CrossBow

Loom is one of my favorites of the era. And it really cool to see it played on the PS/2 like in that video. As that is how I first saw the game when my best friend at the time first got it and that was how we played the game. Although, once I bought the game for myself a few months later, I played it with Adlib audio. It wasn't until much later.. .like over a decade later, that I got to experience the game as it was meant through my LAPC-I sound board so I could finally hear the MT-32 soundtrack the game first came with.
My only complaint in the video, is that when he shows the VGA graphics, it is apparent that a filter is being used like an HQ2 method or something because it looks far too smoothed out and that is why it looks off. Without such a filter in place the VGA graphics actually really good. But he is correct in that the 'talkie' version of the game features shorter music sections being played, and the dialog was cut quite a bit. Other things added/stripped is that the closeups of character faces was removed in the CD version but the extra scene he talks about if you play the game on hard on the EGA version I believe is always shown in the VGA version regardless of difficulty chosen. 
I only the game now as the 'talkie' version boxed as I had a tendency back then to give away my older floppy disk versions of my games when I bought the newer versions on CD later. But, I did make sure to still have George 'The Fatman' Sanger sign my copy of Loom as he was responsible for the soundtrack compilations in all versions of the game. In fact, the digital audio music played in the CD version is just the MT-32 soundtrack recorded. But again, the full pieces of the music don't play on the CD version as they do on the EGA original release with an MT-32.
There was very much a certain type of magic when playing the game and it was quite different when it was released back then as compared to most. But yes, Loom along with another Lucasarts later release of The Dig are two of my favorites in this genre for PCs back in the day.
 

Loom is one of my favorites of the era. And it really cool to see it played on the PS/2 like in that video. As that is how I first saw the game when my best friend at the time first got it and that was how we played the game. Although, once I bought the game for myself a few months later, I played it with Adlib audio. It wasn't until much later.. .like over a decade later, that I got to experience the game as it was meant through my LAPC-I sound board so I could finally hear the MT-32 soundtrack the game first came with.
My only complaint in the video, is that when he shows the VGA graphics, it is apparent that a filter is being used like an HQ2 method or something because it looks far too smoothed out and that is why it looks off. Without such a filter in place the VGA graphics actually really good. But he is correct in that the 'talkie' version of the game features shorter music sections being played, and the dialog was cut quite a bit. Other things added/stripped is that the closeups of character faces was removed in the CD version but the extra scene he talks about if you play the game on hard on the EGA version I believe is always shown in the VGA version regardless of difficulty chosen. 
I only the game now as the 'talkie' version boxed as I had a tendency back then to give away my older floppy disk versions of my games when I bought the newer versions on CD later. But, I did make sure to still have George 'The Fatman' Sanger sign my copy of Loom as he was responsible for the soundtrack compilations in all versions of the game. In fact, the digital audio music played in the CD version is just the MT-32 soundtrack recorded. But again, the full pieces of the music don't play on the CD version as they do on the EGA original release with an MT-32.
There was very much a certain type of magic when playing the game and it was quite different when it was released back then as compared to most. But yes, Loom along with another Lucasarts later release of The Dig are two of my favorites in this genre for PCs back in the day.
 

Loom… If the name sounds familiar, then you probably were a kid or a teenager in the 80s, just like me.
If you played this game not long after it came out, as I did in 1991, then you can understand the kind of enchantment it was back then.
Loom wasn’t really groundbreaking. It didn’t bring any major change to the gaming scene. But it perfected an existing genre: it brought the graphical adventure to a new level of maturity. You could expect no less from Lucasfilm Games, and this project led by Brian Moriarty was a masterpiece of its own.
Loom has superior graphics, soundtrack, and an ironclad scenario. It also adds a little touch of its own to the point & click adventure games, with a unique user interface based on musical notes.
All these aspects put together make Loom an outstanding game despite its few drawbacks, the main one being its simplicity level. So let’s dive deeper into this mysterious and enchanting universe.
ZERO footage from emulators was used to make this video!
Only the actual CRT screen pixels are shown!
Enjoy 🙂
 
 

