New 5200 Game: BC's Quest for Tires

[Danno]

Does anyone have the rom for that Spy Hunter 5200 Cart?

 

I'm interested in checking it out.

[Paranoid]

This Rom image seems to hang on my 5200 cart.

 

I also get some weird feedback from the stick in the menu. Sometimes, it'll pop right back to slot #1, even from the high 100 slots. When I hit the keypad, I just get noises. This is a 2 port 5200 with a Best Electronics gold dot rebuild stick.

 

Oh... and, I've had a real difficult time with the BC Quest rom in emulation using Kat 5200 and a Logitech d-pad.

[jnice]

Oh... and, I've had a real difficult time with the BC Quest rom in emulation using Kat 5200 and a Logitech d-pad.

 

Weren't the controls on the original ROM for this one very difficult, and someone either improved them or was going to improve them?

[Paranoid]

I'm sure I have the conversion, and everyone is still complaining in the thread about how bad the controls are.

 

They're not *that* bad. I can think of a handful of games that are far worse with 5200 sticks than this one... but they're not GOOD, either.

[82atari5200]

Please name one. I for one can't think of any... I hate bitching about free things. Hell I wish I had the knowledge do know how to do conversions, but this game is an absolute horror to play on the real thing.

[Paranoid]

Pitfall!

[jetset]

Gorf. Worst control of any 5200 game hands down.

[Henry Lee]

Pitfall!

 

 

Hey paranoid if you are refering to trying to jump over the alligators, you just need to press the red button. It's about not long ago someone at AA told me, I use to jump over them pushing the stick diagonal /up and it is was very hard! I think we can handle Pitfall well with the stock controllers..

[Paranoid]

Hey paranoid if you are refering to trying to jump over the alligators,

 

 

I'll give that a try. Of course, getting to the right place at the edge of the pool, then jumping to the right place on each head of each alligator, so that when it opens its mouth it doesn't swallow you, still sounds like quite a challenge with the 5200 controllers.

 

I'm sure there are other games. Quite frequently I'm struck that "This game would be incredible, if only they had designed it around the 5200 controllers". I suppose a Redemption adaptor might also solve my issues with these handful of games.

 

I'd like to reiterate here, I am a fan of the stock 5200 controllers. I think they're the BEST controller of any Atari console ever made, and among one of the best controllers ever made. But, there are some games that just don't work well with them, and in those cases, I fault the programmers, not the controllers. Frogger and Q*Bert are two examples where the programmers realized the controllers needed special attention, and the results were at the very least, satisfactory. You can make an argument that the "point then press" scheme makes QUICK movements, which may be important, difficult to perform. But in general, these two titles remain enjoyable and playable with their altered control schemes.

 

Anyhow... BC Quest isn't the WORST in my experience. I've actually gotten *past* the Fat Broad with the club. But it isn't good.

[Henry Lee]

 

 

... Frogger and Q*Bert are two examples where the programmers realized the controllers needed special attention..

 

 

The only 5200 title in my opinion that is very bad with the stock controller is Q*bert, as a child, It never gave me a chance to enjoy it, i owned a lot 5200 titles by the end of 1986, Q*bert was the only one that i couldn't get use to, the others you give a little time and you mastered it, when we were kids we had time!

Edited June 26, 2006 by Henry Lee

[Lord Helmet]

Gorf. Worst control of any 5200 game hands down.

 

I'm still hoping that someone can fix Gorf so it reads the joysticks differently. It's the best looking port of the game, but completely unplayable.

[Paranoid]

The only 5200 title in my opinion that is very bad with the stock controller is Q*bert

 

That is funny, because I consider the 5200 version the only *decent* version for home play. I even have trouble with the MAME version with my way Happ sticks. The 5200 version, I very rarely find myself hopping in the wrong direction.

[82atari5200]

I have Qbert for the 800 that I've never been able to play right. The controlls on that game are the absolute worst.I love qbert for the 5200. Never played gorf yet.

[Paranoid]

Yup... that has been my experience. You either have to figure out how to hold an 8 way digital stick at an angle, or get your mind wrapped around it, and even then, it is an iffy proposition. For some reason, the 5200 version just works better with the analog sticks and the "push in a direction then push the button" scheme.

[jetset]

The only Q*Bert I ever played where the controls were decent was the one where you fed the game quarters to play it. Since then I haven't found it tolerable on any system with any controller.

[Paranoid]

Yeah, some people can't deal with the 5200 version.

 

I have the luxury of having a full MAME cab, a 7800 and a 5200 all side by side. I've played it on each system, one after the other...

 

MAME is the best looking. But, with an 8 way digital stick in a normal orientation, it is virtually impossible to play unless you put YOURSELF at a diagonal to the CP.

 

The 7800 version is almost arcade perfect, but the control is among the WORST... which may simply be that it is more of a beta than a finished game. But the control scheme definetly needs improvement. It is far worse than the 5200 version of BC's Quest, in this aspect.

 

The 2600 version looks HORRIBLE. I'm not sure about gameplay, but the 2600 just doesn't have the graphic horsepower to pull off these perspective 3-D titles good.

 

The 5200 version isn't the BEST looking, but it is at least obvious what game it is supposed to be, and the control method makes it the ONLY version I can actually play and get to level 2-x. IMO, this makes it "playable". The mushy buttons and direction-plus-button can make it frustrating, but of the four, it is the only thing that comes close.

