31 replies to this topic

[ttom]

I wonder if a Save Game Option could be hacked into the cartridge. This feature packaged with tweaked graphics and Midnight Mutants could be a hot seller in the Atariage Store.

Another great aventure game that comes to mind would be 2600 Solaris. A Save Game or a Continue Game Option would make Solaris a hot seller too. Anybody know if this Hack is possible?

[graywest]

As far as Solaris goes, I know that there is an "Infinite Lives" hack floating around somewhere. So that would basically be the same as a Continue option.

Infinite lives was the only way I was ever able to beat Solaris.

[Tempest]

I don't think they can be hacked into the games. That would be VERY hard to do. However, I wonder if someone could come up with a 'save state' device for the 7800 that can store a game save on the fly? That would be neat.

Tempest

[ttom]

graywest, on Thu Apr 9, 2009 8:59 AM, said:

As far as Solaris goes, I know that there is an "Infinite Lives" hack floating around somewhere. So that would basically be the same as a Continue option.

Infinite lives was the only way I was ever able to beat Solaris.

That's right, I came across this game about two years ago. I also read a walk through on how to beat the game. It mentioned to navagate left, up, right and so on through out the map screens. Needless to say, I still couldn't beat it with the set number of lives, LOL.

[ttom]

Every 7800 fan knows that Dark Chambers could really use a save game option. This feature would breath new life into an otherwise, very good game.

[Crazy Climber]

Yeah, no save really kills Midnight Mutants. I would need to take a sick day to play that game seriously

[ttom]

Ha Haa! I would need to take a weekend off from the family to finish Dark Chambers.

[ttom]

Tempest, on Thu Apr 9, 2009 8:20 AM, said:

I don't think they can be hacked into the games. That would be VERY hard to do. However, I wonder if someone could come up with a 'save state' device for the 7800 that can store a game save on the fly? That would be neat.

Tempest

How about a "save state" device that plugs into the cartridge slot and then you plug the cartridge into a slot on the top of this device

Similar to a 2600 converter for the 5200 cartridge slot.

[Gregory DG]

ttom, on Thu Apr 9, 2009 1:48 PM, said:

Every 7800 fan knows that Dark Chambers could really use a save game option. This feature would breath new life into an otherwise, very good game.

The game never ends. I played all the way to the last level and then it restarted. That's when I decided I'd never play it (for any length of time) again.

[yuppicide]

Sort of like how an emulator saves and reloads?

Tempest, on Thu Apr 9, 2009 9:20 AM, said:

I don't think they can be hacked into the games. That would be VERY hard to do. However, I wonder if someone could come up with a 'save state' device for the 7800 that can store a game save on the fly? That would be neat.

Tempest

[Tempest]

yuppicide, on Thu Apr 16, 2009 6:53 PM, said:

Sort of like how an emulator saves and reloads?

Tempest, on Thu Apr 9, 2009 9:20 AM, said:

I don't think they can be hacked into the games. That would be VERY hard to do. However, I wonder if someone could come up with a 'save state' device for the 7800 that can store a game save on the fly? That would be neat.

Tempest

Exactly, but for a physical system.

Tempest

[Shawn Sr.]

Tempest, on Thu Apr 9, 2009 11:20 AM, said:

I don't think they can be hacked into the games. That would be VERY hard to do. However, I wonder if someone could come up with a 'save state' device for the 7800 that can store a game save on the fly? That would be neat.

Tempest

I don't see why not. Some SRAM, a battery and a little software love could make for one heck of a piggy back cart

[gambler172]

Shawn Sr., on Thu Apr 16, 2009 8:27 PM, said:

Tempest, on Thu Apr 9, 2009 11:20 AM, said:

I don't think they can be hacked into the games. That would be VERY hard to do. However, I wonder if someone could come up with a 'save state' device for the 7800 that can store a game save on the fly? That would be neat.

Tempest

I don't see why not. Some SRAM, a battery and a little software love could make for one heck of a piggy back cart

Hi Shawn
The same works for the Atari 800 xl.So,let us do it now.We only need someone,who knows,how to do it......
greetings Walter

[ttom]

This Hack would be perfect for a September 2010 release. With Halloween and the holiday season soon after, the timing couldn't be better.

[Shawn Sr.]

ttom, on Tue Apr 21, 2009 11:01 AM, said:

This Hack would be perfect for a September 2010 release. With Halloween and the holiday season soon after, the timing couldn't be better.

