Atari and DQ Collecting Questions

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robinsonmason
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Atari and DQ Collecting Questions

Post by robinsonmason »

I'm a big fan of the Dunjonquest series if you didn't already know, and I saw this gem on Ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... K:MEWAX:IT

It's a bit pricey for me before I know what I'm getting in to as I have NO Atari home computer experience, but along with Hellfire Warrior and other Dunjonquest titles (see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunjonquest_%28series%29 ) it seems like the Atari 400/800 are important to rounding out a collection.

Questions:

1. What Atari systems can I buy if I want to play these old DQ titles? What newer/other models of the Atari 8-bit series are compatible with a "400/800" title?
2. Would I be better off sticking to emulation? Any quirks about Atari 8-bit computers that would make collecting expensive or a poor choice for a "casual" buyer mostly interested in DQ titles?
3. Is there a place where I can get the documentation / manuals for the lesser known DQ games? Atari Mania has the files for download and some neat cover scans, but no docs, and I know that TOA had a massive manual with room descriptions (I own a copy). Otherwise I will need to buy these just to get my hands on the manuals.

This is one reason I'm interested: "Hellfire Warrior is a full-length Hi-Res adventure game that almost literally starts where Temple of Apshai, also by Automated Simulations, left off."

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RobertBe
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Re: Atari and DQ Collecting Questions

Post by RobertBe »

robinsonmason wrote:What Atari systems can I buy if I want to play these old DQ titles? What newer/other models of the Atari 8-bit series are compatible with a "400/800" title?
You would do no wrong if you got the newer 8-bitters from Atari -- the Atari 65XE or the Atari 130XE.

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robinsonmason
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Post by robinsonmason »

Thanks Robert, I'll check those out.
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Post by robinsonmason »

I've seen a lot of the XE "Game Systems" up on Ebay. Aside from the funky pastel design, is there anything wrong with using these so-called "console" XE's as a 400/800 computer?
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Post by Vic20-Ian »

no

edit - apart from being ugly

I had one and preferred 130XE
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Post by robinsonmason »

Thanks VIC-20 Ian, I read that the XE "Game Systems" can use the same accessories, but hadn't seen any of them hooked up to old 400/800 floppy drives, etc. (just using cartridges) so I wasn't sure if it had all of the same connectors as the much older Atari computers.

What I also didn't want was a sort of FM-Towns Marty type situation where some games would work, some would not, etc.

Looks like I might pick one of these up then some day....first my Mega-Cart, though!


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Post by ral-clan »

I would double check - but I was always under the impression that the later DunjonQuest games were expansion packs for the original Temple of Apshai - meaning you needed the original game to load the expansion packs.

Can anyone confirm or refute this?
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Post by Pedro Lambrini »

OT: Could the DQ expansions and other games be ported to the Vic? Or is that just pie in the sky?
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robinsonmason
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Post by robinsonmason »

ral-clan wrote:I would double check - but I was always under the impression that the later DunjonQuest games were expansion packs for the original Temple of Apshai - meaning you needed the original game to load the expansion packs.

Can anyone confirm or refute this?
That is correct - I tried Drindisti (HW Expansion) out on an Atari emulator and it prompted for Hellfire Warrior. I think it is just a matter of typing the LEVEL of the dungeon you want to enter, and when it prompts for the disk you insert the corresponding expansion disk.

Problem with the Hellfire Warrior image up on Atari Mania is that it does not seem to recognize the single disk image as containing any dungeon levels....but then again I just assumed "Level 1" was appropriate - not sure as I have no docs.

So again, collecting originals seems important, not just for the manuals with the dozens of room descriptions, but for the correct disks / number of disks.
Could the DQ expansions and other games be ported to the Vic? Or is that just pie in the sky?
I guess the question would be how much work Epyx needed to put into getting TOA translated for the VIC-20, and how simple it would be to take the C64 code and use it for the expansion which is basically a bunch of additional dungeon rooms (Curse of Ra, Upper Reaches of Ra). Much of the flavor of those 2 expansions is in the printed manuals / room descriptions.

Compared to other games I would assume it would be on the easy side for someone who knows what he's doing with the code (not me! ;))
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Post by Jeff-20 »

Isn't that just the ugliest computer you've ever seen?
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robinsonmason
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Post by robinsonmason »

Jeff-20 wrote:Isn't that just the ugliest computer you've ever seen?
Indeed! :P Nothing like my VIC-20 beauty.

They do seem to be plentiful on Ebay and the "newest" hardware of that series, though.

I found the matching shoes:

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Post by gklinger »

Jeff-20 wrote:Isn't that just the ugliest computer you've ever seen?
I saw a picture of one a few years ago that had been painted/dyed black and didn't look nearly as bad. Just losing the pastel coloured buttons would probably be a huge improvement.
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Post by ral-clan »

I remember that in 1998 Active Surplus in Toronto had a stack of these Atari XE game systems brand new, in original boxes, that it was blowing out for about $20-30 each.
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Post by robinsonmason »

That $69.99 Drindisti Sealed in Box? I made an offer for 27 bucks and the seller took it! 8)

I also got a copy of Hellfire Warrior that is compatible with the Apple II and TRS-80 with 32K.

So for now I am going to get to scanning in the thick Hellfire Warrior manual, which, by the way is in fantastic condition despite there being no box.

Geez....all this in search of a complete DQ collection, I can't seriously consider getting all of these machines. It will have to be emulation for now.

Perhaps someone wants to do a conversion of Hellfire Warrior and Danger in Drindisti for the VIC-20? They are, after all a continuation.

Thanks to a person by the name of "Muffy" I now know that "what level" = 5, and of course it's in the HW manual as well.

Perhaps I need to start a Dunjonquest Shrine...
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Post by robinsonmason »

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... K:MEWAX:IT

Morloc's Tower up - too rich for my blood... Would love a nice manual scan instead of the nasty one I have from 1996.
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