[kenfused]

The 7800 version is almost arcade perfect, but the control is among the WORST... which may simply be that it is more of a beta than a finished game. But the control scheme definetly needs improvement. It is far worse than the 5200 version of BC's Quest, in this aspect.

What is wrong in particular with the control scheme. Have you tried both normal and the diagnal orientation settings?

 

--Thanks,

Ken

[+Mitch]

The 7800 version is almost arcade perfect, but the control is among the WORST... which may simply be that it is more of a beta than a finished game. But the control scheme definetly needs improvement. It is far worse than the 5200 version of BC's Quest, in this aspect.

What is wrong in particular with the control scheme. Have you tried both normal and the diagnal orientation settings?

 

--Thanks,

Ken

 

The controls work fine for me. I'm not sure how you can make it better. Maybe Paranoid has a bad joystick.

 

Mitch

[Paranoid]

I get a lot of missed input, it seems. I've tried it with two different CX-78 joysticks with new PCBs from Best Electronics, a RSI converted 7800 stick, and a Jaaks Ms. Pac Man converted stick. None of them are very responsive. The graphics are fantastic, but the gameplay is horrible for me. I'm searching the forums right now and I'll try and confirm which version of the ROM I have.

 

Is it possible that I have an older ROM image? By normal/diagonal, do you mean simply holding the stick in a normal way or twisted? Or is there a setting in the game to select which directionals are detected?

[jwierer]

 

The 7800 version is almost arcade perfect, but the control is among the WORST... which may simply be that it is more of a beta than a finished game. But the control scheme definetly needs improvement. It is far worse than the 5200 version of BC's Quest, in this aspect.

 

 

Odd the control on the 7800 version is perfect for me. I actually wish it was a bit more difficult as I've practically mastered it.

 

-Jeff

[Paranoid]

Ok... I gave it another try... and it isn't *horrible*, but it isn't good. I think it is a combonation of things with Q*Bert. My rom is dated June 20, 2005.

 

It seems like it might be partially hardware, partially the I/O, and partially the game code itself. Heh. That narrows things down, huh? Maybe I just have no clue what it is. Anyhow, on the first level especially, but through the first few levels, the game just plays real slow. Kind of reminds me of the complaints about Ms. Pac Man 5200. It doesn't seem like it matters if there is a lot going on or not. It is like playing under water. Later, the game seems to speed up, but it gets a little slow when there are multiple characters on the screen. At the higher levels, the game feels pretty speedy, and only slows when there are lots of on screen characters. Of course, in the higher levels, there are usually lots of on screen characters.

 

It could just be the same complaint I have about a lot of 7800 games feeling less frentic and responsive than the same title on the 5200. But, whatever it is, between it all, I find myself slamming the stick in a direction, and getting nothing, and then slamming it that direction again... and sometimes it costs me lives. I'll have a good rythmn going where I'm jumping from block to block and everything is moving great, and then it'll just, er... stick. Sometimes I'll get that on the 5200 when it doesn't register a button (using a non gold-dot stick), but not very often... I *really* have to lean on the stick, too, to be sure it'll register a direction. But, I don't have this problem with other games, for example Frogger/Froggie or Ms. Pac Man.

 

Graphically it is beautiful. It isn't my intention to disrespect Kenfused's efforts for the 7800 community at all. I think he did an excellent job. It really is graphically flawless. But I prefer the actual gameplay of the 5200 version... really above anything else at home, including MAME.

Edited June 28, 2006 by Paranoid

[kenfused]

I get a lot of missed input, it seems. I've tried it with two different CX-78 joysticks with new PCBs from Best Electronics, a RSI converted 7800 stick, and a Jaaks Ms. Pac Man converted stick. None of them are very responsive. The graphics are fantastic, but the gameplay is horrible for me. I'm searching the forums right now and I'll try and confirm which version of the ROM I have.

 

Is it possible that I have an older ROM image? By normal/diagonal, do you mean simply holding the stick in a normal way or twisted? Or is there a setting in the game to select which directionals are detected?

On the main screen you can choose joystick orientation (and number of players). Just move the stick any direction or use Select to choose. I recommend selecting and using the modes where the stick is rotated 45 degrees (like the 8-bit computer version). I don't know how hard it is to play that way with stock 7800 sticks though.

[Paranoid]

I'll check that out. Are you using the euro-style pad, then, or something homebrew like the RSI conversion? Because I'm having these problems with any stick, including CX-2600 style, CX-7800 style, and my own homemade sticks, too.

[kenfused]

I'll check that out. Are you using the euro-style pad, then, or something homebrew like the RSI conversion? Because I'm having these problems with any stick, including CX-2600 style, CX-7800 style, and my own homemade sticks, too.

mostly atari 2600 style sticks since they are more confortable than 7800 style sticks.

I probably should make the rotated stick option be the default (like the 8-bit computer version is).

[Paranoid]

I'll check it out again with a CX-26... but I swear it has been the same with every stick I've tried, and on two different 7800 consoles.

 

And don't change it just because I'm moaning. It seems like everyone else here has no problem with it. Maybe it is just me.

Edited June 29, 2006 by Paranoid