RickR

I watched the video, and it's pretty short on details. It all looks do-able, but I'm going to guess it's going to be $250 to build this. My advice is very simple -- buy a Pi and get the image he refers to. Load it up and try it out using a TV and a gamepad of your choice. If you can get it working there, you can play around a bit and determine if you like it and want to invest in getting the little arcade machine upgraded and working.

I'll try to check that video out after work. Maybe this is one we can do together from opposite ends of the country!

I can help with the raspberry Pi when you get that far. Before doing that, you're going to want to examine how the screen and controller connect to the Arcade1UP board. If those are easily transferrable, the process will be a lot easier. Warning: I've tried making a beast like this before. It takes a lot of time to get the Rasp Pi set up just right. I always end up back on my PC emulation. I'm really tempted to get one of those machines from BestBuy, as it's a great deal. But I know it's a project that will take up a lot of time.

This is great. Too bad this 52L never made into production. Game changer! From that same Atari Museum site: It should be noted, that during the course of Atari's support of the Atari 5200, 9 revisions of the Atari 5200 joysticks were made. The rubber base was made thicker, the joystick stalk was shortened and the "flex circuit" improved. Atari was also working on a new self-centering joystick as well as an Arcade joystick.

Your project sounds fascinating! And at $100, those consoles seem like a great deal.

The thing I don't get about the 5200 is how the weakness of the system was clear from the very beginning. The controller. Every article mentioned it. Every kid knew it. They were detachable. Why not create a different design and release it separately? I know the trakball was available, and it was cool. But it wasn't good for every game. An improved joystick, maybe with the self-centering gimbals from the original design. Or a digital stick like Wico was making. What did they have to lose? The same could be said for the Intellivision 2. Imagine if they'd come up with something better there.

Yes, and now all movements look like rainbows.

Just reliving my youth. I told them "I'm tired from working all day. If I could play first thing in the morning, I'd do better".

I need to try the Intellivision version. I remember it being a lot slower to ramp up the difficulty. Those two scores I posted were the first and second attempts. My kids scoffed, tried the game themselves, had trouble cracking 1000, and then seemed slightly impressed with my ability. I'll take that very small victory.

32,615. If you hold down the button, it auto fires. So you're good there on emulation. I can assure you, the side buttons on the smaller INTV are no better. That one will HURT. I'm not sure I want to try it on INTV.

Of course I opened it! 21,630

I've got a sealed copy. Should I open it?

You guys are so right. Didn't the Desert Falcon challenge start last Friday? Whoops!!!! This one should be really fun...except for my thumb. No auto fire! Great choice(s), @Justin

The irony is that he also had tons of missed opportunities at Commodore as well. Example: Chuck Peddle wanted to go after IBM before IBM became a juggernaut. The PET set the stage to go into business machines, but any follow-up design was poo-poo'd by Jack. And the C64 - a follow up should have been a big priority, but instead, they blew that opportunity as well with a CP/M machine with C64 mode tacked on (the C128), and then the completely incompatible Plus/4 line.

Oooh, this is an easy one. I think Commodore saw Atari as their main competitor for computers. When he got ousted at Commodore, Jack Trameil saw a respected brand name available for a dirt cheap price. The ST computers were seriously good. Give him credit for that. It's just that they saw no value in games or software.

So kind of you! I'm not sure if I want to fix it or not. I may just try to sell it as-is or use it as a cool shelf display. If I decide to fix it, I'm pretty sure I have enough good junk around here to fabricate something. Thank you so much, though!

On the broken stick, It's a leaf switch internally, and the middle leaf has broken off. Fixable, but not too easily.

Don't forget the cardboard RF shield. Giving this a bit more thought, and it really hit me how crappy Commodore software really was. The C64 games they released were pretty much identical to the VIC-20 versions of the same games. Radar Rat Race, Gorf, Jupiter Lander, etc. All of it was good on the VIC, but embarrassing on the C64. The best and most memorable games were made by third parties. It's a shame, too. The C64 was a well designed machine that could do amazing things. But quality was just abysmal, and so many cut corners. I had a VIC-20 and loved it -- mostly because of the ability to create my own games and learn BASIC. The VIC had fantastic games...all made by third parties. Choplifter, Defender, Centipede, Demon Attack, etc. I never had a C64 (until I started collecting systems as an adult), but moved on to an Atari 800XL in 1984. When I finally did want a C64, I had a very hard time finding one that worked. I've fixed many. They just were not built to last.

I really feel like Commodore was one big cause for the big crash in video games. They raced to bottom out pricing, undercutting everyone. And the C64 was a pirating dream come true.

The real Jack Tramiel saying was "Computers for the masses, not for the classes". Love him or hate him, he stuck with his mantra. And you're right, it didn't work. Nintendo proved him wrong in the biggest way.

"Computers for the masses, made by cheap asses."

I haven't had that issue, but I tend to stay away from those games that seem tedious to me. I just finished the first Phoenix Wright game on DS and enjoyed it a lot. Although it did seem to go on a lot longer than I thought it would. I've decided to take a break before starting the second game in the series.

BallBlazer on the 8-bits is a special game. Have you ever tried it on C64 or the NES? It's TERRIBLE! The Atari 8-bit is the only one of those three that could do the 3d scrolling so smoothly and quickly. Clearly, the 5200 could too (same hardware) and also the 7800. Playing this game when it first came out was mind-blowing.

My favorite games for the Atari 8-bit computers: Star Raiders. Classic. The first commercial 3-D shooter, the first "open-world" game. I'd call this my #2 favorite game of all-time. Blue Max - the only isometric game I actually enjoy. And bombing stuff is fun. Archon - the original battle chess. MULE - Brilliance. It's fun to play against the computer. But things get really interesting if you have another person (or three) to play against. Jumpman Jr. - So many levels. Such clever level designs. Summer Games - Consider it a collection of mini-games. Dr. J vs. Larry Bird One on One. A brilliantly simple control scheme that just plain works. Plus, I like to dunk. Rescue on Fractalus and Ballblazer. Lucasfilm made great games.

I'd be happy with any. If you twisted my arm and made me pick a favorite to wish for, I'd go Missile Command (although getting a track-ball to work this way is probably difficult). Double Dragon, Galaxian, or Mario Bros would be my next choices. Honestly, any classic game would be delightful. What fun to dream.