sku_u Posted September 17, 2004 Share Posted September 17, 2004 I was sorting through one of my storage boxes and came across this and 5 eproms with open windows. I was wondering what it is exactly? On the top chip, it says 7800 Prototype87 and on the Eprom reader says Loaner. Sorry for the blurry picture: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NintendoDieScreaming Posted September 17, 2004 Share Posted September 17, 2004 That's about the single coolest 7800-related thing I've ever seen, that's what! ...I have no idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Tomlin Posted September 17, 2004 Share Posted September 17, 2004 If you have EPROMs with "open" windows (as in nothing covering them), please get something to cover up the windows, and keep them in a dark place! Some kind of foil tape is the best. Glue stick and piece of foil is a good combo. After all these years, an EPROM is likely to erase itself at any time. Then see about getting them dumped. Since they aren't soldered, this should be really simple. Since your sig says you're in the CT area, you're definitely close enough to Cambridge to possibly have a real proto set. You really need to get them dumped ASAP. As for the picture, it looks like a Commando board. The chip at top is the Pokey sound chip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPUWIZ Posted September 17, 2004 Share Posted September 17, 2004 I was sorting through one of my storage boxes and came across this and 5 eproms with open windows. I was wondering what it is exactly? On the top chip, it says 7800 Prototype87 and on the Eprom reader says Loaner. Sorry for the blurry picture: I have one of those as well, it's a 32K Pokey EPROM cart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPUWIZ Posted September 17, 2004 Share Posted September 17, 2004 Ooops, forgot to mention that yours is missing the 7404 inverter and it will NOT boot EPROM's in it's current state. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferris Posted September 17, 2004 Share Posted September 17, 2004 I have a stack of those things in my collection... thing is, who knows what's on your cartridge? For all you know it could be Electrocop or Crystal Castles. Cover those windows and check it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sku_u Posted September 17, 2004 Author Share Posted September 17, 2004 I have a stack of those things in my collection... thing is, who knows what's on your cartridge? For all you know it could be Electrocop or Crystal Castles. Cover those windows and check it out. The Eproms are currently in a UV shielded static bag. They were being kept in a dark closet. I doubt anything's on them since it would have made sense to cover up the windows if there was and the Eproms look like generic Eprom chips used for homebrews, but if someone's interested in checking them out, I'd be happy to send them out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sku_u Posted September 17, 2004 Author Share Posted September 17, 2004 Forgot to mention, I didn't photograph them for obvious reasons just in case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sku_u Posted September 17, 2004 Author Share Posted September 17, 2004 I have one of those as well, it's a 32K Pokey EPROM cart. Thanks for the info. I figured it was some kind of reader, like the 2600 one I have. Bummer it won't run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sku_u Posted September 17, 2004 Author Share Posted September 17, 2004 Just took a look at them, there are actually 4 of them, not 5. Here's what's written on each of the Eproms: EPROM 1: *Has sticker residue on it AM27C256-200DC 9308CP W C. 1986 AMD MALAYSIA EPROM 2: S27C256-20 FA 2292R12 8918VG EPROM 3: *Has sticker residue over the window AM27C256-95DC 010YBPP C. 1986 AMD EPROM 4: *Has sticker residue over the window AM27C256-205DC 8736NP C. 1986 AMD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPUWIZ Posted September 17, 2004 Share Posted September 17, 2004 They are all 32K EPROM's, this looks a lot like mine, I bet you got that years ago from the same person. In which case, they are blank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Mitch Posted September 17, 2004 Share Posted September 17, 2004 I've got one as well. There was someone selling a bunch of them on ebay a couple years ago. They all included a couple of EPROMs with them but as far as I've ever heard they were always blank. Mine were blank anyway. Mitch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DracIsBack Posted September 18, 2004 Share Posted September 18, 2004 I have a stack of those things in my collection... thing is, who knows what's on your cartridge? For all you know it could be Electrocop or Crystal Castles. Cover those windows and check it out. Heh - I bet John Hardie and those guys know exactly where those games are ... right beside MISSING IN ACTION, PLUTOS and SIRIUS on their shelves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Godzilla Posted September 18, 2004 Share Posted September 18, 2004 let's just keep our fingers crossed that they are found