5200 Multicarts?

[RadiantSvgun]

Do these exist? I just got a working 5200, and its the only atari console that seems really cool. Besides needing a new controller, I was wondering if multicarts and homebrews exist for this. I know there are tons for the 2600, but what about the 5200?

[Pantechnicon]

Yes. Sean Kelly makes (made?) one.

http://www.ataritimes.com/article.php?showarticle=350
(halfway down)

I don't know if Sean still makes them or not, but it's definitely worth the time and money to find one. I've got one and it's fantastic.

Here's another alternative (http://www.atarimax.com/usb5200/documentation/) using USB and a flash cart.

[Mayhem]

I don't think any of the solid state multicarts are made anymore... just the USB flash version.

[Cobber]

I bought an Atari 5200 Multi-Cart about 1 1/2 years ago...it is "switch-based"...but...it has the coolest 5200 games, including protos such as Xari Arena, AE, etc. and Bounty Bob Strikes Back!!! :-D

I've never seen this up for sale again...anyone here know of it?

[Leo_A]

Nope, as far as I knew, Bounty Bob Strikes Back uses special bankswitching methods that haven't been supported in multicarts. Are you sure you weren't playing Miner 2049er? Someone at AtariAge created a cart that could be used to sell reproductions of it though a while back, but respected the programmer's wishes and didn't when he sought permission and was declined.

The AtariMax USB multicart is by far the best. Sean Kelly's creations are obsolete and have been topped by menu based and now reprogammable USB flash carts for years, and its my understanding he hasn't produced any in a long time anyways. And age hasn't been kind to several of them that people I know have owned that have stopped working, though I don't know if that indicates a wider problem or not. These things are all largely homemade and fragile devices, so pretty much everything from Cuttle Cart II's to multicarts from the mid 90's are likely to have shorter lifespans than rom based cartridges.

The guy now making them goes by the name Classics at AtariAge and is the individual behind the menu based and now reprogrammable multicarts for the 5200.

Not sure why you think its the only cool Atari console, but it has the highest percentage of worth playing games of any Atari console. But its even better if you go all the way and buy a Atari 8 bit computer or XEGS.

[Cobber]

It is actually BBSB...I have the original (Big Box and all - the version that got packed w/2049 as a bonus)...

It shocked me too...but...it is on there and works fine on my 2 port system(s)...but...it doesn't work on my 4 port systems (the title screen comes up and that's it)...

I bought it for $99...it came with BBSB + about 50+ games with many protos and Atari XE conversions...

Hope it doesn't just break some day like the others you described :frustrated

[FireTiger]

I have two of the Sean Kelly carts and one of the USB ones... Both of the SK carts suffer from

'I must be perfectly inserted into the cart slot' disease... but other then that they are great.

Actually if you really want one LMK (better chance e-mailing me) at -/myusermane/-is@yahoo.com where FireTiger replaces -/myusername/-

They were $150 when I got them... the finicky one needs a soldering gun, the other one works on the first attempt 80% and on the third the rest of the time...

[RadiantSvgun]

So where would I get a Multicart that isn't junk? Or is it one of those "right time" "right place" kind of things?

[Leo_A]

http://www.atarimax.com/usb5200/documentation/

None of them are junk, I just included what I did before anyone thought I was directly targeting Sean Kelly's multicarts as being unreliable and dying now that they've been used for a few years, or having a problem that's unique to his creations that couldn't end up affecting other limited run, home produced hardware.

And I wouldn't want to see someone get burned buying one for a lot of money on Ebay with the issues I'm aware of, especially with newer ones on the market that are available brand new, that are superior as far as features go, and are still supported and in production by the manufacturer.

[Mayhem]

I bought it for $99...it came with BBSB + about 50+ games with many protos and Atari XE conversions...

Well I'd love to see a picture of it because I'd not heard of any multicart supporting BBSB either...

[Pantechnicon]

Both of the SK carts suffer from 'I must be perfectly inserted into the cart slot' disease... but other then that they are great.

Are you talking about the dip switch model or the menu-based one? I've got the menu-based one and I've never had a problem like you're describing. Granted, this being a multicart, I should point out that mine has little reason to ever leave the slot. Just curious...

[Mitch]

Well I'd love to see a picture of it because I'd not heard of any multicart supporting BBSB either...

It's probably the one from 8bitdomain.com http://www.8bitdomain.com/proddetail.php?prod=mc5200&PHPSESSID=9c32f23cf827319b5237b80fd5648288
currently sold out. I'm pretty sure it included Bounty Bob.

Mitch

[FireTiger]

Are you talking about the dip switch model or the menu-based one? I've got the menu-based one and I've never had a problem like you're describing. Granted, this being a multicart, I should point out that mine has little reason to ever leave the slot. Just curious...

menu - maybe I just got the only two flaky ones ever.

[Cobber]

Mitch has it right...the cart was purchased from 8-bit domain off of ebay...not sure how sturdy it is or universal (it does not work on my 4 port, but works fine on the 2 port)...but...it has a great collection of protos, atari xe conversions and BBSB 8-)

[Bandit]

I,too, have one of these carts and I can verify that Bounty Bob does indeed work on this cart.The cart has a single row of 8 dip switches and no label on the cart which is a standard 5200 cart case.

[thegamezmaster]

Used to have one back in the day when I was young and foolish. Stupidly sold the cart and now just foolish. Stupid stupid stupid. Not they aren't worth it but can't afford one of the new ones, being on a fixed income. If I knew then what I know now!lol

[Rickstilwell1]

What you do here is stuff a few bucks somewhere in the house every time you get paid and in a year or two you'll have it.

[Sanriostar]

Hey Mitch?
The links 404'ed. Gotta alternate?

[Mitch]

Yeah, that link is four years old and the website is defunct now. Right now Atarimax has the best 5200 multicart. http://www.atarimax.com/5200sd/documentation/index.html

Mitch

[Stringfellow]

I got one of those atarimax sd carts for christmas and love it.