Clint Thompson
-
Posts
667 -
Joined
-
Last visited
-
Days Won
16
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Blogs
Gallery
Store
Events
Downloads
Posts posted by Clint Thompson
-
-
3 hours ago, Sabertooth said:
I agree that it would have been cool to have a physical media slot in the new VCS. This is my first all digital console and I'm definitely a fan of physical media.
That said, although the new VCS content is digital and you need internet to buy content from the store, once downloaded it can be played offline. Access to purchased games does not require a connection to the internet. You can also back up games on USB or internal or external hard drive.
They could have and should have added a hidden USB port at the top center of the console and released a small library of USB Atari games in 2600 or 7800 styled carts that you could have plugged in to the top. Micro versions of cartridges, those would have been cool and fun to collect.
-
-
Where can one purchase one of these CX30 Evoled Paddles? They look incredible. I've been out of the loop...
*Nevermind, I see that Video61 was selling them but apparently are on back order just like the trak ball sadly.
Any chance these will be stocked again in the near future @Video 61 ?
Thanks
-
Is there a way to treat the VCS as an Nvidia Shield? As in can I stream games from my high-end PC to the VCS and play them that way in a completely different room?
-
After watching some more videos about the XEGS, I found that my suspicions about the CX78 Joypad being more aimed at the XEGS (or Super XE Game System) even more credible with another clue.... look at the Atari XE Light Gun connector... it's identical to that of the CX78:
Were there any other Atari joysticks or otherwise with the connectors like that., CX78 Joypad and Light gun aside?
- Justin and Sabertooth
-
2
-
-
Oh my God.... there is so much awesome in this for so many reasons, what a great treasure for you to still have but also generously share with everyone else!
Reading through the pages just naturally brings a smile to your face. Love the drawn consoles and headers of the games for each game. Appreciate the price list inclusion at the end. Super bad ass for just 11 years old man! You had it in you at an early age and it shows.
As a side note (does this make it a PS?), Fatal Run was originally targeted for the Atari Lynx? Or is that what Road Blasters turned into? *maybe no relation*
Another side side note (PPS) I used to have a loose copy of Fatal Run on the 7800 and just looking on eBay, only one copy appears (PAL) with a crunchy box for $199.
Crazy
-
On 9/21/2018 at 12:36 PM, Justin said:
- I thought Pole Position II was a sequel to the Pole Position game that I remembered coming packed in with the 7800.
Wait... it's not! 😄I guess I just don't remember now exactly the details of Pole Position 2 on the 7800 other than it not being very... well.... cutting edge for a new(er) game console.
I absolutely love the pictures of your price lists. I remember them exactly as that (sadly they were flooded when we had a mainline pipe explode on our street and flood the house we were living in) and while I didn't question it then, do question now why they made a point to send it in an envelope labeled as Atari Computer. Guessing its just what they had lying around to reply with? They were definitely cheap but on the other hand, they did respond! Not a single mention about the Atari Falcon either!?
I don't remember hearing any stories about anyone writing Nintendo or Sega and receiving a response. Maybe they did? But being non-domestic companies (and I don't mean Nintendo Power magazine or other publications responding on behalf of Nintendo or Sega) I'm not sure. Surely they had HQs in the U.S. but to what extent, I don't know.
Wrote Atari a few times and maybe the fact that they actually responded really set the connection on a deeper level. Wish I still had the one from Sam though. The Lynx catalog he sent had a bunch of markered out games that were no longer available and an updated price list to go with it with blowout pricing.
I called Atari constantly but it was only the automated line with a voice message response until near the end around late 95 when they actually started having someone answer the phones. I'm guessing you called the non 1-800 number though and their actual office numbers instead to actually get through to someone.
-
Just before Christmas of 1993, I had somehow discovered that Atari was releasing a new 64-bit game system. It wasn't long after that I started seeing ads in the local Venture papers that we received in the mail, if memory serves correctly. I'll never forget the price being $249. I cut it out and gave it to my mom, hoping (but knowing better from an affordability standpoint) that I would receive a Jaguar for Christmas. During this time I had acquired most of the Atari game consoles and a massive 600+ 2600/7800 cart collection. So, you could say I was pretty hardcore into Atari and it was only a fitting path forward to get the Jaguar. Grass cutting money and thrift shops and flea markets were a goldmine to me!
Weeks had passed and realizing just how absurdly expensive it was, I started coming up with alternative present idea options for my parents. One being a Sega Game Gear. I think they had specials running for $99 for a system at the time. Was never really a Sega kid and never owned a Genesis (friends owned them and we played Splatterhouse and Golden Axe on it often) but outside of that, I was willing to venture (ha) into different gaming territories. Interestingly at this point in my life, I wasn't even aware of an Atari Lynx existing. Imagine being so sheltered and not even knowing the handheld existed. Somehow, I lived under a rock.
