Coming back from the dead (just in time for Halloween)

Hi Folks!

Sorry for this super late posting...i know, it's been four months now since my last post.
So i had a great summer with my kids and now as school has started (a month and a half ago),
the usual is back to normal (sort of...LOL!!).

But, today i won't post empty-handed as i have a new game for you all and i'll give you hints
trying to find out. First, it's a game which was released the same year as the Odyssey.

Answer: 1972

Second hint: It is an arcade game, uses a rifle gun and since we are close to Halloween, this
game was a good choice to make a port for the OdySim....still haven't find it ?

Final hint: It's a game by Midway...HA! some of you guess it right, it's: Midway's Haunted House!

Here's the picture of the overlay:

Click HERE to download the game.

So hope you'll like this conversion as i've started to make this one 3 weeks ago in my
(so little) spare times. And don't worry folks, i'm still gonna finished the six official released
that's still missing: Baseball, Invasion, Brainwave, W.I.N., Wipeout and Interplanetary Voyage.

Oh and also some homebrews along the way and once the six official released game (that's still missing) will be finally done, i'll make the next Odyssey project: the Super OdySim! To any of you
who doesn't know this, Magnavox wanted to released the next version of the Odyssey called:
"Super Odyssey", which was basically a 4-players Odyssey.

I did code this version way back for the Love 0.8.0. in .....2012!! Yep, 7 years ago. Here's some
screenshots of the old version:

The last screenshot is with a green background and a dotted net and each player has it's own
color (Red = Player 1, Cyan = Player 2, Yellow = Player 3 and Magenta = Player 4).

So this project (Super OdySim) won't see any release for the time being and this is only a glimpse!
In the meantime, enjoy Midway's Haunted House (with original background music of the game).

If i don't post before October 31, then i wish you all a ghoulish Halloween! =)

--- Sly DC(eased) ---

I...robot ??

Hi Folks,

After a month i have posted this reply on AtariAge forum, i was expecting someone to
reply back on this specific line: "After that, connected player 1 the same way for
player 2 (robot) and seeing the Odyssey play versus itself was pretty cool!"

I have written that intentionally to see if someone would see the problem, and alas,
no one did within the past month. The problem is if you add a robot circuit to either
player 1 or 2, the robot will follow the ball when the player moves the "english" knob
like is this example:

BUT if you add a robot circuit for both players, how can both follow the ball if either
robots hasn't control of the "english"?? See the logic ? Well simply put that adding both
players with robot circuit is the same as putting both players returning the ball without
touching the "english".

There's NO angles in the Magnavox Odyssey console as each players can control their own
"english" since there is no wall so that the ball can rebound itself.

Oh damn...forgot to mention by adding a Robot circuit, the AI follows the vertical flight
of the ball, same thing i've implanted in the OdySim for certain games so if a player moves
it's "english", the robot follows...simple as that!

I will tell and show how to add the robot circuit in a real Odyssey console AFTER i have
finished the OdySim and i intend firmly to release the missing "official" games on the
OdySim this year (2019), surely this summer as i will have some spare time, ;)

Until next post, take care Folks! =)


--- Sly DC ---

OdysseyNow Game Pack 1 - part 2

Hi again Folks!

So now i'm back from work, i can now discuss more about the "OdysseyNow Game Pack 1".

The "Game Pack 1" was first annnounced on AtariAge forum (click HERE) on April 7, 2019 and
only 10 copies of this game pack were available (all copies sold). The game pack consists of 3
games (Fukushima, Tannhauser Gate and Super Cat and Mouse) and here's the list of accessories:

* Fukushima overlay and manual
* Tannhauser Gate overlay and manual
* Super Cat and Mouse overlay and manual
* Damocles controller + manual
* Game Card #13 with switch controller
* x1 Fukushima card and x26 Tannhauser Gate cards (x9 "Scan" cards, x9 "Explore" cards
and x8 "Gate" cards).

The quality of the overlays are fantactic! Very robust and a good thickness and their size are
about 15 1/4 inches X 11 1/4 inches and diagonally, they are about 19 inches. The manuals
are plain letter papers with god descriptions of each games and how to play them.

All the game cards (Fukushima and Tannhauser Gate) and also very robust and plastified so
they can withstand a very long period of time....Heck! let's see if they will resist 47 years like
the Magnavox Odyssey (1972 to 2019)....LOL!

The "Damocles controller" is a great add-on accessory and well made. I haven't opened it yet
to see the internal circuit but be sure i will do it someday. But this thing is a power gobber as it
needs 12 Volts DC with 1 Ampere to power it up, so this add another power supply besides the
one for the Odyssey. Would have been great if it would only needed 5 to 6 volts (exactly 5.6 or
6.2 volts depending on the model) to power it up.

And finally, the Game Card #13 with the switch controller. This one too is very well made, i can
even say "professionally made" and same for the switch controller. But...after i have reverse-engineer it, i was disappointed to realize that it has the same pinout as the Game Card #8 except for the switch
of course. The switch is only for "shorting" pin #10 of the Game Card #13 with pins #6-8-12-14-20-22, and this makes the wall display in half (ON - like the Game Card #7) or as a full wall (OFF).

