Have a "Froggy" Easter!

Hi folks!

I finally decided to released the port of "Frogger" for the OdySim...yes...you are reading right...Frogger! I did talked about it and i even have a video on Youtube:

Well now after almost two years, it's finally released! =)

But that's not all as i have also talked about three other arcade game ports for the OdySim, which are: Donkey Kong, Pac-Man: Eat & Run and Space Invaders. All these four titles (including Frogger) are part of the "Arcade Game Pak #1" and it's not a typo, i'm really writing "Pak" and not Pack".

The other three ports will be released during Spring 2020...no joke!

Ok, as usual, here's some few screenshots of the game:

 When a game starts...

Both players are almost at the middle

 Player 2 has won!

The manual of the game (incorporated in the game)

So ready to try it out ?! You can grab the game right HERE!

So have a Happy Easter, have fun and take care of yourselves! :=)

--- Sly (already ate too much chocolate) DC ---

My condolences to Debbie Sanford

Hi folks,

It is with regret that i was just informed by a friend of mine that Richard Sanford (Debbie's dad)
just passed away last night. To some of you he was known as "magnavoxodysseyspecialist" on
Ebay and his store is called "Magnavox Odyssey Store".

A few years ago when i was buying some Magnavox Odyssey for parts and projects (err..projects 
are still a WIP) and didn't wanted some accessories and/or overlays, he was always the first to contact me and buy any Odyssey lot.

2-3 years ago, i wanted to buy a few of his non-working Odyssey's (again for parts and projects) but the shipping cost from Florida to Québec was too high (example: $60-65 for USPS shipping!!!)
and that price was only for one console!

Thing is that i have 2 diplomas in electronics and i know my way around these old game consoles
(heck....electronics and video games, two passions of mine!) so i know how to repair them and even how to mod them as i've been collecting 1st and 2nd  generations video games for the past 25 years  or so.

But what my friend Eric got his attention to the passing of Richard Sanford was this on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/atariage/permalink/10157825324625255/?sfnsn=mo&extid=uihXqg9WdN1ZvcR

I would love to help out but (there is always a "but") there is more or less 3 problems:
first is how much is the shipping of more than 300 game consoles/parts from Florida to Québec ?
I would say.....OUCH! Second, where the heck i would store all these as i have a small house ?
And third, how much for the whole lot ? That is not the scariest part, it is actually how many 
parts there is. But i'm not the only one out there who knows who to fix these old game consoles, 
so hopefully there will be another person who was the know-how and the space.

And finally, all my condolences to Debbie Sanford and her family for the lost of a love one
and a heck of a dedicated person, he will be missed.

New hombrew game: "Space War" (demake) !

Hiya folks!

Been quite a time since the last post. As the title says it, here's a new homebrew game called "Space War (demake)". Mikebloke from AtariAge forums, has posted last November a new game for the Odyssey. The best is to read the whole story by clicking "here".

BTW, that's a video made by Mikebloke with a real Magnavox Odyssey!

I know, it took me about 3 months to release the game but in fact, just took me 2-3 hours to make
the game with instructions and all the rest. Problem is not making games, it having the "time" to do it. So without waiting any longer, click "HERE" to download the game. :)

Also, Mikebloke is still developping an RPG game called "First Fantasy: Tales of Odyssey" for the
Magnavox Odyssey, click (again) "here" to read the story on AtariAge forum. Oh and he is also working on another "demake" game and again, from the Fairchild Channel F. Try to guess which one in the meantime... ;)

On another note, I have ported a game from Chris Read to the OdySim. I wanted to release it at the beginning of this year but as i wanted his game to play with cartridge #12, the coding for the cart #12 wasn't finished, but now it is finished and it's better than i was expecting. So until i hear from Chris, i am coding the very last game released for the Magnavox Odyssey which is also using the cartridge #12 to play it...yes, you have guessed right: Interplanetary Voyage! Oh and it is also the longest name for the Odyssey...LOL!!

And finally, i will be releasing very soon (ahem...i wrote "very soon" so it will not be in a couple of months) my "Arcade Pak #1" ("PAK" is intended) which consists of four Arcade game ports: Frogger, Donkey Kong, Space Invaders and Pac-Man.

I have already in developpement Arcade Pak #2 and #3 and also about 20 more games...and even a new accessory which the Prez of the U.S. inspired me greatly ...MOUHAHAAH!! (Evil laugh here!) and no, it's not an Halloween or Horror game, mind you ;P

So enjoy this new homebrew game by Mikebloke and until next time, take care folks!

--- Sly DC ---

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 ---