Atari 5200 Guy

Do you want my honest opinion? You would probably be better off getting an old CRT TV. Digital is good for modern technology but is a royal pain in the rear when trying to get older technology to work with it. Often time you can find CRTs on curb sides free for the taking. Goodwill and most other second hand stores can't accept CRT TVs anymore and just let them stay outside waiting for the trash company to come and take them away. Also check eBay and Craigslist, local yard sales, things of that nature. If you want to play Atari then might as well do it the way it was intended to be played. Getting a CRT TV is a sure fire way to get an Atari p!aging. There is no guarantee that your Atari, even with signal modifying equipment being used, will work with your new TV. I guess it boils down to opinion. But would you rather spend, for example, $50 on a converter of some sort or use a portion of the $50 or none at all getting an older TV that will work with your Atari and any other older game or computer you might want to get someday? Just another option to think about.

Hmm. I keep getting a site can't be reached error. Do you have another link?

Yaaaaa! I don't have to grow up...yet. Hopefully.

I'm going to throw in my two cents worth here. Most modern TV's now have the coax connector for digital-only signals. Meaning that you can make use of digital TV antennas without any other electronics necessary. However, in doing so it will never be able to pick up an analog signal again. But, there might be a trick you can do to get your Atari to work on that TV...that is if it has composite inputs (yellow, red, white). Find a cheap VCR. It can be mono or hi-fi doesn't matter. Connect the 2600 to the VCR and change the VCR channel to the channel your 2600 is set for (2 or 3 in most cases). Use RCA cables to connect the VCR's video and audio out signals to your TV's composite inputs. Video will be yellow and if you have only one audio out on the VCR then either the red or white input on the TV should become a mono channel meaning even if only one port is used sound will output to both speakers. If you don't have a VCR they can be picked up rather cheap depending on your location. I'm not sure where you are from, and mean no disrespect or anything, I just don't know how much a VCR costs in other parts of the world. Get a good used one for this...and it doesn't necessarily have to play tapes. As long as it turns on and can receive and send video and audio signals you can use it as a de-modulator. Almost all VCRs from the 1980s and up have this built in. On a side note: I have a ViewTV digital TV box that does quite a bit (I can play movies from the Internet Archives on this thing from a USB stick!). I wanted to see if it would also pick up a signal from an Atari console since the ViewTV can record as well. I was going to try to use it as a game capture device. But, alas, it wouldn't detect it because it has no way of detecting analog signals. With that being said you might be better off trying to find a converter that will change your Atari's signal from analog to digital much like those boxes that changed analog antenna signals into digital ones when it was being forced to remove analog TV signals completely. One of those might actually work if those are still around.

The last toy store chain in America has fallen. Online shopping has really hurt some of our brick stores. Without TRU do we have to grow up now?

Yes...I am also an oddball. One of my most beloved musical pieces comes from none other than Star Voyager on the NES. Im working on that one now. Such a nice piece put very technical and only using three channels. I've got the Title music figured out...work on the ending theme now. Will post when both are done. Actually a fun game but very tough.

TRU really needs to go back and setup their stores to bring back that wow factor. Seeing all of those systems on display was always awe inspiring. Seeing systems in those display cases made you want to take them all home. Even after all the hype of new systems coming out and finally get released TRU was usually the first place to see the real thing...behind glass of course. Not some poster or cardboard cutout. Good times.

That live performance was done in Japan in 1984. Out Run was released to arcades in 1986. It is therefore highly possible that the music in Out Run was inspired by Night Birds. Just a theory but makes sense to me.

Sounds like the labels Wal-Mart put on the boxes we would get. They were there just in case the tag on the shelf was wrong or missing. You'd stock the item on the shelf, then pull and place the tag under the product if needed. Similar to how TRU labels were done. I think one of the saddest things I experienced while working at Wal-Mart was what I found on a middle rack in our GM storage room. I was helping move a Compaq computer to the Big Joe electric fork lift because a customer had bought it. When I got it on the fork lift I had to wait for the forks to be emptied and "rescued" from the second shelf. While I waited I looked around to what was behind items on these shelves. Sitting behind me was a Dell Laptop that never sold. At the time XP was the operating system of choice. This Dell Laptop was a Windows 98 system. I showed my assistant manager who took it. I offered to buy it if they could come down on the price. Instead they claimed it meaning that insurance covered it and then put in the trash compactor. You'd be amazed at some of the stuff I tried to save they just crushed. I seen VCR, DVD, TV displays normally used for store displays just get tossed with nothing wrong with them. The game machines they use to have for playing on? Crushed. Even the N64 that the in-store McDonald's had at our location got crushed when they decided to remove it. Did you ever have to throw away anything while at TRU, Justin?

