6 replies to this topic

[Video]

Yo, What up? I was wondering some stuff about the 7800, spacifically to do with 2600 stuff.

The first thing is it's audio. I keep hearing that the 7800 uses the same audio archutecture as the 2600. Is this true? And if so, that technically means any music done on the 7800 can be done on the 2600 right? (with the exception of games that use pokey chips)

The second thing is to do with games for the 2600. Would it be possible to wright a game that runs on the 2600, but will be enhanced on the 7800? Say, Ms. Pac-Man rules, but the ghosts flicker when they cross paths, could you put in a code so if the cart detected a 7800 runing it, it could use the 7800's more powerful hardware to keep the ghosts from flickering? I figure it should be possible (as long as the 7800 access code doesn't use the extra pins of the 7800 cart to work)

It would just be interesting to see a 2600 game that has 7800 compatibility and acutally means something besides it runs on the 2600 in the 7800

[-^Cro§Bow^-]

I am by no means a 7800 hardware expert. But I understand how it works for the most part to be able to answer your questions.

Any audio on the 7800 that doesn't use a pokey should in theory be doable on the 2600 as well. However, you must remember that the 7800 has actual ram for game code to work with VS the 2600 Video Ram only option. Therefore while it would be possible for the 2600 to play the same music and sounds...I am not sure the 2600 has the ram to do it and display all needed graphics also. However, look at Paul Slocum's Marble Craze and all this seems moot...

As for the other question regarding making a 2600 game that is compatible and slightly enhanced when played on a 7800. I don't think this is technically possible since the 7800 uses the Maria graphics chip and doesn't bump up the processing speed when in 2600 mode. In fact a 7800 in 2600 mode...is just that...a 2600. However, again Atari7800.com has I believe 2 games available that are for the 2600 and written for the 2600...but they can only get them to work on 7800 carts in an actual 7800...so who knows what that is about...

[Video]

Heh, they could have been an attempt at getting a 2600 game to run better on the 7800 that failed. Oh well, I'll check into it.

[DanBoris]

Video said:

The second thing is to do with games for the 2600.  Would it be possible to wright a game that runs on the 2600, but will be enhanced on the 7800?  Say, Ms. Pac-Man rules, but the ghosts flicker when they cross paths, could you put in a code so if the cart detected a 7800 runing it, it could use the 7800's more powerful hardware to keep the ghosts from flickering?  I figure it should be possible (as long as the 7800 access code doesn't use the extra pins of the 7800 cart to work)

It would just be interesting to see a 2600 game that has 7800 compatibility and acutally means something besides it runs on the 2600 in the 7800

You can't mix the features of the 2600 and 7800. The 2600 and 7800 graphics come from seperate chips and the video output can only come from one chip or the other. Also, once the system is put into either 2600 or 7800 mode it gets locked into that mode and cannot switch modes again without powering the system off.

Dan

[Video]

Aww...Hmm...

I wonder if you could make an emulator cart for the 7800 portion of the 7800 to run 2600 games enhanced. It should be possible, but not really worth anybodie's time, considering the 7800 already runs the 2600.

Oh well, i'm still looking for options.

[Nukey Shay]

I heard a rumor quite a long time ago that an emulator was being worked on that would have some sort of "smart" imaging deal...that would eliminate all flicker from games. In other words, it would sample a few frames and detect which ones were being erased to automatically correct them. Since there would be a slight delay in between the sampling the frames and then displaying them, I don't think that it would be a workable idea (play control would probably suck last year's eggs). Never seen or heard about it since.

[Nukey Shay]

Actually...now that I think about it, perhaps it would be possible to mesh alternate frames. That is to say that once one frame is drawn and the next one starts, the previous frame's sprites remain on the screen and the new frame fills it out. And when that frame finishes, the second frame's sprites remain on the screen and the third fleshes it out, etc. Though the sprites would probably smear up a bit (?).