Atarisoft - Revision history

Stefan Haubenthal: /* Corrupt screen characters */

2020-12-10T21:10:46Z

Corrupt screen characters

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:10, 10 December 2020
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	For games where the title screen only was affected it was not a big problem, but in Picnic Paranoia you could not read the scores.		For games where the title screen only was affected it was not a big problem, but in Picnic Paranoia you could not read the scores.

	The same error was seen in one Milton Bradley module, Sewermania, which did not affect game play.		The same error was seen in one Milton Bradley module, [[MBX#SEWERMANIA\|Sewermania]], which did not affect game play.

	==Advertised but never seen==		==Advertised but never seen==

Stephen Shaw: /* Donkey Kong */ amend red to fire, not all joysticks had a red button.

2015-01-03T13:55:33Z

Donkey Kong: amend red to fire, not all joysticks had a red button.

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:55, 3 January 2015
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	Move your joystick left or right to make Mario run in that direction. Move the joystick up or down to make		Move your joystick left or right to make Mario run in that direction. Move the joystick up or down to make
	him climb or descend ladders. Press the ~~red~~ joystick button to make Mario jump. He can jump while		him climb or descend ladders. Press the joystick fire button to make Mario jump. He can jump while
	standing still or running but not while on a ladder.		standing still or running but not while on a ladder.

Stephen Shaw: /* Centipede */ layout cleanup

2015-01-03T13:52:36Z

Centipede: layout cleanup

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:52, 3 January 2015
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	The bug blaster destroys bugs and mushrooms. You start each game with three bug blasters (the number remaining is shown at the top of the screen next to the high score). Press the fire button once on your Joystick for a single shot, hold the button down for rapid fire blasting.		The bug blaster destroys bugs and mushrooms. You start each game with three bug blasters (the number remaining is shown at the top of the screen next to the high score). Press the fire button once on your Joystick for a single shot, hold the button down for rapid fire blasting.

	====Centipedes==== attack from the top of the screen, zig-zagging back and forth each lime they bump into a mushroom, The bug blaster destroys the Centipede by blasting each segment separately		====Centipedes====
			attack from the top of the screen, zig-zagging back and forth each lime they bump into a mushroom, The bug blaster destroys the Centipede by blasting each segment separately

	You must destroy each segment of the Centipede before it can reach the bottom of the screen. Otherwise more Centipede segments will start to appear to attack your bug blaster at the bottom of the screen. When an entire Centipede is destroyed, a new one attacks from the top of the screen.		You must destroy each segment of the Centipede before it can reach the bottom of the screen. Otherwise more Centipede segments will start to appear to attack your bug blaster at the bottom of the screen. When an entire Centipede is destroyed, a new one attacks from the top of the screen.
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	====Frenzied Flea====		====Frenzied Flea====
	The Frenzied Flea may create more mushrooms wherever he lands, making it difficult to shoot a bug until it is dangerously close. The flea's bite can destroy your bug blaster too. It takes several shots to destroy a flea.		The Frenzied Flea may create more mushrooms wherever he lands, making it difficult to shoot a bug until it is dangerously close. The flea's bite can destroy your bug blaster too. It takes several shots to destroy a flea.


	===Defender===		===Defender===

Stephen Shaw: /* Games released */ add Centipede

2015-01-03T13:52:02Z

Games released: add Centipede

@@ Line 16: / Line 16: @@
 ==Games released==
 Some released Atari games include:
 ===Defender===

Stephen Shaw: /* Advertised but never seen */ mention Joust not released

2015-01-03T13:40:47Z

Advertised but never seen: mention Joust not released

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:40, 3 January 2015
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	==Advertised but never seen==		==Advertised but never seen==
	Some Atarisoft games were advertised for the TI (packaging shown in adverts) but ~~there has been~~ no ~~evidence they were ever converted to run on a TI99/4a~~.		Some Atarisoft games were advertised for the TI (packaging shown in adverts) but no release known - eg Joust.

	==Games released==		==Games released==

Stephen Shaw: /* Games released */ remove contentless sentences and add extra games, sort into alpha order

2015-01-03T13:37:35Z

Games released: remove contentless sentences and add extra games, sort into alpha order

Show changes

Stephen Shaw: add MB game Sewermania as having same bug as Atarisoft.

2014-10-07T10:25:36Z

add MB game Sewermania as having same bug as Atarisoft.

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:25, 7 October 2014
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	==Corrupt screen characters==		==Corrupt screen characters==
	Some Atarisoft games had "corrupt" large characters on some consoles as Atari's programmers were reading the large character definitions directly instead of using a location table, and on some consoles this was 4 bytes out. When queried Atari indicated that their games all worked on their console. Singular. ~~One of~~ the ~~games~~ affected was Picnic Paranoia.		Some Atarisoft games had "corrupt" large characters on some consoles as Atari's programmers were reading the large character definitions directly instead of using a location table, and on some consoles this was 4 bytes out. When queried Atari indicated that their games all worked on their console. Singular.

			For games where the title screen only was affected it was not a big problem, but in Picnic Paranoia you could not read the scores.

			The same error was seen in one Milton Bradley module, Sewermania, which did not affect game play.

	==Advertised but never seen==		==Advertised but never seen==

Stephen Shaw: start page for Atari software under Atarisoft

2014-10-06T14:01:08Z

start page for Atari software under Atarisoft

New page

Atarisoft was the name used by Atari to sell its games for a variety of computers, including the TI99/4A.

==Console Version 2.2==
Some TI99/4a consoles would not run Atarisoft modules due to changes made by TI in console version 2.2

==Corrupt screen characters==
Some Atarisoft games had "corrupt" large characters on some consoles as Atari's programmers were reading the large character definitions directly instead of using a location table, and on some consoles this was 4 bytes out. When queried Atari indicated that their games all worked on their console. Singular. One of the games affected was Picnic Paranoia.

==Advertised but never seen==
Some Atarisoft games were advertised for the TI (packaging shown in adverts) but there has been no evidence they were ever converted to run on a TI99/4a.

==Games released==
Some released Atari games include:

===Protector 2===

A very simple game, with simple graphics.

There is a tiny non-important program bug, but the module suffers from poor game design.

You may select level of difficulty at the beginning, but you score no extra for higher difficulty levels, and once you have accomplished your task, that is that. The task is to move people from one city to another while an alien craft is picking them up and dropping them into a volcano. Stage two involves moving them from the 2nd city, which is now being engulfed in lava, to a further place of safety. There are a few aliens trying to stop you too.

===Pac Man===

The classic game which followed Invaders in the arcades all those years ago.

There was even a pop record Pac Man Fever.

This is a faithful reproduction of the arcade game. with graphics which come very close to matching the arcade version.

However. the speed is low. Screen set up is painfully slow (is the module written in basic?) and the critters do not move too fast.

[[Category:Companies]]
[[Category:Module]]