Is it me or does hearing that demo make you think of Sega's Out Run?

The red buttons on the MT-240 are for recording while playing. The left yellow button is to activate the tone bank (basically mixes two tones together to "supposedly" get more sounds) and the right yellow button is to hear the demo "Night Birds" originally by Shakatak. Keyboard version and...for clarification... The original band performing the same song in 1984.

There were a couple of items I remember getting at Toys R Us. One location was in Springfield, Missouri. My hometown never got a TRU and still doesn't have one. So when my family would make a trip to Springfield, which was usually just Mom and I, and she loved visiting that city at least once a month, we would stop at TRU. One particular visit they had TG-16 systems clearanced out for $30 so I was able to pick one up. When I handed in my ticket I was afraid I wasn't getting it after all since they had a really hard time finding it. I managed to help looking up on the top shelf from behind the glass and pointing it out. Last one they had and it was sitting next to a TG-16 Duo. Another visit, this one in the Fayetteville, Arkansas area, seemed very odd but I wish I would have taken advantage of it now. I bought a few Saturn games I couldn't find anywhere else and for the price (literally $1 per game) I grabbed them AND the Saturn's arcade joystick for an additional $5. When I went to the booth with my receipt to pick up my items both of the guys back there asked, "You have a Saturn?" I said, "Yes", in a question-like tone. "Would you like to have three more games?", one of them asked. I was curious and asked how much. I didn't have to pay for them. What they were trying to pawn off on me were the three game pack you would get if you bought a Saturn system. They tossed the whole carton full of them in front of me. I just grabbed one. They said, "Take the whole carton." I was like "What?". I didn't take the whole carton because I had two other friends with me and I was in a small car. I had no room to take that carton. They kept trying because they didn't have any more Saturn systems and the company kept sending them those games with no way to get rid of them. I said I can grab a few more but I simply didn't have room to transport the whole case. They filled up 2 smaller cartons and slid those to me. I ended up with 12 copies of Daytona USA, Virtua Fighter, and Virtua Cop...easily the better three games on the system in my opinion. The rest they said they were told to pitch since TRU was not receiving the systems anymore. I should have grabbed every copy they had but I didn't. I was more afraid of being setup when I walked out that door (that happened a lot in that area at the time to catch thieves) that I just left the rest behind. TRU today, sadly, is not what it use to be. It would be nice to see the older setup again and hear all of the video game sounds echoing through out the stores. Now it's just simply too quiet. The last time I visited a TRU was shortly before I moved to Missouri 10 years ago. I didn't enjoy the store much because, to me, it just seemed to have lost its flare. I liked the idea of bringing your receipt or tickets to a booth to claim the games you purchased. I no longer have any of that now. Always wanting the next thing, and going through a divorce, left me without a LOT of gaming material. Although Keith Courage was not an impressive TG-16 game and it was the only one I could find. Not a bad game but just not a system seller. I'm not sure what all happened to those Saturn games. I remember giving a few away to friends and family that got a Saturn but I can't remember what happened to the rest. I had three copies for myself should something happen to the copies I was playing. Cardboard sleeves don't really protect CDs for long.

I still believe that the Jaguar was a very capable system that could do what we have never seen. It is capable of performing 3D graphics which was a first for any console at that time and a very strong sound processor. It only had 2 MB of RAM though so that was the real bottleneck. It was using image formats common then and now. However, a LOT could have been pulled off with the amount of RAM it was given. EA could have done one of its NFS games, made a modernized M.U.L.E. title, or a SimCity game. Midway owned Atari's arcade division at the time so it had a large library of games it could have dug into. And considering that Area 51 was done on a coin-op Jaguar hardware Area 51 could have made it to the system. Could you imagine if Japanese developers got on board? Sunsoft, Konami, Capcom, and others? Basically all the developers did was give it one or two games in every genre imaginable. Driving, action, adventure, shoot-em ups, arcade, strategy, sports, simulation, just to name a few. I wasn't tired of Atari by then. I was actually excited that they were still making game consoles and games. As much as I love the Jaguar at the time it didn't make sense, nor could I figure out, exactly what they were doing or if they even knew what they were doing from a gamer's point-of-view. If it was getting old computer ports then who's to say it couldn't get those now? Someone needs to pick up where Atari left off.

Thank you. I have more coming

No. But I know what keyboard you are speaking of. The keyboard you are speaking of is the Casio SK-1. I remember that keyboard well but 32 keys was not enough for most of the music I enjoyed playing. It simply did reach the octaves I needed. I believe that is the keyboard that plays Jingle Bells with dog barking voice.