So if you want, you can make your own game Card #13 by simply put a switch in between pin #10 and pins #6-8-12-14-20-22 on a game Card #8 (McGyver style!...lol!!).

And finally, i have tested the "OdysseyNow HAL" emulator, which you can get HERE and is only for MC or Windows 64-bit. As a first released, it is OK as you can play all 12 games cards (even the
unreleased #11) but also you can play 4 new game cards (#13 to #16).

Here's the menu of HAL:

You can configure a lot of things like sizes of the ball or players or wall, coincide (extinguish), etc. and can play full screen or in window modes. But here's all the "pros" stops as it has more "cons" than "pros"...and i know, it's only the first release version.

So want to know (as version 0.1.1) all the things that need to be fixed ? Here's the list:

#1 - Already before downloading the HAL emu, it is only available for Mac or Win 64-bits, but what
about folks (like me) who uses Windows 32-bit ? My computer and the one i'm using for the TV in the living room have both Windows 7 32-bit. I had to use my daughter laptop to try out the emulator.

And yes, you have a point folks, the OdySim is only for Windows 32-bit (no Mac or Linux) but
the OdySim can be build for some OSes like Mac, Linux, Win 32&64-bit, etc... as i'm using the LOVE engine but you'll need the source code which is not yet available.

#2 - There's no "Read-me.txt" as to know which buttons to use with the emulator. I had to check on Github to know which buttons to use. And i found an undocumented feature: If you press either the keys "[" or "]", you can change Game Cards without returning to the menu.

#3 - Where's the Ball Speed buttons ? Because the ball goes pretty fast. ;)

#4 - No overlays but it is the first version so scratch this one. ;)

#5 - Game card #5 has a wall, but originally it doesn't!

#6 - Game Card #7 has a full wall, it supposed to be half, not full.

#7 - Game card #8 Wall is centered but can slide it on the config menu (scratch also this one).

#8 - Game Card #9 and #10: Missing the light gun and Card #10 has a wall ??!?

#9 - Game card #11 has the wall centered but can slide it on the config menu, but it is
the same thickness as the other wall as originally, it is half-thick.

#10 - No documentation for Game Cards #13 to #16.

Ok, i think that's enough for today. So until next, take care Folks!


--- Sly DC ---

OdysseyNow Game Pack 1

Hi Folks!

I have received Monday the latest homebrew...err...homebrews from Zack Horton & Team
which is called "OdysseyNow Game Pack 1". I am one of the few lucky (yes..few as there is only 10 copies of this game pack) to get one of these game pack.

So here's some pictures of this game Pack 1:

The whole Game Pack! Pretty neat!

The "Fukushima" overlay

The "Tannhauser Gate" overlay

and the "Super Cat and Mouse" overlay

The quality of these overlays are very professional, but i must confess that i still haven't tried

out on a real TV how is the opacity shows but neitherless, super job!

 Game Card #13

 Front view of Card #13

 Back view of Card #13

and the switch for the Game Card

 The "Damocles Controller"

And, yes, it uses a 12 volts DC/1 Amp to power up this little beast.

 The game cards included (front view)

(back view of cards) 

(better view of back cards for the Tannhause Gate game) 

and a quick view of the cards for Tannhauser Gate

I will discuss this Game Pack later on as i must leave for work right now!! I will aslo talk about the "OdysseyNow HAL emulator v.0.1.1"

So until next, take care Folks! =)

--- Sly DC ---

OdySim Tennis new version coming soon...

Hi folks!

As i was going to do the last 6 remaining official release games, i wanted to update the OdySim to the latest version of LÖVE which is now at version 11.2 and for now, the Tennis game is the only one which works with the latest version and will be available soon once finished.

All the games with version 10-1 does work with LÖVE 11.2 but the OSD is kinda screwed-looking so to change all the games to version 11.2, i only have to change 2-3 codes and those will also be available soon.

In the new version of Tennis, i've added four new overlays:

The Marx T.V. Tennis overlay

The Tomy Tennis electronic game overlay

The Atari Pong arcade overlay

The GI AY-3-8500-1 Tennis overlay

And remember these are just for fun as they are not official released overlays. Te arcade Pong was meant as a joke (see a previous post) but finally decided to add it and if you check the AY-3-8500-1 Tennis overlay, the score is permanently displaying "7-2" which is for the released year of the Magnavox Odyssey (1972) (and also Atari Pong arcade).

And lastly, "El Principe.jdqP.020303" commented that he saw that the ball rebounds on the very edge of any spots and on a real Magnavox Odyssey console, the ball rebounds a bit inside a spot.

