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April 25, 2002  





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AtariAge News archive for October 2001:

Big Changes to HTML Manuals!
Wednesday, October 31, 2001

Posted by: Albert | Message Boards | Submit News

Click here for more informationWe're pleased to announce that we have now fully integrated HTML manuals into the AtariAge online database. Previously, 2600 HTML manuals were stuck in their own little section, with a single link to them on the 2600 Manuals page. We've now made HTML manuals as easy to view as manual scans. In addition, thanks to the generosity of Keita Iida, Mitch Orman, and Rouven Gehm we have added 5200, 7800 and Jaguar HTML manuals to the site. For complete details on what we've changed, please visit this page.

Koffi: Yellow Kopter! Update
Monday, October 29, 2001

Posted by: Albert | Message Boards | Submit News

Visit the Koffi: Yellow Kopter! PageRon Lloyd (aka Cafeman) has posted an update for his upcoming Atari 5200 homebrew game Koffi: Yellow Kopter! Ron estimates the game is 30% complete and will be released sometime in 2002. The Koffi: Yellow Kopter! page features a description of the game, several screenshots and development notes as work progresses. Ron has also posted an image of a label for the game created by Dave Giarrusso. You can discuss Koffi with the game's creator in our message boards here.

Classic Gaming Auctions Under Way!
Sunday, October 28, 2001

Posted by: Albert | Message Boards | Submit News

View the Classic Gaming Relief Auction PageThe auctions have now begun! Today we started 24 auctions for rare and in many cases autographed games that various collectors have donated to the September 11th Classic Gaming Relief Auction. You can see a listing on eBay of all the Auction for America items currently running. There will be a second round of auctions beginning next weekend that will feature rare hardware, autographed books, and more. These auctions are listed under the eBay handle atariage. To view a listing of all the games up for auction with thumbs, as well as a list of the items slated to go up for auction next week, click here.

Ewok Adventure Released at Eurocon
Sunday, October 28, 2001

Posted by: Alex | Message Boards | Submit News

Download the Ewok Adventure ROM at AtariAgeThe long anticipated Star Wars: Ewok Adventure prototype for the Atari 2600 was released this weekend at Eurocon 2001. Ewok Adventure was first discovered a few years ago in NTSC format, but the game was never released to the public. Last year a PAL version was discovered and finally released this past weekend. The game is a vertically scrolling shooter that takes place on Endor in which you pilot a hang glider and attack Imperial Troopers, AT-ST's, Speeder Bikes, and ultimately the Shield Generator bunker. You can also ditch your glider to take control of an AT-ST or Speeder Bike for more firepower. Download the ROM and try it out for yourself in an emulator. We've found that it works in z26 using a -5 -g3 command switch. This ROM is presented for your enjoyment courtesy of Marco Kerstens.

Qb Deluxe Details Revealed
Sunday, October 28, 2001

Posted by: Albert | Message Boards | Submit News

Visit the Qb Home PageAndrew Davie has announced more details about the upcoming Deluxe Version of his 2600 game Qb. In an effort sure to escalate the homebrew packaging wars, Andrew has revealed his plans on just how Qb Deluxe is to be delivered: It will arrive in a genuine wooden cigar box, adorned with rare wood squares arranged in such fashion to resemble the actual game. Placed on top of these squares will be plastic or glass figurines. Inside the cigar box will be a cartridge (with special label) and a CD with the z26 emulator, several Qb versions documenting the game's development progress, and the complete source code. You can learn more about Qb Deluxe by visiting Andrew's Qb page as well as following this thread in our 2600 message board.

For those who simply can't for this Deluxe version to be completed (or you didn't pre-order it!), Qb (standard) is now available from Hozer Video, complete with a newly designed label and manual.

Cleveland Free-Net Archive Online
Friday, October 26, 2001

Posted by: Albert | Message Boards | Submit News

Visit the Cleveland Free-Net ArchivesKevin Savetz has sent us word of the launch of the Official Cleveland Free-Net Atari SIG Archive. The Cleveland Free-Net was a free dialup and telnet BBS and home to an active group of Atari users. The Atari SIG was a wealth of information about every Atari platform, including 8-bit computers, 16/32-bit computers, Jaguar, Lynx, and Portfolio. Before the Cleveland Free-Net was shut down on September 30, 1999, a complete backup of the Atari SIG was made. This archive, comprising over 200MB of data, has now been restored and is available online for your viewing pleasure.

