tape is just one of the problems. To play each game you still need the appropriate security dongle and those have a habit of going bad as well. In fact one of my games (Explorer) doesn't work for that very reason.

 

Tempest

1025288[/snapback]

 

It's not as big a problem as you think. The dongles modify the tape data while it's loading. I don't think they are used after. The approach I would take would be a plug in to the bios cpu and replace the bios. The new bios would load data from a CF card. The data is easily availble by using the dump command in MAME after the game has loaded. Like I said, I don't think there's enough demand to make it worth while so I haven't made it a priority.

 

 

BTW there's a flyer for hamburger. http://www.burgertime.info/html/btimearcade3.html I've never seen it on any lists. I know it existed as I have a bootleg of it.

[Tempest]

Maybe it's possible to rig up something with those cassette adapters that you can use with your car's stereo to hook up MP3 players. Take an adapter apart, remove all the unnecessary bits to get it to fit that proprietary cassette deck, and load the games from audio files archived online.

1025182[/snapback]

 

As I mentioned earlier, the tape is just one of the problems. To play each game you still need the appropriate security dongle and those have a habit of going bad as well. In fact one of my games (Explorer) doesn't work for that very reason.

 

Tempest

1025288[/snapback]

 

It's not as big a problem as you think. The dongles modify the tape data while it's loading. I don't think they are used after. The approach I would take would be a plug in to the bios cpu and replace the bios. The new bios would load data from a CF card. The data is easily availble by using the dump command in MAME after the game has loaded. Like I said, I don't think there's enough demand to make it worth while so I haven't made it a priority.

 

 

Really? Can you expand on this? I've always wondered specifically what the dongles do. Is each dongle different or are there only a few different 'families'? Do they use EPROMs inside? The reason I ask is that I think my Explorer Dongle is bad, not the tape (although I could be wrong).

 

I'd VERY much like to see some sort of multigame mode for the DCS, but I'd still collect for it anyway. Part of the fun is actually finidng the games. I'd be more interested in a way to fix my dead or dying tapes/dongles.

 

Tempest

[Dav]

Maybe it's possible to rig up something with those cassette adapters that you can use with your car's stereo to hook up MP3 players. Take an adapter apart, remove all the unnecessary bits to get it to fit that proprietary cassette deck, and load the games from audio files archived online.

1025182[/snapback]

 

As I mentioned earlier, the tape is just one of the problems. To play each game you still need the appropriate security dongle and those have a habit of going bad as well. In fact one of my games (Explorer) doesn't work for that very reason.

 

Tempest

1025288[/snapback]

 

It's not as big a problem as you think. The dongles modify the tape data while it's loading. I don't think they are used after. The approach I would take would be a plug in to the bios cpu and replace the bios. The new bios would load data from a CF card. The data is easily availble by using the dump command in MAME after the game has loaded. Like I said, I don't think there's enough demand to make it worth while so I haven't made it a priority.

 

 

Really? Can you expand on this? I've always wondered specifically what the dongles do. Is each dongle different or are there only a few different 'families'? Do they use EPROMs inside? The reason I ask is that I think my Explorer Dongle is bad, not the tape (although I could be wrong).

 

I'd VERY much like to see some sort of multigame mode for the DCS, but I'd still collect for it anyway. Part of the fun is actually finidng the games. I'd be more interested in a way to fix my dead or dying tapes/dongles.

 

Tempest

1025602[/snapback]

 

 

Iirc there are 4 or 5 families that work the same just different prom data. The obvious solution to that problem is larger roms with bankswitching to do multiple games with the same prom. My knowledge is all theoritcal on the dongles, someone was supposed to send me a system to work on and never did. They could be potted I don't know. The tapes are a bigger problem than the proms although if you did a microprocessor board that attached to the tape interface you could probably get around it. That still leaves the third problem, the horrible wait for it to boot. That would require a bios hack to fix anyway so you're back to my plan of a bios plugin board.

 

 

I like to know I'm going to sell 25 of something before I do it and I'm not sure there's even a base of 25 people that still have decocassettes much less would buy a kit. Then I thought of porting them to run on a burgertime board but it has a potted soldered cpu module so that's out. I'm planning on looking at the possiblity if bump n jump is close enough to running it but I haven't gotten around to it yet. I'm finishing up the multi qbert now so I'll be looking at what's next on the project list real soon.

[Tempest]

Maybe it's possible to rig up something with those cassette adapters that you can use with your car's stereo to hook up MP3 players. Take an adapter apart, remove all the unnecessary bits to get it to fit that proprietary cassette deck, and load the games from audio files archived online.

1025182[/snapback]

 

As I mentioned earlier, the tape is just one of the problems. To play each game you still need the appropriate security dongle and those have a habit of going bad as well. In fact one of my games (Explorer) doesn't work for that very reason.

 

Tempest

1025288[/snapback]

 

It's not as big a problem as you think. The dongles modify the tape data while it's loading. I don't think they are used after. The approach I would take would be a plug in to the bios cpu and replace the bios. The new bios would load data from a CF card. The data is easily availble by using the dump command in MAME after the game has loaded. Like I said, I don't think there's enough demand to make it worth while so I haven't made it a priority.

 

 

Really? Can you expand on this? I've always wondered specifically what the dongles do. Is each dongle different or are there only a few different 'families'? Do they use EPROMs inside? The reason I ask is that I think my Explorer Dongle is bad, not the tape (although I could be wrong).

 

I'd VERY much like to see some sort of multigame mode for the DCS, but I'd still collect for it anyway. Part of the fun is actually finidng the games. I'd be more interested in a way to fix my dead or dying tapes/dongles.