Check this video by Dave Sweet:

If you can check it frame by frame (since the ball is going too fast), you can see that the ball does rebound inside any of the two spots, so "El Principe.jdqP.020303" was right and i didn't notice that before so now starting at version 11.2, both spots (and the wall depending on the game) will have this new collision scheme:

And be assured that the ball and the spots will be white as usual...lol! I just colorized the spots and ball to show how the new collision will work. So a big "Thank You" to "El Principe.jdqP.020303" to point this out so that the OdySim is getting better simulated.

Until next folks, take care and keep in touch! :)

--- Sly (half-century) DC ---

OdySim News as March 29, 2019

Hi folks!

Just an update/news about the OdySim as the last post was January 1st. As being a single parent of two kids and working a full-time job it is not easy to ever find some spare time or even "just sit and breathe". The OdySim project is still going on as today (March 29, 2019) and i intend to finish the last remaining 6 official released games (Baseball, Invasion, W.I.N., Wipeout, Brainwave and Interplanetary Voyage) and even homebrews.

I am still trying to figure a way how to start a game in a specific resolution and after so many tryouts, seems it's impossible without making an overlay for each resolution (more than 40) so i'm putting this "on hold" until who knows when.

Using an USB generic gamepad (or two) is (half) working as now and still trying to encode this so it's still a "WIP". I also have many ideas for the OdySim and also for the real hardware afterwards the OdySim is "completed" to a satisfactory level. I already made and tried out some modifications on a real Odyssey like Video output, the "Teleprompter" circuit (the one back in the late 60's), a power "ON" LED, and playing versus the game console itself (robot mode), and these are only a few mods.

I recently discovered an unreleased homebrew called "Yar's Revenge" which was going to be released by Chris Read back in 2011!? I saw the ad in the back of the Dodgeball instructions on a well known auction site (this auction site doesn't need more publicity). See the picture below:

And two days ago, Chris wrote on his blog that he is making copies of his new (ahem...since 2016) homebrew called "Six²" (pronounced "six-square"). But will this be only for American residents ?!?

And just for fun, i've made a sketch-up overlay of Yar's Revenge for the OdySim:

But this has inspired me to port one of Chris games to the Odyssey, can you guess the name ?

LOL!!! Don't try to hard as the name of the game is showing on the screenshot. Wep, it's "Gosub" which was released for the Atari 2600 and Magnavox Odyssey² (and i think also on the Sega Game Gear ?). Well i'm using the cartridge #12 to play with this port but don't expect this one to be released as i still didn't asked Chris Read permission to release it.

And finally for today, if anyone of you has a copy of this game:

Can you take pictures and scans as i've tried 2-3 times to be in contact with the author (ManCaveArcade) and asked him his permission to released it for the OdySim and seems that he disappeared from the net as 2-3 years ago. And i've missed this one on (ahem...) UPay a couple of days ago...sigh!

So until next post, take care & keep on gaming folks! :)

--- Sly DC ---

Happy "Videojuel"...err New Year everyone! (and a late Merry Xmas)

Hi folks!

First thing: I wish everyone of you a happy New Year 2019 and health all year long! Oh and also a late Merry Xmas too! (oups!) ;)

Since the Halloween game (Jack-O-Lantern Odyssey), i haven't time to code anything because of the Xmas season rush but now, this period is ending today (joy!). Does anyone of you remember what i wrote back on June 13, 2016, especially this paragraph ?

"Oh and i will also talk about an unknown "clone" that almost nobody knows about it. Even M.Baer didn't know about that specific clone. But that will be another story for another time. ;)"

Well today is THE day that i will talk about this unknown clone!

The name of this clone is the "Videojuel" which was released in Argentina (year still unknown) and was made by the company "Laboratorio Electronico Hiroshima" in the town of "La Plata" and even today, the company (or store) still exists ? Yes it's true, still does exists after all these year. They are on Facebook if you don't believe me!

Here's a picture of the company/store taken from Map Google:

Now for some pictures:

The only known owner of this beautiful clone is "Ricardo Saucedo" which he lent to the "Museo de Informatica" ( http://museodeinformatica.org.ar/ ) and i think it's still there. So again, here's some pictures from a video:

and here's the link to the video on Youtube:

Check the video starting at: 01:29 ... Heh!

I have written to Ricardo 2-3 times (between November 28 to December 03, 2013) and the last time, he never answered back.  I would have love to see the overlays as some has different colors or even maybe some different designs, and also the interior of this beast!

He also uploaded a scan of the Videojuel manual for a certain time and now the link has gone to oblivion...but fear not folks as i have a copy in PDF in my database. I will upload it very soon on Archive.org

And before the final words for today, they were an article in the "Replay Number 13" (October 2018 - Special 2nd Anniversary edition) which is published in Argentina:

And Here is the article in question on page 42 & 43:

But the scan is not in the best quality when zoomed, so here's the part of the article zoomed:

So here's all the information concerning this unique and beautiful Argentinian Odyssey clone i have accumulated since 2013. I think Wikipedia and everything else needs an update...LOL!!

So happy New Year folks and the Videojuel manual scan will be available soon! =)