7800 Manual Collection Complete!
Wednesday, October 24, 2001

Posted by: Albert | Message Boards | Submit News

View our 7800 Manual CollectionWe're proud to announce that we now have a complete collection of Atari 7800 Manuals online for your browsing enjoyment. This collection represents scans of all the manuals for every released Atari 78000 game. Many thanks to those who helped us complete this collection, including Mitch Orman, Jesse Hardesty, Lamar Kukuk, MattW, Tizoc, and James Payton (my apologies if I missed anyone here).

Now that all the 7800 manuals are online, we'll focus our efforts on filling all the holes in the 5200 Manuals. And in case you're wondering, we're actively working on 2600 manual scans now that disk space is no longer an issue for us.

Cuttle Carts Now Available
Tuesday, October 23, 2001

Posted by: Albert | Message Boards | Submit News

Visit the Cuttle Cart Home PageChad Schell of Schell's Electronics has announced that the second round of Cuttle Carts is in stock and ready to ship. The Cuttle Cart is a unique cartridge that allows you to transfer game images from your PC or CD player into the onboard RAM of the Cuttle Cart, giving you the ability to play virtually any 2600 game on a genuine 2600 console. They're also great development tools for all you homebrew authors out there. Included with the Cuttle Cart is Stella Gets a New Brain, a CD containing the entire library of Starpath Supercharger games. You can learn more about the Cuttle Cart and place an order on the Cuttle Cart Home Page.

Lynx Backlight Mod
Monday, October 22, 2001

Posted by: Albert | Message Boards | Submit News

Visit Wilykat's Projects PageIf you're a Lynx enthusiast, we thought you'd like to know that Wi1ykat is working on a modification for the Lynx aimed at increasing the Lynx's battery life. His goal is to replace the standard backlight with several white LEDs, considerably reducing power consumption. You can find pictures and keep abreast of the project's status by checking out his website here. You can also discuss this modification on our Lynx message board.

Run 7800 Front End Released
Monday, October 22, 2001

Posted by: Albert | Message Boards | Submit News

Visit the Run 7800 Home PageChristian Bogey has released Run 7800, a front-end for Eckhard Stolberg's 7800 Development System Software. Run 7800 provides a nice interface to the command-line 7800ctrl program, saving you from having to memorize (or lookup!) the various command-line options, as well as making it easier to select files to transfer to and from the 7800. You can learn about Run 7800 and other Atari-related projects Christian has developed by visiting the Khryssun Domain.

SwordQuest AirWorld Screenshot Released
Monday, October 22, 2001

Posted by: Albert | Message Boards | Submit News

Visit the SwordQuest AirWorld Project PageThe first screenshot from the upcoming SwordQuest AirWorld game for the Atari 5200 has been released. You can find this screenshot, as well as additional information about the project, on the SwordQuest AirWorld Project Page. SwordQuest Airworld is going to be released first on the Atari 5200, followed by a port to the Atari 2600. The team has already completed the box and label designs, which you can view on Christopher Drum's Atari Page. No word yet as to when SwordQuest AirWorld will be finished, but according to the project page the team still has, "a long way to go".

2600 Hacks Section Now Online
Sunday, October 21, 2001

Posted by: Albert | Message Boards | Submit News

Take a look at the 2600 HacksThanks to the recent activity regarding the creation of Hacks for various 2600 games, we created a new page on AtariAge where such hacks can be organized together. At this time we don't want to add these hacks to our primary rarity database, but we didn't them to be neglected either. While we only have a few hacks online at present, we expect this section to grow quickly as we know there are quite a few hacks out there. Please visit our 2600 Message Board to discuss these hacks and many other subjects.