Space Harrier_Main.mp3 Well, it's not 100% accurate yet but here is the Space Harrier theme I've been working on. There are actually two variations to this game's main theme music. The arcade and most ports to consoles and computers are done in the key of "C". The Master System has two versions of it. In Japan the SMS got an FM add-on to boost the music and sound abilities of the console, the USA version didn't get that. So, if you hear the FM version it is in the same "C" key. But the SMS version without the FM add-on is actually done in the key of "A". That is the version to which this is based on. Remember, I'm still working on it but this one is done "Mikey Style!". It's not 100% accurate but I hope you all enjoy it.

Hi Guys! In response to a previous post (Do You Play?) I am creating a new thread to answer it in more detail and with a sample. I have been a keyboard player since I was 12 years old. That's 31 years ago. I've had LOTs of keyboards from the "toy" range including a few Casio models and working my way to Yamaha. I remember the Yamaha models the most with my favorites being the PSS-480 and the PSR-510 both of which are very good keyboards in their respective class. I recently picked up a Casio MT-240 which was a late 80's keyboard I wanted but never got. I have to say that it does sound good for an FM based modulator but really doesn't do MIDI any justice. Paired with an ST you can make the keyboard sound good but you are limited to only three channels. The fourth channel is only used for a clock which I have not figured out yet. But what little time I have spent learning the keyboard's lack of MIDI functions I have managed to pull off a few decent "my versions" of some of my favorite NES video game music. So, for your enjoyment I will share what I am doing with this keyboard. For starters I am including a recent piece I did from Konami's Life Force. This is from the Starfield stage (2nd level). Everything was done using Sweet 16 on an Atari ST through MIDI using only three channels. I played every part and it took me a long time to figure out how to get custom drum tracks out of this keyboard. All that you hear is coming from the MT-240 played back from the Sweet 16 file. I hope you enjoy it. Life Force_Starfield.mp3

Wow...10 lines of BASIC code for a 2600 game? Is that even possible? It takes a LOT just to get that machine to do a little.

Good thing I grabbed that game when I found it in a pawn shop years ago. Can't say it is one of my favorites. Never been a fan of it. Prefer Duck Hunt over Hogan's Alley but I don't have Duck Hunt so that ends that. Good to see the NES get some attention.

As someone once told me ... "It's dangerous to go alone. Take this!" https://www.lpgear.com/ I'm posting this as well should you ever need a new stylus for your turntable. But I still recommend investing in a slightly better turntable sometime. Your record collection will thank you for it and will last a lifetime if you did. Please, take my advice on that if you want your records to last and sound their best. You have a nice setup for the price but it will eventually ruin any record you play on it. I learned that one the hard way. I would recommend something like: https://www.lpgear.com/product/ATLP120USBHIFI.html This is a similar Technics model Technics quit making. Audio Technica makes them now. It's pricey but you will notice the difference as soon as you play a record. Also...before you put any used vinyls on that turntable please clean them. You can actually use a soft sponge, dish soap, and warm water to remove almost all trapped dirt and debris. Most of my collection is used and I've done that many times with great results in bringing a record back to almost like new sound. Dry them really good and then enjoy. Use either a microfiber cloth you have not used for anything else to dust a record clean every time you go to play them. I would recommend trying to find something like a Discwasher as well. And the best advice I can give you...do some research and see if you can find any record stores close by or locally. Some record stores will actually have turntables setup where you can listen to some records before you buy them. If you have a local record shop by all means support them by dealing with them first. Oh...and if that doesn't spark your interest...I don't know of any other musical format that can do things like this: Also check out Styx's Paradise Theater album. The B-side has no label but if you get the light to hit the vinyl just right you can see the Styx logo and some artwork laser-etched into the vinyl. Then you have picture discs so don't pass up on Boston's first album. And, yes, vinyl is still being made with only one record pressing company still in existence here in the States. Welcome to the world of vinyl and pure analog audio! I believe once you hear what vinyl can really sound like you will be amazed. You can get better audio from vinyl regardless of what reviews and tests show. But...you may have to invest in the gear to get it. That's where vinyl collecting can get you. You have been warned my friend.

Only 20 minutes?!? I usually spend hours there when I visit the site! You can also create want lists and Discogs will tell you when members have items on your wish list for sale. You can even use it to keep track of your vinyl collection. Pretty cool, dependent on member entries similar to RF Generation but a better maintained database. Once you start entering your collection it will sometimes state the min, middle, and max value of each individual vinyl and your collection as a whole. Yep...serious vinyl collector here and I'm picky on my turntables. I've had one since I was a kid and only had Technics turntables. I miss my first one but it gave out. The direct drive system stopped working and I couldn't figure out how to fix it.

