Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!husc6!bloom-beacon!mit-eddie!ll-xn!ames!pasteur!buddy.Berkeley.EDU!c60b-at
From: c60b-at@buddy.Berkeley.EDU (john->kawakami)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.8bit
Subject: Re: 2600 games on the 8bit?
Message-ID: <3466@pasteur.Berkeley.Edu>
Date: 17 May 88 17:41:23 GMT
References: <330@umn-d-ub.D.UMN.EDU>
Sender: news@pasteur.Berkeley.Edu
Reply-To: c60b-at@buddy.Berkeley.EDU.UUCP (john->kawakami)
Organization: University of California, Berkeley
Lines: 26

In article <330@umn-d-ub.D.UMN.EDU> rzimbins@ub.UUCP (robert zimbinski) writes:
>    Is it possible to convert an Atari 2600 game cartidge to work on an 8bit
>    machine (specifically an 800)?  I've tried taking apart the 2600 cartridge,
>[deleted about what Bob did]
>    The game unit and the 8bit computers are the same internally, aren't they?
>    If so, it should follow that a chip designed to work with the game should
>    also work with the computers, right?
>    If I'm way off base, please tell me why.  If I'm just a little off base,
>    tell me about that too. Heck, just tell me what you know.
>
>							      -Bob Zimbinski

If I recall correctly, the 2600 uses a 6507 mpu and the 800 and co. use a 6502
mpu.  So it shouldn't work.  There are also differences in the sprite (player/
missile) mechanisms.  I suspect that there are certain similarities in both
machines -- that they are close enough that a hardware device could be made
to run both machines using common graphics chips.  But They are different enough
so the carts are not interchangable now and will not be in the forseeable 
future.
The _5200_ is the machine that is a 800 in disguise.  5200 games are portable to
the 800 if some mods are made to the cart; of course, some code changes will
have to be made to compensate for the joysticks.  There was a cart mod article
in an old ANALOG.

   :the:end:is:near:get:all:your:files:onto:another:machine:fast:
     John Kawakami    kawakami@zen.Berkeley.edu