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Asteroids (Atari) :.
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(Update 24.
May 2018)
Asteroids (Atari 1979)
[ Game
Info | Pictures | Manuals/Datasheets
| Repair/Restore
| ROMs
| Reproductions/Spares
| Mixed
Stuff ]
Game
Info
Overview
- The second Vector
Game from Atari with a horizontal Black & White Vector CRT (15"
& 19"), 2 Player
alternating. Largest Vector Game Production. Developed by Lyle Rains,
Ed Logg und Howard Delman.
Description
- (Grabbed from the Internet.. will replace that some
time.... )
Asteroids sits right
up there
with Pac-Man and Space Invaders as a
classic. From the hypnotic bass to the swarming asteroid field this
game had every intention of success. The production run for this game
exceeded 70,000!! units. Asteroids was so popular that the production
line for Lunar Lander was switched over to producing Asteroids games,
this is why some Asteroids are in Lunar Lander cabinets (about 200 were
done this way!). By this amount of produced games it out performed
Space Invaders from Taito.
Your mission is basically to reduce the floating asteroids down to
rubble and finally dust. Each asteroid when shot breaks into two
smaller ones. As you create your destruction you must avoid enemy
flying saucers that will try and shoot you down. The saucers come in
two flavors, large and small. The large ones of course easier to hit
and are much less accurate with their lasers, while the smaller saucers
are quick and accurate (they also score 1000 points, motivation for
saucer hunting). When you clear the level, alas... more asteroids
appear, and in greater numbers.
Cabinet
Types - Upright (November 1979), Cocktail
Table (April
1980), Cabaret (June 1980)
PCB(s)
- The CPU is a
6502A running at 1.5Mhz with 6k of ROM for the actual game.
Monitor - The
Monitor for the Upright is 19" in size and there exist two brands and
three models.
Brands are Electrohome (EH) & Wells Gardner (WG). The
early
Asteroids below SN 18900 were equipped with an EH G05-801 which was
totally different from the later two models WG 19V2000 or EH G05-802.
In reality you may find a monitor that is made of components from both
brands. The Monitor for the Cocktail or Cabaret is 15" and could be
from either Electrohome (EH G05-805) or Wells Gardner (WG 15V2000). I
have not been able to find a 15V2000 manual, but the EH
model should be very similar
Clones/Bootlegs - Asterock
(Sidam), Asteroide
(Maxenti), Planet (Alca),
Meteor
(Omni), Asteroid
(Karateco), Meteor
(Hoei), Hyperspace
(unknown), Asteroids
(Taito), Asteroids
(Sega)
Prototypes
- not
known
Other
Links
»
History of
Asteroids - http://markn.users.netlink.co.uk/Arcade/aster.html
»
Asteroids on
K.L.O.V.
( The "Killer" List of Video Games) - www.klov.com
»
Production Costs
of
an Asteroids Upright (original memo from Atari) - http://www.ionpool.net/arcade/atari_docs/asteroidscost.pdf
» Upright
Cabinet - [link]
» Cocktail
Cabinet -
» Cabaret
Cabinet
-
» Monitor
Electrohome
G05-801 (19") [ link ]
» Monitor
Electrohome G05-802 (19") [ link ]
» Monitor
Electrohome G05-805 (15") [ link ]
» Monitor
Wells
Gardner 19V2000
» Monitor
Wells
Gardner 15V2000 [ link ]
» PCBs
& other
pictures Audio Regulator 1 - Parts Side
Manuals/Datasheets/Technical
Info
Asteroids
- Upright
»
Service
and
Operation Manual - TM-143
7th
» Schematics
(4 pages ~5Mbytes each) - DP-143
7th Sheet 1A
- DP-143
7th Sheet 1B
- DP-143
7th Sheet 2A
- DP-143
7th Sheet 2B
» Backdoor
sheet
from www.mikesarcade.com
- Asteroids Backdoor Sheet
» Monitor
Operations
and Service Manual incl. Schematics - EH G05-801
- EH G05-802
- WG 19V2000
Asteroids
-
Cocktail
» Service and
Operation Manual - TM-150
3rd
» Monitor Operations
and Service Manual incl. Schematics - EH G05-805 - WG
15V2000
Asteroids
-
Cabaret (tbd)
»
Asteroids - All
Models
» Theory of Vector
Generators & Vector Monitors - The secret life of Vector
Generators
- The secret life of of Vector
Monitors
- Programming the Vector
Generator
- Theory of Vector Generators
- AVG Description (Atari
Internal) 5.2
MByte
» "A
Hitchhikers
Guide to the Atari Digital Vector Generator" ( Philip Pemberton, Dec.
2005) - [ PDF ]
»
Asteroids
Code Project (commented Asteroids Code) - ....asteroids_code_project.html
- Unterschied Rev.1 und Rev.2
» Datasheets
for
electronic components - CPU 6502A - EPROM2716 - PROM 82S129 - Static RAM 2114 - D/A Converter AD561J - TTL Logic 74LSxx
Repair
Tips
»
Asteroids
Troubleshooting Encyclopedia
- http://www.ionpool.net/...asteroidsrepair.html
» Asteroids
Troubleshooting Tips from Star Tech Journal - debug_ast.gif
» Three
Asteroids
Repair Logs from Guddlers Domain - http://www.guddler.co.uk/.....
» Two
Asteroids
Repair Logs from www.adestuff.nildram.co.uk - [ link ]
» Asteroids
Signature
Analysis Guide (CAT Box or Signature Analyzer req'd.) - http://www.ionpool.net/...asteroidsrepair.html
» B/W
XY
Monitor FAQ
V1.2. - http://www.ionpool.net/...bw_vector_monitor_faq.pdf
» Adjust
+5V on
Atari AR1 or AR2 Power Supply - http://www.elektronforge.com/AdjustAtariPS.htm
Restore
Pages
» Asteroids
Restore
from Archer McLean (great!) - http://www.ionpool.net/...asteroids_retoration.html
» 
Asteroids
Cocktail Restore
(in german from "Bobby the Bear") - http://www.paper-tiger.info/index.php?id=00200f
» Control
Panel
Overlay Replacement - need to find this one again....
Artwork
» Asteroids
UR Cardboard Bezel Scan from www.mikesarcade.com
- Asteroids Cardboard Bezel
» Asteroids
ROMS Rev.1 as .zip file (four
2716 EPROMs) - http://www.ionpool.net/arcade/atari/asteroids_rom_2.zip
» Asteroids
ROMS
Rev.2 as .zip file (four 2716 EPROMs) - http://www.ionpool.net/arcade/atari/asteroids_v1_roms.zip
» Asteroids
Vector
State Machine PROM @C8 as .zip file (one 82S129 PROM) - http://www.ionpool.net/arcade/atari/asteroids_vprom.zip
Reproductions/Spares/Improvements
Spares
-
Generally have a look
at the "Link
Collection" section to
find sources. I can help out with single items, if you don't find them
elsewhere. A
non conclusive List is in the "Electronics
/ Parts"
section.
Reproductions
- The following reproductions are on the market with a varying grade of
quality. Have also a look in the "Link
Collection" section:
» Upright
-
Sideart, Monitor Bezel, Control Panel Overlay, Marquee
» Cocktail
Table -
Monitor Bezel, Glass Underlay, Control Panel Overlay
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