7800 Homebrews

[MarioMania]

Seems like the 7800 homebrew is dead..The only game that poped up was Jr. Pac-Man..or I'm missing something

The Colecovision is getting more love..

Where's Donkey Kong Arcade for the 7800

[GrandAmChandler]

Have you been checking AA? There are several. Here is their 7800 forum:

http://www.atariage.com/forums/forum...07333d50a0336e

-GAC-

[MarioMania]

Yes I know about it..I have a thread there, I just wanted to ask the DP peeps

[7th lutz]

I don't think Kenfused has worked an Atari 7800 game since B*nq.

Pac-ManPlus is dealing with stuff out of video games. Update: He will be doing FailSafe once he is in full force.

The Atari 7800 homebrew authors that are developing games are the following people:

GroovyBee- He is really not into arcade ports. He is more into original games or make games that similar to computer game like the Boulder Dash style game he is working on. This is his first year doing homebrew games for the Atari 7800 and already completed Wasp!.

Wickeycolumbus - He is working on his first Atari 7800 game. He has done homebrew Atari 2600 games before despite the fact he is a high school student. He was born when I was a high school student! That means no one should be expecting him to complete the game right away since school already started and who knows what else he is doing at his young age like he might be involved in after school activities as I know.

Pac-ManPlus - Will be doing being FailSafe once he is get back in full force. Everyone one that follows the Homebrew Atari 7800 scene knows about the games he already completed and the games are excellent.

Here is the whole list of homebrew Atari 7800 games that are finished:

Combat 1990
Santa Simon
Pac-man Collection
Beef Drop
Beef Drop VE
B*nq
Space Duel
Asteroids Deluxe
Space Invaders
Super Pac-man
Jr. Pac-man
Wasp! (last completed homebrew Atari 7800 game)

Homebrew 7800 games that are being worked on:
Apple Snaffle (boulder dash style game)
VPong (vertical Pong)
Some surprise game that Shawn Sr. is involved with.
FailSafe - Once Pac-ManPlus is back in full force.
Homebrew 7800 game that is in planning stages:
Zelda style rpg with a time traveling theme (might be a while before it gets started since the person is working Apple Snaffle and the programmer wants to a do couple more games for the 7800 before doing a Zelda Style rpg game)

[7th lutz]

Donkey Kong Arcade is for the Super Expansion Module only. Opcode is working on a Super Expansion Module right now. Donkey Kong Arcade is not a true Colecovision game based on the fact Super Expansion Module is an add-on. That is no different than the 32x and the Sega CD are add-on consoles for the Sega Genesis.

The best way to describe the Super Expansion Module is it can go the same style of games that a Nes and SMS does. While that Atari 7800 can do Sms and Nes games, the specs of the Super Expansion Module has the Atari 7800 beat in ram, sound, and overall memory. Atari 7800 can do 512k games, but it has to a lot of bankswitching. The Atari 7800 only has 4k of ram and that limits the Atari 7800 in programming in some ways.

What the Super Expansion Module offers according to Opcode is the following:
24k of expanded ram for more advanced games
32kB of Save RAM (non-volatile memory to save any game data, like high scores, save points, etc)
- 128kB of MegaRAM (allows even more advanced games, MSX MegaROM games)
- 128kB of flash BIOS (includes the old BIOS, new BIOS for supporting the new devices, GUI)
- General Instruments sound generator AY-3-8910 (3 extra sound channels, envelopes, no frequency limitations)
- Expansion Parallel interface (to connect new types of devices, special controllers, CV-2-CV, etc)
- 3 programmable push buttons (Pause, call GUI and a 3rd button not defined yet)
- Flash BIOS includes user interface for settings, save data management, and more. BIOS can be updated.
- Power LED indicator
- Donkey Kong Arcade/XPanded game cartridge
- 128kB version of the arcade game
- Persistent High Score table
- Sound uses the GI AY-3-8910 sound chip, and possibly the Oki sound chip too, in case it is included
- Donkey Kong Arcade/XPanded manual
- Module manual

What isn't 100% decided/defined yet
- Oki ADPCM sound chip (voice and sampled sound during gameplay) (90%+ plus change of being included)
- Module custom plastic case (matches the CV design)
Of course price will be adjusted to reflect the inclusion or not of those items.

[MarioMania]

Can the 7800 have a Expansion Module??

[7th lutz]

Can the 7800 have a Expansion Module??

Yes, the is two way supposedly, but I am no familiar with the 2nd way.

The first way is yes and no for the Atari 7800 having the capabilities to have an Expansion Module.

I said both because the original model of the Atari 7800 had an An expansion interface on the side of the 7800, but the 2 later models didn't.

Anyone that brought the Atari 7800 brand new in 1984 by test market and whatever the amount was left from the short lived test market or was produced by the time Jack Tramiel took over was sent to stores in 1986. The 2nd model came in some time in 1986 or 1987. The third model came out in 1989 or 1990.

The original models of the Atari 7800 had an An expansion interface on the side of the 7800 because the Atari 7800 was supposed to get a keyboard. People thought the Atari 7800 was about get a laserdisc player to play games like Dragon's Lair since the expansion interface made it possible.

Those plans got scrapped when Jack Tramiel bought Atari's home videogame and computer divisions. Jack wanted Atari for the computer division and didn't care for videogames.

The original Atari 7800 models were already produced by the time Jack Tramiel pulled the plug on the Atari 7800 in 1984. The original model was test marketed in 1984 with games before Jack pulled the plug on the system. There was remaining original Atari 7800 models that where in Atari's warehouse and they were sent out in to stores in 1986.

