14 replies to this topic

[Retro Rogue]

Found this quite by mistake in a 2600jr/lot of carts buy I made last summer. Hadn't looked through the storage bin until a couple of weeks ago and found this inside. Had Matt take a look at it at the Midwest Gaming Classic the weekend before last, and he thinks it looks legit. Strange looking, regardless, but my understanding is that the pre-80's protos were different than the 80's standard pcb's. Anyone else have any pre-80's protos like this?






That browning looking goop on the bottom side is actually clear and hardened plastic feeling, probably some sort of plastic epoxy.

I'm sending it to Curt to dump, along with an Atari 800 OS dev/eprom card I got from Dan Kramer.

Edited by wgungfu, Thu Apr 8, 2010 2:44 PM.

[save2600]

Awesome. Amazing what you find in a box or lot sometimes. Did you play the game at all? Did it look or play different than the final version?

[Retro Rogue]

save2600, on Thu Apr 8, 2010 2:50 PM, said:

Awesome. Amazing what you find in a box or lot sometimes. Did you play the game at all? Did it look or play different than the final version?

I still haven't had a chance. It does connect exactly right, had to manually press the pcb in different directions and got a flash of the main screen. Have to put it in an empty cart shell to straighten it out.

[Wickeycolumbus]

I don't think that's a prototype, it would either be on a standard 4K board or one like this

[Retro Rogue]

Wickeycolumbus, on Thu Apr 8, 2010 11:18 PM, said:

I don't think that's a prototype, it would either be on a standard 4K board or one like this

It's not a homebrew if that's what you're thinking. We had both concluded it was too old and too professionally done. Matt (whose site you're referencing) had mentioned that a lot of strange looking stuff came out of that period. Likewise those are the standard eproms from the recommendation list that was used at the time.

Edited by wgungfu, Fri Apr 9, 2010 12:27 AM.

[Rom Hunter]

Did you notice any differences with the released version?

[Retro Rogue]

Rom Hunter, on Fri Apr 9, 2010 1:20 AM, said:

Did you notice any differences with the released version?

Like I mentioned, hadn't had a chance to play it yet. Have to put it in a cart shell to stabilize it. Did manage to get the video pinball screen to show up for a second or so by pressing in to the pcb and turning on the 2600.

[Tempest]

I had a chance to look at it at the show and I think it's real. It's a non-standard EPROM board, but the age and style look about right for that time period. My best guess is that it's a personal copy someone at Atari made for themselves. I don't think it's a pirate copy because it's too well done, it's not a ZIF socket hack it's a real EPROM board with two chips (HI and LO). Maybe this was a style of board Atari was trying or just one the employee had laying around? Bob Smith would be the one to ask.

Tempest

[Wickeycolumbus]

I would be very surprised if that came from Atari, the board looks very homemade to me. Didn't Video Pinball come out in 1981?

[Tempest]

Wickeycolumbus, on Fri Apr 9, 2010 10:39 AM, said:

I would be very surprised if that came from Atari, the board looks very homemade to me. Didn't Video Pinball come out in 1981?

It does look homemade, but it doesn't look 'random guy with an EPROM burner' homemade if you know what I mean. It's too high quality for that.

Was video Pinball released that late? I was thinking 80.

Tempest

[save2600]

I have a box that says '80 and my picture label'd cart with all small letters on the end label reads Program Contents 1981©

Always seemed like a late 70's game to me though.

Edited by save2600, Fri Apr 9, 2010 11:44 AM.

[Retro Rogue]

Tempest, on Fri Apr 9, 2010 10:59 AM, said:

Wickeycolumbus, on Fri Apr 9, 2010 10:39 AM, said:

I would be very surprised if that came from Atari, the board looks very homemade to me. Didn't Video Pinball come out in 1981?

It does look homemade, but it doesn't look 'random guy with an EPROM burner' homemade if you know what I mean. It's too high quality for that.

Yes, that was the main thing. It's to high quality, and uses the internally recommended EPROMS from the time. That and the definite aging on it puts it in that period over a more modern "random guy with an EPROM burner" as Matt also stated it's definitely not. It may have been a custom by one of the coders inside Atari for their own use made before it moved to chip, I don't know. That's why I posted it here, to see if anyone else came across something like it.

Quote

Was video Pinball released that late? I was thinking 80.

Tempest

It was created in '79-'80, released on 3/25/81.

Edited by wgungfu, Fri Apr 9, 2010 11:52 AM.

[A.J. Franzman]

wgungfu, on Thu Apr 8, 2010 3:30 PM, said:

It does connect exactly right, had to manually press the pcb in different directions and got a flash of the main screen. Have to put it in an empty cart shell to straighten it out.

You shouldn't have to put it in a shell; it's designed to not need one. If it fits too loosely, try another console if possible -- it's probably a problem with the port. Another possible issue I see is that the edge contacts do not appear to be plated. If the copper is oxidized that may cause problems too.

[Wonder007]

I am in the middle on this one. Compared on the other ones that I own from that era, it is not exactly consistent to what I have. Of course, I agree with Tempest that it probably is some type of prototype because of the pieces involved on the board itself. It probably is more of an employee copy than one created officially by Atari.

[Retro Rogue]

Wonder007, on Sat Apr 10, 2010 10:50 PM, said:

Of course, I agree with Tempest that it probably is some type of prototype because of the pieces involved on the board itself. It probably is more of an employee copy than one created officially by Atari.

Yah, that's what I've been leaning towards as well. I'd like to get a hold of Bob Smith to see if he can shed some light on it.