2021/7/16: Atari 2600: Circus Convoy

[Gleebergloben123]

It’s been mentioned that Circus Convoy is a 128K game when most Atari games back in the day were between 4-16K. Someone here in another thread stated that a 128K game would have been prohibitively expensive back in the early 80’s. IF you ignored the cost back then, was the technology there to make a 128K game like this in 1982?

[txsizzler]

It’s been mentioned that Circus Convoy is a 128K game when most Atari games back in the day were between 4-16K. Someone here in another thread stated that a 128K game would have been prohibitively expensive back in the early 80’s. IF you ignored the cost back then, was the technology there to make a 128K game like this in 1982?

From what I understand, to go past 4k, would require bankswitching, which is probably what this 128k game is doing. With bankswitching, the sky is the limit, although it would be prohibitively difficult to program for.

[txsizzler]

Can anyone expand on the way to upload your high score? That's pretty cool.

And I agree with its box and everything I'd say this was an official release.

Since the offical support for the 2600 has ended long ago, I don't think this would fall under an official release, even with the box and manual. Software created by non-licensed companies and unsupported hardware would most likely fall under homebrew.

[ActRaiser]

Can anyone expand on the way to upload your high score? That's pretty cool.

And I agree with its box and everything I'd say this was an official release.

Since the offical support for the 2600 has ended long ago, I don't think this would fall under an official release, even with the box and manual. Software created by non-licensed companies and unsupported hardware would most likely fall under homebrew.

Well, here's the thing though. Activision games were unlicensed. There was no "licensing". There also wasn't a lockout chip on the Atari 2600 that I'm aware of. The whole licensing thing started with Nintendo's NES as a way to A) make more money and B) appear to have quality control. (Acclaim games would negate that fact)

Nintendo did this in some small part due to the glut of games on the Atari 2600 more as a marketing campaign than anything else.

In my humble opinion the unlicensed companies doesn't hold water as nothing was licensed for the 2600.

Similarly, the no longer supported statement is a bit odd as games typically come out long after the official support of the console has ended. In my humble opinion as these guys originally developed games on the 2600 back in the day this is about an official release as there can be for a 40 year old console.

[SpiceWare]

Great looking 2600 title! Curious, should this have the Homebrew icon on it as well?

In this I would differ to Audacity Games and they are adamant that while they love homebrew, as it kept interest in the 2600 alive, they are not homebrew. You can hear this for yourself in the ZeroPage Homebrew Circus Convoy World Premiere from 6:54 - 12:00

Can anyone expand on the way to upload your high score?

They did it by using two 21x21 QR Codes that you scan with your phone:

1. URL to a logon page
2. encoded score/time/etc info

You may find this discussion over at AtariAge interesting: QR Code Generation.

It’s been mentioned that Circus Convoy is a 128K game when most Atari games back in the day were between 4-16K. Someone here in another thread stated that a 128K game would have been prohibitively expensive back in the early 80’s.

Definitely would not have been done in the early 80s. 1986's Castlevania for the NES is one of the earliest 128K games I'm aware of, so it would have been possible in the later half of the 80s; however, the added cost wouldn't have been warranted for a then low-volume 2600 game.

With bankswitching, the sky is the limit, although it would be prohibitively difficult to program for.

Bankswitching is not prohibitively difficult to program for - my first 2600 game was 32K, and the bankswitching was one of the simplest things about it.

[ActRaiser]

[quote="SpiceWare"]
They did it by using two 21x21 QR Codes that you scan with your phone:

1. URL to a logon page
2. encoded score/time/etc info

You may find this discussion over at AtariAge interesting: QR Code Generation.

That is crazy cool.