Atari 2600

[NML32]

Mist core is updated. More mappers work now. Hopefully the MISTer core will be updated accordingly. Many thanks in advance!!

What new mappers have been added since Atari2600_20181214.rbf?

Link?

[Sorgelig]

It's already updated. MiSTer supported originally more mappers than MiST. Recent MiST update just cached up. I've just added couple mappers through file extensions in the latest release.

[ewok]

Ahh...thank you!

[SaschaFFM]

I have hooked up my original Atari-2600 paddles to the MiSTer. Paddles themselves work fine once they are activated via the "Paddles-Button" from the MiSTer menu. Even possible to play 4-Player games as two paddles always share one controller-connection.

But:
To enable pedal mode in MiSTer you will have to press the Paddle-button that is mapped in Joystick mapper. The original paddles have only one button, so you can either map this single button to activation of the paddle or using "fire". Fire-button is of course almost always needed in the games.

Is there any chance to route mappings to the keyboard? Or hardcode some of the general purpose-buttons to the keyboard? Same issue is if you want to use original Joystick and you need to press "Select" in Atari-2600. As many others I am keen on playing the old consoles with original controllers.

[Sorgelig]

not sure what you mean, but you can define keyboard keys to be used as joystick. It's standard usage of keyboard.

[SaschaFFM]

I have totally misinterpreted the Keyboard-Mode. Thought it was a replacement for a joystick (=real Joystick is disabled when keyboard-joystick is enabled). I have just tested and in fact it is working in conjunction. That is great. I can use my joystick for the gaming and the keyboard for the "housekeeping-stuff".

Thanks!

[ewok]

Hi,

Before pulling all my hair out. Can someone please confirm that Asteroids does not run correct?

I used different roms, but no luck yet.

Thanks!

[NML32]

Hi,

Before pulling all my hair out. Can someone please confirm that Asteroids does not run correct?

I used different roms, but no luck yet.

Thanks!

Doesn't work for me.
Check my list for other A2600 MiSTer compatible games. Feel free to add or update any games on the list.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ ... sp=sharing

Edit: The Google Doc should now be editable.

[ewok]

Thanks! Before changing. Miner 2049er does not work with 3f. Can you confirm? According SmokeMonster's set it should.

[NML32]

Thanks! Before changing. Miner 2049er does not work with 3f. Can you confirm? According SmokeMonster's set it should.

Miner 2049er doesn't work for me. Reminder: Make sure you change the extension to .3f
I hear the music and gameplay sounds but the screen is black.

[ewok]

Thanks! Same with Volume II.

Still strange why SmokeMonster says that these roms are fixed. Both have the .3f extension.

[SmokeMonster]

I never said the ROMs are fixed. I just changed the extension to 3F as directed, and I mentioned in my stream that they're still broken.

[ewok]

My bad. I assumed they were fixed.

[PhantombrainM]

There is something wrong with the scanlines.
Integer scale on (1), 1080P60, internal scanlines off, external / custom Filter scanlines100% to make it most visible.

There is a bar clearly visible for example in river raid, pal.
Its difficult to photograph.

Is it also possible to make mouse trap playable? If so, I'd spend you "a beer".
Its a funny game. Hint: if you hold the button, the gates will open / close / change. Played it often as a kid.

[PhantombrainM]

I've got another "strange" bug report.

Some games / screens are triggered by the sound which is obviously wrong.

For example in Winter Games , Pal, you can see the screen is shaking exactly to the music. (By the way, the title screen was centered on original system).
You can see the same in Smurf (CBS Electronics), Pal.
In Mousetrap if you have Mister Info OSD enabled resolution permanently changes between. 164 x (305 or 306)

Edit: Also resolution changes:
Base Attack, Pal 162 x (243 or 244)
Smurf, Pal (164 x (307 or 308) -> only when music plays. Without music constant 164x307.

I think the sound is driving the screen resolution one pixel up somehow in some games.

regards,
PhantombrainM

[Sorgelig]

Picture on Atari 2600 screen is generated by CPU. So this core is very depend on cpu cycle accuracy. That's why such thing as sound generation may affect the video. So, it's because current CPU model in this core is not perfect.

[PhantombrainM]

Picture on Atari 2600 screen is generated by CPU. So this core is very depend on cpu cycle accuracy. That's why such thing as sound generation may affect the video. So, it's because current CPU model in this core is not perfect.

Interesting! Thank you for clarification.

[alanswx]

Picture on Atari 2600 screen is generated by CPU. So this core is very depend on cpu cycle accuracy. That's why such thing as sound generation may affect the video. So, it's because current CPU model in this core is not perfect.

I wonder if this 6502 is more accurate:
http://www.microcorelabs.com/mcl65.html

[ewok]

Great update! A lot more roms are working now. Thanks!

[slingshot]

Picture on Atari 2600 screen is generated by CPU. So this core is very depend on cpu cycle accuracy. That's why such thing as sound generation may affect the video. So, it's because current CPU model in this core is not perfect.

...or it just wasn't that obvious on the now 40 years old TVs. HSync is actually generated by TIA automatically, VSync is what's software triggered.
Btw, I don't see any problems with Winter Games. PAL/NTSC switch only changes the colors, the TIA doesn't have line counter.

[PhantombrainM]

Picture on Atari 2600 screen is generated by CPU. So this core is very depend on cpu cycle accuracy. That's why such thing as sound generation may affect the video. So, it's because current CPU model in this core is not perfect.

...or it just wasn't that obvious on the now 40 years old TVs. HSync is actually generated by TIA automatically, VSync is what's software triggered.
Btw, I don't see any problems with Winter Games. PAL/NTSC switch only changes the colors, the TIA doesn't have line counter.

Hi Slingshot, i made a video.
Maybe it's better to see now:

https://youtu.be/JaaGlbuZ0cI

regards,
PhantombrainM

I know these games very well and normally they don't shake. Also in Stella it's okay. Not all games are affected but some. I think Winter games is easy to see to the rhythm of the music. Smurfs and other games are harder to see but if you need further examples, just let me know.

[SmokeMonster]

Awesome update--tons of new games are now playable.

Most games set as the boot.rom seem to break the core however, preventing you from being able to cleanly switch to other games. Casino and other very early games work as boot.rom though. Most boot.rom games cause some kind of unclean state issue that persists across games, and the experience is variable depending on what boot.rom is used.

To test this yourself, set Solaris or Chopper Command (or almost any other game) as your boot.rom and then load Combat or Canyon Bomber.

[slingshot]

Hi Slingshot, i made a video.
Maybe it's better to see now:

https://youtu.be/JaaGlbuZ0cI

I don't have a MiSTer, so I cannot comment on this. But it's rock stable on even scandoubled output of MiST (my monitor is very picky about frame times, if one frame is not the same length as another, it flickers wildly, and it happens in Star Wars: Arcade for example). Of course an emulator has a fixed number of lines, it won't shake.
If you have an opportunity, try it with RGB or YPbPr output.

[vanfanel]

Hi, Slingshot!

I have noticed the tittle screen in Juno First is totally wrong. Is that fixable somehow? Thanks!

[Sorgelig]

I will make new release - may be it will fix some found issues.