Topic: The unofficial Atari 7800 game & hardware update thread

I found there only will be 10 copies of Failsafe at the Atariage Booth for the Classic Gaming Expo. This isn't a lot of copies failsafe left at the Atariage store. I don't know when the shipment comes in after the Failsafe becomes out of stock. All I know about Failsafe for sure is there

The last I heard, A long time abandoned homebrew game Froggie will be worked by the original author. Froggie actually is the arcade game Frogger. The game originally got started in May of 2005 The game was almost completed in early January 2007, when things happened in the author's life outside of the internet. the catch is Froggie was designed with the xboard in mind. Xboard wasn't that popular in the Atari 7800 community and no games were completed for it. That board was supposed to have more ram and a Atari 5200 sound chip. The catch with that was that board was the fact it would make changes to the originally Atari 7800 motherboard including 128k ram and a sound chip used on Atari 5200/Atari 8 bit computers and it was a royal pain to install to my understanding.

The good news is the game would be able to work on the Atari 7800 Expansion Module. Xboard and the Expansion are two different animals. The Atari 7800 Expansion module wouldn't the issues like the Xboard did and it actually has additional stuff that makes it easier for people to program for the Atari 7800 besides memory, I don't know when Froggie will get released and it shouldn't be asked about any updates on it due to the history of the game not being worked on.

There is a newer version of Pac-Man Collection being worked. It will have the same chip as an Atari 5200/ Atari 8bit computer does. Other improvements includes 11 more random mazes based on the NES Tengen Ms. Pac-Man, improved Pac-man shap, and more arcade accurate AI. It sounds like it is going to be an Atari 7800 expansion module game.

Arkanoid isn't going to be worked anytime soon. The author get married earlier this year to my understanding, and I am pretty sure the author is busy as a result.

I don't know the update status on Frenzy. What I know is the author of Frenzy also helped working an updated version Pac-man Collection and will be moving in a matter of months to another state. I don't know when the person will be working on for games and the amount of time for show to program a game after moving. I don't if the Author is working on Frenzy. The person has been working at least a couple Atari 7800 homebrew games.

The first picture of the 7800 expansion module created by Curt Vendel and others is now up. The picture has a 3d drawing.
Picture found: http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic/165886-7800-piggyback-ex...
There is no table when the expansion module will be completed at this time and the price isn't know yet. There is a good number of games that aren't know yet for the module before July 31st.

The first prototype of the Harmony 2 Cart is now up: Found: http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic/165892-h2/
Harmony 2 Cart is a Flash cartridge that has a SD Interface. A person is would be able to download Atari 2600 and Atari 7800 games by using a SD card. Once the SD card is in the SD slot Harmony 2 cartridge, a person is able to put Harmony 2 Cart into the 7800/ expansion module slot and play games that the person downloaded. The other thing is a Harmony Cart 2 software will need to updated time to time for playing future games, support for different controllers and make games that didn't work before on a Harmony 2 cart work.

There is some things that are unknown about the Harmony Cart 2 at this time. The Original harmony Cart for the 2600 could handle that is up to 32GB in Memory. I don't know if that is the case with Harmony Cart 2. Harmony Cart 2 is supposed to different than the original since the 7800 is more advance than the Atari 2600 is.

The price of the Harmony Cart 2 is unknown right now except for the fact it is supposed to cheaper than a Cuttle Cart 2. A Cuttle Cart 2 during its production run from 2004/2005 to 2007/2008 was anywhere from $250 to $175.00 if I remembered right.

I don't known when Harmony Cart 2 will be released since a timetable hasn't been set yet. There should more info on when a Harmony Cart 2 is completed or close to it.

Atari 7800 Expansion Module has been renamed Atari 7800 XM. Source: http://spiceware.org/gallery/cge2010/P1010960

Dungeon! was revealed for Atari 7800 XM at the Classic Gaming Expo. Source: http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic/166904-expansion-module-...

Super Circus Atari was revealed for the Atari 7800 at the Classic Gaming Expo. Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/atariage/4861557505/in/set-72157... . While the sign top of the television says Failsafe, the game shown on television isn't Failsafe.
I don't know who the author of Super Circus Atari is. The pictures the game in action on the screen.

Halloween (Before it was stolen by some thief), Apple Snaffle, and the recently released Failsafe were the other 7800 games that a person was able to play at the 2010 Classic Gaming Expo.

Wow, thanks for all of these wonderful updates. I look forward to the new excitement in the 7800 community. All of these games and expansions are impressive and do the Atari "brand" justice. The Atari 7800 is truly reborn!

7th Lutz is my favorite person on NL!

There is now new information about Super Circus Atari today. Super Circus Atari is now called Super Circus Atariage. The author of Super Circus Atariage is the same person that did Failsafe for the Atari 7800.

Source: http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic/167421-super-circus-atar...

Here is the info the Author is planning to include for Super Circus Atariage:

• Add second set of platforms (like the arcade version of Circus by Exidy)
• Dual player simultaneous mode
  programmer plan on using Pokey sound chip for sounds (same sound chip that Atari 5200/8 bit computers, and Atari 7800 games Commando and Ballblazer use.)
• Powerups that drop from broken balloons (a'la Arkanoid)
• A bonus item (in the shape of the AA logo) that will rarely come out.
• Possibly a bonus round of some sort
  Here are the powerups the author mentioned:
• 'S'low - slows the speed of the balloons across the screen
• 'F'ast - increases the speed of the balloons across the screen
• 'R'everse - reverses the direction of the balloons
• 'T'op Line Gone - clears the top line. This will eventually give all the points for the remaining balloons on this line.
• 'M'iddle Line Gone - clears the middle line of balloons. This will eventually give all the points for the remaining balloons on this line.
• 'B'ottom Line Gone - clears the bottom line of balloons. This will eventually give all the points for the remaining balloons on this line.
• 'P'layer - awards the player with a bonus turn.
• powerup to increase the speed of the player

Points:
Bounce = 1 point
Bottom row of balloons = 10 points
Middle row of balloons = 20 points
Top row of balloons = 30 points
Catching a powerup = 100 points

Thanks very much.