A hack is not possible.

[ttom]

Shawn Sr., on Tue Apr 21, 2009 1:59 PM, said:

ttom, on Tue Apr 21, 2009 11:01 AM, said:

This Hack would be perfect for a September 2010 release. With Halloween and the holiday season soon after, the timing couldn't be better.

A hack is not possible.

Hi Shawn Sr.,

What is a piggy back cart?
Is that like a mini adapter that you plug the original Midnight Mutants into before inserting in the 7800 system

[Shawn Sr.]

ttom, on Tue Apr 21, 2009 6:11 PM, said:

Shawn Sr., on Tue Apr 21, 2009 1:59 PM, said:

ttom, on Tue Apr 21, 2009 11:01 AM, said:

This Hack would be perfect for a September 2010 release. With Halloween and the holiday season soon after, the timing couldn't be better.

A hack is not possible.

Hi Shawn Sr.,

What is a piggy back cart?
Is that like a mini adapter that you plug the original Midnight Mutants into before inserting in the 7800 system

it would be full cartridge size and you would plug it in your cart port of your 7800 and then plug the mutants cart into the piggy back cart. Look at the high score cartridge and you will know exactly what I mean.

[Tempest]

Shawn Sr., on Tue Apr 21, 2009 4:40 PM, said:

ttom, on Tue Apr 21, 2009 6:11 PM, said:

Shawn Sr., on Tue Apr 21, 2009 1:59 PM, said:

ttom, on Tue Apr 21, 2009 11:01 AM, said:

This Hack would be perfect for a September 2010 release. With Halloween and the holiday season soon after, the timing couldn't be better.

A hack is not possible.

Hi Shawn Sr.,

What is a piggy back cart?
Is that like a mini adapter that you plug the original Midnight Mutants into before inserting in the 7800 system

it would be full cartridge size and you would plug it in your cart port of your 7800 and then plug the mutants cart into the piggy back cart. Look at the high score cartridge and you will know exactly what I mean.

Would it actually have to be a full sized cartridge? Why couldn't it be a smaller device? Maybe a third of the height of a cartridge? Obviously you can't do anything about the width.

Tempest

[ttom]

Might as well use a regular cartridge size casing for this project since it can be easily obtained from used common games.

[Shawn Sr.]

Tempest, on Tue Apr 21, 2009 7:49 PM, said:

Shawn Sr., on Tue Apr 21, 2009 4:40 PM, said:

ttom, on Tue Apr 21, 2009 6:11 PM, said:

Shawn Sr., on Tue Apr 21, 2009 1:59 PM, said:

ttom, on Tue Apr 21, 2009 11:01 AM, said:

This Hack would be perfect for a September 2010 release. With Halloween and the holiday season soon after, the timing couldn't be better.

A hack is not possible.

Hi Shawn Sr.,

What is a piggy back cart?
Is that like a mini adapter that you plug the original Midnight Mutants into before inserting in the 7800 system

it would be full cartridge size and you would plug it in your cart port of your 7800 and then plug the mutants cart into the piggy back cart. Look at the high score cartridge and you will know exactly what I mean.

Would it actually have to be a full sized cartridge? Why couldn't it be a smaller device? Maybe a third of the height of a cartridge? Obviously you can't do anything about the width.

Tempest

I was thinking full size just for the simplicity of taking it in and out of the console plus it would give a full carts worth of pcb size depending how complex it gets.

[Tempest]

The problem with full sized carts like the highscore cart is that the tower gets unwieldy and tippy. When I used the HSC I had the game get screwed up several times because the connection was disrupted due to the tower wiggling too much.

Tempest

[Gregory DG]

^^ Yeah, too bad Atari didn't include the HSC feature into the 7800 board.

[ttom]

Since we are now talking about a separate save cartridge, would it be possible to save several games?

[ttom]

Before this idea dies, do any members know if anyone is qualified to take this project a to the next level. I figured we can make a short list and see if they are willing to give it a try. Should I just bring this to Al to see if it can be done?

[batari]

The Harmony cart will be able to do save states with some existing or future games. I got a proof of concept of this working recently, and tried it in Solaris and a few other games.

However, note that the Harmony is a 2600 cart. You aren't going to be playing 7800 Midnight Mutants on it with or without save states.