Allow me, Justin, to introduce you to Discogs. https://www.discogs.com/ You will find individual and record stores selling vinyl records there. Some can be found new while others are in good used condition. Just read the descriptions of any record you are interested in to see the overall condition. I have ordered lots of records from individuals there with great results. As for turntables...what you found is nice but it will eventually ruin your record collection. The reason being is because of the amount of tracking weight (amount of pressure) that stylus will place on any record you put on that turntable. I highly recommend eventually getting a turntable where you can adjust the tracking weight of the stylus and tone arm. Goodwill and second hand stores are a good place to start and often times you can find a really good one for a great deal. You will, however, also need a receiver from around the same era because a turntable will require an amp with phono inputs and a place to put the ground wire. I don't have pics of mine yet but I have two. Both were purchased from Goodwill's auction site for about $40 each and in non-working condition. Both are Technics models SL-D2 and SL-B35. The SL-D2 is a direct-drive, semi-automatic TT and the SL-B35 is a belt-driven, fully-automatic TT. Both have identical styluses and cartridges so I can interchange them if I have to. The only thing I don't have is a 45 RPM adapter. I'm more into rock so I try to find albums from Boston, Kansas, Journey, Styx, and other 70's and 80's rock groups. But there are also new records from new artists being put on vinyl still. Check out Best Buy's record selection online sometime. The more recent Kawai Metal band BabyMetal has put both their albums on vinyl which I would love to get. But, for the time being, I'm keeping my eyes open for any K-Tel albums I don't already have.

Umm...emulating a light gun game? This ought to be interesting since NES light gun games don't work on modern LCD TV's and most computers these days have LCD screens. Also, is there a set distance we need to be away from the TV? Just asking

One of the things I loved to do was going to my hometown's music store called Guitar Smiths. You could walk in there and test out any instrument and amp. I would frequently go in there and play on the Ibanez 5-string bass I had always wanted but never got. I remember a few times I would start strumming out some 80's rock tunes, mostly Journey stuff, and it wouldn't be long until a few others would pick up a guitar, plug it up, and join in. Even the owner and the two employees who repaired instruments and trained wannabe musicians would join in sometime. We'd play the whole song I would start and it was a lot of fun. Most often the song would end with other customers clapping...a feeling that sticks with you forever. If you want to learn how to play guitar there are lots of tools and websites. There are some Strat knock-offs that sound OK and are budget friendly. I would also recommend getting what are TABs instead of piano-style sheet music. There is a website called Ultimate Guitar where other players have tabbed out popular songs. I have even made a few bass tabs on the site years ago that one still gets reviews...Kids In America. I have found those to be easier to learn songs with. If you find that your hands simply are having a hard time with a 6-string guitar you might find learning a 4-string bass a bit easier to learn to build up skills...then try a six string again. I can't play one because my fingers adjusted to piano keys over the years and my two index fingers are permanently curved due to playing keys so long. They won't let me play certain chords on guitar but will a bass.

I have been soldering since I was 7 years old. I was fortunate enough that my hometown's local Radio Shack crew were also long time family friends on my Dad's side of the family. On weekends I would spend with my Grandmother I would jet down to Radio Shack (a few blocks away) were they taught me how to solder and work on electronics. They trained my eyes and ears to spot things. It was not uncommon for me to spend about two hours there and a few times Grandma had to work on Saturdays they kept me there with them. A few times they would send me home with PPG electronic kits and one Christmas they gifted me an all-in-one electronic station, the best one they had in store. They also gave me my first soldering iron, solder, and desoldering iron identical to what I used in training. I'm not sure if it was pay for helping when they couldn't figure out problematic products or what but I enjoyed doing it and those memories are still with me to this day. A skill set I still use everyday. I have built on those skills over the years and made up my own tricks for stubborn solder that refuses to be removed. I guess losing my father at 3 years old when the whole town knew and loved him did have some advantages...I just wish he could have been here to see what I had accomplished at a young age. Because of those skills I was always the one my Dad's family turned to when their electronics were giving them problems. Every two months I was having to fix RCA CED Players (the SJT models) which 90% of the time was caused by dirt built up around the stylus. Other times it was a faulty belt for the loading mechanism. One model dropped the height of the turntable which took me a while to figure out but eventually realized what that big nut on the bottom of the machines were for. I never used or needed technical manuals. I looked, popped the tops, plugged in and tried to power on any device I was working on. Then I would try to operate the machines as intended while I watched and listened. It's a skill that is great to have but it is also a skill that is not needed much any more. It's generally cheaper just to replace with new electronics but things like game machines, computers, and movie players still around still need someone around with these skills. I still laugh at how they taught me the resistor code so it would stick. Bad Boys Rape Our Young Girls But Violet Gives Willingly. Basically Black Brown, Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Violet, Grey, and White. It's not nice now that I think about it but made it easy for me to remember the color codes. Good times I would relive again if I could.