New Atari.com Site Coming Soon!
Saturday, October 20, 2001

Posted by: Albert | Message Boards | Submit News

Visit Atari.comLooks like Infogrames is finally gearing up to do something with the Atari.com domain name they acquired from Hasbro when they purchased the rights to the Atari properties. At this time the page only has some graphics announcing, "Coming in November!", but at least we now know to keep our eyes on it to see what develops. This temporary page uses the same graphics style as Atari Ads that have made appearances in game magazines recently promoting the upcoming console games Splashdown, Transworld Surf, and MXRider.

2600 Galaxian Hack
Friday, October 19, 2001

Posted by: Alex | Message Boards | Submit News

Download the Galaxian hack at AtariAgeIn the spirit of the recent Return of Mario Bros. mod, we bring you Jess Ragan's Galaxian mod. Jess tweaked the graphics of the original 2600 Galaxian so that it would look more like the original arcade game. Download the ROM and check it out for yourself. Let us know what you think on the 2600 message board.

5200 Adventure II Homebrew Project
Thursday, October 18, 2001

Posted by: Albert | Message Boards | Submit News

Visit the Adventure II Development PageIn case you haven't been following this thread in the Atari 5200 forum, Alan Davis and Ron Lloyd (aka Caféman) have announced a new homebrew game for the Atari 5200 -- Adventure II! At present there's only a single screenshot available of this work-in-progress, along with some hints of what might be in the game (to quote, "Hedge Maze, Ice Maze, Dragons, Chalice, and Wizard. Ice Castle. Fire Castle. Armor") If you'd like to provide feedback on this endeavor, please visit our Atari 5200 forum and be sure to visit the Adventure II Development Page!

Return of Mario Bros. for the 2600
Monday, October 15, 2001

Posted by: Albert | Message Boards | Submit News

Read about Return of Mario Bros. here!In case you didn't catch the news in our Message Boards, Philip R. Frey (a.k.a. Rhindle The Red) has updated the 2600 game Mario Bros. with updated graphics to create Return of Mario Bros. While the gameplay is unchanged from the original Mario Bros., Philip has updated the graphics to more faithfully match the original arcade game. You can download Return to Mario Bros. here and read about it here. Philip has also created a cartridge label for his update, which you can download on his Fake Atari 2600 Cart Page.

Mental Kombat Announced for 2600
Monday, October 15, 2001

Posted by: Albert | Message Boards | Submit News

Visit the Mental Kombat home pageSimon Quernhorst has announced a new 2600 game he is developing called Mental Kombat. Mental Kombat is a two player puzzle game based on a concept developed by Simon and a friend for the Commodore 64. The game is nearly complete and will be available as a limited run of numbered, signed cartridges. This is Simon's first Atari 2600 development effort, and you can follow its progress on the Mental Kombat Development Page.

Combat Remake for the PC
Saturday, October 13, 2001

Posted by: Alex | Message Boards | Submit News

Pre-Order Combat at Amazon.comEvilAvatar has some news and screenshots of the Combat remake by Magic Lantern Playware. Magic Lantern reports that this homage to the classic 2600 game is nearing completion and will feature some "surprises" throughout the game. You can pre-order Combat at Amazon.com for $19.95, where it has a scheduled release date of November 28th.

Atarisoft Joust for Colecovision
Friday, October 12, 2001

Posted by: Alex | Message Boards | Submit News

Download Atarisoft Joust at System FailureSystem Failure has posted the ROM for Atarisoft's Joust for Colecovision. This prototype was recently sold in cartridge form at CGE and is now available online. This game is reported to be about 85%-90% complete, although there is no sound. We have been told that it will play in Marat Fayzullin's ColEm, and Neal Danner's Virtual Colecovision.

Computer Chess Prototype for 2600
Wednesday, October 10, 2001

Posted by: Alex | Message Boards | Submit News

Computer Chess at AtariAgeComputer Chess, a prototype version of Atari's Video Chess, was discovered in 1997 by a collector known as Roagie when Nolan Bushnell gave him a box of games. The ROM was preserved, but it was never made available until now. While it isn't drastically different from Video Chess, one thing that makes it interesting is that an end label was actually created for it, making it fairly unique among prototypes. Then recently an unusual chess ROM was sent in to us by Marco Kerstens, and we were able to confirm with the owner of the original Computer Chess prototype that this is indeed the same game. So have a look at our Computer Chess entry and check out the label, screenshots, and ROM.