With the Sega Game Gear as an option and more realistically, I was asking for some PC Gamer Magazines, I handed over an alternative list to my mother for consideration. She immediately grew kind of irate with me. I felt bad because maybe I just asking for too much but at the time was only trying to give more affordable idea options, even down to just a couple of PC gaming magazines.
Later I would realize as to why she was seemingly upset at me. That's because she had already purchased the Jaguar for me as a gift and here I was, asking for something completely different as if I had changed my mind. The slim long box under the tree sounded exactly what I was expecting when shaking it around, a few PC gamer magazines. Ripping it open to be delighted with some fresh reading material, my jaw dropped with excitement once I realized my parents had managed to actually buy me an Atari Jaguar for Christmas.
One of, if not, the best Christmas presents I've ever had in my entire life for so many reasons. It was also during this gift when I was subjected to Atari's Lynx marketing and advertisement inclusions of the handheld that I would soon lust after. The same inclusion that had a picture of Sonic running on an Atari Lynx that left me asking how Atari could legally get away with that but still amused. I really would like to know the story behind that one. Was it one of those dirty marketing tactics from the higher ups to try and lure the attention of ignorant kids and thinking that just because we're young, we wouldn't know better? or even parents wouldn't know better?
-
10 minutes ago, Atari 5200 Guy said:
If I could just find a reasonable priced Tempest 2000, even if it was just the cart, I'd be very happy. Easily the Jaguar's killer app. I*War and Iron Soldier as well. Power Drive Rally wasn't bad either but felt more like a 16-bit game instead of a Jaguar game. Wolfenstein 3-D was different than the PC version while Doom was an exact port minus the music. I would recommend all those to anyone new to the Jaguar. They are easy to pick up and play.
Outside of loading up T2K on a flash cart, I am in the same boat. I'm not a collector these days and refuse to pay eBay prices for Jaguar games. No offense to any collectors if that's your thing to get into, I just can't... well, I refuse to do it. Especially in the tune of $100+ Sad too, to think that Best Electronics had them new for like $40 just a few years ago but now they're completely sold out.
I'll probably just burn one to a cart someday and throw it in a clear shell and slap on professionally printed label.
-
13 minutes ago, RickR said:
I have an XEGS around here somewhere that had been spray painted black. I'll have to find it and post a pic. It looks pretty cool that way.
And I think you are on to something with that gamepad connection. Unmistakable resemblance.That would be cool to see! I've got to find an XEGS now 😄
Even though the buttons are small, they still share that round, smooth bubbly button look from the XE. It's so painfully obvious that I can't un-see it now.
6 minutes ago, Justin said:EXCELLENT question. I asked this directly of Atari at the time and they had no answer.
We didn't even get the pleasure of having the Control Pads packaged with newer 7800 systems or officially released in the United States. I used to call Atari all the time and ask if these were available, either retail or directly from Atari. (Always spoke with my girl at the front desk, Geraldine). The answer was always "NO". I had to import them from Europe and became one of the first to do so from what I've been told.
That's so bizarre. I've never heard confirmation as to why and it's always been one of those things that never made any sense to me as to why. Maybe a legality thing but that doesn't seem to add up either since surely it would extend to Europe if true. The fact that a U.S. company would do this is not only confusing but also kind of infuriating. Though I've heard from others stating their dislike for the joypads. Given the option to the pro-lines though?
What's this about you having a go to Atari girl named Geraldine? Wowzah! 😉
-
6 minutes ago, RickR said:
Oh hey! Never too late; so good to see you here!
I love the Jaguar a lot more than I thought I would. I'm having fun with what I have so far and I'm really hoping to get a GameDrive if they become available again.
Awesome 🙂
I hear more are incoming in the next week so keep the eyes peeled! I still haven't picked up one myself!
-
I've been down the 8-Bit XE/XEGS rabbit hole lately. Not sure why really but it landed me here (it's been a while!)
Sadly the video is gone so I'm missing a bit of context as to what this is all really about but seeing that the Atari Mirai casing is most like the SuperXE Game Console is fascinating to me. Personally...and quite honestly, I've always found the pastel colored buttons to be hideous. Outside of that, I owned an XEGS once when I was a teenager. Had a dream about this game machine and tons of carts at a thrift store, went a few days later and sure enough there was this most bizarre XE game console with about a dozen carts for all of $20. Of course I bought it.
Not sure why I got rid of it but looking back now after researching it all again, some newly discovered (non-closed minded) things about it are starting to stand out.
1. You have to truly appreciate that Atari got the composite video output right on this one! I still can't believe it wasn't offered out of the box on the Jaguar in 1993 but was included on a repackaged Atari XE system in 1987.
