Harder to develop for, but ultimately a better system than the NES. Impressive image scaling capability and number of sprites it could render on the screen.
It was supposed to launch with a NES style controller called the CX78 in 1986, but nintendo held the patent so atari went with the original 1984 controller instead. Only the europeans got the NES style controller.
But it had a bunch of scrolling games. It's a very flexible system. One thing it's not great at is background, since backgrounds reduce the number of sprites you could draw and slow down the graphics chip, yet many scrolling games with backgrounds are running well on it.
Coulda been a contenda. But too many changes would be needed. A lawsuit forced Atari to delay the launch 2 years, from 84 to 86. That lost them a one year headstart on the NES. Nintendo's litigiousness also prevented Atari from packing in the CX78 gamepad, and they were too cheap to built the Pokey sound chip into the console itself.
The engineers behind 7800 wanted to include a proper sound chip (not POKEY though), but they ran out of available space on the motherboard due to sound chip's late inclusion. They chose to drop the onboard sound chip in favor of potential cartridge expandability to not redesign the whole motherboard from scratch and be ready for an upcoming 1984 launch.
Irony.
Also the definitive versions of Robotron 2084 console port and F18 Hornet. It could do a ton of stuff other 8-bit systems couldn't.
the games that are both on NES and 7800 are usually better on 7800
too bad the cheap israelite jack tramiel didn't really do much to promote it or really do a fricking thing with it
Tramiel's principle was to spend money on selling the most powerful hardware at the lowest price rather than advertising. His strategy worked great for VIC-20, C64, and Atari ST, but he didn't know that children aren't rational enough to buy anything thats not on TV.
the games that are both on NES and 7800 are usually better on 7800
too bad the cheap israelite jack tramiel didn't really do much to promote it or really do a fricking thing with it
I just learned a bit about this system. It seems pretty neat. I had a 2600 as a kid but never touched or saw a 5200 or 7800. Too bad about the sound chip situation. Rikki & Vikki does look impressive.
My dad bought one when it was new.
Pole Position II is the only game we ever had for it, and I don't think it was played for more than 5 hours total.
the idea of ports of nintendo games being on the 7800, a fellow competitor, is pretty amusing to me
its like all those sega games on the pc engine
Never owned one but played it on retroarch. Really fun if you like preNES arcade games. Would recommend.
Harder to develop for, but ultimately a better system than the NES. Impressive image scaling capability and number of sprites it could render on the screen.
shame about that controller though
It was supposed to launch with a NES style controller called the CX78 in 1986, but nintendo held the patent so atari went with the original 1984 controller instead. Only the europeans got the NES style controller.
>but ultimately a better system than the NES. Impressive image scaling capability
This a joke? it only works well for single screen games
But it is a beast for single screen games.
But it had a bunch of scrolling games. It's a very flexible system. One thing it's not great at is background, since backgrounds reduce the number of sprites you could draw and slow down the graphics chip, yet many scrolling games with backgrounds are running well on it.
Coulda been a contenda. But too many changes would be needed. A lawsuit forced Atari to delay the launch 2 years, from 84 to 86. That lost them a one year headstart on the NES. Nintendo's litigiousness also prevented Atari from packing in the CX78 gamepad, and they were too cheap to built the Pokey sound chip into the console itself.
I thought the TIA chip inclusion was for 2600 backwards compatibility?
It was, but at what cost? Would it have killed them to include Pokey too?
The engineers behind 7800 wanted to include a proper sound chip (not POKEY though), but they ran out of available space on the motherboard due to sound chip's late inclusion. They chose to drop the onboard sound chip in favor of potential cartridge expandability to not redesign the whole motherboard from scratch and be ready for an upcoming 1984 launch.
Irony.
Worth it for the definitive version of BALLBLAZER, but otherwise it's just OK.
its alright
objectively the 2600 had better gameslibrary though
i was just about to recommend this to the kids
tower toppler is a cool one too but it got a nes port
Also the definitive versions of Robotron 2084 console port and F18 Hornet. It could do a ton of stuff other 8-bit systems couldn't.
Tramiel's principle was to spend money on selling the most powerful hardware at the lowest price rather than advertising. His strategy worked great for VIC-20, C64, and Atari ST, but he didn't know that children aren't rational enough to buy anything thats not on TV.
the games that are both on NES and 7800 are usually better on 7800
too bad the cheap israelite jack tramiel didn't really do much to promote it or really do a fricking thing with it
You are probably bettet just getting a 2600.
WHAT THE FRICK WERE THEY THINKING???
wasted potential
Rikki and Vikki is a modern homebrew game thats extremely impressive graphically
I just learned a bit about this system. It seems pretty neat. I had a 2600 as a kid but never touched or saw a 5200 or 7800. Too bad about the sound chip situation. Rikki & Vikki does look impressive.