Virtual Super System 0.80 Available
Tuesday, October 9, 2001

Posted by: Albert | Message Boards | Submit News

Visit Dan Boris' Atari 5200 PageIt's been a bit over three years, but Dan Boris has released version 0.80 of the Virtual Super System Atari 5200 emulator. This is a DOS-based emulator that runs about 90% of the Atari 5200 binaries available. Here are some of the new features in this version:

  • Replaced CPU core with Neil Bradley's M6502 core
  • Cleaned up hardware startup and shut down to prevent memory leaks.
  • Using SEAL audio library instead of Allegro's for better sound card support
  • Added alternate 16K cart loading mode for Tempest, Super Pac-man, Track and Field and Millipede
  • Added support for 8K carts
  • Keys can now be re-configured in config file
  • Fixed colors in MODE 15. (Miniature Golf, Micro-gammon)

To download this version of VSS, plus a complete list of changes, please visit Dan's 5200 page.


2600 Connection #67
Monday, October 8, 2001

Posted by: Alex | Message Boards | Submit News

Visit the 2600 Connection web site2600 Connection just printed issue #67, featuring a Classic Gaming Expo 2001 report by Lee Krueger, interview with Peter Engelbrite by Manuel Polik, picture gallery, News & Notes, Letters, Classifieds. Find out more, including how to subscribe to this printed newsletter at the 2600 Connection web site.

New 2600 Prototype Screenshots
Sunday, October 7, 2001

Posted by: Alex | Message Boards | Submit News

Plieades screenshots on AtariAgeWe've known about the UA Limited 2600 prototypes for some time now, but very few people have actually seen the games. We recently recieved some screenshots from an anonymous contributor of both Pleiades and Funky Fish. Unfortunately we do not have the ROMs, but at least you can get an idea of what these games are like. We also received permission from 2600 Connection to publish the Pink Panther and Good Luck, Charlie Brown prototype screenshots here on AtariAge. You may have seen these before, but we've blown them up for you and we think they're worth a second look.

Jaguar Section Online!
Sunday, October 7, 2001

Posted by: Albert | Message Boards | Submit News

Jump to the Jaguar Rarity GuideTo coincide with the move to AtariAge's new home, we're proud to introduce the Atari Jaguar as the latest addition to our comprehensive, online database. We've created a Rarity Guide for the Jaguar, which links to cartridge scans, box scans, manual scans, overlays, and screenshots of nearly every Jaguar game known to exist. In addition, we have pictures and descriptions of Jaguar hardware, Jaguar history, links to Jaguar sites, and more! And we have plans to put additional Jaguar content online in the near future.

We hope you enjoy the new Jaguar section and if you have any suggestions or criticisms we'd love to hear them! Enjoy!

Welcome to the New Server!
Sunday, October 7, 2001

Posted by: Albert | Message Boards | Submit News

Woo hoo!If you're reading this message then you've found your way to AtariAge's new, dedicated server! This new server is dedicated entirely to AtariAge and is not shared by any other websites. We have a great deal more disk space than we did previously and considerably more bandwidth. This will allow us to open the floodgates for content we've had to hold off on until now. In addition we've taken this opportunity to make numerous improvements to the site, many subtle but there are a few that you'll probably notice immediately.

Until the AtariAge.com domain name has propogated throughout the net to point to the new server, you'll need to bookmark the page you're looking at now. This is especially true if you want to use the message boards, as they have been deactivated on the old server. While we don't anticipate any problems, there certainly could be some glitches during the transition. If you spot anything out of the ordinary, please don't hesitate to contact us so we can look into it immediately.

New Run of Elevator Actions Available
Saturday, October 6, 2001

Posted by: Albert | Message Boards | Submit News

Elevator ActionIf you weren't able to attend the 2001 Classic Gaming Expo and snag a copy of Elevator Action for yourself, Sean Kelly has informed us that he is now making more copies available to the general public. Elevator Action was released at this year's CGE where the roughly 200 games brought to the show quickly sold out. Like the version released at CGE, these new copies will also be complete with a box, instructions and color label. If you'd like to order a copy, they're $50 and you can contact Sean at skelly@xnet.com.