I believe it will but not everyone has a copy of the game to test since EXO just go released in the AA store and I guess no one that attended PRGE has been following this stuff or interested? Pretty sure John would have tried to test it as I'm sure he bought a copy of the game. The only downside with EXO is that the Savekey/AVOX doesn't work and from what I'm told those never will. The 2600+ only polls the ports in read only mode. It can't write back to them. So as a result... you can't save anything. EXO is a much more challenging game when you have to play it in one sitting LOL!
This also means that the Keypad controller apparently can never be made to work either. So no Star Raiders with this current hardware they have released. I was able to get Petscii Robots to start up, but I wouldn't exactly call it playable. No music only TIA audio worked, and all of the graphics were messed up. But the actual game was able to be played provided you knew exactly what the garbage on the screen was representing LOL. As I've played Petscii Robots quite a bit I was just about able to get through the first map even with it all screwed up looking. But the fact that EXO is working means that large size games can be made to work and the improvements made to the pro system emulator in these new builds is crazy impressive!
 

My only issue with videos like this right now, is that it is all but assured that Atari will replace this process out with something more user friendly. So while I can appreciate someone creating a video like this for those of us wanting to test the latest BETA release, it isn't good to have this on YouTube because a year or so from now, this process being shown won't be relevant and you wouldn't want someone to come across it thinking this is how you update the console and then end up making a mess of their system using incompatible FW etc. 
So I do think stuff like this shouldn't be posted in this particular medium until the actual FW release and process has been made more public and finalized.
 

Yeah I think good deal is using the fixed version of the prototype.

Check it out folks! There is some really cool new stuff coming to the 2600+. For those not aware, I'm testing separate FW from what everyone else is testing that has some experimental stuff on it. Mostly 7800 centric in nature and this is one that I was just advised to test and confirm. 
 
 
If you weren't aware, Tower Toppler usually looks like a striped mess of graphics on anything higher than composite video output. That is because the games graphics rely on the use of NTSC artifacting to make the graphics and colors look the way they did back in the day. But once you go with s-video of above, then the artifacting effect is lost and you see the graphics as they were actually programmed but not as they were intended to be seen. And it isn't pretty. Well, the new FW currently loaded on my 2600+ features a new test composite filter for Tower Toppler to siumlate the artifacting effect. It isn't 100% and I'm not sure how much more work will be done on it, but this is far far better than it what it looks like right now to everyone else on the 2600+ and at least makes it possible to know what you are looking at. 
 

Yes and no on the Rampage Double Dragon question.
One of the changes that my FW has is that it provides very specific information from the Dumper side of things on what it actually detects. Comparing the results of my cartridges with those of others has revealed something that is a bit interesting although not quite sure why. So Double Dragon and Rampage were apparently released in multiple revisions that aren't well documented. What is more strange is that the code of the games themselves isn't really different. But what is different is the bank switching schemes used and apparently other changes on the hardware level of the cartridges themselves appear to be confusing the dumper. So as a result I don't just provide a pass/fail on my testing. I also have to provide a bunch of other data that is shown from the system when I activate a specific controller combo. So hopefully that data can be used to get those games working.
Klax is another one I've been testing. I don't own the actual cartridge as honestly, Klax isn't my style of game that I enjoy that much. But I was provided ROM images of the two main ones out there. The one that CPU made is basically the prototype as it was found as it happens to work on actual 7800 consoles. But it seems the header information for it isn't quite right and so the 'fixed' version that was released later on does work on the 2600+. Not sure if they will work around that on the 2600+ since it is sort of a special case and again, the same ROM with corrected header info in it, does work as expected.
Another thing I've been testing is more modern home brew releases. But a small snag has been found between the ROM of the final games and what is actually on the carts. That small snag is the HOKEY itself. Most of the modern brews are working with updated FW on the 7800 but those games with HOKEYs in them vs actual POKEYs aren't playing the Pokey audio or in some cases, failing to load up. Last night with revised FW I was finally able to get Keystone Koppers to come up and work with full Pokey audio. So this is a good step towards hopefully getting more of those games working. Again, everything I've been testing with is actually slightly older FW than what everyone has been given access too. But that is because the FW I'm working with and being provided is just to test stuff on the 7800 side of things so that it can eventually be implemented into a much more robust FW update in the future. As an example, the 2600 games that have been corrected and are working with the beta 1.1FW that everyone else has been loading up, do NOT work for me on my FW because those changes weren't or aren't being implemented. Again, my testing focus is on the 7800 side.
 

Check it out folks! There is some really cool new stuff coming to the 2600+. For those not aware, I'm testing separate FW from what everyone else is testing that has some experimental stuff on it. Mostly 7800 centric in nature and this is one that I was just advised to test and confirm. 
 