2. 99% of most 8bit Atari computer games at the time didn't need a keyboard. This was a nice consolized version of a great computer. One that I couldn't love though because the pastel Easter egg color buttons just screamed wonk to me. However.... I've got a solution for that now... and now I want an XEGS again.
3. Something seems amiss. It's 1986.... Atari releases the 7800 in the U.S. and includes the Pro-Line joysticks. They would later release the XEGS and Euro or PAL version of the 7800 in 1987. The same year they included the supposedly coined CX78 joypads for the inclusion with the 7800. Sure, many claim it was in response to the NES but.... why only the PAL version and not in the U.S.?Which brings me to another very seemingly non-coincidental design choice.... that the XEGS was supposed to include or use the XE joypads. From a design standpoint, it makes 100% sense:
So here you have the triangled XE system in the left corner... and XE text on the top right. I was thinking, wait a minute. That looks STRIKINGLY SIMILAR to something else....
Well... well... well... what else has a sharp triangle cut corner and big bold buttons? The CX78 *ahem* Atari XEGS Joypad:
Even the backside of the CX78 joypad shares the top lines of the XEGS....
So are those red buttons supposed to be pastel and ugly colored too or is red the way to go? Either way, I now feel like that the XEGS joypads were ditched in favor of being released with the 7800 in a too little, too late attempt. Though why not include it with the XEGS in the first place if that actually were the case? The CX78 joypads certainly flows more with the design aesthetics of the XEGS than the 7800, just as the Jaguar joypads flowed more with the lines of the unreleased Panther than it does with the Jaguar (since they actually were Panther joypads repurposed for the Jaguar after all). We have data design disks that confirm that, stating Panther controller drawings and sure enough, it's the Jaguar joypad.
Does anyone have the Atari 7800 action set poster or a picture of it handy? I did a quick google search but came up empty handed.
Tell me the CX78 isn't a repurposed XEGS joypad. Change my mind.
- TrekMD, Sabertooth, RickR and 1 other
-
4
-
-
-
-
2 hours ago, kamakazi20012 said:
I've been a keyboardist for a couple of decades and have MIDI knowledge for half that. To get my hands on what you have would be similar to getting my hands on a Yamaha Tyros...its a dream machine. The STs are still the best MIDI systems on the planet, period. I've had a Yamaha MIDI recorder combined with two Yamaha PSR keyboards (510 & 530) and always had timing issues. I've not experienced that with the ST so far.
Does that Hotz Box have any drum sounds/patterns?
Wow, the Tyros does look like a really nice toy! =D
In the case of your experience, you would for sure love this thing and truly appreciate what you can do with it I feel. I haven't been able to set it up with either PC or ST software packages yet (waiting on replacement USB MIDI cable for the PC and new disk drive for ST) so I'm unsure what to expect other than loading it without the Hotz connected and briefly going through the vast amount of options and settings available. Right now I'm just experimenting with it solo as nothing more than a stand alone MIDI controller which is allowing me to play 3 parts simultaneously. Pads on the bottom, Guitar on the top and a nice synth sound in the middle with reverb.
My next goal is to setup a drum loop trigger on either of the sides and then have an additional pedal selected so I can select dual tone harmonic guitar sounds on the top during a solo-styled playback. This thing has 6 pedal inputs for each of the zones plus 2 others for alternate options, it's incredible. Maybe there's something like this for other devices in the past but out of the 20 some odd years I've been toying around with synths and musical gadgets, I've never seen anything setup like this that would allow you to really do some crazy jam sessions as a single person all on a single device in one round.
I almost got the Roli Seaboard last year and will probably eventually pick it up (same goes with the Haken Continuum) but even those are still very much a one piece or single part playback, outside of laying sounds of course.
-
1 minute ago, kamakazi20012 said:
Does it have touch response? That thing is beyond cool! Its said it can help amateurs sound like a pro and conquers helping musicians play instruments they normally don't use. Man, you got really lucky.
Yeah, depending how you press it the tone changes - it's similar to a regular touch responsive keyboard only it feels as though you can control it a lot better on this. It's one of those things that have to be experienced to be understood as describing doesn't really do it justice.
I'm wanting to do an actual review of this device since I've never seen one done but will wait to get some experience with the included software before doing so. Seems as though only a handful of people have ever used one and even less used in production. From what I could find, only 3 bands in total used it (Fleetwood Mac, Jimmy Hotz himself and an indie-styled Christian rock band called Haven -- if you count movie music for Chronicles of Riddick (though I can't confirm what was created with the Hotz, it's just mentioned being in the studio of the producer working on the soundtrack so may just be a product plug) then that's 4.