 

Tempest

1025602[/snapback]

 

 

Iirc there are 4 or 5 families that work the same just different prom data. The obvious solution to that problem is larger roms with bankswitching to do multiple games with the same prom. My knowledge is all theoritcal on the dongles, someone was supposed to send me a system to work on and never did. They could be potted I don't know. The tapes are a bigger problem than the proms although if you did a microprocessor board that attached to the tape interface you could probably get around it. That still leaves the third problem, the horrible wait for it to boot. That would require a bios hack to fix anyway so you're back to my plan of a bios plugin board.

 

 

I like to know I'm going to sell 25 of something before I do it and I'm not sure there's even a base of 25 people that still have decocassettes much less would buy a kit. Then I thought of porting them to run on a burgertime board but it has a potted soldered cpu module so that's out. I'm planning on looking at the possiblity if bump n jump is close enough to running it but I haven't gotten around to it yet. I'm finishing up the multi qbert now so I'll be looking at what's next on the project list real soon.

1025622[/snapback]

 

Well I don't have an extra system, but if you need dead tapes, dongles or a cassette interface board, let me know. I'd like to see some work done on preserving this unique system.

 

It could be worse though, it could have run off 8-tracks!

 

Tempest

[Dav]

Maybe it's possible to rig up something with those cassette adapters that you can use with your car's stereo to hook up MP3 players. Take an adapter apart, remove all the unnecessary bits to get it to fit that proprietary cassette deck, and load the games from audio files archived online.

1025182[/snapback]

 

As I mentioned earlier, the tape is just one of the problems. To play each game you still need the appropriate security dongle and those have a habit of going bad as well. In fact one of my games (Explorer) doesn't work for that very reason.

 

Tempest

1025288[/snapback]

 

It's not as big a problem as you think. The dongles modify the tape data while it's loading. I don't think they are used after. The approach I would take would be a plug in to the bios cpu and replace the bios. The new bios would load data from a CF card. The data is easily availble by using the dump command in MAME after the game has loaded. Like I said, I don't think there's enough demand to make it worth while so I haven't made it a priority.

 

 

Really? Can you expand on this? I've always wondered specifically what the dongles do. Is each dongle different or are there only a few different 'families'? Do they use EPROMs inside? The reason I ask is that I think my Explorer Dongle is bad, not the tape (although I could be wrong).

 

I'd VERY much like to see some sort of multigame mode for the DCS, but I'd still collect for it anyway. Part of the fun is actually finidng the games. I'd be more interested in a way to fix my dead or dying tapes/dongles.

 

Tempest

1025602[/snapback]

 

 

Iirc there are 4 or 5 families that work the same just different prom data. The obvious solution to that problem is larger roms with bankswitching to do multiple games with the same prom. My knowledge is all theoritcal on the dongles, someone was supposed to send me a system to work on and never did. They could be potted I don't know. The tapes are a bigger problem than the proms although if you did a microprocessor board that attached to the tape interface you could probably get around it. That still leaves the third problem, the horrible wait for it to boot. That would require a bios hack to fix anyway so you're back to my plan of a bios plugin board.

 

 

I like to know I'm going to sell 25 of something before I do it and I'm not sure there's even a base of 25 people that still have decocassettes much less would buy a kit. Then I thought of porting them to run on a burgertime board but it has a potted soldered cpu module so that's out. I'm planning on looking at the possiblity if bump n jump is close enough to running it but I haven't gotten around to it yet. I'm finishing up the multi qbert now so I'll be looking at what's next on the project list real soon.

1025622[/snapback]

 

Well I don't have an extra system, but if you need dead tapes, dongles or a cassette interface board, let me know. I'd like to see some work done on preserving this unique system.

 

It could be worse though, it could have run off 8-tracks!

 

Tempest

1025654[/snapback]

 

Thanks, I don't think I'll need any dongles as the plan if I do it is to bypass that stage alltogether. I need to email the person that owes me a board again and see if I can wake him up.

 

Sega's floppy system is worse too, since it runs the floppy all the time instead of just loading it once like deco does. And the dongle system for that is harder to work around too.

[Tempest]

Sega's floppy system is worse too, since it runs the floppy all the time instead of just loading it once like deco does.  And the dongle system for that is harder to work around too.

1025660[/snapback]

 

 

Whoa whoa whoa... Sega had a floppy disk based arcade system? Now this I've gotta see...

 

Tempest

[Dav]

Sega's floppy system is worse too, since it runs the floppy all the time instead of just loading it once like deco does.  And the dongle system for that is harder to work around too.

1025660[/snapback]

 

 

Whoa whoa whoa... Sega had a floppy disk based arcade system? Now this I've gotta see...

 

Tempest

1025668[/snapback]

 

system 24

http://www.system16.com/hardware.php?id=708

 

I have crackdown and hotrod. The worst thing about them is they are medium res. I have a japanese cab that's suppose to be switchable but after about 5 minutes of medium res it quits working so i haven't really played them.

[Dav]

BTW if anyone's wondering where I'm at on projects. The multi exidy is beta testing, the multi qbert betas will ship when I write the installation instructions. What I'm considering for the next project:

 

1 playchoice 10. Either new carts or NES adapters. Leaning towards the former as sourcing edge connectors are a problem.

2 something that will run ice cream factory.

3 colecovision compact flash. I never did find a solution to the case problem. May just release what I have in a cheap stripped down version as a dev kit.

4 wonderboy sega system 1 multigame. I have an almost completed proto for this.

5 multi scramble

6 multi moppet

 

That's the approximate order they are on my interest list. Things can jump higher or lower pretty quickly though.