 
If you weren't aware, Tower Toppler usually looks like a striped mess of graphics on anything higher than composite video output. That is because the games graphics rely on the use of NTSC artifacting to make the graphics and colors look the way they did back in the day. But once you go with s-video of above, then the artifacting effect is lost and you see the graphics as they were actually programmed but not as they were intended to be seen. And it isn't pretty. Well, the new FW currently loaded on my 2600+ features a new test composite filter for Tower Toppler to siumlate the artifacting effect. It isn't 100% and I'm not sure how much more work will be done on it, but this is far far better than it what it looks like right now to everyone else on the 2600+ and at least makes it possible to know what you are looking at. 
 

Check it out folks! There is some really cool new stuff coming to the 2600+. For those not aware, I'm testing separate FW from what everyone else is testing that has some experimental stuff on it. Mostly 7800 centric in nature and this is one that I was just advised to test and confirm. 
 
 
If you weren't aware, Tower Toppler usually looks like a striped mess of graphics on anything higher than composite video output. That is because the games graphics rely on the use of NTSC artifacting to make the graphics and colors look the way they did back in the day. But once you go with s-video of above, then the artifacting effect is lost and you see the graphics as they were actually programmed but not as they were intended to be seen. And it isn't pretty. Well, the new FW currently loaded on my 2600+ features a new test composite filter for Tower Toppler to siumlate the artifacting effect. It isn't 100% and I'm not sure how much more work will be done on it, but this is far far better than it what it looks like right now to everyone else on the 2600+ and at least makes it possible to know what you are looking at. 
 

Check it out folks! There is some really cool new stuff coming to the 2600+. For those not aware, I'm testing separate FW from what everyone else is testing that has some experimental stuff on it. Mostly 7800 centric in nature and this is one that I was just advised to test and confirm. 
 
 
If you weren't aware, Tower Toppler usually looks like a striped mess of graphics on anything higher than composite video output. That is because the games graphics rely on the use of NTSC artifacting to make the graphics and colors look the way they did back in the day. But once you go with s-video of above, then the artifacting effect is lost and you see the graphics as they were actually programmed but not as they were intended to be seen. And it isn't pretty. Well, the new FW currently loaded on my 2600+ features a new test composite filter for Tower Toppler to siumlate the artifacting effect. It isn't 100% and I'm not sure how much more work will be done on it, but this is far far better than it what it looks like right now to everyone else on the 2600+ and at least makes it possible to know what you are looking at. 
 

WOOOOO! 
Spent almost 9 hours on the website today! It doesn't look like it, but here's what I updated-
 
Dungeon Stalker Video Review!
Novawolf Video Review!
I rank the Video 61 laminated Comic Strip/ Instructions
The Save Mary Art Gallery Updated!
The Definitive Cart Collector Guide Updated
Changed the name of our Podcast to "The Atari Network Podcast" 
Cleaned up the Articles Page
Planet Smashers- God Mode Code
Dragon Cache- Play as the Dragon of Thorns/ Level Warp
Dragon's Havoc- Stage Select Code
Venture- Start with 11 lives
Joust Easter Egg
Ninja Golf- Hidden Joystick Test
Bentley Bear's Crystal Quest- 1-2 Warp Location
Adventures of Olli Troll- Level Select/ Ending Select Code
 
www.atari7800forever.com

My only issue with videos like this right now, is that it is all but assured that Atari will replace this process out with something more user friendly. So while I can appreciate someone creating a video like this for those of us wanting to test the latest BETA release, it isn't good to have this on YouTube because a year or so from now, this process being shown won't be relevant and you wouldn't want someone to come across it thinking this is how you update the console and then end up making a mess of their system using incompatible FW etc. 
So I do think stuff like this shouldn't be posted in this particular medium until the actual FW release and process has been made more public and finalized.
 

My only issue with videos like this right now, is that it is all but assured that Atari will replace this process out with something more user friendly. So while I can appreciate someone creating a video like this for those of us wanting to test the latest BETA release, it isn't good to have this on YouTube because a year or so from now, this process being shown won't be relevant and you wouldn't want someone to come across it thinking this is how you update the console and then end up making a mess of their system using incompatible FW etc. 
So I do think stuff like this shouldn't be posted in this particular medium until the actual FW release and process has been made more public and finalized.
 

