Atari 5200 Guy

That’s the company that I won my copy of Berzerk Enhanced Edition from that doesn’t work. They are sending a replacement though.

That would be cool. I’m surprised that the XEGS didn’t get picked for something like the 400 Mini. I wonder why that model over the XL or the 800?

I wonder if those usb ports offer keyboard support? If so the 400 Mini could possibly be used for programming. That’s what made me want an 800 in the first place was because I loved programming in BASIC and Atari had its own BASIC language.

Even if it only had the A8 cartridge port that would be enough. The A8 line has loads of cartridge games that would keep anyone from getting bored. If Atari really wanted to they could design a single board and use it for both an XE+ and a 5200+. The size of the port used determines what machine is being emulated. I really doubt Atari would do a modern 5200 mostly because of its history for the company and the controller design alone. Even if it did receive some of the best arcade ports of the time I really believe Atari isn’t going to consider a stand alone 5200 revamp.

You’re welcome.

I was actually doing research out of curiosity when I discovered just how different Centipede really is. I think I’ll stick with my 5200 games as is. I just found it a bit strange how the 5200 was said to be a 400 but its games seem to be a bit more exclusive.

I was watching a YT video showcasing 50 Games in 30 Minutes for the Atari 8-bit computers. One of the games they showed was Centipede. But it didn’t look right. So I tried to do a bit of digging and found only one Centipede in Atari Mania’s database: an unfinished prototype. I was expecting the Atari computers to have the same Centipede the 5200 received. Did an official Centipede ever get released for the A8 computers?

I’m sharing the link to the Atari U.S. site where the 400 Mini can be located: https://atari.com/products/atari-400-mini I have to say I’m a bit mixed about this one. I’d have chosen the 800 personally. And even when this does emulate it I would have rather seen a stand alone 5200 recreation than have it a part of another system. I know the 5200 was a consolized 400, I get it, but still. The price is much higher than I would have expected, too. $80 would have been average. At $110 that keyboard better work. Some games used that keyboard to access some features. Regardless of my feelings of this I like what Atari is trying to do and I like how they are returning to their roots. Just as long as they don’t mess up the open source development that helped make the A8 machines so popular.

I need to find myself one. Just for Centipede and Missile Command. I played Pole Position with it a few times BITD. That was a challenge.

I don’t have Rescue on Fractalus yet. I need to remedy that.

M.U.L.E. Is one of my favorites! The 1200XL is a beautiful piece of equipment. I have never own one nor seen on in person but if I had to chose one XL model I believe I would pick the 1200. I like the 800XL myself.

My junior model only had a LED change. Everything else in it is factory. I tried two junior models, four switch, and 7800. Same thing happens. Rest assure the junior model in the picture has not been modded beyond changing the power light. No matter what console I put the game in it is not working.

Here’s what I get…

It worked for ten seconds, showed bars, then black screen. It will not work on all of my 2600 consoles or 7800. It does nothing but show a black screen.

You guys have made me rethink the 5200 when I was starting to lose all hope. I never thought I would hear others, besides myself, say they like the CX52s. My confidence in the system has been perked up. Thank you.

I was hoping I would get to participate with the Enhanced Edition but my copy of the game does not work. I just opened it today, got a game screen for a few seconds, then a few bars, and nothing but black screen. I’m not sure who to get a hold of since it was a prize I won. I didn’t purchase it.

Oh! I forgot. I did win a copy of Berzerk Enhanced Edition at AtariAge. I am not home right now but I have been told the game is there waiting for me.

Waking up and going outside to see what the day looks like only to find a bunch of electronic goodies dropped at your front door literally. I was still trying to wake up and waiting on my coffee when I saw all that. What I found was posted on a recent pick up post here but…here’s a recap. Everything works. It was found in the trash by one of our maintenance guys and he collected what he could grab and literally dumped it at my doorstep.