New Atari Branded Games for Playstation 2
Friday, October 5, 2001

Posted by: Alex | Message Boards | Submit News

Pre-order Splashdown at EBgames.comFGN Online reports that "Atari is Back". Okay, so you already knew that, but it looks like some of the first Atari branded games are on the horizon. Two games for the Playstation 2, Splashdown and MX Rider, are scheduled to be released before Christmas. Infogrames CEO Bruno Bonnell said "We're thrilled to introduce our reinvented Atari brand on PlayStation 2 and are confident that PS2 fans will be riveted by these new games." If you're itching to get your hands on these titles, you can pre-order Splashdown at EBgames.com and pre-order MX Rider at Amazon.com. Speak your mind about these new developments in our message board.

Squoosh Prototype for Atari 2600
Tuesday, October 2, 2001

Posted by: Alex | Message Boards | Submit News

Squoosh at AtariAge.comSquoosh, an unreleased Atari 2600 game from Apollo, was discovered some time ago but has not been available on the web in binary format until now. Unfortunately, it appears to be very incomplete. There is only one screen and your character is very limited in movement. If anyone has anything to add about the history, development, or gameplay of this title, please comment in our message boards.

CinciClassic Classic Gaming Show
Tuesday, October 2, 2001

Posted by: Alex | Message Boards | Submit News

Visit the official CinciClassic web siteCinciClassic, the Cincinnati, Ohio classic gaming event is scheduled to take place on November 9th-11th. Events will include game tournaments, a trivia contest, a trade session, an auction, and more. Songbird Productions has confirmed they will have a CinciClassic exclusive version of the upcoming Lynx game CyberVirus ready for sale with 8+ missions and an exclusive CinciClassic opening screen.

Atari Rabbit Transit Binary Available
Monday, October 1, 2001

Posted by: Alex | Message Boards | Submit News

AtariAge Rabbit Transit pageThanks go out to Marco, who has sent us the binary image of the Atari version of Rabbit Transit. This game was released commercially by Starpath on cassette for the Supercharger, but was later discovered as an Atari prototype in cartridge form. While the gameplay between the two versions is the same, there are some differences which appear to be mostly cosmetic in nature. Download it now so you can help us discover what else may differ between the two versions!

Jagulator Source Released
Monday, October 1, 2001

Posted by: Alex | Message Boards | Submit News

Go grab the source now!!RealityMan has released the source code to the Jagulator Jaguar Console Emulation Project. RealityMan states:

After some consideration I have decided to release the source of Jagulator to the public. I have two main reasons for this decision: (a) I am finding it difficult to spend the time on this project that I would like, hence causing the development of Jagulator to suffer considerably. (b) I really want others to start developing Jaguar emulators not only for Windows but for other platforms too (e.g. Lunix, BeOS etc).

If you'd like to contribute to the Jagulator project (you do want to see a working Jagulator emulator, right?) please visit the Jagulator Home Page and download the source!

Star Wars: Ewok Adventure ROM to be Released
Monday, October 1, 2001

Posted by: Alex | Message Boards | Submit News

Ewok Adventure ROM release at Eurocon 2001Jon Legg, organizer of the classic gaming convention Eurocon 2001, reports that Star Wars: Ewok Adventure will be released in ROM format at the show. This prototype was first discovered a few years ago, although we're not sure if this is the same copy or a new discovery at this point. Eurocon 2001 is set to take place on October 26th-28th in Blackpool, England.

Warring Worms beta for 2600
Monday, October 1, 2001

Posted by: Alex | Message Boards | Submit News

Visit the Warring Worms web siteBaroque Gaming has announced a new Atari 2600 game called Warring Worms. The game is currently playable in beta release that you can download at the Baroque Gaming web site. You'll also find the latest news about the current status of the game and some screen shots. It's been tested in Stella, z26, and through a Supercharger. Let us know what you think of the game on our message board. Here is a description of the game from programmer Billy Eno:

Warring Worms is reminiscent of Light Cycles from Tron, but with a different twist. While avoiding walls, each worm can shoot a cannon that will destroy a single block on the playing field. Currently, there are ten starting playfields to use to make game play more challenging.

     
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