I fear them marketing it as a tool for amateurs or those who don't know how to play music was a huge mistake. Truth is, this should have been very specifically targeted for the pro segment and as a professional midi keyboard for production houses. The software alone is quite complex (not in a bad way but it's very elaborate) and unless someone already knows a bit about setting it up and/or understands the fundamentals of music in general, I don't see how someone who doesn't know how to play music could really rock the world with it out of the box without a ton of help.
It's definitely one of those things that was far ahead of its time but the price is really what puts it out of reach of so many people. A real shame because it's unreal to play on in the best possible way.
-
On 12/6/2018 at 5:15 AM, kamakazi20012 said:
Nope. But I have heard of them.
Strange how timing and such works out. A year later and many years of lusting (plus a decade) I finally had a Hotz Box sent out to me the same day you posted this but only just now catching up with everything after the holidays. I was actually in Tennessee when the unit arrived back at home in Indy so the excitement had to be contained until I got back home several days later.
Anyways, it's a lot bigger and heavier than I thought it would be and it's definitely far cooler than I could have ever imagined. I'm going to make some proper videos for this since there really isn't much out there aside from the few videos that Jimmy has posted himself. I'm not really sure number count wise to date but the guy who did the music for Riddick said in 2004 that only 25 had been made. Naturally only 2 weeks after I receive the unit, another producer decided to offload a few of the smaller units he has that was custom made for him but I ultimately passed originally to hold out for a larger unit that I've coined The Mothership:
And a quick test video right after unboxing:
-
Just a thought, is there a chance that we could figure out a way to have an RB+ tutorial on this forum? I am curious because I wouldn't mind learning how to use the language. I have a copy of Raptor BASIC+ on my PC at home, hence the inquiry. I know that they have tutorials on AtariAge, but I was wondering about here as well. I, myself, have tutorial files for the program. But, what of other potential game programmers that want to make home-brew game of their titles? Also, it may help to get feedback on a site like this as well. Just a suggestion, that's all. Thanks.
I think it's just best to start a thread, don't see why not, but I'm not seeing the Jaguar forums over here very active at all sadly. Everyone else seems to be in either one of the Facebook groups, AA or just keeps their distance.
Most of their included demos have a lot of great info and the Rb+ tutorial is included but I feel like that Doger demo may be a little bit much for most and easier or more simple tutorials need to be made that help someone from scratch instead of a ton of graphic objects and lines of code but I think the community is definitely there to help anyone who asks, same goes for here.
I'm just about 2 years into Rb+ and have finally started making some really good progress especially after many feedback related issues with some minor buggies that would cause a hiccup here or there. For what it is, it's rather amazing. I could have never done what I'm doing otherwise so I'm truly grateful it exists.
I've got a mini game to release soon and a sort of fun tech demo to show as well that I'm almost done with (hopefully end of weekend if not sooner). With that said I think it would be fun to do some quick 5-minute video tutorials on how to program easy stuff for the Jaguar using Rb+, maybe time will permit such a thing after the holidays. =)
- DegasElite and ptw-ace
-
2
-
I will be receiving one of the first completed production samples sometime this week / week-end. Looks like they have turned out great and will share pictures here once it arrives. Really cool that it's finally nearing completion.
- A31Chris, TrekMD, Atari 5200 Guy and 2 others
-
5
-
https://www.philscomputerlab.com/dos-benchmark-pack.html
Although according to this link, the second and last version of that benchmark made only went to 999.99... But I believe that is the one you are talking about.
As for the 3D bird I remember one made of just dots that was overhead and was kinda like a screensaver of sorts with the occasional tree going by or something?
Yep, that was it! Virtual Reality playhouse and yep, you're thinking of the exact one I am. Good times.. =)
-
When I was building, websites didn't exist lol ;-) but this thread fondly made me remember the 3D floating computer program that would calculate how fast your PC was in terms of 3D FPS (before dedicated video cards of that nature really existed) and last time I ran it on a more modern PC sometime early 2000 it was like 1,100 frames a second haha...
Anyone remember the flying 3D bird overhead that was made up of only pixel pointers? Interesting times and tech and how it all evolves.
-
Any more word on how this is coming along? Man I can't say that I wouldn't mind getting my hands on one of those system boards.
Nothing much in the way of progress yet. The first thing needing to be finished is the Pro Controllers, which appears to be closing in within the next 2-3 weeks. The guy that was working on the JagDuo PCB side of things is completely swamped with real life/work and I'm looking for someone on the same caliber of his expertise to handle taking over the that portion of the project. SainT may be interested in doing it at some point but I'm not going to pile this on his already overflowing plate with the JagSD cart he's still ironing out bugs on.
Time flies but I'm hoping before the end of the year to have a dozen PCBs made. I'll update back here when it happens. If I had a lot of spare money I could probably have this completed by the end of the year but unfortunately I'm not rich or a PCB design genius.
Atari Enamel Promotional Pins
in Atari Memorabilia
Posted
What a bargain for those pins at original prices!