?'s about crash dive rolling and the 500xj enigma monster

[stop_rebel_scum]

I have a copy of crash dive that rolls. Does this mean that it's pal? I didn't think that fox made any PAL. the label looks pretty normal to me. My tv is relatively old, but it's never rolled with any of my other 200+ 2600 carts. Actually, I had a buck rogers that rolled for a while, then mysteriously stopped.

 

Secondarily, I also have a weird joystick. It's like a normal Epyx 500xj, which I adore, btw, but it's two-button. There is also an option to switch the joystick from centering to non-centering, and a button to recalibrate. The plug is normal atari/sega 9 pin, but it's Male.(or female. I always forget if the lil dsub pins are the phalluses and the tiny holes the vaginas or the larger plastic molding which plugs into the general hole of the connector is the penis). Anyway, you can't plug it into a 2600 without a homosexual adaptor, which I have, but it still doesn't do anything. There's also an additional cable permanently affixed in a y intersection that has some very fine computer-style pins on it. They're embedded in some foam to keep from breaking, but I think there are about 10 or so of them, one row. What the hell is this? I know they made an NES 500xj with two buttons and a membrane button start and select, which is somewhat insane. I bought this hoping against hope I'd plug it into my 7800 and it would work as a two-button. No dice, of course. Anyway, i'd love to know what this was for. Some kind of gaming computer?

[stop_rebel_scum]

here are pictures of the joystick. The pins under the foam are pretty short, two rows of 8 pins, evenly spaced.

[stop_rebel_scum]

one bump before my burning question fades into digital obscurity...

 

I've messed with my TV and got it to stop rolling on this one cart, and instead roll on every other 2600 cart I have. hehe. Oh, that one cart and Desert Falcon. That game is crap anyway. Still curious about the joystick though!

[CPUWIZ]

Looks like the joystick is for an old Apple computer.

[SteveW]

Is there a switch on the bottom? It sounds like an early '80s IBM compatible/Apple II controller. A lot of the time, they have switches so you can toggle between the two.

 

You might want to track down the EPYX joystick that was made for the NES, and either rewire it yourself or get someone to do it for you. Either that, or you could get someone to hack that joystick you have there into an Atari 5200 compatible stick. That would be sweet!

[stop_rebel_scum]

no switch on the bottom. Just the centering/non centering switch and recalibrate center button, two action buttons.

 

I would be very, very excited to have this made into a 5200 joystick if it's possible. I wonder who I could talk to for that?

[barrelsAndRivets]

On 4/11/2006 at 8:47 PM, stop_rebel_scum said:

I have a copy of crash dive that rolls. Does this mean that it's pal? I didn't think that fox made any PAL. the label looks pretty normal to me. My tv is relatively old, but it's never rolled with any of my other 200+ 2600 carts. Actually, I had a buck rogers that rolled for a while, then mysteriously stopped.

necrobump, but I have the exact same issue on a copy of Crash Dive. Looks to have an NTSC label. Could this be PAL? Screen rolls like it’s PAL but for all I know this indicates failure of the rom.

[alex_79]

If it's PAL, the colors will be wrong, and there are a few differences in the display too that you might be able to check even if the screen is rolling.

 

Here is how it looks when running the PAL game on a NTSC console (note especially the green sky):

 

Here is the NTSC game running on a NTSC console:

In the NTSC version the score is right at the top of the display, while in the PAL one there's some space above it (because the "sky" area is taller).
PAL also have a larger gap between the display and the fuel bar / lives indicators.

[barrelsAndRivets]

12 hours ago, alex_79 said:

If it's PAL, the colors will be wrong, and there are a few differences in the display too that you might be able to check even if the screen is rolling.

 

Here is how it looks when running the PAL game on a NTSC console (note especially the green sky):

In the NTSC version the score is right at the top of the display, while in the PAL one there's some space above it (because the "sky" area is taller).
PAL also have a larger gap between the display and the fuel bar / lives indicators.

 

Thanks so much for the reply! If what you said/showed above are the certain giveaways, then this appears to be the PAL version (noting color of sky, space above score, and other color off-ness [and of course, the rolling]):

 

 

Interestingly, too, I noticed the branding on the back of the cartridge -- a quick check of my other 20th Century Fox games shows that none of the other (known NTSC) ones have this -- maybe it's a coincidence but thought it was worth noting here:

 

And finally, for future folks that may look -- here's what this (confirmed) PAL version looks like on the front:

 

Mystery solved. Now to find a reasonably-priced NTSC copy. Thanks @alex_79