I have to admit I didn't even know what 7800 was for a long time as Nintendo and Sega owned the 80s and 90s, but when it came to getting online in 1995 I learned of it after. I've never had the funds or time to bother, read up and researched enough and it seemed like a semi-competent machine with a good bit of potential to match the NES in a good many ways. It's a shame Atari was so mismanaged it ended up in total obscurity hell.

There is great news on Super Circus Atariage. Super Circus Atariage is now compatible with diving controllers, joystick, and paddles.

The programmer found a way to make Super Circus Atariage the first Atari 7800 games that is compatible with paddles.

Source: http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic/167421-super-circus-atar...

Paddle controls would make the game so much easier. Good for the programmer.

It is announced that the Atari 7800 will be having 2 different expansion modules and their product names.

The first expansion module is now called 7800 High Score Module. product number: CX-78HSM. The module only has the the features of the High Score Cartridge in the expansion module plastics. It will cost $59.99

The 2nd Expansion module is now called 7800 Expansion Module product number: CX-78XM1 This module will have High Score/Expanded RAM/Pokey Audio/ Yamaha Audio/ I/O Expansion Ports. It was called Atari 7800 XM at CGE 2010. Price will be anywhere from $89 to $99.

Source: http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic/167879-expansion-modules...

I could answer what I/O expansion ports. for the Atari 7800 Expansion module is for. The ports could be used a keyboard. The Atari 7800 was supposed to have a Keyboard as an accessory back in 1984. The 1984 models of the Atari 7800 had I/O expansion ports that were sold in test market areas in 1984 and the remaining Atari 7800 setting in the warehouse until 1986. The Keyboard accessory wasn't released because Jack Tramiel bought part of Atari from Warner. Jack got the computer/home game console department of Atari. Jack was worried about costs and had no plans of releasing the keyboard and the future 7800 models didn't have a I/O expansion port as a result.

The High score is the same thing as a high score cartridge prototype. The high score feature of the Atari 7800 expansion module is supposed save your high scores.

Pokey Audio is the same Audio as the Atari 5200/Atari 8 bit computer has.

The Yamaha Audio is a ym2151 sound chip. It is sound chip that was used in a lot of mid to late 1980's arcade games including Marble Madness.

Here is a couple examples the YM2151 sound chip in action for Arcade games:

Contra arcade Version
[youtube:_qE1NUaKJq4]

Marble Madnes: arcade version
[youtube:R13hp-l3cMM]

Thanks again for this wealth of infromation. Is there any chance the CX-78XM1 will be sold at the Atari Age store? So this little puppy (with new games too) will be ready in the Fall?!

What I know is there is supposed to be a pre order page soon according to the creator of the CX-78xM1, Cyrt Vendel.
I think Atariage will have it. I think the CX-78xM1 might be ready for late fall/early winter. It is up to when the negotiations are done with with the plastic company for when the CX-78XM1 is ready to be released.

Curt Vendel is negotiating with the plastics company. The plastics company according to Curt said it'll be 45-50 days for the tooling to be made and 10 days to run the first run of plastics. Curt wants to set things up with the plastic on Sept. 15 for a Nov. 15th shipping date.

I will not be able to give anymore 7800 info here after tonight up to a couple weeks due to me not having internet access for 10 days at least.

Thanks 7th Lutz! I would love to get one of these adapter for Christmas.

Anyways, we look forward to your return to the Internet. Likewise, in mid September, I will be temporarily off-line when I move to my new place. However, like The Terminator, I'll be back!

The pre-order page set-up will be on Sept 15th according to Curt Vendel.

Tempting.....

However, I'm moving again... So I might have to wait till closer to the Holidays to get one.
Are you pre-ordering 7th lutz?

I probably wouldn't.

On the fence about the system?

No. I am interesting the system. The issue is the chance if the system gets delayed for shipping. I will be gone for a week in late Nov-early December and if that could be an issue if the shipping of the system is delayed. I am not big on shipped items while I am gone.

The other thing is the news I recently got concerning Atariage store with the expansion module. I want to contact Curt Vendel before completely make my mind on per ordering it.

I found out that it appears like Atariage store will not be having the expansion module since they weren't contacted by Curt Vendel. It appears the website to buy the Expansion Module from will be from Legacy Engineering Group once the system is done.

I believe Atarige store will have the expansion module games though. Legacy Engineering Group isn't into selling game cartridges. There are more into video game hardware/accessories. The closest thing to selling video game cartridges Legacy Engineering Group did was developing the plug and play Atari Flashback 2.0. system.

I goes down to the fact Curt Vendel has done products for Atari computer/game consoles in the past, and Atariage store never was contacted to sell those products. The owner of Atariage has no problem with it.

I believe Curt Vendel is the owner of Legacy Engineering group and that makes sense for Atariage store not selling the module. Curt is respected through the Atariage community in the past and there shouldn't any concerns about where the module will be sold as a result.

Legacy Engineering Group site is http://www.legacyengineer.com/