+Random Terrain Posted November 1, 2008 Share Posted November 1, 2008 (edited) Looks like work might be starting back up on the Chimera cartridge pretty soon. I hope that means we'll be able to buy it some time in 2009. For those who don't already know, you'll be able to slap your ROMs on a microSD card, pop it into the Chimera cartridge and use it as a multicart. But Chimera is more than a multicart: On top of all that, it looks like the Chimera cartridge probably won't cost more than 50 dollars, so even those with little money to spare could save up and grab a Chimera cartridge for themselves. I can't wait to buy a few of these. My hopes are also on www.legacyengineer.com eventually making a new Atari 2600 clone so I can buy a few of those too. I'd like to have a new Atari 2600 clone in every room of the house that has a TV (and have a Chimera cartridge for each one so people can play any games I make). I'll probably buy more than a few Chimera cartridges over time in case anything happens to the first few (children related accidents or who knows what else). Things are looking up for Atari 2600 users. Additional: It's funny RT. You must have known about this project for a long time now. Why so excited about it now? One reason is that I'm finally working on my own Atari 2600 games using batari Basic thanks to the bB IDE called Visual batari Basic. I couldn't get anything done without VbB. I have a Krok cart and although Thomas Jentzsch showed me that the Krok cart is easier to use than I thought, I still have to plug and unplug cables and yank the Krok cart out of the Atari and shove it back in again. The Chimera cartridge will be easier to use with even fewer steps. The sooner I get a Chimera cartridge, the better. Another reason is because of this thread: http://www.atariage.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=131503 We get an Atari-like PC joystick now and if legacyengineer.com sells enough of those joysticks, we'll hopefully get paddles for the PC in 2009. If they sell enough paddles, next will probably be a portable Atari 2600 and I'd buy one, but I'm more interested in an Atari 2600 clone for home use. You never know, we could end up with a new Atari 2600 clone by Christmas of 2009 or 2010 at the latest (with fingers and toes crossed). If I can buy a new Atari 2600 clone for every room of the house that has a TV, each one will need a Chimera cartridge so family members can test my works in progress and play finished games that I make, plus, they can play classic favorites without having stacks of my cartridges sitting around. So I have two fairly new reasons for being excited about the Chimera cartridge. Looks like I'm not the only one who's excited, judging by the replies. Edited November 23, 2008 by Random Terrain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
accousticguitar Posted November 1, 2008 Share Posted November 1, 2008 I'm looking forward to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nathanallan Posted November 1, 2008 Share Posted November 1, 2008 I can't wait to buy a few of these. My hopes are also on www.legacyengineer.com eventually making a new Atari 2600 clone so I can buy a few of those too. I'd like to have a new Atari 2600 clone in every room of the house that has a TV (and have a Chimera cartridge for each one so people can play any games I make). I'll probably buy more than a few Chimera cartridges over time in case anything happens to the first few (children related accidents or who knows what else). Things are looking up for Atari 2600 users. If a 2600 clone does come aroud from them, I hope they make it look like the Jr. It's a nice looking little system. Kind of has the case design yanked from the ST computers. Sloping top-front, raised edge in the front, very nice case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricDeLee Posted November 1, 2008 Share Posted November 1, 2008 Hmm... very interesting. Makes you want to sell off the Krok cart and wait for this. (Just a joke mind you. I need to dust off my ol' Krok cart though) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atarian63 Posted November 1, 2008 Share Posted November 1, 2008 I'm looking forward to it. Me too! sounds great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atarian63 Posted November 1, 2008 Share Posted November 1, 2008 I'm looking forward to it. Me too! sounds great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nonner242 Posted November 1, 2008 Share Posted November 1, 2008 sound awesome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+HatNJ Posted November 1, 2008 Share Posted November 1, 2008 Cant wait Hope its not a limited run missed out on cuttle carts and such other devices Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giltygear Posted November 1, 2008 Share Posted November 1, 2008 where would i be able to put an order in? looks like ill be buying one of those Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mirage Posted November 1, 2008 Share Posted November 1, 2008 Yeah, I'll buy one of these... it's different enough from my Krok cart that it'd be worth having, especially for that price. Not sure how I feel about "extending" the 2600's capabilities that much, but... it'll be interesting. The word is usually pronounced "Kai-Me-Ra", not like he's saying it... are they officially really calling it "Ch-ih-muh-ra"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ginnidog Posted November 1, 2008 Share Posted November 1, 2008 Put me down for one also... Paulie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Random Terrain Posted November 1, 2008 Author Share Posted November 1, 2008 where would i be able to put an order in? looks like ill be buying one of those It will probably be a while before we'll know where to order. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