So I hinted about this in another thread elsewhere, but though it might be good to give it is own post.
So a new challenger has emerged online under the website AtariRepairParts.com and as the name implies they provide replacement parts for Atari stuff. However, as they are very very new, the parts available is basically limited to just a few things. But, perhaps the most interesting is their replacement mylar and membrane buttons for the standard OEM 5200 controller (CX-52). Similar to another well known vendor, AtariRepairParts has created their own mylar and button replacements that are also gold plated.
The main difference here is that they cost for a complete set is about 50% less of the other well known vendor. They also don't have any limits on the number of items you can order and have PayPal so payments are easy to make. 
I ordered two sets of these replacements for just under $50 shipped. That might seem like a lot for something so old, but again for the price of 2 sets to install into one controllers from AtariRepairParts compared to that same price for just a single controller from the other vendor, it is a good deal.
I received them in yesterday and only ordered them a few days prior, so they arrived very quickly! Here is my initial impressions of these new replacement rebuild kits..
First lets talk about how everything arrived. It was delivered in a bubble mailer using a section of card stock and envelope to protect and prevent bending of the mylar flex. The membrane buttons were just loose in the padded envelope but as this is all very light weight and small, I don't have any issues with this packing.
The first thing you notice is that the mylar is a very matte black finish in color overall. But you can still see the traces etc. Ever contact point on the flex is gold plated including the fingers that insert into the controller wire harness connector. Additionally, it could have been the way it looked, but I believe that section with the fingers is a tad longer than the stock mylar so they seat in further and more secure as a result. The mylar overall is also a little thicker than the stock mylar and more rigid as a result. But I don't find this to be a negative at all since it means it should be able to withstand the flexing and bending it has to go through much better over time. The mylar also has preaffixed adhesive pads so that it can attach to the keypad support plate, and each of the arms for the fire buttons on the mylar will attach to the vertical supports on the controller properly. In the past I've had to keep double sided tape on hand with replacements so this is a welcome thing to have! I do think another strip should be included for the top row buttons as it doesn't have one for that part. But if you consider the fact that the membrane buttons sit on top of that section, I guess it isn't as critical.
The membrane buttons appear to be new and look and feel like the originals. This is good and bad because a lot of folks don't like the mushy feel of the original buttons and these will retain that original feel. However, similar to the mylar, each contact on the membrane has a gold plated disc that is secured to the buttons. So gold on gold contact will minimize any corrosion over the years from occurring.
Installation is a breeze since everything is of the same size as original parts so it just all fits in place where it should. Even the small holes on the keypad to line it up on the support tray are present and in the correct location. So yeah provided you know how to take the original controller apart properly, installing a set of these should only take a few minutes time. 
I played a few games of The Last Starfighter to break it all in and I have to say that everything worked great! My only criticism is that the top row membrane buttons seem to sit a little lower than the originals and as a result I found them difficult to actually press and make contact. But they do work it just requires a little more direct pressing than I'm used to with my older buttons and foil taped contact pads hehe. Still, the quality of these replacement parts are very nice and I imagine the controller will not require much if any maintenance in the future since the only real failure point now would be the cabling or potentiometers inside the controller itself of which, there aren't any replacements for yet at this time.
AtariRepairParts.com
 

Well, all I can say right now from what I'm seeing first hand, is that at this rate... Atari is going to put me outta business on console upgrade services LOL!!!
Oh well, it couldn't last forever right?
 

Worked for me 1st try. however, the process I was given had the opposite order. I was told to update the console core with the update.img file first and then update the dumper. But for the dumper portion to work for me, I had to install a driver file first and then the dumper update worked without issue.
Now that all of that is in place, I can go back and forth without too much trouble. 
Also be sure to use the cable that came with the 2600+ when doing this. It isn't just providing power and works great for data as well. Also, I'm on windows 11 and using a USB 3.0 port. But I've seen others state they could only get it working using a USB 2.0 port on their computers. 
 

Likely something with the heuristic scanning of your virus software that is flagging code it doesn't like but it actually safe. I've got a lot of older emulators and some game installers that passed fine years ago but now seem to trigger my mal-ware bytes and I have to keep removing the files from quarantine and add them to the exclusion lists.
Heck we have legit software we install at work that flags both our virus software and our hardware firewalls. The ONLY way to run that software and get it installed is to use outside networks and run the installer on the computer after taking it off the network because our network security just kills it instantly.
In the case of the software at work, it is because the installer uses auto installing scripts to install several different software packages one after the other through a single EXE and this is interpreted as virus behavior. Our network security specialist refuses to account for this to change it since we found a work around anyway... 
 