I have to say I am genuinely surprised and impressed at the responses I’m getting from other 5200 owners. It has been unexpected. For many, many years now I’ve heard others who have or had a 5200 complain about the controllers. Even its sales showed issues with the controllers. But I never expected to hear people say they actually prefer the original controllers over anything else. I was not expecting to hear that. I dearly love my 5200. Like some others I have at least 40 years experience with it. Without internet to guide me I spent lots of time with used systems trying to repair faulty controllers not really knowing half the time what I was getting myself into or how to fix them. I do have to thank my Mother for all those Atari finds in those garage sales and Salvation Army store visits. She always grabbed them up. I use to have a stock pile of replacements. When she passed the house got broke into. And I wasn’t talking bad about the system. On the contrary I was thinking a “what if” scenario. Like what if the games were given the ability to check what type of controller you was using? You connect an adapter and can use any Atari 2600 compatible joystick combined with the 5200 controller. You’re given the option to use analog or digital controls. You then play the game using whatever controller you’re comfortable with. I'm not going against the standard controllers as I feel they are what make the 5200 unique. I was, instead, wonder If Atari knew they had an issue with the controllers they didn’t just make a quick fix like a controller adapter? It would have made more business sense. Yes!! The Trakball controller is pretty awesome and works with a lot of 5200 games. You should try using it with Pole Position sometime. That’s a real challenge! And unlike the Colecovision trackball it doesn’t need a separate power supply. So maybe I have been looking at the 5200 all wrong. I was under the impression most people really disliked the system due to its controllers. 🤔 Maybe I need to do my own gold upgrade and see what happens.

The Atari 5200 has been my all-time favorite console for a very long time. However modern times have not been kind to it. The machine itself is fine and I don’t mind the RF hook up it received but the controllers have a poor working ratio when not used often. Which is weird considering most other systems can tolerate months without being used. The Atari 5200 controllers, however, are a double edged sword. If you don’t use them once a week they fail, if you use them too often they can fail. It’s hard to find a happy place sometimes. However the controllers are not what this is about. I’m just setting up the logic behind my thoughts. When it was in production the idea of full analog controllers sounded good… on paper. Once shown to the public it wasn’t all bad but it was clear that the 360 degree controllers to beat out Intellivision just wasn’t the right answer. Super Breakout was also considered a poor choice for a pick-in game but it was the only 4-player game ever released for the console. While I loved playing the game when I woke up that Christmas morning to a 5200 sitting in my living room I never found another four player game. Even as I child I questioned Atari’s decisions. I never had issues with my original Atari 5200 because it got played every single day for hours on end. Being an only child living where the only time you seen friends was at school made the 5200 my best friend. I endured and learned how to harness those controllers on a per game basis because each game reacted differently. Each game approached the analog controls differently. It was a “how well does this work with this game” thought process when getting a new game. Sometimes the analog controls were great, sometimes they were OK, other times it was like “blah”. I still say the Atari 5200 port of Pole Position was the best port made because of the analog controls. While I now know there were controller “solutions” those were never seen in my area by my mother or me. So the standard equipment was it. Which leaves me to the thoughts I have today that I think might have helped the 5200. Ignoring the lack of self centering joysticks, what if Atari gave two controller options where there was a choice of the analog controllers we all know and the option to pick up all digital joystick controllers which would have shared the same controller design? Another option could have been to include a cable adapter that would accommodate the use of a standard Atari 2600 controller combined with the 5200 controllers. Similar to what the Wico does. There were so many things they “could” have done when they knew the original controllers were going to be an issue. Regardless, the 5200 is a great example of how something advanced doesn’t always plan out. It does showcase some of the best arcade game translations of the time. It is easy to see all the hard work that went into the system and its library of games. Some of the loved arcade games of the time were represented faithfully on the 5200. Games that easily come to mind are Qix, Joust, Space Dungeon, and Defender. The unreleased Sinistar is impressive work as well. I’m sure I’m missing a few things and I know the truth behind the 5200 costing Atari millions of dollars. I just hope newcomers to the 5200 will find enjoyment and the help they need to keep it interesting. It still has a lot to offer.

Sweet! I get to break in my new Berzerk Enhanced Edition cart! I’ll try to join in on both versions to see the differences. I was going to mention before I posted how I think the original was great. It didn’t flicker like some 2600 games suffer from.

Ok @RickR. No more using new controllers mister. 😉

Nice!

I just noticed how those VCS systems we grew up with went through being assembled. About 1:48 a lady plugs a game into the system hard and then flips the entire unit over. My poor four switch had to endure that?

Haha there would be one problem with me on an Atari assembly line. ”Oh LOOK!! 👀 A new product!” Swipe.