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Atari 7800 + Null Device
Oct. 19th, 2008 01:42 amIn less OH MY GOD THE WORLD IS ENDING news, I've been helping taking screenshots of old Atari 7800 games for the Atari Age database. Some of the games are far more interesting than you'd think at first glance, or at least show off some of the 7800's power.
They still should have made use of the pokey chip in cartridges mandatory however. Pokey chips were basically chips that were used in the old atari computers that did various things but also included sound support with 4 channels. So with adding one of those to the cartridge, you'd have a total of 6 channels of sound available to a 7800 game. The 4 channels that are in the pokey, and the 2 channels that are in the 7800 itself. The 2 channels in the 7800 are identical to the sound capabilities of the 2600. Mainly because it's actually using the same hardware. All but 2 7800 games simply used the 2 channels in the console so they rarely sounded much better than a standard 2600 game.
The 7800 still wouldn't have beaten out the NES if it had tho. Atari made way too many other mistakes along the way. But it would have definitely helped the games sound better. X_X
*addition*
Also, listening to some of the free downloads from Null Device's website. Currently listening through the Footfalls EP, and I find it rocks. Take a listen. Found this by reading Dark Clan's info on CDBaby where it mentions the main guy of Dark Clan was lead guitarist for Null Device up until 2007.
They still should have made use of the pokey chip in cartridges mandatory however. Pokey chips were basically chips that were used in the old atari computers that did various things but also included sound support with 4 channels. So with adding one of those to the cartridge, you'd have a total of 6 channels of sound available to a 7800 game. The 4 channels that are in the pokey, and the 2 channels that are in the 7800 itself. The 2 channels in the 7800 are identical to the sound capabilities of the 2600. Mainly because it's actually using the same hardware. All but 2 7800 games simply used the 2 channels in the console so they rarely sounded much better than a standard 2600 game.
The 7800 still wouldn't have beaten out the NES if it had tho. Atari made way too many other mistakes along the way. But it would have definitely helped the games sound better. X_X
*addition*
Also, listening to some of the free downloads from Null Device's website. Currently listening through the Footfalls EP, and I find it rocks. Take a listen. Found this by reading Dark Clan's info on CDBaby where it mentions the main guy of Dark Clan was lead guitarist for Null Device up until 2007.