Jack wasn't interested in add-on systems or accessories when he finally decided to release the Atari 7800 in 1986 and the expansion interface the side of the 7800 was removed on later Atari 7800 models as a result.

[slapdash]

Here is the whole list of homebrew Atari 7800 games that are finished:

Dang, thanks for the list!

Beef Drop
Beef Drop VE

Hmm, I didn't know there were two of them... What's the difference? Are both available on cart?

Wasp! (last completed homebrew Atari 7800 game)

This is totally new to me too... Is it available on cart (yet)?

[7th lutz]

There was talk of plays of designing an Expansion Module for the Atari 7800 on the Atari 7800 message board back in June. It hasn't been brought up since.

All was known at the time was the Atari 7800 Expansion Module specs at the time sure was the following:

1. Built in High Score Cartridge capability
2. A 16K RAM upgrade
3. A Pokey Chip

I got that information from http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic...ansion-module/ .

I am not sure if would happen though.

[7th lutz]

Dang, thanks for the list!



Hmm, I didn't know there were two of them... What's the difference? Are both available on cart?



This is totally new to me too... Is it available on cart (yet)?

The difference is Beef Drop VE doesn't have the pokey sound chip that Beef Drop has. Both were released in Cart. The first version of Beef Drop didn't have anymore copies made.

1.) Beef Drop VE can be bought at http://www.gooddealgames.com/invento...ri%207800.html . Good Deal Games has an agreement to sell homebrew Atari 7800 games They don't have Wasp! sadly. The Atari age store has been down for a while and the game can't be bought there currently. I know that Albert is working on the Atariage store being back online. I don't know if Beef Drop VE will be sold at the Atariage Store.

2.) Wasp! was sold out on Cartridge. The Author had a limited run. I don't know if there will be more copies being made and be one of the games you can buy at the Atariage store.

[vintagegamecrazy]

Thanks for the list too. Don't also forget the reproduction Missing In Action game recently released too.

[slapdash]

Gah, figures I'd miss Beef Drop and Wasp! Oh well, just can't find the time to stay on top of all these releases any more... Thanks again for the clarifications!

[Steve W]

Wasp! was sold out on Cartridge. The Author had a limited run. I don't know if there will be more copies being made and be one of the games you can buy at the Atariage store.

Does Atari Age even have a store anymore? I can't find it. I think Albert has totally burnt out on dealing with a store. I know there's been problems in the past, after talking to a developer. I'd love for the Atari Age store to come back.

Quick Edit: It looks like all the Atari Age games are now being sold through Good Deal Games. Nice. Now I have a new centralized source of retro homebrews. The only drawback is they don't have screenshots.

[7th lutz]

There's also a great (but unfinished?) version of Frogger.

Frogger is unfinished. I didn't mention it because it appears like it has been abandoned and there hasn't been any new updates on since January 2007.

I all I know since than is the programmer has been busy with real life stuff according to some atariage members.

[Greg2600]

Albert brought the store back up earlier this year for awhile. I bought Pac-Man Collection for the 7800, and Castle Crisis for the 5200 from it. Most of his time has been spent on reorganizing and upgrading of the AA web forum. And yes, Good Deal Games, who I bought Super Pac-Man for 7800 from, have what seems like almost all of the games AA offered. In fact, other 7800 games include unreleased titles Sirius and Plutos.

[swlovinist]

Wasp is one heck of a game, I am glad I was on the short list of folks who got one. Hopefully this game will be available in the future.

[slapdash]

> In fact, other 7800 games include unreleased titles Sirius and Plutos.

However, they are not available at the moment. Just tried to order them a couple weeks ago.

[opcode]

Donkey Kong Arcade is for the Super Expansion Module only. Opcode is working on a Super Expansion Module right now. Donkey Kong Arcade is not a true Colecovision game based on the fact Super Expansion Module is an add-on. That is no different than the 32x and the Sega CD are add-on consoles for the Sega Genesis.

I don't think comparing the SEM to the 32X is fair. The 32X was basically a completely new console. It replaced the Genesis CPU, video chip and sound chip, while the SEM just adds more memory and extra sound chips. So the processing power and video capabilities are still the same. It is the same as adding more RAM to your existing PC. About sound, the CV was already superior to the 2 channels sound chip inside the 7800 anyway, and adding Pokeys to the cartridge never seemed to be a problem with 7800 users (as wasn't having high-score add-on cartridges...). So my question is: are all 7800 games that use Pokeys and high-score cartridges not true 7800 games?

[swlovinist]

The 7800 has also had some hacked games such as Star Wars(Xevious hack), Kessel Attack(Asteroids hack) as probably a ton other. Not true homebrews, but I saw that Asteroiods deluxe was mentioned, so I had to mention these. They were released on cart in limited numbers.

On the mention of unrelased games, there was also Pit Fighter...unfinished and TERRIBLE

[PacManPlus]

I don't think Kenfused has worked an Atari 7800 game since B*nq. Pac-ManPlus is dealing with stuff out of video games.

Homebrew 7800 games that are being worked on:
Apple Snaffle (boulder dash style game)
VPong (vertical Pong)
Some surprise game that Shawn Sr. is involved with.

Thanks, man - yes, I am going through some things at the moment, but I hope to get back in full force soon.

In the meantime (to add to the 'currently being worked on' list - although the name will be changed to 'FailSafe'):