 

Likely something with the heuristic scanning of your virus software that is flagging code it doesn't like but it actually safe. I've got a lot of older emulators and some game installers that passed fine years ago but now seem to trigger my mal-ware bytes and I have to keep removing the files from quarantine and add them to the exclusion lists.
Heck we have legit software we install at work that flags both our virus software and our hardware firewalls. The ONLY way to run that software and get it installed is to use outside networks and run the installer on the computer after taking it off the network because our network security just kills it instantly.
In the case of the software at work, it is because the installer uses auto installing scripts to install several different software packages one after the other through a single EXE and this is interpreted as virus behavior. Our network security specialist refuses to account for this to change it since we found a work around anyway... 
 
 

I believe it will but not everyone has a copy of the game to test since EXO just go released in the AA store and I guess no one that attended PRGE has been following this stuff or interested? Pretty sure John would have tried to test it as I'm sure he bought a copy of the game. The only downside with EXO is that the Savekey/AVOX doesn't work and from what I'm told those never will. The 2600+ only polls the ports in read only mode. It can't write back to them. So as a result... you can't save anything. EXO is a much more challenging game when you have to play it in one sitting LOL!
This also means that the Keypad controller apparently can never be made to work either. So no Star Raiders with this current hardware they have released. I was able to get Petscii Robots to start up, but I wouldn't exactly call it playable. No music only TIA audio worked, and all of the graphics were messed up. But the actual game was able to be played provided you knew exactly what the garbage on the screen was representing LOL. As I've played Petscii Robots quite a bit I was just about able to get through the first map even with it all screwed up looking. But the fact that EXO is working means that large size games can be made to work and the improvements made to the pro system emulator in these new builds is crazy impressive!
 

I believe it will but not everyone has a copy of the game to test since EXO just go released in the AA store and I guess no one that attended PRGE has been following this stuff or interested? Pretty sure John would have tried to test it as I'm sure he bought a copy of the game. The only downside with EXO is that the Savekey/AVOX doesn't work and from what I'm told those never will. The 2600+ only polls the ports in read only mode. It can't write back to them. So as a result... you can't save anything. EXO is a much more challenging game when you have to play it in one sitting LOL!
This also means that the Keypad controller apparently can never be made to work either. So no Star Raiders with this current hardware they have released. I was able to get Petscii Robots to start up, but I wouldn't exactly call it playable. No music only TIA audio worked, and all of the graphics were messed up. But the actual game was able to be played provided you knew exactly what the garbage on the screen was representing LOL. As I've played Petscii Robots quite a bit I was just about able to get through the first map even with it all screwed up looking. But the fact that EXO is working means that large size games can be made to work and the improvements made to the pro system emulator in these new builds is crazy impressive!
 

See I don't own an Evercade so didn't know that was an issue but interesting to know. I just know that I've not had any issues with the actual update using the power cord it came with on my PC so I do wonder if some folks are using different USB cables etc.
 

Worked for me 1st try. however, the process I was given had the opposite order. I was told to update the console core with the update.img file first and then update the dumper. But for the dumper portion to work for me, I had to install a driver file first and then the dumper update worked without issue.
Now that all of that is in place, I can go back and forth without too much trouble. 
Also be sure to use the cable that came with the 2600+ when doing this. It isn't just providing power and works great for data as well. Also, I'm on windows 11 and using a USB 3.0 port. But I've seen others state they could only get it working using a USB 2.0 port on their computers. 
 

Yeap..apparently the request demand was too great so they decided to go ahead and release it at this time. Although I think the one I've been testing today is slightly newer as EXO is also working with the build I have. We might be on the verge to getting Rampage working though. I have a new build to update my 2600+ with that will dump data from my copy of the game to hopefully provide some clues.
 

Yeap..apparently the request demand was too great so they decided to go ahead and release it at this time. Although I think the one I've been testing today is slightly newer as EXO is also working with the build I have. We might be on the verge to getting Rampage working though. I have a new build to update my 2600+ with that will dump data from my copy of the game to hopefully provide some clues.