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Missile Command w/ a Digital Joystick? - This seems like a no brainer question... BUT it doesn't exist (yet) for the Atari 5200... at least to my knowledge.


- Ω -

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Here's the thing, many of us have eschewed the stock 5200 controllers and are now using digital sticks.  The problem is, Missile Command does not play well with a digital joystick.  This begs the question, why, in all these decades, has no talented programmer rewritten or modified the code to operate with a digital joystick?  Is this one of life's little mysteries, or is there an answer floating around out there?

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@TrekMD is correct on this. The arcade original used a trak-ball and the 5200 version is one of the best conversions of this arcade I've played because of the CX-53 trak-ball controller. 

But I understand what you are asking as well. After all the 2600 version uses digital controls, but that was more because that is really all the 2600 is able to do by design. Even the trak-balls that were released for the 2600 are still digital just with additional logic in them to simulate trak-ball movement but they aren't really analog like the paddles and driving controllers are. 

Surprised though by your statement @- Ω - because Missile Command actually controls really well with the stock controller. Provided the controller is calibrated properly to the console and I know that I did a factory calibration on the pokey chip when you sent it to me, but you didn't include any controllers so that is something to be aware of. 

See what I'm up to over at the Ivory Tower Collections: http://www.youtube.com/ivorytowercollections

 

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You are talking about the 8-bit computer version of Missile Command, which has both a digital and analog control scheme built in (press ctrl-T to activate analog mode). 

I'm going to throw this out there as the simplest solution.  If anyone isn't satisfied with the 5200 controllers, get an 800XL instead.  The underlying hardware is the same.  The games are the same (800XL has a MUCH bigger library).  There are hacks available to play all 5200 exclusives.  You get to use the standard classic 2600 joystick. 

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And to add more:

  • The multicart solutions for 8-bit are cheaper
  • Everything about the system is smaller.
  • All you need for composite output is a simple $10 cable. 

On the minus side:

  • Cartridges for the 8-bit are hard to find and costly.  A multi-cart is a must.
  • Quality is hit and miss.  The 800XL is the sweet spot of the line.  The XE's are all cost reduced. 
  • There are quirks you have to know, such as how to boot without basic (hold down option) or how to auto-load a cassette (hold down select).  Again, multicarts solve all this nonsense. 

The 5200 is great.  But the issues it has (the controllers, the small library, the gigantic-ness of everything) do not exist on the 8-bit line. 

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20 minutes ago, RickR said:
  • There are quirks you have to know, such as how to boot without basic (hold down option) or how to auto-load a cassette (hold down select).  Again, multicarts solve all this nonsense. 

Must be specific multicarts as both my FujiNet and my Uno for the 8-bit require me to hold down Option when selecting to boot an disk image still to prevent basic from coming up. This is on my 130xe. It was really annoying when my mylar was wore out and option was hit n miss on loading stuff. Got a replacement from Best last month and been golden ever since but yeah... cost reduced is correct. Even the plastic on my 130xe feels more brittle than the 5200 plastic and that is saying something.

 

See what I'm up to over at the Ivory Tower Collections: http://www.youtube.com/ivorytowercollections

 

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32 minutes ago, RickR said:

No, you are correct.  You have to hold down option for disk images....but find yourself the XEX/cartridge format for your games and you won't. 

 

No... I still have to do with this with my XEX images and I've not managed to get any of the .CAR images working on either cart yet. Then again, car images weren't originally planned for those so it is very limited support as I understand it.

But nope... I still have to hold down option regardless or Basic always comes up when using the boot option for an image.

With UNO, I have to be pressing on Option as I press the return key to execute the xex or ATR files. With Fuji I press and hold the option button down until I see the blue background screen start to come up and then let go of it to boot XEX and ATR image files. Some of them require basic and I never know which, so I always try without basic first and if it fails to load, then I hold Option to disable basic. If it fails still, then I either have a bad image file, or the file isn't compatible with my flash cart devices. Even .CAS files are kinda iffy for me and man....do those take forever to load?!