accousticguitar Posted November 1, 2008 Share Posted November 1, 2008 Cant wait Hope its not a limited run missed out on cuttle carts and such other devices They plan on making enough to saturate the market. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darthkur Posted November 1, 2008 Share Posted November 1, 2008 Most definitely! I can't wait to get my hands on one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plink Posted November 1, 2008 Share Posted November 1, 2008 Although i already have a krok cart... I think I will definitely buy at least one of these...especially if the price is low.. MicroSD means ease of use!!! Copy and play... I wish we will have news about release and ordering soon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Random Terrain Posted November 1, 2008 Author Share Posted November 1, 2008 MicroSD means ease of use!!!Copy and play... Darn right! I'm glad I have my Krok cart while I'm waiting. I couldn't try my work-in-progress games on a real Atari 2600 without it, but it sure will be nice when I won't have to plug and unplug cables and go through the 5 or 6 steps it takes with the Krok software to download the game into the cart. The Chimera cartridge is going to remove so many of those tedious steps and just let me get on with it. Although a lot of people will probably use the Chimera cartridge mostly to play classic Atari 2600 games, the Chimera cartridge will be a huge help to people who are trying to make their own games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Jentzsch Posted November 1, 2008 Share Posted November 1, 2008 ...but it sure will be nice when I won't have to plug and unplug cables and go through the 5 or 6 steps it takes with the Krok software to download the game into the cart. The former is correct, the later not. There are just 2 steps (press "Download", restart 2600). But we had this before, didn't we? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Random Terrain Posted November 1, 2008 Author Share Posted November 1, 2008 ...but it sure will be nice when I won't have to plug and unplug cables and go through the 5 or 6 steps it takes with the Krok software to download the game into the cart. The former is correct, the later not. There are just 2 steps (press "Download", restart 2600). But we had this before, didn't we? Yep we did. It seems I have to do more steps than you, so maybe I got a special version of the Krok cart software made just for me. Since I have a different folder for each game, I have to copy the .bin file, click the Multicart tab, click on the little button with 3 dots next to position 1 to select the .bin, paste the .bin file (which also luckily selects it), click Open, click the Create button, click OK, click the ROM tab, then finally click Download. That's a lot of clicking and add the cartridge insertion and extraction and cable plugging and unplugging that I have to do and you can see why I can't wait for the Chimera cartridge to be released. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Jentzsch Posted November 1, 2008 Share Posted November 1, 2008 Yep we did. It seems I have to do more steps than you, so maybe I got a special version of the Krok cart software made just for me. Somehow I doubt that. Since I have a different folder for each game, I have to copy the .bin file, click the Multicart tab, click on the little button with 3 dots next to position 1 to select the .bin, paste the .bin file (which also luckily selects it), click Open, click the Create button, click OK, click the ROM tab, then finally click Download. That's a lot of clicking and add the cartridge insertion and extraction and cable plugging and unplugging that I have to do and you can see why I can't wait for the Chimera cartridge to be released. Multicarts? For development? There are many, much shorter ways: 1. You can simply drag & drop a ROM from your file manager to the KC. 2. You can use quick picks to download one of 16 games with one click. 3. And if you do not like that, press ..., select any game and press "Download". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Random Terrain Posted November 1, 2008 Author Share Posted November 1, 2008 Multicarts? For development? How else would I get my game into a real Atari 2600 for testing without buying expensive equipment? 1. You can simply drag & drop a ROM from your file manager to the KC. Well, slap my ass and call me Suzy! That works! Thanks! Heck of a lot faster than what I thought you were supposed to do. Doesn't eliminate the cartridge insertion and extraction and cable plugging and unplugging, but at least the other steps have been eliminated thanks to your tip. Still can't wait to get a Chimera cartridge to eliminate the rest of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Jentzsch Posted November 1, 2008 Share Posted November 1, 2008 (edited) How else would I get my game into a real Atari 2600 for testing without buying expensive equipment? I meant that you create complex multicart ROMs all the time. Well, slap my ass and call me Suzy! That works! Thanks! Heck of a lot faster than what I thought you were supposed to do. Glad to help. Sometimes RTFM helps. And once you have the ROM name in the KC, you just have to press Download to update the ROM you are currently developing. Doesn't eliminate the cartridge insertion and extraction and cable plugging and unplugging, but at least the other steps have been eliminated thanks to your tip. Still can't wait to get a Chimera cartridge to eliminate the rest of it. I never take the KC out or unplug the cable. But IIRC your PC is too far away from your 2600 to do that too, right? Edited November 1, 2008 by Thomas Jentzsch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Random Terrain Posted November 1, 2008 Author Share Posted November 1, 2008 And once you have the ROM name in the KC, you just have to press Download to update the ROM you are currently developing. Thanks. It always has a different name based on the date and time. Example: super_pimple_poppers_2008y_11m_01d_0545t.bin So I'll just have to stick to drag and drop. That's easy enough. I never take the KC out or unplug the cable. But IIRC your PC is too far away from your 2600 to do that too, right? Yep. Too far away. Thanks again for the tip. I skimmed through the manual and read certain parts in detail, but I must have missed the drag and drop part. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2600FunTimes Posted November 1, 2008 Share Posted November 1, 2008 sounds like a VERY nice concept at work.. I'd definitely consider putting up some cash for one.. ..currently use the stella emulator on my computer to "test" games I haven't actually gotten to play on the 2600.. this way the console affect would actually be authentic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EarthQuake Posted November 1, 2008 Share Posted November 1, 2008 I'm definitely not passing this one up. I'll happily dish out $50 for something like this. I just hope it sees itself through and proves to be solid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tremoloman2006 Posted November 1, 2008 Share Posted November 1, 2008 I'll get at least 2 when available! I've been waiting anxiously for something like this to come along. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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