Atari 2600

[Lightwave]

sorry, double post

[Lightwave]

Let's connect Core i7 and some GBs of RAM to A2600. It will let to play some current AAA titles. But what's the point of it?
A2600 has MOS6507 CPU and let's keep it this way.
For 70MHz ARM there are other computers. If someone write games for ARM, then it's not A2600 at all.

The ARM in this case is simply a supplement to the main processor, no different than the special co-processing chips added to SNES games. In fact such chips were added to official 2600 games back in the day as well (e.g. DPC for Pitfall II).

The ARM is specced to 70Mhz, but it does not mean the games use that capacity. If you look at the games themselves (e.g Scramble, Super Cobra, Mappy, Draconian, Space Rocks, Galaga) they do not feel out of place from later 2600 releases. Graphics, sound, etc. are all still being produced via the original chips.

That all being said, I am sympathetic to your point of view.

[PhantombrainM]

@lightwave: How much free games are there which uses this CPU? Is there a list or something? I think the most have to be paid or not?

[Lightwave]

@lightwave: How much free games are there which uses this CPU? Is there a list or something? I think the most have to be paid or not?

The games can be purchased as carts from Atari Age, but for many the authors have generously made the ROMs available for free as well.

Currently available (off the top of my head):

Scramble:
- Full ROM available

Super Cobra Arcade:
- Full ROM available

Star Castle Arcade:
- Full ROM available

Space Rocks:
- Full ROM available

Draconian:
- Full ROM available

Stay Frosty 2
- Full ROM available

Chetiry (Tetris):
- ROM available (Full version for Stella emulator, Harmony Cart version missing music and save)

Mappy:
- Demo ROM available, full ROM to be released in the future

Galaga:
- Demo ROM available

There are most likely several other games I missed, but these are the main ones that stick out in my mind.

[warham]

70MHz ARM for Atari 2600, what?? Let me calm down my laughing shoes
Get the Galaga arcade core or numerous implementations on different consoles and computers. There is no point to mess with it. Let A2600 be A2600.

[Sorgelig]

Nice pic!

[beermonkey]

The Harmony 2600 games are really cool, it would be nice to be able to play them just like SA-1 on SNES, the SVP chip for Genesis/Megadrive (Virtua Racing), it really is no different?

[deltax5]

Are we going to see a update soon? It's been awile since this has been updated. Things need fixing.

[NML32]

Are we going to see a update soon? It's been awile since this has been updated. Things need fixing.

Hopefully, the MiST A2600 just had an update. They added E7 mapper. Maybe that could be easily ported to MiSTer.

[ewok]

Are we going to see a update soon? It's been awile since this has been updated. Things need fixing.

It takes long this time. Asteroids gives me the title on top of the screen and no asteroids, ship.....just a black screen. Whatever rom I use. I really hope someone wants to fix this fpga installment. MISTer is great! Thanks!

[SaschaFFM]

Tonight we will be having our monthly "Retro-Gaming night" with some friends. We are finally four people again, so I thought we might go for some "Medieval Mayhem" on the Atari 2600. It is a four-player game with the Atari Paddles.

It used to work fine some time around summer of this year. Now I do not get it to work with the paddles any longer.

I have connected the two paddle-pairs with two 2600-daptor II adapters. Set them (the 2600-daptors) up with a normal Joystick in the menu. Works fine. Then started A2600 core and switched controls to Paddle in the core menu. I only get one paddle per pair to work with this. No matter what I choose as "Paddle map" in the core menu.

I remember that there used to be a "Paddle activation Key", but this has obviously been replaced with the menu switch. It was working fine, but I really do not know what else to do now. Anyone got it working in a similar setup?

[orange808]

Am I correct when I assume the MIST core is ahead of the MiSTer core in terms of compatibility with software and general emulation?
https://github.com/wsoltys/tca2601

[Sorgelig]

Am I correct when I assume the MIST core is ahead of the MiSTer core in terms of compatibility with software and general emulation?
https://github.com/wsoltys/tca2601

You are fully correct. So now you can go back to MiST forum.
MiSTer is open source hobby project. I personally don't care what is happening on other projects. Good people don't come for trolling, they join to work together and improve the MiSTer cores.

[orange808]

Am I correct when I assume the MIST core is ahead of the MiSTer core in terms of compatibility with software and general emulation?
https://github.com/wsoltys/tca2601

You are fully correct. So now you can go back to MiST forum.
MiSTer is open source hobby project. I personally don't care what is happening on other projects. Good people don't come for trolling, they join to work together and improve the MiSTer cores.

Not trolling you, sorgelig.

I wanted to know if trying to port that would be a good project. I'll start with the top level and work from there.

If I come with something interesting, I'll share it.

[djmartins]

Not trolling you, sorgelig.

I wanted to know if trying to port that would be a good project. I'll start with the top level and work from there.

If I come with something interesting, I'll share it.

If you have the interest, time, and ability to port it then I don't think anyone will complain.

[ewok]

It is still a bummer that the A2600 is kind of neglected. I hope that someday, someone finishes this core for Mister. Let Mister not become a system with an enormous amount of just to be finished cores. Oh dear...this will get some criticism.

[djmartins]

It is still a bummer that the A2600 is kind of neglected. I hope that someday, someone finishes this core for Mister. Let Mister not become a system with an enormous amount of just to be finished cores. Oh dear...this will get some criticism.

I don't think anyone wants that.
The problem boils down to having a FPGA dev with the interest and time to work on a core.
I can show you where to get FPGA programming books for free if you have the interest and time to learn it.

[Sorgelig]

Some people need to realise it's not a commercial projects. And it's open source. So if you want to get something perfect here, then take yourself and improve the core. This is generic rule of open source projects.
Whining and complaining are not constructive. Excuses like "i don't understand FPGA, i don't understand programming" won't work and won't bring any improvements. Different developers have different priorities and interest. It's not exactly everyone has to like very much exactly the same core or retro system.

[SegaSnatcher]

It is still a bummer that the A2600 is kind of neglected. I hope that someday, someone finishes this core for Mister. Let Mister not become a system with an enormous amount of just to be finished cores. Oh dear...this will get some criticism.

Well it won't be neglected for too long. Rysha said she rewrote the Riot and TIA chips. She needs this done for a 7800 core.

[ewok]

Rysha said she rewrote the Riot and TIA chips. She needs this done for a 7800 core.

Great news!!

[orange808]

I may hold off and port to the OSSC Pro instead. I like the way Marqs handles himself and communicates with others.

[werpu]

Hi I have a weird controller issue with the 2600 core. I have a custom built controller board which maps itself as generic hid directinput controller.
Now all cores work with this one except for the atari 2600 core. To get this one working I have to plug in an xbox controller and start with it the game once, once the game has been started over the xbox controller the custom controller also works with start reset fire, directions etc... until the mister is reset. Then the problem is back again. Any ideas?
I am atm thinking about simulating with my custom controller a fake xbox controller instead of a directinput hid controller.

[Sorgelig]

May be it's related to P1/P2 control?

[werpu]

May be it's related to P1/P2 control?

Could be. I checked a little bit the history of this thread it seems to me that
loads of people have issues with controllers on the core which are similar or related.
(load ms pacman first to get select and start recognized... etc...)

[NML32]

May be it's related to P1/P2 control?

Could be. I checked a little bit the history of this thread it seems to me that
loads of people have issues with controllers on the core which are similar or related.
(load ms pacman first to get select and start recognized... etc...)

What seems to work for me when I run into this issue is to rapidly button mash the DPad, Start, and Select buttons.
This somehow gets the Start and Select buttons to start working.