one day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferris Posted October 17, 2004 Share Posted October 17, 2004 I have a stack of those things in my collection... thing is, who knows what's on your cartridge? For all you know it could be Electrocop or Crystal Castles. Cover those windows and check it out. Heh - I bet John Hardie and those guys know exactly where those games are ... right beside MISSING IN ACTION, PLUTOS and SIRIUS on their shelves. I wouldn't doubt it. Those guys spent the early half of the 1990's making their way into the vendors' warehouses and pilaging what nifty items they found. (I know this first-hand.) It's nice that theyve found some great titles but unfortunately they do not care to share. Even if they wanted to publish these titles and release them at CGE, I'd be fine with that. It was their find and they are welcome to make a few dollars off of it.... I just wish we could all get to play these games one day. Fortunately, such titles as Rescue on Fractalus and GATO have been found recently and guys like Curt Vendel are willing to make these finds public and share them with the community. I had Sentinel, KLAX and PitFighter in my collection since 1994 and was simply unskilled and not able to make these games fit the right boards until 2000 when I shared them with one of the vendors. Fortunately by then guys like Lee had already been able to work these things out and make the games available for sale to the community. I really really want to play Electrocop though... it's amazing that even though this game was shown at CES by the Tramiels no one was able to take a picture of it or save a screen shot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+davidcalgary29 Posted October 17, 2004 Share Posted October 17, 2004 I have a stack of those things in my collection... thing is, who knows what's on your cartridge? For all you know it could be Electrocop or Crystal Castles. Cover those windows and check it out. Heh - I bet John Hardie and those guys know exactly where those games are ... right beside MISSING IN ACTION, PLUTOS and SIRIUS on their shelves. I wouldn't doubt it. Those guys spent the early half of the 1990's making their way into the vendors' warehouses and pilaging what nifty items they found. (I know this first-hand.) It's nice that theyve found some great titles but unfortunately they do not care to share. Even if they wanted to publish these titles and release them at CGE, I'd be fine with that. It was their find and they are welcome to make a few dollars off of it.... I just wish we could all get to play these games one day. Fortunately, such titles as Rescue on Fractalus and GATO have been found recently and guys like Curt Vendel are willing to make these finds public and share them with the community. I had Sentinel, KLAX and PitFighter in my collection since 1994 and was simply unskilled and not able to make these games fit the right boards until 2000 when I shared them with one of the vendors. Fortunately by then guys like Lee had already been able to work these things out and make the games available for sale to the community. I really really want to play Electrocop though... it's amazing that even though this game was shown at CES by the Tramiels no one was able to take a picture of it or save a screen shot. Call me dense, but can someone please advise what the attraction is of acquiring a one-of-a-kind item and withholding it (e.g. not dumping) from the general gaming public? Surely the value of the original items are not going to be reduced by any duplicates produced; we haven't at the very least, seen much of that occurring amongst 2600 collectors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DracIsBack Posted October 17, 2004 Share Posted October 17, 2004 I don't get it either, but unfortunately ... many 7800 prototype owners don't like sharing anything with anyone. Perhaps it is because 7800 prototypes are simply scarce and they want to keep the value of the prototypes high. But for 7800 fans, it's aggrevating. Plutos, Sirius and Missing In Action have all been known ABOUT for a couple of years, but nary a rom file, a screen shot or even a description has been shared with anyone else in the community by those that own the prototypes. We know they have them. They know we know they have them. Sadly, they don't want to share. I imagine ELECTROCOP, GAUNTLET, WHITE WATER MADNESS and those other phantom 7800 games are being held by some collectors out there under similar circumstances. I do appreciate Curt's efforts. To him, it's about preserving history, not about hoarding prototypes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joey Kay Posted October 17, 2004 Share Posted October 17, 2004 I really really want to play Electrocop though... it's amazing that even though this game was shown at CES by the Tramiels no one was able to take a picture of it or save a screen shot. As much as "I want to believe"... Actually, considering the (lack of) press coverage the 7800 was receiving by this point, while also sharing your immense disappointment, if this game was shown, I'm