 

See what I'm up to over at the Ivory Tower Collections: http://www.youtube.com/ivorytowercollections

 

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7 hours ago, CrossBow said:

@TrekMD is correct on this. The arcade original used a trak-ball and the 5200 version is one of the best conversions of this arcade I've played because of the CX-53 trak-ball controller. 

Surprised though by your statement @- Ω - because Missile Command actually controls really well with the stock controller. Provided the controller is calibrated properly to the console and I know that I did a factory calibration on the pokey chip when you sent it to me, but you didn't include any controllers so that is something to be aware of. 

Yeah, I have a rebuilt stock controller, but my thumbs cannot use the fire buttons for any length of time without causing extreme pain.  I don't have room for a CX-53 and even if I did, the cost to benefit ratio for just a few games is not worth it to me.

6 hours ago, RickR said:

You are talking about the 8-bit computer version of Missile Command, which has both a digital and analog control scheme built in (press ctrl-T to activate analog mode). 

I'm going to throw this out there as the simplest solution.  If anyone isn't satisfied with the 5200 controllers, get an 800XL instead.  The underlying hardware is the same.  The games are the same (800XL has a MUCH bigger library).  There are hacks available to play all 5200 exclusives.  You get to use the standard classic 2600 joystick. 

I'm invested too heavily in the 5200 to switch now.

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8 hours ago, - Ω - said:

I'm invested too heavily in the 5200 to switch now.

It's never too late to try something new 🙂 And you don't have to "switch" per se, you can always just "add something new", take from it what you like and leave what you don't. If you were to come across a great deal on an Atari 800XL or the like, consider giving it a try. I think you might fall in love with it.

You have such an affinity for the Texas Instruments 8-Bit computers, and you're so knowledgable on the subject, I'm surprised that interest didn't lead you to exploring other avenues such as the Atari 8-Bit family of computers. 

I know my one true love is the Atari 7800, another absolutely capable system that became an "underdog" with much to love about it. I always felt a deep loyalty to the 7800. You always remember your "first". But that brought me to the Atari Lynx, the Atari Jaguar, and even backwards with taking a deeper dive into the 2600. Then I explored the Sega Master System, the TurboGrafx-16 and so many others that you see listed here in the forums. I never lost my "loyalty" or sentimentalism towards the 7800, but I did enjoy exploring more new 8-bit platforms and adding to the adventure ☺️ 

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5 hours ago, Justin said:

It's never too late to try something new 🙂 And you don't have to "switch" per se, you can always just "add something new", take from it what you like and leave what you don't. If you were to come across a great deal on an Atari 800XL or the like, consider giving it a try. I think you might fall in love with it.

You have such an affinity for the Texas Instruments 8-Bit computers, and you're so knowledgeable on the subject, I'm surprised that interest didn't lead you to exploring other avenues such as the Atari 8-Bit family of computers. 

I'm going to have to downsize in the future, so shoehorning more into the den is problematic at best.  I don't even have enough time in the day to do the videos I want to get done, I've not turned on the TI in over a month and honestly, if someone wanted the thing right now, I'd sell them my entire setup for $1000.00, less than what I have into it.  I do have some nostalgia concerning the Atari 5200, nada on the Atari line of computers.

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5 hours ago, - Ω - said:

I do have some nostalgia concerning the Atari 5200

This is perfect and an excellent reason to stick with the 5200.

One more suggestion for your consideration:  How about getting a project box to contain the rats nest of wires from your old PC joystick conversion cable?  I'm sure that thing works really well with analog control games.  Make it so the only things sticking out of the box are the wire that connects to the 5200, the wire to the joystick, and the wire to the orig controller.  Everything else is inside the box, hidden from view. 

I'm totally with you on those side buttons.  It really is an awful design that hurts after just a little use.  Intellivision, Colecovision, and 7800 all had this same issue.  As AVGN would say...what where they THINKING????

 

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