not surprised a photo wasn't taken that survived until now as far as we know. As for the total disappearance of the ROM - that seems a little more bewildering... considering so much from the Atari Chicago days for the 7800 (and a surprising amount for the XE) seems to have surfaced in one way or another. I wouldn't be surprised if definitive proof of Electrocop and Gauntlet never turn up. In fact, I have the feeling that Electrocop never existed. Perhaps it was nothing more than a mistake - "somebody saw Electrocop for the Atari Lynx" - story gets passed on "Somebody saw Electrocop at the Atari booth" - story gets passed on again "Somebody saw Electrocop for the Atari 7800". There are announced titles that never saw the light of day (such as White Water Madness) and no proto has even surfaced. I have trouble believing that Electrocop was in the stages of development and never announced. We know how Tramiel's Atari announced everything EONS before it ever came to market. Just my thoughts... I want to believe... I just can't! Cheers! Joey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joey Kay Posted October 17, 2004 Share Posted October 17, 2004 Although I might add that I will be ECSTATIC if somebody definitively proves me wrong and coughs up the proto! Cheers! Joey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DracIsBack Posted October 17, 2004 Share Posted October 17, 2004 Actually, considering the (lack of) press coverage the 7800 was receiving by this point, while also sharing your immense disappointment, if this game was shown, I'm not surprised a photo wasn't taken that survived until now as far as we know. Well - considering RESCUE ON FRACTALUS as a ROM didn't show up until earlier this year, I'm not. considering so much from the Atari Chicago days for the 7800 (and a surprising amount for the XE) seems to have surfaced in one way or another. Actually - almost NOTHING in any shape or form that was in the works fo the 7800 has shown on. Let's not kid ourselves. Atari had announced a ton of different games as being in various stages of development for the 7800. But only a handful of prototypes have actually surfaced ... KLAX, PIT FIGHTER, RESCUE ON FRACTALUS, GATO and a couple of others. For others - ELECTROCOP, GAUNTLET, STEEL TALONS, WHITE WATER MADNESS and many others, have not. I wouldn't be surprised if definitive proof of Electrocop and Gauntlet never turn up. Unless the reporters at VG&CE and ACE MAGAZINE were outright lying, definitive proof does indeed exist that they were worked on. In fact, I have the feeling that Electrocop never existed. Fact 1: Video Games and Computer Entertainment reported that they played KLAX and ELECTROP at the Winter CES of 1991. Atari was showing those titles, as well as MIDNIGHT MUTANTS and others that did get out. Fact 2: I once traded emails with a journalist from VG&CE who played both games. His quote: "Klax was ok but Electrocop was amazing." Fact 3: Robert Jung posted this to USENET on September 30th, 1990 ... the official Atari release list for the 7800: " * IKARI WARRIORS -- Conversion of the Tradewest arcade game. One or two players do a "Rambo" with nameless soldiers, tanks, and other hardware. * FATAL RUN -- Race an armed vehicle to deliver a vaccine. * PLANET SMASHERS -- Vertically-scrolling space shoot-em-up. * ALIEN BRIGADE -- Kill the aliens who have infested your buddies in the platoon. Play with joystick or light gun. * MOTORPSYCHO -- Motorcycle racing game. * BASKETBRAWL -- B-ball with fists ("inner city basketball", they say) * MEAN 18 ULTIMATE GOLF -- An adaptation (I think) of the computer game. * MAT MANIA CHALLENGE -- One- or two-player wrestling. * ELECTROCOP -- Same name as the Lynx title, but different game. * SCRAPYARD DOG -- Another Lynx title; Double Dragon-type fight for your faithful furry friend. * KLAX -- You asked for it, you got it. Catch the tiles and make patterns. * MIDNIGHT MUTANTS -- No description. * NINJA GOLF -- 9 holes of pars, sharks, sandtraps, and dragons." All but two of those games were released and all but one has been located. To me, Electrocop very much exists -- or did at one point. There's enough evidence to suggest that it isn't a "Super Mario Brothers for 7800", which was a mistake. Not trying to attack you at all ... but don't believe for a second that "most 7800 projects have surfaced." In fact, very few 7800 projects have surfaced at all. There are announced titles that never saw the light of day (such as White Water Madness) and no proto has even surfaced. I have trouble believing that Electrocop was in the stages of development and never announced. It *WAS* announced: At CES and in the official game list. We know how Tramiel's Atari announced everything EONS before it ever came to market. Not true, either. Sirius, Missing In Action, Plutos, Pit Fighter and Gato (all of which HAVE been confirmed to exist in various forms) were not - to the best of my knowledge, ever announced by the Tramiels for the 7800. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joey Kay Posted October 17, 2004 Share Posted October 17, 2004 Looks like I stand corrected! Cheers! Joey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferris Posted October 17, 2004 Share Posted October 17, 2004 Oh I know for a fact it exists or did at least at one point in time. The following is FACT with regards to 7800 Electrocop only... - Fact : 7800 Electrocop was exhibited at the 1991 Winter CES. - Fact : 7800 Electrocop was PLAYABLE by the time it reached CES. - Fact : In 1992 and 1993 I was in contact with three people who worked within Atari at Borregas who could visually confirm for me the existence of Electrocop. - Fact : Also in 1992 and 1993 a woman named Julie Wade, whom I spoke with on several occasions, worked closely with Sam and Jack almost as an "assistant." She had IN HER OFFICE DESK at least four pre-release cartridges. Wade was instructed by the Tramiels to DESTROY these cartridges in 1994. She said she was going to make an attempt to save these cartridges but I do not know if they were ultimately destroied or not. - Fact : Wade was also in touch with a few various vendors as she had a working relationship with them. - Fact : It has been reported that Brad at Best Electronics received a few of these Electrocops in along with a few Klax and Sentinel in 1993 just as he did Dukes of Hazzard for the 2600. These cartridges may have been sold off to customers of the time. So... I'd say that the chances of finding Electrocop in existence somewhere somehow is a very good possibility. I still believe in this and look forward to the day when I can play this great game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad2600 Posted October 17, 2004 Share Posted October 17, 2004 It would be nice if whoever had the ROMs to Electrocop or any other unreleased 7800 game, would see this thread and have a change of heart to share info about these ROMs with the community. In my opinion, the 7800 is the last great Atari system that has not been exploited enough by the community, in terms of homebrews, hacks and so forth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferris Posted October 17, 2004 Share Posted October 17, 2004 It would be nice if whoever had the ROMs to Electrocop or any other unreleased 7800 game, would see this thread and have a change of heart to share info about these ROMs with the community. I agree. I have a feeling that the only individuals who may have some 7800 stuff that they are sitting on who have not released it thus far would be the DP crowd... Hardie, Kelly, Santulli, maybe Ieda. But they have their own venue and forum to address this in. If you do not support their behavior with regards to the prototypes then we can opt not to support their cause. We can stick here at AtariAge, go to PhillyClassic and visit AtariProtos.com for all of our prototype needs. The stronger of a community we build thru AtariAge and affiliated sites, the better chance we will have in finding these rarities. My guess is whoever has Electrocop either does not visit AtariAge or does not realize what they have. An Electrocop could have been sold thru Best Electronics in 1992 or 1993 to a customer who has since moved on and forgotten about Atari. Or, Electrocop could be sitting in the bottom of a bin somewhere in a vendor's warehouse or in an unidentified box that a collector may have. In my opinion, the 7800 is the last great Atari system that has not been exploited enough by the community, in terms of homebrews, hacks and so forth. I could not agree more. The Maria chip is not all that hard to program for. I have not seen any wonderful advancements regarding the 7800 with the exception of the work done by Karolj Nadj, Heaven of the development group Taquart. His stuff is really good. Same with analmux. The past year or two has seen some WONDERFUL homebrews for the 5200 including Castle Crisis and Adventure II (or whatever) which are simply beautiful. XYPE has been releasing some great 2600 titles for quite a while. But why NOTHING for the 7800? Sure we've had Klax and Sentinel. I had a hand in that myself. But those are reproductions. Spacewar and Touch Me / Senso DX have been developed but these are very simple games and have not been released for sale yet. WHY NO 7800 HOMEBREWS? Think of the wonderful games we could have had before Infogrames got nasty. Crystal Castles for the 7800... a new Yar's Revenge... Roadblasters... games in the same nature as Metroid or Zelda but with Atari characters... heck maybe even an E.T. Redemption game to put history back how it should have been would have made a great RPG title if not for the licensing issues. Even if someone made an effort to hack Centipede into Millipede, I'd at least love to see that there was some effort on someones part. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trip_Cannon Posted October 18, 2004 Share Posted October 18, 2004 That is amazing though that no pictures ever surfaced of Electrocop. I sure hope some day somebody has a change of heart. Does anybody know if this was just a playable demo or a complete game? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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